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.
Hello ladies. I am on home turf right now on Vancouver Island for a couple weeks and then back on the saddle again (yes, I consider my Kenworth my loyal steed!) heading to Williams Lake, Quesnel and Smithers in August.
I have left the north-west and I am now in the Peace Region. Due to requests I have added Mackenzie on to the tail end of this 7 week road trip, then I am heading home to Vancouver Island for some R&R and to set up on the island in a few locations.
My trucking career has turned into a whirl-wind of desparately trying to find you ladies what you need to do all the amazing jobs you do out there and then getting my butt and my truck to you!! But I absolutely love it and I wouldn't want to be doing anyting else!.
I have finalized 5 locations for my first trip off the island this year. As follow in order - Creston, Cranbrook, Sparwood, Nelson and Castlegar. Five weeks on the road, I am coming ladies. I am thrilled that one of the locations will be at a college (Selkirk College in Nelson).
BC Hydro and BC Chamber of Commerce are hosting Business-to-Business Networking Sessions in northern BC communites. Do you run your own business? Remember there will be a wide variety of work involved with the project creating thousands of jobs.
If there is anyone out there who might question my authenticity about being a woman working in trades or industry, I would like to share the events of my final day of operation 2015.