Ellen is a 27-year-old pilot, flight instructor, and adventure traveler, with a background in writing, acting, and modeling. She grew up on a farm in rural Texas. In her short adult life, she’s been on five expeditions by bicycle, paddle, and oars, both domestic and international. Those journeys add up to a total of 18 months and roughly 10,000 miles - nearly all of which were human-powered and half of which were solo.
In 2017, Ellen, then 22, completed a solo descent of the Missouri from Three Forks to St. Louis. Ellen had previously paddled a tributary of the Amazon and cycled from England to Greece. Ellen is the youngest person to solo paddle the Missouri River from Three Forks, Montana to St. Louis.
In September 2022, Ellen Falterman paddled her 18-foot Grumman canoe to her family's Trinity River home in East Texas, completing a full descent of the Mississippi River and then some.
Her motivation and mentor for these trips have always been her brother Patrick, who died suddenly in 2016. She dedicates all of her expeditions to him, and even when she’s traveling by herself, she never feels as if she’s traveling alone.
***This episode was recorded at the end of 2021 to be released in early 2022. Ellen lost her fiancé in 2022 so we decided to delay the release of the episode until now. Our hearts and hugs go out to Ellen.***
New episodes go live every Tuesday at 7am UK time - Subscribe so you don’t miss out.
Support the mission to increase the amount of female role models in the media especially in relation to adventure and physical challenges. Visit www.patreon.com/
Show notes
- Who is Ellen
- Her trail name
- Being based out of East Texas
- The big challenge - gong around the world by rowboat
- Being inspired by her brother
- Her family
- Wanting to make her own way in life
- Thinking of becoming an actor
- Losing her brother suddenly in September 2016
- Starting to live life like there is no tomorrow
- Dealing with the dark and tragic situations that happens in life
- Going to Brazil with her brother in 2014
- Talking about her grief
- Hitching around Brazil and making money while on the road
- Learning from her brother while travelling together
- Doing a river trip after he died
- Her first solo expedition on the Missouri River, the longest river in North America
- Planning verses going with the flow
- Daily life while on travelling on rivers
- River time and working with tides and rowing in open water
- Figuring out resupply and knowing what rations you have
- The lessons from her first solo expedition
- Why everyone should do a solo challenge at some point
- Dealing with loneliness
- Funding and paying for challenges
- Working as a flight instructor to self fund challenges
- Learning to fly and getting her pilot license at 17
- Deciding to row the length of The Mississippi River
- How her expeditions have tied together
- Naming her boat after her grandma
- Gaining ocean rowing experience
- Doing a sea school course in the UK and gaining qualifications
- Handling concerns before the journey
- Creating a non-profit and how it works
- Documenting and sharing the challenge
- Working with UK non-profit IMMAs
- Keeping stuff in storage
- Creating a cozy cabin
- Wanting to be in Panama in 12 months
- Launching on September 4th 2022
- Falling in love and the challenge of leaving
- Wanting to be the captain of her ship and being alone for the first year
- How you can support Ellen
- How to connect with Ellen on the socials
- Final words advice - The 3Ds - Desire, Decision, Details
Social Media
Website ellenmagellanexpeditions.com
Instagram @ellenmagellanexpeditions
Facebook Ellen Magellan Expeditions
Josephine in her own words:
“I’m a middle aged mother of three. Also, adventurer, rock climber, former Mountain Rescuer, wilderness addict, lover of Nature, doer. Oh, and professional author and award-winning photographer.
Many hats, but a common thread of being outdoors, helping people and sharing a love of wild places.
Having moved on from the confines of Mountain Rescue, I am on a journey with Mountain Training Association to get qualified so that I can introduce people, and especially women, to the indescribable benefits of outdoor adventure.
Too many women feel that it is beyond them. I want to show that it is not.
I love polar adventure and have been to Norway many times and skied across Svalbard on a 9 day expedition.
Mountains, moors, wilderness, old mines and rock faces all vie for my time so that it feels there is never enough!
My mantra is: “Do it now. Life is too short.”
I am not one for “ests” the longest/fastest/highest etc. To me, it is all about being there, in that moment.
My work as an author and publisher includes the Dartmoor Tors Compendium, the Official Visitor Guide to Dartmoor National Park and the Geology of Dartmoor. I also design unique infographics and poster art about Dartmoor in particular. My photography, when not illustrating books, is photographing architectural properties and interiors. Mainly though, photography is about showing how beautiful and amazing our world is.”
***
Don't miss out on the latest episodes of the Tough Girl Podcast, airing every Tuesday at 7am UK time. Hit the subscribe button to stay updated and connected.
Join us in our mission to increase the amount of female role models in the media especially in relation to adventure and physical challenges. Show your support by visiting www.patreon.com/
Show notes
- Who is Josephine
- Wearing lots of hats
- Her love for going out and exploring and spending time in wilderness
- Studying geo-physics at university down in London
- Making the move to Devon
- Deciding to re-train in photography
- How her career focuses on photography, design and being outdoors
- Having 3 grown children
- Her love and passion for the outdoors
- Growing up in Acton, London
- Spending more and more time in Dartmoor
- Age 14, having the opportunity to do an outward bound course (3 week residential)
- Discovering different possibilities and wanting to live a life outdoors
- Meeting her husband at the Officer Training Core at University
- Making the decision to move to Devon to raise her family
- Asking herself the question - what does she really want to do
- Buying an old barn to renovate, while raising 3 children and going back to college for 3 years to study photography and media production
- Why we have to take a risk and make things happen
- Not doing any adventures for 20 years while raising the kids
- Starting to do more solo activities at 52
- Booking to do a polar training course with Newland Expeditions
- Spending time walking on Dartmoor
- Losing her mum to Ovarian Cancer
- Skiing across Svalbard on a 9 day expedition (being the only woman and one of the oldest there)
- Camp life, dealing with Polar bears and why it’s so challenging
- Imposter Syndrome?
- Feeling like an explorer and an adventurer
- Cycling the Hebridean Way, Scotland 2022
- Being inspired by watching the Reality TV Show Castaway (2000)
- Dealing with the tough days while on challenges
- Suffering from covid
- Challenges with mental health and seeking therapy
- Dealing with setbacks and failure
- Spending time in the Cairngorms, Scotland and going exploring
- Doing her Hill & Moorland Assessment
- Wanting to train for her Mountain Leader (ML) Award
- Her healing process and wanting to learn new skills
- Trying to identify what you want to be
- Doing what’s achievable first
- Signing up for the Rock Climbing Instructor Course in 2022
- Wanting to share her love for the outdoors and encourage more people to spend time outside
- Mountain Rescue and the training program
- Hitting a glass wall and dealing with bad people management
- Deciding to resign from Mountain Rescue
- Advice and tips for other women who are in a similar situation
- Not wanting to rock the boat and what she would do differently now
- Why the old school way of thinking has to change
- Why we don’t have to put up with bad behaviour
- How the ML training is going
- How you can connect with Josephine
- The meaning behind the name ‘Tavicinity’
- Using Instagram in the old fashioned way - black and white photos
- The importance of learning how to navigate
- Why you shouldn’t compare yourself to other people
- Why you should try something new
- “Make it happen and do it for you”.
Social Media
Website: www.
Instagram: @tavicinity
In this episode of the Tough Girl Podcast, we dive into the incredible journey of Fadeelah Kenny, an endurance runner, cyclist, and hiker. Fadeelah, a hijabi woman, shares her inspiring story of becoming a mother and the challenges she faced along the way.
Fadeelah opens up about her experience as a late starter, having her baby at the age of 38. She candidly discusses the struggles she encountered in adjusting to motherhood and her battle with severe postpartum depression. Despite these obstacles, Fadeelah's determination shines through as she shares her story of recovery and resilience.
As an endurance runner, Fadeelah has completed several ultra marathons, including the renowned Comrades Marathon three times. She reflects on her running journey, from discovering her endurance capabilities to pushing herself in longer distances. Fadeelah recounts the mental challenges of running, emphasising the importance of a positive mindset and self-belief.
The conversation delves into Fadeelah's experience of running the Comrades Marathon, an 89-kilometre race that changes direction every year. She shares the mental and physical obstacles she faced during the race, including the last few kilometres where she needed to dig deep to finish with only minutes to spare.
Fadeelah also discusses her struggles with postpartum depression and anxiety, highlighting the importance of seeking support and opening up about one's struggles. She shares her desire to help others by sharing her own journey and offering advice to women facing similar challenges.
Don't miss this empowering episode filled with insights on endurance running, motherhood, and the strength of the human spirit.
Don't miss out on the latest episodes of the Tough Girl Podcast, released every Tuesday at 7am UK time! Be sure to hit the subscribe button to stay updated on the incredible journeys and stories of strong women.
By supporting the Tough Girl Podcast on Patreon, you can make a difference in increasing the representation of female role models in the media, particularly in the world of adventure and physical challenges. Your contribution helps empower and inspire others. Visit www.patreon.com/
Show notes
- Who is Fadeelah
- Working as an electrical engineer while having a love for endurance running
- Having a new baby 14 months ago age 38
- Her early years growing up in South Africa
- Her older sister Rogeema Kenny (who has also shared her story on the Tough Girl Podcast - 4th August 2023)
- Not enjoying athletics when she was younger as she wasn’t good at it
- Learning she had a little bit of endurance while running 1,500m at school
- Only been competitive with herself
- Starting running 13 years ago and why she prefers the longer distances
- How her running journey progressed and what that looked like
- Being asked to run a 5k race on National Women's Day in South Africa (9th August)
- Getting the bug for running and starting to enter more races
- Needing a running licence - through the Athletics Association South Africa
- Deciding to join a running club and meeting so many like minded people
- Signing up for longer and longer races
- Running Comrades Marathon 3x (89 km)
- Two Oceans Ultra Marathon
- Why it’s a mental challenge running longer distances
- Keep on running - don’t stop, even if you think you aren’t going to make the cut off
- How the Comrades Marathon changes direction every year
- Needing to convince herself that she could finish the race
- The importance of having a positive mindset and having belief in herself
- Needing to understand WHY she was running and WHY she was doing this race
- Dealing with the physical pain during the race
- Running with a pacer and not being able to keep up for the final few kms
- Being encouraged to keep on running by supporters
- Completing the race with 2mins to spare!
- Sharing more about motherhood and running
- Suffering from postpartum depression and anxiety
- Not knowing where to turn
- Talking about her struggles and wanting to help others
- Starting to feel more like herself
- How to connect with Fadeelah
- Final words of advice for women listening
Social Media
Instagram: @fadeelahk
Twitter: @fadeelahk
Facebook: Fadeelah Kenny
LinkedIn: Fadeelah Kenny
Majka Burhardt is a professional climber, certified climbing guide, conservation entrepreneur, author, and filmmaker; she is also the founder and executive director of the international conservation and development organization Legado and the author of More: Life on the Edge of Adventure and Motherhood, released in 2023.
Majka currently lives with her 7 year old twins and her husband, the internationally certified mountain guide Peter Doucette, in Jackson, New Hampshire.
About the Book: More: Life on the Edge of Adventure and Motherhood.
An intense and emotional epistolary memoir by one of the world's top ice climbers, born at the confluence of motherhood, adventure, career, and marriage.
As one of the world’s leading female professional rock and ice climbers, Burhardt and her husband led globe-trotting, adventure-seeking lives. When she learns that she’s pregnant—with twins—Burhardt at first tries to justify her insistence on pursuing extreme risk in the face of responsibility. But she is ultimately forced to grieve the avalanche of emotions that accompanies any major life transitions along with the physical changes in her own body.
Based on the letters and journals Burhardt diligently kept over the course of those six years, More takes the reader on an around-the-world journey as Burhardt explores the transformative, identity-shifting experience of motherhood and its irreversible impact on career, identity, marriage, and self.
In the early weeks of her children's lives, Burhardt immerses herself in adoration for her twins and grappling with the tremendous guilt and struggle around having to return to risk-laden work and that ever elusive balance mothers everywhere seek amidst it all.
As the newness of her twins fades into a permanent reality, Burhardt turns her attention towards her marriage and the collateral damage as she and her husband, Peter, struggle to navigate their new normal. As anger and resentment threaten the foundation of her family, Burhardt courageously looks to her past—and her own mother's tumultuous and confusing history of success, violence, and ragged divorce—to better understand her own way forward. How will she break free from the legacy of her own childhood to start fresh with her own family?
Raw, candid, and galvanizing, More is a passionate and poignant testament to the enduring power of love and our lifelong journey to understand ourselves as we strive to always pursue more.
***
Don't miss out on new episodes of the Tough Girl Podcast that are released every Tuesday at 7am UK time! Hit the subscribe button to stay updated.
By supporting the Tough Girl Podcast on Patreon, you can help increase the representation of female role models in the media especially in the world of adventure and physical challenges. Visit www.patreon.com/
Show notes
- Who is Majka
- Living in Jackson, New Hampshire
- Her early years growing up
- Being very sporty and adventurous
- The toughen up Majka campaign
- Doing a 45 day canoe expedition in the Arctic
- Her love for being on trail
- Mentors and role models
- Kitty Calhoun - Alpinist & Activist
- Lynn Hill
- Getting into climbing at at 15/16 years old and how it started gradually
- Taking a year off from college to climb full time
- Feeling drawn to ice climbing
- Wanting to make climbing her job
- Writing for climbing magazines to make money and to combine her passions
- Climbing in Ethiopia, Africa
- Climbing a first ascent - The Sandstone Towers of Tigray, in northern Ethiopia.
- Book: Vertical Ethiopia published by Shama Publishing, an Ethiopian Publisher.
- Legado
- Brining in scientists to climb around the vertical granite terrain on Mount Namuli in Mozambique
- Shifting the focus of Legado from being a conservation organisation to one that activates climate justice with indigenous people and local communities throughout the world
- Working in Mozambique, Kenya and Peru to help create a thriving future
- Motherhood and not being sure if being a mum was part of her agenda
- Meeting her partner, Peter in 2008 in New Hampshire at an Ice Climbing Festival
- Getting pregnant and finding out it was twins
- Book: More: Life on the Edge of Adventure and Motherhood.
- Trying to hold onto her career during pregnancy and motherhood
- Working with Patagonia
- Micro moments of balance
- Training and exercise during and after pregnancy
- The impact of pregnancy on her core
- Getting outside and adventuring with the children
- Writing the book and reflecting back over that time
- Focusing on showing up and being as present as possible
- Practical advice and tips for new mothers
- The importance of friends and community
- Dividing up domestic labour and having systems
- Waking up at 5.30am
- Morning routine
- Rest and recovery
- Mantra and words of empowerment
- Being a warrior goodness
- How to connect with Majka
- Final words of advice to encourage women to go after their own dreams
Social Media
Website: majkaburhardt.com
Instagram: @majkaburhardt
Facebook: @majka.burhardt
Legado Activates the Power of Legacy - So that people and nature can thrive together - now and into the future.
Buy the book: More: Life on the Edge of Adventure and Motherhood
In this episode of the Tough Girl Podcast, I speak with Lucy Coppack, a finance manager by day and an outdoors enthusiast by weekend.
Lucy shares her love for the hills, her experiences as a female in the outdoors industry, and her personal challenges including the loss of her mother to breast cancer.
Lucy talks about her decision to raise money for the East Cheshire Hospice by completing the Peak District 88 Trig Point Challenge, and how the outdoors helps her process her emotions and grief. She also shares advice and tips for girls who want to spend more time in the outdoors.
***
Subscribe to the Tough Girl Podcast to listen to more inspiring stories of women breaking barriers and pushing boundaries. New episodes go live every Tuesday at 7am UK time. To support the mission of increasing female role models in the media, visit www.patreon.com/
***
Show notes
- Who is Lucy
- Living in Macclesfield, just outside the Peak District, UK
- Working as a finance manager during the day
- Her love for the outdoors, the hills and living van life during the weekends
- Her early years growing up and spending loads of time outdoors
- Being into climbing, biking and hiking
- Her teenage years and spending time in Guides and Explorers
- Cheshire Hike
- Duke of Edinburgh Award
- Being the only girl
- Starting to see more women in the outdoors
- Female instructors and leaders
- Studying Adventure Sports at Reaseheath College
- Getting other basic qualifications for use in the outdoors
- Struggling after leaving college to find work
- PGL Summer Camps
- Doing ski seasons for 3 years
- Teaching herself how to snowboard
- Working long shifts, but having the best time of her life
- Working her summer seasons in Cornwall, UK
- Wanting a bit more of a normal job
- Losing her mum at 3 years old to breast cancer
- Deciding to raise money for
- Wanting to do a local challenge to raise money and awareness for East Cheshire Hospice
- Deciding to do the 'Peak District Trig Point Challenge’
- Wanting to complete the challenge in 88 days
- Dislocating her knee and needing to go to hospital
- The outdoors and how it helps with her mental health
- Being a mental health first aider
- Using hiking to help process her emotions and feeling of grief over losing her mum
- Van life and the realities
- Pooing and peeing
- Wanting to hike all 214 Wainwrights
- Becoming a Boobette with Coppafeel
- The importance of checking your boobs on a regular basis
- The BRCA Gene - BReast CAncer
- Starting to get breast screening at 25 years old
- Coming to terms with her risks of getting breast cancer
- Thinking about doing her Mountain Leader Qualification
- Thoughts on working full time in the outdoors industry full time
- Wanting to work with outdoor brands as an ambassador/influencer
- Thinking about the financial side of working in the outdoor industry
- Advice and tips for girls who want to spend time in the outdoors
- Starting with local walks to build up your confidence
- App: All Trails
- OS Maps
- Check out FB Groups, Meet ups and connect with people on Instagram
- How to connect with Lucy online
- Nicky - IG @nicky.walks
- Anna Blackwell - @annablackwell
Social Media
Instagram: @lucy.does.trigs
Just Giving: www.justgiving.com/
Today, I'm excited to share a behind-the-scenes look at the planning and preparation for my upcoming adventure on the 3,000km Te Araroa Trail in New Zealand. I recorded this episode, hours before I headed down to London to catch my flight to first Korea and then on to Aukland, New Zealand.
In this podcast, I'll take you through the meticulous planning and preparation that goes into making these epic adventures come to life. From the nitty-gritty details on my to-do list to managing setbacks and equipment challenges.
I share the story behind my sponsorship with ZOLEO and the invaluable benefits I've gained from their products. I'll also break down my approach to planning big adventures. Starting by dividing it down into the mental, physical, logistical, and practical aspects, offering insights that hopefully will add value as you plan your adventures.
Throughout this episode, I'll candidly share the intricacies and hurdles I've encountered and why I take full responsibly for all my decision, even when those decision put me under huge amounts of pressure/stress to deliver.
So, if you're curious about what goes into planning an adventure as massive as the Te Araroa Trail while running a business and keeping that business going while travelling. Then this podcast is a must-listen!
Join me on my journey as I navigate the world of planning, preparation, and ultimately, adventure.
Follow my Te Araroa Challenge on Instagram @toughgirlchallenges. I’ll be sharing daily updates on the main page and instagram stories.
A massive thank you to ZOLEO for sponsoring the challenge #ChallengeWithZOLEO
***
This episode is sponsored by ZOLEO. #ChallengeWithZOLEO
ZOLEO connects with your phone to provide seamless global messaging that follows you in and out of mobile network coverage — plus added safety features you can count on worldwide including industry-leading SOS alerting features. 24/7 monitoring and 24/7 access to non-emergency medical advice, check-in and weather forecasts. ZOLEO offers unmatched peace of mind for you and for everyone waiting at home.
Stay connected and safe while doing what you love.
***
Show Notes
- Planning and preparation episode for the Te Araroa hike
- 10.50pm the day before heading down to London
- Setting the scene - Working from my bed ‘aka my office’
- Why I’m not complaining - I’m just sharing the challenges and loving my life
- Blessed, lucky and very privileged
- 9th year of the Tough Girl Podcast in 2025
- Why I’m grateful and full of gratitude - This is what I dreamed about
- Do I complain all the time? Vlog 5/17 Camino Frances
- Sharing the realities of what it is like while on challenges
- Why can I do so many challenges in a year?
- Planing, planning, planning and more planning
- Pitching for work in 2024/2025
- Having to look far ahead
- Planning to go to New Zealand since April/May time
- Future adventures and challenges need to be planned quite far in advance
- The work that goes on behind the scenes
- Working super far ahead to ensure Tough Girl Podcast episodes go live every week
- Being home in March and then away on the 1st April
- National Outdoor Expo 23rd - 24th March
- Me putting pressure on myself
- These are my choices
- Wanting to walk the main 7 camino’s by the end of 2025
- Doing the Camino Primitivo as a training hike
- Total Stats from the hike
- I should have worked out the average time on feet
- Planning to do list and using my apple notes while hiking
- Very specific to do list and really breaking it down into small manageable points
- Trying to reduce the overwhelm
- Setbacks and challenges over the past 23 days
- Having a detailed daily plan of what needs to be done e.g. 4 days to edit 16 days worth of vlogs into 7 vlogs and for them to be uploaded to Youtube.
- Broken laptop and needing to send it off to be repaired - there were tears
- Editing and getting caught up with the vlogs
- Getting my laptop back up and running and setting everything up again from scratch
- Editing - loving the creative process - the stress comes from not having the time to dedicate to it
- When good enough is good enough
- Why I edit the TGP how I edit them.
- Why my priority is my guest and their story.
- Having challenging conversations and navigating through that
- Thinking about how to approach these topics, what’s the best way to support the guests
- The challenges of batch interviewing and having multiple interviews per day
- Building work being done and not being able to record during the day
- Earning money and taking a one day job in Manchester with OfftoWork and the opportunity cost of earning money and not having time to do my podcast/editing work
- Taking responsibility for my choices
- What it means being a sponsored hike. Not all my costs are going to be covered.
- First world problems
- How did the ZOLEO sponsorship come about?
- Starting to use ZOLEO in April 2023
- The benefits I’ve found
- Needing to figure out a way to attach the ZOLEO to my pack when running
- Reaching out to ZOLEO for sponsorship, putting a pitch together and having a meeting.
- New Zealand - Land Safety Code
- Carrying emergency food - apricots and walnuts
- The hiking community and the amazing supportive people out there
- Sharon Evans @freewheelingkiwi
- Breaking down the planning into 3 parts; mental, physical, logistical & practical
- Starting to plan during the covid years
- How I start off my research and using apple notes
- Facebook: Te Araroa Trail: Women's Group
- Working backwards, dates, timeframe, flights accommodation, getting to the start line and getting home from the finish line,
- Having a plan B, C, D
- Discover how to get anywhere
- Going from Auckland to the top of the North Island
- Not being able to plan for everything
- Using booking.com for accommodation - cheapest in the best location for me
- Insurance
- Visa for New Zealand - British Citizens don’t need a visa - they get a 6 month visa waiver
- Having another start date for the South Island
- Booking the ferry to the South Island
- Why sometimes you can’t just go with the flow
- Gear - Upgrading my tent from a Terra Nova Laser 2 person tent to MSR 2 person tent (900g) the red palace.
- Can I get lighter in my gear? Maybe change my backpack next year
- Clothes and trainers provided by Inov-8
- Get a 15% discount - using this link
- The challenges with the waterproof trousers
- Food boxes? Why I don’t do them
- Facebook groups and why I don’t like them in relation to challenges
- Wanting to figure out stuff for myself
- Is it adding value - no - then step away
- Mental side of planning for a challenge and why I haven’t done a huge amount this time
- The tools in my tool kit
- Why the TA is in my comfort zone (which doesn’t mean it’s not going to be tough or hard)
- Feeling mentally prepared and ready but thinking I could have done more
- Am I feeling physical ready for the challenge - yes and no….
- Being joined by Sara Crosland for a walk
- Wishing I had longer to train and prepare, but doing the best I could do with the time available.
- Working with my PT - Franco @HumalForces
- Getting my hiker legs back after 7/10 days and being able to push bigger miles towards the end of the trip
- My weight and being very lean at the moment (which I like, but need to be aware of especially when taking on a big physical challenge like this)
- Having a vision board on my laptop and phone (created in canva.com)
- Flight on Sunday, Korea for 3/4 days, before flying to Auckland.
- You can follow along on Instagram @toughgirlchallenges
- Should I share my ZOLEO phone number and e-mail so people can contact me?
- Having tomorrow morning to do the final bits of work
- How to reach out - send me an e-mail sarah@toughgirlchallenges.com or send me a DM via Instagram
- Thank you to ZOLEO for sponsoring the podcast and the Te Araroa Challenge.
Previous Challenge Solo Episodes
Sep 19, 2017 - Sarah Williams - Thru hiking the Appalachian Trail (2,190 miles) in 100 days!
Sep 4, 2018 - Sarah Williams - Planning and Preparation for the Pacific Coast Highway & the Baja Divide!
Dec 25, 2018 - Sarah Williams - Cycling the Pacific Coast Highway & Baja Divide