Welcome to #PinkNicky’s Blog for your weekly dose of adventure ideas.
| I have picked my favourite adventure films that capture the essence of female empowerment, resilience, and the pursuit of extraordinary feats. From the vast oceans to camel trekking in the desert, from conquering ultra swimming challenges to capturing on film for the first time the horrors of WW2. |
| I remember following the Whitbread Round the World Race and watching Maiden, helmed by Tracy Edwards, as a very naive 18-year-old and thinking how extraordinary she was! |
| The story of Diana Nyad shows how a person can become obsessed with a goal and the bonkers amount of training that goes with it. I remember one of her many training swims, which was 12 hours long! I feel smug when I have swum for an hour! |
| Tracks, goes down as one of my all-time favourites, and I love the connection with National Geographic. Robyn Davidson is one of the original adventurers, opening the road for us all! |
| Lee, I loved this film. It’s not an adventure, but it is about a woman on a mission to tell a story and show the world the truth of war |
| So many times, when watching these women, I held my breath and felt just a little scared for them! |
This week, I’m sharing my 5 Favourite Adventure Films.
1 Maiden: 12 Women A Race to the Finish: A Battle to be Equal
Summary: “We weren’t surprised that there was resistance to an all-female crew in the race …” says Tracy Edwards, who assembled the first all-female crew to enter the Whitbread Round the World Race. “But I was shocked at the level of anger there was that we wanted to do this because why is this making you angry?”
Maiden is the inspirational story of how Tracy Edwards, a 24-year-old cook on charter boats, became the skipper of the first-ever all-female crew to enter the Whitbread Round the World Race in 1989. Tracy’s dream was opposed on all sides: her male competitors thought an all-women crew would never make it. But Tracy refused to give up: she re-mortgaged her home and bought a second-hand boat, putting everything on the line to ensure the team made it to the start line. With the support of her remarkable crew, she went on to write sailing history and prove that women are the equal of men.
Notes: In 1989, Tracy Edwards was the captain of the first all-female crew in the Whitbread Round the World Yacht Race, becoming the first woman to receive the Yachtsman of the Year Trophy and an MBE.
Tracy has written two books about her experiences, Maiden and Maiden Over
Follow on Insta: Maiden is a Global Ambassador for the Empowerment of Girls through Education
2 NYAD
Summary: Annette Bening and Jodie Foster star in this underdog tale based on the remarkable true story of marathon swimmer Diana Nyad, who, at the age of 64, became the first person to complete the “Everest of swims,” a 53-hour, 110-mile swim from Cuba to Florida through dangerous open ocean without a shark cage.
Notes: The film has stirred a measure of controversy, and it will make you hungry to find out more about Diana Nyad. It shows how far obsession can get you! If you like this, you can also watch Free Solo (by the same directors). Follow Alex Honnold on his quest to perform the first-ever free solo climb of a route on El Capitan in Yosemite National Park.
3 Tracks (2014)
Summary: This is the story of Robyn Davidson and her 2,000-mile trek across Australia in the mid-1970s with her dog and four camels. Robyn wrote an article for National Geographic, published in 1978, which attracted so much interest that Davidson decided to write a book about the experience. Robyn made the front cover of National Geographic!
This is a captivating story from beginning to end!
Notes: This is one of my favourite films and I would love to have Robyn as my dinner guest one day! Robyn has a new book out: Unfinished Woman: A Memoir Hardcover – December 5, 2023. This is on my reading list I will let you know what think.
4 Lee Miller
Summary: Lee Miller later became one of the first-ever female war correspondents accredited to the US Army and travelled with the US troops throughout Europe between 1944 and 1945. Lee is one of the most remarkable female icons of the 20th century. A fashion model and surrealist muse turned photographer turned war reporter; Miller chose to live by her own rules.
This is not so much of an adventure but certainly a woman with the passion and power to show the world a different story. I loved her strength, fire, and absolute curiosity throughout her life. It’s not an easy watch in places, so beware!
Notes: Miller was the first and only wartime photographer to record the first Allied use of napalm at St. Malo, France, and acted as a witness to the horrors of the Holocaust. When the photograph was taken, she had no idea she had captured a napalm explosion on film.
Watch out for her exhibition at The Tate Britain in October 2025.
5 Live to 100 – Secret of the Blue Zone
Summary: Live to 100: Secrets of the Blue Zones, there are certain areas of the world — Okinawa, Japan; Ikaria, Greece; Sardinia, Italy; Nicoya, Costa Rica; and Loma Linda, California, where more people live significantly longer than average. The series examines what is unique to these communities and what we can learn from them. Blue zone centenarians’ habits, diets, and lifestyles are simple, but they can change everything. Twelve patterns emerged from the blue zones. You will recognise them all – the key is to see how we can integrate them into our daily lives.
You can also read The Blue Zone Book by Dan Buettner if you want to find out more.
Notes: This is so interesting, and most of it makes sense. It makes you think, why can’t we spread these Blue Zones across the world? My favourite episode was meeting the centenarians in Japan.
@DanBuettner summarises his findings above
Enjoy My 5 Favourite Adventure Films this autumn weekend; let me know if you have any films I can add to the list for next time.
If you are interested in Films, check out Frontier Sapien Film Festival.
It’s time to get out of bed! and find today’s adventure!
Over and Out
#PinkNicky
