Tough Girl Podcast

Professionally; Catherine has worked on the beaches of Costa Rica protecting leatherback sea turtles and their nests, and as a jungle guide in the Corcovado rainforest… She held the position of Forest Operations manager for Operation Wallacea, running jungle training courses, and organising logistics for extremely remote scientific biodiversity studies in the forests, mountains and coral islands of Buton, Kabaena, and Wakatobi national park, South East Sulawesi, Indonesia...

She has trekked for 700km down the ephemeral rivers of Namibia, tracking, (and being charged by), desert elephants, whilst leading groups of 17-25 year olds...

She’s built harpy eagle hack boxes in the jungles of Belize, explored hidden sinkholes, crystal caves and Mayan ruins, performed reconnaissance trips and developed a new county project for Operation Wallacea in the cloud forests of Honduras, Central America...

Most recently, she led The Matriarch Adventure, an all-women expedition to Namibia to track desert elephants and experience true wilderness.

Show notes

Being based in Kingston Upon Thames
How Catherine would describe herself
Growing up in London with 4 younger brothers
Being good at school, and being misguided with careers advice
Going to university to do humanitarians and deciding to change subject
Following her first passion, and starting a theatre company
Buying a one way ticket to Costa Rica!
Being caught in a landslide
Training to be an expedition leader
Why she loves being in the Jungle
Coming home after expeditions
Her first expedition heading out to Indonesia working as a jungle trainer
Deciding to move onto the next adventure and challenge
Meeting her future partner and having her first daughter
Underestimated the impact of having children
Deciding to take her children with her on adventures
Heading out to Thailand to work with elephants
Training as a Dive Master
Why she thinks the adventure world has opened up
Why she has moved into leading expeditions for women
The Matriarch Adventure, how it came about and what it was
Building a website!
Wanting to head back to Africa
Her family trip to Everest
Preparing the children for the trip
What she found most challenging about Nepal
Her plans for the future, which include heading off to the Maldives
Taking another group of women out into the wilderness in November (The Matriarch Adventure)
Ted Talk and a potential TV documentary
Working with Bex Band from www.loveherwild.com
Going on a BIG family reunion
What coral bleaching is and what the impact is on the reef
What’s on her bucket list
Final words of advice and why you should go and run with your idea

Social Media

Facebook @matriarchadventure

Twitter @cathadventure

Website- https://www.cathadventure.com

The Matriarch Adventure - https://www.cathadventure.com/the-matriarch-adventure Next date November

Feeling inspired week after week?

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

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 on iTunes! I read every single comment!
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.

Download this Episode

Pip Hare - Professional ocean racing sailor who was part of the all female team who won the 3 Peaks Yacht Race in 2016 0

Aug 15, 2017

Tough Girl - Pip Hare - Professional ocean racing sailor who was part of the all female team who won the 3 Peaks Yacht Race in 2016

Pip Hare is a professional ocean racing sailor, with a wealth of experience over the past 16 years in the marine industry, clocking up over 120,000 miles across the worlds’ oceans, including the Pacific, the Atlantic and as far south as Patagonia.

With steely determination and a high ambition, Pip achieved has taken part in a major short handed Ocean Racing campaign every year since her first OSTAR in 2009.

Since this first race Pip has become the Only British Sailor to every finish the coveted international mini transat race twice as well as winning the 2010 Two Handed Round Britain and Ireland Race overall with co-skipper Phil Stubbs.

In 2016 Pip was part of Team Aperito, for the 3 Peaks Yacht Race, which was led by Elin Haf Davies – (Who has also been on the Tough Girl Podcast)– the sailors on the team were Pip and Nikki Curwen, – and the runners were TV presenter and Ultra racer Lowri Morgan and Jo Jackson.

Show notes

Suffering from the cold
Being based in Poole
Racing in the Caribbean
Getting Pip to introduce herself
Growing up in London before moving over to East Anglia
Sailing from a young age, but not really enjoying it
Developing a passion for sailing while doing her A’level
Taking a year out after A’levels and getting her Yacht Master & sailing on tall ships
Starting to become aware of single handed ocean racing
Making a decision about university and telling her family
Could she have a career in the sailing industry
Remembering back to the first time she was out of site of land
The big difference between being isolation and being lonely
Dealing with a lack of confidence and not going after her dreams until she was 35
Her first single handed ocean race from Uruguay to the UK which took 58 days
Finding a sponsor and why she decided to try
How to plan for sailing across the Atlantic!
Physical fitness and how she gets herself ready for a crossing
How sleeping works while out on the ocean, and why she has learnt how to capnap
Training her body over the years to cope with the conditions on the ocean
The race which stands out as the most memorable
How to qualify for the Mini Transat
Taking the next step up
Winning the 2010 Round Britain & Ireland Race
Planning and strategy for racing
What she loves about ocean racing
The Three Peaks Yacht Race - one of the most epic endurance races the world has to offer
How the team came together in a very short time period
The sailing and the transitions
Doing the Three Peaks Yacht Race in July 2017 as a pair!
Top tips and advice for you!

“The greatest adventure is what lies ahead”

Social Media

Website - http://www.pipoceanracing.com

Tough Girl Podcast

You can listen to the Tough Girl Podcast on the go via iTunes, Soundcloud & Stitcher!

LINKS!

✩ Twitter - https://twitter.com/_tough_girl

✩ Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/toughgirlchallenges/

✩ Blog/Website - https://www.toughgirlchallenges.com/

✩ FaceBook - https://www.facebook.com/ToughGirlChallenges/

✩ TRIBE - https://www.facebook.com/groups/ToughGirlTribe/

✩ Tumblr - http://toughgirlchallenges.tumblr.com

✩ Pinterest - https://uk.pinterest.com/Tough101/

✩ Patreon - https://www.patreon.com/ToughGirlPodcast?ty=h

Download this Episode

Suzy Favour Hamilton - Olympian x3, NYT Best Selling Author - “Fast Girl – A Life Spent Running From Madness”, & Mental Health Advocate 0

Aug 8, 2017

Suzy was the US Junior Record Holder at 1500m and won 3 National Junior Titles in High School.

Competing professionally, Suzy won seven USA National titles, set two American Records, was a three-time Olympian, ran her specialty 1500m under 4:00 five times and at the time was the second fastest American Woman in history. In 2000, Suzy was the fastest woman in the world, but came last in her race at the Sydney Olympics.

Triggered by feelings of inadequacy, Suzy slipped further into darkness and was eventually misdiagnosed with depression. The prescribed drug made her high, too high in fact, and soon, she was working as an escort in Las Vegas.

Only being outed to the world and an eventual diagnosis of bipolar disorder led her to begin the slow process of recovery. Years later, she is sharing her story about her experiences with bipolar disorder as well as her struggles with life during and after running.

Show notes

Growing up and wanting to be perfect, the reasons behind it and what drove her to this level of perfection
Her older brother and how his illness impacted on her life
Finding running at 11 years old
Dealing with the pressure from a young age
Loving running, and when it all started to change
Being ranked number 1 in the country
How she used food to help manage the pressure
Dealing with an eating disorder
When she started to think about the Olympics
Feeling carefree while running
Her first Olympics - 1992 Barcelona
Not getting the support from her coaches that she needed
Competing against athletes who were doing drugs
No focus on the mental side of racing while competing at the Olympics
The highlight from her running career - making the US Olympic Team and beating her idol
Her downfall
Going into the 2000 Olympics after having run the fastest time in the world in Oslo
Losing her brother to suicide before the Olympics
The 1,500 Olympic race - What happened with 100 metres to go
The fall out and what happened afterwards
Falling out of love with running
Being diagnosed at 42 years old
Her rock bottom…
Having her daughter in 2005
Being given drugs for depression
Deciding to jump out of a plane and heading to Vegas to celebrate 20 years of marriage
The spiral into destruction and how she started to cope
Sex was becoming her escape and dealing with hyper sexuality
Fast Girl - A Life Spend Running From Madness
Working as an escort in Vegas - Kelly
Your power as a women
Hiring a male escort
The escorting world…
What is hyper sexuality?
Being exposed via the Smoking Gun Website and the impact it had on her life, her husband and her marriage
The journey of how she got from where she was to where she is now
Taking baby steps and how life is not perfect
How she recovered thanks to her husband
Being bi-polar and the relief that came from the diagnosis
Being able to share her story and be an advocate for mental health
Dealing with shame
Running for fun now!
Loving yoga and how it brought out all of the pain
Her final words of advice

Social Media

Website - http://suzyfavorhamilton.com

Twitter - @favorhamilton

Instagram - @favourhamilton

Facebook - @favourhamilton

Book - “Fast Girl – A Life Spent Running From Madness”

Feeling inspired week after week?

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

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 on iTunes! I read every single comment!
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.

Download this Episode

Nayla Tawa - Producer. Director. Adventurer. Humanitarian. 0

Aug 1, 2017

Return to Kyrgyzstan is focused on raising awareness about the local community and a Kyrgyz man named Hayat Tarikov who is dramatically changing Kyrgyz children’s lives through skiing. It also tells the compelling story of Nayla’s own return back to Kyrgyzstan 4 years after a catastrophic accident there left her on the brink of death. She organises adventure travel trips with a focus on filming stories of interest in far corners of the world.

Nayla was born in the French Alps to an Egyptian father and French mother and has been a devout traveler for her entire life. She is an avid skier and snowboarder with a true passion for the outdoors, adventure and global travel.

“To me snowboarding is not just an obsession, it is an insatiable craving that has lead me to discover new cultures, speak new languages, and form irreplaceable friendships.”

Show notes

Moving out to Costa Rica for 4 months
How Nayla would introduce herself
Being born in France, moving to the states when she was 2 years old
Loving to travel from a young age
Being a student at UCLA
How the opportunity came about to go to Kyrgyzstan and make a film
The type of film she wanted to make
Getting equipment together to take
Putting the project together in 2 months
When the problems started…
The accident in the middle of nowhere
Remembering everything and being the only person not to have a head injury
Living in slow motion
Trying to get out of the car
Being the only one who could get help
Breaking her back in 3 places, breaking her sternum…
Doing what she needed to do, to survive
Getting help and being focused
The danger of catching AIDS
Managing to contact her friends
Being as nice as possible
Speaking to her dad, who is a doctor
Getting back to the States, worrying about a spinal cord injury
Reaching Dubai and it was getting time critical
Getting misdiagnosed in Dubai
The recovery process…
2 years before she’d be able to snowboard again
The mental recovery… how she got through it
Why she needed to focus on the stuff that she could do
Dealing with PTSD, having nightmares, not being able to control her thoughts
Deciding to go back to Kyrgyzstan
Developing a relationship with the village
Becoming part of the story
Travelling back with Lexie
Having her dad join the team!
Heading back to the village
Being able to teach the girls!
Working with the men
Being in post production of the documentary
Feeling blocked while trying to exit the movie
Planning her next trip back!
Having the opportunity to go to the Arctic!
Creating a documentary from the footage
Wanting to start a non profit
Following her passion to do some good
girlgonepolar.com
Final words of advice

Social Media

Twitter - @NaylaTawa

Instagram - @NaylaTawa

Learn more about her return to Kyrgyzstan www.returntokg.com

Feeling inspired week after week?

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

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 on iTunes! I read every single comment!
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.

Download this Episode