During this podcast we also discuss how she was the first person to bum board from over 8,000 metres, a title she gained on Cho Oyu, the 6th highest mountain in the world. Squash has also summited Aconcagua, Mustagata and Mount Everest.

Squash is a fantastic speaker and very passionate about sharing her stories and adventures. One of the many things you’ll learn on this podcast is how by having the right attitude every one of us can achieve incredible things.

We also discuss:

• How it all started for Squash, and making the decision when she was younger to try as many life experiences as possible.
• Her first big mountain attempt in South America - Aconcagua. Learning as she climbed and how she started to challenge herself both physically and mentally

“Whats to lose? What's the worst that can happen? Am I prepared to live the rest of my life this way?”

• Being open to opportunities and being ready to take advantage of them
• The challenges she faced while climbing Mustagata, from dealing with death on the mountain, to horrendous weather conditions and deciding when to turn back
• Advice for dealing with emotionally challenging situations and how deciding to go after your dreams can be hard
• How she deals with failure and why she says it’s not important and why its, your decision on how to look at failure
• Her adventure on Cho Oyu - the 6th highest mountain in the world
• Learning how to paraglide
• How by sheer determination she rode a motorbike from the UK to the foot of Mount Blanc, before summiting  and then flying from the top!

“Fear can focus you”

• Remaining calm while falling off the mountain and what she learnt from that experience
• How the challenge of climbing Mount Everest came about, and how she dealt with the negativity from friends when she told them about it
• Finding her own pace on the mountain and how she used her time alone to think about the challenge ahead and to prepare herself.
• How she found a deeper level of mental and emotional strength, when she had nothing left to give which helped to get her off the mountain safe
• Tips & advice to help you achieve your goals - “If your knickers are right, your day goes right!”

Learn more about Squash by visiting her website  - Come and say hello to Squash on twitter @SquashFalconer . I’m also on twitter @_TOUGH_GIRL

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The Tough Girl Blog has reached the finals of the UK Blog Awards 2016! Check out the blog to learn more about the inspirational women on the Tough Girl Podcast and be kept unto date with my training for the toughest footrace on earth - The Marathon des Sables, which I’ll be running in April 2016!

To be kept unto date on Tough Girl Challenges - Come and follow the Facebook page. Click HERE! 

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

Arita is an explorer of the physical and mental world; she’s spent decades following her passion for the desert, as well as visiting the remotest and most inhospitable places on the planet. She’s ventured into the unknown not knowing how things will turn out. 

This episode will get you to think more deeply about who are you and what you want to achieve in life. Arita will explain, why it’s so important for you to take the time to think about it.

We also cover off the following:

• Her passion for the desert and how she made it a reality after her studies 
• Heading over to Egypt to explore deserts with only her camel, a compass and a simple old map
• The challenges she faces; and how she survived being alone 
• We discuss identity and the importance of knowing who you are - and how the desert taught her, about herself.
• Overcoming fear and heightened emotions. With tips for you to overcome your own personal fears and how you too can find your own inner strength
• What she learnt about herself while travelling in the desert, and how she dealt with her own internal demons
• Why she fell out of love with the desert and needed a new challenge, a new obsession
• Heading to Siberia and looking for the legend of “Shambhala" - Paradise in the Altai mountains
• After seven years of searching Arita found her answer, she also explains how she had to leave her rational mind behind to do it.

A truly unique women, who’s prepared to push herself to the absolute limits, to be judgement free and open to the journey, that is life. Arita is also the author of numerous books which you can buy on amazon or through her website, where she also shares more about her life and experiences.

Say hi on twitter @aritabaaijens

Come and say hello to me on twitter @_TOUGH_GIRL

 If you’ve enjoyed this episode please share with a friend! Help to spread the word about the Tough Girl Podcast!

Learn more about Jo and how she changed her life to became a mountaineer and expedition leader. 

During this podcast we get to experience Jo’s adventures around the world. From cycling in Peru, to climbing Kilimanjaro, Manaslu & Everest. 

Jo shares with us, how one challenge eleven years ago changed her life, she also shares how she overcame her fear of heights and switching her thinking, from negative to positive thoughts. Jo provides advice and tips to help you overcome your own personal fears. 

We also discuss;

• What it’s like being at altitude and what altitude sickness is and how it impacts the body
• Explaining more about Kilimanjaro and what makes it’s such a challenge, and why its so phenomenal. We discuss the routes, and why you can never tell who'll make it and who won’t
• Why having the right attitude is so important for everything you do
• Top tips for climbing Kilimanjaro and why fitness is so important!
• What it’s like walking to Everest Base Camp and the atmosphere when you get there
• The dangers of Everest and why it’s a scary challenge. What it was like being on Everest while the earthquake struck in 2015, dealing with the destruction, death and how she thought it was all over.
• How’s she training for Everest this year and why she’s more relaxed about it 
• Sharing her experience of being one the few British Women to reach the true summit of Manaslu - the worlds 8th highest mountain.
• Learning about ice fields and why it’s one of the most dangerous part of climbing Everest.
• Tips you can use and take away to help you face your fears, and how you can approach and overcome problems.

If you want to support Jo and her charity work - Check out - Place2Be  & Support4Sherpas

Learn more about Jo and the different challenges she’s done via her website.

You can follow Jo on twitter @29029feet I'm also on twitter @_TOUGH_GIRL.

If you’ve enjoyed this episode then please tell a friend and share on your social media. Help to spread the word about the Tough Girl Podcast!