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meet Mary

Mary Onyango is a top trainer in New York City, with a following that flocks to Instagram for her motivational fitness videos. For Mary, travel is an essential reprieve from a busy schedule. Whether hiking in Florida or hitting the beaches of SoCal, traveling helps Mary reconnect with nature, spend quality time with loved ones, and return home rejuvenated.

As a traveler of color, Mary hopes to be an ambassador for her community and encourage greater visibility and understanding across cultures. That’s why she’s teaming up with Delta Air Lines for Faces of Travel, an initiative to increase representation and visibility within travel culture for people of diverse races, ages, sexual orientations, gender identities, religious beliefs, and physical abilities. In her own words, Mary reflects on the role travel plays in her life, and why representation matters.

Follow along

I started traveling as a way to reset my mind. My life is filled with so much stimulation — constantly being around people, noise and music at my weekly classes, and always being “on” and ready to perform at any given moment. Life can get hectic very fast. I went back to school this year to finish my degree, and my husband and I have a daughter. So my hands are pretty full, but that’s the way I like it.

Traveling gives me space to reconnect with myself and to create memories with family. I’m the middle of five children. Growing up, there was never a dull moment in our house. My most memorable trips are catching up with my sister and nephews in Florida. I'm always surprised by how laid-back everyone is. It takes me a minute to slow down and adjust to the pace.

One of my favorite things to do when I travel is try new foods. You can tell a lot about a place based on what’s available. Multicultural restaurants reflect an openness in the community, a willingness to share and embrace people from everywhere. That’s when I feel most welcome in a new place — when I see people who look like me, or if I don’t, when I see genuine friendliness and diversity in the local culture.

“The more representation there is, the more we feel seen, heard and valued.”

Paving the way for others

As a person of color, travel means freedom. It’s having the resources and independence to move with ease on my own terms. It means strength and fearlessness — being willing to explore the unknown, but also to go against what is expected of us.

It can be scary to step outside your comfort zone. But once you start traveling, you realize there is so much beauty in the world. There’s a hunger and curiosity in exploring people, places and things outside of what you already know.

For me, traveling is a way to be a leader and pave the way for others in my community. It’s also a teaching moment for those locals who may have never seen a person who looks like me before. Representation allows us to educate each other on our perceived differences. It makes us more human. The more representation there is, the more we feel seen, heard and valued.

Follow Mary Onyango for fitness tips and inspiration on Instagram @nycfit.

A global traveler, blogger and photographer, Jules is dedicated to sharing honest, authentic stories in the BIPOC community. “It makes the world of travel more tangible for people who grew up thinking it was out of reach.”

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