‘Breaking down barriers’: How Peak and Repeat is transforming Toowoomba’s social scene
Unsatisfied with the lack of social opportunities for Toowoomba residents local Keeley Crothers started her own hiking club, three months on the group now has dozens of members across a wide variety of demographics meeting every fortnight.
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For Toowoomba’s Keeley Crothers all journeys start with a single and the most important step.
For her that journey was creating ‘Peak and Repeat’ a social walking club which every fortnight welcomes dozens of Toowoomba residents of all ages and demographics to get out in nature, get active and meet new people.
After several years away at university in Brisbane where Ms Crothers was involved in social clubs, volunteering and sport she returned home to find nothing similar in Toowoomba.
Unable to find what she was looking for she set out to start her own.
“When I moved back to Toowoomba I noticed a massive gap in opportunities for young people to get to know each other and there weren't too many social groups I aligned with so I thought why not start my own and that’s how Peak and Repeat came to fruition,” Ms Crothers said.
“I find Toowoomba can be very cliquey especially in my demographic, the friends you went to school with are your friends and that’s it and people don’t move out of that inner circle.
“I think it’s a great opportunity to push the boundaries and challenge that mindset.”
Ms Crothers said the group, which has been running since May, was more than just a walk but a place for social connection and meaningful conversation.
“We are an all ages social group who get connected every fortnight and either go on a hike and see some of the surrounding mountains and walks or do an inner city walk, meet up at a cafe, get a coffee and go for a walk around the parks,” she said.
“We have all kinds of people come along, it is really cool to see how the younger generation engages with the older generation and vice versa and I think it is really good to get connected with people who might not be in your usual scene.
“We have quite a few people who love to hike and want to get out with a group of like minded people and we have people there solely for the social aspect.
“A lot of people who come say it is good for their mental health and some people who may be struggling say it give them something to look forward to and is a bit of distraction for what might be going on.”
Ms Crothers acknowledged meeting new people could be daunting and said the group was all about inclusion and acceptance.
“I try to be really vulnerable and authentic to who I am as a person, encouraging other people to put their best foot forward and come with an open mind,” she said.
“I like to set a bit of an example for the people who do come and encourage them to step out of that comfort zone, they might have boundaries up and I want to encourage them to take that step that they may have been a bit frightened to do.
“I personally love getting to meet other people and I think I do this for myself as much as I do for other people.
“You don’t know unless you try, if it's not for you, it’s not for you, taking that first step is the hardest but once you’ve done that the road is so much easier.”
Ms Crothers said she would love to see the group continue to grow and encouraged people to come along to their next meeting.
“I am still learning lots of things, every single week there is something new I didn't really think about, I have kind of gone in blind and just kind of working my way through things as we go,” she said.
“We have a long way to grow but I take every week in my stride and we will get there eventually, I’m always striving for perfection.
“I want to foster a really good community and create a place that people talk about and say to each other ‘are you going to Peak and Repeat this weekend I’ll see you there’.
“I want it to be a place for friends, family and strangers and I really want to foster a safe, welcoming and positive environment for the community.”
For the latest planned meetups visit Peak and Repeat on Facebook and Instagram.
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