Tough Girl Podcast

Nikki Love is an adventure runner, a sports psychology under-grad, and a motivator of dreaming big, taking action and achieving extraordinary goals. Nikki turned 50 in 2017 and decided it was time to take her love for travel, marathon running, and cross-country running to a new level.  She is now on a mission to run across, around, or through as many countries that her feet can take her, bringing as many people as she can along for the run. Her big adventures include running 63 marathons in 63 days through the UK to celebrate her 50th birthday, a craic of a 750 mile run around Ireland, a runcation through Malta and around Gozo, a jolly jaunt across the Netherlands, an extremely muddy and cow-pat laden run from top to bottom of Wales, a 40 day x 1,000 miles treadmill run, and on July 16, 2023 at the age of 56 Nikki set the women’s record for running across Australia from Perth to Sydney 4,044kms in 76 days, 3 hours and 43 minutes. Driven by her curiosity to answer the question “I wonder if I can do that…”  Ni

In 1996, Sue Stockdale achieved a remarkable feat: she became the first British woman to set foot on the Magnetic North Pole, a journey she never thought possible.  What followed was a realisation that her success held a profound purpose—to inspire others to venture beyond their comfort zones and unearth their untapped potential. Sue's captivating memoir, "EXPLORE: A Life of Adventure," chronicles her life's journey, commencing from challenging beginnings and extending into a lifetime of intrepid exploration in some of the world's harshest environments, including the North Pole, Antarctica, and Greenland.  Within these epic adventures lie invaluable life lessons that Sue readily shares, illustrating how the mindset, discipline, and commitment honed in the crucible of extreme exploration are equally applicable in the professional sphere. "EXPLORE" serves as a wellspring of inspiration, urging all of us to embark on our personal odysseys of self-discovery. Sue firmly believes that no endeavour is too daunting w

A self-proclaimed late outdoor bloomer, Kimberly began exploring life outdoors after purchasing a folding kayak, which she credits with changing her life.  What started as an impulse purchase put her on a path of adventure, and she now travels around the world with her dog (Bentley), camping, kayaking and stand-up paddle boarding.  Learning as she goes along, she documents her travels on her instagram page, in hopes of inspiring and empowering other women to have solo adventures. *** The Tough Girl Podcast is being sponsored throughout January by ZOLEO. #ChallengeWithZOLEO ZOLEO connects with your phone to provide seamless global messaging that follows you in and out of mobile network coverage — plus added safety features you can count on worldwide including industry-leading SOS alerting features. 24/7 monitoring and 24/7 access to non-emergency medical advice, check-in and weather forecasts. ZOLEO offers unmatched peace of mind for you and for everyone waiting at home.  Stay connected and safe while doing wh

Meaghan Hackinen is a Kelowna-based bikepacker and writer whose two-wheeled adventures have taken her from Haida Gwaii to Mexico’s high plateaus, across Canada and the United States, and from North Cape to Tarifa along some of Europe’s highest paved roads.  She is a 4X Everester as well as a Transcontinental Race, Trans Am Bike Race, and Paris-Brest-Paris brevet finisher. Meaghan holds the women’s course record for the World 24-Hour Time Trial Championships, among others.  In 2023, Meaghan took the overall solo win in all but one of the endurance races she competed in, including the Buckshot and Lost Elephant in British Columbia, Silver State 508 in Nevada, and an Individual Time Trial of the Log Driver’s Waltz in Canada’s Capitol region.  Her debut travel memoir, "South Away: The Pacific Coast on Two Wheels" (NeWest Press, 2019) was shortlisted for two Canadian book awards and her follow up, "Shifting Gears: Coast to Coast on the Trans Am Bike Race" was just released to critical acclaim. *** The Tough Girl P

Sarah Thomas, aged 41, is an ultra-marathon swimmer who achieved the current world record for the longest continuous swim in current-neutral conditions, performed without assistance or a wetsuit. This record-breaking feat spanned 104.6 miles over the course of 67 hours and took place in Lake Champlain, USA, in August 2017. Shortly after this remarkable swim, Sarah faced an aggressive form of breast cancer diagnosis at the young age of 35. During her cancer treatment, which included chemotherapy, surgery, and radiation therapy, Sarah remained unwavering in her pursuit of an extraordinary swim that many considered impossible. One year post-cancer treatment, Sarah made history by becoming the first person to complete a four-way crossing of the English Channel, accomplishing this incredible feat in a remarkable 54 hours and 10 minutes. More recently, Sarah achieved another groundbreaking milestone, becoming the first individual in history to conquer a two-way crossing of the North Channel, enduring 21 hours and 4

Rebecca's story starts in the North East of England, where she grew up on a smallholding in an area with little ethnic diversity. Influenced by her mom's passion for animals, she pursued a dream of becoming a vet and moved to Liverpool for University.  As a young mom, she discovered tennis and joined a fitness group before her journey led her to running. Residing at the foot of the Pennines in West Yorkshire with her husband and two children. Rebecca turned to running in 2021 as a way to escape life's demands of a busy family life and the stress of running a veterinary practice during Covid. In 2022, she set her first trail race goal, a 16k trail race in the Lakes.  Rebecca's story also includes her involvement with Black Trail Runners, where she found community and purpose. She shares her experiences, from Endure 24 to the 3 Dales Marathon in North Yorkshire.  Rebecca shares more about why she wants to  participate in challenging races, how she build inner strength, and expands her comfort zone. She candidl

Bethan is committed to challenging the way we talk about running to encourage as many people as possible to find joy in the experience. She’s an advocate for pace inclusion, spending time outdoors and living well in the world. Bethan in her own words: “I live in South London with my husband Mike, our daughter Evie and Loki the Brussels Griffon in a flat that has views over the whole city.  A few years ago I quit the city and went back to university to work on my PhD and I spend my days researching the representations and identities of women in ultra running in the Sport Business Research Centre at Birkbeck, University of London.  I’ve struggled with my wellbeing and mental health for most of my life. Over the years I’ve found things that have helped make things more manageable and I’m passionate about sharing what I’ve learnt to help other people ‘Live Well In The World’.” *** Don't miss out on the latest episodes of the Tough Girl Podcast, released every Tuesday at 7am UK time! Be sure to hit the subscribe

“On 5th September 2022, full of excitement for what lay ahead, I began my run from Land’s End to John O’Groats to show others that despite life throwing curveballs our way we can still achieve. I intended to cover a distance of 40-50 miles a day for 20 days, a total of approximately 855 miles, aiming to become the world’s fastest female, with single-sided deafness, to complete this journey by foot. However, after 4 days of running in continual torrential rain, things went very wrong on day 5." During this episode Sara shares more about her run from Lands End to John O’Groats, the challenges, the setbacks and how she moved forward after failure. We discuss in detail her recovery, the changes she made and how she moved forward and tried again.  This is an episode about endurance running, passion for making a difference and never giving up.   Sara is a brain tumour survivor who is giving back. “Brain tumours kill more adults and children under the age of 40 than any other cancer, yet historically just 1% of the

Louise is a journalist, broadcaster, podcaster and writer. She presented BBC Breakfast for 20 years and before that was a news anchor on the BBC News Channel and the BBC’s One O’clock News. She has also presented The One Show, Five Live Drive, Real Rescues and Missing Live and has been a contestant on I’m a Celebrity Get Me Out Of Here, Time Crashers and Celebrity MasterChef. Her first book, Dare to Tri, charted her journey from the Breakfast sofa to representing the Great Britain Triathlon team in her age-group at World and European Championships. Her second book Fearless, Adventures with Extraordinary Women was published by Bloomsbury on 25th May 2023. It reflect her passion for celebrating women’s success. In each chapter Louise takes on a different challenge with a courageous woman, to get to know them and tell their incredible stories. About the book: Fearless, Adventures with Extraordinary Women JOIN LOUISE MINCHIN ON 17 EXHILARATING ADVENTURES WITH TRAILBLAZING WOMEN WHO ARE BREAKING DOWN BARRIERS, SMA

Raquel Vélez is the Founder and CEO of Alpine Parrot, an outdoor apparel company that caters specifically to people of size and people of color. She brings with her almost two decades of engineering experience, having received her degree in mechanical engineering from Caltech, worked and studied as a robotics engineer, and eventually shifting over to software engineering and engineering management.  Now, as an apparel engineer, she's creatively tackling one of the oldest (and most polluting) industries by creating sustainable, inclusive clothing for a market of people who have so often been neglected in the outdoor space.  As a plus sized Latina who discovered her love of the outdoors later in life, Raquel has put an incredible amount of careful consideration into the design of each product, focusing on great fit and quality construction. She was named one of Outside Magazine's Outsiders of the Year 2021 and one of Well+Good Magazine's Changemakers 2023. Raquel has lived in 4 countries, speaks 5 languages, an

In this episode of the Tough Girl Podcast, we delve into the inspiring journey of Maite Rojo, a passionate ultra runner who has taken on some of the toughest challenges in the world of endurance racing.  Born in a small fishing village in Northern Spain, Maite's love for sports and running ignited at a young age. Encouraged by her family, she discovered the simplicity and joy of running, eventually becoming an integral part of a supportive running community. Over the years, she embarked on marathons, ultra marathons, and eventually 24-hour races, pushing her body to its limits. Maite's perseverance and dedication paid off when she won two 24-hour challenges, with her second victory securing her a direct entrance to the prestigious Spartathlon Race in Athens. In the gruelling Spartathlon, Maite ran an astonishing 247 km and placed 9th female, proving her indomitable spirit. Not one to rest on her laurels, Maite recently tackled the Ultr'Ardèche ultra race in France, covering a distance of 222 km and finishing

Ellen is a 27-year-old pilot, flight instructor, and adventure traveler, with a background in writing, acting, and modeling. She grew up on a farm in rural Texas. In her short adult life, she’s been on five expeditions by bicycle, paddle, and oars, both domestic and international. Those journeys add up to a total of 18 months and roughly 10,000 miles - nearly all of which were human-powered and half of which were solo. In 2017, Ellen, then 22, completed a solo descent of the Missouri from Three Forks to St. Louis. Ellen had previously paddled a tributary of the Amazon and cycled from England to Greece. Ellen is the youngest person to solo paddle the Missouri River from Three Forks, Montana to St. Louis. In September 2022, Ellen Falterman paddled her 18-foot Grumman canoe to her family's Trinity River home in East Texas, completing a full descent of the Mississippi River and then some. Her motivation and mentor for these trips have always been her brother Patrick, who died suddenly in 2016. She dedicates all o

Josephine in her own words:   “I’m a middle aged mother of three. Also, adventurer, rock climber, former Mountain Rescuer, wilderness addict, lover of Nature, doer. Oh, and professional author and award-winning photographer. Many hats, but a common thread of being outdoors, helping people and sharing a love of wild places. Having moved on from the confines of Mountain Rescue, I am on a journey with Mountain Training Association to get qualified so that I can introduce people, and especially women, to the indescribable benefits of outdoor adventure.  Too many women feel that it is beyond them. I want to show that it is not. I love polar adventure and have been to Norway many times and skied across Svalbard on a 9 day expedition.  Mountains, moors, wilderness, old mines and rock faces all vie for my time so that it feels there is never enough!  My mantra is: “Do it now. Life is too short.” I am not one for “ests” the longest/fastest/highest etc. To me, it is all about being there, in that moment. My work as an

In this episode of the Tough Girl Podcast, we dive into the incredible journey of Fadeelah Kenny, an endurance runner, cyclist, and hiker. Fadeelah, a hijabi woman, shares her inspiring story of becoming a mother and the challenges she faced along the way. Fadeelah opens up about her experience as a late starter, having her baby at the age of 38. She candidly discusses the struggles she encountered in adjusting to motherhood and her battle with severe postpartum depression. Despite these obstacles, Fadeelah's determination shines through as she shares her story of recovery and resilience. As an endurance runner, Fadeelah has completed several ultra marathons, including the renowned Comrades Marathon three times. She reflects on her running journey, from discovering her endurance capabilities to pushing herself in longer distances. Fadeelah recounts the mental challenges of running, emphasising the importance of a positive mindset and self-belief. The conversation delves into Fadeelah's experience of running

Majka Burhardt is a professional climber, certified climbing guide, conservation entrepreneur, author, and filmmaker; she is also the founder and executive director of the international conservation and development organization Legado and the author of More: Life on the Edge of Adventure and Motherhood, released in 2023.  Majka currently lives with her 7 year old twins and her husband, the internationally certified mountain guide Peter Doucette, in Jackson, New Hampshire. About the Book: More: Life on the Edge of Adventure and Motherhood.  An intense and emotional epistolary memoir by one of the world's top ice climbers, born at the confluence of motherhood, adventure, career, and marriage.  As one of the world’s leading female professional rock and ice climbers, Burhardt and her husband led globe-trotting, adventure-seeking lives.  When she learns that she’s pregnant—with twins—Burhardt at first tries to justify her insistence on pursuing extreme risk in the face of responsibility.  But she is  ultimately f

In this episode of the Tough Girl Podcast, I speak with Lucy Coppack, a finance manager by day and an outdoors enthusiast by weekend.  Lucy shares her love for the hills, her experiences as a female in the outdoors industry, and her personal challenges including the loss of her mother to breast cancer.  Lucy talks about her decision to raise money for the East Cheshire Hospice by completing the Peak District 88 Trig Point Challenge, and how the outdoors helps her process her emotions and grief. She also shares advice and tips for girls who want to spend more time in the outdoors. *** Subscribe to the Tough Girl Podcast to listen to more inspiring stories of women breaking barriers and pushing boundaries. New episodes go live every Tuesday at 7am UK time. To support the mission of increasing female role models in the media, visit www.patreon.com/toughgirlpodcast. *** Show notes Who is Lucy Living in Macclesfield, just outside the Peak District, UK Working as a finance manager during the day Her love for the

Today, I'm excited to share a behind-the-scenes look at the planning and preparation for my upcoming adventure on the 3,000km Te Araroa Trail in New Zealand. I recorded this episode, hours before I headed down to London to catch my flight to first Korea and then on to Aukland, New Zealand.  In this podcast, I'll take you through the meticulous planning and preparation that goes into making these epic adventures come to life. From the nitty-gritty details on my to-do list to managing setbacks and equipment challenges. I share the story behind my sponsorship with ZOLEO and the invaluable benefits I've gained from their products. I'll also break down my approach to planning big adventures. Starting by dividing it down into the mental, physical, logistical, and practical aspects, offering insights that hopefully will add value as you plan your adventures. Throughout this episode, I'll candidly share the intricacies and hurdles I've encountered and why I take full responsibly for all my decision, even when those d

Born in Phoenix, Arizona and raised by immigrant parents from China and Japan, Mari has always been drawn to stories that celebrate and examine identity, multiculturalism, and diversity.  After completing her Masters at the Royal College of Music in 2019, Funabashi continued to work in London, working closely with production houses Far Away Films and 84 East.  Since then she has composed for many award-winning films, particularly enjoying providing thoughtful and nuanced underscores for films that center around the human condition, although she would never say no to bombastic superhero themes with french horn solos.  Curious and creative by nature, Funabashi often mixes sound design with her musical underscores in order to create truly unique pieces of work that are inseparable from the films they were created for. Beyond music, Mari is a dedicated outdoors enthusiast, and can be found participating in ultra-endurance cycling trips as well as competing in triathlons. Having found outdoor movement after the d

Dierdre grew up in New York City in the 1940s and 50s and helped care for her mother who had polio. Going to high school opened her eyes to new possibilities, and she eventually moved to California after spending time in France and Japan. Dierdre's life took a big turn when she divorced her husband and started focusing on her own goals and dreams.  At 55, she began running, and has gone on to complete multiple marathons. At 59, she began rock climbing, and at 66, she became the oldest woman to climb Yosemite’s iconic El Capitan (with her son, Alex Honnold, of “Free Solo” fame).  In 2021, she celebrated her 70th birthday by climbing El Capitan again and camping on the summit.  At the end of 2023, the documentary about her life, “Climbing Into Life,” will be available to watch. Climbing into Life is a feature-length documentary detailing the inspiring life story of Dierdre Wolownick-Honnold, the mother of Free Solo’s Alex Honnold.  This is the story of how she went from a completely consumed mother and professo

In this episode, we learn about Meghan J. Ward, a writer based in Banff, Canada, who is passionate about outdoor adventure and travel. Meghan is a Fellow of the Royal Canadian Geographical Society, and the author of Lights to Guide Me Home: A Journey Off the Beaten Track in Life, Love, Adventure, and Parenting.  Meghan has written several books, as well as produced content for films, anthologies, blogs and some of North America’s top outdoor, fitness and adventure publications. Meghan shares her journey as a writer, her love of travel, and how she balances parenting with her passion for exploration.  Meghan also provides practical advice for new moms who want to continue travelling and going on adventures with their children. We also learn about her current project, a documentary film about early 20th-century mountain explorer Mary Schäffer Warren. Finally, Meghan shares some words of advice for women who want to spend more time travelling and going on adventures. *** New episodes of the Tough Girl Podcast go