This week on the Tough Girl Podcast, we welcome Emma Wilkinson—a freelance health journalist, ultra runner, mother of three, and co-author of the empowering book Ultra Women: The Trailblazers Defying Sexism in Sport.
Emma’s journey into ultra running didn’t begin until her 40s, but once she discovered the joy of going long and slow, there was no turning back.
In this honest and motivating conversation, Emma shares how she went from half marathons and road running to self-created 100K adventures in the mountains of Snowdonia. Alongside fellow runner and friend Lily Canter, she set out to research and write Ultra Women, a book that celebrates female endurance athletes and dives into the science, stories, and social constructs around women in ultra sport.
Emma talks openly about what inspired the book, how she balanced full-time work, parenting, and running while writing it, and what she learned about the unique strengths women bring to endurance challenges—especially around fatigue resistance, pain management, and mental toughness.
If you’ve ever doubted your capabilities, struggled with self-identifying as a “runner,” or wondered if your body was made for ultras—this episode is for you. Emma’s message is simple and powerful: don’t put limits on yourself—just give it a go.
New episodes of the Tough Girl Podcast drop every Tuesday at 7 AM (UK time)! Make sure to subscribe so you never miss the inspiring journeys and incredible stories of tough women pushing boundaries.
Do you want to support the Tough Girl Mission to increase the amount of female role models in the media in the world of adventure and physical challenges? Support via Patreon! Join me in making a difference by signing up here: www.patreon.com/
Your support makes a difference. 
Thank you x
Show notes
- Who is Emma
- Journalist and runner
- Co-Author of a new book - Ultra Women
- Book: Ultra Women: The Trailblazers Defying Sexism in Sport
- What Emma was like as little girl
- Growing up in Bradford and not being massively sporty when she was younger
- Getting into running in her later teens
- Being far more active now than she was as a child
- In her early 20s watching the London Marathon and wanting to give it ago
- Getting into half marathons
- Running the Sheffield Half Marathon and being sick at the end
- Starting to run faster and joining a running club to make new friends
- Doing her first marathon just before she had children, just before turning 30
- Why she enjoyed running
- 2019 - meeting Lilly (co-author on the Ultra women book)
- Singing up for a 100k - 2 day event
- Falling in love with ultra running - the slower, longer, adventure
- Her friendship with Lilly, doing their journalism MA together, 20 years ago
- Teaching Journalism at Sheffield University
- How the book came about
- Walking the hills
- What do you need to do, to get to the end.
- Needing to be able to tune into your body
- Creating their own 100K 2 days event - on the Snowdonia Slate Trail
- Surprising herself with what she was capable of
- Writing the book at the same time of doing full time work as a journalist while also looking after children and running
- Why are women so good at ultra endurance distances
- Coming from a science background and why the research was so interesting
- How women have more fatigue resistant muscles
- Not feeling in competition with other women
- Book: Invisible Women: Exposing Data Bias in a World Designed for Men
- The lack of research into sports science for women
- Hopefully the research is starting to turn a corner
- Why ultra running training plans are based on men
- Women have been deemed as to complicated to include in studies
- Fatigue resistant muscles research
- Wanting to learn more about recovery and how that applies to women specifically
- Training for ultras
- Women having to use a process of trial and error to figure out what works best for them
- Periods and cycle tracking and feeling different at different times of the month and why the data can be confusing
- Learning more about oestrogen and how it affects endurance
- How the book came about
- Getting the book published
- Are women faster the longer they go?
- Freelancing for Journalists
- Lael Wilcox going after the mens’s around the world bike record in 2026
- The motherhood perspective on running
- Sophie Power
- She Races
- Not running in pregnancy and chaining to walking
- Dealing with separated stomach muscles
- Needing to get back to running and needing time for herself
- Having a chapter on pregnancy in the book and why it’s not the same for everyone
- Pain and women, and pain management
- Sexism
- Creating a manifesto and calling for action
- Do you call yourself a runner?
- Confidence - women - running
- Say yes for signing up for that ultra
- How to connect with Emma
- Final words of advice
- Don’t put limits on yourself, if you want to do something, have ago.
- Women who just wanted to see if they could and they did
- Why not give it ago!
Social Media
Website: emmawilkinson.net
Instagram: @
BlueSky: @emmajourno.bsky.social
Book: Ultra Women: The Trailblazers Defying Sexism in Sport
This week on the Tough Girl Podcast, we’re joined by Lily Canter—an ultra runner, women’s running coach, journalist, and passionate advocate for gender equality in sport. As co-author of the groundbreaking book Ultra Women, Lily is helping to challenge outdated narratives and spotlight the women redefining endurance running.
Lily didn’t grow up considering herself sporty, but after joining a triathlon club in her 30s, she discovered a love for running that quickly evolved into a passion for ultras. What began as a spontaneous 30-mile run turned into a deeper journey into the ultra world—culminating in a 250km multi-day race across Tanzania and a growing commitment to empowering more women through education, coaching, and research.
In this episode, Lily opens up about the gaps she saw in female-specific training information, how she and co-author Emma Wilkinson tackled the research for their book, and why visibility, representation, and equity matter—on the trails and in the media. From coaching to kit, sports bras to science, Lily shares what still needs to change and how she’s pushing those boundaries herself.
Whether you’re curious about tackling your first ultra or passionate about equity in endurance sports, this episode offers practical insight and powerful inspiration.
New episodes of the Tough Girl Podcast drop every Tuesday at 7 AM (UK time)! Make sure to subscribe so you never miss the inspiring journeys and incredible stories of tough women pushing boundaries.
Do you want to support the Tough Girl Mission to increase the amount of female role models in the media in the world of adventure and physical challenges? Support via Patreon! Join me in making a difference by signing up here: www.patreon.com/
Your support makes a difference. Thank you x
Show notes
- Who is Lilly
- Journalist who specialises in running and fitness
- A female running coach
- Ultra runner
- Lecturer at university
- Running an organisation with Emma called; Freelancing for Journalists
- Her early years…
- Not coming from a sporty family
- Growing up in Guilford, Surrey
- Playing netball consistently for most of her life
- Moving to Liverpool as a teenager
- Getting into running in her 30s
- Joining a triathlon club in her mid to late 30s
- Being inspired by an amazing running coach
- Running consistently for the past 7/8 years
- Being busy… and how her career has changed a lot
- Getting bored very easily
- Going freelance 8 years ago and it giving her the freedom to do more things and pursue her different passions
- Getting better at running and starting to enjoy it more
- Varying the types of runs and where she ran
- Building her running confidence
- Trying different races
- Starting to really enjoy running
- Her first ultra which was an accident!
- Running 30 miles on a looped course
- The relaxed, chilled, approach to ultra running
- Speaking with Emma about doing an ultra together
- The lack of information and resources especially women centric information
- Signing up to a multi-stage 100k race in Romania
- Having to figure out her training plan for herself
- Thinking about writing a book about running
- How the book came about and getting the book published
- Being inspired by the women winning races outright
- Wanting to understand why so few women were participating in ultra races
- Dividing up the research and why it was quite straightforward
- Being surprised by the records held by women in the swimming world.
- The mental side and the lessons that could be applied to her running
- What does the scientific evidence say with regards to men and women
- The social construct of difference between men and women
- The importance of being prepared and having confidence in what you know works for you
- Running 250km across Tanzania 2023
- Why it was her favourite race
- Being more aware of the setup of races and how female friendly they are
- Images of women in marketing material, website etc
- The manifesto - call to action - wanting to drive change
- Focused on 6 key areas
- The importance of female specific sports research
- What are women capable of?
- The importance of female specific training guides
- Kit which has been designed for women
- Sports bra testing
- Media coverage and commentary of women
- Equal prize money and sponsorship
- Why races should use the - She Races Guidelines
- Training for 2025/2026
- Wanting to test their limits
- Signing up for Equinox 24 - wanting to run further than they have run before (goals 65 miles +)
- She Trails race in the Peak District - August 2025
- Heading oversees to race a 5 day race in the heat… depending on recovery
- Training programs and making running work for you
- Having a coach for the past 18 months and the difference it has made
- Being more competitive in races
- How to connect with Lily on social media
- Final words of advice for other women who want to be a trail blazer
- Why you need to believe in yourself
- Push your boundaries and try hard things
- Don’t be scared of challenging yourself
Social Media
Website www.lilycanter.co.uk
Instagram: @lilycanter
Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/in/
Book: Ultra Women: The Trailblazers Defying Sexism in Sport
This week on the Tough Girl Podcast, we’re joined by Tania Carmona—a trailblazing ultrarunner, endurance coach, entrepreneur, and the first Mexican athlete to complete the 5 Deserts Grand Slam. From swimming as a national-level athlete in Mexico to conquering some of the toughest environments on Earth, Tania’s story is one of resilience, reinvention, and relentless curiosity.
Based in Dubai and previously living in Scotland and the U.S., Tania shares her path into ultrarunning—from a reluctant marathon finisher to tackling self-supported races across the Gobi, Atacama, Namib, and Antarctica. We dive into her experience navigating extreme heat, physical stress, and the emotional highs and lows of ultra-endurance.
Tania also opens up about the physiological toll of training, dealing with cortisol imbalances, the decision to undergo back surgery, and why she and her husband launched the Ultra Happy Podcast to bring more real, relatable stories to the running world.
Whether you're chasing your own desert dreams or looking for inspiration to keep putting one foot in front of the other, this episode is packed with heart, humour, and hard-earned wisdom.
New episodes of the Tough Girl Podcast drop every Tuesday at 7 AM (UK time)! Make sure to subscribe so you never miss the inspiring journeys and incredible stories of tough women pushing boundaries.
Do you want to support the Tough Girl Mission to increase the amount of female role models in the media in the world of adventure and physical challenges? Support via Patreon! Join me in making a difference by signing up here: www.patreon.com/
Your support makes a difference. Thank you x
Show notes
- Who is Tania
- Ultrarunner, coach and podcast host
- Being based in Dubai, born in Mexico and previously living in Glasgow, Scotland
- Growing up in Mexico City in a small family
- Being into swimming when she was little
- Being a national swimmer
- Deciding to stop swimming at 15
- Moving to Chicago to do her Masters
- Getting into running in Chicago after being inspired by the Chicago Marathon
- Starting running with a free group 3x a week
- Finishing her first marathon and deciding to never run again at 20
- Needing to make new friends after moving back to Mexico
- Deciding to give running another go
- A spartan race…. 2016
- Finding trail running!
- Hiring a coach
- Signing up for a 50k
- Meeting her Scottish husband, Andy
- Moving from Mexico City to Scotland!
- Deciding to sign up for longer, harder races and how her lifestyle started to change
- The 5 Desert Grand Slam
- Wanting to do Cocodona 250km race
- The 5 different, self supported races
- Dealing with the heat
- Gobi Desert in Mongolia - more trails and more hard packed terrain - very similar to Scotland
- Running with really old shoes
- Running in Antartica over 5 days - living on an expedition boat
- Atacama Desert in Chile and why it was one of her most favourite races
- Reducing those feelings of overwhelm
- Focusing on the first step first
- Taking a year off to focus on running
- Working with a running coach
- Recovery runs and resting
- Dealing with gut issues and periods problems
- The impact on her body with spikes of cortisol
- Developing a cortisol hump on her back
- Not sleeping well
- The evening routines and life admin after a race
- Having surgery on her cortisol hump (7 cm by 1.5 cm deep) on her back
- Dealing with more stress, by moving to Dubai
- Ultra Happy Podcast
- Co-hosting with her husband Andy
- Documenting the journey
- How to connect with Tania
- Mini films from each dessert available to watch on YouTube
- Final words of advice
- Live your life with curiosity
- Don’t do it for the likes
- Think about what else you could do
Social Media
Website: taniacarmona.komi.io
Instagram: @
TikTok: @taniaruns_theworld
Youtube: @Tania_Carmona
In this episode of the Tough Girl Podcast, we’re joined by Dr. Sarah Ruggins—a high-achieving investment professional, academic powerhouse, and now a record-breaking ultra-endurance cyclist. From her early days as a national-level track athlete in Canada to surviving complex PTSD and rebuilding her life, Sarah’s journey is one of transformation, resilience, and radical self-belief.
In 2023, Sarah competed in the Transcontinental Bike Race, and in 2025, she took on her most audacious challenge yet: cycling from John O’Groats to Land’s End and back again—2,715 km in just 5 days, 11 hours, and 14 minutes, setting a new outright record.
This conversation dives deep into the planning, training, and mindset behind the ride—from strength work and 3:30 AM mornings to battling hallucinations, sleep deprivation, and pain barriers. Sarah shares her three-part mantra—Focus, Discipline, Gratitude—and unpacks how elite performance is built in the margins: with structure, strategy, and sacrifice.
Whether you're chasing a personal goal or looking for motivation to push your own limits, this is an episode that will fuel your fire.
New episodes of the Tough Girl Podcast drop every Tuesday at 7 AM (UK time)! Make sure to subscribe so you never miss the inspiring journeys and incredible stories of tough women pushing boundaries.
Do you want to support the Tough Girl Mission to increase the amount of female role models in the media in the world of adventure and physical challenges? Support via Patreon! Join me in making a difference by signing up here: www.patreon.com/
Your support makes a difference. Thank you x
Show notes
- Who is Dr Sarah Ruggins
- Working as an investment professional for the past 10 years
- Growing up in Canada
- Being part of a very active family
- Doing a lot of running and focusing on track and field
- Working with the best coaches
- Holding national records in middle distances
- Preparing for junior olympics at 14/15
- Wanting to represent her country at the highest level
- Her teenage years
- Needing a routine surgery on her feet
- Developing a disease of her nervous system
- The impact on her life
- Developing complex PTSD
- Getting back to a ‘normal life’
- Starting to focus more on academics
- Getting 4 degrees in 4 different subjects
- Competing in the trans continental bike race in 2023
- Wanting to understand what her limits were
- John O’Groats to Lands End and back again
- Being supported by a crew
- Working with Rob Lee from RLP Coaching
- What training looked like from Sept/October 2024 to May 2025
- What a typical week looked like
- Working with a strength coach to compliment what she was doing on the bike
- Increasing the volume of training on both the bike and in the gym
- Squats increasing from 45kg to - 4 sets of 5 reps at 110kg
- While working a full time job in finance
- Having her whole life scheduled from 3.30am - 10pm
- Figuring out life admin
- Setting big goals in your life - you need to be prepared to make sacrifices in pursuit of those goals
- Planning, schedules and logistics
- Coming back to the WHY was integral
- Building the team and pulling everyone together
- Reaching out to sponsors
- Wanting to make a history making ride
- Probability, chance and luck
- Going to maximise our probabilities of success
- Being on the start line being 100% confident
- Being forced to be brave and tough - but coming from a place of power
- Wanting to demonstrate to herself her own resilience and wanting to inspire others
- Starting the challenge and wanting to ride to her capabilities
- Working in blocks of 4 hours and focusing on the power.
- Managing her process and focusing on what’s on the road ahead
- Riding 4 hours and then off the bike for 10 mins - the ‘Pitt stops’
- What goes on in those 10 mins
- Eating and nutrition and eating constantly while on the bike
- How her body responded to the challenge
- 3 phases while doing endurance work: phase 1, the first 36 hours - feeling great, phase 2 hitting a pain wall which you need to push through, phase 3 - where you feel like you can go forever, your body has accepted this is just what you do now
- Going though the pain wall and pain gate
- The mind body connection and what was happening mentally
- Developing a 3 part mantra: focus, discipline and gratitude
- The biggest challenge while on the bike
- Not being able to tolerate solid foods on day 3
- Moving to liquid food - Supported by Huel
- Dealing with the sleep deprivation - confusion and falling asleep while on her bike
- Crashing into a nettle bush and going into hyperglycemic shock
- Using blue light to wake her up
- Being ahead of the record by about 7 hours and 175km - stick to the process
- Reaching the end
- The feelings of relief
- Keeping your emotions locked in for 5 days
- Being able to relax!
- 2715 km in 5 days 11 hours 14 minutes. NEW OUTRIGHT RECORD HOLDER
- Her limits….
- Taking the learning and applying it to new projects
- Recovery after the challenge
- Getting back on the bike and back in the gym
- Raising funds for 2 charities
- The Bike Project
- Bikes for Refugees
- How you can connect with Sarah
- Working on a feature documentary about the challenge - due in early 2026
- Final words of advice from Sarah
- Understand what is most important to you, and curate an objective around that
- Demonstrate aggressive patience in pursuit of your goals
- Focus on the small wins everyday.
Social Media
Instagram @sarah_ruggins
I can’t quite believe it, but here we are — the 800th episode of the Tough Girl Podcast!
In this special solo episode, I’m taking you behind the scenes for a personal catch-up and reflection on everything that’s happened so far in 2025 — from January through to August. I talk about what life has looked like lately (yes, still living at home with my parents!), working part-time at AIM Health, the adventures I’ve been on, the challenges I’ve faced, and the exciting things coming up next.
This episode is a bit of everything: gear chat (flat-lay photos and a new Atom Pack!), health updates (peri-menopause, gut health, strength training, and more), financial planning (Patreon, pensions, broken laptops!), plus reflections on my time walking the English Camino, Snowdonia Slate Trail, and tackling the GR20 in Corsica — which was honestly tougher than the Marathon des Sables.
I’m also talking about my motivations for taking on the GR10, what I’ve learned in 10 years of podcasting, and why the mission — to increase the amount of female role models in the media especially in relation to adventure and physical challenges— is stronger than ever.
Thank you for being here with me on this journey. Whether you’ve listened from the start or are just finding the show now, I’m so incredibly grateful. This is a celebration of us — of consistency, resilience, growth, and dreaming big.
🎧 Tune in to hear what I’ve learned over 10 years, what’s changed (and what hasn’t), and where I see the podcast — and my adventures — heading next.
Let’s go!
🎙️ New episodes of the Tough Girl Podcast drop every Tuesday at 7 AM (UK time)! Make sure to subscribe so you never miss the inspiring journeys and incredible stories of tough women pushing boundaries.
💪 Do you want to support the Tough Girl Mission to increase the amount of female role models in the media in the world of adventure and physical challenges? Support via Patreon! Join me in making a difference by signing up here: www.patreon.com/
🙏 Your support makes a difference. 💖 Thank you x
Show notes
- Intro to the podcast - solo reflections episode with me - Sarah Williams
- 800th episode!
- Reflecting back from January 2025 - to August 2025
- Setting the scene - chaos in my room - kit and gear everywhere
- Taking photos for the flat lay gear post
- New backpack - atom pack - needing to go on a test hike
- Agenda and plans for this episode
- Behind the scenes and what’s been going on
- Living at home with my parents since 2014
- Working at AIM Health - structure, regular hours, income, access to therapies
- Aim Health therapies - Cryotherapy, compression trousers, red light, HBOT, rebalance bed
- Impact on my wellness and recovery
- Saving money, emergency funds, breaking my laptop, spending money…
- Saving money for my pension
- Funds from patreon - paying for the website, music, search function, auphonic, Zoom costs
- Root canal - and teeth looking good
- Health - consistent with training, mobility and strength with Franco
- Not trusting my ankles - needing to strap them up
- Adult ballet
- Yin yoga - not being as consistent as I would like (Kassandra Yin Yoga - Youtube)
- Reflecting back - longevity - turning 44 - big jump in aging
- Peri-menopause and menopause
- Bioresonance, OligoScan
- Feeling slightly fatigued - anaemic again? Blood test coming back normal
- Too much cryotherapy? And stopping for the summer so as not to loose my heat adaption
- Feeling everything is coming together and feeling strong and well
- Gut health issues; belches, bacteria overgrowth, wheat free
- October focus will be gut health and working with a nutritionist and Dr Cath
- Home based for 7 months.
- Adventures
- April - Walking The English Camino with Gemma Smith - stats and filming and not having time to share online
- Snowdonia Slate Trail - 5 day practice hike - getting back into the mountains again
- Watch the Snowdonia Slate Trail - vlogs on YouTube
- Why I recommend the Snowdonia Slate Trail
- Public transport back from the trail
- Wanting to get mountain fit
- Hiking the GR20 with Alex Mason end of June, beginning of July
- Cicerone Guidebooks
- Abbie Barns Vlogs on the GR20
- Meeting at Gatwick for a super early flight to Corsica
- Watch the Tough Girl GR20 Vlogs on Youtube
- Harder than Marathon des Sables
- Mentally wanting to quit the challenge every day
- Starting to doubt myself
- Why I didn’t quit
- Never quit on a bad day
- The challenges of the first 3/4 days
- The early starts - 5am starts
- Not eating and feeling rough
- Double stages….
- Having the same goal to finish on the Friday
- Needing more recovery at the start of the challenge
- Always being able to push it on the final day
- Change the plan, not the goal.
- Why I’m taking on the GR10
- The incredible trails in Europe, UK
- Wanting to walk trails and spend time in the mountains
- FKT website for GR10
- BMC Women’s Adventure Film Competition - ‘Make a Difference Award’
- Kendal Mountain Film Festival
- Get involved in the film! Send in your clips! Has the tough girl podcast inspired you to take on your own adventure? (Filmed Horizontal)
- YouTube Channel- update - slow growth
- Being behind with editing the South West Coast Path Vlogs - 40 days of footage - 40 mins per day
- Needing to get into flow with film/vlog editing
- Are you an editor?! E-mail me!
- Podcast update and next recording date in October
- Tough Podcast Extra
- Tough Girl Tribe - 1,600 strong
- Shout out to Patrons - thank you so much for your support.
- What I have learned in 10 years of podcasting
- Why you need to start
- Showing up and being consistent
- Being a learning and continuing to learn and getting better
- How quickly has the past 10 years gone
- How has the mission changed? - It hasn’t! Still the same mission
- Being more motivated than ever before
- Feeling more pressure in relation to getting older
- Being proud of the women who listen to the podcast, being proud of the guests and the women who are going through tough times.
- Website changes and updates!
- Thank you to Rebecca ‘Beck’ Mcpherson for creating the new artwork
- The next 10 years - the Purple Decade
- Over 7,400 miles of hiking and cycling, 13 countries and doing 31 challenges - Pink Decade
- Putting all my goals out there
- What’s going to happen?!
- Would you want to go mega viral
- Founder Marketing and why it’s good for your business
- Goal - 10 Million Downloads
- Goal - 100k followers on Youtube?
- Awards? Film Festivals?
- What’s going to happen?!
- Loving my life and wanting to continue to travelling and going on adventures
- Questions from listeners
- How easy was it wild camping on the South West Coast Path
- Wild Camping Principles
- Bucket List Goal or challenge?
- Pacific Crest Trail
- Group/Team Challenge
- Responsibility and stress
- Repeating any hikes?!
- Appalachian Trail in 100 days now? Easier or Harder?
- Favourite country for camping and free hiking
- Safety and managing the fear on trails.
- Things you can control in advance
- Things you can do while on the trail
- GR10 - I’ll be sharing daily updates
- Thank you for everything you are doing
- 10 years!!!
- Time for you to think about what you want to achieve over the next 10 years
- Have you created your list of goals, your vision board?
- What excites you? There is no right or wrong.
- I believe in you!
Previous Reflections/Solo Episodes
Jan 2nd 2025 - Sarah Williams: Reflections on the South West Coast Path, Health, Money & Future Plans for 2025
Aug 1, 2024 - Sarah Williams: Reflecting on the Past 6 Months and Future Plans for 2024 – Insights, Challenges, and Adventures.
Mar 14, 2024 - Sarah Williams - Reflections & Learnings from the 3,000km Te Araroa Trail, New Zealand.
Nov 2, 2023 - Sarah Williams - Planning and Preparation for thru hiking the 3,000 km Te Araroa Trail, New Zealand. #ChallengeWithZOLEO
Sep 10, 2023 - Sarah Williams - Solo Reflections: A Look Back at the End of 2022, Adventures and Challenges in 2023
Aug 4th 2022 - Sarah Williams - Reflects on the end of 2021 and the start of 2022.
Aug 4th 2021 - Sarah Williams - Reflects on the end of 2020 and the start of 2021.
Aug 7th 2020 - Sarah Williams - Reflections on 2019 & and the start of 2020.
Aug 4th, 2019 - Sarah Williams - Reflections on 2018 and the start of 2019. Plus plans for Tough Girl Challenges.
Dec 25, 2018 - Sarah Williams - Cycling the Pacific Coast Highway & Baja Divide
Sep 4, 2018 - Sarah Williams - Planning and Preparation for the Pacific Coast Highway & the Baja Divide!
Sep 19, 2017 - Sarah Williams - Thru hiking the Appalachian Trail (2,190 miles) in 100 days!
Social Media
Instagram @toughgirlchallenges
Facebook: @toughgirlchallenges
Youtube: @toughgirlchallenges
Patrons: www.patreon.com/c/
In this powerful episode of the Tough Girl Podcast, we meet Tia Banks—a former professional basketball player turned mountaineer and certified resilience expert. Based in Texas, Tia is on a bold mission to climb all seven volcanic summits, one on each continent, using her journey as a platform to inspire strength, courage, and mental resilience.
Her love for adventure began with Mount Kilimanjaro in 2021, where she faced illness, doubt, and the ultimate test of her mindset on summit night. But for Tia, mountaineering is more than reaching the top—it’s about how we speak to ourselves in tough moments, how we dig deep when we want to give up, and how we “climb our own mountains” in life.
In this episode, Tia opens up about her early years in sport, the “suck it up” mentality, the importance of positive self-talk, and her commitment to empowering young people through adventure therapy and her non-profit initiative, Summit Saturday.
If you're looking for a dose of motivation to keep pushing through your own challenges—or to finally try something you've never dared before—Tia’s story will light the fire.
New episodes of the Tough Girl Podcast drop every Tuesday at 7 AM (UK time)! Make sure to subscribe so you never miss the inspiring journeys and incredible stories of tough women pushing boundaries.
Do you want to support the Tough Girl Mission to increase the amount of female role models in the media in the world of adventure and physical challenges? Support via Patreon! Join me in making a difference by signing up here: www.patreon.com/
Your support makes a difference. Thank you x
Show notes
- Who is Tia Banks
- Former professional basketball player
- Certified in resilience
- Based in Texas
- Her early years and having a sporty childhood
- The suck it up muscle
- SUCK IT UP at 6 years old….
- Becoming more aware of mental health on her personal journey
- Getting into mountaineering
- Climbing Kilimanjaro in 2021
- Go big or go home
- Writing her goal in her journal
- Starting to prepare and research
- Working with a breathing coach
- Committing to the training
- Focusing on endurance
- Preparing her body and her mind
- Positive self talk
- Optimism
- Book: Mind Over Mountains: Life Changing Strategies to Overcome Adversity
- Digging into the mindset while on the mountain
- Being sick when she first got to Africa
- Being challenged to do hard things, even when you don’t feel like it
- Needing to dig deep and why it wasn’t just a one time thing
- Holding on to hope
- Summit night on Kilimanjaro
- Stella Point
- Managing self talk and comparisons to other people
- Pole Pole - Pronounced “po-lay po-lay,” it's Swahili for “slowly, slowly.”
- The technique of reframing
- Going into schools and talking about mental health with children and young adults
- Saray Khumalo - first black African woman to reach the summit of Mt Everest
- Needing to ask for help
- Why motivation style changes and different motivation is needed at different times
- Working towards a biggest challenge
- Wanting to summit all 7 volcanic summits on each continent
- Mount Giluwe in Papua New Guinea
- Adventure Therapy
- Non Profit - ‘Summit Saturday’ - taking at risk youth out into nature
- Managing herself to ensure not to burnout
- Wanting to build a better self care regiment
- Self Care Sunday and doing a series on tick Tok
- Holding herself accountable
- Talking about resilience and motivation with younger children
- How to connect with Tia on social media
- Final words of advice for people who are climbing their own mountain
- What’s going to help you have the mindset to overcome your challenge
- Try something new, try something you’ve never tried before
Social Media
Website: www.tiabanks.com
Instagram: @
Facebook: www.facebook.com/
YouTube: @
TikTok: @
In this episode of the Tough Girl Podcast, we’re joined by Sharon Evans, also known as the Free Wheeling Kiwi—a 58-year-old adventurer, storyteller, and passionate advocate for women embracing the outdoors, especially later in life.
Sharon shares the incredible story of walking the full Te Araroa Trail, a 3,000km thru-hike stretching the length of New Zealand. Alongside her partner, she tackled harsh weather, blisters, foot pain, and relentless terrain—proving that age is no barrier to adventure.
Five years ago, Sharon made the bold decision to walk away from her rural real estate career and pursue a life filled with purpose, exploration, and connection to nature. In this conversation, we explore her motivations, the magical (and muddy) moments on the trail, and her mission to empower women over 50 to step into the wild with confidence.
Sharon also shares practical tips for low-cost adventuring, content creation on the go, and how she’s continuing her journey by heading to Australia’s rugged Larapinta Trail next.
If you're looking for inspiration to follow your passion—no matter your age—this episode is for you.
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New episodes of the Tough Girl Podcast drop every Tuesday at 7 AM (UK time)! Make sure to subscribe so you never miss the inspiring journeys and incredible stories of tough women pushing boundaries.
Do you want to support the Tough Girl Mission to increase the amount of female role models in the media in the world of adventure and physical challenges? Support via Patreon! Join me in making a difference by signing up here: www.patreon.com/
Your support makes a difference. Thank you x
***
Show notes
- Who is Sharon Evans aka Free Wheeling Kiwi
- Based in New Zealand
- Going on adventures and telling stories
- Spending time in the outdoors - often being uncomfortable and wet
- Spending time at the beach
- Gen X, 58 years old
- Having a huge amount of freedom and spending time outdoors
- Her passion for travel
- Living in the jungle in Borneo, Malaysia
- Growing up without social media
- How technology has advanced
- Her first camera (film camera) at 15 years old
- Deciding what to do with her life
- Being shy and introverted
- Where did the name/brand freewheeling kiwi come from
- Working as a rural estate agent
- Riding bikes
- Deciding to make a change 5 years ago
- Planning to go to Everest Base Camp
- How plans got derailed because of Covid
- Making the transition and changing your career to follow your passions
- Planning…..
- Lowering her cost of living, being a careful spender
- Wanting to encourage more women to spend more time in the outdoors in nature
- Especially women over the age of 50
- Focusing on her why
- Te Araroa Trail, 3,000 km, the long walk in New Zealand
- Being concerned about the cold
- Starting on the 2nd October
- Walking with Andrew - as a couple
- Having their 1st anniversary on the trail in the Richmond Rangers
- Keeping the pack weight down
- The highlights, challenges and magical moments from the trail
- Not wanting to quit
- Advice for new hikers
- Keeping costs down and sending resupply boxes
- Big food carries
- The extreme conditions and the impact on gear
- River crossings and being cautious
- Gusting winds and being blown off her feet
- Wet feet…. Sand walking, mud walking, road walking
- Blisters…. Losing toe nails
- Getting off her feet and dealing with unbearable foot pain
- Palette fatigue with food
- Coming to the end of the journey and what it was like
- Creating content and stories during the journey
- Creating a 1 min reel/tiktok every day
- How to connect with Sharon
- Final words of advice
- Believing in yourself and your abilities
- The next challenge and heading to Australia to walk the Larapinta Trail (230km trail through the outback)
Social Media
Website www.freewheelingkiwi.com
Instagram @
Facebook: www.facebook.com/
Threads: @
TikTok: @
YouTube: @FreewheelingKiwi
In this episode of the Tough Girl Podcast, meet Ioana Barbu—an unstoppable ultra runner with big goals, bold energy, and a fierce belief in betting on herself.
After winning the Ice Ultra (230km at the Arctic Circle) and the Highland Ultra (125km in the Scottish Highlands) in 2025—each by hours and against stacked fields—Ioana is now going all-in to complete the entire Beyond the Ultimate series in one calendar year. That means racing across jungles, deserts, mountains, and ice—self-funded, self-motivated, and 100% committed.
We dive into her mindset, training strategy, and what it takes to juggle full-time work while prepping for some of the toughest foot races on Earth. From selling her flat to afford the journey, to building her endurance and community from scratch, Ioana’s story is raw, real, and massively inspiring.
Explicit language: This episode contains one F-bomb.
If you’re chasing big goals or need a fire lit under you—this is the one to listen to.
New episodes of the Tough Girl Podcast drop every Tuesday at 7 AM (UK time)! Make sure to subscribe so you never miss the inspiring journeys and incredible stories of tough women pushing boundaries.
Do you want to support the Tough Girl Mission to increase the amount of female role models in the media in the world of adventure and physical challenges? Support via Patreon! Join me in making a difference by signing up here: www.patreon.com/
Your support makes a difference. Thank you x
Show notes
- Who is Ioana
- Based in London
- Working in post production of video production
- Being an ultra runner
- Growing up in Europe
- Moving to the UK at 18
- Living in New Zealand and Canada
- Being into Snowboarding
- Getting into running
- Her younger years
- Growing up with her grandparents in the countryside
- Getting into swimming, ballet
- Starting snowboarding in her early 20s and how it changed her life
- Wanting to get good at the sport
- Book: Power Speed Endurance : A Skill-Based Approach to Endurance Training. By Brian Mackenzie
- Breathe work, breathing, posture
- Running on a treadmill for training
- Training with Altitude Centre in London, in an altitude chamber
- Living in Wellington, New Zealand
- Working with a snowboarding coach
- Don’t think about it too much or you will catch fear
- Always end on a high
- Moving back to the UK and fast forward a few years
- Getting back into running during lockdown in 2020
- Starting to sign up for races
- Royal Parks Half Marathon
- How her running journey progressed
- Running the London Marathon for charity
- Make Some Noise
- Giving a voice to small charities
- Working with Spencer Matthews on his Big Fish Podcast
- Deciding to sign up for the - Beyond the Ultimate Jungle ultra - 230km
- Being surrounded by people who encourage you and support you
- Being told she couldn’t do a 30 miler
- I’ll prove you wrong
- Julian Morgan-Ayres
- The Early Birds
- Is it a race or is it an event?
- Emma Kirk-Odunubi - Running Coach
- To The Finish Line
- Having a lovely time running the marathon
- Adam Kimble - Running Coach
- Kris King
- Never quit at the end of the day
- Doing the right volume of training (6 days a week) but doing the wrong type of training
- Averaging about 30k - 50k a week max - which wasn’t enough
- Running 70k - 100k weeks
- More running and less hyrox/strength training
- Beyond The Ultimate - Jungle Ultra
- Palate fatigue
- Needing to be her own hero
- Winning Races
- Arctic Race - 230km race
- Going out to race and win
- Getting her period in the jungle and ending up doing the short course
- Wanting to make ultra running a full time job
- Global Expedition Medics
- Going into the ice-ultra with such a strong mindset
- Knowing what to expect with snow and ice
- 2025 - Racing the full series in one year (calendar year)
- Self funding the challenge
- Harry Edmonds - youngest racer to compete the extreme sport series
- How much will it cost?!
- Selling her flat and using the money to pay for the race series
- Needing to buy specialist kit
- Approx £30k so far…
- Wanting to quit her job and do this full time
- Dr Freya Bayne - London Southbank Uni Sports Department
- Heat acclimatisation in a heat chamber and why it was one of the best things to do before the desert race
- All female researchers
- How can people connect and follow along
- Final words of advice
- Find people who are like minded, don’t be afraid to join a community
- Inspiring other women to start running
Social Media
Website makesomenoise.enthuse.
Instagram @ioanabarboux