Morgan Brechler is not your average mother. She’s a 25 year-old adventurer with a deep love of the outdoors and a passion for climbing.
But being a single mother did not stop her bringing her three year-old daughter Hadlie along for the ride.
The pair from Arizona, USA spend every spare moment they can climbing and exploring the outdoors together – and capturing these moments on Instagram.
They’ve spent the last few years exploring some of the most beautiful places in America – from the Grand Canyon to Mexico and Hawaii.
“I’ve always been very outdoorsy,” says Morgan when we spoke to her last week. “When I was young you’d always find me running around barefoot, riding horses, exploring or playing sports with the neighbourhood boys.”
“I only started climbing three years ago – I’m ‘still a ‘noob’ – but now I cannot imagine my life without it. It’s more than just a hobby, it’s a lifestyle and a passion.”
“I think it is so important for all children to be in touch with nature. If they are disconnected from nature, they begin to lack life experience and imagination.
“There will be no one to protect our world in the future, if these children don’t develop a love for it.”
The pair started hiking around their local mountains when Hadlie was just a few months old before getting into outdoor rock climbing. Hadlie has been practicing on an indoor wall since she was 18 months old.
They also go horse riding, camping and bouldering together – every weekend is spent heading off in search of new adventures.
But is it tricky getting a three year-old to go hiking into the wilderness? Surely there are a serious amount of tantrums.
“It’s really not tricky at all actually. I think it’s tricky to haul kids to the mall!” She’s got a point.
Morgan comes from Phoenix, Arizona – here it’s not unusual to hear about plenty of mums having adventures in the outdoors with their kids.
“I’ve been inspired by families I’ve been following on Instagram for years – now we’re friends! I dream of the day we can pack up and do a year long adventure on the road as a family.”
I dream of the day we can pack up and do a year long adventure on the road as a family
Morgan now has over 45,000 followers on Instagram. So what does she hope people will take away from her photos?
“I would like people to be inspired by them, but also understand that my life is not perfect. I work full time, I’m studying. We find adventure in the evenings and weekend. I wish I was a full time adventurer, but right now I am not.”
Morgan is part of a new documentary called Born Wild, celebrating single adventurous mothers who want to instill a love of nature and the outdoors into their children’s lives from the very beginnings.
These women make outdoor adventure a key part of parenting – teaching their children life skills, but also what they can learn from nature as a whole.
“I love being outside and climbing – feeling connected to nature makes everything just slow down. It’s a beautiful experience to see Hadlie developing the same kind of love for it all.”
We’re looking forward to following their journey as they keep travelling around America – and hopefully soon, the world.
Follow Morgan and her daughter Hadlie’s adventures on Instagram at @morganbrechler
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