As soon as I saw the name of the business "Holistic Hikes" emblazoned on a Jeep Wrangler when I was picking up coffee on the Main St in Mornington one day, I knew I had to find out more. Not only about the business but also the person behind it. I was intrigued. I managed to track down a woman whose active hiking gear aesthetic matched the car, and I introduced myself asking her if that was her car and what her business was about. We hit it off straight away and swapped Instagram handles promising to catch up for a coffee and walk locally. I am so glad I did because since then I have developed a friendship and learnt much more about a very strong and admirable woman, Amanda Connell, founder of Holistic Hikes. 

Amanda grew up in Frankston, a notoriously rough around the edges suburb, on the Mornington Peninsula the youngest of three, with two older brothers. Amanda is a self-confessed "tom boy" who found her happy place from a young age immersed in nature. It is no surprise nature offered an outlet of peace and sanctuary when I learnt in our chat that her father suffered PTSD as a Vietnam war veteran and was often violent within the home. Amanda also witnessed her brother become a victim of drug abuse in her teens and when she was only 20 years old she was married. Soon after Amanda became pregnant with her eldest child and her partner became violent towards her. When Amanda's four year old daughter pleaded with her mum to leave, she escaped her family home and seemed refuge at a friends house. 

Amanda found herself as a single mum with not much to her name but she managed to build herself back up and often that was because she listened to her gut which told her to get out in nature. Amanda later reconnected with an old friend, who is now her husband, and together they have three children, two of whom she is a step-mum to.

Amanda started her hiking business Holistic Hikes as a way to introduce others to the healing benefits nature and being immersed in it can offer. Her hikes are not just about getting from A to B, but about getting people to think more holistically about our world and how we are connected, health and nutrition and mindfulness. 

Amanda's story is a remarkable one because she has turned around her life to one full of positivity and she shares her story and her business to inspire and encourage others to live a full, happy, safe and healthy life. You can find out more about her business at www.holistichikes.com.au  

You can follow and connect with Amanda @holistichikes 

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