Top Out Adventures

11/11/2024

Today I had the privilege of touring the training center under construction in Kathmandu. I also got to deliver the excess funds raised in support of USA travel costs for .rai and . Thanks to everyone who donated.

19/08/2024

What a great week at TransRockies Running in Colorado! Mira Rai and Tenji smiled through all the fun and challenging miles. And we raised much needed funds for Mira Rai Initiative. Thanks to USWE for Partnering with Purpose! Wanna give: https://gofund.me/42207002

Now off to Dallas and Austin for more movie nights.

14/08/2024

It’s been a great first two days at The community has embraced .rai and the Can’t wait for the next 4 days! Thanks for Partnering with Purpose.

31/07/2024

Congratulations! You did it! Thank you to everyone who donated to cover the travel costs for Mira Rai and Tenji Sherpa to travel to the US for the TransRockies Running, 6 day stage race! Visas are in hand, and tickets are purchased.

We have 4 movie nights planned:
- Transrockies Run in Leadville, CO Aug. 13 after dinner
- Tabor Opera House in Leadville, Aug. 15, 7:00 (Thanks to Leadville Race Series )
- Trailhead Running Supply in Flower Mound, TX, Aug. 23, 7:30 with group run
- AFS Cinema in Austin, TX, Aug. 26, at 7:30

If you're around for any of these, please join us and support Mira Rai Initiative

A special shout out to USWE for their donation and providing gear for Mira and Tenji, who will be running as Team USWE at TRR!

Anything collected beyond the trip costs will go to empower the athletes of Mira Rai Initiative. https://gofund.me/7c4843f3

10/05/2024

https://mailchi.mp/aabd963e60fd/r-u-ready-10511233
Check out our latest edition of Trail Notes. Learn about our upcoming Nepal trip and how you can help support Nepali women.

22/04/2024

At Top Out Adventures we are proud to offer paper, plastic and cardboard recycling and composting on all of our domestic trips. Internationally, we provide water purification to minimize plastic bottle usage. We won't turn the tide alone, but we can all do our part.

19/04/2024

The Mira Rai Intitative’s mission is to “use trail running to encourage and empower aspiring young women of Nepal to achieve excellence by providing them the best possible opportunities.” This August Mira Rai is coming to run the TransRockies Running 6 day stage race in Colorado and promote the initiative. But your help is needed to cover the expensive airfare costs. Any donation helps. Click the link below to make a difference.
https://gofund.me/658e01fb

Since 2017 Mira Rai Initiative is committed to supporting trail running and trail running community in Nepal. With the program Exchange and Empower, it has b...

15/04/2024

It was incredibly rewarding to capture memories for all the runners at the Full Circle Trail Race this past weekend. If you ran in the race and haven't purchased your pictures yet, check your post-race email from Tejas Trails Races for your personal photo album link. If you don't find the link, email [email protected]

11/04/2024

If only this guy knew how close he came to going home with me during our last trip to Nepal...

24/03/2024

Just one of those days when outside is where it’s at.

16/03/2024

Not an official Top Out Adventures trip but an adventure nonetheless. The family that adventures together …

13/03/2024

Your help is still needed to bring Mira Rai and Tenji Sherpa to Colorado for the TransRockies Running race this August. This is more than just a race for them; it's an opportunity to showcase the exceptional talent and spirit of Himalayan trail runners from Nepal to a global audience. Join us in making this dream a reality and help spotlight the incredible athletes of Nepal and the work of the Mira Rai Initiative!

https://gofund.me/658e01fb

We are raising funds to pay for flights and visa costs for Mira Rai and Tenji Sherp… David Smithey needs your support for Flight Costs for Mira Rai Initiative

22/02/2024

Please help us support the Mira Rai Initiative by contributing to flight costs for Mira Rai and Tenji Sherpa to come to the US to compete in the TransRockies Run this coming August. https://gofund.me/28f60619

Now for the long version:
I met Mira in 2014 when I went to Nepal to compete in the Manaslu Mountain Trail Race. In many ways, both Mira and I were just figuring things out, but in totally different ways. Although I was an experienced trail runner, this was my first international trail running adventure, and Mira had just stumbled upon trail running a few months earlier. We were both way out of our elements. Since that first shared experience in the mountains of Nepal, I have been fortunate enough to watch her flourish as an athlete and a champion for young Nepali women. We have shared post-race meals in Grächen, Switzerland, after she cheered me at an aid station on the border of Switzerland and Italy during Ultra Tour Monte Rosa. Mira and her siblings have hosted my daughter and me as dinner guests in their apartment in Kathmandu. Mira has met with my adventure trip groups in Nepal. I am fortunate to be able to call her a friend.

Before Mira and I met in 2014 in Nepal, she had already lived what most of us Westerners would consider a full life. I highly recommend the movie about her story made by Red Bull: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Q60MG-EhT8. The summary is that Mira left her home village of Bhojpur to join the Maoist insurgency when she was 14. After returning to the village for a brief period, she moved to Kathmandu seeking more opportunities, like many young villagers in Nepal. What she found was that trail running is a sport. For her entire life, the trails were just a part of daily life, used for transportation to get vital supplies and for herding animals. After winning the 50 km Himalayan Outdoor Festival trail race, she realized she was really great at trail running.

From that surprising start, Mira has gone on to become a world-class endurance mountain runner. To see her running in the mountains is a beautiful thing. Besides the smile that is always on her face, she moves like a butterfly despite the rough terrain. I remember following her down a dry creek bed in the Himalayas. I was petrified of breaking an ankle, but Mira just leapt from rock to rock as if she was on flat ground. Mira's story and accomplishments as an athlete earned her the coveted Adventurer of the Year award from National Geographic in 2017.

Unfortunately, Mira has been sidelined from competitive trail running for a few years by knee injuries and the surgeries to repair her knee. Nothing keeps her down, though, and she has been focusing her energies on helping other young women in Nepal through the Mira Rai Initiative. They provide training support, encouragement, and mentoring to young athletes in Nepal. These athletes have gone on to compete internationally, and others have become certified trekking guides in Nepal.

Mira now has her sights set on building a training center in Kathmandu for the initiative's athletes. These athletes come from humble villages, and finding lodging and places to train is not like going to the gym on your street corner in the US. The training center will provide a safe place for these athletes to hone their athletic prowess and learn all of the life skills that the initiative offers.

This specific GoFundMe fundraiser is to raise money for Mira and Tenji Sherpa to travel to the US to compete in the Transrockies Run, a 6-day stage race in the Colorado Rockies. They will be able to toe the line with world-class athletes and demonstrate what Nepali runners can do. More importantly, they will share the smiles and love of the mountains that all Nepali people carry in their hearts. Through these connections, others will be able to see the great work that the Mira Rai Initiative is doing and will have a chance to contribute to the funds to build the training center.

We are raising funds to pay for flights and visa costs for Mira Rai and Tenji Sherp… David Smithey needs your support for Flight Costs for Mira Rai Initiative

21/02/2024

This is a must see for anyone who loves trail running or just wants to be inspired.

Meet the woman who breathes happiness. Nepali Villager, Mira Rai, has broken through Nepals female stereotype barriers and is now living her dream life as a ...

14/02/2024

🏃‍♀️🏔 We're thrilled to support our friends, Mira Rai and Tenji Sherpa, as they journey from Nepal to the United States for the Transrockies Run, a rigorous 6-day mountain stage race in Colorado.

Their mission extends far beyond the race. The Mira Rai Initiative is using trail running to encourage and empower aspiring young women of Nepal to achieve excellence by providing them the best possible opportunities. During their time in the US they will advocating for the Mira Rai Initiative, aiming to establish a training center in Kathmandu.

We're honored to be hosting them during their trip, but they need your help to make this journey possible. The cost of plane tickets is a significant barrier, and any contribution to their Go Fund Me campaign would be immensely appreciated.

Join us in supporting Mira and Tenji, and their vision for a brighter future for aspiring young women in Nepal. Together, let's make a difference! ✨🌍

We are raising funds to pay for flights and visa costs for Mira Rai and Tenji Sher… David Smithey needs your support for Flight Costs for Mira Rai Initiative

07/02/2024

Did you win!?!?! 🎉Announcing the winner of the free all-inclusive adventure travel trip from HOKA Bandera by Tejas Trails Races.

19/01/2024

🌄 Join us for an unforgettable all-inclusive adventure to Big Bend National Park! 🏞️ Hike in the breathtaking landscapes, rugged canyons, and star-studded skies. Relax at our house in Terlingua and enjoy delicious, chef prepared meals. Check out the details of this unique adventure at https://topoutadventures.com/big-bend. Book your spot now before fills up! 🚀 🌲