29/04/2026
We’re proud to welcome our newest Outside Sports athlete, Jayde 🏃♀️
“I actually find it funny that I now call running the thing I do for 'fun!'
I grew up in a dance studio - every afternoon after school for 17 years... That was my world!
I loathed running, I would do everything in my power to get out of doing it including faking sick for cross country and certainly not participating in sports days haha.
When I moved to NZ I couldn't quite find a dance studio that felt like home. Life threw me some heartbreak and I just started running... and just never really stopped.
I think a lot of people have a clear 'why' and while I certainly have a few reasons of my own, I also circle back to 'Why Not?' I am so lucky to live somewhere as beautiful as Queenstown, and even luckier to have a body thats healthy enough to be able to explore it. I have lost friends way too young, and seen people who loved sport have it taken away in an instant. So I don't just run for me, but for all those who can't too.
Lately my favourite format to explore is the Backyard Ultra format... I am fascinated by where the limit is, and I fully intend to find my own.
Running has pulled me out of some pretty dark places, so as long as I'm healthy enough to step outside - I will! 🙂”
Jayde’s journey really reflects what we’re about — rediscovering movement, finding joy in the outdoors, and pushing your own edges in the places we’re lucky enough to call home. From dance studios to ultra-distance running, her story reflects how movement can shift and grow into a whole new kind of passion.
Stoked to have you on the team, Jayde 🌄
