Meet Jacky Hunt-Broersma, a remarkable individual who's shattered expectations as an amputee ultramarathoner, endurance coach, dedicated mom, and cancer survivor. Recognised as the RRCA Road Runner of the Year, WRAL Athlete of the Year, and featured in Strong Fitness Magazine's Women to Watch in 2021, her journey is nothing short of inspirational.
In 2016, Jacky embarked on her extraordinary running odyssey. Her path to greatness was marked by a profound personal challenge—losing her leg to Ewing Sarcoma. However, she didn't let this setback define her. Instead, she set out to build an impressive portfolio of "firsts" for female amputees in trail and ultra running, even securing several world records. She's on a mission to prove the naysayers wrong and carve a path for other adaptive athletes, especially women, in the world of trail running and ultramarathons.
Among her numerous achievements, Jacky's incredible feat of running 104 marathons in 104 days stands out, raising an astounding $194,000 for Amputee Blade Runners. She's also set a new world record as the first amputee to complete a 100-mile run on a treadmill, doing so in under 24 hours (23 hours and 38 minutes).
Jacky Hunt-Broersma's remarkable journey is a testament to resilience, determination, and the power of the human spirit to overcome obstacles and achieve the extraordinary. She's not only a trailblazer but a beacon of hope and inspiration for adaptive athletes worldwide.
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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/
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Show notes
- Who is Jacky
- Living in sunny Arizona, USA for the past two years
- Growing up in South Africa
- Moving to the Netherlands in her early 20s
- Being very sports orientated and spending a lot of time outdoors
- How things have changed in South Africa
- Leaving South Africa with two suitcases and living in a new country
- Struggling to learn dutch when in the Netherlands
- Being diagnosed with cancer when living in Holland
- From diagnosis to the amputation of her leg
- Hearing the news
- Figuring out the next steps and finding out what was going to happen
- Saying goodbye to her leg
- Getting to a place of acceptance
- Wishing she had taken up running sooner
- How running helped her to accept her body how it was
- Going through denial
- Having a pity party and feeling that life was unfair
- Wanting to be normal and not wanting any pity
- Dealing with anger
- Why it’s a process
- Becoming more open about her journey and her struggles
- Taking up running and why it changed her life
- Wanting to encourage more amputees to run
- The expensive cost of a running blade ($10,000)
- Fighting the system to get funding for running blades
- Wanting to make a difference and encourage more amputees to get out and active
- Being surprised at how far she could push her body
- Wanting to push boundaries and distances in running
- Running 104 marathons in 104 days in April 2022
- Being inspired by Alyssa Clark running 95 marathons in 95 days (2021)
- Wanting to see if she could do it and not knowing how her prosthetic would hold up
- The metal side of the challenges
- Dealing with chin splits at the start of the journey
- Getting through the tough days and taking the time to celebrate the milestones and live in the moment
- Having 3 different routes to choose from
- The paperwork needed for the Guinness World Record
- Being strict about recovery and following a routine
- Running 104 marathons and raising funds for Amputee Blade Runners
- Running Boston Marathon - Para elite division
- How to follow along with Jacky on social media
- Future running plans for 2024
- Running a half marathon a day for Cancer Research (for 250 days)
- Planning to run Comrades in South Africa
- Final words of advice to inspire to you in your next challenge
Social Media
Website: www.ncrunnerjacky.com
Instagram: @ncrunnerjacky
Twitter: @ncrunnerjacky
Melissa in her own words:
“After connecting with my now husband on match.com 20 years ago, we realized we had one key difference: he wanted a partner to ‘Sail around the world’. I, on the other hand, wasn't an adventurer. I was a professional woman with a degree in Psychology, dedicated to non-profit work and healthcare.
But my husband ignited a desire in me to embrace life's adventures while we were still healthy. The turning point came when he asked, ‘When are you going to quit your job and sail around the world with me?’
Despite my initial fears and attachments, I couldn't ignore the call to live life to the fullest. We set sail across the Pacific Ocean, and it changed me profoundly.
We continued our adventures by buying an RV and exploring the US, Canada, and Alaska, much to the surprise of our family.
These experiences made me resilient and fearless.
Returning from a sailing journey and hiking the John Muir Trail at age 62, I realized that the world was full of opportunities.
I see people looking at me differently now, sensing my quiet confidence. My adventure started late, but it's proof that life-changing decisions can happen at any age. The question remains: “Do it now or not?””
*Content Warning: This episode contains an instance of strong/abusive language that some listeners may find offensive.
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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/
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Show notes
- Who is Melissa
- Living is San Diego, California
- Not being born into an adventurous family
- Her early years and feeling connected to her dad (who died when she was 4)
- Meeting her husband on match.com about 18 years ago
- Blending 2 families together
- After 10 years of marriage starting to discuss the sailing adventure
- Being a career girl and not focused on adventure
- Not having passion in her life
- Doing little adventures but not committing to the big adventure of sailing around the world
- Waiting for the kids to go to college
- Making the commitment and putting a plan in place
- Getting the boat and needing to learn new skills
- Having a 5 year plan and changing everything about their life
- Not spending more that $25 unless speaking to another person
- Working as a team in a partnership
- Having garage sales, saving money and making it happen
- Starting to change and starting to get excited about the future adventure
- Being called ‘Captain B*tch Slap’
- Being a forgiving person
- Proving people wrong
- Noticing her confidence changing
- Dealing with tangled anchors while a storm is rolling in
- Stats from the trip - the boat (Island Packet 37)
- Starting in San Diego and sailing down to Mexico
- Stopping to take a 1,000 mile car tour throughout Mexico
- Pacific Puddle Jump from America’s to French Polynesia
- Feeling done with sailing after 11 months and wanting to go home
- The challenges of getting the boat back from Hawaii to San Diego
- The dream vs reality
- Magical moments while out sailing and the challenges while being out on the water
- Spending time on remote beautiful islands - the instagram moments
- When the autopilot stopped working and having to steer the boat in 2 hour shifts for 24/7.
- Deciding what to do next and wanting to sell the boat, take the money and buy an RV and travel around the US, up through Canada and head up to the wilds of Alaska
- The challenges of RV Life and wanting to do ‘Boondocking’
- Feeling numb after traveling and feeling lost
- Having therapy and starting to feel again
- Getting into voice overs and having a way to start earning an income again
- Learning to appreciate the little moments and the free moments
- Being done with the corporate world and being a different person
- Choosing to live a simple life and having more money than before, even though they’re earning less
- Renting out the RV
- Deciding to hike the John Muir Trail (211 miles)
- Planning and testing out all the gear
- Why it was one of the toughest things she’s ever done
- Climbing Mt Whitney and the challenges with the elevation gain and loss
- Trying to get equipment and gear to fit her height at 4′ 11″ / 150 cm
- Ending up with an Osprey EJA 58
- Trying to find trainers and shoes to fit
- Watch the videos from the Pacific Ocean on YouTube
- Final words of advice
- Why you need to take an honest look at yourself and where you are in your life
- Why you need to make a plan and get into the details
- Give yourself little mini milestones to work towards
- Start by putting your plan down on paper
Social Media
Websites:
Instagram: @theadventuretravelers
Youtube: @theadventuretravelers
Join us today as we have a conversation with Dr. Katie Myint, an eye surgeon at Moorfields Eye Hospital in London. Her journey takes us from her Midlands upbringing to becoming a doctor and the role running and exercise played in promoting mental well-being.
Katie candidly shares her battle with depression during her second year as a doctor, shedding light on how exercise and medication became transformative tools for enhancing her mental health. As we explore her running journey and marathon experiences, one theme remains constant: the pure joy of movement.
Throughout the episode, Katie discusses her marathon adventures, from running alongside her husband to using races as a gateway to explore the world. She passionately underscores the importance of running as a cherished hobby, never allowing it to encroach upon her daily life.
Katie offers advice on motivation and self-compassion and encourages women to embrace exercise with the conviction that it can be an enjoyable endeavour.
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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/
***
Show notes
- Working as an eye surgeon at Moorfields Eye Hospital, in London
- Her early years growing up in the Midlands
- Being focused on academics
- Learning how to swim with her dad
- Enjoying school and wanting to do well
- Finding her way into sports and exercise as an adult
- Not enjoying sports at school
- Dealing with depression in her 2nd year of being a doctor
- Feeling alone
- Using exercise to improve mental well-being
- Taking the first step to going out and doing exercise
- Not recognising in herself that she had depression
- Going to see her GP and being recommended exercise and medication
- Going on her first run in winter in the rain and the dark
- Her running journey and what that looked like
- Being a solo runner for a long time
- Running to help process her thoughts
- Not having any running goals and using running to improve her mental well-being
- Working her way up to a half-marathon and marathon
- Why it wasn’t about times or PBs but rather the joy of moving
- Running with her husband and using a marathon race as an excuse to go on holiday abroad
- Fitting in running around her job and life
- Not following a structured running program
- Wanting to keep running as a hobby
- Doing 2 or 3 shorter runs throughout the week with one long run at the weekend
- Not letting running get in the way of life
- Magical moments while running
- Running the Barcelona Marathon, Spain
- Marathon du Medoc, Bordeau, France
- Managing the tough times in a race and how to mange that
- The race is just the final victory lap and the journey is in all the runs you’ve done before it.
- Why it can be tricky between mile 16 and 18
- Loving Park Run and starting Saturdays with a run followed by brunch
- Getting involved in triathlon
- Getting her first bike
- Training solo or with her husband
- Doing her first triathlon and why it was a total wash out
- Taking the race at your own pace and not comparing yourself to others
- Being an Ambassador for ON
- Advice for when you don’t want to go out running
- Remembering why you are doing it, but also being kind to yourself
- Stretching….
- Race plans for 2024
- Where Katie is most active on social media
- Final words of advice to encourage more women to get exercise in their life
- Encouraging you to run for the love of it and that exercise can be fun!
Social Media
Instagram: @katietriestorun
Nicky is a self-confessed adventurer, loves a challenge, delights in cold shenanigans and is ready to embrace the next stage of her adventure life. Her super powers are making things happen and connecting people and she is the Queen of pushing herself out of her comfort zone.
Nicky lives in Brighton with her husband, 2 teenage boys and Daisy the camper van.
At 52 her adventure journey has changed many times over the years, from a 20-year-old canoeing and sailing instructor, to a Mum with young children teaching them to embrace the outdoors through camping, building dens and cooking on open fires. Her boys are now in their late teens now and are slowly flying the nest, it is here she finds herself, ready to embrace the next stage of her adventure journey.
Her adventures have included; fire walks, abseiling down castles, coast steering, a cross country ski marathon in the Arctic Circle, a wing walk and running a half marathon in Greenland which included training in an Environmental Cold Chamber at the University of Sussex at minus 20!
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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/
***
Show notes
- Her love of adventure
- How her adventure journey has changed as she’s gotten older
- Where her adventurous spirit came from
- Being inspired by her dad
- Why you can have adventures on your doorstep
- What does adventure mean to Nicky
- Why adventure is so many things
- Why you can fit adventure around your life
- Why adventure is there for the taking, but you may have to be creative.
- Her first job working in a water sports centre
- Working for World Challenge
- Having children and going camping with 2 young children
- Making adventure part of family life
- Having to put solo adventures on hold with having a young family
- Parrot hunting on the Amazon (finding and taking photos)
- Going to the Artic Circle to do a cross -country ski marathon
- Doing a big challenge every year from 40 - 50 to raise money for charity
- Being drawn to the cold
- Needing to do the training to enjoy the experience
- Planning future challenges
- Running her own business for 18 years
- Deciding to go wing walking!
- Doing a fire walk
- Feeling empowered after doing challenges and stepping outside her comfort zone
- Doing a half marathon in Greenland at 50 (a big, bold, cold, challenge)
- Deciding to step down from her business
- Liking a spreadsheet and being organised with her training
- Working with a specialist performance coach
- Working with the Environmental Extremes Lab at Sussex University
- Getting to experience minus 20 and the impact on her body
- Being set up for success and learning how to manage herself in extreme conditions
- Going to Greenland and why it was outside her comfort zone
- Learning how to deal with panic on the start line
- Turning panic into power
- Wanting to run a happy race and take it all in
- Dealing with the adventure blues
- Completing a 5k sea swim
- Working with Genny Brown and helping her with her social media
- Looking at the North Pole Marathon
- Svalbard?
- Daisy
- #pinknicky
- How to connect with Nicky on the socials
- Working with Outside & Active
- Doing an International Women’s Day Sea Swim with Land & Wave in 2024
- Wanting to elevate women
- Final words of advice for other women
- Make an Adventure Action List
- Find people who inspire you
- Take mini steps
Social Media
Instagram: @daisyvw1
Facebook: @nicky.chisholm
Nicky runs an annual event in Brighton to celebrate International Women's Day (8th March), she organises a mega sea swim for over 500 "mermaids" supporting surfers against sewage.
Land and Wave are an Official Event Partner. Join her Saturday March 9th 2024