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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: May, 2022
May 31, 2022
Donna (@fitfetishtri) 52, mother of one (27yrs). Recently completed Ironman Barcelona (Oct 3rd 2021) her first full distance endurance triathlon after being inspired to sign up by 10 Ironwomen, a group who are working to increase female participation in Ironman races. 

Donna was one of 194 women that took part in the event out of 1500 athletes. 
 
It was only her third triathlon event, she had also never run a marathon before. 
 
Learn more about Donna, her early years, her reasons for wanting to do an Ironman, her training, journey to the start line, lessons from the race as well as advice and tips to help you take on your next challenge.
New episodes of the Tough Girl Podcast go live every Tuesday 7am UK time - Subscribe so you don’t miss out! 
 
To support the Tough Girl Podcast and to help increase the amount of female role models in the media become a patron www.patreon.com/toughgirlpodcast
 
Show Notes
  • Who is Donna
  • Growing up in London
  • Always enjoy reading as a kid
  • Starting to think about her future career
  • Acquiring a journalism degree
  • Getting into fitness in her early 20s
  • Having no interest in running a marathon
  • Signing up for her first triathlon at 46
  • Aiming to always be fit
  • Riding and owning three bikes in her teenage years
  • More details about Ironman training
  • Doing online workouts and keeping herself positive to stay fit
  • Getting into the details about Ironman
  • Being inspired by 10IronWomen @10ironwomen
  • Signing up for Ironman Barcelona 2020 at the age of 50
  • Representing and encouraging women of colour
  • Her main concerns about the challenge
  • What is it like to be part of 10IronWomen
  • Becoming more driven by achieving the goal
  • Forming a training plan with the help of the book Be IronFit
  • More information on her preparation and training
  • Not wanting to skip a session
  • Personal challenges associated with menopause
  • Listening to podcasts to keep herself mentally healthy
  • Working on strengthening her mindset
  • Dealing with anxiety when in Barcelona
  • What it was like prior to the event
  • Being determined to complete the challenge
  • Looking back to when she was out on the course
  • Biggest challenges she experienced throughout the Ironman
  • Her reaction when she crossed the finish line
  • Wanting to do more cycling challenges
  • Planning to sign up for another 10IronWomen event in Barcelona in 2023
  • Other future challenges she wants to take on
  • The story behind her name "The Iron Empress"
  • Final words of advice
  • "Signing up for Ironman and pushing myself to the limit physically, has really shown me that I am capable of so much more."
 
Social Media
 
Instagram: @fitfetishtri 
 
10 Iron Women - Striving for a 50:50 Gender Split in an Ironman Event 
 
Follow us as we inspire more women to take on the unthinkable, and our goal of a 50/50 gender split in an Ironman event in 2023 
 
Website - www.10ironwomen.com 
 
Twitter - @10ironwomen
 
Instagram - @10ironwomen
 
May 24, 2022
Kate Pilcher is the founder & guide of Globetrotting, a worldwide travel agency that specialises in horse riding experiences to all corners of the globe. Kate discovered this form of travel as part of a quarter-life crisis and ran away to Argentina and then Kenya to discover herself from the back of a horse. Now in her forties Kate leads globetrotting rides to some extraordinary places with her three daughters and husband in toe.
 
Kate in her own words:
 
“I started Globetrotting a bit over a decade ago, thanks to a quarter-life crisis. You see, I had turned 25 and went on a 10-day horse riding safari in the Maasai Mara, Kenya, where my mind was blown by witnessing the wildebeest migration astride a safari horse. 
 
It was THIS crazy, colourful, life-changing experience that led me to step away from my business (Salt magazine), my boyfriend (now husband – thankfully Steven is a very patient man), mortgage and flee to a remote 100,000 acre estancia in Patagonia only accessible via horse.
 
For the next nine months I jumped from saddle to saddle, driven by an unquenchable thirst to explore horse cultures in South America and Africa. When I finally returned home, Globetrotting took form alongside my business at the time, Salt magazine.
 
You see, I fell in love with this form of travel – Globetrotting – where the pace is slower and the experience richer.
Rather than travelling in a tour bus (conveyor-belt travel, I like to call it), when you’re astride a horse, you climb under the skin of a country, absorbing every nuance it has to offer.
 
I knew it was the only way for me to travel, and I was determined to share this passion with other horse folk and I have. 
 
This is a true calling for me.”
 
 
New episodes of the Tough Girl Podcast go live every Tuesday at 7am UK time - Make sure you hit the subscribe button so you don’t miss out. 
 
To find out more about supporting your favourite podcast and becoming a patron please visit www.patreon.com/toughgirlpodcast
 
 
Show notes
  • Who is Kate
  • What is Globetrotting
  • How they use horse riding to change people's lives
  • A little background about her family
  • Her first and earliest memory of horses
  • Having a little interest in horses back then
  • Never thought of horses as part of her career
  • Having no idea what she wanted to do
  • Working in small businesses alongside her degree
  • How sales and marketing interest her
  • She enjoys marketing and sales
  • Moving to the UK after finishing her degree
  • Returning to Australia and having the chance to ride a horse once again
  • Exploring Maasai Mara in Kenya for 10 days
  • Wanting to get away from everything
  • Feeling that she isn't living the life she was meant to live
  • Rejecting Steven's marriage proposal
  • How Globetrotting started
  • Background on how and why she took the risk of changing careers
  • Wanting to be invited to the world's oldest horseback riding event
  • Being able to open many people's doors through her space
  • Getting more detailed about horse riding
  • Different types of rides and items to carry on the journey
  • Ensuring that each client is well-cared for from start to finish.
  • Her favourite horse breeds
  • Talking about horse therapy
  • Road testing in European rides in 2018
  • Riding with a baby and just wanting to go home
  • The most challenging time she had during her riding journey
  • Having her husband's support and encouragement
  • Being a mother and how it affects her work
  • "Home is my family and we can go anywhere and have adventure."
  • Planning a six-week adventure in August with family and guests
  • Experiencing the most terrifying adventure with her girls back in 2021
  • Returning to horse riding after having children
  • More information on the Silk Road Adventure - Kazakhstan - Kyrgyzstan - Mongolia
  • Partnering with Katy Willings
  • Final words of advice

Social Media

Website: www.globetrotting.com.au

Instagram: @globetrotting.com.au

Facebook: @globetrotting.com.au

Youtube: Globetrotting - Horse Riding Holidays
 
May 17, 2022
Sophie in her own words:
 
“I am a GP and mental health trainer practising in West London. My exposure to diverse pockets of humanity has taught me that social struggles, such as loneliness, don’t discriminate and that the resulting emotional distress is real and reaching pandemic levels. My heart lies in challenging perceptions of these problems and how we support those suffering.
 
I am striving to increase awareness and education around responding to distress within the current UK system through my work with the organisation 4MentalHealth, while seeking out ways to change the system through the undertaking of research into the root causes of distress and alternative approaches to healing globally.
 
My growing interest in the relationship between mental health and community led to the creation of 'The Patient's Voice Project' in 2016. I'm delighted this year to expand the project and focus in on cultural influences on mental health and healing through a Winston Churchill Fellowship exploring the potential translation of indigenous traditional practice elements to western society as alternative forms of therapy. 
 
I've also had the opportunity to relay my work more widely; engaging with corporate audiences through talks on community at the Airbnb London Headquarters and contributing to policy change through work with the Jo Cox Foundation and the ‘Campaign to End Loneliness’ .
 
My work has also fostered a growing awareness of the transformative potential of the natural environment on psychological well being. 
 
I enjoy getting outdoors as much as possible in the role of Expedition Doctor and most recently accompanied a group of young people to the Scottish Highlands with the British Exploring Society.
 
When not working you will usually find me Scottish country dancing, falling off a surfboard or practising the ukulele.”
 
New episodes of the Tough Girl Podcast go live every Tuesday at 7am UK time - Hit the subscribe button so you don’t miss out. 
 
Support the mission to increase the amount of female role models in the media. Visit www.patreon.com/toughgirlpodcast and subscribe - super quick and easy to do and it makes a massive difference. Thank you.
 
Show notes
  • Who is Sophie
  • Being based in London and working as a GP
  • Her Special interests
  • Doing mental health research
  • Being an expedition doctor
  • Her love of travel and expeditions
  • Her early years growing up in the Yorkshire Dales
  • Where her love of travel and adventure came from 
  • Being inspired by her Grandfather
  • Going to Kenya and doing her first expedition at 17
  • Trekking across the States on the Lewis & Clark Trail 
  • Going to medical school at St. Andrews
  • Getting into expedition medicine
  • Being afraid of taking the next step
  • Going on a trip to Antarctica in January 2020
  • How the trip on a tall ship changed her life
  • The mental side of adventures and challenges
  • Stress
  • Anticipation and preparation
  • Coping strategies for extreme environments 
  • Creating your own safety plan
  • The emotional kit list
  • Why strategies are very personal 
  • Having a safety plan for general life
  • Creating your own Safety Plan
  • Heading to the USA in 2019 for research
  • Winning a Winston Churchill Fellowship
  • Talking circles 
  • Going on a tall ship in Costa Rica
  • Personal boundaries and looking at your own mental health
  • Keeping expedition fit 
  • Having to want to be on the expedition
  • Visiting Antarctica and getting free vodka
  • Being an emerging film maker and what that means
  • The Patients Voice Project - 2016
  • Looking to do a Masters later on in 2022
  • Connect with Sophie
  • Final words of advice
  • Be curious about the world
 
Social Media
 
The Patients Voice - A global project researching and collecting patients’ stories from around the world to enhance our collective wellbeing.
 
Website: www.thepatientsvoiceproject.com 
 
Instagram: @drsophieredlin
 
Twitter: @DrSophieRedlin
 
May 10, 2022
Shikha is a writer based in Uttarakhand, India. Specialising in stories woven around nature and the outdoors, sustainable living, and those with a cultural insight from the remote mountains of India, Nepal and Bhutan. 
 
Her travel stories appear in a wide variety of publications such as the National Geographic Traveller, Travel + Leisure, Conde Nast Traveller, Lonely Planet, and more. 
 
Her environmental and social interest stories have appeared in newspapers such as The Hindu, The New Indian Express, and on platforms such as Nature InFocus and RoundGlass Sustain. 
 
Born and brought up in the mountains, she is a qualified mountaineer who has participated in expeditions in the Himalayas. Her mountaineering stories have appeared in The Outdoor Journal and online on the Red Bull forum. 
 
Shikha is the recipient of a Commonwealth Writers fellowship for her stories on Himalayan ecology, and has also authored an award-winning children's book on Northeast India's first female Everester, Tine Mena, for a literacy NGO, Pratham. 
 
Most recently, she authored a series of Lonely Planet pocket guide books on Nepal.
 
New episodes of the Tough Girl Podcast go live every Tuesday at 7am UK time - Make sure to subscribe so you don’t miss out. 
 
To support the tough girl mission to increase the amount of female role models in the media -  visit www.patreon.com/toughgirlpodcast
 
 
Show Notes
  • Who is Shikha
  • Growing up in the mountains in India
  • Her love of exploration
  • Deciding to become a professional writer
  • Being curious about the world
  • Quitting her job to backpack across the Indian Continent in 2008
  • Her love of writing and not wanting to be confined to an office cubicle
  • Being drawn to the mountains and wanting to spend more time there
  • Her year of self discovery
  • Her childhood and early years
  • Going into higher education
  • Making the decision to quit her job and go on a gap year
  • Planning her year out and travelling on a shoe string budget
  • Wanting to get off the regular tourist circuit
  • Heading to the North East of India
  • Spending time in Nepal and Bhutan
  • Building her career as a freelance writer
  • Travelling solo in remote places
  • Advice and tips for solo travel
  • Why planning a little ahead can make things a lot easier
  • Advice for travel writing
  • Why you need to find your niche
  • Finding your writing voice
  • Telling the same story but in a different way
  • Learning mountaineering skills 
  • Encouraging more women to gain skills in the outdoors
  • Challenging times in the mountains
  • Walking on unmarked trails 
  • Being underprepared on the mountains and the lessons learned
  • Dealing with challenging situations and her process for handling it
  • Staying positive and having a back up plan
  • How to connect with Shikha 
  • Putting together her website
  • Writing her award-winning children's book on Northeast India's first female Everester, Tine Mena.
  • Wanting to inspire young girls
  • Advice for women and girls to spend more time in the mountains
  • Future dreams and goals 
 
 
Social Media
 
Instagram: @shikha_trip 
 
May 3, 2022
Eleanor Drinkwater is a bug nut and adventurer. Her love of all things creepy-crawly has led her to carry out research in field sites across the world, from Australia to the Amazon. 
 
She is fascinated by invertebrate behaviour and has been awarded Inspirational Explorer of the Year award by the Scientific Expedition Society for her work looking into the behaviour of the biggest beetle on the planet. 
 
However, she is equally fascinated by the weird and wonderful critters we have in the UK and has recently she finished her PhD which researched how and why woodlice have personalities.
 
Eleanor is passionate about communicating and sharing her enthusiasm for invertebrates. She is currently working as a lecturer at Writtle University College where she teaches about ecology and conservation. She also really enjoys encouraging little bug enthusiasts through running bug-hunting events with community groups and schools.
 
Ultimately, she believes that there’s a real need to encourage budding bug lovers (of every age) and hopes to share some of her enthusiasm with future bug enthusiasts.
 
New episodes of the Tough Girl Podcast go live every Tuesday at 7am UK time - Hit the subscribe button so you don’t miss out. 
 
Support the mission to increase the amount of female role models in the media. Visit www.patreon.com/toughgirlpodcast and subscribe - super quick and easy to do and it makes a massive difference. Thank you.
 
Show notes
  • Who is Dr. Eleanor
  • What exactly does she do
  • Getting into more detail about her fascination with bugs
  • Growing up with environmentally conscious parents
  • What was it like to study Developmental Biology and how did it go
  • Her desire to go on expeditions and study butterflies.
  • Her story of how she got her first project, which began her career
  • Over-confidence as her real turning point
  • Finally getting into a PhD program
  • Volunteering in the Peruvian Amazon with Crees Manu
  • Taking part in research expeditions with lots of help and connections
  • Memorable and fun experience she had while crossing a river
  • Lessons she learned from her previous expedition
  • What new expeditioners and researchaer should know and talk about before starting their journey
  • Her love for an expedition-focused research centre
  • Having an amazing research trip in Honduras
  • Being extremely lucky to have been successful on all of her expeditions
  • Wanting to be the first person to do a recorded behaviour study of various creatures
  • Getting into more detail about the Titan beetle
  • How thrilled she is to find the first creature
  • Challenges she had in catching the beetle in such a short period of time
  • How she managed to stay motivated while dealing with a lot of stress
  • Bugs and insects for human consumption
  • Cricket protein powder Protein Rebel 
  • Her thoughts on eating live invertebrates for entertainment
  • Finishing her PhD and what are her future plans
  • Talking about woodlice and its personality
  • Keeping a hedgehog and giant African snails as pets
  • Participating in a short film and rewilding project with Citizen Zoo 
 
Social Media
 
 
 
Twitter: @E_Drinkwater
 
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