Tough Girl Podcast (Sarah Williams)

• Being born in Hong Kong 
• Being rebellious as a teenager and dropping out of sports
• Moving back to Hong Kong in 2012 
• Wanting to save money by cycling to work 
• Cycling in Hong Kong as a commuter
• Getting comfortable with the traffic
• Joining sports clubs to make friends
• Why the trails are concrete
• Getting introduced to trail running
• Changing from cycling to running
• Her first time running
• Being in so much pain, not being able to walk the next day
• Running her first 24k race
• Getting dressed up for races
• Being a smoker
• Loving the freedom of running
• Having the time to reflect on her life
• 2016 - her first 50k race
• Coming in last place and it taking over 12hrs
• Returning 3 years later and coming in 2nd place
• What changed over the 3 years
• Quitting smoking
• Running her first 100k
• Happy food
• Recovery after a big race
• Being humbled by a challenging 100k race which took over 24hrs
• Dealing with heatstroke in her first year of running
• Having 3 goals with regards to a finish time
• Working with a running coach in 2019
• What a typical training week looks like
• Getting up at 5/5.30 am to go training
• Running the same route over and over again
• Hating running downhill
• Managing the fear of running downhill
• Learning house dance
• The 9 Dragons Ultra Race HK 
• Being inspired by Magdalena Lewy-Boulet 
• How to follow Jcy online
• Final words of advice for other women who want to get into trail running
• Go out and enjoy the nature!

***Thank you to all my patrons and all the amazing members of the Tough Girl Tribe - thank you for your continued support, in allowing me to share important stories like this***

Show notes

• How she heard about the Tough Girl Tribe (thank you Lou!)
• Life before children - running marathons and climbing mountains
• Finding a lump in her right breast
• Being diagnosed with a very aggressive type of breast cancer
• How her whole world came crumbling down
• Dealing with the shock and trying to come to terms with it
• Losing control of her life
• Joining a FB group for women under 45 who have been diagnosed with breast cancer - The Younger Breast Cancer Network
• Setting her intentions from the start of the diagnosis
• Spending New Years Eve doing chemo - and a reminder of why good friends are so important
• A year of treatment
• How much her mentality played a part in her recovery
• Getting through the bad days and how she got through them
• How her girls coped
• Dealing with her hair loss and cutting her hair
• Why she decided to take on a triathlon while undergoing treatment
• Team Phoenix and signing up for a sprit triathlon
• Her training and how it all worked
• Her fears about the triathlon… swimming!
• Why she kept on practicing and why she enjoyed learning a new skill
• Drawing a line in the sand and using the triathlon as a way to mark the end of her treatment for cancer
• Being so happy to be alive
• Advice for other women who may be in a similar situation
• Her next challenge in 2017!
• Supporting Team Phoenix as a mentor for the ladies in South East London
• Raising funds for Team Verrico
• Looking forward to the future,  focusing on her family, her work and her exercise

***CHECK YOUR BREASTS - TODAY***

An African-American from a family of modest means, Bonnie became an amputee at age five. Against tremendous odds, she used imagination and determination to push past the limitations of disability and win a silver and two bronze medals in downhill skiing in the 1984 Paralympics in Innsbruck, Austria. As the first African-American to win Olympic or Paralympic medals in skiing, she has been honoured at the White House during the annual Black History Month Celebration.

More than an Olympic skier, Bonnie's other accomplishments include an honours degree from Harvard, a Rhodes scholarship, multiple awards for her innovations as an IBM sales rep, and a position on the White House National Economic Council. President Obama named her to represent the US in delegations to both the Winter Paralympic Games in Vancouver and the Summer Paralympics in Rio.

NBC Nightly News called Bonnie, “One of the five most inspiring women in America.”  She has also been featured on the Today Show, CNN, and The Montel Williams Show.  In addition, the nation's leading publications, such as the New York Times, Oprah Magazine, Essence, and People Magazine have profiled Bonnie and noted her extraordinary achievements.

Drawing on her unique experience, analyses, and signature brands of resilience and inclusion, Bonnie St. John established Blue Circle Leadership with the mission to equip professionals with research based, rigorously tested, easily actionable tools and techniques that directly improve bottom-line business results.

Now, Bonnie focuses on bringing out the best in others through executive coaching and motivational speaking for corporations and associations, as well as writing books and articles.

New episodes of the Tough Girl Podcast go live every Tuesday at 7am UK time - Subscribe so you don’t miss out.

To support the mission to increase the amount of female role models in the media. Sign up as a Patron -  www.patreon.com/toughgirlpodcast. Thank you.

• Who is Bonnie 
• Some of the challenges Bonnie has faced becoming a ski racer
• Getting into skiing at a young age
• Having an amputation when she was 5 years old
• Learning to ski on one leg
• Training hard and qualifying for the Paralympics 
• Competing in the 1984 Winter Paralympics in Austria
• Dealing with a lack of snow
• Was it life changing winning medals
• Being picked as a Rhode Scholar
• Learning to work with the press
• Taking a year off from Harvard
• Going to Oxford University for 4 years 
• Working for IBM and working for President Clinton at the White House
• Starting to focus on leadership development
• Leadership for women
• Having confidence 
• Writing with her husband
• Having to prove herself over and over again
• Book: Live Your Joy 
• Smiling through the challenges
• How have things changed over the past 30 years
• The rise of Trumpism and the increase in animosity 
• Self care and making sure to make it at a priority 
• The downside of socials media 
• The power of polarising views
• Trying to be seen and heard
• Building resilience and embracing success
• Focusing on micro-resilience
• Why resilience doesn’t have to be big things
• The biggest challenge is incorporating it into your life
• Day to day routine and what that looks like
• If you were to give a TED Talk…
• Ted Talk - Be More Resilient with a FIRST AID KIT FOR YOUR ATTITUDE!  
• Building your own “first aid kit”
• Making a choice and the silence behind it - Martin Seligman
• I choose to….
• The importance of sharing what’s in your “first aid kit”
• Figuring out what type of support you need in challenging situations
• From training to failure to - training to growth
• The power of your words
• Reframing things - a great side and a good side
• How you can connect with Bonnie
• Blue Circle Leadership
• Final words of wisdom from Bonnie
• Learning to get up when you fall down
• Get back into the race

Tough Girl - Meike Stones  “Powered By Me” - A year-long human-powered lifestyle adventure

Mieke Stones, is a 32-year old female living and working in London and the creator of Powered by Me, a year-long lifestyle adventure where she is only using human-powered transport to get to wherever she need to go.

She has been bloging, vloging and fundraising along the way, hoping to raise as much money for different causes and to inspire others to see active travel as a viable and sustainable way to get to places. 

Her story so far is one of physical and mental endurance, trial and error, with some key learnings thrown in. But most of all her story is about doing what she can with what she has, and doing her bit for the environment. Making better choices and growing her skills and experiences along the way!

Show notes

• Where the idea came from?
• Deciding on what the next challenge was going to be?
• Having a brain wave!
• The planning stage
• The rules
• Starting on the 1st January and raising money for a different charity each month
• Being able to commute to work
• Battling the elements
• Starting to tell friends and family 
• Starting a count down to the start
• The question’s she was being asked
• The start of the year - what it was like
• Being terrified at the start
• The mental challenge in the first week
• When it all started to become normal!
• What was the impact on her life
• Starting to feel more productive
• Having to change her nutrition needs
• The biggest challenges she’s had to face - the big journey’s
• Going through a divorce
• Cycling over to France for a wedding
• Looking for water in strange places!
• Getting to the 6 month marker!
• Starting to feel a little bit knackered 
• Plans for the rest of the year
• Advice for women who want to integrate running and cycling into their everyday routine

Website

https://powered-by-me.com

• Who is Kathy and what she does
• Wanting to go on a big adventure
• Finding the right time to go travelling
• Wanting to take a pause in life
• Being married for 27 years 
• Stepping into the next phase of her life
• Being exposed to the outdoors from an early age
• Never having the guts or the time to do a big thru hike
• Struggling with overeating 
• Having trouble with reading and struggling in school
• Using food to numb emotions and to calm her nerves 
• Struggling with shame and food 
• Becoming a teacher and raising her kids
• Becoming an eating psychology coach
• Paying attention to the emotions underneath and learning to be with them
• Studying self compassion 
• Being mindful
• Placing your hand on your heart and chaining your voice
• The power of speaking to yourself and being gentle to yourself
• Learning how to be compassionate to yourself
• The GR5 Trail 
• Making the decision to go on the hike
• Going through menopause 
• Moving from running to walking 
• Planning and preparation before the trip
• Making the adventure your own
• Deciding to bike the 1st week in the Netherland
• Starting the GR5 at the end of April, beginning of May
• Doing a preamble in Italy for a few weeks before
• Wanting to slow down 
• Listening to her body and using her intuition 
• Learning how to sleep in a different bed every night
• Being concerned about hiking in the Alps and dealing with the elevation
• Staying mindful and being in the present
• Connecting the rhythm of your breath to your walking pace
• The magical moment and the beauty of the walks 
• The lessons learned from walking the GR5
• Ready to do some backpacking and camping
• Feeling strong and powerful
• Writing a book about her experience 
• The impact of the walk on her marriage
• Knowing each others strengths and weaknesses
• Daily Routine on the walk
• Top tips for taking on the GR5
• Adjusting back to normal life in America 
• Final words of advice for other women who want to go on an adventure 
• Why it’s never too late
• The power of brainstorming 

• Who is Emma
• Her passion for the outdoors and adventure 
• Being into her cycling
• Focusing on having fun
• Her relationship to the outdoors
• Being afraid of heights at a young age
• Going on family adventures
• Exploring more of Wales on mountain bikes
• Growing up in Bristol and being able to escape the city
• Being inspired by her parents
• Making the transition to solo adventures and expeditions
• Being more into team sports such as hockey and ultimate frisbee 
• Pushing her limits and building resilience
• Making decisions for herself
• Heading to Wales to bike pack for the first time
• Concerns before the trip
• Feeling confident and prepared on the bike
• Why it was a case of getting on and doing it
• Why you should go on a solo adventure
• Trusting in her own capabilities
• The stories we tell ourselves
• Being scared?
• Feeling safe while on the road
• How the book came about and the process of writing it. 
• Having local adventures and creating new memories 
• The type of routes included in the book
• Getting practical advice
• Sleep systems for Bikepacking
• clothing layers
• Food while on the bike
• GPS and route planning 
• Will there be a second book?
• Why you don’t need to suffer on adventures
• Future adventure dreams
• Final words of advice to encourage you to get on your bike
• Look at the barriers that are holding you back
• Don’t apologies for being a beginner
• “You are so much more capable than you think you are”
• Roll with the bikepacking and see where it will take you

Of French, Swiss and Filipino descent, Christine Amour-Levar is a true citizen of the world, she grew up between Manila, Paris and Tokyo and is currently based in Singapore, where she lives with her husband and four children.

She is one of the founding partners of Women On A Mission, a non-profit organisation that combines challenging expeditionary travel to remote locations around the world with the support of humanitarian causes. 

Christine recently received the 100 Most Influential Filipina Women in the World Award that recognises Filipina women who are influencing the face of leadership in the global workplace, having reached status for outstanding work in their respective fields, and who are recognised for their leadership, achievement and contributions to society, female mentorship and legacy.

"Have the courage to define success on your own terms. Your uniqueness in your power."

Shownotes

-Christine is Introduces herself and shares more about growing up and living a very international lifestyle

-How sports have always played a part of her life; especially swimming, basketball, tennis & soccer

-Working for Nike and how sport continued to play a huge part of her life

-Trying to get the balance in her life between; work, family, fitness and having a social life

-Having a career break while having her first child and going back to school to follow a creative dream

-Moving to Singapore & setting up her own business and a non-profit - “Women on a Mission”

-Dealing with guilt and how she copes with those feelings

-Her love of trekking which started in Switzerland and how her passion grew when she was older and why she turned to the mountains for strength after her divorce 

-Why she keeps going back to the Himalayas and why Nepal holds a special place for her

-More about Valerie Boffin, Women for Women International and how that let to her becoming a founding partner of “Women on a Mission”

-Their first trek to Everest Base Camp & getting to stay the night at base camp

-Trekking to Siberia to experience what daily life is like for the nomadic Nenets reindeer herders

-Dealing with the difference in extreme temperatures - going from 30 degrees to - 40!

-What she learned most from this experience

-What’s next for Women on a Mission 

-Writing her book - The Smart Girl’s Handbook to Being Mummylicious,

Website - Links

http://www.christineamourlevar.com 

http://www.womenmission.com 

Don’t forget to subscribe so you never miss an episode! x

• Growing up in Mexico City
• What the triple crown in hiking is
• Her childhood
• Being the oldest of two brothers
• Growing up in a dangerous neighbourhood
• Starting working at 11 years old
• Hearing about the PCT for the first time
• Studying engineering at university 
• How her family reacted to her wanting to go to America and hike
• Being worried about the snow and black bears
• Not speaking English
• Her worries before the hike
• Getting a visa for America
• Research and planning for the trail
• Not being able to find information in Spanish
• The support of Facebook Groups
• Going to the mountains in Mexico 
• Learning about the gear and the animals
• Trail name?
• What it was like doing her first thru hike
• The challenging and difficult sections on the PCT
• Dealing with a lot of snow
• Facing river crossings
• Making a few mistakes on the trail
• Lessons learned from those mistakes
• Finding someone to walk in the mountains with 
• Having good luck and trying to catch up with other hikers
• Dealing with the cold
• Keeping her clothing simple
• Food on the trail
• Eating “trash food”
• Her love of cheese!
• Hiking the Appalachian Trail 2nd
• Leaving the Continental Divide Trail to the last 
• The challenges on the CDT
• What happens when times get tough
• Has she ever wanted to quit?
• Learning from her mistakes
• Feeling passionate about hiking
• Her favourite hiking trail is the Hayduke Trail
• Paying for her hikes
• Struggling to find sponsorship in Mexico
• Her dream of starting a new thru-hiking trail in Mexico
• Figuring out the new trail and having support with water and food
• The goals of the project
• Finals words of advice for other women who want to get into hiking
• “Don’t be afraid and live your dreams”

Nirjala is a 41-year-old Nepalese national triathlete and a mother of two. She was Nepal's national mountain biking champion for 12 years, from 2001 to 2012, and after dominating the mountain biking scene for 12 years, Nirjala was known as the "Mountain Queen" by her peers. Nirjala is now a triathlete on the Nepal National Team.

On June 6th, 2021, Nirjala completed the UK Ultimate Triathlon event in Whitchurch after 15 hours and 13 minutes. The full Ironman distance includes 3.8 kilometers of swimming, 180 kilometers of cycling, and 42 kilometers of running. She then became the first Nepali female athlete to complete a full Ironman-distance triathlon.

Her historic achievement was publicly recognized as the "First Nepalese Female Athlete to achieve" by Nepal Triathlon Association President, Mr. Nilendra Raj Shrestha.

New episodes of the Tough Girl Podcast go live every Tuesday at 7am UK time - Subscribe so you don’t miss out. 

You can support the mission to increase the amount of female role models in the media. Learn more by visiting www.patreon.com/toughgirlpodcast . Thank you.

Show notes

• Who is Nirjala
• Speaking with Nirjala previously on the Tough Girl Podcast
• Discovering triathlon 
• Living in UAE in 2011 and training for mountain biking 
• Thinking about doing an Ironman
• Making the transition from mountain biking to triathlon 
• Stopping mountain biking and focusing on family 
• Wanting to lose weight after having children
• Getting back into training after having a C section 
• Why she wanted to do a triathlon 
• Learning how to swim as an adult 
• Overcoming her fear of open water
• Taking on her first sprint triathlon 
• Learning to swim front crawl in 2018
• Not feeling confident in the water 
• Dealing with feelings of panic while in the water
• Feeling more confident in the water 
• Training for open water swimming 
• Learning how to float 
• Doing her first Full Ironman triathlon
• Following a free training plan found online
• Balancing training time with her family 
• Being on the start line of the race
• Being worried about the cold water
• Eating during the race
• Feeling relief and happiness crossing the finish line
• Recovering afterwards
• Feeling a lot of pain at the end and not being able to sleep
• How to connect and follow on the social 
• Final words of advice to motivate and inspire you to take on your next challenge
• How to face your fears even when you are afraid 
• Why you can do anything you want in your life

Social Media

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/NirjalaTamrakar 

Jen is a 41 year old Running and Triathlon Coach based in Australia who loves trail running and being outdoors. About 12 years ago, she was an over-stressed, over-weight and over-worked Lawyer and then she went for a run - and life hasn’t been the same since!

Since then she’s done 2 x 50km races and a 100km team event. She hiked and climbed mountains on 4 continents (including mountaineering in Nepal, Argentina, climbing Kilimanjaro & Meru in Tanzania, as well as completing the Everest Base Camp trek, and the Inca Trail in Peru!). 

Since Jen found her new passion, she left her old job of being a lawyer and set up her own business called Sparta Chicks for women who enjoy triathlons, trail running and outdoor adventures. As well as this she has recently written a book called, "She Believed She Could So She Did: How to Train, Race and Live with Confidence" (which went to #1 in 3 categories in Amazon Australia).

For Jen the focus of her work these days is on mindset; overcoming the fears, self-doubt and the stories we tell ourselves about what we can and can’t do. Jen is a passionate supporter of women and loves watching women thrive when they discover endurance sports and outdoor adventures.

Thank you to the patrons of the Tough Girl Podcast - This episode could not have been produced without your continued support.

Get involved and support the Tough Girl Podcast - Learn more!

Show notes

• The joy of not setting my alarm any more!
• Packing in her corporate job and having a total career change in her early thirties and becoming a triathlon and running coach
• Not being the sporty kid at school and preferring books over sports
• Why trail running changed everything about running for Jen and how trail running gave her the headspace she needed, where she didn’t have to think about any think else
• Why it took a long time for her to leave her job and make the change
• Going to Everest Base Camp and coming back and knowing that things had to change
• Saving up, resigning and going travelling
• Taking over two years to get her plan B in place - Working full time while also training as a Personal Trainer
• It can take time to make a big change - and that’s ok!
• Making a decision over what she wanted to do! 
• Finding her passion and what interested her and why not all passions should be turned into a business
• Think about your passion - but also take a step back and think if this is something you could do 24/7 and if you did would it lose its gloss?
• Deciding what to do with her time off!
• 6 months of climbing and eating her way around the world!
• Not summiting Aconcagua and how it feels like unfinished business
• Mindset and why it’s so important - dealing with questions such as; What if I fail? What will people think?
• The Six Foot Track - 45K Trail Race
• Learning more about Sparta Chicks & its Mission - Ten Thousand Strong Women!
• Fears and how they can show up differently for different women
• Her first Triathlon in 2007 and having a panic attack during the swim
• 3 top tips for triathlon 
• The power of the word “yet”
• Picturing your perfect race
• Writing - She Believed She Could - How to Train and Race with confidence 
• Why you don’t need more confidence, courage or more bravery
• Plans for the future
• One thing for you to think about going forward

The Sparta Chicks Podcast will be launching on Thursday 2nd February!

Social Media Links

Visit the Sparta Chicks Website

Say hi to Jen on Twitter @SpartaJen say hi to me!! @_TOUGH_GIRL

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In this episode of the Tough Girl Podcast, we speak with Dena Lewis, a dedicated runner and advocate for women's safety based in Florida, USA. Dena shares her 20-year journey in running, which began as a way to manage stress after college and evolved into a lifelong passion. 

Dena's dedication to running is evident in her meticulous planning and commitment, including her morning routine of fasted runs, coffee, and early starts. Where she runs between 10 and 12 miles per day, 6 days a week.

Safety has been a significant concern for Dena, who often runs in the early hours of the morning. She has faced harassment and assault while running, leading her to create Running Mate—an innovative app designed to pair runners with companions for safer runs. Launching in April 2024, Running Mate aims to make running safer for women across the U.S., with plans to expand globally.

Dena’s experience with violence has driven her to become an advocate for women's safety, culminating in the creation of the Female Runner Safety Summit. Through her advocacy, Dena hopes to bring awareness to the dangers women face and foster a safer environment for her daughters and all women.

Join us as Dena shares her story of resilience, empowerment, and her mission to make the world a safer place for female runners. Learn about her journey, the creation of Running Mate, and her advice for women looking to start their running journey.

• This episode has been marked as explicit. Please be aware that the topic of assault comes up during this conversation; while we don't discuss it in detail, some listeners may find it triggering.

***

Don't miss out on the latest episodes of the Tough Girl Podcast, released every Tuesday at 7am UK time! Be sure to hit the subscribe button to stay updated on the incredible journeys and stories of strong women.

 By supporting the Tough Girl Podcast on Patreon, you can make a difference in increasing the representation of female role models in the media, particularly in the world of adventure and physical challenges. Your contribution helps empower and inspire others. Visit www.patreon.com/toughgirlpodcast to be a part of this important movement. 

Thank you for your invaluable support!

***

Show notes

• Being based in Florida, USA 
• Being a runner for over 20 years
• Married to her best friend and having 2 older daughter 
• Looking for ways to deal with her stress and picking up running after college 
• Getting into cycling after running
• How her fitness journey has progressed over the years
• Running for health, fitness and wellbeing 
• Learning what works for her with regards to running
• Not being able to fit in run clubs 
• Running all distances from 5k to ultra marathons
• Running between 10 to 12 miles per day, 6 days per week
• Her favourite distance being a half marathon
• Wear and tear, trainers, recovery, fuelling… 
• Why 10/12 miles per day!
• Living with a certain level of pain at all times
• Being a consistent runner
• Not liking to run on a treadmill and preferring to run outside
• The morning routine
• Being a fasted runner and drinking coffee
• Leaving at 5am and being gone for approx 2 hours
• Planning her day around her run 
• Getting her blood checked on a regular basis
• Ending up in the ER with chest pains
• Seeing a heart doctor once a year to have a check up
• Running in the early morning and experiences fear
• Am I safe - what’s around me
• Being harassed while running on a regular basis and being assaulted twice
• Creating Running Mate —an on demand running app (think of Uber for runners) 
• How running mate works
• Having no experience in tech, finding a developer and starting to work on the project in April 2021
• Launching in April 2024 in 3 very specific cities in the US
• Beta testing since January 2024
• Running with other people
• Female runner safety summit 
• The running mates get paid 
• Bringing awareness to the violence against women
• Wanting to make it a safer world for her daughter
• Brining companies together which has a mission to improve women’s safety
• Wanting to expand the app world wide within a year
• Following and support running mate online
• Final words of advice for other women who want to get out there and get running
• Talk to someone and get help if you need support
• Only talking about the first assault recently
• Choosing not to report it 
• Having the perpetrator show up on her door step
• Stopping running
• Living in fear and how it impacted her day to day life with her family
• Moving away from the area and starting to feel safe again
• Sharing her story to let other women know that they are not alone
• Being in denial for a while
• Working through PTSD, the trauma, the event and start seeing the other side 
• Not becoming an advocate straight away
• Taking time to focus on herself and her family 
• Connecting with other women who had been through a similar thing
• Getting back to running again and feeling a sense of empowerment
• Getting angry when it happened a second time 
• Why we need advocacy and change

Social Media

Website: www.getrunningmate.com  

Instagram: @getrunningmate 

Facebook: @getrunningmate 

The Explorers’ Grand Slam is the ultimate adventure challenge that involves climbing the world’s highest peaks on each of the seven continents as well as trekking to the geographic North and South poles.

Masha began her Explorers' Grand Slam challenge in October 2015 she has now scaled the world’s highest peaks on each of the seven continents – Everest (Asia), Kilimanjaro (Africa), Vinson Massif (Antarctica), Aconcagua (South America), Carstensz Pyramid (Australasia), Mt. Elbrus (Europe) and Denali (North America) as well as trekked to the geographic North and South poles.

The extraordinary demands of the challenge mean she's been pushed to the edge of her physical endurance and mental resilience. She's spent over a 100 days in a tent and spent three weeks trekking on skis to the North and South Poles in -40C weather and exposed herself to the “death zone” – the high altitude above 8,000 where there is not enough oxygen for humans to breathe.

Only two other people have completed the Explorers' Grand Slam challenge (including the two poles) in under a year and just 45 in total. The previous female world record title holder was Vanessa O’Brien who completed the record in 11 months. Masha did it in 8 months!

Show notes

• Early years and growing up and not being athletic!
• Falling in love with the mountains and getting that sense of achievement from adventure
• What the Explorers’ Grand Slam is and how it came about
• Negotiating time with the family to make time for the challenge
• Remembering back to taking the first step of the challenge
• The importance of having a sounding board
• What aspect of the challenge worried her the most and why
• Getting fit and building up her endurance
• Starting the Explorers Grand Slam with climbing Kilimanjaro in 24 hours
• Everest and attempting the summit
• Dealing with fragility and how it became a story about grit
• Teaming up with Lydia Bradey and deciding to climb or not with the potential for 50 mph winds on the way
• What they had to do, to remain safe on the mountain. 
• Knowing your limits and why you need to put things into perspective 
• Getting off Everest and why that can be the riskiest part
• Grit & Rock the charity, how it came about and why its so important for young women
• What Masha learned most about herself throughout this experience. 
• What her children thought about her adventure and how its changed her children

Check out the Grit & Rock Website for more info! 

A massive thank you to everyone who has become a patron! You too can support the Tough Girl Podcast from $2 to $5 per month!  CLICK HERE!

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Dr. Elisabeth Ogbonmwan is a powerhouse—sports and exercise medicine doctor, triathlete, and new mum. Just nine weeks postpartum, she joins me on the Tough Girl Podcast to talk about the realities of balancing training with a busy career and family life.

Lis shares her journey into sports, from loving swimming as a child to discovering running in her late 20s and ultimately embracing triathlon. She opens up about training while pregnant, navigating body image changes, and how she’s approaching her return to sport after giving birth.

We also dive into her passion for female athlete health—why it’s so important for women to fuel properly, listen to their bodies, and have access to the right medical support. Plus, she shares practical advice for new mums who want to get back into movement without guilt.

This is an insightful and inspiring episode for anyone juggling sport, work, and family—don’t miss it! 

***

Catch the latest episodes of the Tough Girl Podcast, dropping every Tuesday at 7 am UK time! Don’t forget to subscribe so you won’t miss the inspiring journeys and incredible stories of tough women.

 Want to play a part in uplifting female representation in the media? Support the Tough Girl Podcast on Patreon! Your generosity helps shine a spotlight on female role models in the world of adventure and physical challenges. Join us in making a positive impact by visiting www.patreon.com/toughgirlpodcast.

Thank you for your amazing support!

***

Show notes

• Who is Lis
• Having her daughter 9 weeks ago 
• Being a busy mum, triathlete, doctor
• Having a sporty childhood
• Loving swimming from a young age
• Balancing sport and studying
• Travelling an hour to and from her 6th form 
• Not doing as much sport at university as she wanted 
• Getting into triathlons in 2020/2021
• Finding running in her mid to late 20s
• Starting to swim while rehabbing injuries 
• Swimmers who transition into running 
• The impact of running on ankle joints for swimmers
• Volume of training to keep injuries at a minimum 
• Getting into strength and conditioning later on 
• Working as a General Practitioner (GP) and Sports Medicine Doctor 
• Going back into training again 
• Working with a variety of different people
• Wanting to set up a paediatric sports medicine clinic in Manchester 
• Wanting to work with women who take part in exercise at any level 
• Wanting to encourage women to participate in sport 
• Training and doing sports medicine part time while working as a GP
• Training and balancing it with work and children 
• Finding a coach that she trusted
• Fitting in training and making it work for her life 
• Being use to having full and busy days 
• Planning in time for recovery and what that looked like 
• Not training to her menstrual cycle 
• The importance of fuelling and what worked well for her
• Meal prepping and needing to up her protein 
• Having a recovery shake after every session 
• Using gels from Protein Rebel 
• Competition day and what race strategy looks like
• Being on the start line of a race and what’s going through her head
• Doing races for fun
• Having a “process goal” - especially for triathlon races
• Training throughout pregnancy and what that looked like 
• Feeling very tired during the first trimester and needing to reduce training volume down
• Needing to let training take a back seat while studying and taking a consultancy exam 
• Loving her training while pregnant 
• Having a baby girl and wanting to show her what women are capable of 
• Pregnancy and body image 
• Being body conscious and having your body on show when you are an athlete 
• Feeling proud of her body and having a deep appreciation for what her body is capable of 
• Being a new mum on maternity leave
• Getting back into training and racing but not knowing what that would look like at the start
• Feeling guilt for leaving her baby 
• Knowing how important it was for her mental health to get that time for herself 
• Being a better mum and feeling more confident 
• Using her support network 
• Stomach and pelvic floor recovery 
• Moving Medicine - Post Natal Guide
• Wanting to encourage people to be more active and how women can get back to running and impact activity after having a baby 
• Barriers for entry for women to get back in exercise, sports and movement and how those barriers can increase after having a baby
• How to connect with Lis online 
• Final words of advice and wisdom for other new mums 
• Don’t feel guilty 

Social Media

Instagram @the_running_medic 

Moving Medicine - Post Natal Guide 

Join us on this episode of the Tough Girl Podcast as we delve into the extraordinary life of Gina Atkinson, a former Royal Signals engineer with a remarkable story of service and resilience. Gina's military career took her to 30 Signal Regiment, where she visited  35 countries during her first five years of service.

Following a deeply personal loss in 2019, Gina embarked on a mission to honour her brother's memory by running/cycling 100 miles a week for a year, raising £10,000 for a local cancer charity and establishing an Art Foundation in his name. Her dedication did not stop there; Gina continued to raise over £250,000 for veterans' charities through a series of inspiring challenges and initiatives, including ultra races and solo adventures across Scotland.

In this episode, Gina shares her journey of coping with grief through fitness and adventure, her experiences in the military, and her passion for supporting veterans and cancer patients alike. From riding across Death Valley to planning her next challenge of running from London to France in 2024, Gina's story is one of resilience, determination, and the power of adventure to heal and inspire.

Learn how Gina's adventures and fundraising efforts have made a significant impact, and gain insights into her motivations, challenges, and the importance of mental health advocacy in her journey. 

Join us as we explore Gina Atkinson's inspiring story on the Tough Girl Podcast.

***

Don't miss out on the latest episodes of the Tough Girl Podcast, released every Tuesday at 7am UK time! Be sure to hit the subscribe button to stay updated on the incredible journeys and stories of strong women.

 By supporting the Tough Girl Podcast on Patreon, you can make a difference in increasing the representation of female role models in the media, particularly in the world of adventure and physical challenges. Your contribution helps empower and inspire others. Visit www.patreon.com/toughgirlpodcast to be a part of this important movement. 

Thank you for your invaluable support!

***

Show notes

• Who is Gina
• Being based on the Wirral, UK
• Being a fundraiser for Veterans Charities 
• Combining her fundraising with crazy adventures 
• Growing up on the Wirral and why it’s an amazing location
• Her early years spending time hillwalking in Wales
• Joining the army cadets at 13
• Deciding to join the army as an electronica engineer in the Royal Signals 
• Being posted to 30 Signal Regiment nicknamed the ‘globe trotters’ 
• Visiting 35 countries in the first 5 years 
• Military memories from peace keeping missions
• Volunteering at the orphanage in Bosnia 
• Making the decision to leave the army
• Wanting to make a second career and experience something different 
• Starting fundraising for veterans charities almost straight away
• Riding across Death Valley in America 
• Getting involved in ultra races and going to see places at the same time
• The Wall Ultra Race across Hadrian’s Wall 
• Dealing with covid and losing her brother at age 52 to stage 4 bowl cancer
• Coming up with the idea of doing 100 miles a week for 52 weeks - 5,200 miles in memory of her brother. 
• Dealing with grief and needing a distraction
• Coping with stress and trauma by fitness and adventure in nature
• Not knowing the next steps
• Getting post adventures blues at the end of the challenge/adventure
• Backdoor adventures
• Raising funds for ssafa the Armed Forces charity  
• Meeting veterans and sharing stories and memories
• Being an advocate for mental health 
• Raising over £250K for veterans charities and winning multiple awards
• 300 mile solo adventure across Scotland (3 bucket list challenges in one) walking the West highland Way, paddling the Great Glen, and then walking back on the Great Glen Way to Fort William
• Getting injured and needing to return in 2024 
• Not taking a dip in lock ness
• The planning behind the challenge ideas
• Taking it from the idea to getting to the start line 
• Sticking to the plan 
• Using YouTube as a resource 
• Testing your kit and making sure your food is nutritious and tastes good
• Keeping positive while on adventures 
• Motivation and discipline why you need both
• Quote by D.H. Lawrence, “I never saw a wild thing sorry for itself. A small bird will drop frozen dead from a bough without ever having felt sorry for itself.” 
• Going back to your WHY
• Motivation from the GI Jane movie and Legally Blonde
• Being inspired by the Queen 
• The next challenge in 2024 - running to France from London!
• Maintaining fitness levels while not on adventures 
• How to connect with Gina on social media 
• Final words of advice for other women who want to do more adventures 
• Starting on your own fitness journey 
• Why consistency is the key for training for endurance events
• Try and enjoy it and remember why you are doing it

Social Media

Instagram: @goliveit.onelife

Facebook: @GinaGinelli

Military Memories is an anthology of poems from the force’s community.Profits go to Military Charities SSAFA & Sporting Force.

Instagram @Militarymemories2021

Twitter @militarymemos

Book: Military Memories: Military Memories is a anthology of poems written by the forces community. The poems illustrate the journey taken by those who join ... families’ lives and also the trauma we face.

Genny is aiming to be the first Aruban to ski to the North and South Poles to raise awareness on the devastating effects of Lyme Disease.

Genny was diagnosed with Lyme Disease in the summer of 2016 after suffering from its debilitating effects and misdiagnosis for three harrowing years. She went from being a fit and active person to being so fatigued that she was bed bound for months. 

A few years on from diagnosis, Genny has recovered and become passionate about making diagnosis affordable, available and prompt in the UK, where she now lives. She is determined that no one else should suffer as she did.

Genny is excited and a little bit nervous about the challenge of skiing to the South Pole. She hopes to inspire others to aim high, dream big, work hard, and never settle for someone else’s interpretation of what they can achieve. 

As the first Aruban woman to attempt such a feat, Genny sees it as an honour to represent her home country and inspire others to pursue their dreams.

We first spoke with Genny on - 26th January 2021.  You can listen here:  https://www.toughgirlchallenges.com/single-post/genny-brown

New episodes of the Tough Girl Podcast go live every Tuesday at 7am UK time - Subscribe so you don’t miss out. 

You can support the mission to increase the amount of female role models in the media. Visit www.patreon.com/toughgirlpodcast Thank you.

Show notes

• Who is Genny
• Moving to the UK, 15 years ago
• Her training to ski solo and unsupported to the South Pole in late 2024/25
• Speaking to Genny on the TGP in January 26th 2021
• What’s been going on since we last spoke
• Coming to realise how much there is still to learn
• The beginning of 2021
• Starting to make plans for 2022 with regards to training 
• Needing to get more on ice experience 
• Heading to Norway for training 
• Working with Helen Turton from Newland Expeditions
• Getting physical fit by pulling tyres in the UK
• Knowing her tent mate - Ellen aka @randogirl42
• Wanting to dedicate her life to polar pursuits
• Needing to get her act together and getting more sponsors
• Developing uterine fibroids and how they impacted on her quality of life
• Needing to have surgery to remove the uterine fibroids.
• The recovery period after her surgery
• Putting a plan in place with help from Helen
• Needing to do more bespoke training and doing a mini solo expedition on her own
• Needing to test new equipment out in the cold
• Cold weather management 
• Getting back into the gym and building back her strength again
• Underestimating how long it took to recover
• Building back up her confidence
• The start of 2023
• Doing her basic polar training course in Norway
• Having to face her fears and overcome them
• Needing to work on her mindset 
• Continuing to show up for herself and doing all the right things
• Making the best of the situation and focusing on her camp craft
• Putting a lot of pressure on herself to be perfect
• Woking with a therapist to identify the reasons why her fear had occurred 
• Hillenberg Tent 
• The challenges of solo expeditions 
• Dealing with the negative thoughts and learning to enjoy the journey 
• Taking the time to unplug
• Being by yourself and spending time with your own thoughts
• Plans for the rest of 2023
• Focusing on sponsorship
• Making progress over the past few years
• Wanting to learn to be comfortable in uncomfortable situations 
• Wanting to develop her mountaineering skills
• Planning for 2024 and what needs to be done to achieve her polar goal
• How to connect with Genny
• Final words of advice for other women who want to pursue their big dream 
• Stop holding yourself back
• Needing to factor in rest and recovery

Social Media

Website: www.antarcticaruban.com 

Instagram: @antarcticaruban 

Facebook: @antarcticaruban

Go Fund Me: https://www.gofundme.com/f/expedition-kit-for-genny-brown-antarctic-aruban 

• Just another Everest climber!
• Born in Iran and moved to the USA at age 20
• Living in California
• Being very grateful to her parents for their sacrifices 
• Studying electrical engineering 
• Wanting to raise money for the Empower Nepali Girls foundation
• Starting from zero
• Getting outside her comfort zone
• Being a shy person
• Asking strangers for money
• Climbing Everest - April 2015
• Meeting the girls from Nepal
• Being on an ice wall during the earthquake at 20,000 ft
• The turning point in her life
• Starting to climb the 7 summits
• Going back to climb Everest again…but ended up breaking her arm
• Going through a divorce in 2008
• Getting the idea to cross Greenland
• Getting excited about the next expedition 
• Using the time to reflect back on her life
• The uniqueness of the challenge
• Advice for women going through a tough situation
• The patience needed in mountain climbing
• The team dynamics in Greenland
• The National Geographic article about the Greenland crossing 
• Funding challenges and adventures
• Building mental resilience and determination
• Being a work in progress
• Learning new habits and transforming herself
• The power of saying it out-loud to the world 
• Training to get fit and building muscle and endurance
• Living with a heavy pack on 
• Tips for rest and recovery 
• Walking in the sun everyday for 20 mins
• Why you have to START NOW!

Maddy is a 72-year-old runner, cyclist, mother of four, and grandmother to three. Her goal is to fight aging and show that we can do things long after we thought we couldn't.

Maddy has always enjoyed being outside since she was a child. At school, she enjoyed sports and spent a lot of time swimming with her brother.

Maddy has been running for more than four decades. She began running in 1977 at the age of 26. She was working for the military in a child guidance clinic in Munster, Germany.

Maddy was just running for pleasure, and prioritises her children after work. She was a social worker before becoming a teacher. She joined the Harriers in the 1990s and began running seriously in 1997–98. She has competed in every imaginable race, as well as loads that no longer exist.

In 2017, Maddy competed in over 30 races, winning the majority of them in her age category (V65). From 2004 to 2018, she ranked in the top 50 in the UK for her age group at distances ranging from 5K to marathon. She finished 14th among V65 women in the UK in the half marathon in 2017.

Maddy also finds time to coach and support other runners, and she has helped organise local parkruns. She set up Mansfield Runners in 2012 with Sue Bellingham's help. They started it when Run England was promoting beginner's groups. It is now a RunTogether group.

New episodes of the Tough Girl Podcast go live every Tuesday and Thursday at 7am UK time - Subscribe so you don’t miss out. 

The Tough Girl Podcast is being sponsored throughout March by Inov-8. www.inov-8.com

Get involved with the #MarchDailyMile Challenge. Run 1 mile everyday in March. 

Show Notes

• Who is Maddy
• 72 years young
• Running since 27
• Waiting for bi-lateral hip replacements
• Her early years in the 1950s
• Getting a TV when she was 7 yrs old
• Getting a car when she was 11
• Cycling everywhere 
• Getting into running while working in West Germany
• The restrictions on women’s running and women not being allowed to run long distances 
• Starting to run every week around the woods
• Why she loves running and being out in nature 
• Moving back to England in 1981 
• Signing up for the first Nottingham Half Marathon 
• Having 4 children between 1983 and 1990
• Joining Mansfield Harriers
• Running during pregnancy and after having children 
• Loving yoga and CrossFit 
• Dealing with injury
• Going back to the early 1980s
• 1984 - when women were allowed to run the marathon 
• Taking 25 yrs of running before signing up for her first marathon 
• Running the London Marathon in 3hr 27mins (over 50)
• Deciding to stop running road marathons
• Training by herself 
• Effort Sessions every Tuesday and Thursday
• Mindset and mental strategy while running 
• How times and knowledge have trained
• Getting into coaching
• Mansfield Runners 
• The Stilton Stumble 
• Dealing with Osteoporosis 
• Why you need to keep moving when you have arthritis 
• Advice for new runners
• How to connect with Maddy
• Having younger running friends 
• The isolation that happens when your older
• Entering the Bath Half
• Women being veterans from 35
• Being competitive 
• Counting while running
• Embracing technology
• Magical memory from running
• Racing with her daughter in the Italian Alps

Social Media

Instagram @collingemaddy

Mel lives a life of adventure and is inspiring others to believe that anything is possible.

Mel was a fit and healthy young woman, who loved to get outside, go running and ride bikes, while caring for her horses. After a series of life changing strokes Mel’s life was turned upside down, she was unable to walk and after her third stroke in 2008, struggled to use much of the left side of her body.

Fast forward four years after watching the Beijing Paralympics from her hospital bed, Mel was racing in front of 80,000 people at the London 2012 Paralympics. At this point, Mel had only been involved in the sport for 15 months.

Mel went on to represent Team GB for the next 4 years, where she achieving track world records, European and World major medal success.

At the end of 2016 Mel made the move from track racing, to endurance and road racing. She has found her new passion, hand cycling.

Mel has gone on to break the 2 hour time barrier in the London Marathon, and has recently smashed both the men and women’s  LEJOG World record - hand cycling 874 miles in 6 days, 22 hours and 18 mins! 

Show notes

• What life was like growing up 
• Her love for horses and being outside
• Wanting to be a vet and marry a farmer
• Leaving school at 16
• Having her first stroke in 2002
• Trying to figure out what caused it
• Dealing with the uncertainty 
• Having her 3rd stroke 
• Not being able to walk any more and having to spend a lot of time in the stoke unit
• Watching the Paralympics 
• Getting back into sports and fitness and why it was so important
• Trying wheel chair racing for the first time and getting a coach
• Her dream of being selected for the Great British Team for the London 2012 Olympics
• Now what?!
• Dealing with a crisis of confidence
• Why she prefers the longer distances to sprints
• What is was like racing at the 2012 London Olympic games
• Racing in the London Marathon and why she loves it - Plus getting a PB
• Having to wait for heart surgery 
• Upper body strength and training in the gym
• How Handcycle Britain - LEGOG - World Record Attempt came about
• How hand cycling has become her career
• Her mental performance mindset and using that during the challenge
• Smashing the record -  6 days, 22 hours and 18 mins!!
• What a typical day was like and planning to cycle for 10 hours a day
• Dealing with the challenging race conditions
• Starting to think about her next challenge!
• Getting off road on her bike
• The cost of handbikes 
• Quick Fire Questions

Social Media

Website - www.melnicholls.co.uk 

Instagram @teamdolly  

Twitter @Dolly2racer 

Facebook  - @melnicholls.co.uk 

An ex city-lawyer whose first qualification was as a tennis coach, and whose first love has always been sport, Catherine has spent the second half of her career combining her twin passions of sport and leadership through her business, Sport and Beyond Ltd. 

Catherine brings a unique perspective to the mindset and approaches that deliver exceptional and sustained performance. She has had the privilege of working with many of our elite athletes and coaches, as well as a large number of the leading CEOs in the sports sector and elsewhere. She maintains strong links to the legal sector both through coaching senior lawyers, and through her role as Chair of O Shaped, an organisation aimed at making the legal profession better. Catherine is also a Trustee on the Board of the Dame Kelly Holmes Trust.

About The Book: 

Staying the Distance showcases the much-needed leadership lessons that sport can teach us: how to improve, perform and achieve, in ways that are effective and sustainable.

Leadership can be hard. It can certainly be relentless. The pandemic has wreaked havoc on the well-being, health and sustained performance of many senior leaders, and yet strong leadership remains central to the performance of every single organization.

Business leaders are very familiar with drawing lessons from elite sport, particularly around teams, leadership and high performance. But we have all been missing a trick. Day in, day out, sport has been showing us not only how to improve, perform and achieve, but how to do so on a sustained basis, consistently delivering results when it matters. This book shines a light on these unseen lessons, and provides a clear and practical roadmap for how to deploy them in the reader's own leadership practices.

With Catherine Baker's unique view into world-class sport and top-level business, and with insights from top performers in both worlds, this book provides a fresh and dynamic take on how - consistently and over the long term - to bring out the best in yourself, and in those you lead.

New episodes of the Tough Girl Podcast go live every Tuesday at 7am UK time - Subscribe so you don’t miss out. 

You can support the Tough Girl mission to increase the amount of female role models in the media - especially in relation to adventure and physical challenge by signing up as a patron. www.patreon.com/toughgirlpodcast. Thank you. 

Show Notes

• Who is Catherine?
• Having a varied work life from tennis coach to corporate lawyer
• Working as a leadership and mindset coach
• Mother of 3 sons
• Being sporty from a young age and being labelled as a tomboy
• Being a twin and the twin relationship 
• Being 1 of 2 girls in an all boys school 
• Going to boarding school at 8 
• Playing both tennis and hockey
• Going down the route of becoming a lawyer
• Trying to balance work and hockey training 
• How team sports took a back seat to work
• Being on secondment in Singapore for 5 months
• Having a set of core principles and how they developed
• Wanting to make most of the opportunities 
• Recognising her privilege 
• Practical tips for taking advantage of those opportunities 
• The importance of having really clear goals
• Getting the idea for her new book - Staying the Distance: The lessons from sport that business leaders have been missing
• Working out her own personal mission
• Balancing career, family and sports 
• Wanting to do everything to the best of her ability
• You can do anything, but you can’t do everything
• Who is the book for?
• The Huddle - a free resource to help you strategise, motivate and perform.
• Thoughts on decision making - going with your gut, your emotions, or values….
• Confirmation bias
• Why it’s sensible to give yourself time to make decisions
• Deciding to do the The Great North Swim 
• Dealing with setbacks and failure 
• Chapter 2 - How to leave behind fear
• How to connect with Catherine
• Final words of advice - “Success really is a team sport, so think carefully about who you have around you.” 

Social Media

Website: sportandbeyond.co.uk  

Twitter: @sportandbeyond1 

Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/in/catherinehbaker/ 

Book: Staying the Distance: The lessons from sport that business leaders have been missing 

• Who is Jessica
• How she got into hiking
• Her passion for hiking 
• Wanting to travel abroad to hike
• Thinking about the Camino
• Hiking with her sister - Montana
• Getting her first passport at 30
• Planning to head over to Europe
• Preparation for the trip
• Not wanting to over research
• Not booking a return flight
• The Wine Fountain!
• Taking the time to think
• The culture shock of Paris
• Getting homesick
• Ketchup!!
• Comparing thru hikes in America to the Camino
• Hiking Vs a pilgrimage
• Appreciating home more
• Stepping outside her comfort zone
• Heading over to New Zealand in October…
• Homemade Wanderlust Youtube Channel
• Reaching Santiago!
• Heading to “the end of the world!”
• Heading off to Italy after the walk
• Quick Fire Questions
• Final words of advice 

Zahra Rose, a brand ambassador for Sports Shoes and The North Face, and has achieved incredible feats such as trekking to Everest, Broad Peak, and K2 Base camps, as well as summiting Mt. Kilimanjaro, the highest mountain in Africa. 

In addition to her love for adventure, Zahra is an active member of the Muslim Hikers Community and uses her social media platform to promote representation of Muslim women in outdoor activities. 

Zahra is a strong advocate for breaking down stereotypes of the "Hijabi woman" and inspiring the next generation to pursue their dreams.

New episodes of the Tough Girl Podcast go live every Tuesday at 7am UK time - Subscribe so you don’t miss out. 

Support the mission to increase the amount of female role models in the media. Visit www.patreon.com/toughgirlpodcast Thank you.

Show notes

• Who is Zahra Rose
• Being raised in Hastings, South England
• Having 2 younger sisters 
• Feeling out of place
• Struggling to make friends locally
• Seeing people who looked like her for the first time
• Moving to London to study fashion design
• Feeling confident and knowing herself well
• Being inspired by her father who was a runner
• Getting involved in sports
• Wearing the headscarf at 14
• Feeling the need to change her personality
• Feeling confident and self assured
• Representing her faith and feeling a sense of responsibly 
• Starting travelling after university 
• Why travelling is an important part of life
• Getting into hiking at 14
• Her first charity trip to Snowdon
• The struggle of climbing her first mountain 
• Wanting to encourage other muslim women to get outdoors
• Creating a vision board every year
• Connecting with Haroon Mota from Muslin Hikers 
• Planning to go to Everest Base Camp, Nepal 
• Training and preparation for the trip
• The importance of training your mind
• Starting her day with yoga
• The power of acceptance 
• Checking in with yourself on a regular basis
• Spending time in Nepal
• The challenges on the hike to base camp
• Dealing with the adventure blues
• Planning the next challenge/adventure 
• Needing something to look forward to
• Climbing Kilimanjaro - the highest mountain in Africa
• Summit night
• Praying while on adventure
• Heading to Broad Peak and K2 Base Camps
• The final push to get to base camp
• Being supported and encouraged at the the tough moments
• Being a member o fMuslim Hikers - Inspiring Muslims to get OUTDOORS. 
• How to connect with Zahra Rose
• Final words of advice to motivate and inspire other women and girls to get active and spend more time in the outdoors
• Why nothing is beyond your limits
• Her plans to reach 40 countries 

Social Media

Instagram: @ZahraRosea

Muslim Hikers - Inspiring Muslims to get OUTDOORS. 

Website: muslimhikers.com

Instagram: @Muslim.Hikers 

• Who is Miriam
• Born and raised in Connecticut 
• Starting to get into running after a break-up
• 2005 - running her first 50 mile Ultra Marathon
• Getting hooked on ultra running
• Why she loves running
• Plotting her next ultra
• Turning 63 years young
• Being a writer and a blogger in 2017
• Writing for the Huffington Post and working on her memoir 
• Being her husbands cancer care giver 
• Learning more about her childhood and early years
• Not being athletic as a child 
• Being the tallest girl in the class
• Using running to reduce stress
• Running 9 marathons but finding that there were too many people
• Placing 3rd in her first 24hr race
• Running a 3 mile loop around a lake in Massachusetts
• Dealing with some health challenges
• Having a hysterectomy in 2012
• Dealing with complications post surgery
• Allowing her body time to heal
• Going back to her first ultra
• Running an ultra of gratitude
• Mental resilience while running
• Using running to heal her body
• Feeling blessed to be running
• Why she knows she is never running alone
• Feeling god’s presence 
• Running with purpose 
• Coming in dead last in her 2nd ultra and why it was joyful 
• Focusing on track ultras
• Making running work for her and John
• Celebrating her 60th birthday by running 60 miles on a 1 mile loop
• Dedicating a run to John and his surgeons 
• Running for others and wanting to raise funds for Cancer Care Givers
• Ultra Care for Cancer Care Givers 
• Training for her 30th ultra track race
• 99 laps to go!
• Pacing while running on a track 
• Running speed to reach 100 miles 
• How her running speed has changed over the years
• Starting off fast on track races
• What can happened during track ultra races
• Dealing with variables that you can’t control
• Not wanting to risk any injury
• Fuelling and nutrition while running ultra races
• Having a vanilla milkshake at 50 miles 
• The power of ginger and how it helps with feelings of nausea 
• Dealing with sleep deprivation at mile 60/70
• Starting to do strength training and going indoor climbing
• Not doing anything differently for rest and recovery
• Sleep is overrated!!!!
• Waking up automatically at 7am 
• Going to bed at 1am/2am 
• Her love of reading and writing book reviews for her website blog
• Having over 1,300 books in her home 
• How you can connect with Miriam
• How she got the name UltraMiriam
• Final words of advice to get you into ultra running
• Why you should work your way up and build up endurance
• Why you shouldn’t compare yourself to other runners

In this inspiring episode of the Tough Girl Podcast, we meet Naomi Rumble, a passionate triathlete, dedicated swimming coach, and advocate for breaking down barriers in sport. By day, Naomi works as a senior market researcher in London, but outside of her 9-to-5, she’s fully immersed in the world of swimming, cycling, and running.

While sport has always been a part of Naomi’s life—from childhood swimming lessons and taekwondo to dabbling in netball, boxing, and archery—her relationship with consistent training truly solidified during the COVID-19 pandemic. What started as a challenge to cycle from London to Brighton evolved into a love for endurance sports and, eventually, the bold decision to pursue triathlons.

Naomi shares her journey of overcoming self-doubt, learning to embrace running despite initial resistance, and finding strength through community and connection. As the first sponsored triathlete for Fund Her Tri UK, she’s not only pushing her own boundaries but also paving the way for others to step into the world of triathlons with confidence.

From cold-water swims and marathon struggles to managing self-talk and celebrating small wins, Naomi’s story is a testament to perseverance, courage, and the power of showing up for yourself.

Tune in as Naomi opens up about her experiences, shares invaluable lessons learned along the way, and offers advice to anyone looking to start their own sporting journey. This episode is packed with inspiration, honesty, and actionable takeaways—you won’t want to miss it!

***

Catch the latest episodes of the Tough Girl Podcast, dropping every Tuesday at 7 am UK time! Don’t forget to subscribe so you won’t miss the inspiring journeys and incredible stories of tough women.

 Want to play a part in uplifting female representation in the media? Support the Tough Girl Podcast on Patreon! Your generosity helps shine a spotlight on female role models in the world of adventure and physical challenges. Join us in making a positive impact by visiting www.patreon.com/toughgirlpodcast.

Thank you for your amazing support!

***

Show notes

• Who is Naomi
• Working in market research as a 9-5 job
• Supporting running and cycling clubs
• Teaching swimming twice a week
• Growing up in London as a city girl
• Being in sports from a young age
• Starting swimming at age 4 
• Doing taekwondo until 10 years old
• Trying to figure out what she likes; netball, basketball, shot-put, discus, boxing, archery, scouts.
• Never being fully consistent with sports all the way through 
• Being willing to try new things and wanting to have new challenges
• Role models and the women who have inspired her
• Leaving university and starting work and how sport drifted off
• Not liking running
• How things changed during covid
• Cycling from London to Brighton
• Getting involved in sport in a more regular way 
• How her view expanded on what’s possible
• Having the confidence and self belief to sign up to new challenges
• Being inspired to sing up for a Triathlon 
• Women of Colour Cycling Collective
• Meeting Bianca Fernandez-Clark @biancatriathlon
• Fund Her Tri UK 
• Becoming the first sponsored triathlete for Fund Her Trip UK
• Working towards a full distance triathlon 
• How training took a toll on her body 
• Needing to rest more and eat more protein 
• The discipline needed to do the training 
• The importance of discipline and dedication 
• Cold water swimming/open water swimming
• Not liking the cold
• What happens when things fall apart and everything goes wrong
• Needing to stop in the water and just breathe
• Concerns and fears before taking up triathlon 
• Not being a runner and not liking running 
• Not calling herself a runner and finding running difficult
• Not being a fast runner
• Struggling with the breathing and overheating
• Jeffing (run/walk/run)
• Running the London marathon and what the experience was like
• How new opportunities can change your thinking 
• Wanting to do an ironman 
• Persevering though the tough moments 
• Changing her tactics
• What her self talk looks like
• Managing negative thoughts
• The power of reflecting back
• Being her own worst critic
• Learning to celebrate the small wins 
• Goals for 2025
• Team Outlaw 
• Fitting in exercise and training 
• Turning training into social events
• How to connect with Naomi 
• Final words of advice
• Find your group and your community 
• Don’t be afraid to ask for help
• Figure out what works best for you.

Social Media

Instagram @nay.aminah 

• Who is Hazel
• Being based in Italy at the moment
• Her aims and goals 
• Spreading her joy for life - one splash of colour at a time!
• Wanting to move her body and to follow her passions
• Being a creative explorer
• Where her passion for art and adventure came from
• Getting her creative side from her mum
• Getting her adventurous side from her dad
• Doing all the dance classes from a young age
• Her teenage years - and the pressure to get a normal job
• Loving art at school
• Wanting to learn about fashion design
• Joining the Officer Training Core OTC
• Following both of her passions
• The next step in her career
• Deciding to do a Masters course at Kingston University 
• Working with brides and helping them to feel comfortable in their bodies
• Wanting more adventure and booking a one way ticket to Australia 
• The different pathways and journeys that can be taken
• Spending time in Australia!
• Loving to travel and spending time in Canada and Italy
• What does Adventure mean to Hazel
• The why and the how of challenge
• The power of taking small steps
• Don’t compare yourself to how other people have done it
• Living a nomadic lifestyle 
• Taking advantage of the travel opportunities that become available
• Getting to know a new place 
• Her love for walking and exploring
• Peaks of the Balkans
• Working as a trip manger in Italy 
• Taking on new challenges every few years
• Dealing with the heat
• Why Nocciola? What it means
• Being a full time artist…
• Tips for being more creative
• Curiosity and amazement 
• The Tough Girl Mural and how it came about 
• Follow Hazel on line 
• Future plans for 2022
• Top tips and advice to motivate and inspire you

Helene is based in Las Vegas, Nevada and she has an incredible story to share. 

She’s always asking herself what more can she do, to inspire and motivate nurses to become better ambassadors for health and fitness.

During this podcast we discuss:

• After surviving cancer, numerous brain surgeries, chemotherapy and radiation, at age 50 she wrote her first book - Nurses In Shape. To promote the book, she decided to take it on the road.
• In 2010 - She become a transcontinental runner and decided to run across the southern states of America. It took her just 93 days to cover the 2,520 miles from Ocean Beach, California to Atlantic Beach, Florida.
• She was the first person to run this route during the summer. Averaging about 25 to 30 miles each and every day. 
• Helene provides advice about how she got through the tough days when she was out running on the highways alone and why it was important for her to get into the zone.
• Her inspiration to keep on going and to keep others going.
• How she coped with the heat, tips for running in extreme weather and what a typical day was like for her.
• Continuing her journey around the continental United States and dealing with her own personal challenge from the loss of her bother, to being diagnosed with T-Cell Lymphoma.
• Why she has to just, “keep on going” and why you can always be an example to someone else.
• What she learned from body building about nutrition and how its helped her to become a better runner. 
• Her top 3 health tips! 

Helene is out there on the forefront of promoting health and is inspiring others to make a change to their lives. One mile, one state and one person at a time. Her motto is to INSPIRE, MOTIVATE & CHALLENGE.

Visit www.toughgirlchallenges.com for more information! Enjoy xx

Katie-Jane is a British adventure girl living in the French Alps. She’s addicted to type 2 fun, powered by sugar and sunshine, and a lover of marzipan! Katie is mostly known for her organisation and planning skills (a queen of lists and highlighters), and her unwavering belief that anything is possible, whilst bringing a touch of pink and girly glamour to adventure.

Katie in her own words…

“My friends often refer to me as slightly crazy! But don’t be fooled… I’m not very brave, nor an adrenaline junkie or a daredevil, I’m just a normal girl, that through adventure is perpetually learning that ordinary people can do extraordinary things if they just can be bold enough to begin. When I am not busy at my desk designing websites for clients, or organising expeditions, you might find me looking out of my tent on a mountain summit, snuggled deep in my sleeping bag, drinking a cuppa, watching the sun creep up over the mountains at dawn.

I have a passion for exploring this wonderful world in which we live. Having visited over 50 countries on 5 continents so far, I still feel there’s so much more to explore. I have often found that stripped of comforts and faced with hardships and adversities, the completion of each journey becomes so much more rewarding. My life goals are to fill my day’s with wonderful adventures, making memories, seeing new places, meeting new faces, doing things that are difficult, and scaring myself a little, so that nothing feels familiar & therefore everyday becomes extraordinary.”

Show notes

• Who is Katie
• Living in the French Alps
• Living a life of adventure for over 15 years
• Having a passion for suffering
• Getting addicted to challenges
• How her recent challenge came about
• Deciding to do the Iceland Traverse
• Doing adventure for adventures sake
• Have a tight budget and wanting to go somewhere wild and remote
• Enjoying the adventure!
• Sponsorship and raising money
• The planning and preparation
• Planning too much?
• Figuring out water and river crossings
• Taking ski googles while hiking in summer!
• Preparing for the dust storms
• 2 months of planning for 2 weeks hiking
• North to South or South to North - does it matter?!
• Money and costs
• Being super relaxed at the start of the challenge
• Having to start again!
• Starting on tarmac
• Navigation in Iceland
• Dealing with the wind and rain
• Not feeling lonely and enjoying her own company 
• Daily routines
• Solar charger was it worth it?
• What Katie learned from the whole experience 
• Doing her Mountain Leader Qualification - training course
• Final words of advice for women who want to go on their own solo adventure 

Social Media

Website: www.katiejaneendurance.com

Instagram: @katielherpiniere 

Facebook: @katiesenduranceadventures  

• Who is Katie
• Why she raises money for clear drinking water
• Helping over 25,000 people
• The importance of service and giving back
• Studying environmental science
• Growing up around the Great Lakes
• Getting into swimming at young age
• Where her love of adventure comes from
• Keeping up with her 2 older brothers
• Role models
• Doing her first marathon at 18
• Wanting to do an ironman
• Not being competitive at school and doing the easiest gym class possible
• Setting a target to run 1 mile
• Joining the Coastguard in 2018
• Why running ultras is one of the toughest challenges
• Finding her limit….
• Doing endurance for fun
• Strategy for the 138 mile run across Maine
• Race your own race and be in tune with your body
• Fuelling her body during endurance challenges
• Getting her calories in via liquids
• Using Tailwind Nutrition 
• Taking a supplement called Sports Legs 
• Needing to get enough sodium in
• You’re going to hurt
• The mental challenges during the race
• Hating the first 5 miles
• Why it gets easier the longer you go
• Feeling best at 50/60 miles
• Getting into a flow state and moving on autopilot
• Needing to block out the pain
• Not wanting to do permanent damage
• Pain that is an injury and pain which is muscle fatigue
• Dealing with an Edema (swelling of the hands and/or feet)
• Rhabdo (Rhabdomyolysis) - Myoglobin is released from the muscles when they break down and is excreted into the urine. This can cause a red or cola colour of the urine.
• Book: Just Keep Rowing: Lessons from the Atlantic Ocean by the Youngest Person to Row It Alone  
• Being a different person after the Atlantic Row
• Having a strong enough why - you can figure out the how
• Dealing with setbacks and the low moments
• When the easy option is to quit
• Not wanting to live a lifetime of regret
• Finals words of advice and why it’s ok to feel afraid
• Why fears are welcomed

Anna was a 30-something accountant who dreamed of cycling, hiking and paddling her way around the world, she decided to start with her own country, Australia. But weighing in at 130kgs (285lbs), she’s would say herself that she’s not exactly the poster child for human-powered travel.

During the podcast we talk to Anna about her 3 different challenges, a 1,100-kilometre (700-mile) solo, self-supported cycle tour of the south west of Western Australia, a 1,000-kilometre (600-mile) solo thru-hike of the Bibbulmun Track in Western Australia, and a 3,100-kilometre (1,000 -mile) solo, self-supported cycle tour through the Northern Territory.

After these practice run throughs, Anna end up in Melbourne, which is where she has been ever since. 

Due to a series of mistakes and bad decisions her life takes a turn and not in the direction she wants to go. Anna ends up being a 40 something single women, who is now living below the poverty line, with no family to rely on and no way out, she end up being homeless and going dumpster diving for food and survival. 

Anna shares more about how she views adventure and why she is still living her most adventurous life.

Show notes

• Living 3 lifetimes in one
• Planning to travel around the world
• Life and living in Perth, Australia
• Hating being sat behind a desk
• Trying to figure out what she wanted to do
• Loving to travel….
• Wanting to make a change to her life
• Not knowing what planning is….
• 3 separate trips - “AWOL” (Away With Out Leave)
• Deciding to get a recumbent bike/trike
• What family and friends though
• What the first day was like
• Almost stopping before she started
• “It’s too hard, it’s too scary”
• Meeting road angels
• Grey Nomads
• Getting on the road for the first time
• Knowing she had made the right decision and was on the right track
• Not believing she would ever make it to the end
• Dealing with her biggest challenge - Hills
• Daily routine while out cycling
• 8 weeks on the road and doing her trip her whole way
• The negative voices in her head
• Her weight
• How completing her first challenge impacted on her self confidence
• Changing her next challenge to a hike
• Starting to work with a personal trainer
• The challenges of hiking
• “I’m not doing that”
• What kept her going when she wanted to quit
• Positive or negative? How she changed her mindset.
• Training or practice trips….
• The 3rd AWOL - Getting the train up to Darwin and cycling from Darwin to Porthedland (3100Km / 2000 miles)
• Dealing with remoteness and why the challenge wasn’t easier
• Things just kind of workout…
• Ending up homeless in Melbourne and dumpster diving for food
• What adventure means now
• Having an interesting life even though she isn’t travelling
• Dealing with stress? 
• Not being desperate to leave 
• Advice for other women who may be in a challenging situation

Social Media

Website - http://www.fatchickgoesawol.com

Facebook @fatchickgoesawol  

• Who is Jenny?
• Growing up in Slough
• Being a journalist and an author
• Writing her 4th book - Everything Harder Than Everyone Else
• Being interested in the mental side of endurance 
• Her starting point for the book
• The link between addiction and endurance racing
• Asking the question - how far can I push myself
• Pushing your body to the extreme
• The anticipation of entering a race and the anticipation of getting a drug to get high
• Getting a sense of validation from other people
• Why balance is over rated?
• Having obsessions from childhood
• How her obsessions changed when she got into her teens and early twenties
• Finding kickboxing, and training 5x a week
• Finding a positive obsession
• Starting to research the book 
• Finding people who would trust her
• Why am I doing this thing - which puts a lot of pressure on my body?
• Super elite athletes and their link to past suffering in childhood 
• The Dark Side of Top Level Sport: An Autobiographic Study of Depressive Experiences in Elite Sport Performers 
• Suffering as an adult athlete and being able to push through the pain
• Why certain sports attract certain personalities 
• The rise of women taking up strength sports
• The feeling of POWER and women wanting to take up physical space
• Social Media Project - #YouLookLikeAMan 
• Her journey in kickboxing
• Taking on her first amateur fight
• What it was like being in the ring….
• The fear of getting back into the ring
• Wanting to be a threat in the ring
• The ability to suffer
• Learning How to Suffer with the Queen of Pain: My Conversation With OCR Super-athlete Amelia Boone
• Over exercising and using sport as a way to sanction diet and what you consume
• The Recovery I needed - By Amelia Boone 
• Book: Women of Substance: A Journey Into Drugs, Alcohol and Treatment 
• Self care?
• Knowing your Why 
• The next book!

• Who is Tasha
• Living in London
• Being a runner for 23 years
• Doing her first race in 1999
• Growing up with an older sister in there early 80s
• Spending time in the outdoors
• Being a runner at school and being encouraged to join the athletics team
• Running 800m and 1500m
• What happened after leaving school
• Her early 20s and not being active
• Exercising 3x a week?
• Wanting to lead an active lifestyle
• Loving the treadmill
• Going running outside for the first time and why she loved it
• Doing her first 5k and why it helped to change her life
• Being encouraged to sign up for her first race
• Being a runner and identifying as such
• How running makes her feel
• Her running journey 
• Being inspired by the London Marathon
• Doing the London Marathon in 2000 and raising money for charity 
• How it felt finishing the race
• Doing the Paris Marathon in 2004
• The women who have inspired Tasha 
• Being inspired by Paula Radcliffe
• How you entered the London Marathon before it being online
• Being inspired by everyday women
• Making running work for her 
• Fitting running into her life and having to be creative with her time
• Choosing to run at 5am
• Training for a half marathon in April 
• Founding Black Girls Do Run UK in 2019
• Her goals for Black Girl Do Run UK and how it has grown over the years
• Keeping the community together during Covid
• How running has changed over the past 23 years
• Representation in magazines and in races
• Advice for new runners
• Why the most important thing is that your moving
• Losing your running mojo
• Training herself to run without music
• Using Strava
• Connect with Tasha and Black Girls Do Run UK
• Final words of advice and wisdom
• Start small and be consistent

Ali, at 50 years young, is a dedicated mother, wife, and part-time Civil Servant from South Wales. With a lifelong passion for sport and adventure, Ali transitioned from competitive athletics to human-powered challenges after knee injuries redirected her path.

To mark her milestone 50th birthday, Ali embarked on a deeply personal adventure: hiking across the island of Malta, the place where she took her very first steps as a toddler. While not her longest or most physically demanding challenge, this journey proved to be one of her most meaningful.

In this episode, Ali reflects on her evolving identity as an adventurer, the struggles of balancing motherhood, work, and the pull for personal time in nature. Her story is one of resilience, purpose, and finding space for adventure amidst life’s many demands.

***

 Don't miss out on the latest episodes of the Tough Girl Podcast, released every Tuesday at 7am UK time! Be sure to hit the subscribe button to stay updated on the incredible journeys and stories of strong women.

 By supporting the Tough Girl Podcast on Patreon, you can make a difference in increasing the representation of female role models in the media, particularly in the world of adventure and physical challenges. Your contribution helps empower and inspire others. Visit www.patreon.com/toughgirlpodcast to be a part of this important movement. 

Thank you for your invaluable support!

***

Show notes

• Who is Ali 
• 50 years old
• Living in South Wales with her wife Amy and her son Ollie
• Farm- life and working in the civil service 
• How life has changed since we last spoke in 2016
• Speaking with Ali in 2016 - Sport Psychology Coach who rode a bike 767 miles from South Wales to Chamonix! 
• Riding her bike from South Wales to Chamonix 
• Going on more mini adventures
• Knowing each other for 10 years 
• Seeing each other over the years 
• National Outdoor Expo 
• Being older mums
• Getting married
• Celebrating their 10 year anniversary 
• Fitting adventure and sport into life now
• Deciding to have a child
• The process of adaptation 
• Peri menopause and menopause
• What her 40s were like 
• A new chapter 
• Celebrating turning 50 and what it was like
• Thinking up new ideas and challenges
• Wanting it to be meaningful and significant
• The connection to Malta 
• Planning to walk across the island 
• Deciding to apply for the Tim Moss Adventure Grant - “The Next Challenge” 
• Have a go, you never know!
• No adventures is too small
• Being granted £150 for the cost of the challenge
• Telling her wife Amy about the challenge
• Is is practically possible? How can we make it work?
• Balancing the family dynamics
• The logistics for the hike and training for the hike
• Being in the worst shape of her life
• Figuring out the accommodation as she went
• Dealing with the heat and humidity in Malta during August!
• When the doubt started to creep in 
• Mentally getting in the zone and being ready to start confident
• Being sensible in the heat
• Planning her own route on google maps
• Starting on the most easterly point
• Having time to herself to reflect and look back on life and plan for the future 
• The lessons learned from the walk 
• Figuring out the balance between solo time and family time
• Dealing with feelings of guilt and “mum guilt”
• Looking towards the next decade
• Penrhys Pilgrimage Way  
• Glamping pods on the farm
• Living Life Differently Podcast
• Getting into a new routine
• We need more women sharing their stories!!
• Celebrating the end of the challenge and how it compares to other challenges done previously 
• Why it felt so meaningful
• Don’t compare your challenge to anyone else and what they are doing
• How to connect with Ali on the socials
• Advice and top tips to motivate and inspire you 
• Linking ability and belief together 
• Build your belief 
• Build your confidence 
• Unlock the power of belief 

Social Media

Facebook: www.facebook.com/themahojos

Instagram: @themahojos

YouTube: @TheMahoJos 

 

Listen to Part 3 Now!

2nd April 2017

Listen to Part 4 Now!

28th May 2017

Rachel Wise

• From the slowtravelfamily.com

• Being in St Lucia in the Caribbean 

• Leaving Switzerland on the 2nd August

• The run up to getting on the road

• Dealing with bad news and being in limbo

• Saying goodbye to everyone

• Deciding what to do and figuring out what was best for everyone

• Heading to America for a road trip!

• Wild camping

• Why things started to change once they got to Utah

• Catching up with friends and homeschooling the girls

• How the girls are adjusting to life on the road

• How Rachel is finding it all…

• Being together all of the time

• Holiday or lifestyle?

• Money!

• Spending time with the family

• The main learning so far

• The plans for the next few months

• What a typical day is like

• Meeting people 

• Shout out to the blog!

• The website - slowtravelfamily.com

You can read about Rachel’s family’s adventures at slowtravelfamily.com!

 

Rae Read

• Due date in 2 weeks! 

• Being pregnant over the summer!

• Exercising while pregnant?

• Loving walking!

• Getting a puppy!

• 7 minute HIIT training

•  Mental health?

• Disconnecting emotionally with the pregnancy

• Pregnancy depression 

• This is how I feel

•  Speaking to Matt about it all

• Making new friends

• Dealing with loneliness

• Are you sure that’s of for the baby?

• The pressure

• What she has learnt over the past few months?

• The plan over the coming weeks

• Blogging about her experience @ www.howdoesshedoitsite.wordpress.com

 

Laura Try

• What a difference a couple of months can make

• Needing to raise the final £2,000 

• Making a video and sharing it on Facebook

• 16 hours to go!!

• Leaving the marina

• What’s going through her mind?

• Relax your mind

• The first few days…

• Being on the water for 56 days…

• Feeling uncomfortable at the start 

• A typical day.. starting from midnight

• Rowing for 2 hours on, 2 hours off every day

• The biggest challenge she had to face

• The day from hell

• Keeping a video diary

• What she enjoyed most?

• Why it was the best thing she has ever done

• Reality….

• Why it was the people who made the challenge so incredible

• Laughing herself to happiness

• Getting off the boat

• What’s changed since the challenge?

• Depression

• Being Real - Laura is back

• Raising money for Centre Point

• Training to row across the Atlantic!

• Follow Laura on her social media channels @LTFactor 

Connect with Laura - Facebook, twitter, Youtube, and visit her website

 

Jen Dyxhoorn

• Running an ultra marathon in June

• Eventful and challenging few months

• Being humbled by the experience & why it was also a confidence boost

• The self talk… while running by herself

• The moments that stood out for her…. awful & amusing!

• Having a low key summer in preparation for LEJOG

• Getting to the start!

• Wild camping during the trip-the pro’s and the con’s

• Getting use to cycling the distances everyday

• What she learned on the way and the changes that needed to be made

• Having nothing left in the tank

• Cycling with her sister

• Comparisons is the thief of joy

• The Adventure Race!

• Everyday magic goals!

• Balance in her life?

• Getting back into her London life

You can follow Jen’s adventures at lovelyoutliers.com, or on Twitter @jendykxhoorn and Instagram @lovelyoutlier

Follow her Sister - Karen Dykxhoorn  on Instagram @hopefulgoat & twitter @hopefulgoat 

Jo Jo Rogers

• Catching up with Jo Jo

• The summer months spend working at a running camp

• Running with the children and having her training take a back seat

• Inspiring the girls who are new to running

• Coach - I want to get better, I want to become a better runner

• Tips and tricks for women who want to get into running

• Getting the shoes right!

• Recovering from injury

• Running a night time 50K in 102 degrees!

• Coming in 1st female!

• Dealing with bugs!!

• Update on goals

• Running the fastest 50K for women over 50 in the USA

• Focusing on core work

• The December race and why she’ll be giving it everything she’s got!

• Speed work!

• Meeting Jo Jo at the end of the Appalachian Trail

• Not knowing my tail name!

• Coming down the trail….

• Crying on the trail!!

• Let’s just go!

• THANK YOU JO JO!!! Food & goodies!!

• Road trip to Boston

• Eating!

• 9th December!

• Why it is not about the goal 

 

Georgie Akin-Smith

• Being on the quest to complete 12 challenges in 12 months

• What she’s been up to;100k cycle ride with a friend, doing a Tough Mudder with her family, running a half marathon

• Making June into a recovery month and taking a few weeks off

• Changing her challenges and trying to still fit in work, friends and pay for them

• The pressure we put on ourselves

• Enjoying it more because the pressure was off

• Cycling 100 K with a friend and why it was a confidence boost

• Hot shower & tea!

• The family Tough Mudder challenge!

• Would she do it again?!

• Why you should give it ago!

• Marathon training…

• Working with a coach….

• How she is feeling mentally about the marathon which is coming up

• 18 mile long run!

• Still enjoying herself?

• Future challenges to finish off the year

• Running or cycling?

• How is the blogging going?

• Having structure and focus during the year and why she’s liked it

Georgie is blogging about her challenges at www.gwhodares.com 

 

Gemma Smith

• Everything and nothing has been happening!

• Forcing herself to leave work on time and saying no

• Wanting to do more training and more exercise 

• Dealing with housemate issues

• Understanding where her limits are by walking on the Thames Stone Path

• The climbing academy experience - what it was like

• Focus on high altitude medicine

• Gamal Bag

• Flying out to the Alps for 2 weeks

• 9 days with a guide

• Horrific weather….

• Why there is no guarantee

• Money

• The unknown factors in adventures

• Getting through the disappointment

• Stepping stones and working towards bigger long term goals

• What she did with the guide

• £6k - £10K 

• Plans for the coming months…

• Working on her climbing grade - 6A - 6A+

• Doing pull ups on rings

• Follow along on her blog - https://gemlaurensmith.com

Gemma is on Instagram @GemLaurenSmith & also on Twitter @GemlaurenSmith

 

Future Episode

Part 6 - 31st December

 

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Parys is an age group athlete, who has won the World Championships at both the Olympic and 70.3 distances, along with European, British and English National titles. At the age of 38 she decided to turn her passion for triathlon into her profession. Parys is originally from Zimbabwe before she moved over to the UK 14 years ago. 

Show notes

• Parys introduces herself and shares more of her life growing up in Africa
• Being a professional hockey player, and the frustration about never quite making it to the national team
• Handling that frustration and what she learned on the way
• Why she decided to give triathlon a try! Even though she could hardly swim, and hadn’t ridden a bike since she was a child

“Thriving on overcoming the pain and digging deep”

• How she has improved her swimming and why its a labour of love. Parys also provides top tips to help you improve your swimming.
• Borrowing a bike and a trisuit for her first race and what she remembers from the experience
• Making the decision to turn professional and why she decided to go for it
• Grey zone training and why you need to avoid it
• The benefits of getting a professional coach involved
• The mental strategies she’s uses to help her cope with the pressure of racing at a professional level
• Being on the start line and how she channels her thoughts 
• How she deals with challenges while she’s out racing.

“Power, Love & Self-discipline”

• Why she wants to be tough - Why she wants to be the egg & not the potato!
• How to cope with injury and getting back to full fitness and why you need to focus on what you can do, and not what you can’t
• Advice for women who want to get into triathlon and why you need to break it down and not be afraid of it
• The bucket list races she wants to do
• Top tips for racing in hot conditions
• The role models who have inspired her throughout her life

Check out her website and blog here - www.parysedwards.com

Parys is on twitter at @parysedwardstri I’m also on twitter @_TOUGH_GIRL

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Yorkshire Rows is a team of four working mums who dared to dream. They are the first women to row across the North Sea and holders of the Guinness World record for rowing 3,000 nautical miles across the Atlantic Ocean during the world’s toughest rowing race.

I’m joined by Niki Doeg and Janette Benaddi, two members of Yorkshire Rows. They share their story about life-changing adventure, witnessing the beauty of the elements, and discovering who you really are.

With corporate and medical backgrounds, spouses and children at home, these women committed to an adventure. They challenged themselves to prepare the finances, take the exams, and train themselves to row across the ocean.

Show Notes

• How Janette and Niki began their careers and got interested in adventure
• Meeting at a rowing club and becoming good friends
• Deciding to embark on a challenge and getting family support
• What their children had to say about their adventure
• Being very passionate in order to accomplish a dream
• Racing finances, learning about the ocean and taking exams
• Supporting charities through their challenge
• What it cost to row across the ocean
• How long it took Yorkshire Rows to execute their idea
• Transporting the 30 ft long boat
• Preparing for the launch date
• Recognising the danger of being out on the ocean
• What it was like for Jeanette being the skipper
• Dealing with the pressures of the row
• Mentally preparing for the challenge
• Getting annoyed with each other and dealing with it
• What a typical day looked like during their row
• Being bored, experiencing highs, and missing family
• Finding comfort in the middle of the ocean
• What it was like seeing land in the distance at the finish
• Shouldering responsibility during the row
• Celebrating their amazing crossing
• Learning to be more relaxed about life and not be so cautious
• What’s next for Niki and Janette
• Coming out with a book about friendship and adventure
• Last words of inspiration and not making excuses

Social Media

Connect with Yorkshire Rows at www.yorkshirerows.com/ and YorkshireRows@outlook.com

Feeling inspired week after week? 

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Rachel is a 44 year old, Special Needs PE Teacher who loves sports and has represented Team GB at Triathlon. This is her story of how she knew something was wrong with her, but no one would listen. Eventually she stopped talking about it. She was then diagnosed with a brain tumour in 2014. During the podcast we talk about how she handled the news, and how she coped with her diagnoses. What kept her positive through the challenges she faced, from emergency operations, to only being able to sit up in bed for five minutes at a time. Rachel has fought her way back to health and fitness and inspired many along the way with her story. 

Show notes

• Where her love of sport came from and why a teacher inspired her at 11 years old to become a PE teacher
• Quitting hockey and changing over to football
• The changes she has seen in girls sports and why it’s changed so much over the years
• Why she decided to leave football and try a new sport at 40 years old
• Wanting to make the GB Triathlon Team
• Her first triathlon, on a borrowed bike!
• Her first Ironman, where she trained herself and just did what she thought should be doing
• What you need to do to qualify for Team GB 
• Racing in Budapest & coming 9th in her first World Championships!
• How her lifestyle changed going forward
• Where her determination and focus comes from
• Starting to have dream like episodes and having issues with her eyes
• Being told she had a brain tumour and how she handled it
• How quickly things moved forward
• Why her surgeon encouraged her to exercise
• How she remained positive during the diagnosis
• How she came to start writing her book and why writing gave her relief
• Having the first operation
• Getting out in time for Christmas
• Needing to go in for an emergency operation
• Why she needed to ask the hard questions
• How she got herself out of the darkness
• Why she looked at her recovery like training
• Having to start again 
• What she’s learned most from the whole experience
• Heading off to Geneva 7 months later and making the most of the event
• Getting a Gluiness World Record! Running the London Marathon in a Hippo Costume!
• Raising money for Brain Tumour Support
• Why she named her book - The Butterfly Within

Learn more about what the Brain Tumour Support charity does by visiting their website.

Rachel is also on Twitter @TheRachelBown

Thank you for listening to the Tough Girl Podcast - Make sure to subscribe and check out the website for more info www.toughgirlchallenges.com 

• Growing up in a big family
• Living by the sea
• Spending a lot of time in the outdoors
• Not being allowed to swim in the sea
• Why the sea was taboo
• Black people not being able to swim
• Growing up in a close community 
• Not being academic
• Not knowing what to do with her life
• Being bullied at school
• Going to college and learning English
• Being send to South Africa to study in 1997
• Moving to Manchester, England with her partner
• Deciding to move to the Lake District
• Suffering with deep depression
• Ensuring her daughters could swim
• Being taught by her girls
• Being scared to go in the deep end at the swimming pool
• Wanting to jump in!
• All you have to do is blow bubbles
• Wanting to go and swim in the lake
• Going through a tough time in 2018
• Deciding to go swimming in winter!
• Thinking she was going to die
• Finding peace in the lake
• Being part of a friendly and supportive community
• Advice for women who want to get into outdoor swimming
• Wanting to inspire other Black women to get into swimming
• Not getting hung up on hair
• Her journey of self care and self love
• Putting herself first
• What she does to make herself feel better
• The benefits of swimming
• Encouraging other women to love themselves
• Sharing a happy memory - going Ice swimming
• Her role model in swimming
• The power of a hello
• Coping during Covid
• Meeting awesome women swimming 
• Meeting Eden - The Transgender Swimmer & Rhiane from Black Girls Hike
• Let’s do a Swim meet!
• Final words of advice to encourage other women to get into swimming 
• Top tip - "Once you are in, it’s a Win”

Hélène  has just come back to the UK after 18 months adventuring in her VW camper-van travelling with her bikes, and finding the best places to triathlon train in Europe!

In 2016 Hélène represented Great Britain at Age Group level for the European ironman and half ironman championships in Poland and Austria, in 2017, it was Ironman Austria, where she qualified for the Ironman World Championships in Kona, Hawaii!

Show notes

• Deciding to go on an adventure
• Heading to Europe to do triathlon
• Her introduction into road cycling and swimming
• Her first triathlon in 2004
• How her love for triathlon evolved
• Getting to explore the countryside
• Joining a running club to make it more social
• Where are all the women?
• Why you don’t have to be amazing at it all
• Working and training and trying to get the balance in your life
• Deciding to do an Ironman…. with 3 months to train for it
• Dealing with anxiety and fear before a race and why self confidence is so important
• Being on the start line for Ironman Wales
• Learning to not worry about the things you can’t control
• When the gun goes off & the mass entry of 2,000 people into the water!
• The hills on the bike and why you need to pace yourself
• Being Celiac and how it impacts on her nutrition and training
• #VanLife
• Buying her van in a car auction… (Victor the van!)
• Planning and organised and why you don’t need to play your life to have an amazing time!
• Being a female solo traveller
• Leaving just before Brexit! July 2016
• Expectations verses reality
• Getting through the tough days
• Racing triathlon in Poland
• Qualifying for the Ironman World Championships in Kona!
• 3 months…. training… and why it wasn’t all plain sailing…
• Learning to control her emotions
• Why the only person who is putting pressure on you is you
• The training plan
• Heading over to Hawaii! Feeling serene on the day
• The aggressive start in the swim
• Transition… and dealing with the wind
• The mental side of triathlon
• Plans for 2018
• Advice for women and girls and why it wasn’t an easy decision to make
• Being Selfish and why you should go for it!

Social Media

Twitter - @WhereWheelsGo  

Instagram - @WhereWheelsGo  

Blog  - https://wherethewheelsgo.wordpress.com

Elin Haf Davies got into sports later on in life. When she moved to London, she started with rugby, and for 9 years her life was all work and rugby, until she got dropped by the rugby team and divorced. All of this happened at the same time and massively impacted on her confidence and took her to a dark place. 

She decided she had to move on and change her life and this is when her love of challenges and adventures started.

During this podcast we discuss:

• Her Inspiration - “Rowing it Alone” by Deborah Veal
• Rowing across the Atlantic in a pair
• Raising funds for Metabolic Research
• How she approached the preparation for the Atlantic row
• Not getting on at school but going back to academia to get her degree, masters and PHD. 
• Learnings from the Marathon Des Sables where she failed to finish
• Rowing across the Indian Ocean in the first female crew
• What life was like rowing every day - sleep deprivation, rowing in shifts, the drive and motivation
• Why you row naked!
• Mental preparation before and during the race. - “Were the mind goes, the body follows”
• How to deal with negative thoughts and turn them to your advantage - “Don’t let other people kill your dreams.”
• The challenges she faced rowing the Indian Ocean 
• Why she decided to sail the Pacific instead of rowing across
• How she first started in sailing at 32
• Tips for working in a male dominated environment
• Advice for getting into sailing 
• Becoming a 2 handed sailor
• Women and getting sponsorship 
• Role models for women

If you’ve enjoyed this episode then please send Elin a tweet @ElinHafDavies. I’m also on twitter @_TOUGH_GIRL. 

Thanks so much for listening! New episodes are coming out every Tuesday at 7 am - #ToughGirlTuesday. Don’t forget to subscribe and leave a review!

It’s October and the Rugby World Cup has kicked off in the UK and I thought this would be a fantastic opportunity to talk all about rugby, with a former England player and Captain.

Catherine Spencer loves rugby, and always has, she was born into a rugby playing family and she started playing with her twin brother when she was just eight years old. She was one of the only girls playing on the team, but that did not stop her, she loved the game and she found out she was pretty good at it! 

One of the great things about podcasts is you can hear the passion in peoples voices when they talk about something they love. In her own words, “Rugby is the best game in the world”. I was so inspired listening to Catherine, it’s made me want to go and give it a go and see what it’s all about!

Rugby is a physical full on contact sport which generally women haven’t been involved in. It was not offered when I was at school and it was something that girls just didn’t do. But this attitude has been shifting especially over the past five, to ten years. More and more women are coming to love rugby and I wanted to understand how and why this change came about.

In this podcast we get to hear one women rugby journey from playing mixed rugby with the boys to leading the England Team out on the field at Twickenham.  We discuss teamwork, leadership, going after what you want, dealing with failure, and how you can come back from utter defeat and be stronger than before.

After retiring from rugby, Catherine started her own business which is about inspiring women! She has also partnered up with Endure to lead a team on a 150km unsupported trek across the Namib desert to the Skeleton Coast. The aim of this expedition is to raise awareness and help stop the illegal trade of wild animals in partnership with the David Shepherd Wildlife Foundation.

Catherine is on twitter @CathSpence8 I’m also on twitter @_TOUGH_GIRL please do send us a tweet once you’ve listened to this podcast episode. Don’t forget to subscribe and I would love for you to leave a review and share the podcast with your friends and family. 

Let’s spread the motivation and inspiration! 

New Tough Girl episodes are published every Tuesday morning at 7am.

Have a fantastic week and I’ll be with you all next Tuesday with Robyn Baldwin an Alpha Female, MS Warrior & OCR lover!

Sarah

• Who is Lungi
• Lungi’s passions and interests
• What life was like growing up
• Her dreams of travelling 
• Her passion for climate change and where it came from 
• Making a difference in the fight against climate change
• Having a fear of open seas
• What would you do if you weren't’ afraid
• Getting into sailing
• Loving the water
• Making her dream come true
• Having a full time job and trying to fit in sailing
• Being inspired by female sailors
• Finding her tribe in sailing
• Her BIG dream for sailing
• Getting her qualification in sailing
• Being involved in her local community
• Plastic pollution in the seas
• Making a career change from working in banking
• Becoming a full time sailor
• Wanting to sail around the world solo
• Training at the UK Sailing Academy
• Doing a fast track program to get her Yacht Master Qualification
• The next steps & applying for crewing positions
• Having trails with the Clipper Round the World Yacht Race
• Working towards her next goal
• Funding her current lifestyle
• Thoughts and lessons on sustainable living
• The biggest challenge faced over the past few years
• Role models in sailing 
• Being inspired by Tracy Edwards
• Advice for girls and women who want to get into sailing
• TedX - The Beauty of the Unknown
• Quick Fire Questions

Follow Beth on Social Media

• Website - http://bethfrench.co.uk
• Twitter - @bethsbigswim  https://twitter.com/bethsbigswim
• Instagram - @bethfrenchlives  https://www.instagram.com/bethfrenchlives/
• Facebook  @bethfrenchlives https://www.facebook.com/bethfrenchlives/ 

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If you have questions about me, the podcast, what I’m doing… then please check out my website

https://www.toughgirlchallenges.com/

If you want to do more to help increase the amount of female role models in the media, please, subscribe to the podcast in iTunes, so you won’t miss a single episode. If you’re loving the podcast, please leave a 5-star review and share the podcast with your friends, to spread the #ToughGirlPodcast love. 

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If you have questions regarding the Marathon des Sables - Please read  - Tough Girl Sahara Challenge 

http://amzn.to/2mwP0hd 

If you have questions regarding climbing Kilimanjaro - Please read - Kilimanjaro Tips for The Top

http://amzn.to/2mPfKFO

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Mina is a 36 year old Primary School teacher who discovered the beauty of long-distance running in her late 20's. She would say she’s very ordinary and just someone who has a love of long distance running and spending time outdoors. 

She hopes by sharing the different challenges and adventures she has, that it might in some way inspire you to take that step to actually do the things you really want to in your life. She believes that just by telling people the things you want to do it will start to make them more of a reality. 

So say out loud what you want to do with your life and see what happens! 

Mina is not a sponsored athlete, she doesn’t win the races she enters, she is a normal woman who has followed her passions!

Show notes

• Based in Wellington in NZ
• Being someone who loves being outdoors and loves running
• Not being a runner & being un-sporty
• Why it all changed in her mid - 20’s
• Her first Half Marathon…& how she got into long distance running
• What if she could do the Marathon des Sables?
• 3 years to train.. the pressure?
• Training in her final year.. including an ironman!
• Becoming obsessed with her plan!
• Training with her partner and by herself
• Managing her nutrition and food
• Her highlight from the MDS..
• Why did you start? What are your reasons?
• Taking it to the next level and deciding to run the full length of a country!
• What if….
• Getting to the start line on the 16th November 2014
• 77 days on the trail!
• Getting past the first 7 days and why day 8 she hit a low..
• What’s going on in her head while she’s out on the trail..
• Key moments on the trail
• Dealing with the rivers…
• The final day, the final 65K & reaching Bluff
• What happened after the run?
• Deciding to live on a boat!
• Deciding on her next challenge!
• Wanting to see more of Great Britain
• Planning the GB run
• Expectations verses reality
• What’s she learnt from doing these challenges
• Advice for other women
• Future plans and ambitions
• Emilia Lahti - https://www.emilialahti.com/ 
• Sisu Not Silence - https://www.emilialahti.com 
• What her role will be as a supporter of the challenge
• Family Violence - #ItsNotOk
• How to keep updated with Mina and her challenges - http://minaholder.com/index.html

• Being called Person Irresponsible (PI)
• What life was like before the mid-life crises
• Getting married and getting divorced
• How her home drinking increased and how it took over her life
• Turning 41 and failing at dry January and dry February 
• Having a bigger problem than she wanted to admit to
• Joining Alcoholics Anonymous
• Following the 12 step program
• Learning more about herself
• Why it’s never too late to make changes
• Applying for a permit for the Pacific Crest Trail 
• Taking life more as it comes
• Being inspired by the film - “Wild”
• Getting obsessed with the Pacific Crest Trail (PCT)
• 6 months to plan and prepare
• Funding the challenge
• March 17th….
• Learning to deal with her anxiety 
• Learning to not worry about the future
• The ethics behind the decision to walk the PCT during the pandemic
• Trail angels and life on the trail
• The first mile on the PCT
• When the doubts crept in
• What it was like spending time alone in nature 
• Learning how to switch off her thoughts
• Attending online AA meetings while on the trail
• Making connections on the trail and waking with other people
• Wanting to write a book about the journey 
• Carrying a laptop on the trail!!!
• Magical moments from the trail
• Losing a close friend
• Wanting to quit every single day
• Not knowing how she would finish the final 500 miles
• The simple joy of a hot bath
• Putting the book together
• Connect with PI and how to buy the book
• Final words of advice for women going through a mid-life crisis

We first spoke with Laura in December 2017 when she shared more about solo kayaking in Russia, cycling the Wild Atlantic Way and circumnavigating 3 of the Channel Islands in an extreme triathlon! Laura has gone on to complete, The North Sea Cycle route (Eurovelo 12) which is the world's longest signposted cycle route. Over two and a half months, Laura cycled through 8 countries and covered a distance of over 6,000km. She named this challenge the #GreatNorthRide.

Laura is a full time adventurer and motivational speaker, she has now written and published her first book - Kairos - 

“ Kairos: The right or opportune moment (the supreme moment); a time lapse, a moment of indeterminate time in which everything happens. The perfect, delicate, crucial moment; the fleeting rightness of time and place that creates the opportune atmosphere for action, words, or movement.”

During this podcast, I’m super excited to catch up with Laura as she share more about, Kairos, the #GreatNorthRide, the challenges of getting over injury, as well as more info about her day to day life, Laura also answers quick fire questions from what time she gets up in the morning to her favourite piece of kit. 

Laura will leave you inspired to take on your own personal challenge! Take a listen now! 

Show notes

• Writing her first book!
• The definition of Kairos
• Writing the book and going back to 2012
• The Great North Ride (which hugs the coasts of the North Sea)
• From Scotland to Norway - 8,countries, 3000 miles
• Where the idea came from and why she was wanting a bigger challenge
• Getting really excited about the challenge!
• How does she start planning
• Being a big planner and why it is was so important to have a rough route schedule
• The spreadsheet life!
• Co-ordinating community rides and reaching out to schools
• Logistics and why she set the dates and meeting places
• Planning to be away for 2.5 months having one rest day a week
• Dealing with tough terrain and a heat wave
• Needing more rest on longer challenges
• Dealing with loneliness in Europe in the final 6 weeks
• Her mental habits that helped her 
• Why the UK was the perfect way to start the challenge
• Day to day life on the road
• Why routines on the road were so important
• Budgeting, money and how much it cost
• Starting in the Shetland Islands
• Getting to the start line
• What the NC500 (warm up ride)
• Dealing with injury and failure
• Coming back from injury 
• Frustration and being kind to yourself
• What she does before and after cycling 
• The power of a lacrosse ball
• Eating pineapple
• The sites on the way
• Being tacked again…
• Getting to the end of the trip
• How she felt after the challenge
• Having nothing to prove anymore 
• Getting to be ok with failure 
• Heading back home and coming back to reality
• Starting to write her book and needing the story to be right
• Having to say no to a lot of things
• Perfectionism and why perfect is not the end goal
• Day to day life as an adventurer
• Enjoying her life and getting to inspire the younger generation
• Quick Fire Questions
• Final words of advice and top tips

In today’s episode, we dive into the inspiring journey of Jessica Holmes—writer, author, and motivational speaker—who left a career as a major crimes investigator to pursue her passion for adventure and a more fulfilling, eco-friendly lifestyle. 

Jessica’s love for travel goes back years, from backpacking across continents to embracing van life. But along the way, she became mindful of the environmental toll of constant travel and decided to find a more sustainable approach. That’s when she discovered housesitting—a way to explore the world at a slower pace, caring for homes and pets as she goes.

Jessica now travels the globe as a digital nomad, sharing her experiences and insights with those dreaming of a life outside the ordinary. 

Tune in to hear about her fascinating career shift, her commitment to mindful travel, and her advice on creating a life of adventure on your own terms. 

This is an episode for anyone who dreams of living fully, sustainably, and on their own path!

Catch the latest episodes of the Tough Girl Podcast, dropping every Tuesday at 7 am UK time! Don’t forget to subscribe so you won’t miss the inspiring journeys and incredible stories of tough women.

 Want to play a part in uplifting female representation in the media? Support the Tough Girl Podcast on Patreon! Your generosity helps shine a spotlight on female role models in the world of adventure and physical challenges. Join us in making a positive impact by visiting www.patreon.com/toughgirlpodcast.

 Thank you for your amazing support!

Show notes

• Who is Jessica
• Jessica’s current lifestyle as a full-time house sitter and writer
• The inspiration behind her book, The Housesitter's Guide to the Galaxy
• How her childhood on a farm shaped her love for the outdoors and animals
• Meeting her husband in her teens, who had a strong wanderlust, which influenced her to start traveling
• The role her teenage friendship (and eventual relationship) with her husband played in igniting her wanderlust
• Jessica’s early belief in a conventional life path and how it shifted over time
• Her university experience and how it transitioned into two years of backpacking
• Highlights from her travels, including the Trans-Siberian Railway, Trans-Mongolian Railway, and volunteering in China
• The challenges and joys of long-term travel, including bouts of food poisoning and cultural immersion
• The adjustment period of returning home after extensive travel
• How Jessica and her husband initially settled into traditional jobs but later questioned their lifestyle
• The impact of the pandemic in reigniting their passion for adventure and reshaping their future plans
• How they used maps and guidebooks during the pandemic to dream and plan their next moves
• The practicalities and challenges of transitioning to a digital nomad lifestyle
• How house sitting has become a cornerstone of their sustainable, low-cost travel approach
• The financial strategies that make their nomadic life possible, including frugal living and house-sitting exchanges
• Jessica’s husband’s transition to a fully remote accounting job and its role in their journey
• The emotional and logistical difficulties Jessica faced in leaving her career in police investigations
• Her resourcefulness in exploring digital nomad job options despite not feeling qualified initially
• The sense of purpose and freedom that fuels Jessica and her husband’s adventures
• Encouragement for others to take the first step toward a lifestyle they’re passionate about
• How Jessica handles accidental damages while house sitting
• The importance of open communication with homeowners
• Jessica’s memorable experience with a dog chewing her laptop
• The balance between honesty and homeowners’ leniency in house-sitting mishaps
• Why Jessica doesn’t feel compelled to snoop while house sitting
• How Jessica and her partner have adjusted to working and living in other people’s homes
• The routines that help Jessica and her partner balance house sitting with their careers
• Jessica’s approach to selecting house sits and prioritising space and comfort
• How Jessica manages anxiety while pursuing an adventurous lifestyle
• Practical tips Jessica uses to identify and manage anxiety triggers
• How journaling and therapy have helped Jessica cope with anxiety
• The role of support from loved ones in managing mental health
• Jessica’s advice for embracing adventure despite anxiety
• An overview of Jessica’s blog and podcast, including their focus on house sitting and slow travel.
• How Jessica integrates themes from her book into her podcast series
• Insights into sustainable travel and reducing environmental impact as a digital nomad
• Jessica’s focus on minimising flights and using alternative travel methods
• Why slow travel and longer stays are key to Jessica’s sustainable lifestyle
• How Jessica evaluates the environmental impact of homeowners’ travel plans
• Final words of advice

Social Media

Instagram @hitchedhikingandhousesitting

Blog www.hitchedandhiking.com

Book: “The Housesitter's Guide to the Galaxy: A Guide to Housesittng and Achieving Sustainable, Eco-Friendly Travel” on Amazon/Waterstones online

• Running a health and wellbeing business
• Working with women and older adults
• Running a Youtube Channel 
• Being the eldest of 9 children
• Being a role model and encouraging others to get involved in sports
• Wanting to work in health and wellness
• Growing up active
• Hating school and academics
• Deciding what to do next 
• Her role models when growing up 
• Wanting to be a personal trainer and be self employed
• Developing her business plan 
• Trying new things and failing
• Dealing with personal challenges at university
• July 2018 finding her niche in health and wellbeing
• Moving to Kent
• £50 p/h —->> £8 p/h
• Building the business up
• Needing to cover running costs
• Taking a part time job
• Dealing with the stresses of making a difficult decision
• Dealing with Covid-19
• Moving the business online 
• The reality of being self employed during 2020
• Figuring out new technology
• Movement is medicine
• Helping patients
• Wanting to encourage more people to exercise 
• Helping people to move more
• Talking to your friends and family
• The power of group exercise 
• Dealing with the problems of social isolation 
• Starting a new project for virtual services for older adults
• Why movement is about  having fun 
• 50 challenges in 2020
• Final words of advice to motivate and inspire you

Mara had a massive year of big challenges in 2018, from training for her first triathlon and Ironman UK. She then  ticked off completing a multi-stage ultra marathon off her bucket list by taking part in the Wadi Rum Ultra marathon in 2018.  The race was held in the desert in Jordan, and involved running just over 250km in five days! 

During the podcast Mara shares more about her triathlon training, how she bought all the gear she needed with a budget of £1000! Mara then goes into more detail about her biggest challenge to date - The Speed Project which she did in March 2019, involving a 340 mile (550K) relay race from the Santa Monica Pier in Los Angeles all the way out to Las Vegas. There are no rules and the only aim is to run from LA to Vegas as fast as possible! This is a jam packed episode filled with motivation and top tips!

Show notes

• Her aim is to encourage women and women of colour to step outside their comfort zone
• The speed project
• What life was like growing up
• Being sporty and giving everything ago from Irish Dancing to horse riding
• Playing netball for her school team
• Hating PE lessons 
• Having a phobia of deep water and doing everything she could to avoid the water
• Dealing with bullying 
• Being more academic 
• Starting to get balance between sport and being academic
• Getting into running and doing 4 Marathons
• Wanting to do something exciting but not sure what she wanted to do
• Doing an Ironman? Did she want to do this?
• Deciding to do a marathon and experience a new city at the same time
• Wanting to encourage more women to do marathons
• Having a supportive family 
• The barriers to doing an Ironman (no bike, limited money)
• Why the distances inspired her 
• Wanting to conquer her water phobia
• Her first step after signing up 
• Buying her first bike for triathlon
• Doing all of her research before hand
• Getting a triathlon coach
• Building confidence in the water and how she got passed her phobia
• Having a budget of £1,000 for her triathlon 
• How the event went and why is was tough going
• Starting to think about the next challenge!!
• Not wanting to get the post ironman blues
• The London Duathlon
• The mental side of challenges
• Wadi Run Adventure with Team Like a Girl
• #DefyExpectationsTogether
• Dealing with the heat
• How she helped to prevent injury
• How the team worked together
• The Speed Project - the race, the challenge and dealing with the lack of sleep
• Training for a middle distance triathlon and thinking big for 2020!
• Advice and tips for other women to step outside their comfort zone
• Who inspired Mara
• Quick Fire Questions

Social Media

Website - www.thefitlondoner.com 

Instagram - @mara.thefitlondoner  

Twitter - @thefitlondoner 

Facebook - @thefitlondoner

• UK Athletics-Certified Trail & Fell Running Coach
• PhD Biogeochemistry, MPhil Chemistry BSc (Hons) Biochemistry
• Mountain Running World Cup Winner 2019
• Italian Mountain Running & Vertical Kilometre Champion 2020
• Top ten - World/European Mountain Running Championships - 2012, 2013, 2015, 2018
• Winner, Snowdon International Mountain Race 2014, 2015, 2019
• European Cross Country Championships Team Gold 2012
• Irish Cross-Country Champion 2014
• 5k PB 15:46 / 10k PB 33:33

• Being based out of the Lake District usually
• Woking as a running coach
• Living in a camper van in Spain
• Welcoming the sunshine
• Doing van life for the past 5 years
• Heading to the Alps and Ireland
• Growing up and her early years
• Racing short races from 6 years old
• Moving to America and having the American high school experience 
• Moving back to the UK at 21
• Being on the girls track team
• Going to college/university to study biochemistry and joining the running team in her final year of Michigan State University 
• Training with the university team and learning how to become a better runner
• Her ambitions with running 
• What happened after leaving university  
• Not seeing a future in running and focusing on getting a job in the UK
• Doing a Masters at Sheffield University, UK
• Winning her first race in 5 years
• Key races and her love of the Italian mountain races 
• How running makes her feel 
• Loving the simplicity of running 
• Getting into cycling 
• What is mountain running and how it’s different from ultra running 
• Climbing at a 30% gradient
• Running uphill? Running or power walking?
• Why walking is encouraged
• Not fully trusting her ankles 
• Magical moments in races that really stands out
• Training and working with a running coach - Robbie Simpson 
• Example of a training session for the Yorkshire 3 Peaks Race 
• Dealing with injury
• Rest and recovery 
• Mental side of running and Sarah’s top tips and advice 
• Writing down goals….
• The Dream Race — Jungfrau Marathon 2022
• Taking the van to Switzerland
• Having 3 passports!
• The early start of van life and how it progressed
• A day in the life of Sarah
• Nutrition and fueling being a vegetarian and focusing on protein at every meal
• Working with a running coach
• Being supported by Inov-8 and working as an ambassador
• Connect with Sarah online 
• Final words of advice and wisdom for women who want to get into running
• How having the right gear can help with confidence in the mountains 

• Who is Annijke
• Starting mountain biking in 2019
• Learning how to live as a full time wheelchair user
• Returning to sport and mountain biking
• What Annijke was like as little girl 
• Starting ballet at 3 years old
• Having a keen interest for the arts
• Starting to interact with the natural world
• Being exposed to the outdoors through her Girl Scouts Troop 
• Being adopted at 2 months old 
• Going to college and taking a step back from dance 
• Wanting to try new things in the outdoors
• Studying environmental studies with a concentration on political science 
• Getting into mountain biking 
• Moving to Santa Fe, New Mexico
• Buying her first bike - DiamondBack HardTail 
• Being intimidated by other mountain bikers
• Falling in love with the sport and why she loves it
• Enjoying the community and being supported
• Riding a BowHead Reach Bike - full suspension, all-electric off-road adaptive trike that has two wheels in front, and one in back
• 2022 - Getting back to sport and why it’s been so fulfilling 
• The incredible amount of support through her community
• Being a sponsored Athlete - with PEARL iZUMi 
• High Fives Foundation
• Kootenay Adaptive Sport Association  Adaptive Mountain Biking advocacy, trails, programming and rentals in British Columbia and beyond. 
• Bike Instructor Certification Program (BICP) 
• What does advocacy look like in this space
• Being intentional about what she does 
• “I want to be on an adaptive mountain bike and this is what I want my life to look like”
• Going after a Para FKT on the White Rim Trail in Oct 2022 
• Josie Fouts - Mad scientist on a mission to single-handedly save the world with cycling! IG: @ms.stubbornness 
• National Abilities Centre
• Outride Foundation 
• 100 mile desert ride in Canyonlands, National Park, Moab, Utah.
• Trying not to get too attached to the outcome
• Dealing with mechanical issues 
• Broadening the conversation about access and opportunity in the outdoors
• Tread Setters is a film project that highlights 5 para-cyclists riding the White Rim Trail while balancing the mental, emotional and social aspects of advocacy.
• Is the White Rim Trail Accessible? Why it’s yes and no.
• Needing people to support her due to the nature of the trail and the remoteness 
• Why being outdoors might look a little bit different
• Wanting to become an Adaptive Mountain Biking Coach - (BICP)
• Adaptive Level 1 Fundamental Skills Instructor
• Wanting to share mountain biking with others and create a welcoming environment
• Plans for 2023
• Sea Otter Classic Mountain Biking Race, Monterey, California, USA
• Connect with Annijke 
• Where does her Instagram handle come from
• What is a Geospatial Professional?
• Final words of advice and wisdom

In 1982 at age 22 Elspeth set off on a solo motorbike trip around the world. The journey took her 2.5 years and she covered a distance of 48,000 miles taking in the sites of North America, Australasia, Asia & Europe. 

This was all done in the age before mobile phones and internet. During her travels Elspeth rode through post-revolutionary Iran during the war with Iraq. She survived life threatening illnesses and numerous accidents. She witnessed civil uprisings that delayed her journey and forced her to fake documents to cross brokers.

This is one hell of a story not to be missed!

Show notes

• How would Elspeth introduce herself
• Understanding more about her childhood
• Being encouraged to explore and push the boundaries
• Going to boarding school at a young age and being expelled at 16
• How she found her love of motorcycles
• Buying her first bike and understanding the travel potential of having a motorbike
• Doing what she wanted to do
• Going on a 10 week trip with her brother, riding across America
• What she feels when she rides her bike and why she loves it
• Finding out in 2006 that she was the first woman to ride around the world
• Having a painful breakup, feeling lost and needing a distraction
• Working in a pub to save £2,500 for her round the world trip
• Feeling nervous and not having a clue what she was doing
• The challenge of the unknown and why she liked it
• What her friends were saying when she told people about her trip
• The fears she had to deal with before she left
• Highlights from America and why she loved New Orleans
• Flying to Hawaii and then on to New Zealand hitchhiking around the North & South Island
• Arriving in Sydney with $50 in her pocket
• Having nothing to fall back on and having to rely on herself
• Her trip around Australia and heading over to Asia
• Feeling separate from other travellers and never feeling like she belonged
• Going for weeks without speaking English
• Being followed and started at while travelling around India
• Crossing the borders into Iran and Pakistan
• Getting Hepatitis 
• Coping with the stress of daily travel and the, not knowing what was going to happen next
• Being ready to head home and the reality of getting back to London
• What happened with Robert after they came back to the UK
• Why you should just go on that trip and do that challenge

Feeling inspired week after week? 

You can do 3 easy things to help me continue to grow the podcast!

1. Subscribe to the podcast in iTunes, so you won’t miss a single episode
2. If you’re loving the podcast, please leave a 5-star review on iTunes! I read every single comment!
3. Share the podcast with your friends, especially if you think it could help them, and spread the #ToughGirlPodcast love. 

Your support helps me continue to grow the podcast and do inspiring things in this space! Already done all 3? You’re a rockstar! Thank you!

Want to do more?

Please become a Patron and donate a small fixed amount every month to help fund the runnings costs. 

• About Selene
• Early family life
• Loving to ride her bike everywhere
• Not having female role models growing up
• Leaving high school and going to college and not playing sport
• Studying and partying
• Getting into publishing and writing
• Being surrounded by incredible people
• Transition into an Ironman
• 16 weeks to Ironman….
• Hiring a swim coach & an ironman coach…
• “The year I did everything right”
• Not loving competition
• Being goal orientated and liking challenges
• Dealing with set backs
• Being single minded
• Balancing family, marriage, and training
• 2015 - starting to race independently 
• Moving into gravel racing 
• Mental resilience and focus
• Being a co-author on the book ROAR
• Meeting Dr. Stacey Sims
• Tracking periods
• What a typical week looks like now
• Doing weights and yoga
• Diet and nutrition 
• Life as an author and writing books about cycling and bikes
• Racing with Rebecca Rush in Brazil
• Dealing with frustrations via communication 
• Quick Fire Questions

Guin was introduced to rowing by her sister at 19 whilst at Southampton University. In her early years Guin excelled in a variety of school sports, playing county hockey and athletics.

During this podcast we learn more about the set backs that Guin faced trying to follower her dream, from being told she would never make it as a rower, to being so broke she was sleeping on changing room floors.

This is a story of courage and conviction and how by work hard, using everything you have you can achieve your goals.

Guin provides lots of top tips to help you face your own challenges, and also shares more knowledge on how you can take up rowing and maybe one day row an ocean!

Show notes

• When she started rowing
• Loving sport at school and how she learnt the rules of life through sport
• Rowing in the novice pot and taking 3 years to win it
• What she loved about rowing
• Growing up in West Africa and going to boarding school when she was 9
• Being expelled from school at 11
• Deciding she wanted to go to the Olympics
• Making the GB Team
• Having to work hard at her technique
• Not making the team and being told she was too small and that she would never be an international rower
• Being ranked 8th in the world in the single scull
• 5’7 tall
• Having no money and not being able to afford to go to her first World Championships
• Sleeping on floors and trying to cut her outgoings
• How she get’s over disappointment
• Her first World Championships rowing in the single scull
• The challenges she has faced throughout her international rowing career
• Dealing with injury before the 2000 Olympics
• The 2000 Olympics, the challenges, the race, the day, the experience
• Having to change the crew 5 weeks before the race
• Being coached by Mike Spracklen
• Having a race off for the last place in the boat
• Team makers & Drivers
• Dealing with the pressure when the world is watching you
• Being able to turn on the raw emotion at the right time
• 4 cms…..
• What it was like afterwards
• Getting back into rowing and stroked the women 8 at the World Championships
• Struggling with overtraining
• Deciding to retire from rowing at 34
• Deciding to row the English Channel
• Waiting 4 months for the right weather to row the channel
• The start of her expedition career
• Not letting people erode your belief
• Surround yourself with people who believe in you 
• The Youth Sport Trust 
• Turning the BIG 50!
• Her rowing plan for the summer - Outrigger Canoeing…
• Advice if you want to get into rowing 

Social Media

Twitter @guinbatten

Feeling inspired week after week? 

You can do 3 easy things to help me continue to grow the podcast!

1. Subscribe to the podcast in iTunes, so you won’t miss a single episode
2. If you’re loving the podcast, please leave a 5-star review on iTunes! I read every single comment!
3. Share the podcast with your friends, especially if you think it could help them, and spread the #ToughGirlPodcast love. 

Your support helps me continue to grow the podcast and do inspiring things in this space! Already done all 3? You’re a rockstar! Thank you!

Want to do more?

Please become a Patron and donate a small fixed amount every month to help fund the runnings costs. 

• Who is Omie
• Her work and love for swimming
• Getting into swimming from a young age
• Her love for teaching people
• Not being able to join a swim club
• Swimming competitively for her school
• Role models who inspired Omie growing up
• What she wanted to be 
• Being academic at school
• Talking with non swimmers
• Teaching people how to swim
• Wanting to make people feel as comfortable as possible
• The joy of swimming
• Loving outdoor swimming
• Swimming in London
• The support of the outdoor swimming community
• The stress of swimming in pools
• Advice and tips for outdoor swimming
• Go with experienced people when it’s your first time
• Why you need to be prepared
• Working for the Black Swim Association
• Working on a research project with the University of Portsmouth regarding Bone Density
• Engaging with community leaders across the UK
• Mental Health Swims and being a swim host
• Working with Patagonia in 2021 on the Outsiders Project
• What’s changed in swimming over the past few years
• Plans for 2022 and wanting to go with the flow a bit more
• Managing her mental health and putting herself first
• Needing to talk about other stuff apart from swimming
• Enjoying reading and writing 
• Needing a creative outlet
• Connect with Omie on the socials 
• Final words of advice
• The power of community 
• Being surrounded by people who are proud of you and support you

After many years of adventure Carly found work as a Tour Leader in the Middle East for a couple of years and Syria became her home, immersing herself in to the community and culture she lived in Aleppo, Syria until March 2012.

Adventure, solitude, nature, and love for the deserts draw her back to the Middle East again and again. Gaining further knowledge and experience she worked as a freelance guide and led horse riding tours in Jordan and Georgia, and hiking and adventure tours in Sudan, Pakistan, Algeria, Oman, aswell as guiding in the ‘No go’ areas of Southern Iraq and finally back into Syria.

Over 10 years experience as a Tour Leader in the Middle East she is Qualified HEFAT (Hostile Environment Awareness Training) and Wilderness First Aid trained, an experienced horse rider and Paraglide licence holder.

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Don't miss out on the latest episodes of the Tough Girl Podcast, released every Tuesday at 7am UK time! Be sure to hit the subscribe button to stay updated on the incredible journeys and stories of strong women.

 By supporting the Tough Girl Podcast on Patreon, you can make a difference in increasing the representation of female role models in the media, particularly in the world of adventure and physical challenges. Your contribution helps empower and inspire others. Visit www.patreon.com/toughgirlpodcast to be a part of this important movement. 

Thank you for your invaluable support!

***

Show notes

• Who is Carly
• Living a unique lifestyle
• Working as a freelance guide in the Middle East and Central Asia
• Wanting to simplify her life so that she can live it
• Her love for adventure and travel
• Moving every 2 years due to her dad being in the Army
• Turning 18 
• Deciding not to go down the university route and wanting to travel instead
• Feeling liberating 
• Being a scared child
• Deciding to face her fears 
• Going on lots of solo adventures and being inspired to do even more
• Figuring it out as she went travelling around the world
• Facing the fear by doing it
• Changing in a shared dorm
• 42 years young!
• Wanting to explore the world and keep on travelling
• Henry David Thoreau quote
• Age 27 and having another pivotal trip in Namibia 
• Being inspired by other people living as guides
• Working as a tour leader in the middle east
• Living on the brink of the unknown
• Wanting to experience and feel communities 
• Going with her feelings
• Falling in love with the middle east
• Knowing there was more than her 9 to 5 life
• Living in Syria before the conflict (2010) 
• Why it’s all about the people 
• Making friends and building a community 
• Working as a tour leader
• Living in different communities in Canada, Switzerland and Florida 
• Why time is more important than money 
• Her love for running in the mountains, sleeping in a bivvy bag
• Wanting to live a life, where she is able to do all the things that are really important to her
• Learning how to paraglide
• Saying yes to lots of things
• Living a frugal life
• Riding horses and taking a horse riding tour to Mongolia 
• Women and safety while travelling in the middle east
• The importance of having respect
• Setting up downtoearthtravel.co.uk with Kara Cheshire
• Can you travel too much?
• Feeling travel burnout 
• When travel lost its purpose 
• Advice for women who want to make a change
• Letting go of attachments
• Starting to doubt her life choices during covid
• Training to run around Mount Blanc
• The covid years 
• Having a routine and taking a big rest from the world
• Feeling scared and anxious before travelling again 
• Getting older and dealing with the future
• Building a tiny home in an orchard
• Doing mini adventures and finding the sweet spot
• Guiding in Mongolia 
• Getting serious with her running and building up time on feet
• Ultimate Direction - Fast Packing Pack 
• Advice for women who want to be more adventurous and travel more
• How plans can change and evolve and why you don’t need to have it all figured out before you start.

Social Media

Website: www.downtoearthtravel.co.uk 

Instagram: @carly_fillis 

• Who is Kelda
• Being based in Shropshire 
• Her 4 legged family
• Her early years and her passions for sports 
• Playing netball at a national level
• Her dream of wanting to ride at the Olympics
• Hanging around the local stables
• Getting her first horse at 16
• The riders who inspired her
• Being in an accident with her horse
• Dealing with the trauma after the accident
• The start of her resilience journey at 21
• Losing her confidence and going back to riding too soon
• Moving away from horse and going travelling to Australia 
• Getting into eventing and gaining her confidence
• The accident that changed her life completely
• Trying to be the person she was before the injury
• Feeling like a failure
• Learning acceptance 
• Deciding to climb Kilimanjaro and why that was the start of her recovery
• Not being able to get the mental health support that was needed
• Table legs…. 
• Video resources to help with resilience
• Being dumped…
• Lessons from climbing Kilimanjaro
• Needing to change her attitude and focus more on what she could do
• Deciding to retrain as an outdoor instructor
• Figuring out how to get sport back in her life
• Aiming for the para-olympics for 2016 
• Meeting Martin Hewitt - Adaptive Grand Slam 
• “It’s not about saying I can’t, it’s about saying how can I”
• How can I make it possible to climb Aconcagua?
• Figuring out the how
• Advice for people who are feeling like a failure
• The importance of being honest with yourself
• Being brave enough to try
• Being judged by people and why it doesn’t matter
• Deciding to solo row the Atlantic
• Finding peace on the mountain
• Fundraising for Climbing Out and wanting to raise £50K
• Advice regarding sponsorship
• Being super clear on her WHY
• 3 questions about the row
• The challenge of the solitude while out on the row
• The challenges of 2020/2021
• Being diagnosed with cancer and having a single mastectomy
• Wanting to get back to normal and feel like herself again
• Getting back into exercise and following a routine again
• Why you have to try
• Training for 4 triathlons in 2022
• Challenging the belief that she had that she couldn’t run
• Swimming after a mastectomy
• Doing an half Ironman in June 2022
• Connect with Kelda
• Final words of advice - Keep Moving

Maggie was always in trouble before she found rugby at age 14. During this podcast we learn more about Maggie, her rugby career and how playing rugby gave her a new found confidence and changed the direction of her life.

Maggie retired in 2014 after winning the Rugby World Cup, before that she’d represented her country an impressive 74 times! Scored 28 tries, and helped England win a record breaking 7 consecutive Six Nations crowns. Maggie is an ambassador for the “Spirit of Rugby” program as well as being a regular commentator on live rugby matches for Sky Sports & the BBC.  

Shownotes

-An update on what’s been happening in women rugby over in Rio

-Why Maggie is visiting my home town….Liverpool as an ambassador for Spirit of Rugby

-How Maggie first got into rugby and what’s it like being in the field and dealing with the big tackles

-How rugby impacted on her confidence at a young age 

-Why having someone believe in her made all the difference in her rugby career

-The importance of having visible role models in the media and how they inspired her 

-Setting her first BIG goal at 14 to play rugby for England

-Wearing the England shirt and playing on the international stage for the first time and how she approached that challenge

-Dealing with pressure and why you treat pressure as a privilege 

-How to keep a winning mindset going

-Dealing with failure and the process they had to go through to come out on the other side even stronger

-Having the difficult conversations in order to improve the team

-Winning the BBC - Sports Personality Team of the Year

-Why Maggie is known as “Maggie the Machine”!

-What Maggie has learnt from playing rugby and why she decided to retire after the World Cup in 2014

-Trying out athletics and wanting to make it to Rio

-How women’s rugby has changed over the years and why you should give rugby a go!!

Maggie is on twitter @MaggieAlphonsi  I’m also on twitter @_TOUGH_GIRL

A massive thank you to everyone who has become a patron! You too can support the Tough Girl Podcast from $2 to $5 per month!  CLICK HERE!

Future Events!

12th - 14th August - Adventure Travel Film Festival, London

20th August - Tough Girl Tribe Trip to Snowdonia

27th - 31st August - Emma & Sarah - Hadrian's Wall Adventure!

1st - 4th September - Base Camp Festival, Peak District

Take a listen to these related podcast episodes…

• Catherine Spencer - Former England Women’s Rugby Union player & Captain
• Lois Pryce (Adventure Travel Film Festival)
• Belinda Kirk (Base Camp Festival)
• Sarah Outen (One of the speakers at Base Camp Festival)
• Emma Timmis (My running companion for Hadrian's’ Wall)

Don’t forget to subscribe so you never miss an episode!

Fiona Oakes is a British marathon runner, who holds three world records for marathon running. In 2013, she won both the Antarctic Ice Marathon and the North Pole Marathon. She runs despite losing a knee cap from an illness when she was 17.

At 48, she holds three world records, including becoming the fastest woman to run seven marathons in seven continents, plus the north pole, with an aggregate time of 31 hours 11 mins and 53 secs.

Show notes

• Why Fiona describes herself as an animal advocate
• Going vegetarian at 3 years old in the 1970s
• Becoming vegan at 6 years old and her passion for animals
• Becoming an advocate for animals and needing a platform to speak out
• Where the running came from
• Working in London and coming from a cycling background
• Starting to jog to keep fit
• Not having a knee cap!!
• Considering herself as an amateur runner (even though running a 2.38 marathon!)
• Working out everything for herself
• Having determination and grit, but no talent…
• Deciding to go after ultras such as Marathon des Sables
• Running in pain
• The London marathon and training for it - and why you have to be brave to run a marathon
• Fitting training into her life - getting up at 3.30 am
• Her running routine to run a 2.38 marathon
• The magic for moving up a level in running - SPEED WORK!!
• Signing on to be available for the fire service
• Diet and why it is not a priority
• Not taking supplements, no gels or recovery drinks
• Vegan marshmallows!
• Eating one meal a day and not snacking
• Why she focuses on her feet
• Being on a very tight budget both financial and time wise
• Stomach problems while running
• Her most magical race
• The Marathon des Sables
• Being invited to run the North Pole Marathon!
• Learning a lot about herself while running
• Vegan running club
• 4 Deserts Grand Slam!
• How you can help and support!

Social Media

Fiona Oakes Foundation -http://fionaoakesfoundation.co.uk/about/

Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/fionaoakes/ 

Twitter - @Marathonfiend 

Tower Hill Stables Animal Sanctuary - http://www.towerhillstables.com 

Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/towerhillstables 

Twitter - @towerhillstable 

• Who I am and what I do 
• A brief history of my background
• The start of Tough Girl Challenges in 2014
• Personal challenges
• The mission of the tough girl podcast
• Why I started the Tough Girl Podcast
• Starting on the 4th August 2015
• The lack of female role models
• Not wanting to complain about it
• Finding guests
• Doing batch interviewing
• Reflecting back over the past year
• August 2019 onwards
• Not having any plans in 2019
• Pre-loading podcast content until the end of November
• Keeping my options open
• Working with Cicerone 
• Walking the Camino Portuguese
• Speaking with Kat Davies about walking the Lycian Way, Turkey
• Starting 2020 in Australia 
• The first 6 months of the year
• The challenges of adventuring with somewhere else
• Getting the balance right
• Using the world Harmony 
• Don’t compare yourself to other people
• Doing long solo trips and loneliness
• Training and working with a personal trainer
• Luxury Items….
• Having doubts on the Overland Track
• Inspiration….
• What would I do differently
• What I’ve learned about myself
• Being patience and enjoying the journey 
• Numbers from the podcast and Social Media!
• Hitting 1 Million downloads in December 2019
• 50,000 listens in 1 month….
• What is next…
• What 2020 was going to be..
• 10 year plan…
• Being at home 
• Wanting to be the most productive person I could be…
• Getting out of good habits
• Final 6 month of the year
• Not wanting to waste this time
• Needing a goal to work towards for the end of the year
• Focus on podcasting, health and building strength
• THANK YOU to YOU!!
• Getting closer to hitting 300 patrons - currently at 288 Patrons strong!!! 
• Being worried about Covid and it’s impact
• Focusing on what I can control 

• ✩YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/c/SarahWilliamsToughGirlChallenges

Tough Girl Kikkan Randall - 5X Olympian, Olympic champion cross-country skier 2018 & World Champion, “Get-Activist” and Mom Athlete.

Kikkan Randall is an American, Olympic champion cross-country skier. She has won 17 U.S. National titles, taken home 17 U.S. Championships, made 16 podiums in the Stage World Cup, made five trips to the Winter Olympic Games and had the highest finish by an individual U.S. woman at the World Championships (2nd in the Sprint FS at Liberec, CZE in 2009). She was the first American female cross-country skier to take a top ten finish in World Cup competition, to win a World Cup race and to win a World Cup discipline title. She won the silver medal in the individual sprint at the FIS Nordic World Ski Championships 2009 in Liberec, becoming the first American woman to win a medal in cross country skiing at the FIS Nordic World Ski Championships, and in 2013 teamed up with Jessica Diggins to win the first ever American FIS Nordic World Ski Championships gold medal in the team sprint. She and Diggins won the United States' first ever cross-country skiing gold medal at the Winter Olympics in women's team sprint at Pyeongchang in 2018.

Show notes

• Retiring from cross country skiing and being diagnosed with breast cancer
• Seeing herself in a number of different ways
• Being focused, energetic and determined
• Where her name comes from
• What life was like for her growing up
• Being on skies since she was 1 years old
• Growing up in an active family
• Starting cross country skiing at age 6 - but not loving it at first
• Setting goals at a young age
• Having benchmarks to reach which help to keep her motivated
• Creating her roadmap to the Olympics
• The female role models she had growing up
• The motivation to keep going to get her Olympic gold medal
• Patience
• Working to fund her training
• Getting out of the dark places in her mind and how she changed it around
• The 2008 season - the high points and low points
• What a week looks like for an athlete at this level
• Spending a lot of time being her own best cheerleader
• The 2018 Winter Olympics (her 5th and final)
• The race and winning gold!
• What happened next, after 20 years of chasing a goal!!
• Finding out she had breast cancer
• Being diagnosed and what it was like
• Staying practical and focusing on what she can control
• Get Activist - what it means and where it comes from
• “Little goals, small success. build your confidence and become the person you want to be”
• Having her son, 2 years before the Olympics and the impact on her life
• Having an amazing support system in place

Social Media

Website - https://www.kikkan.com 

Instagram - @kikkanimal  

Facebook -  @kikkanrandall 

Twitter - @kikkanimal 

Tough Girl Challenges is all about motivating and inspiring women and girls. In this episode I interview Jessi Stensland an elite multi-sport athlete and movement specialist. 

As well as being a video journalist she is also the founder and creator of MovementU. Jessi has had a long and distinguished career over the past twenty years, with national and international wins. In 2004 she won the Half Ironman Mexico, her first attempt at that distance. The highlight of her career was the Olympic journey which culminated with the 2004 US Olympic Triathlon Trials where she finished 4th and 6th among the American women. 

Jessi is a lover of life, a woman who loves learning about herself and pushing herself to the limits, she’s traveled the world and is passionate about motivating and inspiring others to lead fit and healthy lives.

Her bio on twitter says - “Requires a bit of epic in every day”. By listening to this podcast you will get that epic. Jessi discusses how she first got into fitness, what drove her to move across country at a young age to pursue her passion for triathlon and why she turned professional. She talks through challenges she faced and the choices she's made. She shares advice and wisdom and is a passionate and motivated speaker. 

Jessi is still on her journey and she’s learning more about herself everyday and she willing to share the knowledge she’s gained.  

For more information on Jessi please see her website www.gojessi.com, she is also on Facebook and twitter @JessiStensland.

• Growing up in Nottingham
• Being passionate about the outdoors
• Working for British Canoeing - running ShePaddles program 
• Re-training as a life coach 
• What her early years were like
• Her dreams as a young girl
• Not being a career person
• Working to live
• Going to university 
• Trying to figure out what she wants to do with her life
• Starting to go travelling more
• Losing her partner to suicide 
• Wanting to be more of an independent traveller 
• Dealing with the shock of losing someone a partner
• Making a decision on how it would affect her
• Wanting to carry on doing adventures
• Her first trip with Bob to Egypt
• Getting her first bike
• Cycling in Cuba
• Deciding to do the coast to coast challenge in a day
• Being supported by friends and family 
• The benefits of blogging and how it helped her process her feelings
• Joining a local group SOBS - Survivors of Bereavement by Suicide 
• Seeking out support and finding people to speak to 
• Going to Nepal in 2015 after the earthquake 
• Spending time in Tibet 
• Mount Kailash Kora Trek 
• The challenges of getting a visa for Tibet
• How her definition of adventure has changed 
• Blogging at Adventurous Girl and sharing beautiful pictures
• Dealing with Covid and it’s impact on time outdoors and mental health
• Focusing on the joys and positives of the situation
• Summer 2017 and heading up to the Lake District
• Handling setback when things go wrong on an adventure 
• Dealing with disappointment and feelings of failure
• Running across Iceland and the lessons learned
• Why it’s worth trying new things
• Making the decision to run across Iceland - East to West
• The lessons learned from the Iceland experience 
• Feelings of disappointment 
• Running around Malta solo
• Dealing with frightening situations while being solo on an adventure
• Being followed and flashed at. 
• Taking a knife?
• Further solo challenges?
• Being aware of her surroundings
• Training before trips
• She Paddles - what it is and what the goals are
• Funding to coach women and girls in leadership positions
• Building a positive community for paddlers
• Making the decision to leave British Canoeing and transition into self employment
• Losing her mum last year and making changes to her life
• Training to be a life coach and gaining new skills
• Turning 40 on the 1st January
• Wanting to cycle tour in Japan
• Final words of advice and why you should go with your heart
• What do you really want to do?

Shownotes

-Where Jo is at the moment

-Getting back out to Everest in March 

-Why she didn’t want what happened last year to stop her from living her life

-Reflecting back on what happened and why she found it cathartic 

-Climbing two, 6,000 metre peaks before Everest

-Getting back on the mountain and feeling right at home in her tent

-Getting blessed before the climb and why its important to follow this tradition

-Learning more about the atmosphere on the mountain after the earthquake the previous year

-Why you shouldn’t be 100% reliant on your climbing sherpa the whole way

-Why you need to have experience when climbing Everest and the ability to get yourself out of problems that can happen on the mountain 

-Jo summit attempt 

-Dealing with feelings of frustration while on the mountain

“Choose your mood!”

 “Its about attitude not altitude!”

-why you need to conserve your energy on the down days

-How Jo kept herself entertained while having to wait at camps

-Dealing with low points & wanting to walk off the mountain

-Feeling calm on the final push

-Having to deal with slower climbers in front and how she handled it 

-Trying to keep awake and warm on the mountain

-Coping with her fear of heights and having to keep it together on a windy high ridge

-Why reaching the summit was a massive anti-climax 

-Learning to appreciate what she’s achieved and dealing with the post trip blues

-Having more self belief in herself and what she’s learnt most about herself from climbing Everest

-Why she wants to climb more 8,000 metre peaks

-Questions from the tribe!

-Find out what’s next for Jo!

Links!

Take a listen to the first Tough Girl Podcast episode with Jo! Click here!

Check out Jo’s Blog - http://www.29029feet.co.uk 

Follow Jo on twitter @29029feet  & on Facebook!

Charities

Check out - Place2Be & Support4Sherpas

Events!

Come & join us at the Women In Adventure Expo in Bristol 8th October! Get your ticket before the 30th September!

• Who is Annie
• Starting out in climbing and moving into running and cycling
• Becoming an endurance athlete
• Being based in Berlin
• Moving to Georgia, USA at age 6
• Studying for her PHD in learning and memory 
• Spending time in the outdoors
• Her academic life and growing up around scientists
• PHD update…
• PHDs and ultra challenges
• Deciding on a 1,000km ultramarathon
• Getting into running
• 16 weeks to run a marathon..
• Running from the lowest point in Germany to the highest point 
• Feeling excited and intimidated at the same time
• How much strain is an ultra marathon on the body…
• Vo2 Max results
• The mental side of taking on a 1000km ultramarathon
• Hating running and trying to avoid it
• Preparation for the challenge
• Getting the runners high
• Wanting to quit on day 4
• Figuring out where to sleep
• Getting back into running and arranging the King Snail Race
• Taking on a 3,000km bike ride
• Leaving a negative relationship which wasn’t serving her anymore
• Being made to feel small and starting to doubt herself
• Wanting to get out and discover the world
• Wanting to see what she was capable off 
• What is Nordkapp?
• Being terrified and the lead up to the start
• When everything started to go wrong
• Being supported by her brother 
• Figuring out where she belonged
• Working on herself and processes the lessons learned
• Writing a book about her experience
• Speaking to Chris Fagan
• Learning to appreciate the small moments in life
• Follow Annie online and visit her website (links below)
• Final words of advice for women who have been made to feel small

During this podcast interview we get to learn more about Verena, her passion for racing, the challenges she'd faced and overcome and why she does what she does. 

She shares, advice, tips and will inspire the listener to go after their own personal dreams. 

Topics covered during the podcast interview -

-How she first got into motorsports and how she developed a passion for it

-Going to stunt school and the reason she did that first

-Coping with intimidation when dealing with a new situation

-Being encouraged to try new things from a young age

-What Drag Racing is!

-What’s she's thinking about while racing and how she can overthink things too much

-Why rallying is a whole other ball game 

-Working with her co-driver and how she knows how to push her buttons to make her go faster

-Driving with her “ears” and not her eyes!

-Transitioning from being a model to a racing car driver & the challenges she faced.

-Why it didn’t matter what they thought - “This is my dream” & why she had to make it happen herself

-What drifting is and why its so mentally challenging. 

-Being in Fast & Furious Tokyo Drift - Why do you drift?! Money, fame, girls?!

-Winning her first Championship in the Red Line Attack Series

-Racing in Rally America & having to find sponsorship

-Tips for getting sponsorship & why you have to keep going for it

-The highs of her racing career & the biggest challenges she had to face and overcome

-Tips & advice for women who are wanting to make a change in their life. 

-Why more women should get involved in motorsport.

-Why women can end up talking themselves out of what they’re doing.

-Why women supporting each other can make us all stronger.

Verena is on twitter @VerenaMai you can also learn more from her website 

“My life is an adventure. I’m a big dreamer, and believer that anything is possible. When I have a goal, I work relentlessly to make it happen.”

Become a Patron! Support the Tough Girl Podcast - CLICK HERE!

Don’t forget to subscribe so you never miss an episode!

• Leading a double life of adventure and engineering
• Feeling as though she’d missed out on adventuring 
• Getting into adventure in her mid thirties
• What changed in her mid thirties 
• Growing up in Cumbria
• Starting to meet up with a friend in the Peak District
• How Rando Girls came about
• What Rando Girl means…
• Developing her outdoor skills from navigation to map reading
• How discovering the Tough Girl Podcast helped
• Getting into climbing and joining the Chester Mountaineering Club 
• Enjoying the learning process
• Hill and Moorland Leader Qualification  
• How long it took to get the qualification
• Balancing the training, gaining the knowledge and having a life!
• The dream to go to Svalbard, Norway
• A cold adventure! North, South or going High
• 42 - “the Ultimate Question of Life, the Universe, and Everything.”
• Being interested in human powered adventures
• Being inspired by Adelaide Goodeve
• Training expedition to Svalbard with Newland Expeditions
• Instructor - Helen Turton
• Having everything cancelled because of Covid
• Fingers crossed that it will go ahead in 2022
• Being in the proper cold and learning how to ski
• Approach to fitness and keeping motivated during local lockdown
• The Cheshire Challenge - to walk all 25 long distance paths in Cheshire totalling 1,500km
• The The Long Distance Walkers Association (LDWA) 
• The 12hr Challenge (Inspired by Rae Red - Tough Girl Tribe)
• The Wirral Circular Trail 
• Wanting to hit 42km…. in 12hrs!
• The toughest moment on the 12hr challenge
• Not wanting to get injured
• Having fun on the challenge 
• Final push….. Final push!!!
• Roller skiing on Skikes 
• Tyre pulling with Evil Edna…
• Final words of advice

Sally Kettle has always wanted to live an exciting life, she’s wanted to make the most of her time whilst she's here. She has thrown herself into numerous different challenges, from running the London Marathon,  to rowing across the Atlantic twice! The fist time, never having been in a boat before and with her mum for company!

Sally talks through her different challenges, explaining what made her want to do them, how they came about and how she prepared both physically and mentally. She shares advice and tips and in the process will inspire the listener to think about what it is they want to achieve.  

Sally is an Ambassador for a number of worthy charities and causes and she has raised significant sums of money over the years. 

Sally also shares the details of an exciting new project she's working on, its a different kind of adventure, but one which still takes her out of her comfort zone. 

For more information on Sally please see her website www.sallykettle.com, she is also on Facebook and twitter @sallykettle.

Check out the Tough Girl Challenges Website- www.toughgirlchallenges.com which is all abut motivating and inspiring women and girls. 

Anna is based in London and back in the day she represented Great Britain at rowing, but after ‘retiring’ in her mid twenties, she started a “normal" job but the desire for adventure never left her.

In 2013 she set out to cycle 11,000 miles through each and every state of the USA, and most recently she became the first person to run the whole length of New Zealand. Along the Te Araroa trail. She ran it solo and unsupported, stopping off to speak to over 4,000 school children on the way. 

Show notes 

-Anna share more about her background and what it was like growing up in the McNuff Family!

-What it was like being the daughter of two Olympians

-Why she wanted to be an Olympian

-Representing Great Britain in rowing and making the decision to stop.

-Losing her sense of identity and deciding who she was and what she wanted to do next

-Entering the corporate world & being excited by it!

-Trying to fit adventures in around her work

-2013 - The urge for adventure became too much and she decided to scratch the itch!!

-Why you always have a choice!

-Making sacrifices to make her dream happen

-The highlights from cycling America - from Alaska, to the National Parks

-The challenges she faced during her cycle and how she overcame them. 

-Coping with her emotions - The Snowball, The Doubtress, The Dream Dumpers

-The post adventure blues & how to deal with them

-Running the full length of New Zealand and how the challenge came about

-Her mental and physical preparation for the challenge - Making herself ‘bomb proof’!

-What she learnt most about her brain while out running 

-#AnnaRuns

-Her “cheerleaders” only day!!!

-Why it was important for her to speak to children along the way to share her story with the goals of getting them excited about the planet.

-Advice around failure and why it’s about perception and perspective.

-Anna shares her mission for kids & adults

-Her future challenge - An exclusive on the Tough Girl Podcast!!!

Anna is 100% passionate about the positive impact adventure and sports can have on the lives of young people. Anna uses her human powered journeys as a platform to inspire and motivate children, to get outside, and get exploring the world they live in. 

To learn more about Anna visit her website www.annamcnuff.com. Anna is also on twitter @AnnaMcNuff - Give her a shout out once you’ve listened to this episode!

A massive thank you to everyone who has become a patron! You too can support the Tough Girl Podcast from as little as $2 to $5 per month!  CLICK HERE!

Don’t forget to subscribe so you never miss an episode!

Emily is a writer, adventurer, climber, and comfort zone smasher. Put on her first international flight at 3 weeks old, she's been addicted to adventure ever since. From wandering the forests of Sweden alone at age nine, to solo trekking in the Himalayas of India, to joining the circus as a professional aerialist, Emily is a big fan of the "just get out there and do it" mentality. She loves inspiring others to go outside, travel, and get curious about everything. As John Muir so aptly put it, "going out is really going in.”

Emily works as a freelance journalist based out of Los Angeles and has written for Outside Magazine, Backpacker Magazine, Mountain Life Magazine, Outdoor Project, Modern Hiker, Territory Supply, The Outbound, Women Who Explore, and many others.

Some of her notable outdoor accomplishments include: hiking the Annapurna Circuit in Nepal, backpacking the High Sierra Trail in California and finishing atop Mt. Whitney, trekking the Laugavegur Trail in Iceland, summiting Illiniza Norte in Ecuador, summiting Vinicunca in Peru, hiking the Inca Trail with her mom, solo-trekking the Backbone Trail, climbing Cactus to Clouds in the winter, trail running Yosemite Rim to Rim, and dozens of other high-altitude peaks in the Sierra Nevada and California.

Show notes

• Her alter ego when hiking
• Where the Brazen backpacker idea came from
• Being brazen and wild
• Moving to LA at 17
• Being inspired by her mother
• Leaving Texas behind
• How the outdoors became part of her life
• The mental barrier to access to the outdoors
• Her first backpacking trip at 28
• The challenges of altitude
• Her hiking journey 
• Her passions for getting more women out hiking
• Her relationship with her mum
• Hiking the Annapurna Circuit in Nepal
• Dealing with periods and tiredness on the trail
• The basics of backpacking
• Steep and Cheap - https://www.steepandcheap.com ONLY in the US - for Europe - alpinetrek.co.uk 
• The magic of face wipes
• The best problem to have!
• Heading to Iceland for adventure
• Quick Fire Questions
• I am loving awareness 

Social Media 

Find out more about Emily’s writing and photography here: https://brazenbackpacker.com/

and follow on Instagram @brazenbackpacker  

We first spoken with Katie in March 2018, where she shared more about her transition from a model to adventurer, she goes into detail about the challenges she faced and overcame while doing the longest crossing of the Southern Patagonian Ice Cap, and being the first woman to walk the entire length of the wall of China! 

Since then Katie has continued to fill her life with many more adventures. Despite her accolades, Katie would still not class her self as the 'typical adventurer type', as she admits she is frightened of everything and is inherently lazy by nature! Her default setting (that she has to constantly override) is to lay on the sofa with a cup of tea, dunking biscuits, watching the likes of Strictly and X Factor on the telly. Getting started is always the hardest bit.

During this podcast we discuss in more detail how the idea came about for completing the 1911 version of the Tour de France as well as the planning, logistics and go into detail about nutrition and having to consume 9,000 calories per day. Katie shares more about her gear, and why she loved being involved in the Silk Road Mountain Race.

Show notes

• Learn more about Katie-Jane
• Living in the French Alps
• Examples of some of her challenges…. Walking the Great Wall of China,  cycled Africa, LEJOG, Fast packing the GR5 plus many many more!
• Le Grand Boule - The Big Loop - how the idea came about and being inspired by a 1911 postcard of France
• Making life harder for herself….
• Deciding to do 5,500km  tour in 23 days….with no support
• Where do you start with a challenge like this?
• Mental preparation and overcoming the fears of what other people think of you
• Not telling people about the challenge until stage 5
• The first 5 stages?
• Nailing her nutrition and how it changed the whole challenge
• Eating 9,000 per day!!
• Dealing with mouth ulcers
• Sleep deprivation!
• Deciding to follow a 36 hour day - instead of a 24 hour day! (Easy on paper - hard in real life!)
• Recovering from the ride and getting ready for the next challenge
• The Silk Road Mountain Race - what it is and why she wanted to do it!
• Why does she think she finished….
• Dealing with the cold
• The medical kit and why she took everything she took
• Finishing the race in 14 days
• The smallest tent in the world and how it held up - 500 grams 
• The biggest highlight from doing the race
• Plans for 2019 and making new decisions
• Going after her Mountain Leader and International Mountain Leader Qualifications
• Heading to Iceland in July for a solo adventure
• What Katie has learnt from going on adventures
• The power of sharing experiences

Social Media

Website: www.katiejaneendurance.com

Instagram: @katiejaneendurance 

Facebook: @katiesenduranceadventures   

• US Women’s Human Powered Bicycle Record holder (non motor paced) at 70.6mph (Sept 2019)
• 15 National Cycling Championships (Mt. Biking, Road & Velodrome)
• Ironman and Half Ironman finisher (2013)
• 2 x Jr. World Championship medalist in Mt. Biking in Italy (Downhill & Cross Country)
• Completed over 50 half marathons in 29 states + DC
• Completed over 9 marathons on 4 continents, including Antarctica (2013) & The Great Wall of China (2017)

• Being based in San Diego in California
• Her claim to fame
• Being an athlete her entire life
• Her passions and interests at a young age
• Coming from a high achieving family
• Getting her first bike
• Entering her first 100 mile charity race with her dad
• Riding from San Fransisco to San Diego
• Meeting her Cycling Coach John Howard
• Role models in the sport
• Her dreams of becoming a professional athlete
• Creating vision cards
• Dealing with performance pressure/anxiety 
• 1991 - Going to the World Championships to Italy as a Junior
• Deciding to leave the sport
• Making the transition out of the sport and what happened next
• Meeting her husband and having children 
• Running a family business
• Keeping healthy but not challenging herself physically
• Being inspired by the women at the gym
• Signing up for her first Marathon
• Building on each success
• Dealing with anxiety related to extreme competition
• Looking for the next challenge and next opportunity
• Being the first female to go after the land speed record on a bike
• Needing to become a National Champion
• Doing hypnotherapy 
• What the land speed record is
• What’s going through her head at that speed
• Why there is nothing apart from that moment
• Dealing with the dangers and managing the risks
• Having trust in her team
• Physical preparation and being in the shape possible to take on this challenge
• Setting a new goal - Running half marathons in every state of America
• Having a gratitude board
• Advice around setting goals

Show notes

• Sally shares how she first got into sailing and the pathway shetook to get to the Olympics in Beijing
• Sailing at university and how she moved from being a new memberof the crew to leading the team
• Deciding to become a professional sailor and how she followedher passion
• What was involved in the 6 year campaign of getting to theOlympics. How she kept motivated over the years  
• The type of sailing she was doing and how it works in scoringfor the Olympics
• What she’s learnt about teamwork from sailing as part ofcrews
• Heading over to China, and dealing with the differentchallenges before the games even started.
• What happened in the the final medal race
• The learning Sally took away from that experience
• Taking a break from sailing and getting over the sense offailure and loss
• “The hardest sailing you will ever do” being a member of thefirst all female team for SCA in the Volvo OceanRace 
• What it was like being out on the boat; the day to day routine,working for 4 hrs on, 4 hrs off, dealing with the pressure ofracing while out at sea and keeping the focus on driving the boatforward
• Learning as much as they could while sailing, and dealing withthe highs and lows while out at sea
• Dealing with set backs, never giving up and fighting all theway to the finish line
• The training they needed to do, to get as fit and strong aspossible before the race starts.
• Getting respect from the guys for the job they were doing
• The reasons behind the MagentaProject and what their aims are
• The challenges going forward especially around gainingsponsorship 
• Why you should give sailing a go!

“Thank you for showing girls and women around the worldthat we can accomplish anything and to dream big. Your perservence,drive and commitment to this gruelling competition is inspiring.” Billie Jean King 

The MagentaProject - aims to increase the participation of women atthe highest level of sailing and promote inclusion, diversity andpositive female role models in society at large.

The Tough Girl Blog was highly commended at the UK Blog Awards2016! 

Check out the Tough Girl blog to learn more about theinspirational women on the Tough Girl Podcast

• Who is Janey
• How she would describe herself
• Doing what makes her happy
• Wanting to cross the Empty Quarter
• How things have changed
• Dealing with weaknesses and insecurities
• Having no where to run when in the desert
• How the team evolved
• Funding the challenge (savings, compensation, sponsorship and debt)
• Having Land Rover support the expedition with vehicles
• Doing something new for the first time
• Figuring out problems as she went on
• Getting to the start line!
• Feeling unfulfilled and not knowing what do to with her life
• Going thru a grieving process for the life she wanted
• Exploring relationships and conflict
• Why it’s ok to think differently
• Why you can’t make everyone happy
• “We don’t have to be friends to be a team”
• Being filmed while out in the desert
• Creating a documentary
• Writing a book about the experience and the challenges involved…
• Spending time with her dad at the end of his life
• Forgiveness?
• Figuring out purpose constantly 
• Choosing not to have children
• Racing Heroes 
• Future dreams
• Quick Fire Questions

Dr. Kerri Andrews is a writer, academic, and passionate walker whose work explores the deep connection between women, walking, and storytelling. She is the author of Wanderers: A History of Women Walking and editor of Way Makers: An Anthology of Women's Writing about Walking. Her latest book, Pathfinding: On Walking, Motherhood and Freedom, is a deeply personal and thought-provoking exploration of how motherhood reshapes a woman’s identity, freedom, and relationship with the outdoors.

Having developed a love for walking in the Yorkshire Dales and the Lake District, Kerri has since climbed over 100 Munros in Scotland, though she has yet to convince her two young children to join her. 

In this episode of the Tough Girl Podcast, Kerri shares her journey through postnatal depression, the challenges of early motherhood, and how walking became a vital tool for self-discovery, healing, and empowerment. She also sheds light on the often-overlooked stories of historical women walkers, offering a fresh perspective on the intersection of movement, motherhood, and independence.

Tune in to hear Kerri’s inspiring story and how she found her way back to herself—one step at a time.

***

Catch the latest episodes of the Tough Girl Podcast, dropping every Tuesday at 7 am UK time! Don’t forget to subscribe so you won’t miss the inspiring journeys and incredible stories of tough women.

 Want to play a part in uplifting female representation in the media? Support the Tough Girl Podcast on Patreon! Your generosity helps shine a spotlight on female role models in the world of adventure and physical challenges. Join us in making a positive impact by visiting www.patreon.com/toughgirlpodcast.

 Thank you for your amazing support!

Show notes

• Who is Kerri Andrews
• Working as a writer and planning to move into the charity sector
• Catching up with what’s been happening since 2020
• Welcoming her daughter in 2021
• Being made redundant last year and now working as a freelance writer and teaching creative writing
• Dealing with the stress of life
• Having a supportive partner and dealing with post natal depression after her first child was born
• Working with a doula 
• The stress of being a new parent 
• The transition into motherhood
• New Book: Pathfinding on walking, motherhood and freedom 
• Dealing with Post Natal Depression…
• Being frightened of losing herself
• Finding bodily sensations overwhelming 
• Working with the charity - Nurture the borders
• Having a different perspective the second time she gave birth
• Going to some deep and scary places and knowing that her brain was lying to her
• Motherhood and childbirth - and losing your identity 
• Finding yourself again after childbirth 
• Learning how to bond with her son 
• Going through the motions of motherhood and not feeling it
• Mum befrienders 
• Feeling very lonely and abandoned 
• Being expected to know what to do
• Working on a women’s anthology 
• Not having an agent and not knowing what was next
• Seeing Sarah Rigby advertising book coaching 
• Producing a submission for a book agent 
• Getting a boost in her confidence 
• Receiving lots of guidance and support from other women
• Being vulnerable in sharing her story 
• Dedicating the book to her ‘mothers’ 
• New job and feeling wanted again in an employment context
• Working with an incredible gifted and talented team 
• Working on her confidence 
• The crafting of the book and the chapter title 
• The anger which came after her second pregnancy  
• Welcome to motherhood!
• Not feeling like she mattered
• Allowing mothers to have ambition
• Why hope had to be the last chapter
• Wanting to make it better for the women who come after her
• Walking and spending time in nature
• The physical changes in her body and not being as fit as she was
• Walking with her children 
• Researching about the history of walking in Scotland 
• Women in the hills Network 
• How to connect with Kerri
• Final words of advice
• The importance of being kind to yourself and being accepting of your body
• “Don’t let go of your dreams, don’t let go of your ambitions, hold onto them, they are valid, they matter, go pursue them.”
• Try to find your tribe
• Get in touch with Girls on Hills 
• You matter.

Social Media

Website kerriandrews.co.uk 

X/Twitter: @kerriandrewsuk

Bluesky: @kerriandrewsuk.bsky.social 

Book: Pathfinders: On Walking, Motherhood and Freedom 

In 2000, Tricia went from being a competitive cyclist to a paraplegic requiring a wheelchair for mobility. Her life was changed forever, but Tricia’s competitive spirit and zest for life continued on. Through her experiences in both rehab and racing, Tricia has overcome adversity and learned what it takes to perform at the top of her game.

Having made the transition from able-bodied cyclist to an athlete with a disability, Tricia knows the true meaning of the words challenge and change, and has learned a wealth of lessons to deal with the obstacles we all face in reaching for our personal goals.

Tricia has completed over 100 races, including marathons, duathlons and triathlons, since her accident. She was the first female paraplegic to complete an Ironman triathlon and qualified for the Hawaii Ironman World Championships in 2006 and 2010. In 2011, she competed as part of the U.S. Rowing team at the World Championships in Bled, Slovenia.

Tricia’s professional life has also been immersed in sports as she earned a master’s degree in Sport Management in 1995 and worked at the Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, Colo. She was the press officer for the USA Table Tennis team at the 1996 Olympic Games in Atlanta and for the USA Swimming team at the 1997 World University Games in Italy. Before becoming a professional speaker, she taught high school in the Denver Public Schools. Today she takes people on their journeys from start to victory, motivating each person to discover his or her own “inner champion”, just as she has. Receiving many sports accolades including being inducted into the Sportswomen of Colorado Hall of Fame, the 2006 Most Inspirational Athlete from the Challenged Athletes Foundation and the 2008 Courage Award from the Tempe Sports Authority, Tricia has truly excelled despite her life-altering injury.

In addition to her current sports pursuits, Tricia has completed master’s degrees in Disability Studies and Sports Management. She is also the Director for Camp Discovery, a camp for women in wheelchairs who want to explore fitness opportunities as well as create a support system of other women who have experienced mobility disorders/disabilities. In 2010 she has published her memoir: Cycle of Hope—A Journey from Paralysis to Possibility.

Show notes

• Based in Denva, Colorado
• Who is Tricia…. where to start
• Identifying as an athlete
• Doing sports when she was 4 years olds
• Starting bike racing after college
• Growing up with 3 brothers
• Being captivated with gymnastics
• How her athletes life evolved after high school 
• Growing to 5’10 and deciding to become a diver at college
• How she got into cycling and road racing
• Getting hit by a car and knowing something was wrong
• Breaking her back and injuring her spinal cord
• The aftermath of the accident
• What she learnt mentally and emotionally going through that experience
• Getting back into sports after the accident
• Being a goal driven person
• Doing her first Ironman in 2005 -Taking over 18hours to complete
• Maintaining balance and not letting her goals take over her life
• Happiness?
• The Ironman in Kona in Hawaii
• Dealing with the grief of losing her legs
• Being kind to herself
• Having multiple surgeries and ending up in chronic pain
• Taking up shooting as a Para-Olympian
• How she earns money
• Why she started to write 
• The mental challenge of shooting
• Adapting to change - advice and tips
• The Cycle of Hope Organisation
• Books! - Her first book - Cycle of Hope
• Plans for the rest of the year
• Final words of advice

Social Media

Website - www.triciadowning.com 

Twitter - @redefiningable 

Facebook - @RedefiningAble 

Instagram - @redefiningable

Emily is an oceans advocate, skipper and artist; a graduate of Cambridge University with a degree in Architecture; and Director of global organisation Pangaea Explorations.

She is the youngest and only female recipient of Yachtmaster of the Year, awarded by HRH Princess Royal after rounding the planet on the record-breaking biofuelled boat, Earthrace; spending 6 months living on a tiny Tongan island organising the largest ever community led cleanup; and discovering previously unknown oceanic gyres – huge areas of marine plastic pollution accumulation.

Her organisation, Pangaea Explorations, specialises in enabling scientists, filmmakers and everyday people to explore the most remote parts of our planet to collect data on global issues and develop solutions to the challenges facing today’s society.

Show notes

• Emily introduces herself and shares more about what she does and why she loves the ocean
• Joining the boat “Earthrace”  at 21 and having the opportunity to travel the world.
• What Emily learnt about herself while traveling at such a young age and how it changed the direction of her life
• What the ocean taught her about living in the moment and why you need to reacts and respond to your external circumstances. 
• Explaining the role of ocean advocate and what she does to create positive change 
• Heading out to Tonga to help educate the people, work with the local government, and arranging a massive clean up of the coast line
• The Pangaea Exploration
• Studying the plastic pollution of the oceans and how micro plastics are impacting on the planet
• Exploring Greenland by sailing along the North West Passage & seeing the raw beauty of the Arctic 
• Becoming a skipper and what she’s learnt about leadership from the role
• Her first big trans-atlantic crossing & the challenges she faced and overcame
• Feeling like a fraud and faking it till you make it
• Exploring Mindsets & why a shift in thinking can change the world
• Exploring the Mississippi 
• Questions to ask yourself in order to find out your values
• Finding out what’s next for Emily and why she heading back to land

Links for Emily!

Emily Penn Website 

Emily Penn twitter @EmilyPenn 

Instagram @MissEmilyPenn 

Emily Penn on Facebook 

Pangaea Exploration 

Come say hi to me on twitter -  I’m @_TOUGH_GIRL

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Join us on this episode of the Tough Girl Podcast as we explore the remarkable journey of Amanda Harris, an adapted cyclist and dedicated fundraiser who has embraced life's challenges following a spinal cord injury. Living in South Wales with her husband and two teenage children, Amanda's story is one of resilience, determination, and breaking down barriers.

Originally from Devon and a law graduate from Cardiff University, Amanda has spent over 30 years in Wales. Her life took a dramatic turn after a serious bike accident that resulted in a spinal cord injury. Despite the life-altering event, Amanda's spirit remained unbroken. She spent nine months in the hospital, relearning basic skills and adapting to her new reality.

Amanda's love for cycling was rekindled when she was gifted a recumbent bike, allowing her to take on new challenges and raise funds for charity. Her journey includes the ambitious goal of completing the Wales Coast Path (WCP) using a trike, wheelchair, and occasionally walking with crutches. Amanda's determination and adaptability shine as she navigates accessibility issues and relies on friends and family to assist with sections that are not accessible.

In this episode, Amanda shares her experiences, from her early years in Devon to her life in Wales, her passion for cycling, and the various challenges she has undertaken. We delve into her methods for staying positive, setting tiny goals, and focusing on what she can achieve. Amanda's story is a testament to the power of resilience and the importance of embracing life's challenges with a positive attitude.

Tune in to hear Amanda's inspiring journey and her advice for women facing their own challenges. Discover how she continues to push boundaries and inspire others with her remarkable story of overcoming adversity and loving life.

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Don't miss out on the latest episodes of the Tough Girl Podcast, released every Tuesday at 7am UK time! Be sure to hit the subscribe button to stay updated on the incredible journeys and stories of strong women.

 By supporting the Tough Girl Podcast on Patreon, you can make a difference in increasing the representation of female role models in the media, particularly in the world of adventure and physical challenges. Your contribution helps empower and inspire others. Visit www.patreon.com/toughgirlpodcast to be a part of this important movement. 

Thank you for your invaluable support!

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Show notes

• Who is Amanda
• Living in South Wales with her husband and two teenage children
• Originally growing up in Devon
• Studying Law at Cardiff University 
• Living in Wales for over 30 years
• Meeting her husband at University 
• Bringing her children up in Wales 
• Still learning the Welsh Language 
• Her early years and spending lots of time outside 
• Not being particularly sporty or competitive
• Making walking plans for retirement
• Getting into cycling before her 40th birthday 
• Signing up for a charity cycle ride 
• Being in a bike accident which caused a spinal cord injury and multiple other injuries 
• Not being able to feel her legs and knowing something serious had happened
• Spending 9 months in hospital 
• Having to learn everything again
• How it changed her life 
• What’s happened since
• Deciding to complete the Wales Coast Path (WCP) by trike, wheelchair and occasionally a few steps 
• Being able to walk a few steps with crutches
• Why can’t I do this now
• Accepting that there are some parts which are’t accessible 
• Asking friends and family to walk that sections that aren’t accessible 
• Accessibility on the Wales Coast Path
• Research before taking on new sections 
• Why everyone has different needs when it comes to access and accessibility 
• The need for planning 
• Needing to walk the path around work and needing support from other people
• Completing approx 500 miles needing to do the North Wales Sections
• Raising funds for charity 
• Getting back into cycling and being gifted a recumbent bike 
• Being involved in different cycling challenges
• Winning a competition with - Spinal Injuries Association 
• Heading out to Portugal in May 2024 to ride 200 miles over 3 days!
• Having moments of doubt
• Not going into the dark place
• Focusing on the positives and what she can do 
• Giving things ago and saying yes to more things (such as doing this interview!)
• Wanting to take the tandem bike over to America to do a big ride with her husband
• How to connect with Amanda on line 
• Final words of advice for women who are going through a challenging time
• Not wanting to preach to people 
• Try and stay positive 
• Setting tiny, tiny goals in a notebook and how this helped during rehab
• Find out what works for you and focus on that 

Social Media

Instagram: @amandah_trike 

Instagram: @amandascoastalchallenge 

Amelia Boone is 33 years old, working as an attorney in California while also competing as pretty much a full time OCR athlete (Obstacle Course Racer). Since the sport's inception, she’s arguably the world's most decorated obstacle racer amassing more than 30 victories and 50 podiums! 

Career highlights include:

• 3x winner of the World's Toughest Mudder (2012, 2014, 2015)
• Spartan Race World Champion 2013
• Spartan Race Points Series Champion (2013 & 2015)
• 3x Death Race Finisher (Winter 2012, Summer 2012, Summer 2013)

“I’m not the strongest. I’m not the fastest. But I’m really good at suffering.” – Amelia Boone

Show notes

• Moving from Chicago to California and the benefits which came from it
• Getting Amelia to introduce herself 
• Being a full time attorney and also a full time obstacle course racer
• Being sporty at school, but not being a typical runner
• Getting to spend time outside, playing team sports such as softball, and soccer
• Being good at everything but not the best at anything
• Why she thinks she's successful at endurance events
• Using the gym while at college and at law school to help deal with stress
• Learning about Tough Mudder and deciding to give it a go
• Her first Tough Mudder - going back and reliving the memories!
• Why she loved it and why she decided to do another one
• Trying to do her pull up and why the “funky money obstacle” was her big challenge
• Why you have to go after your first pull up!!
• Her most impulsive decision in her life and why she signing up for a 24hr Tough Mudder  - The Worlds First!
• Looking for meaning and try to find a new challenge
• Using cross fit to develop strength
• Being one of the 13th finishers to finish the race out of 900 people
• Having to break through the ice & being the coldest she’d ever been and why this low point was also a high point and life changing for her!
• Why it’s a race but it’s still about the community
• Learning mental resilience and why it can be easy to get over whelmed by the size and length of the race
• Mental tips and tricks to get through the tough times
• Her favourite song which got her around the 2012 Tough Mudder Race!
• How the number of women entering races has changed over the years and why women should enter the longer races
• What’s she learned from running races and how she’s been able to apply it to her life
• Trying to get balance in her life!
• Waking up at 4 - 4.30 am!!!
• Coping with injury over the past year
• Why you have to find a new normal
• Losing her identity and going through a period of trying to work out who she was
• What she would like to see happen in 2017
• Dealing with the pressure she places on herself
• Words of advice & top tips

Learn more about Amelia by visiting her website!

Say hi to Amelia once you've listened to this episode on twitter! @ameliaboone I'm @_TOUGH_GIRL

Support the Tough Girl Podcast and become a PATRON!!! Your financial support makes a big contribution to the running costs of the podcast - Please check out Patreon to see what goals I'm working towards and what rewards you can get for being a Patron!

• Who is Michelle
• Having 3 older brothers
• Coming from a sporty family
• Why doing just sport, wasn’t something you just did
• The importance of education
• Dreaming of a career in sports…
• Attending the Youth Olympics
• The importance of female role models
• The importance of working hard and doing your best
• Being encouraged and supported by her mum
• Joining a local running club
• Being the first woman in the Commonwealth to jump over 14m
• What it was like going to the Commonwealth Games
• The pressure of performance in the sporting world
• Needing a support team
• What it was like being a professional athlete
• The power of being supported 
• Deciding to leave university
• Dealing with financial stress
• Pensions, houses and sponsorship money
• Being dropped by the National Lottery
• Deciding to become a Personal Trainer
• Building a new career 
• Developing new skills
• What exercise looks like now
• A new Youtube channel - The Fit Family Robinsons!
• Being an Ambassador for Diabetes UK
• Needing to make changes to her diet
• Wanting to raise awareness and make a difference
• Diet and nutrition (one size does not fit all)
• Starting as a mentor at the Youth Sport Trust 2009
• Working for the Dame Kelly Holmes Trust in 2012
• Words of positivity and encouragement
• The importance of having a plan 
• Measure your plan 
• SMART - Specific - Measurable - Achievable - Realistic - Time Bound
• Meeting her husband
• Quick Fire Questions

• Growing up and loving the outdoors
• Playing outside all day, everyday
• How running became a big part of her life
• How running was an equaliser 
• Not taking anything seriously
• The next steps after high school
• Getting a scholarship 
• Dropping out of college and getting a full time job to support herself
• Deciding to run a marathon
• Running her first marathon in 3hrs 24 mins….
• Qualifying for the Boston Marathon
• Starting to run longer distances
• Getting hit by a car and fighting to save her leg for 3 years
• Being worries about losing her job
• Having her leg amputated at 21 years old
• Not being able to afford counselling 
• 10 years to find the right prosthetic leg for her
• Running the Chicago Marathon in 2006
• Being given a second chance
• A step A head Prosthetics
• "What do you want to do with your life?”
• Having a goal to run 100 miles
• Believe
• Helping to get someone else through the marathon
• The journey of getting to run 100 miles
• Having trouble breathing while running fast miles
• Running at a slower pace for longer distances
• Becoming a Mighty Mum and doing her first obstacle race
• Wanting to run at Western States in California and be the first athlete with an prosthetic to cross the finish line
• Managing pain and dealing with pain
• The recovery process after big races
• Working full time (60-70 hrs per week), with 6 children aged from 9 years old to 18 years old
• Helping other people to achieve their goals
• Beta-alanine Supplement
• Being a single mum to two children 
• What training looks like 
• Running on a treadmill versus running on the road
• Final words of advice to motivate and inspire you

Anna, is a British born adventurer, motivational speaker, influencer and author.

She was recently named by Condé Nast Traveller as one of the 50 most influential travellers of our time, and by the the Guardian as one of the top modern female adventurers.

She is also proud to be the UK Ambassador for Girl Guiding, and the co-founder of Adventure Queens.

During this podcast we learn more about the Kathmandu Coast to Coast challenge in New Zealand, how it came about, the challenge she had to face and what she learnt form the experience. Anna shares more about her life as an adventurer, her ‘survival’ work and her ‘soul’ work. She also shares more about her next challenge and why she has decided to take this on!

We have spoken to Anna in 2016 (running the length of New Zealand) and 2018 (cycling the Andes) you can catch up and listen to these episodes on the tough girl podcast!

Show notes

• Where is Anna and what is she up to?
• Why the past year has been ridiculous! 
• Having Jamie running for 1 year in America!
• Spending time in New Zealand 
• Teaming up with Katmandu to do the Adventure Race  - Coast to Coast in New Zealand (243 km race across the South Island - Cycling, running & Kayaking)
• Doing Kayaking for the first time!
• How she met Holly Woodhouse 
• The biggest challenges on the race…
• Making a BIG mistake on Day 1!!!
• The pain cave…
• Tips and tricks for mental resilience and why you have to take it one step at a time
• The biggest learning from doing the coast to coast
• Why Day 2 was so amazing!
• The logistics and the importance of the support crew
• The next book!!
• The life of an adventurer - the realities and the money
• The soul work and the survival work
• Being inspired by Seth Godin
• Barefoot Britain - 100 Barefoot Marathons!
• The spark of inspiration for this idea
• What it’s like running barefoot!
• June 2nd in the Shetland Islands
• 5 month wiggles through the country
• What to do if you want Anna to come and speak at your girl guides club (about 3 a week)
• The logistics of the route
• Anna’s Angels
• Dealing with the pressure (which is self inflicted)
• Filming a documentary about the run at the same time
• Quick fire Questions….

Connect with Anna - Support & follow!

Website - www.annamcnuff.com 

Twitter - @AnnaMcNuff

Instagram - @Annamcnuff

Facebook -  https://www.facebook.com/AMcNuff/ 

Get involved with Barefoot Britain  - https://www.annamcnuff.com/barefootbritain/ 

Patricia Boardman, a former textile designer, has transformed her love for the outdoors into a thriving career as a freelance outdoor instructor. With a strong belief that anyone can pursue their passion for the outdoors, Tricia's journey showcases the power of perseverance and a deep connection with nature. From teaching young adults the Duke of Edinburgh (DofE) Award to leading groups on mountain expeditions across the UK, Tricia's days are filled with diversity and adventure.

For the past 15 years, Tricia has dedicated herself to working as an outdoor instructor. A few years ago, she made the courageous decision to transition into full-time freelancing, allowing her to fully immerse herself in her passion. Her genuine love for the outdoors and her desire to push herself out of her comfort zone have been the driving forces behind her success.

Growing up in South Manchester, Tricia developed a love for hiking and camping in her late teens. She found like-minded individuals who shared her passion for walking, forging lifelong friendships along the way. Inspired to progress further in the outdoor industry, Tricia pursued her Mountain Leader (ML) Qualification, a milestone she achieved despite not having the opportunity to participate in the Duke of Edinburgh Award during her school years.

In a male-dominated environment, Tricia persevered, accumulating quality mountain days and fitting in training around her work commitments. She honed her skills in navigation and micro-navigation, pushing herself to be the best she could be. Gradually, she began picking up weekend work and building her reputation through word-of-mouth recommendations, steadily establishing a network of connections in the industry.

Tricia reflects on the early years of her career, recognising the challenges she faced as a woman in the industry. However, her unwavering determination and passion for working with people propelled her forward. Over time, she had the opportunity to lead expeditions with children in destinations such as India, Peru, and even climbing Mt. Kilimanjaro. Witnessing young adults progress and grow, particularly during her time in Peru, solidified her love for her work.

The pandemic brought about changes in Tricia's life, including being made redundant. However, armed with some savings, she took the leap into full-time outdoor work, embracing the freedom and fulfilment it brought. She shares practical advice for women seeking to gain experience in the outdoors, emphasising the power of asking and being truthful about one's abilities.

As a sole trader using her own name, Tricia finds joy in the variety of her work and the balance between her personal love of the outdoors and her professional pursuits. She plans to expand her qualifications, particularly in water-based activities and cave leading. Despite the occasional challenges, Tricia remains motivated, continuously striving to improve her climbing skills and push her boundaries.

Tricia is passionate about promoting diversity in the outdoors and is particularly motivated to inspire girls, especially in faith schools, to embrace nature and adventure. Being of mixed heritage—half Indian and half Scottish—she takes pride in being a role model for the girls she teaches and strives to make the outdoors accessible to all.

With her infectious enthusiasm, Tricia shares magical moments she has experienced in nature and her unwavering dedication to helping people reach their full potential. Her final words of advice serve as an inspiration for women who aspire to work in the outdoors, along with valuable guidance on obtaining qualifications and pursuing their dreams.

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This episode of the Tough Girl Podcast was sponsored by Land & Wave! We hope you've been inspired by Patricia Boardman's incredible journey and her passion for the outdoors. Remember, with perseverance and a love for nature, anyone can turn their dreams into reality. 

Stay tuned for more empowering stories and don't forget to hit the subscribe button to stay updated on new episodes, released every Tuesday and Thursday at 7am UK time. Thank you for joining us on this adventure!

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Show notes

• Tricia Boardman
• Woking as an outdoor instructor for the past 15 years
• Deciding to go full time as a freelancer a few years ago
• Her love for the outdoors 
• Making friends with people at 17/18 years old with people who loved walking
• Liking to push herself out of her comfort zone
• Going on day hikes and camping
• Growing up in South Manchester
• Studying textiles at college and working in a bar part time 
• Deciding to take on her Mountain Leader (ML) Qualification 
• Not getting the chance to do the Duke of Edinburgh (DofE) Award as it wasn’t available at her school 
• Meeting people who already had their ML qualification and being encouraged to do it.
• Wanting to progress further in the outdoors
• Learning in a male dominated environment 
• Getting her quality mountain days in and fitting in the training around work
• Doing solo days and spending time walking in the outdoors 
• Focusing on navigation and micro navigation 
• Starting to pick up a few pieces of work here and there at the weekends
• What it was like being a woman in the industry when she first started working in it 20 years ago
• Thinking about working full time in the outdoors
• Getting the opportunity to lead a few expeditions with children abroad, to India, Peru, and taking on Kilimanjaro 
• Helping young adults progress and grow 
• Loving her time spend in Peru
• Making changes to her life after the pandemic
• Being made redundant and having some money behind her while making the transition to working outdoors full-time.
• Her love for working with people 
• Getting work when she first started out 
• Building up a network and connections, and being recommended via word of mouth
• Gaining experience in the industry via work shadowing and volunteering with waking groups
• Practicalities of getting work experience and how to go about it
• Advice and tips for women who want to gain more experience in the outdoors
• The power of asking people 
• Why it’s important to be truthful about what you can and can’t do
• What a typical week looks like during busy season
• Loving the variety of the work 
• Working as a sole trader and using her own name
• The British Mountaineering Council (BMC) 
• Thinking about getting further qualifications - especially water based qualifications 
• Cave Leader Qualification 
• Tips for dealing with the bad days 
• Balancing work with her personal love of the outdoors 
• Working slowly towards climbing all of the Wainwrights 
• Wanting to go up a grade in climbing 
• Climbing with friends who climb harder than her, in order to push herself to get better and make progress
• Buying a van in September 2022  (Transit - long wheel base) and doing the renovation with her partner (Nick).
• Take the van on a climbing trip to the South of France and following the sunshine before heading back to the UK
• Living in the van (instead of camping) to help keep costs down while working
• Pay for a day’s DofE work (£130 - £150)
• Making a living from working in the outdoors and taking on other additional jobs throughout the winter months.
• Being booked up with work throughout the summer months
• Diversity in the outdoors and her thoughts of working in the industry 
• Working in Faith Schools and helping to inspire girls to get outdoors and spend time in nature
• Being half Indian and half Scottish and feeling proud that she can be a role model to the girls she is teaching
• Wanting to make the outdoors accessible
• Being encouraged by her mum “don’t let anyone stop you, just do what you want to do” 
• Discrimination in the outdoors? And how things have changed over the years
• Magical moments in the outdoors and why she loves spending time in nature
• Her passion for helping people to reach their potential 
• Final words of advice for other women who want to work in the outdoors
• Advice for getting your qualifications 

Social Media

A former corporate business management specialist within the banking sector, she's now fully focused upon soul sustaining adventuring with purpose. Megan has mountaineered across the globe and has scaled some of the world’s most famous peaks such as Elbrus and Mera Peak. Megan is one half of the all-female adventure team Dare two Do. Megan is an advocate of adventures in any shape or size, is partial to an overnight bivi wild camp under the stars as well as an epic self-powered voyage, and is an avid fan of all that’s deemed a challenge.

Show notes

• Walking away from her stable job
• Being drawn to the outdoors
• Heading to Borneo when she was 17 & getting to climb her first mountain
• Getting distracted by university her job and her career
• Deciding she needed to do something with her life
• Running away to the mountains at every opportunity
• Everest Base Camp, the preparation before hand and getting ready to go there
• Arriving into Kathmandu & meeting new people with a similar mindset
• Being changed by the whole experience and having a need to be in the mountains
• Getting up-skilled and learning about alpine climbing
• Her first taste of being scared in the mountains
• How it changed her future expeditions
• Deciding to quit and do adventuring full time
• Having a purpose to her life
• Heading of to Mexico to climb 
• Taking the step and why it took her 4 years to get there
• What will other people think?
• Heading back to Nepal in April 2015 to climb Mera Peak
• Taking some time out to figure out what she wanted to do
• Going to Climb Mt. Elbrus
• What did she want from her life - trying to figure it out
• The decision making process
• Feeling like an imposter
• The Paddle Pick Up with Love Her Wild
• Creating - Dare two do
• The first Challenge - The Grand Union Canal
• Plans for 2018
• The Great Pacific Race!
• Advice and tips for you to follow your own dreams

www.daretwodo.com

Facebook: www.facebook.com/mhoskin

Instagram: @meg_hoskin

Twitter: @meghoskin

Jacki Hill-Murphy MA, FRGS is an explorer, teacher, film maker and speaker and has spent the past few years exploring and filming some of the most inhospitable and remote places on earth. There are many reasons why she loves  being an explorer including gathering memorable experiences that last forever recorded on film and in writing, pushing herself to the limit and being loosed from her cultural moorings.

Recreating the Journeys of the Early Women Explorers Project 

Jacki has recreated the journeys of:

Isabella Godin, the first women down the Amazon in 1769. This was done by travelling down the River Bobonaza in Ecuador and onto the River Pastaza in Peru in a dugout canoe and investigating the real truth behind her story at each landmark.

Mary Kingsley, who climbed Mount Cameroon in Africa in 1894 by a new route and nearly perished from the shear enormity of the the undertaking.

Isabela Brookes, who died in the Llanganates in Ecuador in 1912. This was part of the ‘Search for Gold’ expedition that she organised with Ken Hames of BBC Beyond Boundaries as survival leader.

Isabella Bird, who crossed the Digar-La Pass in Ladakh on a yak in 1889. Jacki relived every aspect of Isabella’s book during her 150 mile trek which included finding the house she stayed in and having tea with the King of Ladakh.

Kate Marsden who undertook a gruelling journey by horse, sledge and cart thousands of miles across Siberia to take relief to the lepers in 1892. Jacki replicated her journey as closely as possible on buses, trains and boats.

Show notes

• Where her passion for adventure comes from 
• The different adventures she’s done since we last spoke
• The Amazon expedition
• Why you should announce your plans and share it with the world
• Figuring out how to make the journey happen
• Finding the one person who could get her down the river safely
• Funding the adventure 
• Liking to create opportunities for others
• The safety challenges of going to such remote places
• The impact of oil and logging on local tribes in the jungle
• The risks and dealing with fear
• Meeting the other members of the team
• Day to day life
• Figuring out the food
• The anti climax at the end of the journey
• Reflecting back on 2017
• Moving house from the city to the countryside
• 2018 - The Lost Inca Trail
• The challenges of the jungle
• Following a 500 year old map…
• Leading a team of all women
• Walking the length of the River Thames
• Under the Sky Events
• Quick Fire Questions
• Heading to Nigeria
• The next dream - Sir Samuel and Lady Florence Baker Historical Trail (Sudan-Uganda) 
• Final words of advice to encourage you to explore the world!

Social Media

Website - www.jackihill-murphy.co.uk 

Twitter:  @jackihillmurphy  

Director of Under The Sky CIC www.undertheskyevents.org