Eli Greenacre from Ross-on-Wye, Herefordshire, is one of 60 people selected for Ordnance Survey’s exciting new project to help make Great Britain a more outdoorsy and adventurous nation.

Eli and her fellow OS GetOutside champions were unveiled at an event in the New Forest where they were joined by TV presenter and adventurer Ben Fogle and endurance adventurer Sean Conway. The champions, chosen for their ability to communicate their love for being outside, include journalists, bloggers and authors who all write about their adventures in Britain.

Eli told the Ross Gazette that: “Getting outside is the perfect remedy for everyday life; the stress and anxieties it brings.

Eli is an outdoor instructor at Malvern Outdoor Elements and a blogger who believes that everyone has their own personal mountain to climb and every step towards that is an achievement. She said: “Being outside really can help you achieve good physical and mental health.”

Her career previously was the polar opposite and the pressure of running a Textile Design Degree and working in the fashion/textile industry resulted in ‘burn out’. Having been diagnosed with anxiety, Eli turned to the outdoors and the rest, as she says, is history.

Eli continued: “My aim overall, as a Ross-on-Wye based adventurer and outdoor enthusiast, is to inspire, encourage and generate awareness of the great outdoors - to get people to #GetOutside!

She added: “I am also a scout leader for Walford Scout Group and plan on running some #GetOutside initiatives with them, including a River Wye paddle/litter pick as well as getting Scout Ambassador and fellow OS GetOutside Champion Dwayne Fields to come and visit the group.

“Finally, I plan on talking to as many of the OS #GetOutside Champions as I can, including Kenton Cool, Ben Fogle, Mel Nichols and Sean Conway about how the outdoors helps them to manage their mental health through a series of interviews where they take me on their favourite local adventure.”

Eli also plans to complete the Great North Run for the mental health charity, Mind, among other challenges.See the full story in this week’s edition of the Ross Gazette, or subscribe to our online edition here