Following the breakdown of her marriage and at the age of 48 in 1998 Jacqui decides to leave her job in health visiting and set off on a years adventure, alone backpacking in South East Asia.

This was to be the beginning of a journey that left conformity a distant memory. Finding herself bitten by the travel bug she then set off again, at the age of 50 with the Dutch Man this time combining her love of travel with her other passion … motorcycling.

During this podcast Jacqui share stories from her 7 years on the road, where she visited 20 countries with no plan. Jacqui speaks with warmth and an openness, sharing the mishaps, the mistakes, the broken leg, the food, and how she dealt with storms, castaways and pirates! 

Show notes

• Currently living in Tasmania, Australia 
• Heading off to go backpacking at 48
• Having her marriage breakdown
• Liking travelling and meeting awesome people
• Meeting the Dutch man
• Deciding to buy a motorcycle to travel around the world
• Deciding to travel solo 
• Reactions of friends and family when she headed off to go travelling at 48
• Wanting to get away from it all
• The plan for her year off
• Never being on her own before
• Staying in a hotel for 3 days and crying
• Learning who she was
• Wanting to slow down and to go at her own pace
• Being frugal and managing a budget while travelling
• Making mistakes and being wrong
• How her confidence has grown over the years
• Being a people pleaser and wanting to change that
• Heading back to the UK after her first gap year and seeing that nothing had changed
• Deciding not to go back to her old job as a health visitor
• The return of the Dutch man!
• Moving back in with her mum
• Deciding to buy her own motorbike
• Riding with a partner throughout India
• Riding from India into Nepal, then spending time in Pakistan
• Breaking her leg
• Getting back on the bike after the  crash
• Why she loves Australia
• Dealing with pirates, storms and castaways!
• Sailing with interesting characters….
• 7 years of travelling and being on the road
• Travelling with guilt 
• Taking another 7 years to write a book
• The difficulties of heading home 
• Doing an A’level in history
• The next part of the journey 
• Plans for 2019 - “Plan what plan?!”
• Advice for going with the flow and why you have to want to 

Social Media

Website - www.jacquifurneaux.com/ 

Facebook - @JacquiFurneauxTravels  

Instagram - @JacquiFurneaux

"I have found that all I need in life is the right attitude. And what can be comfortably carried on an Enfield."

Jacqui Furneaux

Jenny is passionate about human powered endurance challenges and loves combining this with her love of the mountains. At the moment, Jenny is making her way around the globe, running across a mountain range on every continent. In 2016 she ran across the Tien Shan of Kyrgyzstan, in 2017 she ran across the Atlas of Morocco, and most recently ran across the Bolivian Andes. In 2019 Jenny will be tackling her fourth expedition, the Southern Alps in New Zealand! 

Jenny first came on the tough girl podcast in February 2017 when she shared more about her first challenge, exploring the Yukon of North Canada by cycling over 3,000 km. After her ride to Yukon, suddenly being fit enough to take on a running endurance challenge seemed like a possibility. Jenny decided to run solo, self-supported across Kyrgyzstan over 900km!

On the Tough Girl podcast, Jenny Tough shared stories from several of her adventures and the lessons she learned along the way. Whether you’re thinking about a major challenge or want a little more adventure every day, you can learn something from this incredible woman.

Show notes

• Her next big challenge 
• How the idea came about
• Loving the mountains and her passion for running
• Being looked after by local people
• Deciding on her 2017 challenge
• Getting into the zone
• Moving from the survival stage to the thriving stage
• The Atlas Mountains in Morocco
• The planning of the trip
• Making it up as she goes along (to a certain extent!)
• The excitement!
• Getting in shape for the challenge
• Getting injury proof
• The gear:- backpack - poles - shoes
• Fast packing
• Why weight is everything
• Mental preparation and dealing with the unknown
• The fear and doubt
• Be the expedition buddy you wish you had brought
• Tricking your brain
• Covering 55k on her first day
• Meeting the Berbers
• Over coming language barriers
• The beauty of the desert
• The challenges of North Africa
• Dealing with the Police
• Not being able to enter cafe and restaurants
• Helping to change attitudes
• Adventure blues and finishing the challenge
• Recovery time after a challenge
• Trying to get better at patience
• Her 3rd run- October 2018 heading off to Bolivia
• Dealing with the altitude
• Dealing with bad weather and storms
• Doing constant risk assessments
• Insurance
• Paying for the challenges
• Her plans for New Zealand - only 1200 km!
• Being an introvert and dealing with the remoteness
• Being more mindful when using a camera

Social Media

Check out Jenny’s website - www.jennytough.com

Jenny is on Twitter @JennyTough

Callie 32, is a winter sports enthusiast who loves skiing and being in the mountains. She grew up in Southern California, before moving over to Alaska. One of Callie’s first challenges was bike touring from Dushanbe, Tajikistan to Ulaan Baaar, Mongolia. Callie has then gone on to successfully climb Mount Denali the highest mountain in North America and Aconcagua the highest mountain in South America.  Both were unguided expeditions! Her most recent challenge led her to complete a 5,000 mile unsupported ski, kayak and bike from Arctic Russia (in mid-winter), to the Bosporus Strait in Istanbul! 

During this podcast Callie talks about her journey, the challenges she has faced along the way, the high points, the low points, the dangers and realities of being out on the road. What she has learned about being brave and why women should get out there.

Show notes

• Who is Callie
• Growing up in California and moving to Alaska 10 years ago
• How a SoCal girl ended up in Alaska!
• Going to university and taking extra classes to get though university quicker
• Her first big adventure - a big bike trip across Asia
• Going to graduate school 
• Deciding to go cycling with her best friend 
• How her plans changed and why she decided to carry on solo
• Transitions from being in a pair to being solo
• Deciding to go to Afghanistan 
• What it was like in Afghanistan in 2013
• Learning between bravery and recklessness
• Being reported as missing…
• Speaking to her parents 
• What happened next
• Not being able to get out of the country
• Managing fear and keeping calm
• Getting back on the bikes again
• Deciding to go skiing in Kashmir
• Cycling through India and why it was her least favourite place to go as a women
• Having to be so aware of her surrounding and the people she was engaging with
• Planning where to sleep at night and making use of cheap hotels
• Talking herself into leaving Delhi 
• Deciding to finish after a year of cycling
• Being attacked on the side of the road
• Being angry at men and why cycling wasn’t fun anymore
• Heading to Turkey to meet a friend
• Going to graduate school in Dublin
• Studying - Philosophy of Peace 
• Getting into climbing and the mountains
• Becoming a more competent mountaineer
• 2016 and climbing Mount Denali and giving herself 6 month to plan
• Climbing Aconcagua in South America in 2014
• Climbing before the busy season - being there for Christmas and New Year
• What happened while on the mountain
• 2 summit attempts and the weather window
• Knowing when to turn around
• Heading back up by herself
• Summit day!
• Costs of climbing Aconcagua  - permits, food, & flights - less than $3,000 
• Deciding to climb Denali
• Gaining mountaineering skills and learning from friends
• Being injured at the moment with a torn ACL and MCL…
• Waiting to have surgery
• The Russian Expedition in 2017!
• A break down of the challenge
• Dealing with the cold …. Siberia in winter …. - 40!
• Going from skiing to bikes and then into kayaks!
• Navigating though the mountains
• Keeping positive in challenging situations
• Why everything is easier with a partner
• How the challenge came about 
• The challenges during the kayaking portion
• Dealing with the Russian Army & Police
• Future plans for 2019
• Not being on social media
• Final words of advice for women out there

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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. 

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Favia is a 30 year old Pathologist living in New Mexico, she is a keen climber and has been a competitor on American Ninja Warrior! During this podcast Favia shares more about her life, growing up with a single mum, going to Harvard University, deciding to go to medical school and what it was like being diagnosed with cancer. Favia, shares more about the challenges she faced and overcame and why climbing is such an important part of her life. 

Favia gives practical advice and top tips about how to schedule your time to be efficient and, why you may have to say no. Favia talks about mental sadness, the feeling of frustration and angry while dealing with cancer and how she managed to get through the chemotherapy and the recovery process to be able to start living her life again.

Show notes

• Favia introduces herself
• Her childhood and being raised by a single mum
• Attending Harvard University
• Going to Colombia to get her Masters and coming across rock climbing
• Not liking climbing to start with
• Setting the goal to go to Harvard when she was 5 years old
• Her dream of being of Doctor
• What life was like at Harvard
• Deciding to give rock climbing another chance
• Moving to Ohio and going to the rock gym to make friends
• Being welcomed into the climbing community 
• Being scared of spider and bugs
• Recovery tips for climbing
• Being diagnosed with cancer
• The cancer journey and why training as a Dr. helped to save her life
• Not being believed by the doctors
• Standing up for herself
• Getting through the toughest 6 months of her life
• Getting back into sport and climbing
• Living minute to minute
• Doing radiation or not?
• Trying to get out of the house and live again
• Dealing with the anger and frustration from her condition 
• Chaining her mental state
• Working out her mental sadness
• Needing a reason to not give up
• Her reason for living
• American Ninja Warrior
• Learning how to schedule her time to be efficient
• Getting fit with her husband
• Having to get 9 hours of sleep and not getting up to early
• Advice and tips for women who want to get into climbing
• Advice and tips for women who are going through a tough time 

Social Media

Website - www.traversegirl.com

Instagram @FelineFavia 

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. 

We first spoke with Jessica after she had successfully completed her thru-hike of the Appalachian Trail in 2015. Since then Jessica has continued to share her backpacking and hiking advice though her website and hugely popular Youtube channel  - Homemade Wanderlust (well worth checking out - over 150,000 subscribers!)

Jessica talks very openly about her dreams, doing what she loves, the challenges out on the trail as well as how she is funding her life. I am inspired by Dixie and what she has achieved and I know you will be as well. Enjoy this episode!

Show notes

• What does she prefer to be called?
• How Dixie would introduce herself
• Completing the recipe to be successful.. but not being happy
• Doing what she loves
• Listen to Jessica when she shares more about hiking the Appalachian Trail in 2015
• Getting back home after the Appalachian Trail
• Wanting to get hiking again
• Doing a wide variety of different jobs while growing her youtube channel
• 2017 and doing the Pacific Crest Trail - the why and the how
• Learning about the CDT
• The pressure she felt at the start of the PCT and feeling so nervous about the desert and the snow
• Gear changes and wanting to go lighter with her gear
• Getting use to dry camping
• Not being able to train before the PCT
• Dealing with the desert and the first 700 miles
• Filming on the PCT and trying to capture more of nature 
• The moment that stands out on the trail and why the bad days make the best stories
• Loss of life on the trail
• Crossing rivers
• Navigation on the trail and using the Gut Hook App
• Appreciating the trail but also taking time out for a family graduation
• Getting to the end of the trail and what it felt like
• Patreon and how patrons have helped to change her life
• Wanting to get out on the CDT in 2018
• Heading north bound - 3,050 miles!
• Create your own adventure trail!
• The challenges of the CDT 
• Food and nutrition on the trails
• Lessons learned on the CDT
• Taking risks doing thru hikes
• When things don’t go to plan
• Completing the triple crown and why it was surreal
• Life after a thru hike
• Future hikes and plans 
• 2019 plans with her mum on the PCT
• Top tips for having a successful thru-hike

Social Media

Youtube @homemadewanderlust

Website - www.homemadewanderlust.com

Verónica is a retired diver from Argentina. She earned a spot in the Olympic finals with appearances in 1980 (Moscow, Russia), 1984 (Los Angeles, Calif.), 1988 (Seoul, South Korea) and 1992 (Barcelona, Spain), with best finishes of eighth on the platform and 10th on the springboard, both at the 1992 Games. She was the only female competitor to make finals in both events in Barcelona. She is a 12-time South American champion (1980-92) while competing for her native country of Argentina, winning championships on the 1-meter and 3-meter springboards and the platform. Ribot-Canales later captured a pair of U.S. national titles in the 3-meter in 1992 and 1993 before retiring in 1996 after her fourth year as a member of the U.S. national team. 

Veronica’s journey continued on from being a very driven and competitive diver at the international level, to taking up SUP racing and yoga in her late 50s. Veronica shares more about her life, the challenges she has faced and overcome and how she stays physically active, especially while training in all kinds of weather. At the same time she is also deepening her yoga practice, while opening her heart, experiencing gratitude and abundance, and inspiring others. 

Show notes

• Who is Veronica in her own words
• Getting into SUP - doing both SUP yoga and racing in the summer
• Her childhood - being born in Argentina and growing up in the Bahamas
• Getting into diving and swimming at 8 years old
• How she progressed in diving 
• Potential being able to dive for Argentina in the Olympics!
• The Pan American Games
• How her diving career progressed
• What it’s been like at the Olympics and how it has changed over the years
• Competing at the olympic level - and dealing with the stress and pressure
• the mental training they did 
• Positive and negative stress
• Perfection and the issues
• The biggest challenge she had to face and overcome in her career
• Coaching at Cornell 
• Tips and tricks for coaching
• Losing your “who am I”
• Suffering from depression
• Moving across the country with 2 small children
• Going through a divorce
• Being the only female diving coach
• Starting yoga and how it helped change her life
• Deciding to become a yoga instructor
• SUP racing and winning!
• Plans for 2019
• No comparisons allowed

Social Media

Personal Website - http://olympicheartyoga.com/about/

Yoga Website  - www.ithacasupyoga.com 

Instagram - @olympicheartyogi  

Ayesha is working tirelessly towards this goal and is determined to take every opportunity that comes available to make this happen. She is extremely passionate about creating representation in cycling that will encourage and inspire other African-American women and youth to follow their dreams, whatever they may be. 

#aquickbrownfox #representationmatters

Show notes

• Ayesha on her mission and passion for cycling
• Going back to her childhood and coming from a sporty family
• How her cycling developed - which started with commuting and why she loved it
• How commuting open up her access to the city and enabled her to take on different jobs
• How it all started with ally cat races
• Her first race - 2014
• Type 2 fun and why it was a horrible experience
• Why she decided to carry on
• Why she is still learning
• Deciding to go professional
• Advocacy and what she’s doing
• Focus on content creation
• Starting her own blog and podcast podcast - A quick brown fox
• Being inspired by how people got there in the first place
• Crashing out of the National Championships…
• Dealing with crashing and how to get back on the bike again
• Working with coaches and the impact on her confidence
• What a typical training week looks like
• The Dirty Kanza 200 - gravel race 
• The mental aspects of the race
• Getting comfortable in the saddle
• The journey of going pro and the help she had along the way
• How she funds her life and affords to ride
• Why she doesn’t want donations
• Patreon and how she’s finding it 
• The bike she rides
• Have an integrated seat post and why she loves it
• Dealing with difficult situations
• How we can help to increase diversity
• Plans for 2019

Social Media

Website http://www.aquickbrownfox.com 

Twitter @ayesuppose 

Instagram @ayesuppose 

Facebook @ayesuppose  

Support Ayesha & her mission on Patreon - https://www.patreon.com/aquickbrownfox 

Brigitte, is a Belgian-born Australian mountain climber. Her climbing career spanned over thirty years. In 1997, she became the first Australian woman to summit Mount Everest and the first Australian, male or female, to climb the Seven Summits (the highest summit on each of the continents). Her nine year quest, which included four dramatic attempts on Mount Everest, gives her a unique insight on achieving long term goals, and on maintaining personal motivation.

After her career in mountaineering and adventure, Brigitte became a film maker and an inspirational speaker. Brigitte has also written an autobiography The Wind in My Hair which is a tale of true heroism, courage and an unconquerable determination. She now leads community building treks in her beloved village of Lura in Eastern Nepal, where she started a women’s literacy and empowerment program

'Il faut vivre ses reves et non rever sa vie.' 'We must live our dreams, not dream our lives’.

Show notes

• Growing up in Belgium
• Her parents
• Being inspired by Tin Tin
• The turning point in her life being inspired by her teacher.  'Il faut vivre ses reves et non rever sa vie.' 'We must live our dreams, not dream our lives’.
• Joining a caving club at 16!
• Her first experience in a cave and why she felt so safe and comfortable
• How her journey evolved and why people are so important
• Meeting boys and going climbing in Canada
• Working at the supermarket to save money
• Finishing university and what happened next
• Moving to Australia and living in a tent
• Not having any idea what she wanted to do
• Taking it one expedition at a time
• The low point of her lifestyle
• Struggling to make friends after moving to Australia
• The last mountain she climbed in 1999
• Losing a loved one in the mountains
• Why it was time for something else
• Deciding to focus on other challenges and going through a divorce
• Having a mountaineering career which spanned 30 years
• Talking about money
• Mental grit and mental resilience
• Beyond the Smile - where it comes from
• Plans for 2019
• Starting with Patreon
• Advice and top tips 

Social Media

Website https://beyondthesmile.net 

Support Brigitte - via Patreon -  https://www.patreon.com/brigittemuir 

In 2010, Sarah's curiosity and thirst for adventure led to the greatest expedition of her life, becoming the youngest female Documentarian at 21 years of age to produce her first film in the Amazon Rainforest “Amazon Souls”. While over there for 2 weeks, Sarah lived with the Huaorani tribe, hunted with the warriors, gathered with the women and was initiated into their existence by marriage to a warrior, making her a Queen! Through this alliance Sarah continues to send out their message of protecting their land through her film and speaking work.

Sarah’s achievements include winning the “Spirit of Adventure Award” from the Captain Scott Society 2014 for her next big expedition, “Life In The Darien Gap”, shortlisted by the SES (Scientific Exploration Society) Explorer of the year Award 2014, Finalist of the National Geographic Explorer Award, Finalist of the Winston Churchill Memorial Trust Fellowship Award 2014, highly commended by The Adventure Fund in association with Sidetracked magazine. With an interest in ancient civilizations and a Fellow of the Royal Geographic Society, Sarah has since been exploring the world, embarking on adventures and working on various film and humanitarian projects.

As a side project, after realising there was no hub for female explorers on or off screen, Sarah partnered with Russ Malkin from Big Earth to set up ‘The Adventuress Club’ – a platform to connect, share, empower and encourage women in the world of adventure. 

Show notes

• Not knowing how do describe herself
• Doing what she loves
• How she defines herself
• Not living a conventional lifestyle
• Being inspired at 9 years old
• Making her first film at 21
• Being made a Queen
• What life was like growing up
• Her childhood and being the ‘black sheep’ of the family
• Growing up in a conservation, Bengali, Muslim family
• Being a fashion designer
• Spending 16 months living with her grandparents in Bangladesh
• What she learnt from that experience
• Coming up against resistance
• Proving people wrong
• Without action there is no reaction
• Feeling different from everyone else
• Trying to prove herself constantly
• Meeting the tribe for the first time
• Hunting with the warriors
• Living with the tribe for 2 weeks
• Dealing with the language barriers
• Getting use to being naked
• The marriage ceremony
• Heading back to the UK and adjusting to life afterwards
• Finishing her final year at university 
• Deciding to become a journalist
• Heading to the Atlas mountains
• Learning to be open and understand of people who are different
• Setting up -  The Adventuress Club
• Plans for 2019
• Final words of advice and tips for you 

Social Media

Website : http://sarahbegum.tv 

Twitter : @Sarah_Begum  

Instagram : @sarahbegumtv 

Facebook : @sarahbegumtv 

The Adventuress Club

The Adventuress Club is here to inspire and empower women to live in the spirit of adventure.

Website: https://www.theadventuress.club

Facebook: @theadventuressclub 

Twitter : @AdventuressClub  

Sara Hastreiter - adventurer, professional sailor and athlete. Current challenge - to be the first women to sail the 7 seas and to climb the highest summits of the world's 7 continents.

Sara Hastreiter is a globe-exploring, international adventuring sailor and climber. It's Sara's goal to be the first woman ever to sail all 7 seas, and climb to the highest summits of the world's 7 continents. This feat would also see Sara become the first person in history to have competed in the Volvo Ocean Race (the 'Everest of Sailing'), and climbed Everest itself. During her reign as a professional sailor, Sara has sailed the equivalent of 5 laps of the planet, and has no signs of slowing down.

Show notes

• Getting Sara to introduce herself
• Growing up in the cowboy state
• Her career path and journey after high school
• Going all in 
• Ending up in the Caribbean and starting to sail
• Wanting to cross an ocean
• How her sailing career progressed
• Reading books and being inspired 
• Deciding to become a professional sailor
• Deciding to get experience over qualifications
• Volvo Ocean Race (hardest sailing race on the planet)- a once in a life time opportunity 
• Becoming part of Team SCA
• The process of making the team over 18 months
• Taking advantage of the opportunities that came her way
• The challenges involved in the race and why it is so full on
• Getting though the tough times on the water and how she made it through
• Getting into climbing 
• Deciding to climb Mount Everest
• Deciding on the 7 seas and 7 summits challenge
• 4 more mountains to go!
• Looking for corporate sponsorship and how she approaches it
• Deciding every day to believe in herself and to keep working on it
• Being 2 years in and still just as passionate as she was at the start
• Keeping herself motivated 
• Balance….
• Not being concerned with a personal life
• Making money through sailing
• Dealing with her first knee injury
• Climbing Mt Elbrus in Russia
• Fracturing her pelvis and dealing with more injury
• Coping with the recovery process
• Being kind to herself
• Advice and tips for women who want to follow a different type of career path
• Giving herself permission and asking herself the question - is she doing the right thing
• You create your life and why you need self initiative

Social Media

Website & Blog : https://www.sara.blue 

Twitter: @SaraSailingUSA  

Instagram: @sara_hastreiter 

Abbi is adventurous, fun, loves being outside and can not sit still! She loves being in the open air, and strives for everyday big and small adventures. Abbi encourages others to get outside and to get active she does this as both a hobby and a job; her job as an expedition leader and outdoor instructor, sees her travel a lot taking groups of adults and children on challenge expeditions it also allows her to teach bushcraft and survival skills to all types of people. 

In 2017 Abbi set herself a HUGE challenge, to take part in 30 endurance events over 2018 to raise money and awareness for the charity Young Minds. During this podcast we learn more from Abbi about her life the challenges she has faced and overcome and what she has learned on the way

*** Please note during this episode we do talk about eating disorders, mental health and suicide - we do not go into specific but please be aware these subjects are mentioned ***

Show notes

• Loving the outdoors, being outside and being into health and fitness
• Not being able to sit still
• Loving to learn and studying for her Masters
• Growing up in Dartmoor in the South West of the UK
• Deciding to be an expedition leader
• Meeting her husband and how her path changed
• Training to be a teacher 
• Moving to the Isle of Man
• Going to Borneo as an Assistant Leader
• Finding out about the adventure industry
• Working with charities and helping children who have behavioural expeditions
• Getting into sporting challenges… 
• Why exercise wasn’t always a positive thing
• Recovery and having anxiety about food
• Being inspired at school to get outdoors
• Being in all boy teams
• Realising she liked ultra running
• Being booked on to the Thames Trot Ultra Marathon
• What she loves about ultra marathons
• Running a double marathon and managing to stay positive and out of the dark moments
• Deciding to do thirty4thirty
• Going back to December 2017 and how she was feeling before the start of the challenge
• Wanting to raise money for a mental health charity - Young Minds
• Sharing her story and sharing her past history
• Her first event - January 1st 2018! The Knacker Cracker
• What happens as the months went by
• Having a coach and working with Mark 
• 69 mile ultra marathon and feeling emotional when no sponsorship came through
• Doing a 100 mile race and an ironman!
• Starting to feel tired towards the end of the year
• Being intimated by the ironman course
• How she has recovered between events
• Her nutrition while training 
• The final event and making it up herself
• Preparing for 2019 and taking time out to reflect on what she has achieved
• Hosting a charity ball in March 2019 for Young Minds
• What Abbi has learned from this year
• Advice and tips for you 

Social Media

Ball tickets: www.buytickets.at/thirty4thirty

Website: www.abbinaylor.com

Justgiving: www.justgiving.com/fundraising/abbisthirty4thirty

Instagram: @abbi.naylor

On the 10th September 2018 - I started my next challenge, cycling over 4,000km down the Pacific Coast Highway to San Diego, before crossing the border into Mexico to cycle the Baja Divide to Cabo San Lucas.

During this podcast I share more about the journey and what I learned along the way!

Show notes

• What this episode is about
• Flying of to Vancouver in September 2018
• Check out the previous episode which is all about the planning and preparation before the trip
• Talking the talk and walking the walk
• Stepping outside my comfort zone
• Questions from the Tough Girl Tribe
• Choosing my bike… 
• Flying into Vancouver and buying a second hand bike
• Being scared the first time I rode the bike
• Navigation on the Pacific Coast Highway
• Packing…. being a minimalist and being conscious of weight
• Clothing and wanting to be warm at night
• Taking my laptop with me….
• Trying to do two very separate challenges
• Borrowing an off road mountain bike
• Riding the off-road section and breaking my chain
• Breaking my back rack in the desert
• FASS Bike Shop - Baja California - deciding on options
• What would you do differently…
• Posting the bike back from Cabo San Lucas
• What I should have done!
• Navigation on the Baja Divide - Garmin etrex 10
• Where I stayed and how I organised my accommodation
• Looking one day a head for camping
• What I packed and what I didn’t use
• Why I took my laptop with me
• Swapping bikes half way through
• Highlight from the trip
• Meeting awesome people to cycle with
• Biggest difficulty from the trip
• What I loved about the trip
• What I learned about myself
• Food and nutrition
• Bike repair and bike maintenance
• Safety while travelling
• Injuries and chafing

Check out the vlogs from the adventure on Youtube —>>

• https://www.youtube.com/c/SarahWilliamsToughGirlChallenges 

Support the Tough Girl Podcast —>> Become a patron www.patreon.com/toughgirlpodcast

Allie has run over 60 races, from half marathons to 100 mile ultras, and her race sheet for 2018 is looking pretty interesting. In 2017 she gained her first podium place at The Ox 50 where she came first woman, repeating this at the Cotswold Ultra 44 mile race. 

In October 2017 she finished her first 100 mile race in under 24 hours. She’s passionate about empowering women in sport and especially about endurance racing. 

In January 2018 she became the first woman to cross the largest body of freshwater in the world on foot, taking part in a 100 mile multi-stage event on Lake Khovsgol in Mongolia. She has also trained people to run marathon and ultra distance. Having suffered from mental health problems for a lot of her life, she’s a passionate advocate of running as therapy and will be supporting Mind Hackney as her charity of choice in 2018. 

Show notes

• Coming back from Man V Lakes (Rat Race Event) 
• Why she introducers herself as a mid pack runner
• Getting into running 6 or 7 years ago
• Being rubbish at sport
• Deciding to go on her first run
• Working in the music industry in a high stressed environment
• Running her first 10K
• Trying to raise some money and entering the London Marathon
• ITB Injury…
• Why she had to run another Marathon.
• How her running journey progressed and why sibling rivalry motivated her
• Doing her first trail run and what she loved about it
• Deciding to do an ultra!
• Venn diagram of runners
• Swapping music festivals for running
• Comparing her 20s to her 30s
• Playing a role
• Becoming a freelancer
• What she loves about running communities
• What she thinks about while running
• Bad Boy Running - Online Running Community - Facebook & Podcast
• Creating her own running community for women - She’s Electric
• Running 100 miles across a frozen lake in Mongolia
• Not liking the cold!
• Using running spikes on the lake
• The issues with sleep and nutrition
• Wanting to get to the end
• The book - Relentless Forward Progress

Social Media

Website - www.alliebailey.co.uk

Tough Girl Kikkan Randall - 5X Olympian, Olympic champion cross-country skier 2018 & World Champion, “Get-Activist” and Mom Athlete.

Kikkan Randall is an American, Olympic champion cross-country skier. She has won 17 U.S. National titles, taken home 17 U.S. Championships, made 16 podiums in the Stage World Cup, made five trips to the Winter Olympic Games and had the highest finish by an individual U.S. woman at the World Championships (2nd in the Sprint FS at Liberec, CZE in 2009). She was the first American female cross-country skier to take a top ten finish in World Cup competition, to win a World Cup race and to win a World Cup discipline title. She won the silver medal in the individual sprint at the FIS Nordic World Ski Championships 2009 in Liberec, becoming the first American woman to win a medal in cross country skiing at the FIS Nordic World Ski Championships, and in 2013 teamed up with Jessica Diggins to win the first ever American FIS Nordic World Ski Championships gold medal in the team sprint. She and Diggins won the United States' first ever cross-country skiing gold medal at the Winter Olympics in women's team sprint at Pyeongchang in 2018.

Show notes

• Retiring from cross country skiing and being diagnosed with breast cancer
• Seeing herself in a number of different ways
• Being focused, energetic and determined
• Where her name comes from
• What life was like for her growing up
• Being on skies since she was 1 years old
• Growing up in an active family
• Starting cross country skiing at age 6 - but not loving it at first
• Setting goals at a young age
• Having benchmarks to reach which help to keep her motivated
• Creating her roadmap to the Olympics
• The female role models she had growing up
• The motivation to keep going to get her Olympic gold medal
• Patience
• Working to fund her training
• Getting out of the dark places in her mind and how she changed it around
• The 2008 season - the high points and low points
• What a week looks like for an athlete at this level
• Spending a lot of time being her own best cheerleader
• The 2018 Winter Olympics (her 5th and final)
• The race and winning gold!
• What happened next, after 20 years of chasing a goal!!
• Finding out she had breast cancer
• Being diagnosed and what it was like
• Staying practical and focusing on what she can control
• Get Activist - what it means and where it comes from
• “Little goals, small success. build your confidence and become the person you want to be”
• Having her son, 2 years before the Olympics and the impact on her life
• Having an amazing support system in place

Social Media

Website - https://www.kikkan.com 

Instagram - @kikkanimal  

Facebook -  @kikkanrandall 

Twitter - @kikkanimal 

During this podcast we speak to Kat and Bettina about solo female travel in Asia and Africa, what it’s like being location independent, how they met and why they decided to create Aurora Wild Women of the World.

More about their mission with Aurora Wild Women:

“A mission to bring back the knowledge of the female wisdom from the depths of Africa, the continent of the heart, the birthplace of the Sapiens.  Engage with its medicine women. Visit its sacred spaces where rituals were performed, generation after generation. Bring back our learnings to a world that is re-learning to honour mother earth, care for her and care for each other. The world as we know it is changing, shifting, from a patriarchal system that is becoming obsolete, to a balanced union between the masculine and the feminine. Our aim is to do our bit to bring the balance back.”

Bettina Guirkinger

Fascinated with "why people do what they do", Bettina has been engaged in a 10 year-long exploration of human nature - including her own! - Which has taken her to the four corners of the world in an attempt to figure out what it is that makes us truly human & alive. Half-french half-colombian, Bettina grew up in France, Belgium, Benin and Peru before pursuing her studies in international relations in England. Today Bettina manages her company Explore Your Elements from Cape Town in South Africa 

Kat Scriven

“A traveller, a wishful thinker. I dream to call the world my home. A writer, a designer. Inspired by the little things. An african heart but a wandering soul. A goddess-warrior. A beautiful mess. Kundalini yoga teacher.” 

Show notes

• Speaking to Bettina - living a nomadic life and now living in Europe
• Speaking to Kat - spending 10 years travelling the world
• How Bettina got into travelling and how her parents impacted on her life
• Being curious to meet new people and to engage with new cultures
• How Kat got into travelling and why travel is her greatest passion
• Solo travel in South East Asia and South America
• Practical advice for other female travellers
• Awareness and going with the flow
• Why you should trust your gut and develop your feminine intuition 
• How you can work on and develop your feminine intuition 
• How Kat and Bettina met in the desert in South Africa
• Afrika Burn
• Building a giant structure in the middle of the desert
• Attending Afrika Burn in 2016 after going through a massive heartbreak
• Deciding to move to South Africa and wanting to contribute to the festival by building it
• What the festival is like
• Bettina and how she made changes to her life
• How the idea for Auora Wild Women of the Word came about
• 2018 the year of the divine feminine and figuring out what it means to be a powerful woman
• What it means to Bettina to be a powerful women
• How the trip through Africa evolved
• Digging into the detail - the car, the trip, the plan
• What life was like on the road
• The women they met along the way
• How they decided to document the conversations they had with the women
• What they have learned from the women they have spoken to and why it comes back to Love
• Why this project is just the beginning
• Plans for the future and where they would like to take the project - the 3 year vision
• Wanting to go to Asia
• How they are funding the trip

Social Media

Aurora Wild Women

Facebook - @aurorawildwomen 

Instagram  - @aurorawildwomen 

Bettina Guirkinger

Website -  www.exploreyourelements.com 

Kat Scriven 

Website - https://thesaltyseawench.wordpress.com 

Instagram - @katscriv  

Twitter - @KatScriven 

Carolin is a 51-year-old ultra-runner and multi-day stage race specialist, however, this wasn’t always the case. When Caroline was 36 years old, she was a stay at home mum to three daughters. Wanting to feel better in herself, and wanting to get fitter and lose some weight, she started on a  journey which would ultimately lead to her becoming an ultra-runner….accidentally!! 

She didn’t tell anyone what she was doing, and it was tough going at the start, she started with walking, then gentle jogging and gradually build it up over time to running further and further distance, until she was training for her first marathon! She persevered with it, even through injury and kept on challenging herself more and more. Since then Carolin has gone on to participate in some of the toughest multi-day ultras on the planet, from running the Ice Ultra in the Arctic Circle to the Jungle marathon in Peru.

Show notes

• Living in Calgary in Canada
• Having 2 siblings and doing lots of sports growing up 
• An ordinary person who just fell into ultra running and extreme distance sports
• Why she decided to take up running
• As a stay home mum, how she started running with 3 children
• Not telling anyone she was running
• Deciding to do a marathon as her first race
• Dealing with injury and getting the bug for running
• Starting to notice the benefits almost from the start
• Not having any proper equipment 
• Celebrating the mini victories along the way 
• Never having good body image
• How her confidence built over time as she got stronger
• Not telling her friends
• Running her first marathon at 39 and why it didn’t quite go to plan
• Doing her first triathlon! 
• How she trained for her first triathlon 
• Why it’s all about the challenge
• Where she gets her determination from?
• Getting burnt out from triathlon 
• Doing her first ultra race in California (50K) and coming in last and why it didn’t matter
• The support she has received from the trail running community 
• What she thinks about while running
• What training is like
• Training for the Ice Ultra organised by Beyond the Ultimate and why she wanted to do it
• Her race training strategy
• Why gear was so important and why her biggest challenge was keeping her water from freezing
• How she protected her face with buffs
• The high and low points from the race
• The Peru Jungle Ultra - what it is and why she loves it 
• Why she has run it 4x
• Being terrified the first time she did the race
• The mental preparation she does before a race
• What she’s feeling on the start line and her race strategy for the Jungle Ultra
• Why she has to break the long stage down into smaller sections
• How she prepared for the heat!
• Her mantra - “Just keep moving forward” and why got it tattooed on her arm
• Her nutrition and diet
• Managing your feet in wet jungle conditions 
• Her 3 top tips for the Jungle Ultra
• Wanting to go after a 100 mile race - the reasons why and why she keeps on trying
• The Lost Soul Ultra (100 mile race)
• Mental Health - and why its important to talk about it
• How running has helped your mental health
• Her self care routine 
• Her running from home bag
• Her next few races
• Final words of advice

Social Media 

Facebook: @accidentalultrarunner  

Instagram: @carolinbotterill 

Blog: www.accidentalultrarunnerblog.wordpress.com

Growing up Janey spent the majority of time in wellies and a wax jacket covered in mud. When she wasn’t scooting round the fields bareback on her little Dartmoor pony she was playing in the woods with her brother and her dog. She then spent several childhood years in the bright lights of Las Vegas. Long summers were spent sneaking out while the folks were in bed. Exploring the desert and what the city had to offer. Swapping Geography degrees at the University of Exeter as a result of a more desirable field trip to the outback of New Zealand was a sign of things to come.

Janey’s heart lies in the military where she spent four fulfilling years as a soldier with the Honourable Artillery Company. In an unfortunate twist of fate she suffered a serious back injury while training for a military horse race, the Royal Artillery Gold Cup. This halted her plans of joining the Army Legal Service as an Officer. Now a qualified lawyer but unable to fulfil her ambition in military law she embarked on a new business venture; a travelling art gallery, which flowed naturally into life modelling, presenting, running a bar and starting a jazz night; amongst other things.

In December 2018, she will explore the female side of Oman with an all-female Anglo-Omani team. Together they will circumnavigate the country and attempt a first for female exploration; walking the length of Oman’s most formidable landscape, Rub’ Al Khali, The Empty Quarter.

She currently resides in rural SW France surrounded by dogs and horses.

Show notes

• Living in rural SW France
• trying to find her way 
• Wanting to join the army as a lawyer
• Breaking her back 
• Setting up a travelling art gallery and doing it for 5 years
• Becoming lost and not knowing what to do and which direction to travel in 
• Growing up in the country side and Las Vegas!
• Deciding to join the army reserves 
• What it was like and wanting to ride in the Royal Artillery Gold Cup
• Suffering a serious back injury
• Adjusting to life after the army and her injury
• Deciding to walk the South West Coastal Path
• How much time she decided to give herself to plan and prepare for this trip
• Starting the challenge in July 2015
• Coping with her emotions while walking
• Only wanting to look forward
• Other issues while on the SW Coast Path
• Dealing with her family while on the trip
• Why she picked the sunflower to plant
• Deciding what she wanted to next and why she wants to continue pushing herself physically
• Post Traumatic Growth
• Doing the Dartmoor Way - walking and raising money at the same time (90 miles in 39 hours)
• The high points, the low points and what she learned
• Wanting to stop because of the pain and how she kept on going
• What she’s thinking about while on the challenge
• What she got from the challenge
• The next big walk/challenge
• Why she picked Oman
• The catalyst and why she needed to change
• Why it’s about the conversations
• Starting on the 1st December and finishing on the 1st January
• How the journey is going to be documented
• How’s she funding the trip
• What she’s focusing on in the follow few months
• Keeping her team together
• The biggest challenge she thinks she will face while over in Oman
• Team dynamics in extreme environments
• Why patience is the hardest thing
• Connecting with Felicity Aston
• Final words of wisdom

Social Media

Website - www.janeymcgill.com 

Twitter - @JaneyMcgill

Instagram - @gijaneyadventures  

Loretta had a normal life she was living in Canada with her boyfriend, she was building a house, a 10 year project in the making, but once the final nail had been hammered in, she knew she wanted to do something different with her life. On a whim, and after being inspiredly the Adventure Cycling Touring Handbook, she headed off to England on her first cycle adventure over to Ireland. This was the start, since then, she’s spent over 5 years on the road travelling across 5 continents and cycling through 41 countries as she travelled around the world.

During this podcast Loretta share more about how she came to be living this life, the challenges she has faced along the way and why she loves what she does. She also provided top tips and advice to motivate and inspire you to get on your bike and get peddling! 

Show notes

• Run trekking in Nepal
• Living in Canada, 36 years old, with a proper job and a boyfriend
• The Adventure Cycling Touring Handbook
• Deciding to leave her life behind to go and cycle from England to Ireland
• Starting a community for women who travel by bicycle 
• The Big WOW Book: 100 Women From Around The World Travel Solo Around The World
• How her friends and family reacted to her wanting to cycle around the world
• Her first 5 mile hill…
• 100 km days - 6 days per week
• Her daily routine while biking
• The biggest challenge on her 5 year cycle adventure
• 7 punctures in a day!
• Maintaining her health while on the road
• taking breaks to write her book
• Eating while on the road
• The Big Book of WOW and how it evolved over time
• Advice for other women who want to get into cycle touring
• Not having a map and getting lost in Bangkok 
• How she’s funding the trip and how she saved up money
• Personal safety and looking after your bike when you are solo
• What are the great routes she has cycled and would love to cycle again
• What bike she rides
• Her next plans
• Deciding to run across a country!
• Her second book
• Journaling and loving writing

Social Media 

Website www.solofemalecyclist.com 

Twitter @skalatitude 

Instagram  @solofemalecyclist   

Facebook @WomenOnWheelsWall 

Sophie is the 2017 New Explorer of the Year. Her expeditions have taken her to the streets of Managua to the mountains of Madagascar and everywhere in between.

She is the Founder of AquaAid International, Sophie works with some of Central America and Sub-Saharan Africa’s most remote villages establishing sustainable sources of clean drinking water and basic sanitation.

Sophie is a Health Security Specialist with a concentration on the civil military relations in infectious disease outbreaks and biodefense, for which she has been awarded a Fulbright Fellowship from the US Department of State. Sophie holds a Bachelors in Environmental Science and Global Public Health from New York University and is currently working on a Master of Health Security at the University of Sydney. 

Sophie is an avid sailor, has sailed across the Pacific Ocean, and holds a 200-ton captains license. At the time of certification, she was the youngest female to ever obtain a 200-ton MCA Yachtmaster Captains License.

Her passion for adventure and discovering indigenous ways of life has led her undertake descents of uncharted rivers in Madagascar, desert transect treks in Namibia, and ethnographic research in the Republic of Vanuatu. Sophie’s work has been featured by National Geographic and the United Nations.  Sophie is a Fellow of The Explorers Club and Post-Graduate Fellow of the Royal Geographical Society. 

When not exploring Sophie lives between New York City and Sydney. 

Show notes

• Currently rriving a Land cruiser around the outback in Australia
• Using exploration to help achieve a more sustainable future
• Being a ballerina before taking a pivot into science, travel & exploration
• Changing her life at 16 and starting to work on super yachts
• Coming from a low income, single parent family
• Being determined to travel from a young age
• Working as an unpaid deck hand
• Becoming the youngest female to ever obtain a 200-ton MCA Yachtmaster Captains License
• Sailing across the Pacific Ocean
• Studying Public Health at New York City University
• Being shocked by the water crises she came across
• Founding an NGO, the challenges she faced and what she learned along the way
• Returning to NYC and finding the Explorers Club where she was able to connect with other like minded individuals.
• Heading on an expedition to the Republic of Vanuatu to search for the ‘Tribe of Female Chiefs’
• What she learned about female leadership while spending time with the female chiefs
• Sharing her knowledge and research with others
• What daily life was like while she was over there, where she stayed what she ate and how she handled the language challenges
• Women and the practice of water music
• Feeling lonely and isolated even though she was surrounded by people
• Heading back to NYC and dealing with the culture shock 
• Graduating from University and trying to decided what to do next
• Booking a ticket to Madagascar and deciding to start the Sofia Log
• Winning a scholarship to do an extended 2 year research program on water security in Central Africa 
• The challenges she faced over there and why she is not a river person
• What she’s learned from committing herself to projects
• Deciding what to do next after she finishers her studies
• Being a Youth Representative for the Explorers Club in the UN
• The Sofia Log - what it is and why she started it
• Why you have to find out what works best for you

Social Media

Website - www.sophiehollingsworth.com 

Twitter - @TheSofiaLog

Instagram - @captsophie 

Blog - www.thesofialog.com

Jen has always loved to be active, from running around while growing up in the Peak District to playing football with the boys.

Leaving school, and heading off to University she was painfully shy and struggle to talk to people, however, as she was studying to be a barrister she was thrown into the deep end and worked hard to over come this. While studying and working, exercise took a back seat until she changed her life, by becoming self employed and moving away from London.

After the loss of her father and brother in quick succession she started going running as a way to deal with the pain. Although she struggles to call herself a runner, she has run multiple ultra in the country and has completed the Dig Deep Ultra, the Spine Challenge and the Northern traverse. 

During this podcast Jen shared more about her passion for running, what she eats, how she trains, recovers and also gives top tips and advice for you to complete your own ultra challenge. 

Show notes

• Why she has only just started to call herself a runner 
• Growing up in the Peak District and spending a lot of time outdoors
• Playing sports at school, loving football and athletics
• Getting through the awkward years at school and being the only girl playing football
• Doing 5 years at university and how it impacted on her health and sports
• Working as a Human Rights Lawyer
• Her progression as a runner
• Becoming self employed, moving back to the peak district and starting to go walking again
• Joining a running club in the Peak District and being too scared to do any races or runs
• Doing her first fell race
• What she loves about running and why she has fun
• Going on social media and being inspired by twitter
• Losing her father and brother and going through a time of turmoil
• Deciding to get a dog 
• 30 mile ultra! The Dig Deep Ultra and having a little wobble during the race
• Getting nervous before races and having anxiety
• Trying not to stress and enjoying the moments while out running
• The Spine Challenger Race and deciding to take it more seriously
• The technical aspects of the race
• Blisters and feet!!
• Being a vegan, and her diet during training, racing and recovery
• Being anaemic and suffering from chronic fatigue
• Using acupuncture to manage her fatigue
• Finding out what works for you
• The Northern Traverse Race
• Walking the coast to coast with her mum
• Advice and tips for other runners and why getting to the start line without being injured is so important!
• Future races coming up

Social Media

Twitter - @jenscotney  

Instagram - @jenscotney  

Youtube  

Lowri has been around kayaking all her life, but didn’t get into paddling properly until she was 14, when kayaks and kit started to fit. She became hooked, nagging anyone she could to take her paddling – whether it was to a local beck, cold winter surf or a man-made white water course. 

All of her hard work paid off and Lowri earned a place on the GB freestyle team for the 2001 World Championships and aged just 16 it was a life changing experience. She has continued to compete at the highest levels on the International freestyle scene ever since, earning a few medals along the way – including European Freestyle Champion 2006-08.

Lowri has also been on many expeditions and adventures, paddling in incredibly remote, big volume rivers in Siberia as part of the Four Borders Expedition; she has also claimed first descents in Mongolia and Georgia; and bagged big waterfalls in Chile as well as getting lost in the jungles of Colombia! Her adventures with kayaking have taken her to over 30 countries on 6 different continents… so far…

Lowri is a  BC Level 5 Coach & European Freestyle Champion, she is the owner of FlowFree Kayak Coaching

Show notes

• Growing up in York and moving to North Wales
• Who is Lowri, what she does and what she loves 
• How she first got into kayaking and why she struggled at first.
• Getting hooked at 14
• Going to her first world championships at 16
• Getting to meet her heroes 
• What makes a good kayaker
• How it changed her life and thinking about the future
• Her plan B
• Her first big expedition with Four Borders to Siberia and Mongolia, from section to planning and preparing for the trip
• Being the only women
• Crossing the border, and getting between a 32km no man’s land when crossing from Russia to Mongolia
• What it was like in Mongolia and why the conditions were not the best for kayaking!
• Team roles
• Her expedition to Georgia
• Helping clients with confidence issues
• Learning to distinguish between fear and excitement
• The challenges of going solo when kayaking
• The challenges faced in the Colombia expedition and why a river which should have taken 3 hours to kayak took  3 days!
• Why it’s important not to panic when it comes to handling the unknown
• Advice and tips for women who want to get involved in kayaking but don’t know where to start
• Advice and tips for women who want to take the next step in their kayaking journey and start going on expeditions
• Next challenge for Lowri

Social Media

Website  - www.flowfree.co.uk 

Twitter - @flowfree_lowri 

Instagram - @flowfree_lowri 

Facebook - @flowfreecoaching 

Susie Mitchell is a 38 year first time mom to a lovely vibrant baby girl Tori. Always enjoying the challenge of trying her hand at different sports, she discovered track cycling in July of 2011. After failing to make her mark in anything from shot putt to surfing, it finally seemed she had found something she was good at. Then two months later she became pregnant. Having set her sights on competing in the World Masters Track Cycling Championships the following October, she needed a plan. It would come four months after the birth and she wanted to be ready to give a good account of herself.

Wanting to train properly throughout her pregnancy, she looked for and found lots of advice – but was alarmed at how conservative views on exercise were during this time. The advice of "gentle jogging or easy swimming" wasn’t appealing. Being both a vet and scientist with a background in research she decided to look into it herself and focus on what the science said as her guide. Through this, a healthy dose of common sense and the help of her coach, she found a way to maintain and improve her fitness while training through all stages of her pregnancy and post-partum.

Her return to form came so much quicker than anyone could have expected, winning a National Medal just 6 weeks after the birth. She added others in the following months and went from strength to strength culminating in winning a title in the Individual Pursuit at the World Masters Track Championships in Manchester just a few months after Tori arrived. She had somehow managed to achieve her lifelong goal of sporting success in any discipline, and had pregnancy to thank for it. Susie showed that it is not only possible to stay fit and healthy by exercising through your pregnancy but that you could turn pregnancy to your advantage during training. The physiological changes in the body during this time mean training with baby on board is akin to training at altitude. Only a lot cheaper and easier to do!

By staying somewhat immersed in her sport, she also reaped another unforeseen benefit – she succeeded in maintain her identity through it all. Staying fit and getting back on the bike post-partum was one of the things that kept her sane, when coping with the biggest shock to the system anyone can have – becoming a mom for the first time. All of this was made possible by the help of a very supportive husband, Cormac. 

She is now back at work as a fish vet, travelling all around Ireland, visiting fish farms and jumping on and off trawlers. She tries to balance working, being a mum and enjoying her sport, a bit of a juggling act at times. Wanting to help other women like her during their pregnancies, she wrote the book she would have liked to read.

Show notes

• Who Susie is and where she is based
• Getting interested in mountain biking
• Never being good at any sports 
• Falling in love with track cycling
• Enjoying the speed
• Meeting her husband
• Doing a big cycle ride with her husband before going on to do adventure racing
• What it’s like doing races with your partner
• A race which stands out for her… getting lost & dealing with bad weather….
• Training together as a couple
• Having a planned pregnancy at 37
• Going to Manchester for the experience 
• Myths about training while pregnant
• Cycling 60K on her due date!
• Judgement from others?
• Everyone has their version of what fit and healthy should be for pregnant women
• How her pregnancy went the first time and the challenges the second time around
• How life changed after having her first baby and why it was such a shock
• Working with her coach while training through her pregnancy
• Getting back to sport
• Getting to the  master race… in 4 months
• The baby boost
• Getting mentally in the game
• What a typical training week looks like
• Diet and nutrition
• How she recovers from training 
• Taking it to the next level while on the track
• What goest through her head when she’s racing 
• The impact of her win on her both personally and professionally
• Going back to work after 6 months
• Working as a vet, doing her PhD, writing her book while bringing up children
• Trying to get her motivation back after achieved her life dream of winning the Masters
• How life changed again after having her 2nd child
• Advice and tips for other women who have had babies and want to get back into sports and exercise
• Why it is personal to you and why it is not about comparison

Social Media

Website - www.pregnancytopodium.com

Twitter - @susie_mitchell 

Nikki moved to Chamonix, to ski, serve beer to the locals and dance on bar tops, way back in the Winter of 2004.  Nikki has worked hard to train and run long distances and has run some incredible races and routes all over the world.  They include, the UTMB (all distances) 100km CCC/120km TDS/ 170km, as well as the Everest marathon.

Based in Chamonix, she is a fully qualified VTCT Sports Massage Therapist, LiRF Run Leader CiRF Trail/Fell Running coach. Nikki is currently working towards her Mountain Leader qualification and finalising a diploma in sports nutrition all along side founding and building The Adventure Running Company. 

In 2017, Nikki was a founder of the Neverest Girls who went out to inspire girls into trying their hand at challenges that they may have never thought possible.

Show notes

• How she ended up living and working in Chamonix
• How she would introduce herself
• Being the founder of the adventure running company
• When she started getting into running
• How her love of longer distance running came about
• How her business came about 
• The Neverest Girls 
• Where the idea came from to run the Everest Marathon
• Deciding in October 2012 to do this challenge and making it a reality in May 2014
• The biggest challenge while training - time and trying to balance life
• Why it was a sad time to be in Nepal
• Being evacuated from Base Camp
• Why it was character building (Type 2 Fun)
• The Trans Rocky Race in America
• Dealing with stress fractures and having to sit out of the race
• What she needed to change when she came back to running after her injury
• Having a bone scintigraphy - and how it helped her to diagnose what was wrong
• Her first race after injury - deferring UTMB until 2016
• Wanting to do an Ironman in 2016 as well!!
• Having a bad day on the course and not having it in her head and why she stopped. 
• Being mentally tired
• Standing on the start line on UTMB in 2017 and feeling so ready for it and wanting it more than anything
• Mental tips and tricks and why it is personal 
• Why she wants to know what it will be like once she finishes
• Her 2018 season so far
• How her crew support her to keep her going during the race when it gets tough
• Race strategy
• What a typical training week looks like
• Concerns about getting stress fractures again
• Nutrition…. vegetarian…. & food at aid stations during races
• Why she is in the Lake District…
• What the Bob Graham Round is and what’s involved..
• Doing the Bob Graham Round in November… & her motivation behind it
• Her 2019 challenge!!
• Final words of advice for women who want to have more adventure running in their life

Social Media

Website - www.theadventurerunningcompany.com

Facebook - @theadventurerunningcompany

Instagram - @theadventurerunningcompany 

Twitter -  @adventurerunn

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

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Katy 'KP' Parrott has been described as “Tinkerbell crossed with the Terminator”. Katy found her passion for adventure at a young age and when she was 17 went on an expedition to Nepal. Her love of nature and the outdoors led her to gain a First in Biology from the University of Bath and a Masters in wildlife film making for which she had to make a video out in the wilds of Bulgaria.  

She was a ‘recruit’ in the BBC programme Special Forces: Ultimate Hell Week, which she was selected for out of thousands of applicants, and made it to the final six in the show. It was an experience she found ‘life-changing’ and one that has inspired her to train to become an Army medic.

Most recently she has done her first 100K and half ironman. Katy also shares more about her future challenges and she wants to undertake!

** Please note during this episode we do talk briefly about her friend who lost of her life to suicide**

Show notes

• Living in Bristol
• How Katy would describe herself - “tinker bell crossed with the terminator”
• Growing up in Bristol, spending a lot of time outside playing sports
• Heading to Nepal at 17
• Not knowing how much adventure was going to play a part of her life
• Doing sport, theatre, and paining, but also having a passion for wildlife
• Having a passion for adventure and why it snowballed
• What the BBC TV show #UltimateHellWeek was all about
• Having 5 weeks to prepare…
• 15 men and 7 women
• Why she wanted to apply and the shock of finding out she had made it!
• Mentally not knowing how she was going to cope
• Preparing her body and training at various times to get herself use to different situations
• Coping with the unknown and getting anxious about what was going to happen next
• Going in with an open mind - “why there was nothing that would make her quit during the process”
• Getting respect
• The task that almost pushed her over the edge, being locked in a coffin for most of the night
• Being made Team Leader!
• 4 women making it to the final 6
• What she learned from going through this experience
• Planning a 400K hike through the Bulgarian Mountains!
• Mental tips and tricks - why it is always going to finish at some point
• Heading out to Bulgaria to hike
• Crashing after 4 days into the hike
• Finding old Russian military maps from the 1980s
• Having feet issues
• How she recovered once she got home
• Wanting to take on another challenge & signing up for the Army Reserves as a Combat Medic
• Deciding going full time in the Army isn’t the right decision for her
• Doing the Cotswold Way Ultra - 100K (62 miles) from Bath to Cheltenham 
• Managing her feet before and during challenges  & why she swears by talc
• Diet, food and drinking
• Future challenges and goals including wanting to walk the full length of Sir Lanka, an Ironman and maybe rowing an ocean
• Not letting her height stop her
• Advice for other women who want to take on new challenges
• Why you should say Yes and worry about it afterwards
• The marines letting in women 
• Being rubbish with social media!

Social Media

Twitter  - @ParrottKaty 

Instagram - @katy.parrott  

Jane has travelling and lived all over the world, she is a qualified solicitor and would describe herself as a ‘soft’ adventurer.  Her adventures have included hiking over 750 km along an old pilgrim trail from France and across northern Spain to Santiago de Compostella; rafting and canoeing for 17 days on the Zambesi River; and travelling across China by overland truck before heading down Pakistan’s Karakorum Highway to Islamabad.  

During this podcast Jane shares more about her life growing up, losing her mother and Aunt to breast cancer at a young age and the impact that had on her. She shares more about wanting to do the Marathon des Sables and why it took her over 15 years to achieve her dream. She gives practical advice about how you can figure out what you want to do with your life and how you apply this to your next adventure. 

Jane is a big supporter of women and has started AdventureShe magazine dedicated to empowering, educating and entertaining (predominantly) women of all ages, through sharing stories of adventure. 

Show notes

• Where her accent is from
• Believing in justice and becoming a solicitor
• Growing up in Wales and coming from a large family
• Going on a cycle adventure at 15
• Going to university at Cardiff and having some fun
• Wanting to move to London and why it was easy
• Coping with the loss of her mother at 18, as well as losing her aunt and her grandfather 
• Travelling and taking a gap year and getting the bug for travelling
• Working for 2 years while doing her training contact to qualify as a solicitor
• White water rafting in Africa 
• Why she decided to do the Marathon des Sables in 2016
• Giving herself 11 months to train and prepare
• Getting a chest infection and having to postpone the race until 2017
• Why she was most worried about the shame of not finishing
• Why education was a way out of poverty 
• Mental preparation and splurging on a warm sleeping bag
• Her most challenging moments during the MDS
• Going step by step
• What it was like crossing over the finish line
• What she’s learnt from the experience
• Doing her 2nd Half Ironman in 2017
• Roll down and getting a slot in the half ironman World Championships!
• Doing her Ted Talk - It takes a million small steps to achieve big dreams 
• Being a single female with no children
• Making the time to achieve your dreams
• Developing your mission statement and doing a SWOT Analysis
• AdventureShe Magazine
• Future challenges

Social Media

Website - www.adventureshe.com 

Instagram - @adventure_she 

Facebook - @AdventureShe 

Twitter - @adventure_she 

Ted Talk  - https://youtu.be/AM-B5rvx-sc