Faye found her adventure mojo in 2014, since then she’s taken on a new challenge each year;  from climbing Kilimanjaro, to cycling the length of New Zealand solo and most recently coming back from spending 6 months cycling the Andes.

Show notes

• Living in Cornwall
• Being shy & feeling homesick
• Going to university and taking a gap year 
• Learning to live off very little money
• Spending time in Thailand
• Being called an Adventurer & why she 
• What she got up to after university
• Deciding to climb Kilimanjaro & getting the adventure bug
• Summit night on Kilimanjaro..
• Making changes in her life
• Micro Adventures and meeting new people
• Joining the search and rescue team in Cornwall
• Deciding to cycle the length of New Zealand
• The fears, and making the decision to do it - 
• BE BOLD, COMMIT & GIVE IT A GO!
• Being a planner…
• Getting to meet Anna McNuff
• Starting her cycle ride in the South of NewZealand in 2015
• Crying on the bike and having doubts
• Wanting to quit
• What she learned from her New Zealand experience
• Your vibe attracts your tribe
• Deciding to go on her next Adventure to South America
• Fitness….
• Flying into La Paz and dealing with Altitude
• Being in South America - dealing with standing out, learning Spanish and the physical demands on the body
• Being stung by a scorpion!
• The end of the challenge!
• Adventure Blues and coming to terms with them
• If your going through hell, keep going 
• Why its normal to have hard times
• Changing her career aspirations
• Future dreams and goals
• Why you should do something that scares you!
• Commit to it and be bold

https://fayeshepherd.wordpress.com

Twitter - @Faye_Shepherd  - 

Instagram - @faye_shepherd 

Fiona is an adventurer, speaker and entrepreneur who loves to get outside and push her limits on expeditions big and small, meeting new people and discovering tasty cake stops en route. In 2017 she walked and cycled the length of Britain and in 2018 is due to set a new world record by becoming the first person to SUP Britain. When she's not adventuring you'll find her running Adventure Book Club and coaching entrepreneurs. 

Show notes

• Who is Fiona?
• Being inspired by Al Humphries
• Being an entrepreneur and wanting to direct her own career and life
• Hating the corporate life & quitter her job after 6 weeks
• Setting up her first business
• Getting into cycling
• The freedom of Adventure and what she loves about it
• The self development side of adventure
• Cycling from London to Brighton
• How she ended up cycling the length of Great Britain
• Cycling home for Christmas
• Not being a runner or a swimmer
• Why she loves adventuring on her own
• The challenges she faced while cycling and why she had to stop on her first attempt
• Key learnings from her failures
• Getting to the end of her challenge
• Doing the same challenge again
• Social media and how it interacts on an adventure
• Mental resilience, mental toughness and mindset
• Walking from Land’s End to John O’Goats
• The pains from walking
• Planning at the last minute
• Getting injured
• What she thinks about while walking and why she wants to digitally detox
• People from Instagram
• The plan for 2018 - SUP Britain
• Stand up Paddle Boarding….
• The 3 Lakes Challenge- March
• Dealing with fears & funding for her challenge
• The Adventure Book Club
• #TakeAction
• Words of advice and why you shouldn't be afraid of failure

Website- http://fionalquinn.com

T: @FionaLQuinn

IG: @FionaLQuinn

FB: /FionaLQuinn

M: @FionaLQuinn

A former corporate business management specialist within the banking sector, she's now fully focused upon soul sustaining adventuring with purpose. Megan has mountaineered across the globe and has scaled some of the world’s most famous peaks such as Elbrus and Mera Peak. Megan is one half of the all-female adventure team Dare two Do. Megan is an advocate of adventures in any shape or size, is partial to an overnight bivi wild camp under the stars as well as an epic self-powered voyage, and is an avid fan of all that’s deemed a challenge.

Show notes

• Walking away from her stable job
• Being drawn to the outdoors
• Heading to Borneo when she was 17 & getting to climb her first mountain
• Getting distracted by university her job and her career
• Deciding she needed to do something with her life
• Running away to the mountains at every opportunity
• Everest Base Camp, the preparation before hand and getting ready to go there
• Arriving into Kathmandu & meeting new people with a similar mindset
• Being changed by the whole experience and having a need to be in the mountains
• Getting up-skilled and learning about alpine climbing
• Her first taste of being scared in the mountains
• How it changed her future expeditions
• Deciding to quit and do adventuring full time
• Having a purpose to her life
• Heading of to Mexico to climb 
• Taking the step and why it took her 4 years to get there
• What will other people think?
• Heading back to Nepal in April 2015 to climb Mera Peak
• Taking some time out to figure out what she wanted to do
• Going to Climb Mt. Elbrus
• What did she want from her life - trying to figure it out
• The decision making process
• Feeling like an imposter
• The Paddle Pick Up with Love Her Wild
• Creating - Dare two do
• The first Challenge - The Grand Union Canal
• Plans for 2018
• The Great Pacific Race!
• Advice and tips for you to follow your own dreams

www.daretwodo.com

Facebook: www.facebook.com/mhoskin

Instagram: @meg_hoskin

Twitter: @meghoskin

Mina is a 36 year old Primary School teacher who discovered the beauty of long-distance running in her late 20's. She would say she’s very ordinary and just someone who has a love of long distance running and spending time outdoors. 

She hopes by sharing the different challenges and adventures she has, that it might in some way inspire you to take that step to actually do the things you really want to in your life. She believes that just by telling people the things you want to do it will start to make them more of a reality. 

So say out loud what you want to do with your life and see what happens! 

Mina is not a sponsored athlete, she doesn’t win the races she enters, she is a normal woman who has followed her passions!

Show notes

• Based in Wellington in NZ
• Being someone who loves being outdoors and loves running
• Not being a runner & being un-sporty
• Why it all changed in her mid - 20’s
• Her first Half Marathon…& how she got into long distance running
• What if she could do the Marathon des Sables?
• 3 years to train.. the pressure?
• Training in her final year.. including an ironman!
• Becoming obsessed with her plan!
• Training with her partner and by herself
• Managing her nutrition and food
• Her highlight from the MDS..
• Why did you start? What are your reasons?
• Taking it to the next level and deciding to run the full length of a country!
• What if….
• Getting to the start line on the 16th November 2014
• 77 days on the trail!
• Getting past the first 7 days and why day 8 she hit a low..
• What’s going on in her head while she’s out on the trail..
• Key moments on the trail
• Dealing with the rivers…
• The final day, the final 65K & reaching Bluff
• What happened after the run?
• Deciding to live on a boat!
• Deciding on her next challenge!
• Wanting to see more of Great Britain
• Planning the GB run
• Expectations verses reality
• What’s she learnt from doing these challenges
• Advice for other women
• Future plans and ambitions
• Emilia Lahti - https://www.emilialahti.com/ 
• Sisu Not Silence - https://www.emilialahti.com 
• What her role will be as a supporter of the challenge
• Family Violence - #ItsNotOk
• How to keep updated with Mina and her challenges - http://minaholder.com/index.html

Antonia Bolingbroke-Kent is a travel writer, TV producer and director of Edge Expeditions. She’s written three books, penned numerous articles for magazines, set an unlikely Guinness World Record for driving a tuk tuk 12,500 miles from Bangkok to Brighton and filmed in remote locations from Bolivia to Borneo and beyond. 

Her latest book, Land of the Dawn-lit Mountains: A Journey Across Arunachal Pradesh – India’s Forgotten Frontier.

Show notes

• Living in Bristol and growing up in Norfolk
• Being inspired by her parents and her grandmother
• Family holiday
• Going straight to University and using her holidays to travel
• Deciding to drive a tuk tuk from Bangkok to London in 2006
• “Ting Tong" the bright pink tuk tuk and raising £50K for the charity MIND
• Quitting her job, planning the trip, and raising the funds!
• Getting ill in Bangkok
• Taking a month to cross China
• How the trip changed her perceptions of herself
• Adjusting back to real life after the trip
• The Ho Chi Minh Trail adventure and how it evolved
• Loving the history and the research behind the trips
• Travelling by herself & being terrified
• The day that stands out in her mind
• Having a scary day in the Cambodian Jungle…
• Treating writing like a job
• Being a self motivated person and being consumed by what she does
• Her latest book….
• Money -how she funds her trips…
• Getting to the remote parts in India
• Getting drunk with the nuns!
• How happy and content the people seemed
• Her routine while travelling
• Missing her boyfriend & hot baths while being away
• Edge Expeditions
• Future expeditions
• Wanting to go to Pakistan
• Advice and tips for travel
• Talk on 2nd Feb -  London - Destinations Website

Social Media

Website - http://www.theitinerant.co.uk

Maria Leijerstam is a Welsh British polar adventurer and a Wales 2016 Year of Adventure ambassador. She was the first person to cycle to the South Pole from the edge of the continent in 2013.

 Leijerstam started her expedition on the Ross Ice Shelf at the edge of the Antarctic continent. She cycled for 10hrs to 17hrs each day with no rest days, and the total distance cycled was 638 km (396 mi).

Leijerstam cycled a uniquely designed, three wheeled Polar Cycle, a modernised form of polar travel, demonstrating that cycling can be more efficient than skiing to the South Pole.

Show notes

• Why she doesn’t call herself an explorer
• Growing up and wanting to be an astronaut 
• Her childhood
• Getting into more extreme adventures
• Always living in a mans world
• Joining the Officer Training Corps
• Learning how to look after herself
• How she started her journey into adventure
• Doing the Marathon des Sables!
• The lead up to the race, dealing with nerves and preparing her body for the heat
• Knowing how your body responds during a challenge
• Learning how to manage pain
• Why you put your body through the extreme challenges?
• Being the 200th person to ever reach the South Pole
• Doing an adventure race & what she loves about it
• The last wild race in Patagonia
• Handling team dynamics during adventure races
• When races fall apart…
• Dealing with discomfort and managing your pain
• Colour therapy
• 4 years preparation to get to the South Pole
• Testing out equipment and figuring out what was going to work
• £100,000 needed to do the expedition and how she paid for it
• Dealing with rejection
• Getting onto the ice and the relief she felt
• What she leant from the experience of planning and doing the polar expedition
• Coming home and returning to Wales
• Future goals and plans
• Being a mother of 2 and how she fits fitness into her life

Follow Beth on Social Media

• Website - http://bethfrench.co.uk
• Twitter - @bethsbigswim  https://twitter.com/bethsbigswim
• Instagram - @bethfrenchlives  https://www.instagram.com/bethfrenchlives/
• Facebook  @bethfrenchlives https://www.facebook.com/bethfrenchlives/ 

******************************************************

If you have questions about me, the podcast, what I’m doing… then please check out my website

https://www.toughgirlchallenges.com/

If you want to do more to help increase the amount of female role models in the media, please, subscribe to the podcast in iTunes, so you won’t miss a single episode. If you’re loving the podcast, please leave a 5-star review and share the podcast with your friends, to spread the #ToughGirlPodcast love. 

******************************************************

If you have questions regarding the Marathon des Sables - Please read  - Tough Girl Sahara Challenge 

http://amzn.to/2mwP0hd 

If you have questions regarding climbing Kilimanjaro - Please read - Kilimanjaro Tips for The Top

http://amzn.to/2mPfKFO

******************************************************

Want to do more?

Become a Patron and donate a small fixed amount every month to help fund my mission

https://www.patreon.com/ToughGirlPodcast?ty=h

If you want to support my mission - you can also donate via PayPal - https://www.paypal.me/toughgirl 

*****************************************************

You can listen to the Tough Girl Podcast on the go via iTunes, Soundcloud & Stitcher!

Beth French, an ultra-marathon open-sea ocean swimmer who was once a Buddhist nun, a single mother who home schools her autistic son and an adventurer who suffered from a crippling illness (M.E. aka Chronic Fatigue Syndrome) in her youth. 

During this podcast we speak to Beth about her journey to swim across the seven most dangerous sea-channels in the world, an official challenge called ‘Oceans Seven'. For extreme swimmers it’s the ultimate test; only a handful of people have ever completed it, but it took them many years.

In September 2016, Beth set out to become the first person ever to conquer Oceans Seven in a 12-months period.

Her motivation: to prove to her autistic son that you are not determined by your circumstances and that you can fulfill your dreams and ambitions by confronting obstacles head on.

Show notes

• Not living close to the water
• Self employed single mum who home schools her son with autistic needs and sea swims for sanity
• Having ME as a teenager…
• What life was like growing up - the challenges she faces and how she overcame them
• Not being able to walk..
• Coping strategies to numb the pain
• Hitting rock bottom
• Going to see an alternative therapist 
• Being told it was her fault at 17
• Writing a wish list 
• Having a wake up call and taking responsibility for her life
• Becoming a Buddhist Nun - meditating for 17 hours a day, 7 days a week for 6 months
• Having a 2 week holiday which turned into an 8 year adventure!
• Swimming in the ocean and falling in love with it
• Learning the mental side of endurance
• Being told she couldn’t have kids… Getting pregnant and being terrified
• Wanting to adventure with her baby
• Can she do it with a baby? How did she?
• Her version of motherhood
• The Channel Swim! Generating the right emotions to push her through
• How to be true to you and to live your truth
• Why you should be full of yourself
• Not celebrating
• Heading to Hawaii for the winter
• What’s going on inside her head while she’s swimming
• Tattoos and why she has them
• Vulnerability as a strength and what’s she learn’t
• Why she stopped her last project - Oceans 7
• Going for the world record and pulling the plug on it
• Making the toughest decision she has even made
• The next challenge/adventure!
• Top tips… advice..
• Learn more about Beth via her social media channels- see below!

“I'm in it to swim it and it's not over till I run out of water.” 

Social Media

• Website - http://bethfrench.co.uk
• Twitter - @bethsbigswim  https://twitter.com/bethsbigswim
• Instagram - @bethfrenchlives  https://www.instagram.com/bethfrenchlives/
• Facebook  @bethfrenchlives https://www.facebook.com/bethfrenchlives/ 

On Thursday - hear more from Beth on Tough Girl Extra - The Quick Fire Round!!

What a journey it has been! There have been high points (a new baby!), low points (trying to raise £21K), focus, dedication, commitment, success and failure. New skills have been learned, new challenges ticked off bucket lists and fears overcome.

I would like to extend a massive thank you to all of the seven women who have been involved in this project since December 2016. It is not easy to put yourself out there, and to share your story with the world (the tough girl podcast is listened to in 172 countries).

These women, all stepped up, they have shared honestly about their experience, the good bits and the bad and I hope you have all managed to take something away from all of their collective experiences.

For the full show notes - please visit www.toughgirlchallenges.com

Please become a patron at www.patreon.com/toughgirlpodcast

2017! What a year it has been!! So much has been achieved, but where has the time gone? The weeks have disappeared and flown by! I for one am so excited to be able to look back on the year and see what I've learned on this journey! Here is to a fantastic 2018 as well!!

You can listen to my reflections on 2016 and plans for 2017 here - 

https://www.toughgirlchallenges.com/single-post/2016/12/30/Tough-Girl-Reflections-for-2016-Plans-for-2017

Show notes

• Tough Girl Challenges was started in 2014
• What I do and why I do it
• Questions to help you reflect on 2017
• What went well? 
• Setting the scene - writing my bio for Web Summit 
• Not being able to admit what I wanted to do in 2017
• Deciding to go for it
• Breaking the year down into thirds.
• Having the support of the Tough Girl Team
• Getting 3.5 months of podcasts uploaded
• Watch the vlogs from the Appalachian Trail - HERE
• Listen to my interview about the AppalachianTrail - HERE
• Vlog 97… the emotions…
• October - starting my Masters…
• Not giving 100% to everything I’m doing
• The growth of Patreon - 150 Patrons
• Number  - Tough Girl Daily - 22,000 downloads, Twitter 7,707, Instagram 6,677
• What might not have gone so well?
• Very comfortable in my bed and in my comfort zone
• Wanting to get more into vlogging
• What surprised me?
• The kindness of strangers, the patrons, family & friends
• What did this year teach me?
• Completing 3 goals….out of 7!
• 433,000 downloads…
• What do you need to leave behind?
• Knowing the value of my worth
• It has to be a business and not an expensive hobby
• 2018 areas of focus - podcast (500,000 downloads), masters, the tough girl tribe
• I have to move out of home in 2018
• 2018 is going to be the Year of the…. Tribe
• Tribees… (Love this so much!!)
• Big picture ideas…
• Internship with the UN?
• Travelling…?
• Lots of variables…. 
• 1000 patrons….. who knows what would happen!
• Being open to new opportunities
• Wanting to do another big challenge….. 
• Top Goals…
• Ideas for the tribe… events… leaflets…stash… meeting tribe members
• THANK YOU!! THANK YOU!! THANK YOU!! THANK YOU!!
• Please do take the time to reflect on your own personal journey.

Megan has spent time working and living with native communities all around the world, from the San bushmen in Africa to the Sami reindeer herders in the Arctic to the Iban jungle dwellers in Borneo and many more.

Most of her expeditions involve working closely with native peoples and she always aims to support local communities where possible.

Megan’s primal drive to travel and explore means she can often be found breaking trail through waist deep snow, swinging in her hammock in the depths of a jungle or sharing stories sat around a campfire under the desert stars.

Megan’s Knowledge and skills make her a world leading expert in all aspects of remote wilderness area expeditions, survival and TV filming.

“In the wilderness the only person you are in competition with is yourself. You should constantly strive to be better, to push your own limits and explore your own relationship with the environment.”

Show notes

• Working in the UK - for once!
• Growing up as the oldest of 4 children
• Heading up Snowdon at a young age
• Finding the Military Cadets
• Why it was never about gender
• Careers outside academia?
• Taking a gap year and going back to uni
• Travelling the world
• Going down the mountaineering route
• Having a love - hate relationship with the jungle
• Running into trouble
• Developing a coping mechanism for dealing with stressful situations
• Getting push back on decisions
• Being chased by Drug Cartels with AK47s
• Connecting with local communities
• Moving back to North Wales
• Maintaining her fitness
• Building in yoga and stretching
• Where the book came from
• The mental aspects and psychology of survival 
• What makes people resilient?
• Advice for women trying to get into the industry
• Do you enjoy being outside?
• Her favourite pieces of gear
• Plans for 2018
• Would she leave it all for a 9 to 5 job?
• A lifestyle or a job
• Having a back up plan
• Getting her dog - Tugg
• How to get a signed copy of her book
• Final words of advice

Learn more about Megan and visit her website - http://meganhine.com

Laura is a British adventure athlete with a passion for the endurance capability of the human body.  A strong believer in the positive impact that adventure and sport can have on children and adults alike, Laura uses her human powered journeys as a platform to inspire and encourage others to get outside.

Previous adventures include solo kayaking in Russia, solo cycling the world's longest coastal route in Ireland and circumnavigating three of the Channel Islands using three different sporting disciplines as part of a rather extreme triathlon!

Show notes

• Learning more about Laura
• Growing up on a farm then going to theatre school
• Falling in love with sport again
• What can I get my body to do?
• How a pub quiz led her to wanting to kayak the longest river in Russia
• 8 months to prepare for her first big challenge - Including funding…
• Telling her parents about her challenge
• Getting into Russia and the first 24hrs not going to plan
• Having her trip go viral on social media…..
• Tracking/being tracked? 8,000 views on her tracker map every day…
• Where is Laura? Bring stalked? Enforced hospitality…
• Feeling vulnerable and deciding what to do about it
• “there is a fine line between being a badass and being a dumb-ass”
• Her learnings from Russia and why she’s ok with failure
• Deciding to cycle across Ireland
• Being a women and being mindful when traveling and doing adventures
• The Wild Atlantic Way….
• Planning the trip and the challenges involved especially getting use to wild camping again
• Wanting to prove something to herself
• Dealing with the miserable days!
• Paddling the Thames home as a fun mini challenge!
• Making up her own triathlon around the Channel Islands!
• Why she loved the cycling!
• Pushing her body to her limits - her tips and tricks
• Having a busy 2017 and working with Keen #TrailFit
• Tackling her fear of running & why she thought she would never be a runner
• Getting people to take the first step
• Why fun is so important!
• Future plans and adventures - working with schools
• Mindfulness 
• Struggling with balance
• Final words of advice and why you should follow your own inner spark

Learn more about  Laura!

Website - https://www.lauraexplorer.com

Twitter @KenningtonLA 

Instagram @laurakairos  

Facebook @kenningtonlaura 

An adrenaline junkie, Della has completed marathons, 100km walks and skydives, and is currently into walking, cycling and photographing nature along the way. 

Della was a circumnavigator on Hull and Humber in the 09-10 Clipper Race and then returned for numerous legs of the 11-12 race as a videographer/producer with then Clipper Race documentary makers, North One. She now works for Clipper helping to inspire other people to take on the challenge of a life time! 

During this podcast we learn more about Della, what drives her and why she wanted to take on this challenge!

“The race was a hugely challenging, positive and inspiring experience for me. It was a huge learning curve and it did change my life”

Show notes

• Who is Della?
• Why she wants to live an adventurous life
• Being happiest in nature and having a love of the water
• What is was like for her growing up
• Adventurous jobs and leaving home at 18!
• How she got into sailing!
• Wanting to make a change - but not being brave enough 
• Having no money…
• Starting her training and not knowing what to expect
• Getting out of her rut and what she has leant 
• Achieving all of her goals
• Having a career break - Doing Camp America & doing a ski season!
• Following her gut instinct and knowing she wanted to sail around the world
• Making the decision and getting to the start line
• Using your friends and working with other women to make it happen - make sure you do ask for help
• 9 months to get ready for the first stage of the race
• Working with local school so children could follow the race
• Going in with an open mind and her first day stepping onto the boat
• When reality struck… and getting to meet new people on each leg of the trip
• The days that stand out! The good and the bad!
• Dealing with challenges while out on the sea…
• Reflecting back on what she learnt from the experience
• Having more confidence in her own abilities
• Working for the Clipper Yacht Race!

Social Media Links

Della

Della’s Website - http://www.dellaroundtheworld.com 

Twitter - @MissDellarella 

Clipper Yacht Race

Clipper Yacht Race Website - clipperroundtheworld.com

Twitter - @ClipperRace 

Facebook - @clipperroundtheworld 

Jen was born without legs & put up for adoption, her amazing adoptive family, gave her one simple rule, “Never say the word, Can’t.”

As a child, she was obsessed with gymnastics, and her idol was gold-medalist, Dominique Moceanu. 

Seemingly against all odds, she went on to compete against able-bodied athletes, and became a State Champion in power tumbling. As part of her story, and also as a twist of fate, she later learned that her childhood gymnastics idol, Dominique Moceanu, was actually her biological sister!

Jen transitioned into an accomplished acrobat and aerialist. She traveled internationally with Britney Spears’ World Tour, and appeared as the headliner at the prestigious Palazzo hotel in Las Vegas, New York’s Lincoln Center and the Shangri La Hotel in Dubai.

Jen is currently living in Los Angeles, and her goal is “to inspire & motivate others to BELIEVE that anything is truly possible.”

Show notes

• Growing up, her childhood & the amazing memories!
• Being passionate about community and why she is a product of her community
• Knowing she was adopted from a young age
• Having her identity linked to sports and being an athlete
• Gymnastics and becoming obsessed
• Moving away from home and leaving the protection of family and friends
• Dealing with new reactions
• Learning more about people and controlling her emotions
• Writing her book - “Everything is Possible”
• Getting a new tattoo
• Life on the road and travelling the world
• Working with Britney Spears
• Dealing with the pressure
• Developing new skills that she could apply to other areas of her life
• The dream list
• Her love of travel and why it has changed her life
• Visiting the great wall of China
• Her idol in gymnastics
• Finding out about her biological family
• How her whole life changed in 2008 
• Future plans - heading to New Zealand 
• Words of advice

Learn more about Jen

Visit her website 

Follow on Twitter - @JenBricker1 

Facebook - Jen Bricker  

Instagram - @Jenbricker  

Anna Blackwell - The Going-on of an Adventurer! Walking 500 and 1000 miles across France and Spain along ancient pilgrimage routes

Anna is a 24-year-old adventurer who has a love of the great outdoors and pushing her limits. This has led her to completing a series of adventures over the last few years: trekking across the wilderness of arctic Sweden with just reindeer for company, walking 500 and 1000 miles across France and Spain along ancient pilgrimage routes, summiting the highest peak in North Africa, and hitch-hiking to Morocco (amongst plenty of others!)

2017 has been a slightly unusual year for her as she’s been working full-time for the majority of it, but she’s still found time for some fun, whether in the form of tackling my first 4000m mountain in North Africa, attempts at trekking in Arctic Norway, or just setting up her bivvy bag to sleep under the stars on a hillside in Oxfordshire!

Show notes

• Finishing university 
• Not being sporty but loving the outdoors
• Camping with her Dad
• Hating the Duke of Edinburgh
• What changed?
• Dropping out of uni and travelling solo
• Figuring out what she wanted to do with her life 
• Deciding what adventures to go on
• Why walking 500 miles wasn’t enough of a challenge
• Deciding to walk 1000 miles
• Not doing that much planning and throwing herself into it
• Not needing all the stuff she had
• The lifestyle
• Getting up at 4.30 in the morning to catch the sunrise
• Coming to the end of her first adventure
• Not living in the past
• Being underwhelmed by the finish
• Thinking about what she was going to do next!
• Lonely?
• Getting through the challenging sections
• Know yourself - know your body
• Getting away from it all - including the people
• Deep thinking - Deep Questions
• Kindle - Camera - Journal
• Remaining positive through out the bad weather
• What’s next?! April 2018…. The Plan
• Having an adventure mindset
• Advice for you!
• Tribes!

Melissa Urie - Nurse from Australia who was the 2nd Women to ever finish the EPIC 5 - 5 Ironman in 5 days across 5 different islands in Hawaii!

Melissa is the second woman ever to finish the Epic 5 - an event which consists of doing 5 Ironman distance triathlons (that’s 224km or 140 miles of swimming, cycling and running) every day over 5 days on 5 different Hawaiian Islands!

Melissa lives in Melbourne, Australia working as a nurse. 

Show notes

• Growing up and moving to Melbourne
• Getting into health and fitness
• New Years Resolution that stuck
• Around the bay in a day - a cycle race in Melbourne
• Being naive and not really thinking about it
• Getting involved in a triathlon and how it has become her lifestyle
• Nursing and doing shift work and how she fit her training into her life
• Her 1st Ironman….
• Getting a coach
• Working on her nutrition
• Not going for a specific time
• Just surviving the day….
• Ultra-man event in Canada
• Taking it to the next level - why?!
• Getting injured before a big race and finding out if she could still race
• Dealing with flat types and being exhausted
• Being mentally tough
• Learning from her experience 
• EPIC 5 - what it is and why she wanted to do it
• Training and preparation for EPIC 5
• What a training day/week looks like 
• Being on the cusp of over training but managing to get the balance right
• Being motivated to get up out of bed - “Don’t think just do”
• Heading out to Hawaii
• Finding it easy to relax and taper
• Being the only female & why it is a big deal
• Dealing with internal pressure that comes from her
• Celebrating!!
• Not getting the challenge blues
• Next challenge!!!

Learn more about Melissa

Follow on Twitter  @rangamel  

You can also listen to Melissa on Sparta Chicks Radio - which goes into more detail about the EPIC 5 Race

#014: Melissa Urie on Using Your Mind to Achieve the “Impossible” [Podcast]

************************************************

Want to do more?

Become a Patron and donate a small fixed amount every month to help fund my mission

If you want to support my mission - you can also donate via PayPal 

*****************************************************

You can listen to the Tough Girl Podcast on the go via iTunes, Soundcloud & Stitcher!

*****************************************************

Alice believes that learning to swim is a human right, and that whether you’re swimming your first 25metres, splashing in tarns or crossing the English Channel, swimming can empower our lives both in and out of the water.

Alice discovered open water swimming after being knocked off her bike by a lorry on her way to work, the day before her 31 birthday. Waking up on the tarmac as commuter traffic circled around her, too busy to stop to help, she realised it was time to change her path.

Since then Alice has pursued her passions of writing, social justice, water and the outdoors. She is contributing Editor of Outdoor Swimmer Magazine, lead scientist at the International Institute of Swim Cake Studies, a qualified swim teacher, Mandarin speaker,  and consultant focusing on projects relating to anti corruption, responsible business, water scarcity, the rule of law and the impact of technology on social and economic development.

When not in or writing about water, her research and advocacy  have taken her to China, India, No.10 and the UN.

Her swims include: a 4 woman English Channel relay; 2 woman Lake Zurich relay; the Solent; the Thames Marathon; Dart 10k, Sydney Harbour Swim, Scilly Swim Challenge, and the swimmer for Team Mel C vs Team Pendleton in the Human Race Women only triathlon, and competing in the International Winter Swimming Championships in China.

Show notes

• Living in London
• Getting out into the mountains for the first time
• Wanting to spend more time outside
• Going to China!
• Heading up to Sheffield to study
• Deciding to be a lawyer
• The big dream
• Problems that put life into perspective
• Losing her connection with health and wellbeing 
• When it all changed for her
• Who do I call?
• Knowing she was going to change her life
• A Lotus Rises
• Moving out to Chamonix
• Getting back into swimming
• The community of swimmers and how they supported her
• The Lake Zurich swim and how it changed her life
• Top tips for outdoor swimming
• Did you swim today (Forum)
• Body image issues and getting your body out there
• The International Institute of Swim Cake!
• Increasing the amount of people participating in swimming
• The connection between the pool and the pond
• Ensuring women are involved in water policy

Zoe Langley-Wathen - Walking Adventures include the South West Coastal Path, Wales Coast Path & Offa’s Dyke.

Show notes

• Where her love of walking came from?
• Growing up without a car
• Going on night hikes
• Getting married young and having her daughter at 24
• Wanting to do something bigger
• Letting her dreams stay dormant
• Fears?
• Are you sure you can do that?
• Don’t put yourself in a position where you will be disappointed
• The South West Coastal Path!
• Deciding to follow her dream
• How to celebrate her 40th birthday in 2011
• Accountability
• Planning - and giving herself 7 months to sort it all out
• Did women walk the path on their own? Is it done?
• Dealing with short sharp shockers
• Her first lesson
• Egg holder, frying pans!!!
• Being on her own
• Wild camping V staying with friends
• Where was suitable to wild camp?
• Meeting people on the way
• The grief of leaving the trail
• Why did I waste so much time!
• Looking for the next challenge and how her life changed after the challenge
• Supporting Arry Berresford-Webb (Now Cain)
• Walking with other people
• The ultimate walk
• The Great Trail in Canada
• The Ridge way
• Walking around Dorset
• Advice and tips for getting out walking and why you can walk yourself fit

Twitter @WathWalk - https://twitter.com/wathwalk 

Facebook @WathWalk - https://www.facebook.com/WathWalk/

Anoushé is a champion for all those experiencing barriers and self-limiting beliefs.

Born missing her right arm below the elbow, living with multiple health conditions, a cancer survivor, a Muslim and coming from an ethnic minority, Anoushé has never let what society or culture thinks she should do limit her or dictate the direction of her life. She is constantly breaking the mould and challenging not only her own beliefs about her own potential but also that of society and her own culture.

She has become a role model to anyone facing a self-limiting belief or barrier and is sharing her journey to help others unlock their potential. Anoushé candidly talks about her life, how she has remained resilient in the face of huge obstacles and talks about issues that we as a society do not talk about enough. In particular, Anoushé highlights the plight of those stigmatised by society in order to change the misconceptions around these groups. She is heavily driven by teaching others learn to shed their self-limiting beliefs and help empower them to reach their potential.

A policy advisor by day, Anoushé is currently ranked 2nd in the UK as a paraclimber in just a year of training. She is also an Ambassador for LimbPower, the leading charity for amputees and those with limb differences.

Anoushé is the 2017 Asian Women of Achievement Award winner for Sport.

*****************************************************

“Energetic, charismatic and overflowing with enthusiasm and a force for good. Anoushé Husain has overcome immense challenges of her own and yet she’s determined to have a positive impact on others.”

Judges of the Asian Women of Achievement Awards

******************************************************

Show notes

• Who is Anoushé? - Living a diverse life!
• Being born in Luxembourg, speaking multiple languages and growing up sporty
• Dealing with heath issues, from being born with one arm, to have cancer and suffering from a genetic disorder
• Getting in contact with - Reach a UK based charity
• The concept of being different?
• Sports at a young age and their impact on self confidence
• Dealing with discrimination and being treated fairly 
• Getting diagnosed with cancer at 22
• Entering a surgical cycle and the impact on her life
• Living in a cycle of fear and being afraid of what was going to happen next? How much worst is it going to get?
• The impact on her career and her Masters course
• Crossing the line and becoming a cancer patient
• Scanxiety
• Making the move to London 
• Where does her resilience come from?
• “If you fall - you get back up”
• Climbing & wanting to get to the top of the route
• Needing to find a way to get her arm better
• Let’s go try!
• Learning about the British Mountaineering Council - Para-climbing Series
• Being ranked 2nd in her category
• When there is pain there must be something you can learn from it
• Being able to forget the world and all her problems
• Getting over self-limiting beliefs
• Not wanting to rest
• Taking time off from climbing
• Blogging for - This Girl Can campaign
• Final words of advice

Visit her website to learn more!

https://anoushehusain.com

Adelaide suffered with moderately severe Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (or Myalgic Encephalomyelitis - CFS/ME) for 3 years, along with other chronic conditions.

Her life was transformed in 3 days with with the powerful combination of Neuro Linguistic Programming, life coaching and hypnosis. During this podcast we learn more about Adelaide and the personal journey she has been on to rebuild her life, and get back to full health and fitness.

Adelaide has gone on to build her own adventure brand, and has started the podcast - The Lilly Wild Show where she interviews other adventurers, and game changers! This year she went on to complete her first Ironman - a gruelling test of endurance that pushed her both mentally and physically!

Show notes

• Being ill for 4 years from Chronic Fatigue Syndrome 
• Being in a loop of tiredness
• Starting from zero
• Being an only child
• Sports at school
• Coming out into endurance sports…
• Where did the love of adventure come from
• Getting into the Arctic
• Explorers Connect
• The drive to recover
• Taking a gap year and spending time travelling in South America, India
• The mental toll of being ill
• Turning to alternative methods to get better
• What is the lightening process?
• Live a life you love!
• The power you have over yourself and the power of Du
• Becoming well again and how the people around her reacted
• Where the idea for an Ironman came from
• Getting her coach onboard
• The physical training
• Using the App - Training Peaks
• What she struggled with…
• Why nutrition is so important when training
• The mental preparation involved
• Her favourite thing about the brain
• Running with Rich Roll!
• Being super chilled at the start of the race!
• Doing affirmations
• Her first Ironman!
• Being able to draft during the swim
• Dark moments!
• Having her brain drained of energy
• Rocket Fuel!!!
• Waiting for it to sink in
• Will she do it again?
• Crazy Extreme Triathlons in 3 years time!
• The Lilly Wild Podcast - what you can expect
• Advice to getting back on your feet
• Starting with Google!

 

Listen to Part 3 Now!

2nd April 2017

Listen to Part 4 Now!

28th May 2017

Rachel Wise

• From the slowtravelfamily.com

• Being in St Lucia in the Caribbean 

• Leaving Switzerland on the 2nd August

• The run up to getting on the road

• Dealing with bad news and being in limbo

• Saying goodbye to everyone

• Deciding what to do and figuring out what was best for everyone

• Heading to America for a road trip!

• Wild camping

• Why things started to change once they got to Utah

• Catching up with friends and homeschooling the girls

• How the girls are adjusting to life on the road

• How Rachel is finding it all…

• Being together all of the time

• Holiday or lifestyle?

• Money!

• Spending time with the family

• The main learning so far

• The plans for the next few months

• What a typical day is like

• Meeting people 

• Shout out to the blog!

• The website - slowtravelfamily.com

You can read about Rachel’s family’s adventures at slowtravelfamily.com!

 

Rae Read

• Due date in 2 weeks! 

• Being pregnant over the summer!

• Exercising while pregnant?

• Loving walking!

• Getting a puppy!

• 7 minute HIIT training

•  Mental health?

• Disconnecting emotionally with the pregnancy

• Pregnancy depression 

• This is how I feel

•  Speaking to Matt about it all

• Making new friends

• Dealing with loneliness

• Are you sure that’s of for the baby?

• The pressure

• What she has learnt over the past few months?

• The plan over the coming weeks

• Blogging about her experience @ www.howdoesshedoitsite.wordpress.com

 

Laura Try

• What a difference a couple of months can make

• Needing to raise the final £2,000 

• Making a video and sharing it on Facebook

• 16 hours to go!!

• Leaving the marina

• What’s going through her mind?

• Relax your mind

• The first few days…

• Being on the water for 56 days…

• Feeling uncomfortable at the start 

• A typical day.. starting from midnight

• Rowing for 2 hours on, 2 hours off every day

• The biggest challenge she had to face

• The day from hell

• Keeping a video diary

• What she enjoyed most?

• Why it was the best thing she has ever done

• Reality….

• Why it was the people who made the challenge so incredible

• Laughing herself to happiness

• Getting off the boat

• What’s changed since the challenge?

• Depression

• Being Real - Laura is back

• Raising money for Centre Point

• Training to row across the Atlantic!

• Follow Laura on her social media channels @LTFactor 

Connect with Laura - Facebook, twitter, Youtube, and visit her website

 

Jen Dyxhoorn

• Running an ultra marathon in June

• Eventful and challenging few months

• Being humbled by the experience & why it was also a confidence boost

• The self talk… while running by herself

• The moments that stood out for her…. awful & amusing!

• Having a low key summer in preparation for LEJOG

• Getting to the start!

• Wild camping during the trip-the pro’s and the con’s

• Getting use to cycling the distances everyday

• What she learned on the way and the changes that needed to be made

• Having nothing left in the tank

• Cycling with her sister

• Comparisons is the thief of joy

• The Adventure Race!

• Everyday magic goals!

• Balance in her life?

• Getting back into her London life

You can follow Jen’s adventures at lovelyoutliers.com, or on Twitter @jendykxhoorn and Instagram @lovelyoutlier

Follow her Sister - Karen Dykxhoorn  on Instagram @hopefulgoat & twitter @hopefulgoat 

Jo Jo Rogers

• Catching up with Jo Jo

• The summer months spend working at a running camp

• Running with the children and having her training take a back seat

• Inspiring the girls who are new to running

• Coach - I want to get better, I want to become a better runner

• Tips and tricks for women who want to get into running

• Getting the shoes right!

• Recovering from injury

• Running a night time 50K in 102 degrees!

• Coming in 1st female!

• Dealing with bugs!!

• Update on goals

• Running the fastest 50K for women over 50 in the USA

• Focusing on core work

• The December race and why she’ll be giving it everything she’s got!

• Speed work!

• Meeting Jo Jo at the end of the Appalachian Trail

• Not knowing my tail name!

• Coming down the trail….

• Crying on the trail!!

• Let’s just go!

• THANK YOU JO JO!!! Food & goodies!!

• Road trip to Boston

• Eating!

• 9th December!

• Why it is not about the goal 

 

Georgie Akin-Smith

• Being on the quest to complete 12 challenges in 12 months

• What she’s been up to;100k cycle ride with a friend, doing a Tough Mudder with her family, running a half marathon

• Making June into a recovery month and taking a few weeks off

• Changing her challenges and trying to still fit in work, friends and pay for them

• The pressure we put on ourselves

• Enjoying it more because the pressure was off

• Cycling 100 K with a friend and why it was a confidence boost

• Hot shower & tea!

• The family Tough Mudder challenge!

• Would she do it again?!

• Why you should give it ago!

• Marathon training…

• Working with a coach….

• How she is feeling mentally about the marathon which is coming up

• 18 mile long run!

• Still enjoying herself?

• Future challenges to finish off the year

• Running or cycling?

• How is the blogging going?

• Having structure and focus during the year and why she’s liked it

Georgie is blogging about her challenges at www.gwhodares.com 

 

Gemma Smith

• Everything and nothing has been happening!

• Forcing herself to leave work on time and saying no

• Wanting to do more training and more exercise 

• Dealing with housemate issues

• Understanding where her limits are by walking on the Thames Stone Path

• The climbing academy experience - what it was like

• Focus on high altitude medicine

• Gamal Bag

• Flying out to the Alps for 2 weeks

• 9 days with a guide

• Horrific weather….

• Why there is no guarantee

• Money

• The unknown factors in adventures

• Getting through the disappointment

• Stepping stones and working towards bigger long term goals

• What she did with the guide

• £6k - £10K 

• Plans for the coming months…

• Working on her climbing grade - 6A - 6A+

• Doing pull ups on rings

• Follow along on her blog - https://gemlaurensmith.com

Gemma is on Instagram @GemLaurenSmith & also on Twitter @GemlaurenSmith

 

Future Episode

Part 6 - 31st December

 

Feeling inspired week after week? 

You can do 3 easy things to help me continue to grow the podcast!

1. Subscribe to the podcast in iTunes, so you won’t miss a single episode

2. If you’re loving the podcast, please leave a 5-star review on iTunes! I read every single comment!

3. Share the podcast with your friends, especially if you think it could help them, and spread the #ToughGirlPodcast love. 

Your support helps me continue to grow the podcast and do inspiring things in this space! Already done all 3? You’re a rockstar! Thank you!

Want to do more?

Please become a Patron and donate a small fixed amount every month to help fund the runnings costs. 

Tough Girl - Meike Stones  “Powered By Me” - A year-long human-powered lifestyle adventure

Mieke Stones, is a 32-year old female living and working in London and the creator of Powered by Me, a year-long lifestyle adventure where she is only using human-powered transport to get to wherever she need to go.

She has been bloging, vloging and fundraising along the way, hoping to raise as much money for different causes and to inspire others to see active travel as a viable and sustainable way to get to places. 

Her story so far is one of physical and mental endurance, trial and error, with some key learnings thrown in. But most of all her story is about doing what she can with what she has, and doing her bit for the environment. Making better choices and growing her skills and experiences along the way!

Show notes

• Where the idea came from?
• Deciding on what the next challenge was going to be?
• Having a brain wave!
• The planning stage
• The rules
• Starting on the 1st January and raising money for a different charity each month
• Being able to commute to work
• Battling the elements
• Starting to tell friends and family 
• Starting a count down to the start
• The question’s she was being asked
• The start of the year - what it was like
• Being terrified at the start
• The mental challenge in the first week
• When it all started to become normal!
• What was the impact on her life
• Starting to feel more productive
• Having to change her nutrition needs
• The biggest challenges she’s had to face - the big journey’s
• Going through a divorce
• Cycling over to France for a wedding
• Looking for water in strange places!
• Getting to the 6 month marker!
• Starting to feel a little bit knackered 
• Plans for the rest of the year
• Advice for women who want to integrate running and cycling into their everyday routine

Website

https://powered-by-me.com

Christine and her husband Stephen, have always loved to cycle and cycling has played a huge part in their lives. During this podcast Christine shares more about how she got into cycling, why they decided to pack up and head off on an adventure of a lifetime!

Show notes

• Why Christine reached out to me
• Why she started cycling
• Her first cycling adventure!
• Meeting her husband and their join love for cycling
• Starting to take regular cycling holidays
• Having children and going on holiday with them to Northern Europe
• The cycle holiday that stands out to her
• Getting the idea to cycle the world - how the idea first started..
• Giving themselves 16/17 months to prepare
• Why the world!
• One year or two years?!
• Who they told first and their reaction!
• Her friends and what they said!
• “How are you going to manage being with your husband everyday?”
• Getting married in 1984 
• Did she have any fears/worries before the trip?
• Being - Flexible
• The planning….
• The start and how she was feeling..
• Getting into their routine by day 2!
• The challenges she faces… breaking her arm
• Taking a 5 month break
• Deciding where to go next…
• The challenges of cycling in New Zealand
• The daily routine while on the road
• The challenges of cycling in Japan
• Advice for women who want to go on a big cycling trip
• Deciding to come home
• Plans to head back to South America
• Settling back into home life!
• Blogging about their adventure!
• Final words of advice!

Blog

http://www.christineandstephen.co.uk

& on Twitter @CycleGBCoast

Alex has always has a love for the outdoors and has always been fiercely independent. Her love of adventure began when she first went travelling in Africa. 

In 2015 Alex hiked the Pacific Crest Trail, a 2700 mile trail that starts at the border of Mexico and goes through America to the border of Canada. Returning to work was an impossible task and after 4 months back in an office she quit to become a permanent adventurer.

First stop back to America, second stop New Zealand (with a few thousand miles of hiking in between). Listen as Alex shares more about her adventures on the Tough Girl Podcast

Show notes

• Going back to her childhood and what she was like growing up
• Being inspired by her granddad
• Having a normal life!
• Spending 6 months over in Africa
• Questioning what she was doing and why she was doing
• Deciding to take a sabbatical from her job!
• Dealing with the obstacles….  & facing up to her fears
• Why she choose the Pacific Crest Trail?
• Taking us back to the start!
• Getting her tourist visa for America!
• Getting to America and what was happening in her head before she started
• The moment that stood out for her while on the trail
• Meeting Kat Davies while on the trail - Listen to her PCT hike here!
• Overcoming fears on the trail
• Finishing the trail on her birthday!
• Making the transition back to “normal” life and going back to work
• Heading to the Himalaya’s to climb Mera Peak (6,476m)
• Quitting her job and what she did next!
• The differences between walking North and South on the PCT
• Being under time pressure to get through the Sierra before the snowfall
• Having no responsibility and being free
• Her trail name!
• Dealing with the time pressure while heading Southbound
• What’s happening inside her head while being out in the woods
• Why she wasn’t trying to “find herself”
• Being able to share the trail with a friend
• How she’s funded these trips and how she funds her lifestyle
• Her monthly budget
• Learning more about Love her Wild - (You can listen to Bex on the Tough Girl Podcast as well!)
• Her cycle tour in Australia (Sydney to Darwin)- why she decided to do, what inspired her, planning the route, buying her bike!
• Having low points and how she handles it
• Being a hiker at heart
• What she’s learnt from leading this life
• Her beliefs
• The charities she supports

Feeling inspired week after week? 

You can do 3 easy things to help me continue to grow the podcast!

1. Subscribe to the podcast in iTunes, so you won’t miss a single episode
2. If you’re loving the podcast, please leave a 5-star review on iTunes! I read every single comment!
3. Share the podcast with your friends, especially if you think it could help them, and spread the #ToughGirlPodcast love. 

Your support helps me continue to grow the podcast and do inspiring things in this space! Already done all 3? You’re a rockstar! Thank you!

Want to do more?

Please become a Patron and donate a small fixed amount every month to help fund the runnings costs. 

On Tuesday 16th May 2017, Mollie Hughes successfully reached the summit of Mount Everest from the North side. This was Mollie's second time standing on top of Everest having already summited the South side in 2012.

Achieving this feat at 26 has made her the youngest woman in the world and the first English woman to successfully summit from both the north and south sides of the world’s highest mountain!

Show notes

• Intro - how would Mollie describe herself
• Not climbing her mountain until she was 17
• Growing up in South Devon
• Lacking confidence at a young age
• The stages she took to get to where she wanted to go
• Arriving back from Kenya and deciding on her next challenge
• Travelling at a young age
• Her journey to Everest
• When the seed got planted to climb Everest
• Her search for women who had climbed Everest
• Giving herself 12 months to achieve her goal
• Having the conversation with her parents….
• The money..
• A record to be had in 2012 - being the youngest women to summit Mount Everest from the UK
• Dealing with rejection week after week
• Getting herself fit and prepared for Everest
• Doing everything she could to raise the funds needed!
• Needing a killer auction prize
• Dealing with an expedition that’s gone wrong
• How to balance the risk and the rewards
• Her 2012 Everest expedition & how she felt about it
• Suffering for 2 months
• “seeing everyday as a success”
• Being able to separate your emotions
• 3 British Women all in their early twenties on the mountain
• Being interested in Tibet and wanting to explore the North side of Mount Everest
• How much it costs to climb Everest
• Her thoughts on reaching the top
• What she's learnt most from going on these expeditions
• What’s going to be next?!
• Top tips for resting and recovering after a big challenge?

Please find all my social media links below!

✩ Twitter - https://twitter.com/_tough_girl 

✩ Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/toughgirlchallenges/  

✩ Blog/Website - https://www.toughgirlchallenges.com/ 

✩ FaceBook - https://www.facebook.com/ToughGirlChallenges/  

✩ TRIBE  - https://www.facebook.com/groups/ToughGirlTribe/ 

✩ Tumblr - http://toughgirlchallenges.tumblr.com  

✩ Pinterest - https://uk.pinterest.com/Tough101/   

✩ Patreon - https://www.patreon.com/ToughGirlPodcast?ty=h 

✩ YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCaIVCwNIUk6qE5MnewKDCrQ 

******************************************************

If you have questions about me, the podcast, what I’m doing… then please check out my website

If you want to do more to help increase the amount of female role models in the media, please, subscribe to the podcast in iTunes, so you won’t miss a single episode.

If you’re loving the podcast, please leave a 5-star review and share the podcast with your friends, to spread the #ToughGirlPodcast love. 

******************************************************

If you have questions regarding the Marathon des Sables - Please read  - Tough Girl Sahara Challenge 

If you have questions regarding climbing Kilimanjaro - Please read - Kilimanjaro Tips for The Top

******************************************************

Want to do more?

Become a Patron and donate a small fixed amount every month to help fund my mission

If you want to support my mission - you can also donate via PayPal