Passion Profile – Lee Craigie
Name:
Craigie Lee
Activities/Passions:
Climbing
Skiing
Tai Chi
Hill Running
Music
Wood Working
Mountain Biking (especially)
Notable Results:
2013 British Mountain Bike Champion
Member of Team GB (Before giving up xc racing and enjoying self-supported adventuring instead.)
Highland Trail 550 in under 4 days
Tour Divide
Colorado Trail
Silk Road Mountain Bike Race
Age:
40
Occupation:
Storyteller and bringer together of people in wild places. Also the Active Nation Commissioner for the Scottish Government.
Lee’s Short Bio:
Born in Glasgow to a sporting family, I studied outdoor education and later child and adolescent psychotherapy before turning full time mountain bike racer. I became the British Mountain Bike Champion in 2013, member of Team GB at World and European Championships and represented Scotland at the 2014 Commonwealth Games.
But the secret to my sporting success lay in my love of exploring big mountains by bike. I’m fascinated by the places we can all take ourselves emotionally by pushing our perceived limits in wild places, so I now ride long distances self-supported by bike all over the world.
I am passionate about fair representation in the outdoors and established The Adventure Syndicate, in an effort to offer an alternative female role model. The Adventure Syndicate post their stories online and arrange gatherings of people (usually of women and girls) so that we all might feel grow to feel capable of more than we think we are.
I’ve made an award winning film on racing the Tour Divide and have my own radio programme for BBC Scotland, Lifecycle, which explores themes that affect us all but that I process on my bike. I am also the Active Nation Commissioner for Scotland 2 days a week, inspiring, encouraging and enabling others to consider the emotional and physical benefits to be gained from being everyday active.
I live in the Highlands of Scotland, in my van or on my bike.
1/7:
What makes you 1 of 7 billion?
LC:
Nothing. We are all unique. That’s the point of the world and worth reminding ourselves every single day.
1/7:
Where does your motivation come from?
LC:
Probably the ever present understanding that we will all be dead soon! That’s not supposed to sound morbid; it actually helps me celebrate life everyday. When I catch myself making up reasons for not doing something, not challenging myself physically or even holding too tightly to my opinion on something, I feel like I’m not making the most of life. That said, there’s something primal that drives me to spend time in wild places. Without that regularly in my life I can get very low.
1/7:
What barriers have you identified in life that have kept you from following your passions?
LC:
In my early adult life I fell into the trap that society lays for us all. The one that tells you you must have stuff and a career and a partner and always have your time occupied constructively in order to be successful. Then I began to question what success looked like and these barriers just fell away. I’m always assessing if what’s stopping me are real barriers and what are imagined ones. It’s easy with things like money or material possessions but with people it’s harder. I have to work hard to balance the solitary, nomadic part of me with my need to be around loved ones and part of a community. Luckily those closest to me have learned to hold me lightly. I would never want to limit someone I loved and the people who love me appreciate and reciprocate this sentiment.
1/7:
You’ve travelled all over the world, has it effected, changed or taught you anything about your own passions or that of others?
LC:
Life can sometimes feel so complicated and stressful. The simplicity of traveling self-supported by bike dissolves the smoke and smashes the mirrors of the deceptions we live by that we keep thinking make us happy. Money, status, possessions, it’s all a charade. Having very little and appreciating what I have is when I feel the most content. That said, hold on too tightly to anything and you’ll squeeze the life out of it. Traveling by bike helps me achieve this state. It’s my passion. But what if I relied on it and nothing else to find my happy place? It could become a demon if I let it. The happiest people I’ve met on my travels are the ones who can remain open to others and change.
1/7:
Can you share your favorite inspirational quote to help motivate others?
LC:
“Let go of what you think you know. “
1/7:
What Passion(s) are you following in 2019/2020?
LC:
I’m very proud that Scotland has declared a Climate Emergency and I think it’s time I considered my contribution to our carbon crisis. So in 2020 I’ll not be taking any long haul flights anywhere and taking ground based transport where at all possible. This restricts my movements a bit but as I’ve already described above, I’m happiest when I don’t have much as it lets me appreciate what I’ve got. With this in mind, I’m going to stay in the UK in 2020 and venture into Europe only using my bike or trains. There’s plenty to enjoy right here on my doorstep.
1/7:
What Passion(s) are you following in 2019/2020?
LC:
I’m very proud that Scotland has declared a Climate Emergency and I think it’s time I considered my contribution to our carbon crisis. So in 2020 I’ll not be taking any long haul flights anywhere and taking ground based transport where at all possible. This restricts my movements a bit but as I’ve already described above, I’m happiest when I don’t have much as it lets me appreciate what I’ve got. With this in mind, I’m going to stay in the UK in 2020 and venture into Europe only using my bike or trains. There’s plenty to enjoy right here on my doorstep.
1/7:
What made you want to start The Adventure Syndicate and how was your passion involved?
LC:
The voices that get heard in the adventure world and in the bike industry aren’t very diverse. Homogeneous groups don’t speak to everyone and I like the idea of breaking the cycle of offering a platform only to those with the most privilege and the loudest voices who perpetuate the idea that we must all aspire to be strong, brave and rich (and at the same time white, male and middle class!). I know what the benefits of being outdoors and active can have on us all from both personal experience and in a professional capacity so would like everyone to feel they belong in nature. In order to achieve this we have to rewrite the traditional sporting / adventure narrative using lots of different voices including those of teenage girls, shy boys, older people, people with disabilities and those from a different culture or socio-economic background. Storytelling is powerful stuff but everyone listens differently so showing others our passion for being outdoors and active via film, talks, the written word or podcasts will reach more people.
My Thoughts on Lee
I first met Lee during the Tour Divide in 2017. It was raining off and on since the start of the race and Lee and her friend came by me while I stopped to put on my rain jacket. I could see right away Lee was exactly where she wanted to be. She was happy, very happy despite the dismal conditions. (She was also fast as hell too!)
I wouldn’t see Lee until days later at Brush Mtn Lodge in Colorado. I almost didn’t recognize her. Her face was so swollen from a medical condition that came up, that I wasn’t sure it was her. Despite the weather, her health and a broken bike she was still positive and looking how to continue to move forward. Many others I know would not have had the same composure or drive Lee did.
I saw her one more time during the race. It was my last day, Lee had jumped up ahead of me to finish with her friend. You guessed it, Lee was smiling. Since then I have followed Lee online, read about her accomplishments, I saw her this year that Colorado Trail Race and the more I have learned about her the more I see her passion.
Her answers to the above questions confirm my thought that she would be a great candidate for the Passion Profiles. Lee is a driving force, not only in her own life but that of others through her storying telling and work with The Adventure Syndicate.
Take some time and learn more about Lee and her work at the links below. You’ll be better for it.
1/7:
What Passion(s) are you following in 2019/2020?
LC:
I’m very proud that Scotland has declared a Climate Emergency and I think it’s time I considered my contribution to our carbon crisis. So in 2020 I’ll not be taking any long haul flights anywhere and taking ground based transport where at all possible. This restricts my movements a bit but as I’ve already described above, I’m happiest when I don’t have much as it lets me appreciate what I’ve got. With this in mind, I’m going to stay in the UK in 2020 and venture into Europe only using my bike or trains. There’s plenty to enjoy right here on my doorstep.
1/7:
What made you want to start The Adventure Syndicate and how was your passion involved?
LC:
The voices that get heard in the adventure world and in the bike industry aren’t very diverse. Homogeneous groups don’t speak to everyone and I like the idea of breaking the cycle of offering a platform only to those with the most privilege and the loudest voices who perpetuate the idea that we must all aspire to be strong, brave and rich (and at the same time white, male and middle class!). I know what the benefits of being outdoors and active can have on us all from both personal experience and in a professional capacity so would like everyone to feel they belong in nature. In order to achieve this we have to rewrite the traditional sporting / adventure narrative using lots of different voices including those of teenage girls, shy boys, older people, people with disabilities and those from a different culture or socio-economic background. Storytelling is powerful stuff but everyone listens differently so showing others our passion for being outdoors and active via film, talks, the written word or podcasts will reach more people.
My Thoughts on Lee
I first met Lee during the Tour Divide in 2017. It was raining off and on since the start of the race and Lee and her friend came by me while I stopped to put on my rain jacket. I could see right away Lee was exactly where she wanted to be. She was happy, very happy despite the dismal conditions. (She was also fast as hell too!)
I wouldn’t see Lee until days later at Brush Mtn Lodge in Colorado. I almost didn’t recognize her. Her face was so swollen from a medical condition that came up, that I wasn’t sure it was her. Despite the weather, her health and a broken bike she was still positive and looking how to continue to move forward. Many others I know would not have had the same composure or drive Lee did.
I saw her one more time during the race. It was my last day, Lee had jumped up ahead of me to finish with her friend. You guessed it, Lee was smiling. Since then I have followed Lee online, read about her accomplishments, I saw her this year that Colorado Trail Race and the more I have learned about her the more I see her passion.
Her answers to the above questions confirm my thought that she would be a great candidate for the Passion Profiles. Lee is a driving force, not only in her own life but that of others through her storying telling and work with The Adventure Syndicate.
Take some time and learn more about Lee and her work at the links below. You’ll be better for it.
1/7:
What made you want to start The Adventure Syndicate and how was your passion involved?
LC:
The voices that get heard in the adventure world and in the bike industry aren’t very diverse. Homogeneous groups don’t speak to everyone and I like the idea of breaking the cycle of offering a platform only to those with the most privilege and the loudest voices who perpetuate the idea that we must all aspire to be strong, brave and rich (and at the same time white, male and middle class!). I know what the benefits of being outdoors and active can have on us all from both personal experience and in a professional capacity so would like everyone to feel they belong in nature. In order to achieve this we have to rewrite the traditional sporting / adventure narrative using lots of different voices including those of teenage girls, shy boys, older people, people with disabilities and those from a different culture or socio-economic background. Storytelling is powerful stuff but everyone listens differently so showing others our passion for being outdoors and active via film, talks, the written word or podcasts will reach more people.
About the Passion Profiles
Throughout my adventures I’ve meet people who I think truly embrace what it means to be passionate. The subject of their passion isn’t always the same or one I might share but that is what makes them standout. I believe our passions are a big part of what makes us unique.
Each month I will choose an individual who embodies what it means to be passionate or One of Seven Billion. The goal of the Passion Profiles is not to simply highlight these individuals but to share their story and passion(s), in hopes it will motivate others to embrace and follow their own passions.
The Passion Profiles embrace the One of Seven Project’s Core Values and attempt to make a difference in others’s lives by helping to breakdown barriers, while encouraging them to be unique, or One of Seven Billion.
Core Values
Encourage others to truly know themselves and their passions.
Assist others in celebrating their uniqueness by following those passions that make them unique.
Humanize adventure.
Help others be the best version of themselves.
If you know someone who would be a good candidate, please use our Contact form and let us know who they are and how we can reach them. You can also watch my introduction video for the Passion Profiles below. Thanks!
About the Passion Profiles
Throughout my adventures I’ve meet people who I think truly embrace what it means to be passionate. The subject of their passion isn’t always the same or one I might share but that is what makes them standout. I believe our passions are a big part of what makes us unique.
Each month I will choose an individual who embodies what it means to be passionate or One of Seven Billion. The goal of the Passion Profiles is not to simply highlight these individuals but to share their story and passion(s), in hopes it will motivate others to embrace and follow their own passions.
The Passion Profiles embrace the One of Seven Project’s Core Values and attempt to make a difference in others’s lives by helping to breakdown barriers, while encouraging them to be unique, or One of Seven Billion.
Core Values
Encourage others to truly know themselves and their passions.
Assist others in celebrating their uniqueness by following those passions that make them unique.
Humanize adventure.
Help others be the best version of themselves.
If you know someone who would be a good candidate, please use our Contact form and let us know who they are and how we can reach them. You can also watch my introduction video for the Passion Profiles below. Thanks!
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