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
Ashleigh
8th June 2021
When I was born my feet were internally rotated, I was completely pigeon toed. For the first two weeks of my life I had casts on both my legs to train them to externally rotate. From a very young age I started having back pain so from a very early age I had a back brace that I wore every day to school. The fact that I had these problems made me very uncomfortable with my own body.
I found dance at the age of three: tap, ballet, modern, jazz, contemporary, Ukrainian dancing. Later, I discovered yoga at the age of 18. I realized that I am most comfortable in my body if I have moved significantly each day to circulate my energy.
I would say that I ‘live in my head’ as a default which can make me serious and overly methodical and this doesn’t feel like my authentic self. Exercise, body movement, anything that brings me out of my headspace brings me back to who I am and makes me lighter. I am joyful, silly and open hearted so long as I’m able to find that space. I want every adventure and I love life. That’s also the message that I want to pass on to my children, to love life, we are not our thoughts, life can get tough and serious but it doesn’t have to. Any practice or way to find joy is our ticket. My biggest lesson that I had to learn is that happiness is a choice.
A little about my background: I was born and grew up in Winnipeg Canada. I studied Ukrainian because of ancestry. I moved to Toronto in my 20’s to begin working as a flight attendant. During this time I studied nursing in Calgary, flying at the weekend and studying during the week.
Whilst at university I met my husband who was on a placement year studying engineering in Calgary. We both love yoga and in particular the ‘Modo’ yoga community, so we were working in our professions, studying, practicing and teaching yoga.
I completed yoga teacher training in 2012 with the idea to open a Modo Yoga franchise. We received franchise approval from Modo in 2015 and we moved to Geneva in 2016 with the intention of setting up the franchise here, and raising our two young children where my husband is from. Currently this dream is on hold until we raise sufficient investment capital to bring it to reality. In the meantime we run a Geneva based renovations company.
