Readers won’t find a “thinner thighs in thirty days” or “sculpt a better butt” article in Dandelion magazine. Instead, Dandelion focuses on the strength, confidence, and joy women find through outdoor adventure, sports, and travel. Michelle Theall, a former Women’s Sports + Fitness Magazine alumni and the founder of Dandelion, realized that a huge market segment was being ignored. “Over 70 million women participate in outdoor-related sports, including running, hiking, biking, paddling, and climbing.

Her approach is paying off. Dandelion’s distribution is 115,000 with a total readership approaching 650,000. Advertisers were also quick to sign up because no other women’s adventure title exists to deliver this consumer in such a positive editorial environment. Asics, The North Face, Saucony, Harley Davidson, Salomon, Trek, K2, Oakley, and a host of others used Dandelion to reach an elusive niche. According to the NSGA, women make over 80% of all sports apparel purchases and over 60% of all athletic shoe buys making them a key target for the sports and health industries. The title launched in spring of 2003, just as Theall learned that she had Multiple Sclerosis. “It’s ironic, isn’t it?” Theall says. “Yet, having a disease that threatens my ability to remain active has only increased my determination to do so. I have no guarantees that what I can physically do this year, I’ll be able to do next. But none of us do. So, the message is that life is short, and we need to get the most from it.”

Having MS only solidified Theall’s editorial vision for Dandelion. For example, when Dandelion interviewed one of the best rock climbers (male or female) in the world, Lynn Hill, they spoke with her about fear, on the rock and in life. At 42, Hill was pregnant with her first child, and wondering what would happen to her career. Climbing magazines would have focused on her climbing prowess. Women’s magazines wouldn’t even have interviewed her. Yet we all gain something from hearing her story. “Dandelion appeals to the beginner or expert in any sport, because we transcend sport to look inside women’s lives. We inspire and connect,” Theall says.

Dandelion is available throughout North America at chains including Barnes & Noble, and at independent bookstores. The title is also carried at REI, EMS, and through Title 9 Sports catalog (www.title9sports.com). Subscriptions may also be purchased on the Dandelion Web site at www.dandelionmagazine.com. Dandelion is the only women’s adventure, travel, sports, and lifestyle magazine on the planet.