Growing up, Dua Asim could never picture herself in the outdoors; she never saw any Muslim women hiking. Now she’s on a mission to be the cultural representation she never had and shares the highs and lows of her tramping on social media.

Asim first started exploring New Zealand’s outdoors after lockdown in 2020 and discovered why it’s a bucket list destination for others around the world. Asim records her adventures for her blog, Dua Discovers. 

“I share my own authentic experience of getting into the outdoors in the hopes of helping others that are new to this space,” she said.

A large part of Asim’s inspiration is going out “with bold confidence” to prove to herself and others that Muslim women can have fun outdoor adventures.

“I didn’t really get into any sort of hiking until my friends at uni encouraged me to come along on a tramping adventure with them. After getting into hiking myself, I realised how wrong I was to think that the outdoor space wasn’t for Muslim women,” she said.

“So, I decided to be the representation I always needed. I don’t want anyone to ever feel like the outdoor space isn’t for them. I’ve found that just seeing someone that looks like you in the outdoor space can be a great confidence boost.”