Paralympian, adventurer and Abertay University honorary graduate Karen Darke is spreading her love of nature after being recognised with a prestigious Scottish mountain award.
Karen, who was paralysed when she broke her back at just 21, has always loved immersing herself in nature – and wants others to know the powers it can hold.
She remembers: “When I was paralysed, I had a really traumatic time thinking that would be the end of all my time in nature.
“I was facing this life I thought might be very sedentary and confined to urban spaces.
“At the time, I was quite lucky because I was a student. So, you’re naturally surrounded by a more active community.
“But I do remember a few really traumatic weekends going into the Scottish mountains thinking ‘I can’t do it, all my friends are up there and I’m not, I don’t know if I can deal with this’.
“Gradually I discovered there were ways I could do it and it was all down to technology really.
“I ended up getting one of the first ever hand bikes 30 years ago, which I rode across the Himalayas.”
‘I feel calmer when I’m in the mountains’
For her efforts and dedication to the outdoors, Karen has been named the 15th recipient of the Scottish Award for Excellence in Mountain Culture.
The award is presented at the Fort William Mountain Festival in February.
It seeks to celebrate and showcase the outstanding achievements of individuals in the outdoor world.
Karen, 50, continues: “Receiving the award took me by surprise but is a real honour. My soul is rarely peaceful without a mountain in its presence.
“There are so many reasons I love being in mountains. It’s always a mini adventure when you go into nature.
“You don’t know what’s going to happen. You don’t know what the weather is going to be like, if you’ll get lost in the woods. It’s full of the unknown.
“No matter what’s happening in my life, I feel calmer and have a clearer perspective when I’m in the mountains.
“It’s always been fundamental to my life and my physical, mental and emotional health. It’s just really therapeutic.”
‘Reach out for help and give help where you can’
Thanks to technology and self-motivation, Karen hasn’t had to give up her active lifestyle. She acquired a hand bike 30 years ago and has used it to bike across the Himalayas.
And having won a gold medal in road cycling at the Rio 2016 Paralympics and a Silver at London in 2012, Karen is always looking forward to her next challenge.
She’ll be working with The Polar Academy, a Scottish charity that helps young people who lack confidence, aspiration or self-belief to improve their skills and resilience.
Karen will join Iona Somerville – a Polar Academy graduate and survivor of the Ariana Grande Manchester terrorist attack in 2017 – in skiing to the South Pole later this year.
Karen enthuses: “The two of us are going to ski to the South Pole together. We’re going to share our stories about the power of nature, exercise, connecting with people and having clear goals to help us move forward.
“Even if in our darkest days when we think we can’t do it anymore, anything is possible.
“Our mental and emotional wellbeing is always at risk. Life is a challenge and you never know what’s going to happen next.
“For me, the secret combinations are getting outside and appreciating nature. It’s about appreciating what we have got rather than what we haven’t and connecting with people.
“Reach out for help and give help where you can. Those are the things that have got me through everything.”
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