Strong Women: People only see me as a 'ditsy blonde' - not a fearless adventurer

Sadie Whitelocks wants people to take her seriously.

This 32-year-old intrepid explorer has been adventuring to the most dangerous places on the planet for more than a decade, but she says she still faces scathing attitudes and disbelief for being petite, blonde and female.

‘I do face judgement as a woman,’ Sadie tells Metro.co.uk. ‘Especially as a petite, fairly ditsy at times, blonde.

‘I guess I have two sides of my personality. I love camping, roughing it, living with nothing, but I also love being in cities, the energy of people.

‘The world of adventure is still dominated by men – just look at all of the adventure TV series’ and who they are presented by – but it has got better over recent years.’

Sadie has always had a lust for travel. Her dad was in the scouts and she went camping a lot with her family as a kid – a gentle introduction to the great outdoors. 

‘I joined the young archeology club when I was 12 as always fancied being a bit of an Indiana Jones, but we only found clay pipes and bits of pottery on digs,’ says Sadie.

‘At university I started travelling more with my income from waitressing, with Japan, Shanghai and Everest Base Camp among my destinations.’

The trip to Everest Base Camp was actually how Sadie celebrated her 21st birthday. A far cry from the sweaty bars and sticky dance floors where most university students ring in their 21st year.

This trip sparked a lifelong love of mountains in Sadie, and made her realise just how healing adventure could be.

‘I realised the the mountains had such a sense of serenity and it was a great time to reflect,’ she explains.

‘My parents divorced when I was 17 and it wasn’t a particularly pleasant time, but things from that surfaced during the Everest trip, and it helped talking to people in the group who gave me advice.

‘The trip helped me regain confidence. While living in New York I was also pretty unhappy due to various factors at one point, so I ventured on a nine-week camping trip across America. That did me the power of good and helped me to refocus.’  

‘I love the thrill of physical exertion combined with stunning scenery. Working within a team is also great and getting to know people when they are pushed to their limits. That bond lasts for a lifetime.’

Sadie’s list of adventuring achievements is impressive, to say the least.

She completed The World’s Toughest Mudder – a 24-hour obstacle race in Las Vegas, an expedition through Canada, summited Mount Washington, Mount Elbrus and Mount Blanc, motorbiked through Indonesia and completed a kayaking jungle expedition down an uncharted river in Guyana – and that is just a taste of the places she has been.

But one of the most bizarre things she has done, she says, is setting the world record for the highest dinner party on Everest.

‘First off, I was on my period which wasn’t the most pleasant thing while camping at altitude, but we did have a makeshift shower at our base camp which was nice,’ explains Sadia.

‘After we set off from base camp towards the North Col of Everest from the Tibetan side the air got increasingly thin.

‘I’d climbed at altitude before so it wasn’t too bad and I didn’t take medication. But when we got to Advanced Base Camp, at around 6,400m I felt pretty exhausted and my lips turned blue.

‘I took too anti-altitude sickness tablets and lay horizontal in my tent for around a day or so and felt much better.

‘It’s important to keep energy levels up even if you feel sick, so I ate spoonfuls of peanut butter and handfuls of Haribo.

‘Climbing up to the North Col at 7,100m you have to navigate a one-mile-high wall of ice and cravasses. You are attached to a fixed rope and step by step you ascend.

‘This was an excruciating climb for me, with foggy weather and a chilling breeze. Because of the altitude I felt like a slug crawling and when I stopped it felt so cosy and nice I could have just lay there and frozen to death.

‘After hours of slog we got to the snow-covered shoulder of Everest and a bowl of hot pasta awaited us.’

In terms of pride – Sadie doesn’t think of her achievements like that. Adventure is in her blood, so it is just what she does. But she does feel pride when she knows she been able to overcome a fear.

‘For instance learning how to motorbike for a off-road adventure, learning how to dive for a great white shark expedition, learning how to walk in crampons to scale a mountain, learning how to make a fishing rod out of a tree branch to fish for razor-teeth piranhas,’ she says.

‘Sometimes I look back on the mad things I’ve done in disbelief!’

With so many incredible adventures to look back on, it’s inevitable that Sadie has some horror stories, some near misses. Her favourite is a heart-stopping brush with a shark.

‘When I was cage diving on a great white shark expedition with researchers off Guadalupe Island in Mexico, one of the sharks accidentally drove at full speed towards the cage and its nose and teeth entered the bars just where my hands had been,’ she remembers.

‘I was flung across the cage, but all was OK. It was a heart-pounding moment and I definitely felt the force of these beautiful creatures.’

And it isn’t only the animal kingdom that poses a threat while Sadie is exploring.

‘I went to stay with lost long relatives on the little-known island of Karkar where they reside,’ she tells us.

‘I wanted to climb an active volcano on the island as I’d heard from locals the views were insane.

‘A local pastor took me trekking with a group, but half way up the volcano we were stopped by two men with machetes and an axe who said they were going to kill us.

‘They said they didn’t want white men near the volcano – a wish I totally respected – so we retreated. I was definitely a bit shaken up.’

Sadie is a big advocate for getting more women involved in adventure sports and exploring. She says it is much easier to get in to than you might think.

‘I think the world of adventure sport is accessible for women,’ she says. ‘It’s just a case of getting out there and doing it and not being scared about being with a group of guys.

‘I’ve done many expeditions where I am the only female. I’m not entirely sure why but there was nothing stopping women from signing up for these things. There are no men-only adventures.’

Sadie says she believes what makes a woman strong is the same as what makes a man strong. 

‘Someone who is quietly confident and resilient. Sometimes those who appear physically strong aren’t as tough as they look,’ she explains.

‘As the saying goes, it’s 90% mental, 10% physical.’

Are you a woman who is redefining what it means to be strong? We want to hear from you.

Get in touch: metrolifestyleteam@metro.co.uk.

Strong Women

Strong Women is a weekly series that champions diversity in the world of sport and fitness.

A Sport England study found that 40% of women were avoiding physical activity due to a fear of judgement.

But, contrary to the limited images we so often see, women of any age, size, race or ability can be active and enjoy sport and fitness.

We hope that by normalising diverse depictions of women who are fit, strong and love their bodies, we will empower all women to shed their self-consciousness when it comes to getting active.

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