Name? Amber Dickerson
Place you live? Wisconsin currently – raised in Ohio, moved to Florida after college, threw a dart at the map and moved to Wisconsin, and hoping to be in Colorado or on the road full time next year.
What type of athlete are you? Hiker/Backpacker, and adding climbing to my list soon.
Do you have a day job or are you a full time athlete? Day job – Account Manager currently. Hoping to lock in a remote position so I can hit the road full time to focus more on hiking & photography.
How did you get into this sport? I was casually outdoorsy growing up (camping trips, parks, etc) and then I moved to a large city in my teenage/college years and got caught up in the city life, realized that wasnʼt for me and removed myself from that scene and dove hardcore into the outdoor world after moving from Ohio. Iʼve been an avid hiker the past 3 years and new to backpacking this year.
Who are your biggest influences? I admire all women hikers & backpackers, especially the solo hikers. Iʼm apart of some women only hiking groups and seeing what some of these women accomplish daily is so inspiring and its what keeps me on the trails. Some of them have given me the motivation to thru-hike the Ice Age Trail – itʼs 1,200 miles and will take about 200 days to complete.
What is your training regimen? No specific regimen – just staying active with weekly hikes, focusing on my mental wellness and eating healthy.
How do you structure your days? To be honest, I donʼt structure my days – thereʼs so much excitement in going with the flow and being a “free spirit”. If I want to go somewhere, I just go and plan along the way.
Do you find diet to be a crucial part of your lifestyle? Diet is very important, you have to make sure youʼre getting the right amount of calories and nutrients. Especially with backpacking, you burn so many calories hiking with all of that weight that you have to make up for it with the right foods.
How do you care for your body? Self care! You have to be in a good place mentally to continue doing the psychical activities. Meditation and pampering myself with a facial or hot bath after some strenuous hikes keep me in good spirits to continue doing the things I love.
What is your impression of the PelliTec® Blister Prevention Pad product we sent you? Love them! Theyʼre very compact, which is perfect for my first aid kit while backpacking, and they are very simple to use. I recently bought a new pair of hiking boots and got an awful blister a day into my hike, I put the blister pad on immediately and not only did it stop the blister from becoming severely irritated, it actually was gone by the time we finished the trip.
Would you recommend PelliTec® Blister Prevention Pads to other athletes? Absolutely! Nothing is worse than getting stuck on a multi-day hiking trip with a bad blister- other than having an awful brand that does nothing to help heal the blister. Forgetting a blister pad on a day hike is more excusable than leaving it behind for a multi day hike, itʼs a necessity for those trips. PelliTec® is one of those brands that I will continue to buy because I know that if I ever get stuck 40 miles in the wood with a blister, the blister pad will actually work.
What is something that your followers may not know about you? For as organized as I am in my daily life, I am the complete opposite while traveling. I rarely ever plan a trip – my partner, dog and I usually just hop in the car and go wherever sounds cool and then pick out a trail on the drive there. Thereʼs something about going into the unknown that is truly amazing, the lack of expectations makes every experience memorable.
What keeps you motivated when you are faced with challenges? Knowing that whatever obstacle arises, there is a world that is bigger than me, that is ready to be explored, and there is nothing stopping me from finding the spectacular sights in life even during the bad.
What is one piece of advice you would give to an aspiring athlete? Focus on your mental well-being so you can continue doing what you love. I cannot stress enough how important self care is. You can go your entire life fulfilling your passions in life, but once you burn out its extremely hard to return. So if you have an injury or youʼre facing a major life obstacle, donʼt push yourself through it without taking a step back to focus on yourself.
See where Amber ends up next on her social media account!
Instagram: @amberdckrsn
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