Reflections from Soul Trak 2025 Environmental Leader Fellows

We’re excited to spotlight the contributions of our 2025 Environmental Leadership Fellows—Dede, Ayanana, and Jamal—each of whom has brought care, creativity, and commitment to our work this season. From event support to community engagement, their leadership has helped bring our mission to life in meaningful ways. Read below on their reflections from this months programming:

Families and Mother’s Day Nature Walk

Outdoor Climbing Club’s Last Session

Families and Mother’s Day Cake Decorating

Spring Climbing Update from a Soul Trak Environmental Leadership Fellow – Jahmal Clemons

Hi everyone! My name is Jahmal Clemons, and I am one of the 2025 Soul Trak Environmental Leadership Fellows. As a Fellow, I am part of a life-changing organization that provides opportunities to stretch far beyond your comfort zone and share experiences with others who are looking to do the same. Since January, I’ve been supporting the Top Rope and Bouldering programs, two activities in which I had little experience. I was ready for the physical challenge, but as I reflect, it was the mental challenges I faced that taught me the most valuable lessons.

1. Enjoy Being a Beginner

I was utterly overwhelmed when I attended my first Top Rope program at Sportrock Climbing Center and Movement Crystal City. The height of the walls was daunting, and the unfamiliar climbing lingo and knots added to the discomfort. For instance, ‘Top Rope’ refers to a style of climbing where a rope is anchored at the top of the route, and ‘to belay’ is the technique used to protect a climber from falling. The discomfort that comes with trying a new activity weighed heavily on my mind. My inner saboteur was ever present, ready for the tiniest opportunity to steer me to safety (i.e., back into my shell and the comfort of an early exit). Thankfully, my more measured self gently whispered, “It’s ok. You’re a beginner.” Remembering this helped me feel some space around my expectations, worries, and fears. Space, I used to keep trying, even when my arms and my ego hurt. 

The climbing community is a diverse one, with people of various experience levels. While some had years of climbing under their harness, for every experienced climber, there were at least two like me who were relatively new. This diversity not only created a sense of unity but also a feeling of being part of a supportive group. We all embraced being beginners together, climbing, and learning from one another.   

2. Take Every Opportunity to Celebrate

As much as we love capturing an Instagram-worthy moment to mark our progress, the process itself is notoriously unglamorous. One of the great things about climbing is that each routes are ranked by level of difficulty. What feels challenging to one climber might be a breeze to another. I started routes that I couldn’t finish and spent many sessions in the climbing kindergarten to bolster my confidence and get my body accustomed to lifting itself. More often than not, at least one Soul Trak attendee would shout encouragement from the ground, regardless of the level I was on. Folks being generous with praise with no hidden agenda? How often does that happen in the world?

If strangers could see my progress and feel confident enough to shout it out, then I need to take more opportunities to celebrate my own, no matter how small.

3. Take a Break, But Don’t Quit

Did I mention that climbing is a demanding sport? It’s totally normal after those first few classes to wake up sore in spots you’ve never known you had. During the meet-ups and classes, I noticed that after the first 30 minutes or so, my stamina began to wane. Ever the opportunist, my inner saboteur whispered seductively, “Wouldn’t it be nice to sit this one out? You’ve already fallen twice. That’s enough.” Thankfully, I had the support of many other Soul Trak friends, who I noticed falling, sitting on the sidelines for a moment, and then trying again. The truth is that failing spectacularly when trying something new is also part of the journey. Rather than snuffing out our progress with negative self-talk, taking a necessary pause between attempts reenergizes us for the next ascent.    

If you’ve been clicking on the Soul Trak links for meet-ups, classes, or walks but haven’t yet joined (we know who you are), this is your sign! Take it from me that listening to your curiosity and potential will bring you to a more grateful space for your effort than if you hadn’t. Perhaps I’ll see you at the next Bouldering meet-up. I’ll be the one catching my breath in the corner after falling. 

Leaders Retreat in Harpers Ferry, West Virginia

Environmental Leaders Retreat – Ayanna Lynch

I’ll admit I was feeling a mix of nerves and excitement before the retreat, since I hadn’t been camping in a few years and I wasn’t sure what to expect. When we all met at the Harper’s Ferry Adventure Center though, reality started to set in, and I realized how even somewhere that’s a short hour drive from the city can feel so different. Sounds of traffic and sirens were replaced with the sounds of birds, and the breeze blowing through the trees. The demographic shift was also palpable, since we were the only group of POC that I saw at the campgrounds- although we did run into some Soul Trak friends on the hike later on.  

Each fellow was assigned to lead a different aspect of the trip: the introduction/overview, the hike, and the rafting trip. I really enjoyed seeing everyone’s different leadership styles and how each person brought their unique skills and perspectives to their activity. I especially enjoyed our session on learning how to pitch a tent and first aid. Pitching a tent for the first time was especially empowering, and it was fun to think of ways we could each make our tent feel like our little home for the night. We ended the trip with white water rafting, which literally tested our teamwork, and we succeeded in not flipping the boat. 

One of the most powerful aspects of the trip was the feeling of safety in our group, which Soul Trak is uniquely helpful in creating. Each fear or vulnerability was met with compassion and guidance. It really helped me learn the importance of holding that type of space for outdoor activities, where everyone has their own relationship and experience with nature. Leadership isn’t just about guiding people through the technical skills of the outdoors, but also about maintaining a safe, positive energy for the participants, so that everyone feels encouraged and supported to expand beyond their comfort zone. 

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Families and Mother’s Day Walk and Cake Decorating

Mother’s Day Nature Walk – Dede Lawal

The Mother’s Day nature walk at Oxon Run Park was a fun and grounding experience. One thing that continues to surprise me about Soul Trak events is how comfortable participants are with being open and sharing their stories. During the nature walk we played an activity where we all received one word and took time to reflect on what that word meant to us in the context of the mother figures in our lives – including mother earth. At the end of the walk we went around in a circle and each participant gave such earnest, sincere responses. I learned so much about each person in a short amount of time about topics I wouldn’t usually ask someone I just met. The thing about Soul Trak programs is that you’ll leave having learned something new and feeling more connected to those around you! Here are a few quotes from participants during the sharing exercise:

“My mother was my friend, she was love.”

“Wisdom can’t be taken from you.”

“The beauty about my mom is that she is authentically herself.”

“Be kind to the Earth – eat locally and seasonally.”