SWEATYS GET ACTIVE AND GIVE BACK AWARD NOMINEE
WHO: Maegan Richards, 21, from California.
WHAT: Maegan traveled to Mozambique as part of LEGADO’s Lost Mountain Symposium. Every dollar raised is focused on building new approaches to African conservation, starting with the peak that launched it all—Mount Namuli. Maegan raised $8,000.
HOW: Maegan says, “First, I talked to friends and family about why I was excited about my upcoming trip and what it meant to me. Later, I increased my funds by targeting those working at a local companies that matches donations, for double the money.”
BEST PART ABOUT THE EXPERIENCE: “There are two things that stick out equally in my mind. One was going on a safari and seeing an elephant and two lions. It was surreal. I cannot describe how amazing it was or how awestruck I was. The second was the people. Both the people we met in a local village, who were kind and welcoming, and the other people in the symposium, who were diverse, passionate, excited, and just plain fun to be around! I loved everyone I met, and they all had something new to teach me.”
TOUGHEST PART ABOUT THE EXPERIENCE: “Being so far away from home. I wasn’t expecting that to be an issue, since I go to university across the country and have travelled a lot and never felt that it was hard being away from home. However, it was hard on this trip. Being halfway around the world and having never met the people at the symposium before I got there was definitely part of it, but I also think that it was hard not having someone from my family there to share the experience. It was so great that I would share it with everyone I know if I could! I have shown everyone the pictures I took, but that’s not the same as them being there experiencing it with me.”
MY CHARITY FIRES ME UP BECAUSE: I am passionate about conservation and love being active in the outdoors, and Legado combines both of those. Legado is about all aspects of Mt. Namuli—the people who live there, the wildlife that calls the mountain home, the variety of ecosystems across the mountain—and it aims to integrate them so that everyone and everything living there can thrive. To do this, we’re taking scientists up the mountain using Majka’s rock climbing skills to get them to places never before studied. How cool is that?
ADVICE FOR OTHER MOVERS & SHAKERS: “Be a sponge. Soak up everything you can from the people you meet, whether it’s a new way to say ‘thank you’ or an idea that gets you psyched. You can always learn from those around you and from the situations you are in, and all of this helps you find out what you are passionate about and how you can help make the world a better place.”
WHY GET SWEATY FOR A CAUSE: “I like getting sweaty for a cause because it’s a way to give everything I can back to society, and it certainly helps that I feel great doing it. Being physically active engages me completely, so I can use my brains and brawn together to contribute to the cause. Using my body makes my brain think in different ways, which allows me to come up with novel ideas and to become truly engaged by the project. And the best part is the endorphins it all produces—I can help the charity more while feeling fantastic.”
HOW DID YOUR POSITIVE TRACKS COORDINATOR HELP: “Majka helped me in many ways. The first was how she helped get me excited about her project. She made me want to learn more, want to get involved, want to make a difference. Since I was so excited, I was ready to dedicate myself to the project. She was encouraging and always pushing me and everyone else to really think, to come up with new ideas, to question, and to be open minded. I never felt pressured to do better. Instead, I felt like I wanted to do better because of how encouraging she was. She was also kind and caring. When I got homesick, she let me use her phone to call my parents. I felt cared for a supported, which allowed me to dedicate myself even more to Legado.”