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Tough Girl Podcast

The Tough Girl Podcast is all about inspiring and motivating YOU! I will be interviewing inspirational women from around the world, who’ve faced and overcome difficult challenges and situations, they will share their story, their knowledge and provide advice and essential tips for you to overcome your own personal challenges. Please check out the Tough Girl Challenges website - www.toughgirlchallenges.com and follow on twitter @_TOUGH_GIRL
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Now displaying: Page 4
Dr. Lois Haruna-Cooper - GP, Clinical teaching lecturer, mother of 3, daily runner. 0
Mar 17, 2022
Lois @lois_lo_lo - lives in Luton, is a GP, Teaching lecturer in Medical Education and Equality, Diversity and Inclusion lead. She is passionate about running and staying active and sharing her enthusiasm for running with others. 
 
She has always been interested in sports, playing netball and basketball competitively for many years. Running was always a reserve activity for her, something to do between seasons, when she felt guilty about her inactivity. This all changed after her second son, and a move to Luton. Not having the time to play netball, and balancing work with her young family, Lois initially began home HIIT workouts and circuit training, but frequent interruptions for nappy changes and feeds left her feeling unsatisfied. 
 
She decided to go for a run one afternoon and was pleasantly surprised at how enjoyable and uninterrupted this session (or type) of exercise could be. She immediately swapped her home workouts for outdoor runs. These quickly increased infrequency and within a few months Lois was running 4-5km every day. 
 
She hasn’t looked back since, and except for a few days in 2019, and no missed days since March 2020, Lois has been running daily ever since. Most recently her #NoExcuses ethos was put to the test, during her last pregnancy. 
 
Struggling with nausea and vomiting in the first trimester, ever changing bra sizes, and pubic-symphysis (pelvic) pain in the last trimester all meant that Lois relied heavily on the habit she had built up over the past 2 years to get her through her runs. She managed to continue to run throughout her pregnancy, and continues to run daily, including just 9 hours after delivery!
 
For Lois, running is more than just about the physical movement- it’s become meditative, a tool of self-discipline, a reminder how incredible our bodies are, and continues to be her self-care time- a time when she can focus solely on herself. 
 
New episodes of the Tough Girl Podcast go live every Tuesday and Thursday at 7am UK time - Make sure you hit the subscribe button so you don’t miss out. 
 
Throughout March the Tough Girl Podcast is being sponsored by Inov-8. Use TOUGHGIRL20 to get your 20% discount on all trainers and running gear. 
 
Show Notes
  • Who is Dr. Lois
  • Having been involved in sports since a young age
  • Being competitive in school
  • Playing netball and basketball at university
  • Enjoying team sports and being socially active
  • Becoming a mum
  • Spending time with her family and what she loves to do with them
  • Pregnancy and giving birth to her youngest
  • Running after having her first child
  • Wanting to go out and move after birth
  • Enjoying activities like running, netball and basketball
  • Moving to Luton
  • Exercising on her own after her second son
  • Challenges and how she managed her time
  • Giving time for herself
  • Running regularly five months after her second childbirth
  • Trying to be consistent and doing an early morning run
  • "Being intentional is being consistent."
  • Having no reason why she shouldn't run
  • Not wanting to miss out on running for whatever reason
  • Using a running app
  • Being part of running clubs and communities
  • Identifying herself as a runner
  • Doing her best to keep up
  • Benefits of running for her physically and psychologically
  • Finding running as meditative
  • Her thoughts about running with a baby
  • Bad runs in her running journey
  • Losing control of her body in the first trimester
  • Getting back to running and enjoy it as her goal
  • Quick Fire Questions
  • Final words of advice
Social Media
 
 
***
 
The Tough Girl Podcast is being sponsored throughout March by @inov_8
 
Use TOUGHGIRL20 to get your 20% discount on all trainers and running gear. 
 
You can still get involved with the #MarchDailyMile Challenge. 
 
 
Sara Crosland - Overcome fear and achieve your potential. Author of #SickbedToSummits. Running from Land’s End to John O’Groats (LEJOG) in September 2022. 0
Mar 15, 2022
After a few months of feeling unwell, Sara’s life was turned upside down when she was diagnosed with a rare brain tumour.
 
Following a haemorrhage and major brain surgery that left her unable to walk, with impaired vision and balance, as well as permanent profound hearing loss, she has been focused on getting back everything the tumour took away from her, and much more.
 
Now she’s sharing the story of how she overcame adversity to get from sickbed to summits.
 
During this episode Sara shares more about how she got back into running, going after her first ultra and how she approaches new and difficult challenges.
 
Sara in her own words about her next challenge:
 
“In September 2022, to show others that despite life throwing curveballs our way we can still achieve, I aim to run from Land's End to John 'Groats. I will be covering a distance of approximately 855 miles over 20 days.
 
I'll be leaving from Land's End on the morning of Monday 5th September, and with the help of some friends l'll be running between 40 to 50 miles a day, mostly on road.
 
Yes, I have my concerns. Running, however, is the least of them! I wonder how much of a problem my tinnitus will be with having road noise around me for approximately 10 hours a day. I worry about not hearing traffic around me (as I have no direction of sound). 
 
I'm also apprehensive about how I will cope with fatigue and the nausea associated with it. I have good support around me though, and we're working hard in training to overcome these issues as best we can.”
 
 
New episodes of the Tough Girl Podcast go live every Tuesday and Thursday at 7am UK time - Hit the subscribe button so you don’t miss out. 
 
The Tough Girl Podcast is being sponsored throughout March by @inov_8
 
Use TOUGHGIRL20 to get your 20% discount on all trainers and running gear.
 
Show notes
  • Who is Sara
  • 46 years old
  • Her love of challenges and taking on her next big challenge
  • Growing up in Chester and her early years
  • Not fitting in at school and focusing on school work
  • Meeting her husband and going waking at the weekends
  • Getting married and having children
  • Getting back into running about 10 years ago
  • Starting with couch to 5k
  • Using running to help with children behaviour
  • Sticking with running but not have a plan
  • How running helped to maintain her sanity
  • Why running became enjoyable
  • Having a love/hate relationship with running 
  • Why you have to push yourself 
  • Being diagnosed with a brain tumour 
  • Needing to have an operation in May 2018
  • Having a rare complication 
  • Dealing with everything that was going on
  • The challenges of recovery
  • Losing her hearing and struggling with balance
  • Wanting a new normal which would be better that the old normal
  • Getting back into running after surgery
  • Struggling with motion sickness
  • Deciding to sign up for an Ultra Marathon 
  • The challenges of fatigue
  • Wanting to push her limits
  • Meeting Danielle Gibbons @danigibbo1  
  • Starting to train for her first ultra
  • Not being able to go longer than 40 mins 
  • Running her own ultra - The Sandstone Trail
  • Being supported by friends and family
  • Why running fast isn’t an option 
  • Deciding to run the length of the UK (LEJOG)
  • Looking for support and funding and building up a support team
  • The mental approach for taking on these big, physical challenges
  • Having to figure out the process
  • Breaking down the process into individual steps
  • Taking it one step at a time
  • Figuring out sleep 
  • Wanting to run 40 - 45 miles a day
  • Learning how to manage fatigue 
  • Writing her book - Sickbeds to Summit 
  • Dealing with the trauma and addressing the feeling it brings up
  • The good stuff that has come out of the challenges
  • September 2022
  • Finals words of advice
  • “Don’t overthink it and don’t talk yourself out of it” 
 
Social Media
 
Website: www.saracrosland.com 
 
Instagram: @saracrosland 
 
Facebook: @sickbedtosummits 
 
Twitter: @saracrosland 
 
********
 
The Tough Girl Podcast is being sponsored throughout March by @inov_8
 
Use TOUGHGIRL20 to get your 20% discount on all trainers and running gear. 
 
You can still get involved with the #MarchDailyMile Challenge.
 
Website: www.toughgirlchallenges.com/marchdailymile
 
Janelle Lincks - Began trail running in 2020. Her rapid progress in two years has been incredible. Crowned the Golden Trail National Series women’s champion in October 2021 0
Mar 10, 2022
Janelle in her own words:
 
“Trail runner born and raised in the front range of Colorado. Started running as a kid with my dad then picked it back up in high school and went to Colorado State University on track and cross country scholarship. 

Started racing on trails in 2020 and have had a couple wins at broken arrow sky race and the golden trail national series race in the Azores.
 
Signed on with Inov-8 as an ambassador at the beginning of 2022”
 
New episodes of the Tough Girl Podcast go live every Tuesday and Thursday at 7am UK time - Make sure you hit the subscribe button so you don’t miss out. 
 
The Tough Girl Podcast is being sponsored throughout March by Inov-8 supporting the #MarchDailyMile Challenge.

 

Use TOUGHGIRL20 to get your 20% discount on all trainers and running gear —>> www.inov-8.com
 
Show Notes
  • Who is Janelle
  • Being nomadic and moving between places
  • Growing up in Colorado
  • Playing a lot of soccer growing up 
  • Getting into running with her dad
  • Running well in track and getting a scholarship to a local college
  • Becoming an An All American in the steeplechase
  • Finding trail running
  • Being a smoker in high school
  • Feeling like a natural runner
  • Feeling her best while running
  • Her dreams as a little girl and wanting to be a professional soccer player
  • Her love of running and what’s going through her head
  • Working through issues while running
  • Mantra and the power of simple words
  • Strength, freedom, fast
  • Positive Self Talk
  • What is an All American…
  • Making the transition from the track to running trails
  • Falling in love with trails running
  • Being competitive and her relationship with competition
  • Focusing on the experience of running
  • Leaving college and not having a plan
  • Money as a motivator 
  • Living a very frugal lifestyle
  • Magical moments while out running 
  • Challenges while out running on the mountains
  • Hitting mile 23 and struggling and needing to walk the final few miles
  • Being inspired by other runners
  • Training for races and what a typical week looks like
  • Wanting to be more focused with training 
  • Loving running all distances from 1 mile to marathons 
  • Running goals for 2022
  • Tips and advice for running uphill
  • Advice for running downhill
  • Loving toe-yoga 
  • The Broken Arrow Race
  • Rest and recovery after a race
  • Advice for new runners 
  • Running in a place that inspires you!
  • Advice for runners who have lost their mojo
  • Why the hardest part is just getting out there and going
  • Connect with Janelle
  • Instagram vibes
  • Quick Fire Questions
  • Final words of advice
 
Social Media
 
Instagram: @janellelincks 
 
 
The Tough Girl Podcast is being sponsored by Inov-8 
 
Use TOUGHGIRL20 to get your 20% discount on all trainers and running gear. 
 
Get involved with the #MarchDailyMile Challenge. 
 
Website: www.inov-8.com 
 
Instagram: @inov_8 
 
Mariam Kilpatrick - Ultra-runner and Women’s Health Physiotherapist running the West Highland Way (96 miles) in 24hrs! 0
Mar 8, 2022
Mariam Kilpatrick is a Women's Health Physiotherapist and ultra-runner based in Glasgow, Scotland. She is an outdoor enthusiast and can usually be found up a hill in the Highlands of Scotland or travelling and exploring new places with her young family in their camper van. 
 
It may come as a surprise to a lot of people, but Mariam only took up trail running after the birth of her daughter in 2017 when her husband decided to surprise her by entering her into an "ultra" six months after giving birth. As it happened, it turned out it was as part of a team relay with 3 other people and she was assigned to run 10 miles out of the total 50-mile race. 
 
Nevertheless, Mariam stepped up to the challenge and worked hard to achieve her postpartum goal of running 10 hilly miles in the Ochils - her first experience running on the trails in Scotland. Since then, she has been bitten by the bug and to date has run several trail marathons, mountain and sky-running races and ultramarathons with her most recent achievement in 2021, running the full West Highland Way, Scotland's most famous long distance trail which is 96 miles (155km) long. Her goal was to run it in under-24 hours. 
 
As a women's health physiotherapist and a mother herself, Mariam's biggest passion is helping new mums through their postpartum journey. She hopes that her own personal experience will inspire and empower other women to achieve their goals  - whether it's returning to their sport such as  running, or simply just feeling back to themselves again after giving birth.  
 
New episodes of the Tough Girl Podcast go live every Tuesday & Thursday at 7am UK time - Hit the subscribe button so you don’t miss out. 
 
The Tough Girl Podcast is being sponsored throughout March by Inov-8 supporting the #MarchDailyMile Challenge.

 

Use TOUGHGIRL20 to get your 20% discount on all trainers and running gear —>> www.inov-8.com 
 
 
Show notes
  • Who is Mariam
  • Being based in Scotland
  • Her love of the outdoors and exploring Scotland
  • Wanting to help other women return to running and sport after having a baby
  • Her early years and where her accent comes from 
  • Growing up in New Zealand and moving to Australia
  • Taking up trail running after having her daughter in 2017
  • Being entered into a 50 mile trail ultra marathon 6 months after giving birth…
  • Meeting her husband and moving to Scotland
  • Her pregnancy and birth story 
  • Working what a PT and doing gym classes
  • Getting back to fitness after giving birth
  • Putting on 3 stone during pregnancy
  • Getting into running after pregnancy 
  • Using the walk run strategy and trying to build up time on feet
  • Training for the final 10 miles of an ultra
  • Not feeling ready for the race
  • Being coached by Jonny @jonnykilpatrick 
  • Starting to identify as a runner 
  • Juggling training and childcare
  • How the running goals evolved over time
  • Thinking about running the West Highland Way (95 miles) in a day
  • Wanting to see what else she could do
  • Entering the WHW ballot 
  • Following a training plan 
  • Figuring out how to fit in running around her life and work
  • Not being able to race the WHW due to covid and restrictions
  • Going ahead with the challenge
  • Making the challenge work for her and her family 
  • Doing the technical section in the pitch black
  • Coming off caffeine before the WHW
  • Having stomach issues
  • 80s power ballads
  • Counting and keeping the legs moving
  • Getting the nutrition in 
  • Feeling emotional and crying it all out
  • The final push - wanting to run the distance in 24 hrs
  • Wanting to get it done
  • The final 14 miles 
  • 4 miles downhill and giving everything she had left
  • The finish of the run
  • 23 hrs and 57 mins
  • The picture from the finish line - https://www.instagram.com/p/CQWWl92rHXO/
  • Connect with Mariam 
  • Final words of advice for runner and new mothers
 
Social Media
 
Instagram: @mariam_kilpatrick
 
***************************
 
The Tough Girl Podcast is being sponsored by Inov-8 throughout March.
 
Use TOUGHGIRL20 to get your 20% discount on all trainers and running gear. 
 
Website: www.inov-8.com 
 
Instagram: @inov_8 
 
Sophie Ruffles - Mum, runner, & wild swimmer. Host of @whatnextmumpodcast 1x100km ultra, 7x marathons. Fast-packed The Jurassic Coast! 0
Mar 3, 2022
Sophie in her own words:
 
“I am a solicitor and mum of one, currently pregnant with my second. I’m a runner, outdoor swimmer, paddle boarder and host of the What Next Mum Podcast. 

I have been running for 12 years and have run plenty of half and full marathons. 

When I had my son I had a real fear that I would lose my identity as a runner but that hasn’t been the case. 
 
Since having him I cycled the 100 mile ride London 4 months post birth and ran a one day 100km/62 mile race.
 
Since then I have continued to do my own self made running adventures, including running the Jurassic Coast over 3 days, the West Mendip Way and running along the Wye Valley. 

I started the What Next Mum Podcasts, so I could talk to like minded women and share their stories to inspire other mums to ditch the mum guilt and get out there. 

I am also a keen outdoor swimmer, this is my fifth winter. I’m a rubbish swimmer but love being in the water and will be swimming to the Isle of Wight in September."
 
 
New episodes of the Tough Girl Podcast go live every Tuesday and Thursday at 7am UK time - Make sure you hit the subscribe button so you don’t miss out. 
 
The Tough Girl Podcast is being sponsored throughout March by Inov-8.

 

Use TOUGHGIRL20 to get your 20% discount on all trainers and running gear. —>> www.inov-8.com
 
Get involved with the #MarchDailyMile Challenge. Run 1 mile everyday in March. 
 
Show Notes
  • Who is Sophie 
  • Being pregnant with her 2nd child
  • Being an outdoor enthusiast 
  • Getting pregnant at 40
  • Feeling a little bit anxious
  • Growing up in a large family
  • Liking running at school
  • Turning 16 and dropping all sports
  • Moving to Japan for 3 years
  • Starting work as a solicitor and taking up running again
  • Her running journey
  • Being encouraged to get into running 
  • Identifying as a runner only recently 
  • Getting into trail running
  • Stopping and starting with running
  • Life in her 20s
  • Needing time for herself after her first child was born
  • Training for a 100k/62 mile race in a day
  • Being told she didn’t need to finish the race
  • The challenges of running 100k in a day 
  • Trying to enjoy the day as much as possible
  • Giving birth… 
  • Getting back into running 
  • Using the bike for cross training
  • Starting the What Next Mum Podcast
  • Wanting to connect with other mum runners
  • Finding time during lockdown
  • Why it’s ok for mums to put themselves first
  • Mum guilt 
  • Having a good support network
  • The power of support from other women
  • Running with her brother Bob
  • Nutrition and eating while ultra running
  • Trying to stay away from sugar
  • Carrying gear in a 25L bag
  • Structuring the day 
  • Magical moments on trips and type 2 fun!
  • Getting in to FKTs (Fastest Knowns Times)
  • Being less interested in racing
  • Wanting to run the Isle of White Coast Path
  • Working with a coach and using a 16 week training plan
  • Getting some new ideas for training
  • Cold water swimming while pregnant
  • Running while pregnant and supporting the bump
  • How to connect with Sophie
  • Final words of advice
 
Social Media
 
Website: www.whatnextmum.com 
 
Instagram: @Ruffles_onthemove 
 
Facebook: What Next Mum Podcast 
 
 
The Tough Girl Podcast is being sponsored by Inov-8 
 
Use TOUGHGIRL20 to get your 20% discount on all trainers and running gear. 
 
Get involved with the #MarchDailyMile Challenge. 
 
Website: www.inov-8.com 
 
Instagram: @inov_8 
 
Amy Bushatz - Getting outside for 20mins everyday and how it’s changed her life. Plus going after a 100 miler mountain run! 0
Mar 1, 2022
Amy Bushatz is an Alaska-based journalist and host of the podcast Humans Outside. 
 
Since September 1, 2017, she’s spent at least 20 minutes outside every day as part of an experiment to see how building and keeping a daily nature habit can change her life. What she found was benefits including making her happier, healthier and more creative while improving her relationships, making new friends and more. 
 
Since starting her outdoor journey Amy has also become an ultra runner, skier, backpacker, camping enthusiast and tried ice climbing, glacier trekking, snowshoe running, ATVing, cliff jumping, forest bathing, rock climbing, high-ropes courses and more. 
 
Amy and her family live in Palmer, Alaska with their two dogs.
 
*Content Warning - there is mention of disordered eating during this episode, we don’t go into specific details.
 
New episodes of the Tough Girl Podcast go live every Tuesday at 7am UK time - Hit the subscribe button so you don’t miss out. 
 
The Tough Girl Podcast is being sponsored throughout March by Inov-8.
 
Use TOUGHGIRL20 to get your 20% discount on all trainers and running gear. —>> www.inov-8.com
 
Get involved with the #MarchDailyMile Challenge. Run 1 mile everyday in March. 
 
Show notes
  • Who is Amy
  • Her early years and not being outdoorsy
  • Being married with kids
  • Getting into running and fitness
  • The benefits of spending time outdoors
  • Working as a journalist for 20 years
  • Deciding to move to Alaska without ever having been there
  • The weather in Alaska and dealing with the cold 
  • Needing a goal and setting herself a new challenge
  • Deciding to spend 20 mins outside every day for 1 year
  • Creating the rules
  • How it’s changed her life
  • Spending time with her family and how it’s improved relationships
  • Her running journey 
  • Connecting with the ultra running community
  • Overtraining and dealing with injury
  • Going straight for the Resurrection Pass 100 Miler
  • Dealing with the cold and the elevation gain and loss over the race
  • What she would do differently
  • The mental side of the race
  • Not putting on the layers 
  • Hoarding food and clothing and not being able to accept help
  • Feeling emotional on the trail - walking and crying
  • Having a scarcity mindset - even though it’s not reality
  • Not joking about food
  • Getting to 70 miles and mentally processing not reaching the 100 miles
  • Knowing that she can do hard things
  • Not wanting to train for another 100 miler
  • Wanting to do the 50 miler
  • Recovery from the 70 miles
  • #HumansOutside365
  • Final words of advice 
 
Social Media
 
Personal
 
Website: amybushatz.com
 
Instagram: @amybushatz
 
Twitter:  @amybushatz
 
 
Humans Outside Podcast  #HumansOutside365
 
Podcast Website: https://humansoutside.com/ 

 

Instagram: @humansoutside 
 
Twitter: @HumansOutside 
 
Facebook: @HumansOutside 
 
Youtube: www.youtube.com/c/Humansoutsideblog
 
 
The Tough Girl Podcast is being sponsored by Inov-8 
 
Use TOUGHGIRL20 to get your 20% discount on all trainers and running gear. 
 
Get involved with the #MarchDailyMile Challenge. 
 
Website: www.inov-8.com 
 
Instagram: @inov_8 
 
Kelly Smith - On the Go - Being passionate about the outdoors and showing people there is a place for physical activity outside of elite sport. 0
Feb 24, 2022
Kelly in her own words:
 
“I’m passionate about the outdoors, it’s a love started from childhood adventure, grew into teenage curiosity, and now is a form of adult stress relief. Fitness for leisure, health, and well-being is more important to me than the competition or the ability to perform well at any one thing. To be, on the go is something I do for me. 
 
My former self trying to be better for my future self. Me vs Me. 
 
I swim in the pool, lakes, and sea, I cycle with TWR, hike with Black Girls Hike and have only started running with Black Trail runners this year. 
 
I try for fun and I try to give my best at each event. I am a beacon of light to get more people into multi-sport events because of representation in the recreational sports and fitness sector.
 
At school I loved geography, physics, and mathematics. I started working in construction at 14, now having 10 years experience I left my last job as an assistant site manager. I have matured into an enthusiast for the built environment. An inquisitive mind towards, towards all things related to sustainable development. 
 
My undergraduate degree is in Project Management for Construction, my masters in Flood Risk Assessment, Modelling and Engineering and I have full intention to do my PhD in Flood Risk Development and Sustainability.” 
 
New episodes of the Tough Girl Podcast go live every Tuesday and Thursday at 7am UK time - Hit the subscribe button so you don’t miss out. 
 
The Tough Girl Podcast is sponsorship and ad free thanks to the monthly financial support of patrons. 
 
Support the mission to increase the amount of female role models in the media. Visit www.patreon.com/toughgirlpodcast and subscribe - super quick and easy to do and it makes a massive difference. Thank you.
 
Show notes
  • Who is Kelly Smith
  • Being based in Brighton, UK
  • Why adventuring in the outdoors is her passion
  • Moving slowly 
  • Not sleeping well at the moment
  • Weighted blanket
  • Growing up in London and her early years
  • Moving to Brighton at 17 years old
  • Getting into the outdoors
  • The shift from childhood to adulthood
  • Being a weird kid 
  • Her 16th birthday and walking in the rainforest
  • The last day of her A’levels
  • Missing the boldness of her youth
  • Finding the South Downs and falling in love with the outdoors
  • Being a planner
  • Getting into sports and fitness
  • Joining the cycling community and being encouraged to do a triathlon
  • Trying a tri
  • Why it’s about how she feels
  • Remembering back to her first triathlon
  • Being impacted by covid
  • How getting outdoors helped with her mental health
  • Working with Swim England as an Ambassador
  • Going after her Summer Mountain Leader Qualification
  • The challenge of getting the training days
  • The costs of travelling around the UK
  • Navigation skills and learning 
  • The Kelly Smith Project - 3 Peaks - 3 Isles
  • Working in the construction industry for 10 years
  • Doing her Masters
  • Filming her documentary and the plan
  • Taking 3 weeks to film the project
  • Being ambitious!
  • Doing B roll in February and filming in April
  • Connect with Kelly
  • Top tips and advice to encourage you to get outside
 
Social Media
 
Website: kellysmithonthego.com 
 
Instagram: @kellysmith.onthego 
 
Quinn Brett - First person to hand-cycle the Great Divide Mountain Bike Route from the Canadian border to the Mexico border. 0
Feb 22, 2022
Quinn in her own words:
 
“I live in Estes Park Colorado. For five years, I worked as a climbing ranger, doing technical Search and Rescue, in Rocky Mountain National Park. To compliment the rescue and medical component of this job, I taught Wilderness Medical Courses. 
 
Rest days…. what are those? Climbing, mountain running, triathlons, mountain biking, summit handstand and mini golf—- were just a few sports I was into. I cherished pushing my body and my mind, finding comfort in the uncomfortable. 
 
I have a few climbing first ascents, speed records and some mountain running records all over the western US and even across the globe 

In October 2017, I fell over 100 feet while climbing on El Capitan in Yosemite National Park and sustained a spinal cord injury. 
 
I am currently paralyzed from the waist down. 
 
Movement and advocacy for public lands was a big part of life and vocation. That hasn’t changed, I still need to be active, adventure and break barriers. 
 
This past summer, 2021, I become the first person to hand-cycle the Great Divide Mountain Bike Route from the Canadian Border to the Mexico border in 25 days. 
 
My advocacy in public lands continues, as well as, advocacy for spinal cord research—- to improve mine and others quality of life.”
 
 
New episodes of the Tough Girl Podcast go live every Tuesday at 7am UK time - Hit the subscribe button so you don’t miss out. 
 
The Tough Girl Podcast is sponsorship and ad free thanks to the monthly financial support of patrons. 
 
Support the mission to increase the amount of female role models in the media. Visit www.patreon.com/toughgirlpodcast and subscribe - super quick and easy to do and it makes a massive difference. Thank you.
 
Show notes
  • Who is Quinn
  • What she does
  • Her love for playing outside
  • Her early years
  • Working for the National Park Service 
  • Her journey into rock climbing
  • Getting her dream job
  • Being encouraged to do more with her life
  • Taking her EMT course and how all her skills combined together
  • Becoming a Technical Rescue Ranger and what it’s like being in the field 
  • Dealing with a T11 Spinal Cord Injury 10/2017
  • Slipping and falling 100ft
  • Being paralysed from the waist down
  • Being rescues and transferred to the hospital
  • The transition to a new type of life and way of living
  • The challenges of getting back into the outdoor 
  • Wanting to get back into swimming after 3 months
  • Getting an off-road hand cycle 
  • Completing the Tour Divide in 2021
  • How getting e-assist helped with access 
  • Being able to keep up with friends
  • Figuring out the technical side of the challenge
  • Taking on the White Rim in Utah a 100 mile challenge
  • Learning about the underlying issues and figuring out the solutions
  • Why preparation is key 
  • Leaning how to calm the brain
  • Doing the Tour Divide as an independent time trail
  • Being the first hand cyclist to the the Tour Divide
  • Learning to calm the brain
  • Why sweating the small stuff is important
  • The magical moments from the Tour Divide 
  • Trail Angels
  • Quick Fire Questions - food, music, podcasts, mantra & mottos 
  • “This wheelchair does not define me”
  • Access to the outdoors…
  • Keeping fit and active and what that looks like
  • Raising money for the Kelly Brush Foundation
  • 2 Exciting trips planned for the future
  • Climbing Kilimanjaro and going to Bosnia
  • How to connect with Quinn
  • Final words of advice for other women who are going through a tough time in their life
  • The power of community and the power of asking for help
 
Social Media
 
Website: www.quinnbrett.com 
 
Instagram: @quinndalina 
 
Preet Chandi - aka Polar Preet - 1st woman of colour to reach the South Pole after a SOLO, 700 mile journey taking 40 days. 0
Feb 15, 2022
Preet recently became the first woman of colour to complete a solo expedition in Antarctica. She completed the 700 miles in 40 days pulling all of her kit and equipment and tackling temperatures of -50° with wind chill. When she reached the South Pole she said on her audio blog:
 
“This expedition was always about so much more than me. I want to encourage people to push their boundaries and to believe in themselves, and I want you to be able to do it without being labelled a rebel. 
 
I have been told no on many occasions and told to “just do the normal thing”, but we create our own normal. 
 
You are capable of anything you want. No-matter where you are from or where your start line is, everybody starts somewhere. 
 
I don’t want to just break the glass ceiling, I want to smash it into a million pieces. Who’s with me?”
 
New episodes of the Tough Girl Podcast go live every Tuesday and Thursday at 7am UK time - Hit the subscribe button so you don’t miss out. 
 
The Tough Girl Podcast is sponsorship and ad free thanks to the monthly financial support of patrons. 
 
Support the mission to increase the amount of female role models in the media. Visit www.patreon.com/toughgirlpodcast and subscribe - super quick and easy to do and it makes a massive difference. Thank you.
 
Show notes
  • Who is Preet
  • Deciding to go to Antarctica
  • Why she wants to inspire people to push their boundaries
  • Starting with google
  • Getting to the start line
  • The challenges of Covid and funding
  • Being the first woman of colour to complete a solo expedition
  • 700 miles in 40 days
  • Getting back to the gym and needing time to recover
  • Going back to November 2021
  • Flying to Chile first and spending 2 weeks there
  • Sorting out all the food and gear
  • Getting the flight out to Antarctica 
  • Being dropped off on the ice and being alone
  • Taking it one day at a time
  • Fears and concerns before the start
  • Feeling excited…
  • Picking up the wrong backpack
  • Being on her own on the ice
  • The joy and excitement of the challenge
  • What a typical day was like
  • The mental side of the challenge
  • Tips and tricks to get through the day
  • Being a head of schedule 
  • Slowing down towards the end and not sleeping
  • Not stopping for 40/50hrs
  • Arriving into the South Pole and feeling good!
  • Why it’s ok to do things that are different
  • Why it’s good to question things
  • Being called disrespectful
  • Feeling more and more comfortable in herself
  • Voicing her opinions 
  • Why change is not a bad thing
  • Making new traditions with her family
  • Celebrations and Coke Zero
  • Having her first shower
  • Heading back to the South Pole
  • Phase 2 of the plan
  • Sponsorship for the future challenges?
  • Setting up an adventure grant for women
  • Connect with Preet and be kept upto date with her future adventures and challenges
  • Final words of advice
  • Why you can achieve anything
 
Social Media
 
Website: www.polarpreet.com 
 
Instagram: @polarpreet 
 
Facebook: @polarpreet
 
We first spoke with Preet in July 8th 2021- you can listen to Preet here - https://www.toughgirlchallenges.com/single-post/chandi
 
Gail Muller - Adventurer and Author of “Unlost: A journey of self-discovery and the healing power of the wild outdoors”. 0
Feb 10, 2022
Gail Muller is an adventurer, writer and educator. She was told at 14 she’d need to use a wheelchair by the age of 40, but at 41 embarked on one of the world’s toughest treks over 6 months in the USA – The Appalachian Trail.
 
For fifteen years she struggled with muscular-skeletal issues, chronic pain and the mental health issues that arise from them, but she never gave up hope of healing and resolution.
 
Her debut memoir 'Unlost' is an inspiring, uplifting and moving account of one woman’s incredible journey into the unknown. A love letter to the healing power of the wild outdoors and an incredible testament to the strength of the human spirit, Gail’s story is for anyone who has ever felt stuck in a rut, lost or scared.
 
She has recently returned from the Continental Divide Trail - a massive hike across the United States where she battled with unmarked trails, grizzly bears, wildfires, weeks at altitude and raging snowmelt-filled river fords. Gail will recount how through all of her journeys, she found has grit, determination, and hope in the darkest of times.
 
Unlost: A journey of self-discovery and the healing power of the wild outdoors by Gail Muller, published by Thread, was released on the 7th September 2021.
 
*Content Warning - Mention of sexual assault and thoughts of suicide.
 
New episodes of the Tough Girl Podcast go live every Tuesday and Thursday at 7am UK time - Hit the subscribe button so you don’t miss out. 
 
The Tough Girl Podcast is sponsorship and ad free thanks to the monthly financial support of patrons. 
 
Support the mission to increase the amount of female role models in the media. Visit www.patreon.com/toughgirlpodcast and subscribe - super quick and easy to do and it makes a massive difference. Thank you.
 
Show notes
  • Who is Gail Muller
  • Being a teacher and an educator
  • Talking to us about her adventures and what she’s overcome
  • Growing up in Cornwall and what it means to be Cornish
  • Her teenage years
  • Being told she would end up in a wheelchair in her 40s
  • Working on super yachts and in the film industry
  • Dealing with back pain which became chronic
  • Learning to treat herself with kindness
  • Finding a solution while in Italy
  • Feeling suicidal and wanting to end it all
  • Don’t give up hope and why a solution is just around the corner
  • Wanting to use her body to do something magnificent 
  • Losing a loved one
  • Starting to save to go up on a big adventure
  • Learning outdoor skills
  • Fears and concerns before heading of to hike the Appalachian Trail
  • Dealing with sexual assault and panic attacks
  • Heading south bound on the AT- starting with Mt. Khatardin and the 100 mile wilderness
  • Enjoyment, love and magical moments
  • Trail magic and trail angels
  • Making new friends and connecting with a trail family
  • Snacks…
  • Deciding to go south bound
  • Wanting to be more alone on the trail
  • Walking on the CTD in summer 2021
  • Not wanting to road walk in smoke
  • The plan for 2021 and how it changed 
  • Full time adventuring….
  • Writing her first book - Unlost
  • Hiking with 2 broken bones in her foot
  • Making a plan for 2022
  • South West Coast Path, UK
  • Being diagnosed with ADHD recently
  • Becoming best friends with her body
  • How to connect with Gail
  • Meet Bill
  • Words of advice to inspire you
  • Why you should never quit on a bad day
 
Social Media
 
Website: https://gailmuller.com
 
Instagram: @thegailmuller
 
Facebook: @thegailmuller
 
FB Group @Unlostoutdoors
 
Jessica Hepburn - Adventure Activist - Her journey to climbing Mt. Everest and completing her “Pond to Peak” Challenge. 0
Feb 8, 2022
Jessica’s ‘adventure activism’ is, by her own admission, a bit of an accident as she hates exercise and considers herself to be the most unlikely athlete. 
 
However, over the last decade she has been taking on some of the world’s most iconic physical and mental endurance challenges to turn the sadness she’s been through into something positive and at the same time raise awareness of what it means to struggle to conceive and to encourage new ways of thinking about family. 
 
She has run the London Marathon; swum the English Channel; and is still on her journey to climb Mount Everest and complete the iconic ‘Pond to Peak’ Challenge. 
 
She is a member of the British Mountaineering Council; The Ramblers; The Long Distance Walkers Association; and the Serpentine, Hampstead Ponds and Dover Open Water Swimming Clubs; and has used her sporting challenges to raise thousands of pounds for charity including Fertility Network UK.
 
We first spoke to Jessica in Oct 2018 - you can listen to that episode here: 
 
https://www.toughgirlchallenges.com/single-post/jessica-hepburn 
 
New episodes of the Tough Girl Podcast go live every Tuesday and Thursday at 7am UK time - Hit the subscribe button so you don’t miss out. 
 
The Tough Girl Podcast is sponsorship and ad free thanks to the monthly financial support of patrons. 
 
Support the mission to increase the amount of female role models in the media. Visit www.patreon.com/toughgirlpodcast and subscribe - super quick and easy to do and it makes a massive difference. Thank you.
 
Show notes
  • Who is Jessica
  • How she would describe herself and what she does
  • Dealing with a decade long struggle on trying to conceive 
  • Wanting to do something different with her life
  • Completing her childhood dream of swimming the English Channel 
  • Being an adventure activist 
  • Wanting to be the first women to complete the “Pond to Peak” Challenge
  • What Jessica was up to in 2019
  • Making a change in her career and setting up her own arts’ festival 
  • Her dream of heading to Everest in 2020
  • Climbing Mt. Elbrus and having a tough time
  • Swimming to get fit for climbing mountains
  • Climbing Mt. Kilimanjaro in 2015/2016
  • Why the Everest journey has been so hard 
  • Being an unlikely mountaineer and athlete 
  • When things don’t go according to plan 
  • Having to learn from failure
  • Does swim training translate to walking in the mountains?
  • The benefits of cold water and why she does it regularly 
  • Not being fast enough on the mountains
  • Needing to get into strength training and build muscle
  • Heading to the peak district and the Lake District
  • Training with the Elite Ramblers in the UK 
  • Dealing with the first lockdown in 2020
  • Being able to stop, slow down and relax
  • Finding the blessings 
  • How lockdown impacted on motivation for training and keeping fit
  • The different types of adventures 
  • Why adventure has become such an important part of her life
  • Getting the confirmation that Everest was going to go ahead in 2021
  • Getting to base camp and feeling prepared
  • How everyone has an opinion on Everest
  • Why her expedition was a non summit
  • Dealing with cyclones at camp 2
  • Cyclones, Chest Infections and Covid
  • Making a rookie mistake
  • Why you need a buff!!!
  • Making the decision to turn back…
  • Acceptance and coming to peace 
  • Why climbing mountains have become so meaningful
  • Making it a battle - a battle with nature
  • Wanting to go back in the future
  • Turning 50 at the end of 2020
  • How to follow along with Jessica and her future adventures 
  • Final words of advice to motivate and inspire more women to take their next steps into the world of adventure
 
Social Media
 
Website: www.jessicahepburn.com 
 
Instagram: @jessica_hepburn_ 
 
Facebook: @jessicahepburnauthor 
 
Twitter: @JessicaPursuit 
 
 
Namratha Nandish - “Alpine Girl” - 1st Indian woman to trek to ALL 50 Alpine Lakes in Kashmir in one season (2021). 0
Feb 3, 2022
Namratha believes one should find ways to be more grounded and closer to nature. She has found that for herself through meditation and trekking. 
 
Namratha would love to do her part in encouraging people to pursue a healthy lifestyle. She always thinks that one should be mentally and physically fit to be able to do what one wants irrespective of the age. 
 
Listen to Namratha as she shares more about her childhood, how she got into trekking and why she decided on this challenges, she talks us through her planning and preparation, how she dealt with the tough days and where her mental resilience comes from.
 
New episodes of the Tough Girl Podcast go live every Tuesday and Thursday at 7am UK time - Hit the subscribe button so you don’t miss out. 
 
The Tough Girl Podcast is sponsorship and ad free thanks to the monthly financial support of patrons. 
 
Support the mission to increase the amount of female role models in the media. Visit www.patreon.com/toughgirlpodcast and subscribe - super quick and easy to do and it makes a massive difference. Thank you.
 
Show notes
  • Who is Nam?
  • What her family was like
  • Growing up in a small town
  • Working as a HR professional
  • Being introduced to trekking by her husband in 2013
  • Role models while growing up
  • Longing to get back into the mountains
  • Being inspired to be fit
  • Getting into trekking and her first experiences
  • Being encouraged to go trekking
  • The 50 Alpine Lakes Challenge
  • Dealing with early onset arthritis
  • Working o strengthening the muscles in her knee
  • Trekking with a guide who knows the routes 
  • Dealing with the altitude
  • Doing the challenge while having a full time job
  • Dealing with challenges like snowfall and lightening while out trekking
  • Listening to her body and making the right decision at the time
  • Having a favourite lake
  • Learning to travel solo and building up confidence
  • Learning to become more comfortable with herself
  • Advice for women who want to travel solo
  • The need to prepare and to do your homework
  • Female guides on the mountains
  • The challenges on her body and how it adapted
  • Go to food on the mountain
  • Wanting to get more people fit and healthy
  • Wanting to create a webpage 
  • Final words of advice to inspire you. 
 
Social Media
 
Instagram: @namrathaurs 
 
Facebook: @namratha.nandish 
Dr Easkey Britton - marine social scientist, writer and ocean leader from Ireland, with a deep love and passion for surfing and the sea. Her work explores the relationship between people and nature. 0
Feb 1, 2022
Easkey on Freedom, Mindfulness and Connection: 
 
Freedom - “I find freedom in movement, in nature, through new experiences. Freedom has the qualities of spontaneity, passion, flow, adventure, risk, independence and creativity. It’s about expressing myself creatively, doing what matters most, and the power of play.”
 
Mindfulness - “I’ve always believed surfing is an amazing tool for a mindfulness practice. It’s very much about mindfulness-in-movement. If I truly get into why I surf, it’s because we can enter this heightened state of awareness – a flow state where, if even just for a moment, there’s complete focus and immersion in the present.”
 
Connection - “Surfing helps me understand the meaning of connection. Surfing demands a letting go of expectations and requires our total presence in the moment so that we begin to take notice of our surroundings, to be a little awed and humbled through direct contact with nature.”
 
About Easkey:
 
Easkey is the first Irish woman to be nominated for the Global WSL Big Wave Awards but there’s more to Easkey than surfing. It is her intellect and her quest to learn and create change in an often unfair world that really defines her. A scientist, academic and social activist, with a PhD in Environment and Society, Easkey is always one to look in places others aren’t for the answers to difficult questions. Her curiosity and passion for fairness and gender equality are the qualities that others to her.
 
Named an ‘Agent of Change’ by Surfer magazine in their special Ocean Edition, her work is deeply influenced by the ocean and the lessons learned pioneering women’s big-wave surfing in Ireland and the sport of surfing with women in Iran, which led her to be invited to give an inspiring TEDx talk: Just Add Surf. Her ground-breaking journey to Iran in 2013 introduced the sport of surfing to women and local communities and is featured in the award-winning documentary film, “Into the Sea”. Passionate about facilitating creative & collaborative processes, she founded Like Water, a platform to explore innovative ways to reconnect with who we are, our environment and each other, through water. Easkey draws on the sea as an active metaphor to dive deep into the power of presence and embodiment of natural cycles. She designs and delivers international summits and global leadership programmes specialising in experiential learning, nature connection, immersive embodiment practices, community engagement and social impact, including the annual Wavemaker retreat in Portugal and Move Like Water retreat for women. She is the author of ‘50 Things to do by the Sea’ and is currently finishing a new book called ‘Saltwater in the Blood.’
 
Easkey is a one off, wild hearted and free spirit. She’s ridden some of the biggest days in Ireland; no audience, no blue skies, no golden sands, just her and a crew she trusts. Doing something she loves; chasing cold water mountains.
 
You can listen to Easkey on the Tough Girl Podcast.
 
New episodes go live every Tuesday and Thursday at 7am UK time - Hit the subscribe button so you don’t miss out. 
 
The Tough Girl Podcast is sponsorship and ad free thanks to the monthly financial support of patrons. 
 
Support the mission to increase the amount of female role models in the media. 
 
 
Show notes
  • Who is Easkey and what she does
  • Being a lover of the ocean
  • Wanting to understand how we relate to the world 
  • Growing up by the beach 
  • Having a connection with the ocean
  • Meeting other women who surfed
  • Starting to compete at a young age
  • The limited pathways for women in surfing 
  • What it was like in the early 90s
  • Getting into free surfing and exploring new waves
  • The link between science and surfing
  • Being an agent of change by Surfer Magazine
  • The sport of surfing with women in Iran
  • How her relationship with surfing has changed
  • The ripple effect 
  • Filming a documentary 
  • Spending time by the ocean 
  • The healing power of water
  • Blue Health 
  • Book - Blue Mind: How Water Makes You Happier, More Connected and Better at What You Do 
  • Blue Mindfulness - How big wave surfing has taught me to live in the moment
  • The mental training for big wave surfing 
  • Learning to trust her body
  • Spending time away from the water
  • How has surfing changed over the past 30 years
  • Gender equality in surfing and the work being done to close the gender gap
  • Representation in surfing and how do you create a more inclusive ocean
  • How do you break down barriers and create more opportunities 
  • The work of Lauren Hill Book: She Surf: The Rise of Female Surfing  
  • Who are the women that have inspired Easkey
  • The power of one women story 
  • The influence of mentors 
  • Meet Wolfie! (The dog!)
  • Having the idea for the book and putting pen to paper
  • Keeping a journal to keep track of her own thoughts
  • Being full time in academia and wanting to write more freely 
  • Not seeing women in front of or behind the camera
  • The feminine perspective of surfing and sharing that
  • Plans for the future
  • Working as a blue health researcher in relation to surf therapy 
  • Putting the science into practice
  • Connect with Easkey 
  • The meaning behind her name and where her name comes from
  • Final words of advice for women who want to get more ebb and flow in their life
  • The power of breath
  • Learning to let go in water
  • Taking a moment to reset
  • What to do if water holds fear for you
 
 
Social Media
 
 
Instagram: @easkeysurf 
 
Twitter: @Easkeysurf 
 
 
Laura Massey-Pugh - ultra/long distance cyclist, planning to break the tandem around the World Record with her husband Stevie in 2022. 0
Jan 27, 2022
Laura in her own words:
 
“I’m a 35 yo Veterinary Surgeon, ultra/long distance cyclist, hiker and runner who loves having adventures... and this year, 2022 I plan to break the tandem around the World Record with my husband Stevie.
 
I started out in life not at all sporty or fit but adventurous: white water kayaking, cycling, hiking and camping.  
 
I realised mid-twenties I wanted to get fitter as well and this coincided with meeting Stevie and being introduced to long distance cycling where I completes a range of long distance events on solo and Tandem including the infamous Paris-Brest-Paris solo and Lejog on a tandem.  
 
I then took up running and after a couple of false starts ran wainwright's coast to coast by myself in May with Stevie as support, 190miles in 5 days.  We have also completed some of the more epic long distance walks I the UK such as Offas Dyke and the Pennine Way, camping along the way with our dog Geoffrey (as well as West Highland way, Ridgeway and Hadrians wall)
 
2022 is the big one though! 18,000 miles, 180 days, 2 people, 1 bike!! We set off in June to attempt to break the current Tandem World Record!”
 
New episodes of the Tough Girl Podcast go live every Tuesday at 7am UK time - Hit the subscribe button so you don’t miss out. 
 
The Tough Girl Podcast is sponsorship and ad free thanks to the monthly financial support of patrons. 
 
Support the mission to increase the amount of female role models in the media. Visit www.patreon.com/toughgirlpodcast and subscribe - super quick and easy to do and it makes a massive difference. Thank you.
 
Show notes
  • Who is Laura
  • Her passion for long distance cycling
  • Growing up adventurous, but not being sporty when younger
  • Getting into Lyrica!
  • Drifting away from sports during uni and work
  • Starting her fitness journey again 
  • Audax - a long distance cycling club 
  • Studying to become a Veterinarian 
  • Meeting Stevie at a beer festival
  • First dates and getting the tandem bike out
  • Never being a gym goer
  • Getting back to the basics and building things gradually
  • Say hello to the dogs!!
  • What she loves about long distance cycling
  • Being competitive with herself
  • Her first 100 mile race
  • The Super Randonneur award
  • Tactics for riding on the bike as a team
  • All Points North an unsupported cycling event across the north of England.  
  • The planning and the logistics 
  • Magical moments!
  • The challenge for 2022!
  • Deciding to cycle around the world on a Tandem!!!
  • The route…
  • Starting in Berlin, Germany 
  • 180 days…
  • The money, the budget and paying for the challenge
  • Getting the initial sponsorship
  • Wanting to be sponsored by Alpkit
  • The approx start date… 5th June 2022
  • Having supportive bosses
  • The final bit of preparation and what’s involved
  • Riding throughout winter and getting use to riding in all weathers
  • New podcast - Stoked to be here! 
  • How to follow along with the journey
  • Final words of advice for other women who want to take on a big, exciting challenge
 
Social Media
 
Website: www.stelatandem.com 
 
Instagram: @SteLa_Tandem 
 
Facebook: SteLa Tandem Round the World Record 
 
Twitter: @SteLaTandem 
 
Shilletha "Dragonsky" Curtis - Hiking the Appalachian Trail in 2021 and her goal of becoming the 2nd Black woman to achieve the Triple Crown of Hiking. 0
Jan 25, 2022
Shilletha Curtis -  Trail name “Dragonsky” is 30 years old and is from New Jersey, USA. 
 
She is an established writer and hiker and is inspiring to be the second Black woman to achieve the Triple Crown of hiking (The AT, PCT, CTD). 
 
She recently completed the Appalachian Trail and is preparing for the Continental Divide Trail (CDT). 
 
She graduated from Rutgers in 2014 and has worked in the social work and veterinary field for years. 
 
She is currently working as a freelance writer and is working on her book.
 
Listen to Shilletha on the Tough Girl Podcast as she shares more about her life, her passion for hiking and spending time in the outdoors.
 
New episodes of the Tough Girl Podcast go live every Tuesday and Thursday at 7am UK time - Hit the subscribe button so you don’t miss out. 
 
The Tough Girl Podcast is sponsorship and ad free thanks to the monthly financial support of patrons. 
 
Support the mission to increase the amount of female role models in the media. Visit www.patreon.com/toughgirlpodcast and subscribe - super quick and easy to do and it makes a massive difference. Thank you.
 
Show notes
 
  • Growing up in New Jersey, USA
  • Graduating in 2014 with a degree in social work
  • Getting into writing since Covid
  • What her younger years were like
  • Having a passion for reading
  • Never being exposed to hiking 
  • Her journey of getting into the outdoors
  • Getting into hiking in 2020
  • Hearing about the Appalachian Trail for the first time
  • Getting obsessed with the AT and making the decision to thru-hike it
  • Living from paycheck to paycheck 
  • Figuring out how to pay for the hike
  • Joining AT Facebook Groups…
  • Asking about her safety 
  • Dealing with racism and threats 
  • Being supported/sponsored by the Appalachian Trail Conservatory (ATC)
  • Using the GoFundMe platform to raise funds for her hike
  • Safety while on the trail 
  • Needing people at certain points for safety
  • Not being excited while on the trail and just being scared
  • Being a triple minority and always having to look and check behind her back at all times
  • Journalling and writing while out in the woods
  • Being exhausted 
  • Having a strategy for hiking the AT
  • The Matrix World
  • Listening to her body 
  • Wanting to experience freedom while hiking 
  • Starting the trail in February….
  • Dealing with the cold weather
  • Her trail name and where it came from 
  • Connecting with a trail family 
  • Her summit day on October 5th 2021
  • Cover your poop!
  • Loving the rock scrambling and feeling empowered and happy
  • Feeling proud of herself
  • Biggest lessons learned from the experience of spending 9 months on the trail
  • The power of being present
  • Learning how to live and what freedom means 
  • Wanting to live life how she wants to 
  • Sharing her journey and how people can follow along
  • Working on new writing projects
  • The significance of 29.5
  • Chasing the seasons
  • Top pieces of advice for Black women who want to take on a challenge like hiking the Appalachian Trail
  • Words to live your life by 
  • Why she’s going to keep on hiking 
 
Social Media
 
Instagram: @I_Am_Dragonsky 
 
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/c/IAmDragonsky 
 
Blog post - Not Just Another Hiker June 12, 2020 
 
Helen Dainty - Full time global hobo cycling the world on AU$100/week. 5 years in and 58,000 km cycled so far… 0
Jan 20, 2022
Helen in her own words:
 
“Full time global hobo cycling the world on AU$100/week creating vlogs, blogs, and photo’s as I go.
 
On the road in one form or another since 2004. I left the UK with a round-the-world ticket on what should have been my ‘year out’ but never properly returned. 
 
Living out of a backpack ever since, I taught English in South Korea, travelling back overland along the Silk Road before emigrating to Australia in 2007 where a travel fundraising job meant I continued to move from place to place every week or two.
 
In Australia I took up bicycle touring and in 2016 set out on an ambitious first bike tour through the outback along the Gibb River Road, Tanami, and Oodnadata tracks. 
 
In 2017 I returned to work for a year while training for and running the New York Marathon, before returning to full-time bicycle touring.
 
In spring 2018 I set out into The Beast From The East to ride a loop of the UK coast and down to Sicily and back.
 
In 2019 I rode up the Norwegian coast to the North Cape and back through the Baltic states. 
 
In early spring of 2020 I set out to Istanbul getting caught in lockdown in Germany, waiting and changing course as borders closed and reopened, finally arriving in Istanbul a year late in September 2021.
 
Totalling 58,000kms over 5 years so far.. 
 
From here the plan is to continue on riding to Africa, via the the Middle East (pandemic & borders permitting!)"
 
New episodes of the Tough Girl Podcast go live every Tuesday at 7am UK time - Hit the subscribe button so you don’t miss out. 
 
The Tough Girl Podcast is sponsorship and ad free thanks to the monthly financial support of patrons. 
 
Support the mission to increase the amount of female role models in the media. Visit www.patreon.com/toughgirlpodcast and subscribe - super quick and easy to do and it makes a massive difference. Thank you.
 
Show notes
  • Being a full time global hobo
  • Where she is at the moment
  • Her childhood and growing up in the UK
  • Living in Australia for 10 years
  • Going on a round the world gap year at 26 years 
  • Why she’s never stopped travelling
  • Taking up cycling over the past 4/5 years
  • Taking the train from Asia back to Europe
  • Finding a job teaching English in Korea
  • Travelling back to the UK along the Silk Road
  • Making the move to Sydney, Australia 
  • Not being into sports or fitness at a young age
  • Getting into running in her early 30s
  • Living on her bike since 2018
  • What are the realities of travelling on the road full time
  • Her day to day routine while riding
  • Cycling in the desert in Australia 
  • Enjoying her own company 
  • Magical moments from her trip
  • Enjoying the type 2 fun
  • Interacting with people from different countries 
  • Using Warmshowers 
  • Safety while travelling
  • Using a spot tracker in Australia but not in Europe
  • Getting robbed while in Greece
  • The lessons learned from the experience 
  • Insurance…and the challenges of getting it while bike touring
  • Bike gear and equipment 
  • Learning bike maintenance 
  • Wanting to spend time in Africa
  • How covid impacted Hels while travelling 
  • Starting up Youtube and how it’s going 
  • Travelling on AU $100 per week
  • Living off savings and earnings from Patreon and Paypal
  • Keeping costs down and budgeting
  • Staying in her tent or Warmshowers hosts
  • How she’s uses her mobile phone and the power of free wifi
  • Sharing her story on social media 
  • Being supported and encouraged by people online
  • Thoughts while cycling 
  • Quick Fire Questions
  • What to remember when things are getting hard
  • Advice for wanting to be a full time Hobo and travelling full time
  • Why you should start of small
  • How to follow along with Hels and be kept upto date with what she’s up to
 
Social Media
 
Instagram: @hels.on.wheels 
 
Facebook: @Helsonwheelswithmlt 
 
Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/helsonwheels?fan_landing=true
 
Youtube: https://youtube.com/channel/UChGPMqRpwEtIHsDWR50pGZA
 
Hazel Oakes - Illustrator and mural artist, passionate about empowering women to reach their goals and to become more adventurous. 0
Jan 18, 2022
Nocciola The Drawer (Hazel Oakes) is an artist and designer from the UK. She has lived in 8 different countries, visited almost 40 countries between 5 continents. She’s hiked the peaks of the Balkans, completed half marathons and the Athen’s marathon. 
 
Hazel is military trained and has a joy for life, for sharing and inspiring other women to become more adventurous. 
 
Hazel has a nomadic spirit and feels her sense of community with women anywhere in the world.
 
She specialises in bright, colourful, bold artwork that combines female characters with lively patterns. All with the aim to uplift, inspire, empower and celebrate women.
 
She is inspired by the seasons, women, childlike imagination, travel, making the most of the moment, street art and graffiti. She spends her time illustrating, creating large murals and drawing on anything (paper, canvas, plates, walls). 
 
Nocciola The Drawer is spreading her joy of life one splash of colour at a time!   
 
New episodes of the Tough Girl Podcast go live every Tuesday at 7am UK time - Hit the subscribe button so you don’t miss out. 
 
The Tough Girl Podcast is sponsorship and ad free thanks to the monthly financial support of patrons. 
 
Support the mission to increase the amount of female role models in the media. Visit www.patreon.com/toughgirlpodcast and subscribe - super quick and easy to do and it makes a massive difference. Thank you.
 
Show notes
  • Who is Hazel
  • Being based in Italy at the moment
  • Her aims and goals 
  • Spreading her joy for life - one splash of colour at a time!
  • Wanting to move her body and to follow her passions
  • Being a creative explorer
  • Where her passion for art and adventure came from
  • Getting her creative side from her mum
  • Getting her adventurous side from her dad
  • Doing all the dance classes from a young age
  • Her teenage years - and the pressure to get a normal job
  • Loving art at school
  • Wanting to learn about fashion design
  • Joining the Officer Training Core OTC
  • Following both of her passions
  • The next step in her career
  • Deciding to do a Masters course at Kingston University 
  • Working with brides and helping them to feel comfortable in their bodies
  • Wanting more adventure and booking a one way ticket to Australia 
  • The different pathways and journeys that can be taken
  • Spending time in Australia!
  • Loving to travel and spending time in Canada and Italy
  • What does Adventure mean to Hazel
  • The why and the how of challenge
  • The power of taking small steps
  • Don’t compare yourself to how other people have done it
  • Living a nomadic lifestyle 
  • Taking advantage of the travel opportunities that become available
  • Getting to know a new place 
  • Her love for walking and exploring
  • Peaks of the Balkans
  • Working as a trip manger in Italy 
  • Taking on new challenges every few years
  • Dealing with the heat
  • Why Nocciola? What it means
  • Being a full time artist…
  • Tips for being more creative
  • Curiosity and amazement 
  • The Tough Girl Mural and how it came about 
  • Follow Hazel on line 
  • Future plans for 2022
  • Top tips and advice to motivate and inspire you
 
Social Media
 
Website: www.nocciolathedrawer.com
 
Instagram:
 
@nocciolathedrawer
@nocciolatheexplorer 
 
Facebook: @nocciolathedrawer 
 
Youtube: Nocciola The Drawer 
 
Samantha Turner - Serial challenge adventurer, executive coach, mum of two boys, and unfortunately, recently diagnosed with stage 4 cancer. 0
Jan 13, 2022
Bio written by her friend:
 
“Sam, 47, has an interesting and diverse background, having Indian and English heritage and growing up between the UK, USA and Middle East. 
 
Over the past few years she has set herself multiple challenges raising money for charity or just doing for fun. 
 
In 2019, Sam set herself 12 challenges: 
  1. Cold Water Swimming Championships
  2. 10K Winter run
  3. Climbing one of the more challenging routes up Snowdon
  4. Swimathon (5k swim)
  5. Great Northern SwimRun (Lake Windermere)
  6. Selkie Henley Classic - night / dawn swim
  7. SwimRun Tooting Bec
  8. Running a half marathon
  9. Not drinking any alcohol for 28 days
  10. Marathon run
  11. North Downs 50k walk
  12. Trekking two marathons in two days through the desert
 
Unfortunately in late 2020, she was diagnosed with stage four cancer which was a huge blow to her, her family and friends. I certainly thought that would be the end of her adventuring and it felt immensely sad. 
 
However Sam has a remarkable positive energy and outlook on life and has been determined to carry on as normal. 
 
This year, while managing ongoing cancer treatment, she has already completed the Arcticbear swim challenge over winter, the 100km jurassic coast walk challenge, the great north 5km swim in lake Windermere, the lake Windermere trail walk challenge, The Selkie Henley classic 2km upstream swim at dawn, and Henley mile swim (I’ve probably missed more!). 
 
I have been lucky enough to share some of these adventures with her and have learnt so much along the way. 
 
From learning to enjoy those precious moments in the outdoors or in the water, to persevering even when things seem impossible. 
 
I think a lot of your listeners would benefit from hearing her story, knowing where she has come from, what she is battling today and her vision for the future.”
 
 
New episodes of the Tough Girl Podcast go live every Tuesday at 7am UK time - Hit the subscribe button so you don’t miss out. 
 
The Tough Girl Podcast is sponsorship and ad free thanks to the monthly financial support of patrons. 
 
Support the mission to increase the amount of female role models in the media. Visit www.patreon.com/toughgirlpodcast and subscribe - super quick and easy to do and it makes a massive difference. Thank you.
 
Show notes
  • Who is Sam
  • Living inLondon with her husband and 2 boys
  • Not being sporty growing up but enjoying spending time in the outdoors
  • Moving to America at 8 years old
  • Being put off running at a young age
  • Going to boarding school in the UK
  • Spending time abroad with family
  • How her parents met
  • Studying psychology and music at university 
  • Not following her passion at a young age
  • Meeting her husband and moving to London
  • Having her children at 39 and 42
  • Asking herself - What am I doing with my life?
  • Needing to get her life back on track
  • How having children changed her priorities 
  • Loosing her identity
  • Signing up for a 100k walk from London to Brighton
  • Getting to the half way point…
  • Mind over matter and how it has played a huge part in her life especially in recent years
  • Being inspired by Dr. Joe Dispenza 
  • Learning to believe in herself again
  • Needing to make a lifestyle change
  • Setting out in 2019 to do 12 challenges
  • Cold water….
  • The challenges of lockdown and not being able to swim
  • The power of consistency
  • Planning 12 challenges at the end of 2018
  • Wanting to be prepared 
  • Involving her family in the training and the challenges
  • Doing something that she’s not good at
  • The South Down’s 50k Walk and taking on the desert
  • Doing events with Ultra Challenge
  • Going through woodland at nighttime
  • Dealing with the heat of the desert
  • 2020 and the challenges faced
  • Wanting to make a career change
  • Being diagnosed with breast cancer 
  • Stage 4 cancer and being given all the options
  • Going through the menopause in 3 weeks
  • Getting back into cold water and how it helped 
  • Starting treatment at home
  • Taking on a 5k swim in Lake Windermere
  • Balancing life, challenges, family and treatment
  • Making sure the children are aware of what’s going on
  • The next 2 challenges…
  • Wanting to take on a relay swim across the channel!
  • Putting the group together
  • Swimming for an hour at a time
  • Getting swimming lessons
  • Connect and follow with Sam
  • Final words of advice for other women
  • Do things that bring you joy 
  • Believe you can do it
 
Social Media
 
Website: walkingwithsam.com 
 
Coaching Website: www.samanthaturner.co.uk 
 
Facebook: @samantha.turner.1042 
 
Linkedin: @samantha-jane-turner 
 
Fundraising pages with details about her challenges:
 
www.justgiving.com/Samantha-Turner22
 
www.justgiving.com/fundraising/samantha-turner42
 
Person Irresponsible - Author of "Everything You Ever Taught Me". Female, fat, funny, forty-something and in her 4th year of recovery from Alcoholism. Walking 2,653 from Mexico to Canada on the PCT. 0
Jan 11, 2022
About Person Irresponsible in her own words:
 
"In 2020 the world went to hell in a handbag. This isn’t exactly headline news - although it was then. I went from perfectly locatable in the Cotswolds to utterly baffled in the American wilderness when I embarked on a quest to walk from Mexico to Canada for reasons that escape me. It was most probably nothing more dramatic than a mid-life crisis.
 
Perhaps I should have come ‘home’ but I lived in the deluded optimism the pandemic would all be over by the summer. Besides, I’d given up my home: shoving my belongings into storage, persuaded someone to look after my cat and someone else to look after my car. 
 
I did think about returning but each time I popped into civilisation to top up my supplies, I discovered a new reason to run for the hills. So 'home' became a tent: a mere flimsy bit of fabric to protect me from every conceivable terror that exists in the wilderness - bears, rattlesnakes, deserts, avalanches and other human beings. Most dangerous of all was the racket inside my head.
 
Everything you ever taught me is my journey, relying on nothing other than the twelve steps of recovery, teaching me to take it one day at a time, one step at a time, and one bloody ginormous mountain at a time as I staggered my way along the Pacific Crest Trail. 
 
As mid-life crises go, I remain utterly clueless why mine took me from my sofa to the Canadian border via the fridge, powered only by two chubby legs and a fat arse.”
 
New episodes of the Tough Girl Podcast go live every Tuesday at 7am UK time - Hit the subscribe button so you don’t miss out. 
 
The Tough Girl Podcast is sponsorship and ad free thanks to the monthly financial support of patrons. 
 
Support the mission to increase the amount of female role models in the media. Visit www.patreon.com/toughgirlpodcast and subscribe - super quick and easy to do and it makes a massive difference. Thank you.
 
Show notes
  • Being called Person Irresponsible (PI)
  • What life was like before the mid-life crises
  • Getting married and getting divorced
  • How her home drinking increased and how it took over her life
  • Turning 41 and failing at dry January and dry February 
  • Having a bigger problem than she wanted to admit to
  • Joining Alcoholics Anonymous
  • Following the 12 step program
  • Learning more about herself
  • Why it’s never too late to make changes
  • Applying for a permit for the Pacific Crest Trail 
  • Taking life more as it comes
  • Being inspired by the film - “Wild”
  • Getting obsessed with the Pacific Crest Trail (PCT)
  • 6 months to plan and prepare
  • Funding the challenge
  • March 17th….
  • Learning to deal with her anxiety 
  • Learning to not worry about the future
  • The ethics behind the decision to walk the PCT during the pandemic
  • Trail angels and life on the trail
  • The first mile on the PCT
  • When the doubts crept in
  • What it was like spending time alone in nature 
  • Learning how to switch off her thoughts
  • Attending online AA meetings while on the trail
  • Making connections on the trail and waking with other people
  • Wanting to write a book about the journey 
  • Carrying a laptop on the trail!!!
  • Magical moments from the trail
  • Losing a close friend
  • Wanting to quit every single day
  • Not knowing how she would finish the final 500 miles
  • The simple joy of a hot bath
  • Putting the book together
  • Connect with PI and how to buy the book
  • Final words of advice for women going through a mid-life crisis
 
Social Media
 
Website: www.mlconaquad.com
 
Instagram: @person_irresponsible 
 
Facebook: @person.irresponsible.3 
 
Twitter: @BikeMlc 
 
Book: Everything You Ever Taught Me: If you've a lot on your mind, go for a walk… 
 
Leah Goldstein - The 1st female ever to WIN the overall SOLO division of the gruelling Race Across Across America in its 39 year history! 0
Jan 6, 2022
Leah was born in Canada, conceived in Israel, and raised in Vancouver, B.C. by new immigrant parents.
 
Growing up in Richmond, B.C., daughter of a boxer. Leah became involved in martial arts, Tae Kwon Do and Kickboxing. After being told she should never fight again because she had herniated disks in her back, Leah won the Bantamweight World Kickboxing Championship at age 17, against a 25 year old fighter a foot taller than she was!
 
Leah felt a deep desire to serve her time in the Israeli Army, (a mandatory 2 years for women and 3 years for men). 
 
Leah knew that she wouldn’t be satisfied just being a soldier, she wanted to become the first woman ever to be an Elite Commando. She didn't just become an elite commando, she became a Krav Maga specialist, and became the first female Elite Commando Instructor.
 
After leaving the Army, Leah pursued a career as a professional cyclist in Europe and North America. After a serious accident in 2005, Leah spend 2.5 months in the hospital where she was informed by doctors that she would never race again, let alone walk without a cane. 
 
Leah proved them all wrong, and came back stronger than ever before, she went on to win the Women’s Solo Division of Race Across America (RAAM) - the Ultra Endurance, 3000 Mile, 12 day, single stage race in 2011, and coming in second in the women’s division and fifth overall in 2019. She came back again in 2021 and at 52 years old made history by becoming the 1st female ever to WIN the overall SOLO division of RAAM.
 
New episodes of the Tough Girl Podcast go live every Tuesday at 7am UK time - Hit the subscribe button so you don’t miss out. 
 
The Tough Girl Podcast is sponsorship and ad free thanks to the monthly financial support of patrons. 
 
Support the mission to increase the amount of female role models in the media. Visit www.patreon.com/toughgirlpodcast and subscribe - super quick and easy to do and it makes a massive difference. Thank you.
 
Show notes
  • Her background in athleticism 
  • Joining the IDF - Israel Defence Force
  • Discovering the bike
  • Wanting to become a pro racer at 30
  • Discovering ultra endurance racing 
  • Her childhood and growing up
  • Dealing with bullies
  • Her dreams for the future
  • Being one of the only female instructors
  • Training the elite soldiers/commandoes  
  • Krav maga as a martial art
  • Learning how to defend yourself
  • How you can train your mind
  • Making the transition from the military to a different way of life
  • Deciding to become a pro racer and taking 8 years to get to her goal
  • Wanting to stay and keep physically active 
  • Being a professional cyclist and living out of her bag
  • The pressure to perform and to reach the podium
  • Her love and passion for cycling
  • Using cycling as therapy
  • Race Across America (RAAM) 
  • Needing to qualify for RAAM
  • Why it’s a one year process and why you need a good crew
  • The planning and preparation for the race
  • Why your crew is the most important thing
  • Replicating the race in her training 
  • Working with trainer - John Howard
  • Why you have to cross the finish line
  • Learning lessons from her first experience of RAAM in 2011
  • Recovery from training and keeping her body injury free
  • Keeping fit and active and doing things for fun
  • Not smoking, not drinking and being plant based
  • Focusing on core work and strength work
  • The key of being consistent
  • The challenging condition of RAAM in 2021
  • Dealing with extreme heat
  • Limits and suffering
  • Being 52 and dealing with menopause
  • The mental side of challenges and mental resilience
  • Learning to be comfortable being uncomfortable
  • Being prepared for the worst in every scenario 
  • Being mentally ready for the challenge
  • Staying focused and looking at the positive things
  • Working with her crew
  • Nutrition and bodily functions
  • Needing to feel comfortable on the bike
  • Suffering from Shermer's Neck
  • Dealing with failure and going after it again
  • Doing the things she has a passion for 
  • Not wanting to live a life of regret
  • Writing her book No Limits
  • Quick Fire Questions
  • Connect with Leah
 
 
Social Media
 
 
Instagram: @goldstein_leah_ 
 
Facebook: @leahgoldstein1 
 
Twitter: @NoLimitsLeah 
 
 
 
Kristen Berkeley - City girl who moved to the subarctic! Advocating diversity and inclusion outdoors. Founder of Amplify Outdoors. 0
Jan 4, 2022
Kristen (she/her) is originally from Toronto and has been living in the Northwest Territories for nearly four years. 
 
Kristen is a former journalist that enjoys writing about social issues and outdoor lifestyles. 
 
When she's not cooking delicious meals, Kristen can be found exploring the Northwest Territories and promoting diversity in outdoor spaces with her organization Amplify Outdoors.
 
About Amplify Outdoors:
 
“Amplify Outdoors was established to elevate and encourage diversity in outdoor spaces. Recognizing a lack of representation of people of colour (POC) and marginalized groups in marketing campaigns geared towards outdoor lifestyle, Amplify Outdoors hopes to change existing narratives that perpetuate societal stereotypes about 'who' should enjoy nature and 'who' is considered outdoorsy.
 
Amplify Outdoors believes that representation is important, and we strive to provide products that empower and amplify diversity in outdoor landscapes and activities. 
 
Ultimately, our goal is for outdoor spaces to be inclusive and safe for everyone to enjoy, because 'Nature is for Everyone’."
 
Listen to Kristen now!
 
New episodes of the Tough Girl Podcast go live every Tuesday and Thursday 7am UK time - Hit the subscribe button so you don’t miss out. 
 
The Tough Girl Podcast is sponsorship and ad free thanks to the monthly financial support of patrons. 
 
Support the mission to increase the amount of female role models in the media. Visit www.patreon.com/toughgirlpodcast and subscribe - super quick and easy to do and it makes a massive difference. Thank you.
 
Show notes
  • Who is Kristen
  • Relocating to the Northwest Territories in Canada (the subarctic)
  • Making the decision to make a change in her life
  • Growing up in Toronto
  • Being a city girl at heart
  • Not being given the opportunity to spend time outdoors hiking and camping
  • Wanting a more laid back lifestyle and a slower pace of life
  • Looking for a new job 
  • Moving to Yellowknife
  • Wanting to take advantage of the opportunity
  • Wanting to have new experiences
  • Moving in January
  • Going with the flow of life
  • The transition from the city to the country
  • Being shocked at how expensive housing was
  • Getting use to the darkness
  • Creating a routine and making new friends
  • Her first experience with hiking and spending time outdoors
  • Wanting to bring people with her on the journey 
  • Feeling the power of nature and the benefits for her mind
  • Seeing the beauty in nature
  • Documenting her journey 
  • The women who inspire Kristen
  • Matthew Henson - 1st person and first Black man to reach the North Pole
  • Founding Amplify Outdoors and what’s its goal and purpose is
  • Building a supportive community 
  • Looking to create more events in 2022
  • Advice for Black women for getting into the outdoors
  • Acknowledging the barriers for Black, Indigenous, People of Colour (BIPOC) who want to go outdoors
  • Why you should start slow
  • Nature makes me feel….
  • Chasing waterfalls
  • How you can connect with Kristen
  • Plans for the future
 
Social Media
 
Personal Website/blog: www.Twentiesandfabulous.com
 
Personal Instagram: @Travel_Adventurehers 
 
Amplify Outdoors. 𝙉𝙖𝙩𝙪𝙧𝙚 𝙞𝙨 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙀𝙫𝙚𝙧𝙮𝙤𝙣𝙚. 𝐀𝐦𝐩𝐥𝐢𝐟𝐲𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚 𝐬𝐚𝐟𝐞, 𝐢𝐧𝐜𝐥𝐮𝐬𝐢𝐯𝐞, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐝𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐞 𝐨𝐮𝐭𝐝𝐨𝐨𝐫𝐬
 
Website - www.amplify-outdoors.com 
 
Instagram - @AmplifyOutdoors 
 
Eleanor Carey - Adventurer and Ocean Rower, 2x GWR holder for rowing 2,400 miles across the Pacific Ocean. 0
Jan 1, 2022
Eleanor Carey is the first Australian woman to row across the mid-Pacific Ocean. Rowing 2,400 miles from California to Hawaii. Spending 62 days at sea in a 7.5m ocean rowing boat with two other women, as she battled extreme seasickness, sleep deprivation, multiple hurricanes and forty foot waves to set two Guinness World Records as part of a trio.
 
A true adventurer at heart, Eleanor has also cycled solo across Europe, conquered a 100km ultra-marathon and completed many more multi-day human powered journeys worldwide.
 
Through these extreme journeys, Eleanor has learned the power of adventure therapy and nature’s ability to assist in healing, overcoming trauma and to fuel personal growth.
 
Eleanor is driven to help others experience the power of adventure for themselves, improve wellbeing and nurture the ability to step into the unknown.
 
New episodes of the Tough Girl Podcast go live every Tuesday and Thursday at 7am UK time - Hit the subscribe button so you don’t miss out. 
 
The Tough Girl Podcast is sponsorship and ad free thanks to the monthly financial support of patrons. 
 
Support the mission to increase the amount of female role models in the media. Visit www.patreon.com/toughgirlpodcast and subscribe - super quick and easy to do and it makes a massive difference. Thank you.
 
Show notes
  • Being based in Australia on the gold coast
  • Using adventure to help people build grit and resilience
  • Her adventure story
  • What her childhood was like
  • Moving over the UK and not knowing anyone
  • Being inspired by - Cycling home from Siberia by Rob Lilwall 
  • Taking a year before taking action
  • Not knowing many women doing these types of challenges
  • Taking action - the HOW
  • Thinking about taking on a cycle journey 
  • How her Europe cycle trip came about
  • Booking a one way flight to Norway…
  • The fears and concerns before the trip
  • Having 3 months to get sorted
  • Wanting to try
  • The reality of cycling day after day
  • Why it was one of the best things she’s ever done
  • The challenges while out on the road
  • The internal dialogue and dealing with it
  • Using adventure as a building block
  • Looking for a career change
  • Being a planner and a goal setter?
  • Being willing to try anything once
  • Making a career change
  • Moving back to Australia and setting up an innovation hub
  • The path to ocean rowing and being inspired by Losing site of Shore
  • Connecting with Pacific Terrific 
  • Saying yes to the opportunity with 6 weeks to go
  • Would it be possible to get the qualifications in time
  • The mental side of preparation
  • Team dynamics…. in a trio
  • Having open conversations
  • Expectations versus reality of the row
  • Learning to get comfortable with being uncomfortable 
  • Tips for getting through the day 
  • Managing her mental health while out on the ocean
  • Being better while on the ocean
  • The simple way of living while rowing
  • Magical moment from rowing across the Pacific Ocean
  • Feeling safe while out on the water and being at peace
  • How the row changed her 
  • Writing a book about her experience
  • Crossing the finish line
  • Final words of advice to motivate and inspire you 
 
Social Media
 
Website: www.eleanorcarey.com
 
Instagram: @eleanorjcarey
 
Twitter: @eleanorcarey 
 
Julie Veloo - Canadian Adventurer for Good. Expeditions Chief, Horse Trek Mongolia and Founder of The Gobi Gallop. 0
Dec 30, 2021
Born the youngest of 6 children and raised in small town in Northern B.C. Canada, Julie never expected she would end up in Mongolia, feeding, caring for and educating hundreds of Mongolian children in need at her two Children of the Peak Sanctuary or Narnii Huuhduud charity kindergartens. She and her husband, Chelvan, a Mining Engineer and the President of Veloo Foundation, have lived and worked in Indonesia, Australia and The United States before settling in Mongolia.
 
During her 10 years here, Julie has taken up horse back riding and now, every year, with Saraa and Baagii of Horse Trek Mongolia hosts and rides the longest annual charity ride on the planet – The Gobi Gallop – along with a suite of other charity rides across Mongolia. 
 
In 2022 she will ride the record breaking 3,600 km / 84 day Blue Wolf Totem Expedition to raise funds for her charity project projects. 
 
All of the money the people pay for these rides stays in Mongolia and helps the children, local businesses, artists and artisans and local herders. Julie, herself, works running these rides and the charity projects on a volunteer bases. Since first riding here at the age of 50 Julie has logged in excess of 35,000 km on horseback across the wilds of Mongolia and all of it to help the children.
 
Julie is passionate about Mongolia and all things Mongolian and is committed to sustainable and fiscally transparent philanthropy. She is thrilled to be able to incorporate her love of Mongolian culture and history into Veloo Foundation’s Soaring Crane Summer Camp out in the countryside of Sonjin Boldog. 
 
The camp is a traditional Mongolian themed camp experience in English and Mongolian alike and offers 3 paying camps a year in English to fund the remaining camps for 250 Mongolian children in need. In addition to the two Narnii Huuhduud Kindergartens and the Soaring Crane Summer Camp, Veloo Foundation also operates the Fran London Centre for the Fabric Arts.
 
Now 60, Julie expects to continue her epic long distance riding her in Mongolia and will continue making a difference in the lives of children in need as long as she is able.
 
New episodes of the Tough Girl Podcast go live every Tuesday at 7am UK time - Hit the subscribe button so you don’t miss out. 
 
The Tough Girl Podcast is sponsorship and ad free thanks to the monthly financial support of patrons. 
 
Support the mission to increase the amount of female role models in the media. Visit www.patreon.com/toughgirlpodcast and subscribe - super quick and easy to do and it makes a massive difference. Thank you.
 
Show notes
 
  • Who is Julia
  • Being based in Mongolia, Central Asia for the past 10 years
  • Growing up in a small town in Northern Canada
  • Being the youngest of 6
  • Being fascinated with the idea of travel
  • Being stuck in hospital for 4 years as a child
  • The plight of the children in the garbage dump
  • Being terrified of horses growing up
  • Sitting on a horse for the first time at 50 and falling in love
  • Her life before Mongolia 
  • The work the Veloo Foundation does in Mongolia
  • Moving to Mongolia in 2010
  • Dealing with harsh winters due to over grazing and climate change
  • Magical moments and how the idea for the Gobi Gallop came about 
  • Using the Gobi Gallop as a fundraiser for the Veloo Foundation
  • Working with Horse Trek Mongolia 
  • Taking on a solo challenge…
  • Riding 700km in 8 days
  • The Blue Wolf Totem Expedition happening in 2022 - 3,600 km challenge in Mongolia 
  • The mental side of the challenge
  • Training with Sarah Cuthbertson - Ride Like an Athlete Program 
  • Get back on the horse
  • Riding with a rockstar…
  • Having a weak moment in your endurance adventure doesn’t mean it’s over
  • Life in Mongolia and what it’s like
  • Starting a new project 
  • Eating traditional Mongolian food
  • Learning the language 
  • How to connect with Julie
  • #AdventurerForGood
 
Social Media
 
Veloo Foundation - Helping Mongolian children and families in serious need through a series of educational, health and vocational programs.
 
 
Instagram: @VelooFoundation 
 
Horse Trek Mongolia - Ride. Explore. Help Children. We connect travellers to authentic Mongolian adventure . Home of the #gobigallop - 700 km / 10 days for charity!
 
 
Instagram: @HorseTrekMongolia 
 
Personal IG: @JulieVeloo 
 
Mongolist, Sharing horseback & other adventures with you all.  LIFE PLAN= DO Good. HELP Children. KEEP going. No plans to stop… #AdventurerForGood
 
Gowri Varanashi - Environmental Educator, Climber and founder of Climb Like A Woman (CLAW) - inspiring more women to climb in India. 0
Dec 28, 2021
Gowri is a naturalist and environmental educator who loves finding an excuse to be outdoors in nature—and climbing is one of her favourite excuses. 
 
Gowri grew up climbing trees and scrambling on rocks in India, she went on to become an outdoor guide in the Peruvian Amazon. 
 
Gowri currently teaches nature connection to kids in Upstate NY and India and also teaches Indian women climbing. 
 
A few years ago she received the Live your Dream Grant given by American Alpine Club and the North Face to climb her hardest project to date, called French Indian Masala (7b+/5.12c), in India.
 
In 2018 she initiated the first-ever Indian women's climbing meet up in India to mentor and teach women climbing, called CLAW or Climb Like A Woman. She hopes to keep teach climbing, inspire more women to climb, and teach nature connection to the larger outdoor community through her new initiative Wilderness Ways. 
 
Listen to Gowri now!!!
 
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Support the mission to increase the amount of female role models in the media. Visit www.patreon.com/toughgirlpodcast and subscribe - super quick and easy to do and it makes a massive difference. Thank you.
 
Show notes
  • Who is Gowri
  • Her passions and her work
  • Growing up in India
  • Going to a non conventional school
  • Being obsessed with snakes 
  • Getting into nature and wildlife from a young age
  • Her dreams as a little girl
  • Going to college over in America
  • Her journey into climbing
  • Working in Peru as a guide
  • Going to an indoor rock climbing gym in the US
  • Her first climb outdoors
  • Climbing the French Indian Masala route
  • Applying for a grant
  • CLAW - Climb Like A Woman 
  • Wanting to teach Indian women how to climb
  • Holding the first event in 2018
  • Going against gender norms
  • Climbing in Hampi
  • Women teaching women
  • The false stories we tell ourselves
  • Dealing with fears when climbing
  • The women who have inspired Gowri in climbing and nature
  • Being inspired by Flash Foxy
  • Planning a climb and starting a new project
  • Producing a film of the French Indian Masala route climb
  • Starting training 2 months before
  • Figuring out your weaknesses and strengths
  • The importance of rest 
  • Taking on a new challenge every 2 years
  • The next project…..
  • Training for one move 
  • The move….
  • Watch the video on Youtube - French Indian Masala - Gowri Varanashi
  • Wilderness Ways
  • Teaching children - Nature connection
  • How to connect with Gowri
  • Final words of advice 
  • Be curious, observe and ask questions!
 
 
Social Media
 
 
Women's Climbing Meet Up in India. 
 
CLAW <<Climb Like A Woman>> 
 
Breaking barriers through rock climbing
 
www.climblikeawoman.com 
 
Instagram:
 
@gowrivaranashi 
 
@climblikeawoman 
 
Wilderness Ways - reconnects you to the power of nature through unique experiences in the outdoors promoting love & care for the natural world. 
 
Website - www.wildernessways.org 
 
Instagram: @wilderness__ways. 
 
Anna Taylor - Rock climber who recently completed a link up of all 83 Classic Rock climbs in the UK, while cycling 1,500 miles between them. 0
Dec 25, 2021
Anna is an up and coming British trad climber based in the Lake District. She has multiple climbs in the E6-E8 range on her CV and favours bold and often unprotectable climbs
 
Anna started climbing at age 10. 
 
Competitions didn't really suit her, and she quit the sport in her teens for a while before getting into outdoor bouldering age 17. 
 
At 19, on a family holiday, she discovered she had a taste for hard trad and hasn't looked back.
 
Anna has lived in the Lake District all her life and works as a route-setter at Kendal Wall.  
 
Anna's 2019 climbing spree*
Lake District climbs
 
8 July, Disorderly Conduct E8 6c, lead, Reecastle Crag, Cumbria
26 June, Hare Today, Gone Tomorrow E5 6b, solo onsight, Hare Crags, Cumbria
27 May, Right Hare, Right Now E7 6c, lead, Hare Crags, Cumbria
22 May, Scrogbank Ravers E7 6c, lead, White Mines, Rusty Wall, Cumbria
20 May, No Nuts (Just Balls) E7 6b solo, Harrop Tarn Crag, Cumbria
4 May, Relentless Rage E7 6a, lead, Gouther Crags, Cumbria
29 April, Hang the Gallows High E6 6b, lead, Black Crag (Wrynose), Cumbria
17 April, Fat Guy Goes Nutzoid E6 6b, lead, Tilberthwaite Quarry, Cumbria
21 April, Big Tree Corner, E1 5b, lead, Tilberthwaite Quarry, Cumbria
 
Notable climbs from trips away
 
22 June, Bad Life Choices E7 6b solo, Polldubh Crags, Glen Nevis
17 May, My Halo E7 6b, lead, Serengeti, North Wales slate
13 April, Nosferatu E6 6b, lead, Burbage South, Peak District
 
 
Commenting on Instagram, Anna wrote about her challenge: 
 
'Well that's that. Two months ago I set off from Penzance with the intention of linking all of the Classic Rock routes together by bike. I didn't have a clue how to cycle tour, or how I was going to get all the climbs done if the weather crapped out, but bit by bit I learned, and here we are. So that's just over 1,500 miles on the bike, and 83 out of 83 climbs (68 of which were solos, either free or with rope), in a mostly continuous round (I did have to duck out for a work trip at one point).
 
'Big thanks to @neil.gresham for coming up to do the last few climbs with me in appalling conditions. The weather has often been unkind throughout this trip, and because of this things were difficult and pretty treacherous right up until the very last second. Still, we had a fun, mildly epic adventure sliding around on the Cioch, and the Cuillin Ridge was, to put it frankly, f**king grim. It wasn't quite the scenic finale I had in mind, but was quite a fitting ending in the sense that virtually nothing about this trip has ever gone according to plan.

'There's been some good and very memorable moments though. Climbing The Long Climb on the Ben in a bubble of mist feeling like I was the only person in the world was ace, as was the watery fight to get out of The Chasm (though that was perhaps more of a type 2 fun sort of day). Routes like The Devils Slide on Lundy and The Clean Sweep on Hells Lum were also highlights, and all that definitely made up for the times I was frozen, wet and off-route, or regretting my life choices cycling up endless hills. It's not been a perfect trip by any means, but I've learnt a lot (mostly about soloing), and I'm looking forward to putting some of that knowledge to good use on future projects. For now however, I'm just appreciating being warm and dry, and I'm pretty relived to have got this over with before it starts snowing.'
 
Anna was also part of a large expedition in 2019 to climb the prow of Mount Roraima (a giant Tepui deep in the Amazon rainforest).
 
Take a listen to Anna now!
 
New episodes of the Tough Girl Podcast go live every Tuesday and Thursday at 7am UK time - Hit the subscribe button so you don’t miss out. 
 
The Tough Girl Podcast is sponsorship and ad free thanks to the monthly financial support of patrons. 
 
Support the mission to increase the amount of female role models in the media. Visit www.patreon.com/toughgirlpodcast and subscribe - super quick and easy to do and it makes a massive difference. Thank you.
 
Show notes
  • Who is Anna
  • Just finishing the classic rock tour
  • Her childhood growing up in Windermere
  • Where the idea for the challenge came from
  • Wanting to try cycle touring
  • Telling her friends and family about the challenge
  • Wanting to start in April 2021 but having to push it back to August 
  • Working as a full time climber
  • Figuring out how to take 2 months off
  • How much would it cost and paying for the challenge
  • Why it wasn’t an expensive trip
  • Figuring out how to keep costs down
  • Filming the challenge and getting pictures of the climbs
  • Getting to the start of the challenge
  • Feeling overwhelmed by the challenge
  • Dealing with the reality of the situation 
  • Taking it one day at a time
  • The biggest challenge on the trip
  • Why the Scottish climbs were so challenging
  • Being solo on a rock face
  • What’s going on inside her head while climbing
  • Magical moments from the experience 
  • The physicality of the challenge
  • The challenges of going with someone else
  • The rough route throughout the UK
  • Finishing in the Isle of Skye
  • Celebrating the end of the challenge and settling back into normal life
  • What’s next?!
  • Advice for women who want to get into climbing
  • Working on improving her skills
  • What type of climbing Anna does
  • Follow and connect with Anna on Instagram
  • Her first big expedition to South America
  • Connecting with Leo Houlding
  • Lesson learned from taking on climbing challenges
  • Final words of advice and why you should go and do it!
 
Social Media
 
Instagram: @anna_taylor_98 
 
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