Since the dawn of humankind, women have carried the weight. They carried the future of their tribes and families on their backs. Quiet strength that was essential for survival.
The same has been true at GORUCK. From the very beginning, women have been the heartbeat of this movement. When rucking crossed the threshold from the military to the civilian world, women were right there alongside the men, testing limits and building community.
I’ve seen it firsthand in those early days, at the original all-female event in Miami a decade ago, and in hundreds of community events since. Women have been a driving force in making rucking what it is today: one of the most powerful forms of fitness. And I am passionately committed to inspiring more women to experience what it’s like to go on a ruck with a friend, to feel even stronger, and to feel firsthand what their bodies are capable of.
I’ve been rucking since the earliest days, shoulder to shoulder with women who carried not only the weight on their backs but also the weight of their communities. I’ve seen women lead with humility, lift others when they were down from loss, illness, and the inevitable hard knocks of life.
The women of GORUCK have taught me that the strongest links are forged in the hardest conditions. That same lesson has echoed through my broader community work, whether being part of a small team of moms and educators who banded together to help save a neighborhood public school from closure, or carrying sandbags with the names of those gone too soon on memorial rucks. In every case, it comes back to the same truth: people are what matter most.
As a mom to three young children, I see these same values playing out at home. Coaching my daughter’s cross-country team has shown me the importance of helping girls discover their own strength. Watching them push past self-doubt and gain confidence in their bodies is a reminder of what rucking teaches us, too: resilience, grit, and belonging. As in the GORUCK community, it’s not about medals or finish times. It’s about showing up, carrying the weight together, and leaving stronger than you started.
Since launching GORUCK in 2008, we have obsessed over the details and quality of our gear. But our women’s collection is even more than “gear.” It’s built from the ground up by real women who ruck. Those who show up for themselves and others, who carry one another forward. People helping people, that’s our why.
At any GORUCK event, the best part has always been the people.
Rucking is simple, scalable, and social. At GORUCK, we think rucking is best enjoyed in the great outdoors with others. I hope you will join me out there.
Join me in celebrating a new on-site experience for our women’s collection—made for the women who keep showing up, carrying the weight, and moving us all forward.
Emily McCarthy, GORUCK Co-Founder
