As a part of the official sponsorship Osprey agreed to support our Pink Summits Scholarship to attract new members into our core team to support the campaign aim: to strengthen the visibility of LGBTQ+ people in adventure sports, including mountaineering and rock climbing. The scholarship amount in 2023 is up to 3.000 euros that can be used for our planned expeditions or for new ideas and projects. Moreover, Osprey will provide you in-kind support with packs that you need for your expeditions or adventures.
We especially welcome applications from LBTQ+ women, people with disabilities, refugees and migrants, Black, Indigenous and/or People of Color (BIPOC), and anyone who is not able to join our expeditions due to financial constraints.
Emilie is a queer woman based in Berlin, Germany with a background in grassroots political organizing and a commitment to transformative social change. As a multicultural beginner outdoors person who grew up among the Douglas firs of the U.S., Emilie loves sport climbing and backpacking. In her free time, she also enjoys the meditative aspects of swimming and being on the water. Emilie is enthusiastic about deepening the connection between outdoor adventures and inner healing, and is very excited to work with Pink Summits to help increase FLINTA* visibility and access to the outdoors.
Emilie will share the scholarship funds with a remarkable local youth initiative working with LGBTQ+ community in Issykkul, Kyrgyzstan. Emilie will have the opportunity to personally connect with leaders of that initiative during her upcoming trip to Central Asia, where Pink Summits, in partnership with Kyrgyz Indigo, will organize a community event. This collaborative effort has established a three-year tradition of organizing hiking and climbing events in the awe-inspiring Tian-Shan mountains, providing a safe haven for local communities to challenge themselves, empower and inspire one another, celebrate their diversity and perseverance, and show their unwavering pride.
*FLINTA stands for Female, Lesbian, Intersex, Non-binary, Transgender, and Agender individuals.