Wear for the Active West Coast Woman
The Exclusive Mobile Shopping Experience for Women
She Works She Plays Active Wear Inc. is not an online store. This is an exclusive personal shopping experience for women in communities on the west coast of Canada. My name is Audrey Rippingale and I am founder/owner/truck driver of this mobile business based out of Campbell River on Vancouver Island. I am a commercial driver and have been working in trades for over a decade. My own frustration at not being able to find work wear had me thinking it was time someone did something about this issue. So when an ongoing wrist injury prevented me from continuing to drive concrete trucks, which I enjoyed doing for Island Ready Mix for the previous eight years, I realized the time to do something had come. This crossroads in life got my creativity flowing and the business was born. I travel the west coast with my Kenworth and converted semi-trailer which sets up as a store filled with women's industrial work, safety and outer wear.
Here is an interview with CBC Radio North in May 2016 while I was in Terrace, BC. The interview covers who I am, what I am all about and the issues that us women working in industry and trades can face when it comes to getting work wear that is functional for us.
"CBC Daybreak North" by host Carolina de Ryk - Audio
My story is also wonderfully summed up by CTV Vancouver Island News when Lisa Perry did a segment on my truck. The only thing I would add to the interview is that pink is not "my theme". I do carry some pink PPE because women have requested it, but I carry a wide range of all types of women's work, safety and outer wear. I am very proud to run my own trucking business and to help women working in trades and industry get what they need to get their jobs done.
I am in beautiful TUMBLER RIDGE for the first time after enjoying a busy Chetwynd last week. Way to go all you hard working women here in the Peace! Met females from mine blasting crews here - awesome! Want a picture for the truck ladies!!
Well this trip is off to a rocky start. After starting with setting up in 100 Mile House, I landed up getting evacuated unfortunately, but I am in Kamloops now and working my way to the northwest. Stops coming up this summer - Fort St James, Houston, and the Vanderhoof and Smithers August fairs.
Hello all. It has been a rough month and I apologize to any girls that were expecting me up in the Peace over the last few weeks. My mother was in critical condition, in fact we did not know if she was going to make it.
Hello ladies! My first stop on this tour - I am set up in beautiful Williams Lake here at the Visitor Centre. Stops for the next 5 weeks are, in order -
DAWSON CREEK, GRAND PRAIRIE, CHETWYND, FORT ST JOHN and wrapping it up with a new stop TUMBLER RIDGE.
I am wrapping up this 6 weeks in the Kootenays with the West Kootenay Trade Show at the Rec Centre in Castlegar this week. Then I head home to Vancouver Island for a couple weeks of maintenance and restocking and mid-May head for the Peace Region.
Thank you Kristen Douglas/Campbell River Mirror for such an awesome news article. To read her article click here: SHE WORKS SHE PLAYS: A life on the road