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Tough Girl Podcast

The Tough Girl Podcast is all about inspiring and motivating YOU! I will be interviewing inspirational women from around the world, who’ve faced and overcome difficult challenges and situations, they will share their story, their knowledge and provide advice and essential tips for you to overcome your own personal challenges. Please check out the Tough Girl Challenges website - www.toughgirlchallenges.com and follow on twitter @_TOUGH_GIRL
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Now displaying: April, 2020
Apr 30, 2020
Audrey in her own words..
 
In November 2013, I made a bit of running history when I became the first Scot (and second British woman) to complete my Antarctic Odyssey — the Antarctic Ice Marathon and Antarctic 100km double — in the space of three days, and this is one of my greatest achievement.
 
Crossing that 100k finish line marked both the end of a journey and the beginning of a new one...
 
In 2015, I completed the North Pole Marathon and became the first Scot to complete all 3 polar races. I also added the West Highland Way Race and West Highland Way Triple Crown and 100 miles in 24 hours at the Glenmore 24 hour trail race to my tally of achievements.
 
In January 2017 I became the first person to complete the double extreme marathon event of the Namibian Sand Marathon and Genghis Khan Ice Marathon: 36 degrees to minus 32 degrees.
 
During this podcast we will be focused on what Audrey has been up to since 2017. Audrey will share more details about the double extreme marathon event of the Namibian Sand Marathon and Genghis Khan Ice Marathon. Audrey will share more about the challenging races and what she has learned on the way, she will also share more about the global odyssey and how her dreams and goals have evolved over time. 
 
If you are a passionate runner and enjoy hearing tales of adventure and challenge, then this is the perfect episode for you! Enjoy!
 
The Global Odyssey story so far:
  • Antarctica - 2013, The Antarctic Ice 100k and The Antarctic Ice Marathon. 
  • Europe - 2017, Grand Raid Des Bogomiles 100k. I have run a number of marathons in Europe.
  • Asia - 2018, The Gobi Desert Global Odyssey 100k and 2017 The Mongolian Ice Marathon
  • Africa - 2019 The Moroccan Global Odyssey 100k and 2017 The Namibian Sand Marathon.
  • South America -  2019 The Patagonian Global Odyssey 100k and 2014 The Volcano Marathon.
  • Oceania - 2020 The New Zealand Global Odyssey 100k and the Global Odyssey New Zealand Marathon.
 
Show notes
  • Who is Audrey
  • How she got into running
  • Trying an ultra!
  • Reflecting back on 2017
  • Her goal to run an ultra on all 7 continents and having someone else do it first
  • How it change her ultimate goal
  • Needing a different dream
  • Taking the sense of urgency and time out of the goal
  • Dealing with the extreme heat and extreme cold of running challenges
  • David Scott from Sandbaggers 
  • Menstruation and menopause and impact on training
  • The Global Odyssey 
  • Failing the first challenge
  • Getting some of the basics wrong from hydration to taking salt tablets
  • Dealing with the aftermath of failure 
  • Going to the Gobi desert in August
  • Starting to run without headphones
  • What a normal training week looks like
  • 3rd time lucky with running in Africa
  • Heading to Argentina in April 2019
  • Losing her mum and not being able to run
  • Deciding to head to New Zealand for the next ultra and marathon race
  • Quick Fire Questions
  • Final words of advice to motivate and inspire you
 
Social Media
 
Website www.audreymcintosh.co.uk.
 
Instagram - @aa_mcintosh
 
Facebook - Audrey McIntosh
 
Twitter - @audreymcintosh 
Apr 28, 2020
Gina 28, from Sweden has a passion for travel and adventure, and for pushing herself outside of her comfort zone. Her goal is to “Escape the Ordinary”. Over the past few years, that is what Gina has done!
 
On May 14th 2016 Gina left Sydney on a bicycle, with everything she would need to be self sufficient as she cycled 2,700km up the east coast of Australia to Cairns, where she stayed for 2 months.
 
In early 2018 Gina decided to take on her first big solo winter expedition, skiing 60 days from North Cape to Jäckvik  in Sweden, having never skied before. Since then she has gone on to cross  Lake Baikal in Siberia (Russia), 692 km  over 14.5 days - Going solo from South to North and most recently she did the NORGE PÅ LANGS a 3,000km walk over 3.5 months, from the southernmost point in Lindesnes to North Cape the northernmost point of Norway.
 
During this episode, Gina shares more about her early life, how she got into adventure, how she picks future challenges and what she has learned on the way. Gina also provides top tips and advice to motivate and inspire you as you go after your next challenge.
 
Show notes
  • Who is Gina
  • Growing up in Sweden around horses
  • Why she decided to enter the world of adventure
  • Leaving school at 16 and starting to work with horses in a professional capacity
  • Getting into Thai boxing and trail running
  • Being inspired by podcasts
  • Not being excited by work anymore
  • Starting to look for a new challenge in her life
  • The process behind getting more adventure in her life
  • Deciding to cycle the East coast of Australia with her now ex boyfriend
  • Spending 3 months living in the mountains
  • Dealing with injury
  • Starting to be scared when riding horses
  • What she would do differently on a big cycle trip
  • Where the idea came from for the ski expedition
  • Wanting to see more of her own country
  • Having no experience in skiing
  • Deciding to start at North Cape - the northern most point in Sweden
  • Starting 3 week later than planned due to delayed equipment and bad equipment
  • Doing the challenge solo and unsupported
  • Walking for days in a whiteout 
  • Not being able to make any mistakes while in the extreme cold
  • Think 3 x before you act
  • How this challenge changed her life going forward
  • Thinking about happiness
  • Moving back to Norway
  • Meeting a new man!
  • 2019 - Hiking across Lake Baikal in Siberia 
  • Dealing with the extreme cold in Siberia
  • The importance of good quality gear
  • Getting to the start of Lake Baikal 
  • Dealing with feelings of loneliness 
  • Deciding on the next big challenge
  • Travelling with her partner and a dog!
  • The amazing moments
  • Dealing with winter storms
  • Final words of advice
 
Social Media
 
Website  - https://www.ginajohansen.com 
 
Instagram @ginajohansen91
 
Twitter @ginajohansen91
 
Facebook @ginajohansen91
Apr 23, 2020
Alice in her own words…
 
“I am an adventurer and an explorer. I travel to the furthest places on earth and walk through its toughest habitats. I have been described as ‘Indiana Jones for girls’  (which I liked!) We live in a time when the world is in crisis in so many ways. I want to bear witness to what is happening to the planet as our climate and our society changes and I want to tell the stories that bring we humans together rather than the ones that drive us apart. Together, we can strive towards solutions and a happier world.  What better place to start than with the places and people that are furthest away.”
 
During this episode Alice will share more about her walk across the Sahara Desert. Alice left Draa at Oued Chbika on the 26th November 2019 and walked over 1000 miles (with three Amazigh (Berber) companions and six camels) to Guerguerat on the Mauritanian Border and finished part 2 of the adventure at the end of February 2020. 
 
Show notes
  • Who is Alice
  • The Sahara Expedition - the toughest challenge to date
  • The team of camels
  • The 2nd part of the trilogy
  • The planning and preparation 
  • Starting in November 2019
  • Using an expedition organiser 
  • The challenge of getting water and food
  • The goals and the purpose
  • Reclaiming the word explore
  • Wanting to travel slow and to take in all the details
  • Being a woman and how she can interact with everyone
  • Not doing enough training
  • The start line and what it was like
  • Finding sponsors and getting media attention
  • Thank you to Craghoppers   
  • How expectations didn’t match the reality
  • Team dynamics
  • Getting into routine
  • Walking at 5km per hour
  • Looking for trees in the desert
  • Tent life
  • Being a team member and not just a client
  • Getting water from Nomads
  • Being on an expedition with 6 camels
  • Starting a podcast! Alice in Wanderland  
  • Spending the New Year in the desert
  • Making Christmas special 
  • Walking into the nothingness of the desert
  • Climate change and desertification 
  • Key lessons from the experience 
  • Learning patience
  • Hoping to take on part 3 of the expedition at the end of June
  • Final words of advice 

 

Social Media
 

Website : www.alicemorrison.co.uk  

Twitter: @aliceoutthere1

Instagram: @aliceoutthere1

Facebook: @AliceHunterMorrisonAdventures 

 
Apr 21, 2020
Slow down. Stop running. Pregnant and postpartum women have heard this advice since the beginning of time. Many runners have no idea what they can and cannot do during pregnancy and postpartum, leaving them unsure, scared, and susceptible to injury.”
 
During this podcast, we talk with Kate and Blair about their first book. Go Ahead, Stop and Pee: Running During Pregnancy and Postpartum. This book throws out all those old wives’ tales and proves that women can keep running—during and after pregnancy. All they need is the right information.
 
More info about the book:
 
Written by two moms and physical therapists who also have a passion for running, Go Ahead, Stop and Pee is a fresh voice that empowers women to maintain their running lifestyle during pregnancy and postpartum. Combining first-hand experiences as well as science.
 
During this episode we discuss: 
  • Common myths about running pregnant and postpartum
  • A few key exercises for pregnant runners
  • What the pelvic floor is and why it’s so important
  • The 4th Trimester
  • Tips for running with a stroller/pram
 
Plus much more!
 
This podcast episode is ideal for any soon-to-be or new mom who wants to keep on running and wants to be as informed as possible. 
 
Show notes
  • Meeting Kate and Blair
  • Finding out more about their running backstories
  • How running became a lifestyle
  • Getting pregnant during triathlon training
  • Myths around running while pregnant
  • Myths around postpartum running
  • Key things that pregnant women need to know about running
  • Pelvic floor muscles
  • The power of the breath
  • What is the 4th trimester?
  • Postpartum is forever
  • The reasons for writing the book
  • Kate’s story of returning to running after pregnancy
  • Ending up with a stress fracture
  • Being at a higher risk of stress fractures when you’re breast feeding
  • Blair’s story of returning to running after pregnancy
  • Dealing with a hip injury
  • Taking years to be able to run without pain
  • Having a plan to get back into running
  • Top tips for new mothers
  • Getting a pelvic health check done
  • Running with a stroller
  • Check out this Youtube video for running with a stroller
  • Favourite exercise and where to start 
  • Barefoot training 
  • Final words of advice
 
Social Media
 
Dr. Kate Edwards
Endurance athlete guru, PT, author, biz owner & educator helping
PTs widen the lens on treating endurance athletes
 
Website:  www.katemihevcedwards.com  
 
Instagram @katemihevcedwards 
 
Facebook @KateMihevcEdwards. 
 
 
Dr. Blair Green  - Pelvic Guru
 
Website www.catalystga.com 
 
Facebook @CatalystGA 
 
Twitter @Catalyst_GA 
 
 
Go Ahead, Stop and Pee
 
Facebook @goaheadstopandpee 
 
Instagram @goaheadstopandpee. 

 

Apr 16, 2020
Phoebe Smith is an adventurer, presenter, broadcaster, author, editor, photographer, speaker and filmmaker.
 
By day she is award-winning travel writer, broadcaster and presenter, host of the Wander Woman Podcast, Sleep Storyteller-in-Residence at Calm.com and contributing editor for Wanderlust Travel Magazine. By night she’s an extreme sleeping outdoors adventurer who thrives on heading to the wildest locations she can find to sleep in the strangest places she can seek out.
 
She was the first person to sleep at all the extreme points of mainland Britain – including the centremost point – which she did solo, on consecutive nights in 2014. In December 2017 she gave up her Christmas to complete the self-devised Sleep the Three Peaks challenge – in which she overnighted on the summits of the highest mountains in Wales, England and Scotland - successfully raising over £8,000 and awareness for Centrepoint (the young people's homeless charity) ending on Christmas morning on the summit of Ben Nevis. In 2018 she gave up Christmas again to walk the Hadrian Hundred for Homeless dressed as Wander Woman.
 
In 2020 she will embark on a world first in Antarctica with her teammate Dwayne Fields, in a bid to raise awareness about climate change and how it effects the wildlife who call the place home, and as part of a bigger project to take a group of underprivileged young people to the White Continent in 2021 with her #WeTwo Foundation (LINK wetwoexpedition.com).
 
She is the author of 10 books including the bestselling Extreme Sleeps: Adventures of a Wild Camper,Wilderness Weekends: Wild Adventures in Britain's Rugged Corners, The Wilderness Cookbook and the Travel Writer’s Field Guide.
 
Show notes
 
  • Who is Phoebe
  • Extreme Sleeping
  • Getting more involved in charity work
  • Deciding to sleep the 3 peaks
  • What was involved and the challenges involved
  • Deciding to sleep off 10 UK Landmarks
  • Walking the width of Britain dressed as WanderWoman
  • The WE TWO Foundation 
  • What it was like on Snowdonia in winter
  • Being in a cloud inversion
  • Dealing with gale force winds 
  • Her motivations
  • Sleeping better outdoors 
  • Sleep stories for an app called calm.com 
  • The process behind sleep stories 
  • Becoming a slow traveller
  • Portaledges…
  • Sleeping in a harness
  • How to poo and pee from the tent
  • Using a pee bowl…
  • The Night Vision Challenge in 2019 
  • What Three Words 
  • Not having any kayaking experience 
  • We Two Foundation
  • The challenges of talking about gender and race with companies
  • Having to change the goal due to lack of funding
  • Doing the challenge in the UK - Seabirds to South
  • Planting seeds for the next generation
  • The challenges of the UK weather and dealing with the rain…
  • Human kindness seen on the trip
  • Maintaining moral during the tough times
  • The Wander Woman Podcast 
  • Wanting to go to Easter Island in Chile
  • Katherine Routledge who helped us understand the origins of the Easter Island moai.
  • Getting mad and getting even by telling women’s stories
  • Final words of advice to motivate and inspire you
 
Social Media
 
 
Instagram @phoebersmith
 
 
Twitter @PhoebeRSmit 
Apr 14, 2020
Miriam Lancewood was born in a loving home in a small village in the Netherlands in 1983. After completing her university degree, she worked for a year in Zimbabwe, and then traveled to India. And in India she met her now husband Peter Raine.
 
Peter had resigned from his job as university lecturer in New Zealand and had moved to India to live like a ‘modern nomad’. He had lived five years in India when they met.
 
Together they hiked over eight mountains ranges in the Himalayas, journeyed for years through South East Asia, including Papua New Guinea, and eventually they ended up in Peter’s home country: New Zealand.
 
Miriam worked for a while as a teacher, then they decided to give up all their worldly belongings and move into the mountains with a tent and bow and arrow.
 
They wanted to learn how to hunt and survive in the wilderness, and they wanted to find out what happens to the mind and body, when living in the beauty of the wildest nature on earth.
 
Show notes
 
-   Growing up in Holland
  • Wanting to be a sports teacher
  • Heading off travelling at 21 years old
  • Meeting her husband Peter and travelling together
  • Climbing 8 mountain ranges in the Himalayas 
  • Deciding to live in the wilderness
  • Making it to New Zealand and having to work as a teacher for a year
  • Tramping in the mountains
  • Deciding to spend a year in the mountains
  • How to afford to live
  • What it was like living in the wilderness
  • Learning how to hunt…
  • Deciding to catch possums
  • Not knowing what to do
  • Learning the art of doing nothing
  • Walking the Te Araroa Trail, 3,000km from the North to the South
  • Keeping clean and healthy
  • Dealing with periods
  • Keeping in contact with friends and family 
  • Not taking anything for granted
  • Her relationship with Peter
  • Deciding to write a book about her life
  • Having to find a house 
  • Stress and anxiety in the wilderness
  • Thinking short term to not get overwhelmed
  • Lessons learned from living in the wilderness
  • Walking the Lycian Way in Turkey
  • Second book on it’s way with plans to release it in October 2020
  • Plans for the future
  • Attending writers festivals around the world
  • Learning how to cook and skin the animals
  • The roles in the relationship
  • Why you should read the book and how it will inspire you
  • Not understanding social media
  • Final words of advice
  • The power of sleeping
 
Social Media
 
Website - https://miriamlancewood.com 
 

Apr 9, 2020
In 2019 Mollie set off on her most ambitious expedition to date, skiing solo from the coast of Antarctica to the Geographic South Pole.
 
29-year-old adventurer and motivational speaker, who was born in Devon and lives in Edinburgh, started her world record attempt at 1.40 pm (Chilean time / 4.40 pm UK time) on Wednesday 13 November. 
 
After 58.5 days and 650 hours of skiing alone in whiteouts, storm-force winds and temperatures hitting minus 45C, Mollie reached the Geographic South Pole on the 10th January 2020 at 8.50 am (Chilean time / 11.50 am UK time) – achieving her second world record by becoming the youngest woman in the world to ski solo from the coast of Antarctica to the South Pole.
 
Listen to Mollie as she shares more about her polar challenge, discussing sponsorship, learning how to ski, coping in a whiteout, and the power of positive affirmations. 
 
Show notes
  • What Mollie has done before
  • Her desire to go to Antarctica 
  • The starting point with the plan
  • Figuring out the sponsorship 
  • Creating a “war room” - in the living room
  • Being a visual learner
  • Being £15k short before the start of the trip
  • Getting the final sponsor on board
  • Learning how to cross country ski
  • Training in Norway
  • Learning how to cope being solo
  • Her fears and concerns before the trip
  • Feeling happy and excited 
  • Having a degree in psychology 
  • The importance of having a routine
  • Flying over to Chile
  • Taking advantage of the small weather window
  • The first couple of days on the ice
  • Entering an horrendous weather front for 2 weeks!
  • Letting her emotions out
  • What it’s like skiing in a whiteout
  • Getting into the rhythm of skiing big miles every day
  • Not being able to get the negative thoughts out of her head
  • The power of positive affirmations
  • Figuring out priorities and making better decisions
  • Supported or unsupported
  • Mini challenge for the tribe
  • Breaking the record
  • The lessons learned 
  • Heading home and returning to normal
  • Quick Fire Questions
  • The power of getting started
Apr 7, 2020

Alyssa is the youngest Australian to Summit Mt Everest which she did at 19 years old on the 21st May 2016. Alyssa is also the youngest woman to Summit Mt Everest from both the North and South sides after successfully reaching the summit of Mt Everest from the North Side (Tibet) on the 19th May 2018 at just 21 years old.

 Alyssa began trekking in 2005 with her first challenge, crossing the Kokoda Track in Papua New Guinea. Alyssa then trekked in Nepal, completed treks such as Everest Base Camp and Kokoda numerous times, Mt Kosciuszko in Australia, the Aussie 10 (the 10 highest peaks in Australia), Mt Kilimanjaro.

After completing Mt Kilimanjaro in 2011, Alyssa began climbing by doing a mountaineering course in NZ. Since then she has climbed in South America, Russia and Nepal on various expeditions to different peaks including: Ama Dablam, Aconcagua, Manaslu, Elbrus and four Everest Expeditions.

Alyssa was on Everest both in 2014 and 2015 when the Avalanche and the Nepal Earthquake occurred and closed the mountain. She returned in 2016 to make her first successful summit of Mt Everest.

After taking one year off Everest Season in 2017 she decided to go back in 2018 and make her successful north side attempt via Tibet.

Show notes

  • Who is Alyssa
  • Her relationship with her family
  • Finding her passion
  • People not understanding her goals
  • Climbing Kilimanjaro at 14
  • Deciding to go and climb Mt Everest
  • Struggling in school socially and feeling like an outcast
  • Setting the goal 
  • The lack of female role models growing up
  • Being surrounded by like minded individuals
  • Her 5 year journey to the summit of Mount Everest
  • Doing a climbing course in New Zealand
  • Working with a coach to get physically fit
  • Having mentors 
  • Putting her training to the test and making sure progress was being made
  • Doing a climbing expedition to the Andes in South America
  • Trekking into Everest Base Camp
  • The challenges in 2014 and 2015 at Everest
  • Trying to decide what to do next?
  • Going for her 3rd attempt in 2016
  • Dealing with her emotions
  • Perfect Performance Line
  • Keeping focused while dealing with set backs
  • Paying for the adventure
  • The team dynamics on Everest
  • Caring what other people thought
  • Why the goal to climb Everest was the most important thing
  • What summit night was like
  • 20 mins at the top!
  • The biggest challenge of climbing Everest
  • Life after Everest….
  • Going to uni to study Psychology 
  • Goals and dreams for the future
  • Final words of advice to help you achieve your dreams

Social Media

Website - https://www.alyssaazar.com.au

Instagram - @alyssaazar 

Facebook - @AlyssaAzarAdventurer  

 

Apr 2, 2020
Anna McNuff is an adventurer, speaker, author and mischief maker. Named by The Guardian as one of the top female adventurers of our time, Condé Nast Traveller included her in a list of the 50 most influential travellers in the world. She is also the UK ambassador for Girl Guiding.
 
Anna’s major journeys include cycling a beautiful pink bicycle through each and every state of the USA, running the length of New Zealand, and exploring the peaks and passes of The Andes mountains – a journey in which she ascended the equivalent to eleven times the height of Everest on a bicycle.
 
In the summer of 2019, she set off on her most ambitious adventure yet – a 2,300+ mile (90 marathon) run through Britain… in her bare feet. Starting in the Shetland Islands and ending five months later in London, she weaved her way along rugged coastlines, through small villages, across moors, along beaches, over farmland and even pitter pattered down the odd picturesque A-road too. All the way along, she gave talks to the young women of Britain about taking on challenges of their own.
 
Much closer to home, Anna has also spent a month cycling across Europe directed entirely by social media, run the length of Hadrian’s wall dressed as a Roman Soldier, and the length of the Jurassic Coast, dressed as a dinosaur. As you do.
 
She can often be found writing in a local café in her home city of Gloucester, and will never turn down a slice of lemon meringue pie.
 
Show notes
  • What Anna enjoys doing
  • Why she loves doing big challenges
  • The Barefoot Britain Challenge 2019
  • How 50 barefoot marathons turned into 100…
  • Building awareness for the Girl Guiding
  • Preparing her feet for the run
  • Running the London Marathon April 2019 - 26.2 miles 
  • Dealing with other people’s opinions about you
  • Why you know what you are capable off
  • Asking for help…
  • Starting the challenge in the Shetland Islands
  • Having a kit bag called “Barry Buttercup”
  • Dealing with the logistics and how challenging it was
  • Making it 1000 miles….
  • Getting a small cut in her foot
  • Homeless?
  • Looking for a Doctor who could help!
  • Being off her feet for 2 weeks
  • Getting running coaching to help minimise injury
  • The Running Lab - London
  • Dealing with injury
  • Trigger Point Therapy 
  • Sadness
  • Defaulting to happiness
  • Pink hair and maintaining it!!!
  • Making sacrifices?
  • Choosing happiness 
  • Managing a relationship while doing adventure
  • Trying to have babies!!
  • Let’s talk about periods and moon cups
  • Finishing Barefoot Britain in London and moving the finish date
  • Running multiple marathons on running tracks around London
  • Book update!
  • Llama Drama…. coming out in July!
  • New Kids book - 100 Adventures to Have Before You Grow Up
  • Advice for self publishing your own books
  • The Creative Pen Podcast
  • Final words of advice to motivate and inspire you.
 
Social Media
 
 
Instagram @annamcnuff 
 
Facebook @AMcNuff 
 
Twitter @AnnaMcNuff 
 
 

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