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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: February, 2021
Feb 25, 2021
Helen Mort has published two poetry collections with Chatto & Windus, ‘Division Street’ (2013) and ‘No Map Could Show Them’ (2015). 
 
She won the Fenton Aldeburgh Prize for best first collection. Her novel ‘Black Car Burning’ was published in 2019. 
 
She teaches creative writing at Manchester Metropolitan University and she is also the author of ‘Lake District Trail Running’ (Vertebrate). 
 
Her new book is ‘Never Leave The Dog Behind’. Inspired by the story of Missy, a German Shepherd who was abandoned by two hikers in the Canadian Rockies, the book explores the relationship between people, dogs and the great outdoors, comprising interviews with dog owners and experiences with a variety of dogs as well as Helen's own observations as a runner and pet owner herself. This is a book for anyone who loves dogs or has ever been dogged by loneliness and found solace in animals and landscapes. 
 
Helen in her own words:
 
“I’m a mum to a toddler, a step parent, a trail runner, climber and all round outdoor enthusiast. I love the Peak District and get out whenever I can. I grew up in Chesterfield. I love dogs, books, dancing and real ale.”
 
New episodes of the Tough Girl Podcast go live every Tuesday and Thursday at 7am UK time - Make sure you hit the 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
  • Getting into fell running as a teenager
  • Spending a lot of time in her own company
  • Not looking like a runner
  • Having a lot of stamina at a young age
  • Doing the beep test at school
  • Dealing with a foot injury and having a break from running
  • Exploring different types of running
  • Running for the experience of running
  • Getting into climbing in Derbyshire 
  • What does adventure mean to Helen and how it’s changed over the years
  • Sharing adventure with someone else
  • Her dreams as a little girl
  • Always been a writer and getting interested in poetry 
  • Connecting with other writers and poets
  • Being able to make a living as a writer
  • Becoming a poet in residence 
  • Book - Waymaking - An anthology of women’s adventure writing, poetry and art. 
  • Heather Dawe - Adventures in Mind 
  • Telling stories from a female point of view
  • Book - Never Leave the Dog Behind 
  • The personal narrative behind the book and being scared of dogs 
  • Getting over her fear of dogs
  • How her relationship with the mountains changed after getting a dog
  • Exploring the relationship between people and dogs in the mountains in a non fiction book
  • #NeverLeaveTheDogBehind
  • What does it mean if you invite the black dog into your home
  • Having a reason to get out everyday 
  • Dealing with challenging moments
  • Being present in the moment
  • What a perfect day in the mountains looks like
  • Getting back into the mountains with a toddler
  • Setting more manageable fitness challenges
  • Motherhood and mental health challenges
  • Getting back to fitness after having a baby
  • Knowing that running clubs are not the right choice for her
  • Running as and when
  • Managing during Covid 
  • Book - Trail Running Guide  
  • Final words of advice to spending more time outdoors 
 
 
Social Media
 
Website - www.helenmort.com
 
Twitter @HelenMort
 
 
Feb 23, 2021
Lee Vue is a creative professional with deep knowledge in communications and digital strategy committed to social impact. She graduated from the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities with a degree in political science. Her professional career spans across multiple industries that include startups, academia, small businesses and nonprofit organizations. 
 
As a current board member of Camp Menogyn, Friends of the Boundary Waters Wilderness and Building More Philanthropy with Purpose (BMPP) Giving Circle, she’s passionate about bringing the voices of underserved communities and communities of color to the climate, philanthropy and social justice movements.
 
When she’s not immersed in creative work and creating content, she’s exploring wild places. 
 
Through YMCA Camp Mengoyn (2007), she spent 50 days paddling the Kazan River and Kunwak River in the arctic tundra of Canada. 
 
In 2013, she paddled the entire Mississippi River (2,300+ miles) and then the following year, she paddled the Illinois River (200+ miles). 
 
In 2016, her team won first place in the Women’s Voyageur Division in the Yukon River Quest, paddling 444 miles in 53 hours.
 
New episodes of the Tough Girl Podcast go live every Tuesday and Thursday at 7am UK time - Make sure you hit the 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
  • Her cultural background 
  • Being a Hmong American
  • Working as a creative in the communication space
  • A personal family history 
  • Not growing up with the outdoors
  • Going at a summer camp at 13 years old
  • Starting to love the outdoors
  • Sharmanism and how being in the woods can make you vulnerable to evil spirits 
  • Managing suspicions while in the woods
  • Having 8 sisters and 4 brothers
  • Studying political science in college and going to explore South East Asia
  • Balancing the two cultures 
  • Wanting to move the needle with regards to climate action
  • How the outdoors is dominated by white people
  • Being the only person of colour at summer camp
  • The flow to nature and how it does not discriminate 
  • Paddling the Kazan River and Kunwak River in the arctic tundra of Canada. 
  • Being dropped of in the middle of nowhere to start the adventure!
  • The magical moment on the river
  • Going on a once in a lifetime experience
  • Being young and reckless and feeling invincible
  • The possibility of youth
  • Taking on the Mississippi River in 2013
  • The North South divide in America 
  • Feeling unsafe as a person of colour paddling on the river
  • The disconnect in environmental education
  • Spending 70 days on the water
  • Feeling unsafe and vulnerable
  • The team dynamics and only meeting people on the start day
  • Being the peace maker and being good in large groups
  • Handling stressful situations 
  • Finding the positive twist on challenging situations
  • Getting into photography
  • The power of capturing imagery
  • Being fascinated with change and transformation
  • The Yukon River Quest, paddling 444 miles in 53 hours
  • To poop in the canoe or not?
  • Feeling angry and miserable during the Yukon River Quest
  • Reaching a low point on the trip
  • Ending up in hospital, not being able to breath
  • Paddling through the night and dealing with sleep hallucinations 
  • Eating a lot of boiled eggs…
  • What adventure means to Lee
  • Words of advice to motivate and inspire women of colour to get outdoors
  • Privilege and sacrifice
  • Why you should create your own opportunities
 
Social Media 
 
Website https://www.lumielumie.com/ 
 
Instagram  @lkvue https://www.instagram.com/lkvue/ 
 
Twitter @leevue https://twitter.com/leevue
 
 
 
Feb 18, 2021
EmmaLucy Cole is a UK-based speaker, writer, explorer and researcher. She is a fellow of the Royal Geographical Society, Associate Fellow of Higher Education Academy as a lecturer and co-director of the Vicarious Festival of Travel Storytelling. EmmaLucy is currently studying towards a PhD at the University of Bristol, researching how travel writers represent Arabic and Middle Eastern (SWANA) cultures.
 
After over two decades spent studying and representing North African and Middle Eastern cultures, in 2011 EmmaLucy decided to sell everything she owned in order to spend six weeks with a Bedouin tribe in Sinai, learning Arabic and researching local culture. Two years later she finally left, not only having gained a ginger Bedouin cat (called Bryan) and a myriad of stories, but also witnessing first-hand some of the ways in which marginalised groups can be misrepresented.
 
With this habit of visiting places and forgetting to leave, she has developed the concept of Downward Exploration: rather than travelling long distances and seeing many places superficially, this type of exploration allows us to focus in-depth on communities and local environments, learning about the cultures, habits, food and history – and forming connections which allow for deeper understanding and more ethical representations.
 
In 2018 EmmaLucy attended the Adventure Travel Film Festival in London and decided that motorcycles could be a powerful tool for connecting with people in marginalised cultures; crossing gender divides and enabling mobility and independence whilst on the road researching. She passed her test within a few months, bought a Triumph, and began exploring. She has presented talks at events such as the Overland Event UK about the joys and challenges of being a solo woman researcher, explorer and biker.
 
New episodes of the Tough Girl Podcast go live every Tuesday and Thursday at 7am UK time - Make sure you hit the 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 is EmmaLucy and what does she do
  • Her early life growing up and spending time in the outdoors
  • Not being sporty 
  • Doing a degree in Fine Art and a Masters in English Literature 
  • Being interested in Nomadic Groups
  • Being inspired by the English Patient book
  • Being invited to spend time in Egypt 
  • Bedouin culture
  • Her passion for learning languages 
  • Learning Arabic for the past 12 years
  • Going for 6 weeks and ending up staying for 2 years
  • Not being able to earn money in 2008 in the UK
  • Selling everything she owned and doing some basic teaching to earn money
  • Living in Sinai and what day to day life was like
  • Living in a hut by the edge of the red sea
  • Wifi
  • Deciding to move back to the UK
  • Studying for her PhD at the University of Bristol 
  • The concept of downward exploration 
  • Wanting to learn more by going back to the same places
  • Writing (reflective and observational) while travelling 
  • Film and photography
  • What adventure means to EmmaLucy
  • Learning how to ride a motorbike before her 40th birthday
  • Handling challenging situations 
  • Vicarious Festival - Celebrating cultural diversity through travel literature and photography. 
  • Getting into sports, health and fitness
  • Figuring out what she enjoyed and what felt good
  • Food and culture
  • Becoming a Fellow of the Royal Geographical Society (RGS)
  • Coping during Covid and not being able to travel
  • Funding this lifestyle
  • Final words of advice and learning how to say no
  • Refine and create your own story
  • Don’t judge yourself 
 
Social Media
 
Website: emmalucycole.com
 
Twitter: @emmalucycole
 
Instagram: @emmalucycole 
 
Patreon @emmalucycole
Feb 16, 2021
Monisha Rajesh is a British journalist and travel writer whose writing has appeared in Time magazine, The New York Times, The Guardian, Vanity Fair and The Sunday Telegraph in which she wrote a monthly column about travelling the world by train. 
 
Her first book Around India in 80 Trains (2012) was named one of The Independent’s top ten books on India, and her second book Around the World in 80 Trains was published in 2019 to great acclaim. 
 
Monisha was born in Norfolk and mostly raised in Yorkshire – with a brief stint in Madras. She currently lives in London with her husband and two daughters.
 
Show notes
  • Who is Monisha
  • Moving to India when she was 9 years old
  • Doing a French Degree at Leeds
  • Moving to London
  • Where her love of travel comes from
  • Moving around a lot when she was younger
  • Wanting to travel around India via trains
  • F28
  • The cultural aspects of travelling
  • The magical moments from India
  • Her writing process
  • Using a paste board
  • Fitting writing into her life
  • Writing her second book being 8 months pregnant
  • Feeling happiest when writing 
  • Planning an around the world train adventure
  • The route
  • Day to day life on the trains
  • The community on the trains
  • The epic train journeys
  • The Qinghai–Tibet railway 
  • Being ready to head home
  • The challenges of travel in North Korea
  • Arriving back into London
  • Sending 7 months on trains around the world
  • The 3rd Book!
  • The importance of sustainable travel
  • The challenges and stresses of air travel 
  • Buy from an independent book shop!
  • Buy signed copies of her books from - Queen’s Park Books 
 
 
Social Media
 
Website - www.80trains.com 
 
Twitter @monisha_rajesh 
 
Instagram @monisha_rajesh
 
Feb 11, 2021
Kat is a climate change consultant based in Oxfordshire. Striving for a healthy work-life balance Kat spends as much time as possible outdoors, mostly walking and cycling, with a splash of paddle boarding. 
 
Kat also spends a lot of the time with grease on her face as a volunteer mechanic for Broken Spoke, a community bike project in Oxford.
 
Listen to Kat on the Tough Girl Podcast!! 
 
New episodes of the Tough Girl Podcast go live every Tuesday and Thursday at 7am UK time - Make sure you hit the 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
  • Early childhood and being an active family
  • Having a passion for the environment 
  • Having a work life balance 
  • Starting her blog ‘Attitude over Ability’
  • Writing about her experiences 
  • What does Adventure mean to Kat?
  • Why you don’t need to suffer to have adventure 
  • Why it’s ok to have a nice time and to have fun
  • Deciding to walk across Switzerland solo
  • The Alpine Pass Route, Switzerland
  • Training and fitness for the challenge
  • Doing a 2 day Mountain Training course 
  • Having an infinity for crossing countries on foot
  • Deciding to hike the South Island of New Zealand 
  • Planning for a 3month trip on the other side of the world
  • Money and budgets
  • Concerns before the challenge
  • The challenging weather in New Zealand
  • The safety of crossing the rivers 
  • Dealing with wet feet day after day 
  • Being social or wanting solitude 
  • Being ill with heatstroke 
  • Dealing with the adventure blues after time away on an adventure 
  • Attitude to life and adventure 
  • Final words of advice 
  • Separate her self worth from her achievements 
 
Social Media
 
Twitter: @KEYoung29 
 
Blog: attitude-over-ability.com 
 
Instagram: @kattheyoung
 
 
Feb 9, 2021
The Queen Of Abs, Santia Deck, is a history-making Female Professional American Footballer and Social Media Influencer with over 700,000 loyal and engaged followers.
 
Santia Marie Deck was born in South Carolina and raised in Houston, Texas. She now resides in Atlanta and travels often. Since childhood, Santia has been running full speed after her dream of success. Now, she works tirelessly to inspire and empower young people and women around the world with her passion and determination.
 
Santia, 28, recently made history by becoming the highest-paid woman to play the sport, signing a multi-million-dollar deal with the WFLA. Recently, Santia made history again - becoming the first female athlete to own her own sneaker company, TRONUS. 
 
Santia’s talents are by no means limited to the pitch: she is also a published author, a fitness model, TV personality, and a TV host. She has kept her fitness trainer certification and offers a variety of services to celebrity clients worldwide and her wide-ranging community of online supporters.
 
She became a published author whilst studying at school in 2016 with ‘The Struggle’. Whilst Santia gained a degree in English, she felt her passions lay elsewhere and set out to fight against the stigma of women competing in popular male sports. She has often expressed her desire to give young aspiring sports women a platform of strength and courage. Even after becoming a worldwide phenomenon, she claims to still receive negative comments across social media from men such as “you belong in the kitchen” and “leave real sports to men”. These comments have only fuelled her determination and resilience as her star has grown. 
 
She has 3 brothers who all play running back. Growing up, she trained religiously with them, unaware that she was moulding herself to become the highest-paid female American Footballer. Santia started as a track star before moving onto rugby and then flag football. Now, she is the first woman in history to sign a multi-million-dollar deal with the WFLA. She has made headlines around the world as a powerful role model to young budding female athletes.
 
"Remember, nothing is impossible. If you want it, go get it."
- Santia Deck
 
New episodes of the Tough Girl Podcast go live every Tuesday and Thursday at 7am UK time - Make sure you hit the 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 is Santia and what she does
  • Growing up and how sports played a massive part in her life
  • Playing tennis at 4years old
  • Dreaming of becoming an Olympian
  • Getting a full ride scholarship to college
  • How American Football works for women
  • WFLA - who is owned by Lupe Rose
  • Getting paid to play sport
  • What’s changed
  • Training and fitness
  • Working with 4 coaches 
  • What a typical week looks like
  • Training 3/4 times a week for 1.5hrs each day
  • Nutrition and figuring out what is best for her body
  • Trying to maintain wight and muscle mass
  • Recovery after training and matches
  • The challenges while playing
  • Being hard on herself and striving for perfection 
  • Getting back up again after a big hit or when a play hasn’t gone right
  • Building business and being an entrepreneur 
  • Building followers on Instagram 
  • Being inspired by her mum
  • Staying focused on her dream when other people don’t believe in you
  • Proving a point to others
  • The 5 year plan/vision
  • Not being able to play American Football at school or college
  • The sisterhood and playing as part of a team
  • American Football and head injuries
  • Advice for other women who want to play American Football
  • The start of the season in May
  • Role models in American Football
  • Advice for the little girls growing up
  • Being known as - Queen of Abs!
  • Why be a Princess when you can be a Queen!
  • Starting her own story 
  • Quick Fire Questions 
 
Social Media 
 
Website www.queenofabs.com/about 
 
 https://tronusofficial.com 
 
Instagram  @trackbaby001 
 
Twitter @santia_deck 
 
Facebook @queenofabs
 
 
 
Feb 4, 2021
Kim in her own words
 
I'm Kim Ingleby, Multi Award Winning Mind Body Coach, Author and TEDx Speaker.  With a passion and purpose to help you sharpen your mind, define your body, awaken your soul and lead the life you hope and wish for.  
 
I am passionate about helping people embrace fear, grow their confidence, commit to themselves and take action. I coach incredible people from all walks of life around the World, including Team GB Athletes, Strictly Come Dancing Pro's and Media Personalities. 
 
I founded Energised Performance in 2004, offering complete mind body management to help unlock your potential in life, sport and work.   
 
I have a passion for helping others and making a difference, raising over £85,000 for charities through community events & running 10 wild world marathons, 1 ultra & 1 Ironman, and volunteering on aid projects in Sierra LeoneNepal, India & Belize. 
 
I'm currently healing post Weil’s Encephalitis, and trauma -  these experiences have added value to my professional coaching and public speaking. Whatever your hopes or fears are, I believe in you and have the tools, empathy and support to help you ignite the spark and take action today.
 
New episodes of the Tough Girl Podcast go live 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
  • Being bullied
  • How her life changed at 14
  • Her dreams when she was younger
  • Not enjoying sport
  • How riding horses was her passion
  • Getting into running and starting to enjoy it more
  • Working with other coaches
  • Running the Sierra Leone Marathon and raising money for charity
  • What Weil’s Encephalitis is and it’s impact
  • What Kim does at the moment
  • The “What if goal”
  • The journey to running 100 miles in the Himalayas 
  • Dealing with setbacks 
  • What the race was like day to day 
  • Dealing with loss 
  • Wanting something positive to come out of the year
  • Dealing with PTSD and trauma
  • Embracing adversity and overcoming it 
  • Habits and having a purpose
  • Being adaptable 
  • Not putting pressure on ourselves
  • Having a morning routine
  • The Hound of Happiness - 52 ways to feel good 
  • Being helpful to yourself and valuing yourself
  • The 3 peaks Adventure Challenge in 2018 with Adventurous Ewe 
  • Taking the first step
  • What is the most important thing you would like to do over the next year?
  • Feeling nervous and unsure before an adventure 
  • Being known as the “Mind Body Ninja” and Kimpossible
  • Dealing with voices in your head
  • The power of writing things down and using a journal
 
Social Media
 
 
Instagram @kimingleby 
 
Twitter @kimingleby 
 
 
 
 
Feb 2, 2021
In 2006 Sophia became the first African American and first Black woman to climb Mount Everest in the Himalayas.
 
Sophia first major climb was at Mt Rainier in Washington State in 2002.  Over the next two years she climbed Mt. Kilimanjaro, Mt Baker, and Mt Kenya.  
 
In 2005 she scaled five peaks: Grand Teton, Mount Katahdin, Mount Denali, Mount Tasman, and Ama Dablam.
 
During this episode Sophia shares more about her passion for mountaineering and how her climbing evolved. Sophia talks about her Mt. Everest experience and what it was like on the mountain for summit day. She shares advice and top tips to help you achieve your goals.
 
New episodes of the Tough Girl Podcast go live every Tuesday and Thursday at 7am UK time - Make sure you hit the 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
  • Having an unusual childhood and growing up between Japan and the USA
  • Not being sporty but spending time in the outdoors
  • Not growing up with indoor plumbing
  • Moving to Chicago in the middle of winter at age 6
  • The culture shock of moving countries
  • Going back to visit Japan after college and living there for 4 years
  • Her passion for the mountains 
  • Learning to climb outdoors 
  • Being inspired by her friend to go and climb Mt. Rainier in Washington State
  • Using all her holidays to climb
  • Why she loves spending time in the mountains
  • 4 years before climbing Mt. Everest
  • Feeling free to fail 
  • The challenges faced while climbing
  • Going to climb Cho Oyo (sixth-highest mountain in the world at 8,188 metres (26,864 ft) above sea level)
  • How the Mt. Everest climb came about
  • Making the decision to climb…
  • Giving herself permission to fail
  • The reactions of friends and family 
  • Dealing with the paperwork for Mt, Everest
  • The Body Disposal Form
  • What happens if you die on the mountain
  • Fears….. or feeling scared?
  • What summit night was like
  • Reaching the summit of Mt. Everest! 
  • Moving at pace on the mountain and using the smaller oxygen tanks
  • Breaking trail through the snow 
  • Climbing with International Mountain Guides (IMG) 
  • Doing yoga and meditation 
  • Dealing with a few back problems
  • Advice for women and girls who want to get into mountain climbing 
 
Social Media 
 
Website www.danenberg.org 
 
Instagram @sophiaclimbs
 
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