Meet the Team – Simon

Hi there, I’m Simon.

There’s something a little poetic about writing this today as I sit here looking at the mountains and the forest in the Tarkine preparing for takayna Trail 2021 (an event I co-created three years ago to support the Bob Brown Foundation’s work to protect the majestic Tarkine from logging).

It’s also here, a year ago that I met the wonderful family at For Wild Places. Over the last 12 months, I have the absolute pleasure of working with the crew to pull together what is a trail runner-led organisation that creates the next breeds of SPORTS ACTIVISTS. I thank you whole

One of my big goals in life is to connect and activate the trail community as a force to protect our public lands —the lands on which we run!

When I’m not working on FWP, I can be found chasing my pigs, dogs and parrots around on my 40-acre farm in rural South Australia. Honestly, I have no idea how I ended up on a farm in the middle of nowhere (after being a city boy all my life) but I can tell you I love it!

I am currently on a steep learning curve trying to become a regenerative farmer and restorative landowner. I’m driven to do this I want to repair much of the pastoral lands back to their former glory and create a haven for wildlife.

I did create a ‘Things that fuel’ me list last year and it’s something I refer to often and it makes me feel happy. It pretty much sums me up in one go:

**Things that fuel me**

Yorkshire Tea, all my animals (pigs, cockatoo, maremmas,magpie and a corella) being in my 40s and all the confidence & ease that goes with it, being dwarfed in the majesty of mountains, skiing, popping on a frock and a pair of heels, brands that I have worn all my life: Converse, Levis, Ray Bans, Clarks, Docs & Carhartt, studying French, laughing deeply with friends, reminiscing, meditating (particularly whilst in nature), my spirit animal yellow tail black cockatoo, hunting for fire wood and sitting round a campfire with friends, crochet, records, camping in the wild, adventure wear (yeahhhhhhhh) and shopping for it, growing veggies and getting my hands dirty, having a good cry, feeling my heart bound during exercise, op shopping, watching my nephew and friend’s kids grow up, Queenstown/ NZ, Miss Dolly Parton, podcasts, my homeland England, pigs, drinking a glass of wine at the airport before going on holiday, Rupaul’s Drag Race, the best problem I’ve ever had – wine (and gin of course), the smell of jasmine, dancing everyday out in the paddocks, having a sing, the Bush, the fact I moved to Australia 20 years ago, hot chips, playing board games, date nights, loosing myself in a book, visiting cellar doors, bush walking, canyoning, getting a hug, telling folk I love them, bees, Mother Nature and her constant ability to centre me, growing old yet still acting like a teenager, waking up before the sun rises, the Blue Mountains, climbing, my awesome Mother, my wonderful chosen family who mean the world to me (who make me feel secure so loved and safe), the man I’ve chosen to spend my days with Mr James Peberdy and knowing that the future is full of amazing things.