We began this sequence of portraits, all featuring ‘Horizon Athletic’ costumes, during the Covid pandemic. The pandemic had the effect of forcing people to assess their local surroundings and reap the benefits of their direct environment, one phenomenon was how many people turned to cold water swimming as a means to escape, revitalise and meditate. Focusing on one small French community which has a very international community we created this project of personal interviews along with portraits of local women. Each photograph was taken in the exact same location but at different times of the day, ranging from sunrise to sunset, and over a period of a few months; the landscape, quality of light, weather, reflections, water conditions and all of the environmental factors were in a state continual flux and change, creating a differing dynamic with each image regardless of the static location.
Photographs and interviews created by Angela Huntbach-Hertault of AHH Agency. With thanks to all of the wonderful women in the portraits who share their image along with most personal feelings and insights with us. You are our Horizon Heroes…
Horizon Hero Profile
Sally
31st May 2021
Like most women I wear a few hats - first and fore most I’m a proud Mum, Wife, Daughter, Sister and Friend.
I’ve a deep love of nature, adventure, travel, anything outdoors really. I’ve always been active and spent a large chunk of my childhood and teens training and competing as a gymnast.
I’m fortunate enough to do work I absolutely love as a Health, Life and Performance Coach, Physiotherapist, Yoga and Pilates Teacher. My patients and clients tend to want to lead active and purposeful lives too and I feel truly blessed to help them do so.
I was originally drawn to the mountains in my gap year, during which I worked as an au pair and fell in love with the French Alps and a ski instructor! After one term back at University in England I realized that I had a strong urge to do something that allowed me to stay in the Alps long term. I realized Physiotherapy offered everything I was looking for so I dropped out of University, took the extra A-level biology required by correspondence and returned to France to complete it in the mountains.
My ethos was (and still is) that life is too short to do things we aren’t passionate about. I ended up competing in skiing and snowboarding through to my mid twenties and learnt much about myself through the process.
Meanwhile I completed my Physio training at Nottingham University, during which I met my husband on my final placement at RAF Cranwell. After a few twists and turns we eventually moved to France together to bring up our children here in the Alps as I’d envisaged.
I’ve come to realise that nature, especially the mountains are like my church. I find there is something profoundly magical about their energy. Wild water swimming is another, more recently discovered pursuit which I’ve also found to be a surprisingly spiritual experience.
As someone who really feels the cold, it’s quite difficult to describe how being immersed in breathtakingly chilly water makes you feel totally present, alive and at one with nature with every breath, in a really intimate way. It’s like an express meditation and total mind body reset every time. As well as being a real giggle when it’s shared with tea, cake and girlfriends!
A few years ago I came across a quote from the Dalaï Lama which stuck with me, he said: “the world will be saved by western women”. I take it to mean that our female wisdom is very much required to save our world. That ego based thinking can only get us so far, that our world is in pain and we need a much deeper awakening to collectively heal and live in harmony with our dear Mother Earth.
