Melbourne Happy Hike with Di Westaway

Wild Women On Top, are hosting a FREE women's happy hike in Melbourne on Thursday 18 April at 7.30am.

Starting at Melbourne's iconic Floral Clock, the 4km hike will adventure through the Botanical Gardens in celebration of women walking with women in nature. The walk will highlight the health benefits of hiking, including the social element as well the remarkable positive impact on physical and mental health.  Women can register for the FREE hike at www.wildwomenontop.com

Wild Women On Top Founder and Chief Adventure Chick, Di Westaway, has built a social enterprise out of inspiring and empowering women to get outdoors and improve their mental and physical health through hiking adventures.

"Hiking is even better for you than exercising in a gym and a whole lot more fun. When you're outside, you have the wind in your hair, sun on your skin, trees breathing, birds dancing and all those things that make you feel deeply good inside. And when you do it with friends, it brings pure joy".

"Hippocrates, the father of modern medicine, said "Walking is man's best medicine", I say "hiking is a woman's best medicine," said Westaway.

"The uneven surfaces and physical obstacles that hiking presents improves your reflexes and muscle responses. Add weather and you have a great adventure fitness experience. Even walking daily for 30 minutes in a park will make you happier and healthier. And all it costs is your time."

"It's essential for women to prioritise their health with daily physical activity because women are our primary nurturers and role models for the community. The main barriers to getting women outdoors are guilt, time, money, pain and family commitments. We want women hiking with friends because it allows them to integrate fitness and social connection and it brings natural exhilaration. Not only do they get fitter and stronger, but they also feel better."

Wild Women On Top are famous for their annual Coastrek events in Sydney, Melbourne and the Sunshine Coast. Coastrek is a team trekking challenge where participants hike either 30km or 60km's to get happy and support charity. Since it began in Sydney in 2010, Coastrek has inspired more than 23,000 trekkers, mostly women, and raised nearly $20m for The Fred Hollows Foundation. It's a great match because nearly 60% of the world's blind are women.

Melbourne Coastrek 2018 is almost full with only a few limited spots in the 30km Koonya Beach to Point Nepean Quarantine Station.  It is one of the state's most popular adventure challenges because it's an adventure challenge not a race. 2,400 trekkers, (at least 50% female), will hike the beautiful beaches, bays and clifftops of The Mornington Peninsula from Cape Schanck or Koonya to Point Nepean Quarantine Station to raise $1.8 million for The Foundation to continue its fight to end avoidable blindness.

MELBOURNE HAPPY HIKE with Di Westaway founder and CEO of Coastrek
Meet at Floral Clock, St Kilda Road, Queen Victoria Gardens, Melbourne
7.30 - 8.30am Thursday 19^th April
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www.wildwomenontop.com