ASHEVILLE

Meet your chapter leader: Allie Bourdy, she/her

I am originally from Michigan and moved down to Asheville because I fell in love with the mountains, I felt like every time I came to visit the area, the mountains were giving me a big welcome home hug. Body liberation to me is feeling safe and happy in your own body and your surroundings. Feeling safe in an environment free of judgement and shame—and I hope to create that in this Asheville chapter! I also am the president of Avlfatties which is a social club in the area where large body folks can have a space to hang out and get to know each other! We have had plus-size clothing swaps, mini golf, brewery pop-ups, etc! My hope for the Body Liberation Hiking Club in Asheville is to spend more time in nature, to connect with more people, and create a safe space to move your body joyfully with others. When I am not planning events or hikes, I am a realtor by day and night—ha! I enjoy reading and playing board games and being at home with my husband, Jim, and our dog, Piper Ale. We also recently bought a camper so we are trying to get out camping as much as possible! 

Favorite place to hike? Warren Wilson College Trails. My husband and I live in Swannanoa and to have access to this awesome trail system so close to our house. Makes me so happy. 

Favorite book and podcast? Joanne Fluke’s murder mysteries. I found these during the pandemic and they are very cheesy Hallmark movie murder mystery books that I can’t put down! All of them have a pastry-themed name and a woman who owns a cookie shop in a small town in Minnesota ends up finding dead bodies all around town—they are so bad that they are good and all of them come with 5–10 recipes for baked goods. :) Fave podcast is “Swipe Fat.” Two girls in Chicago talk about dating as large bodied women. Sometimes it makes me laugh out loud and sometimes it makes me cry—but it’s all very relatable.