Info

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
RSS Feed Subscribe in Apple Podcasts
2024
March
February
January


2023
December
November
October
September
August
July
June
May
April
March
February
January


2022
December
November
October
September
August
July
June
May
April
March
February
January


2021
December
November
October
September
August
July
June
May
April
March
February
January


2020
December
November
October
September
August
July
June
May
April
March
February
January


2019
December
November
October
September
August
July
June
May
April
March
February
January


2018
December
November
October
September
August
July
June
May
April
March
February
January


2017
December
November
October
September
August
July
June
May
April
March
February
January


2016
December
November
October
September
August
July
June
May
April
March
February
January


2015
December
November
October
September
August


All Episodes
Archives
Now displaying: August, 2020
Aug 27, 2020
Lauren is a single mom with a propensity for adventures, travel, and nature. Lauren works as a travel writer and social media influencer who is passionate about inspiring black women to step out of their comfort zones to have experiences in travel and adventure, to use nature as healing and therapy, and to embrace outdoor recreation.
 
Lauren in her own words:
 
I don’t believe we were put on this earth just to exist. We are here to learn as much as we can and leave our imprints as we go. People have always been encouraged and even surprised at the things I’ve been able to expose my son to. Especially, because as a black single mother, exposing my son to things like hiking, snorkeling, and camping are seen as out of the ordinary in our community.
 
I decided that a life this blessed deserved to be shared. If I inspire anyone at all to pursue a dream, to step out of their norm, and to really take time to appreciate the beauty of the world we live in then it will all be worth it. Being the “Outdoorsy” type doesn’t mean you wear cammo or that you’re any less feminine. And being feminine and liking designer purses doesn’t mean you can’t connect with nature, even if you make a fool of yourself in the process. If this girl can get in touch with her outdoorsy side then so can you!
 
Life is about creating moments and I look forward to sharing my moments with all of you. Adventure is a lifestyle!
 
“It’s only the great outdoors….what are you afraid of?” 
 
Listen to Lauren as she shares more on the Tough Girl Podcast. New episodes go live every Tuesday at 7am UK time! 
 
Make sure you subscribe so you don’t miss out!
 
Show notes
  • Not growing up in the outdoors
  • Her first experience of the outdoors
  • Going to explore waterfalls
  • Making the transition from being a novice in the outdoors
  • Diversity and inclusion
  • Meeting people who were outdoorsy
  • Figuring it out for herself
  • Being intentional about adventure
  • Nature as therapy
  • Seeking peace in the outdoors
  • Starting the blog - www.OutdoorsyDiva.com 
  • Being a girly girl
  • Doing adventures with her son
  • Being afraid of the outdoors
  • Car camping…
  • Camping solo
  • Magical moments while travelling
  • Dealing with asthma
  • Tips for travelling solo 
  • Starting the Outdoorsy Diva Podcast
  • Next season of the podcast
  • Bucket list 
  • Final words of advice
 
Social Media
 
Website - www.OutdoorsyDiva.com 
 
Facebook @theoutdoorsydiva
 
Instagram 
@outdoorsydiva 
@blackwomenoutdoors
 
Twitter 
@outdoorsy_diva
 
Aug 25, 2020
Alex in her own words: 
 
I had my first taste of climbing mountains in March 2012 when I made a solo three-week trek in the Nepal Himalayas. The experience was life changing and inspired me to reach even greater heights by setting one of the biggest goals of my life so far – to climb the 7 summits.
 
I tackled the first of the 7 summits on 9 June 2014 as a very proud member of the first team to summit Russia’s Mt. Elbrus, the highest mountain in Europe, from the difficult north side in pre-season.
 
Less than six weeks later, on the 17th of July, I successfully climbed Mont Blanc solo, without a guide, team or support. I summited at 6.45am, reaching the top in just over four hours. 
 
I have also successfully summited Kilimanjaro in September, second of my 7summits. 
 
On the 6th of December 2014, I stood on the top of the highest point of Antarctica, Mt Vinson. 
 
After months of hard training and preparation I summited one of the most difficult one; North America’s highest peak Denali in June 2015. 
 
Continuing my 100% summit success, I climbed Aconcagua in South America on the 2nd of January 2016, the highest mountain in the world outside the Himalayas and stood on the top of Oceania's highest point, Carstensz Pyramid in Indonesia on the 19th of March 2017.
 
To keep pushing my boundaries, I successfully climbed the Matterhorn in August 2017 without acclimatisation. After a 6-months focused training I scaled Mt Everest, the highest mountain in the world on the 18th of May 2018. 
 
New episodes every Tuesday and Thursday at 7am UK time - Make sure you hit that subscribe button so you don’t miss out. 
 
The tough girl podcast is sponsorship and ad free thanks to the monthly financial support of patrons. To find out more about supporting your favourite podcast and becoming a patron please check out www.patreon.com/toughgirlpodcast.
 
Show notes
  • Growing up in Hungary
  • Coming from a sporty family
  • Moving to the UK 14 years ago
  • Building a career in marketing
  • Deciding to make a change in her life
  • Quitting her job in 2012 with no plans
  • Travelling to Nepal
  • Falling in love with the mountains
  • Making the decision to climb the 7 summits
  • Overcoming her fear of heights
  • Heading off to climb Mt. Elbrus 
  • Putting a plan in place to climb the 7 summits
  • Practical steps of making it happen
  • Writing everything down
  • Focusing on safety
  • Working with local guides and companies
  • Funding and paying for the 7 summits
  • Taking out a loan and maxing out credit cards
  • Feeling exhausted from the challenge
  • Reflecting back on the different mountains 
  • Doing more research and asking more questions
  • Surrounding yourself with positive people
  • Feeling ready to take on the mountains
  • Not telling many people at the start
  • Why climbing Mt. Aconcagua was so hard
  • Struggling with injury 2 weeks before the start
  • Turning the negatives into positives
  • Leaving for the summit…
  • Dealing with adventure blues
  • Challenges and adventures after Mt Everest
  • Her passion for mountain biking 
  • Thinking about the next challenge
  • The impact of Covid 
  • Follow along with the adventures
  • Final words of advice and why you should just go for it.
 
Social Media
 
Website http://www.alex7summits.com 
 
Instagram @alex7summits
 
Aug 20, 2020
Fighting Chance is written by Alicia Doyle, an award-winning journalist who discovered boxing at age twenty-eight in the late 1990s when she went on assignment at a boxing gym for at-risk youth called Kid Gloves. 
 
For two years, she simultaneously worked as a newspaper reporter while training and competing as a boxer, making her one of only a few hundred women in America who infiltrated this male-dominated sport. 
 
During her boxing career, she won two Golden Gloves championship titles and earned three wins by knockout – and her pro debut at age thirty in the year 2000 was named The California Female Fight of the Year. Fighting Chance offers an inside look at what’s considered the toughest sport known to man.
 
*Trigger Warning - abuse & domestic violence is mentioned during this episode.
 
New episodes of the Tough Girl Podcast go live every Tuesday at 7am UK time! Make sure you subscribe so you don’t miss out!
 
Show notes
  • Who is Alicia
  • Not being sporty growing up
  • Discovering boxing at 28
  • Not respecting boxing 
  • Working as a journalist
  • Breaking up with an abusive partner
  • Learning new skills in boxing
  • Feeling intimidated at the gym
  • Being the only female doing boxing
  • Earning respect
  • Not wanting to step into the ring and fight
  • Women being allowed to box in the Olympics 2012
  • Being a pioneer in the sport
  • Fighting for equality
  • Being changed from the inside out
  • How boxing changed other areas of her life
  • Being terrified and scared
  • Managing fear
  • Being in the moment
  • Being brutally honest and facing pain
  • Managing emotions 
  • The power of visualisation 
  • Training while working a full time job
  • The benefits of skipping
  • Moving from amateur to pro boxing
  • How boxing has changed over the past 30 years
  • The support and encouragement from men
  • Deciding to write the book 
  • Being afraid of being vulnerable
  • Wanting to help other women by sharing her story 
  • Why you should give boxing ago
  • The stronger your body - the stronger your mind
  • Building confidence through your body
  • The movie!
  • Who will play Alicia in the movie?
 
Social Media
 
Website https://aliciadoyle.com 
 
Instagram @disasterdivaboxer
 
Facebook @fightingchanceauthor
 
Twitter @aliciakdoyle
 
Aug 18, 2020
Lipa was formally a semi-professional footballer and now she's a grassroots coach and sports activist. Lipa's passion for football is constantly growing and led her to coin her catchphrase “I’m going to change the world with a hijab on my head and a ball at my feet.” 
 
Lipa wants to be the change, and will continue to challenge herself and engage with minority communities; by doing so her catchphrase will become a reality.
 
Lipa is a co-founder of the podcast called ‘I Think She’s Offside’ where she and co-host Fadumo Olow talk about all things woman’s sports. The podcast aims to stay connected to the local community, discussing The FA’s Women Super League with some BPL. Lipa and Fadumo came up with the podcast to give underrepresented individuals a voice.
 
New episodes of the Tough Girl Podcast go live every Tuesday at 7am UK time! Make sure you subscribe so you don’t miss out!
 
Show notes
  • What Lipa does
  • Here passions for sports
  • Playing semi-professional sports
  • Being a little feminist 
  • Having a supportive family
  • Challenging the PE teachers to make sure she could play football
  • Being encouraged to do a trial for a local football team
  • Becoming part of a team
  • Training 3x a week
  • Progressing to the first team
  • Gaining new confidence
  • Making decisions boldly
  • Starting to hate football
  • Deciding to go to university and choosing her course..
  • "I’m going to change the world with a hijab on my head, and a ball at my feet.”
  • Striving for more
  • The lack of women across all levels of sport
  • Being pushed beyond her comfort zone
  • Supportive men
  • Feeling fed up about the lack of change
  • Becoming a coach 
  • The challenging of working with children
  • Getting more girls involved in football from a young age
  • Starting 'I Think She's Offside' Podcast
  • Making change happen
  • Being proactive
  • Being self employed while doing a rebrand for the podcast
  • Being an Ambassador for the Youth Sport Trust
  • Being at the Women’s World Cup in France 2019
  • Final words of advice for you
 
 
Social Media
 
Instagram 
 
@lipa_nessa
@sheisoffside
 
Twitter 
 
@Lipsy_28
@sheisoffside
 
Aug 13, 2020
Ailsa, 39, is an ultra endurance athlete who has a passion for long distances races and triathlons! Ailsa holds six course records and two overall wins at the ultra-running distance. In 2017 she won the 50K and 100 mile Canadian National Champion title. In 2018 she won Ironman Canada. As well as training for her races, Ailsa also balances a full time job in an oil field in Northern Alberta. 
 
During this podcast Ailsa shares more about her passion for running, how she got into cycling and swimming, how she coaches and trains herself, as well as sharing more about mental resilience and how she has developed her mindset over the years.
 
Listen to Ailsa as she shares her story on the Tough Girl Podcast. New episodes every Tuesday and Thursday at 7am UK time - Make sure you hit that subscribe button so you don’t miss out. 
 
The tough girl podcast is sponsorship and ad free thanks to the monthly financial support of patrons. To find out more about supporting your favourite podcast and becoming a patron please check out www.patreon.com/toughgirlpodcast.
 
Show notes
  • Ailsa in her own words
  • Spending her summers in Scotland
  • Living in Canada
  • Getting into running and cycling
  • Training for her first marathon 
  • Building up her swim fitness
  • Finding a talent for endurance events
  • Her love for running and keeping fit
  • Being her own coach
  • Working in the oil fields
  • 10 days on - 10 days off
  • The mental side of races
  • Strategy for 100 miles races
  • Hitting mental lows and going into a downward spiral
  • Hitting a low point around the 80K mark
  • Doing her first 100 mile race
  • Using neurofeedback  to help with race preparation
  • Dealing with solitude while running
  • Thinking while running
  • Tips to maintaining positivity while running
  • Western States 100 miler and the mistakes she made
  • Dealing with the pressure of performance
  • Not wanting to let people down
  • Learning from her mistakes
  • Suffering
  • Ironman Canada 2018
  • Being a competitive person
  • Final words of advice.
 
Social Media
 
Instagram @ailsamacdonaldrunner
Aug 11, 2020
Nicole purchased Girls Fight Back in 2020 because of her passion for empowering women and helping others. She is dedicated to bringing the message of living a fearless life and combating violence to millions of young women across the country. 
 
Nicole received a full scholarship to Cal State Long Beach as a President’s Scholar, and graduated Summa Cum Laude with a BA in Speech Communication.  Her self-defense training includes IMPACT LA (where she is also a lead instructor), Defense Against the Armed Assailant training, FAST defense & the GFB Speaker Academy.  
 
Nicole is an NACP Credentialed Advocate and currently sits on the board of IMPACT Personal Safety.  Nicole was featured in a self-defense instructional video by Tastemade Travel that won a People’s Voice Webby Award in May 2020 and she is the creator of Outdoor Defense, an IGTV series that aims to help people stay safe while enjoying the outdoors.  
 
She is a collaborative partner with Difference Makers (10 Strong) and has traveled the world speaking and facilitating workshops at military installations, colleges, high schools, corporations, and private groups.  In 2017 she volunteered in Fiji to teach self-defense to the women and girls in local villages.  
 
On her spare time, Nicole loves to hike, camp, horseback ride, play sports and travel the world; often on her own and is an active volunteer in her community.
 
Show notes
  • What Nicole does
  • Family
  • Travelling solo for the first time
  • Learning self defence 
  • Wanting to be prepared 
  • Getting involved in a social justice group
  • Girls Fight Back
  • Becoming the CEO of Girls Fight Back
  • Practical tips and advice
  • Trusting your intuition 
  • The Gift of Fear - By Gavin de Becker
  • Working in Fiji 
  • The power of education
  • Black Girls Trekking
  • Dealing with fears for new hikers hiking for the first time
  • Doing a land acknowledgement
  • Hiking in New Zealand
  • Why hiking is meditative 
  • The restorative power of nature
  • Dealing with Covid
  • Taking the Girls Fight Back program online
  • Becoming an urban hiker
  • Tips and advice for new hikers
  • Doing preparation for your hike
  • You are powerful - You are a force
  • Plans for the future of Girls Fight Back
  • Dreaming big
 
Social Media
 
Website http://www.girlsfightback.com 
 
Facebook @girlsfightback
 
Instagram
Twitter @girlsfightback
Aug 7, 2020
On the 5th Year Anniversary of the Tough Girl Podcast I’ve taken this as an opportunity to share more about what’s been going on over the past 12 months and sharing more about what’s been happening behind the scenes and answering questions from the patrons and members of the tough girl tribe community. 
 
If you would like to listen to other solo episodes these can be found here:
 
2016 - Reflections for 2016 & Plans for 2017 (Released 30th December 2016)
 
2017 - Reflecting on 2017 and the plans for 2018 (Released 30th Dec 2017)
 
2018 - Reflections on 2018 and the start of 2019. Plus plans for Tough Girl Challenges. (Released 4th August 2019)
 
********************************************************
 
Marathon des Sables - Sarah Williams - psychological demands and overcoming mental challenges, being interviewed by Ali Mahoney-Johnson (6th October 2016)
 
Boxing - Sarah Williams - answering all your questions about Boxing! (Released 8th December 2018)
 
Appalachian Trail - Sarah Williams - Thru hiking the Appalachian Trail (2,190 miles) in 100 days! (Released 19th September 2017)
 
Pacific Coast Highway - Sarah Williams - Planning and Preparation for the Pacific Coast Highway & the Baja Divide! (4th September 2018)
 
Pacific Coast Highway - Sarah Williams - Cycling the Pacific Coast Highway & the Baja Divide! (Released 24th December 2018)
 
********************************************************
New episodes every Tuesday and Thursday at 7am UK time - Make sure you hit that subscribe button so you don’t miss out. 
 
The tough girl podcast is sponsorship and ad free thanks to the monthly financial support of patrons. To find out more about supporting your favourite podcast and becoming a patron please check out www.patreon.com/toughgirlpodcast.
 
 
Show notes
  • Who I am and what I do 
  • A brief history of my background
  • The start of Tough Girl Challenges in 2014
  • Personal challenges
  • The mission of the tough girl podcast
  • Why I started the Tough Girl Podcast
  • Starting on the 4th August 2015
  • The lack of female role models
  • Not wanting to complain about it
  • Finding guests
  • Doing batch interviewing
  • Reflecting back over the past year
  • August 2019 onwards
  • Not having any plans in 2019
  • Pre-loading podcast content until the end of November
  • Keeping my options open
  • Working with Cicerone 
  • Walking the Camino Portuguese
  • Speaking with Kat Davies about walking the Lycian Way, Turkey
  • Starting 2020 in Australia 
  • The first 6 months of the year
  • The challenges of adventuring with somewhere else
  • Getting the balance right
  • Using the world Harmony 
  • Don’t compare yourself to other people
  • Doing long solo trips and loneliness
  • Training and working with a personal trainer
  • Luxury Items….
  • Having doubts on the Overland Track
  • Inspiration….
  • What would I do differently
  • What I’ve learned about myself
  • Being patience and enjoying the journey 
  • Numbers from the podcast and Social Media!
  • Hitting 1 Million downloads in December 2019
  • 50,000 listens in 1 month….
  • What is next…
  • What 2020 was going to be..
  • 10 year plan…
  • Being at home 
  • Wanting to be the most productive person I could be…
  • Getting out of good habits
  • Final 6 month of the year
  • Not wanting to waste this time
  • Needing a goal to work towards for the end of the year
  • Focus on podcasting, health and building strength
  • THANK YOU to YOU!!
  • Getting closer to hitting 300 patrons - currently at 288 Patrons strong!!! 
  • Being worried about Covid and it’s impact
  • Focusing on what I can control 
 
Social Media
 
✩ Twitter - @_TOUGH_GIRL 
✩ Instagram - @toughgirlchallenges 
✩ FaceBook - @toughgirlchallenges 
✩ Pinterest - https://uk.pinterest.com/Tough101/ 
✩ Patreon - https://www.patreon.com/ToughGirlPodcast?ty=h

 

Aug 6, 2020
Mya-Rose in her own words:
 
“I love birds and wildlife & am a naturalist, conservationist and environmentalist wanting to save our planet and everything on it. I believe that we have to do everything we can to save the environment from damage and I want to try and persuade as many people about that as possible, especially those in power. 
 
Birding in different countries has given me the opportunity to see the damage being inflicted on places and the indigenous peoples who live in them, by our consumerism in the Global North. I believe that climate activism must demand global climate justice which is not happening at the moment.
 
I am an anti-racism activist, writer, speaker, journalism and broadcaster. I have had over four and a half million views on my blog, www.birdgirl.com from around the world. 
 
I am also an anti-racism activist and campaigner, fighting for Visible Minority (VME) Ethnic people to have equal access to nature and wildlife films. I also fight for the rights of indigenous peoples especially against the conservation movement.”
 
 
Show notes
  • How she got the name “Bird Girl”
  • Her passion for birding
  • What twitching is
  • How does bird watching work?
  • Being a competitive bird watcher when she was younger
  • Seeing over half the world birds!
  • Her favourite place to birdwatch 
  • A favourite bird….
  • Birding in Brazil
  • Female role models in birding
  • Being inspired by - Phoebe Snetsinger 
  • Liking birding in a non scientific way
  • Wanting to study Politics and International Relations at University
  • Her passion for the environment and life as an activist
  • Black to Nature
  • Being involved in campaigns 
  • Dealing with the pressure of an online presence
  • Starting a conversation about race 
  • Being an Ambassador for Bristol 2015 focusing on green issues
  • Maintaining momentum
  • Planning….
  • Learning new skills
  • Advice and tips for people who want to get into activism
  • Why you do have a voice 
  • The power of talking about what you care about
  • Making sure not to burn yourself out
  • ‘C’ Licence - what is it?
  • Birdwatching in the UK
  • Advocating for trees and why they are so important
  • Plans for the future
  • Gaining in confidence
  • Having difficult conversations
  • Final words of advice 
 
Social Media
 
Website - http://www.birdgirluk.com
 
Facebook - @myarosebirdgirlcraig
 
Instagram @BirdgirlUK
 
Twitter @BirdgirlUK
Aug 4, 2020
Saray is the first black African woman to ski to the South Pole and summit Mt Everest 66 years after the mountain was first summited in 1953.  
 
Saray is an award-winning mountaineer and a business executive with over 18 years’ experience in industry leading blue-chip companies which drive innovation and change both locally and internationally. 
 
Through mountaineering and @summitswithapurpose, she has raised over R1.5 million towards literacy and education in Africa.  As a Mandela Libraries ambassador and a social entrepreneur Saray continues to push boundaries both professionally and in mountaineering.
 
You can listen to Saray on the Tough Girl Podcast, new episodes are every Tuesday at 7am UK time!
 
Show notes
  • Who is Saray
  • What life was like growing up
  • Being 1 of 7 girls
  • Her passion for education 
  • The sky is the limit
  • Being a tomboy
  • Being part of a community
  • Why education is so important
  • Why the world is a global village
  • Losing her older sister
  • Wanting to climb Mount Kilimanjaro 
  • Making the decision to climb the 7 summits (the 7 highest mountains on every continent)
  • How it evolved into the Explorers Grand Slam
  • Summits with a Purpose
  • Encouraging other people to get outdoors
  • Finding a mentor
  • Needing to train differently for every adventure
  • Her first Mt Everest summit attempt in 2014
  • Struggling to find sponsorship and self funding the adventure
  • Making the decision to go back Mt Everest in 2015
  • Becoming more committed
  • Being in an earthquake in 2015 on Mt Everest
  • Going to pray
  • Almost dying in 2016 after a mountain biking accident put her in a coma for 3 weeks
  • Recognising and celebrating the small wins 
  • Getting 100m from the summit
  • Being left to die in the dead zone on Mt Everest
  • Starting to question everything
  • Risk versus reward
  • Figure out the why 
  • Figure out what you can do differently and go back
  • Deciding to go back in 2019
  • Feeling invincible and ready to take on anything
  • Failing forward
  • Leaning how to ski at the South Pole
  • Only being able to trust her compass
  • Mental resilience and determination during challenges
  • Coping with Covid
 
Social Media 
 
Website https://www.saraykhumalo.com 
 
Facebook @saraykhumaloSpeaker
 
Instagram @saraykhumalo
 
Twitter  @saraykhumalo
Aug 4, 2020
Zahrah is a Muslim woman of South Asian heritage, who lives in Scotland. Zahrah got into hiking three years ago when a friend took her out for a walk to reduce the stress of her chartered accountant exams. Zahrah shares her walks on instagram where she is know as @the_hillwalking_hijabi.
 
Zahrah is passionate about getting people outdoors, she share her walks and hopes others will be inspired to give it a go. Zahrah especially wants to help encourage other Muslim women to spend time outdoors, so that they too can experience the physical and mental benefits which she enjoys. 
 
During this episode Zahrah shares more about how she got into walking, what it was like taking on Ben Nevis and what keeps her motivated when things get tough, she also shares more about the benefits that she has enjoyed from spending time outside. 
 
You can listen to Zahrah on the Tough Girl Podcast, new episodes are every Tuesday at 7am UK time!
 
 
Show notes
  • Getting into hill walking
  • What it was like going into the hills for the first time
  • Not getting hooked straight away
  • The relief of making it to the top
  • Chatting about gear
  • Gaining confidence in the hills
  • Getting support from the online community
  • Dealing with stereotypes in the hills
  • Sharing her stories on Instagram
  • Keeping motivated when things get tough
  • Snacks 
  • How hillwalking has helped with self confidence and stress
  • Going through a divorce
  • Climbing Ben Nevis
  • Maintaining fitness
  • Quick Fire Questions
  • Final words of advice
 
Social Media
 
Instagram @the_hillwalking_hijabi
 
Blog - https://thehillwalkinghijabi.wordpress.com
Aug 4, 2020
Karen Darke is a British Paraplegic adventurer, athlete and author. Karen was a keen runner and mountaineer (climbing both Mont Blanc and the Matterhorn), however, at 21 years old, she was paralysed from the chest down following an accident, whilst sea cliff climbing. 
 
Karen has continues to go follow her interests and passions and loves going on adventures, which have included, hand cycling over 2,000 miles from Canada to Mexico down the Pacific Coast Highway, which she did in 2017. 
 
Karen also become the first paraplegic woman to handcycle across the Himalayas, sea kayak from Canada to Alaska (1500 km, 2003), skied across the Greenland Ice Cap (a trip of over 600 kilometres, 2006), and climbed the kilometre high overhanging rock-face of El Capitan. She has also hand-cycled down the Silk Route, the length of Japan and across Tibet. 
 
During this episode Karen share more about her personal challenges, Quest 79 and the Pole of Possibility.
 
You can listen to Karen on the Tough Girl Podcast, new episodes are every Tuesday at 7am UK time!
 
Show notes
  • Being a modern day Alchemist
  • Why 79 is such a special number
  • What quest 79 is
  • Wanting to encourage other people to step outside their comfort zone
  • Winning the gold medal at Rio
  • The defining moments in her career
  • Surprising herself with her performance
  • Working with a sports psychologist
  • Asking the question - Who am I? Who are you?
  • The Wild Way
  • Having something to look forward to after the Rio Olympics
  • Getting resupply on the route
  • Struggling to wild camp in Chile 
  • Loving the Himalayas 
  • Dealing with descents 
  • Riding into Katmandu
  • Not being supported by a team
  • Doing adventures and journeys with people you don’t know
  • Overcoming challenges
  • Working towards a common goal
  • The pole of possibility
  • The importance of having a purpose
  • Partnering with the Polar Academy 
  • Dealing with the cold
  • Regulating her body temperature
  • 79 is the atomic number for gold
  • Inner gold
  • Why it’s always about the journey
  • The connection of the inner and outer worlds
  • Learning from every journey 
  • Why you have to feel your emotions
  • How Covid has impacted on Karen
  • Writing books
  • The Adventure Mindset Program
  • Final words of advice
 
Social Media
 
Website - https://www.karendarke.com 
 
Facebook @karenquest79
 
Instagram @handbikedarke
 
Twitter @kdarke
Aug 4, 2020
After a year of facing her childhood fear of open seas, Lungi wrote her name in history by being the first African female to sail to the Arctic on her recent climate change and plastic pollution expedition to the North Pole. 
 
The 34-year-old’s professional background is in banking but, after taking up sailing in 2016, she's already achieving what most people can only ever dream of.
 
Lungi shares more about her early life, her passions for sailing, and the environment as well as more about her big dream to sail around the world solo. Lungi has recently completed her Yachtmaster Ocean at the UK Sailing Academy and has shared her story on the TedX stage.
 
Lungi is inspiring girls to break free from limiting beliefs and pursue their dreams whatever they may be.
 
You can listen to Lungi on the Tough Girl Podcast - new episodes are every Tuesday at 7am UK time, make sure you hit that subscribe button so you don’t miss out.
 
Show notes
  • Who is Lungi
  • Lungi’s passions and interests
  • What life was like growing up
  • Her dreams of travelling 
  • Her passion for climate change and where it came from 
  • Making a difference in the fight against climate change
  • Having a fear of open seas
  • What would you do if you weren't’ afraid
  • Getting into sailing
  • Loving the water
  • Making her dream come true
  • Having a full time job and trying to fit in sailing
  • Being inspired by female sailors
  • Finding her tribe in sailing
  • Her BIG dream for sailing
  • Getting her qualification in sailing
  • Being involved in her local community
  • Plastic pollution in the seas
  • Making a career change from working in banking
  • Becoming a full time sailor
  • Wanting to sail around the world solo
  • Training at the UK Sailing Academy
  • Doing a fast track program to get her Yacht Master Qualification
  • The next steps & applying for crewing positions
  • Having trails with the Clipper Round the World Yacht Race
  • Working towards her next goal
  • Funding her current lifestyle
  • Thoughts and lessons on sustainable living
  • The biggest challenge faced over the past few years
  • Role models in sailing 
  • Being inspired by Tracy Edwards
  • Advice for girls and women who want to get into sailing
  • TedX - The Beauty of the Unknown
  • Quick Fire Questions
 
Social Media
 
Website - https://lungisails.wordpress.com
 
Instagram @lungisails
 
Facebook @lungisails
1