The Journal

Stories of becoming

Training, nutrition, Colombia and the 1% philosophy — editorial notes from the Phoenix Initiative.

Macro shot of clear spring water spilling over dark mossy volcanic rock, backlit in warm golden light with ferns blurred behind

Water Stewardship: The Commitments We Make to a Watershed

Six waterfalls, three freshwater springs, one thermal spring. None of it belongs to us in the way property deeds suggest. Here is what that obliges.

July 21, 20265 min read

Distant silhouettes of women stretching in a loose circle on a dusty rural pitch at golden hour, green hills behind

Foundation

Training Local Women as Coaches, From the Very First Session

A sports programme that depends on outsiders has an expiry date. Here is how the Foundation intends to build coaching capacity in Huila from day one.

July 19, 20265 min read

Top-down view of a wooden survey stake in damp red soil with a taut string line stretched across it, in warm late-afternoon light

Foundation

How We Will Measure Impact: Indicators Chosen in Advance

The Phoenix Initiative has no results yet, and no beneficiaries. That is precisely why it is publishing its indicators now, before a single programme has begun.

July 17, 20265 min read

Close-up of weathered farmer hands sorting bright red coffee cherries in a woven basket, crates of lulo and green plantain in soft focus behind.

Foundation

Buying Local in Huila: The Supplier Commitments Being Written

Every project promises to buy local. Very few define it. Here is what Huila actually produces, and the specific supplier commitments being drafted before the Oasis opens.

July 15, 20265 min read

The Oasis

Why Rivera, Huila: How the Land for Phoenix Oasis Was Chosen

Thermal water, a climate made for training year-round, and a community worth building with: the founding intentions behind choosing Rivera, Huila, Colombia.

July 15, 20264 min read

An empty circle of simple handmade wooden chairs on a covered open-air terrace with a guadua bamboo roof, warm late-day light across a polished concrete floor.

Foundation

How the Foundation Is Structured, and Why That Matters

Governance is the least romantic part of a mission and the part that decides whether it survives. Here is how the Phoenix Initiative is being structured, pillar by pillar.

July 13, 20265 min read

Backlit silhouette of a lone woman running away from the camera along a red dirt road at dawn, thick mist and tropical trees on both sides.

Foundation

Why Sport Is a Safety Question for Women, Worldwide

Where a woman can run, at what hour, and whether she looks over her shoulder — safety quietly decides who gets to train. A look at the global picture, and what follows from it.

July 11, 20265 min read

Training

Training in a Tropical Climate: Heat, Humidity and Smart Timing

Heat and humidity change how your body handles exercise. Here is how to train well in the tropics — timing, hydration, pacing and acclimatization — without fighting the climate.

July 9, 20264 min read

A scuffed leather football resting on the cracked concrete of an empty rural sports court at golden hour, chain-link fence and green Andean mountains behind.

Foundation

Sport in Rivera's Schools: The Programme Being Designed

The Phoenix Initiative is designing school sport programmes with Rivera. Here is the gap they are meant to close, why girls are the priority, and how the plan avoids the usual mistakes.

July 9, 20265 min read