Tough Girl Podcast

Since becoming a wheelchair user Debbie has campaigned tirelessly to break down barriers in all aspects of promoting accessibility for all.   Debbie lives on a sheep farm in Cumbria, on the edge of the Yorkshire Dales National Park.  She is a member of the Local Access Forum for the YDNP and chair of the Access For All group. She is a volunteer for the National Park with the responsibility of auditing the ‘Miles Without Stile’ routes.   For the past 6 years Debbie has been the expert in inclusion and diversity for The Outdoor Guide, a free online resource dedicated to enjoying the outdoors. Co-founded and fronted by television personality Julia Bradbury.     Debbie is a Get Outside Champion with Ordnance Survey. In 2020 she was nominated for 'Outdoor Personality of the Year' by TGO magazine readers.   Debbie is a presenter, motivational speaker, writer and consultant and is able to deliver tailor made training and presentations. She is a regular contributor for the BBC Countryfile Magazine   Although Debbie

“In the blink of an eye, I went from being an active, autonomous athlete to  suffering a traumatic brain injury (TBI) that took 70% of my vision and nearly my life. Now I aim to be mindful in every moment and strive to make every second count while adventuring in mountains around the world.”   Jill in her own words:   “On a day that began like any other in a high school Physical Education class, September 2014 began an expedition of survival. A line drive, a hardball to the head, began a climb testing personal strength and human potential. A medical team, hundreds of hands from 7 hospitals across 3 countries, guided me towards a peak that felt impossible to climb, traumatic brain injury (TBI). While I craved to climb alone, they got me to the summit but my work was just getting started. Now I am traversing an avalanche triggered by the TBI which left me days from death, with 70% vision loss and a life threatening eating disorder.   No mountain can challenge me the way traumatic brain injury has. I chose to a

Anja Madhvani is a writer and drinks industry worker with a passion for adventure.   Anja studied classical piano performance at The University Of Huddersfield, and has gone on to perform as a violinist and singer with a number of post-rock bands, most notably Her Name Is Calla.    She has spent 13 years in the beer industry, managing venues, hosting brewery tours and tastings, and working in sales and communications. She also works with Club Soda, a mindful drinking movement who aim to create a world where nobody feels out of place if they aren’t drinking.   In 2018 Anja completed her first ultra, the Marathon Des Sables, with undiagnosed Pulmonary Tuberculosis. She is now back to running and also enjoying the challenge of pole dancing.   She is currently studying to become a personal trainer, and hopes to channel her unique experiences into helping others to shift their mindset and find joy in movement.   New episodes of the Tough Girl Podcast go live every Tuesday at 7am UK time - Hit the subscribe button

Having only started cycling in 2018, Biola immersed herself in the community, showing great enthusiasm for her own progression and that of other women too.    She is the chair of Velociposse, a club for women and non-binary people in London.    Biola is relentless in her energy to push the club forward and increase diversity, collaborating with the Women of Colour Cycling Collective.   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 Biola Being based in Brixton, South London Being a cycling club for ALL women  Her passion for all types of riding Her love for cycling and the community Friends, fitness a

Rosemary in her own words, talking about Nellie Bly and her record breaking race around the world:   “Crusading journalist Nellie Bly jumped off the page at me. She appeared as I was researching Victorian women adventurers… and she wouldn’t go away.  The more I got to know her, the more I was intrigued by this spirited woman who wouldn’t take no for an answer despite living in a world where women ‘knew their place.’     Nellie knew her place alright, smack dab on the front page of the world’s newspapers.   She pioneered investigative journalism and paved the way for female reporters like me. Nellie’s crusades in print brought about huge reforms in women’s asylums, sweatshops and prisons.   2015 marked the 125th anniversary of her best known adventure — circling the globe in a record-breaking 72 days. In celebration of the remarkable Nellie Bly and her amazing journey, I followed in her footsteps around the world.   Now there is a book chronicling our two journeys: Following Nellie Bly: Her Record-Breaking Rac

We first spoke with Jessie on October 19th 2021 where she shared more about her cycle challenge of riding 570 miles to Glasgow for COP26. During this episode we catch up with Jessie to find out about her journey, the challenges faced and overcome, what it was like arriving in Glasgow and her thoughts on COP26 as well as her plans for the future.   Jessie in her own words:   I am a youth activist who cares deeply about the power of people to create change and this is exactly what I want People Pedal Power to do. The idea to start the movement came from my fears that more inaction would come from COP26.    I knew that we didn’t have time for this to occur, as this summit has to be the one where real change is created, if not by our leaders but by the power of individuals creating collective action.    As can be seen from the youth climate movement across the world, individuals really do have the power to create change, and so I decided to harness this!   I also believe in the immense power that words and storyt

Adelle is a British middle distance track athlete, who has competed for Great Britain over 800m on a number of occasions. Adelle has competed internationally on a European, Commonwealth and World stage for over 10 years.   Adelle's international debut was a the European Youth Olympics in 2009, where she won a Silver medal at 16 years old.    Since then, she has gone on to compete for Great Britain at a senior level competing at two European Athletics Championships in Amsterdam 2016 and Berlin 2018, at the World Indoor Athletics Championships in Portland 2016, World Athletics Championships in London 2017, World University Games in Taipei 2017, the Commonwealth Games for team England in Gold Coast 2018 and at the European Indoor Athletics Championships in Glasgow 2019.   Throughout competing as a senior athlete on the international stage, Adelle has balanced her life off the track working as a Hair & Makeup artist.   Adelle is a Woman's Sport Trust 'UNLOCKED' Alumni and proud ambassador for the British Dys

Steph in her own words:   “Being a very shy and uncoordinated child I used to avoid anything active until a family holiday to the Lake District ignited a passion for walking and the outdoors.    I love to get outside and active and to push my body to see just what it’s capable of.    The excitement of tackling a long-distance trail appeals to me, but I also enjoy discovering the adventure my local area has to offer. I find joy in immersing myself in nature- wherever you are you can find great beauty.    Middle age is a time when people tend to slow down and stop being active. I want to inspire other people in their 40s, 50s, 60s and beyond that you are still capable of doing some pretty amazing things and that it’s never too late for adventure.”   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

Patti Shales Lefkos is a Canadian writer and journalist. Her Himalayan adventure travel memoir Nepal One Day at a Time celebrates her creative non-fiction debut.   Nepal One Day at a Time is the story of her first trekking trip on her own.   Born and raised in Toronto, she has also lived in Neuchatel, Switzerland and Vancouver.    Following a rewarding career as a teacher, educational consultant, administrator and advocate for inner city children, Patti studied journalism at Langara University. She is a graduate of the University of Toronto, Toronto Teachers’ College, Simon Fraser University and the Wilderness Leadership Program at Capilano College.   In 2006 she set out to pursue international adventure travel.    Whether canoeing the Yukon River, backcountry skiing in BC’s Monashee Mountains, hiking in Scotland’s Outer Hebrides or trekking in Tibet and Nepal, she embraces the culture and environment of wilderness areas.    When not travelling, she skis downhill, nordic and backcountry from her home base at

Anisah is the founder of the new blog: Outside Our Way which features interviews from other disabled and chronically ill folks, sharing their stories of their outdoor experiences.   Anisah in her own words:   My name is Ani. I have multiple chronic illnesses and I am disabled. That probably brings an image to your mind of what it means to be ‘disabled’, But when you look up the definition of ‘disability’ you’ll find various ways you can categorise it - as well as plenty of opinions about what it means to be disabled.   The UK Equality Act 2010 classifies disability as: “a physical or mental impairment and the impairment has a substantial and long-term adverse effect on his or her ability to carry out normal day-to-day activities.”    The truth is there are so many variations and types of impairments that fit this definition. There are visible physical disabilities, there are hidden physical disabilities, there are learning disabilities, and there are mental health disabilities. The variations and combination

Annabel Abbs is a writer of fiction and nonfiction. She grew up in Wales and Sussex, with stints in Dorset, Bristol and Hereford. Daughter of academic and poet, Peter Abbs, she has a degree in English Literature from the University of East Anglia and a Masters from the University of Kingston. She lives with her family in London and Sussex, and is a Fellow of the Brown Foundation.   Annabel’s debut novel, The Joyce Girl, won the 2015 Impress Prize for New Writing and the 2015 Spotlight First Novel Award, and was longlisted for the 2015 Caledonia Novel Award, the 2015 Bath Novel Award and the 2016 Waverton Good Read Award. It was a Reader Pick in The Guardian 2016 and was one of ten books selected for presentation at the 2017 Berlin Film Festival. Published across the world, Annabel discussed The Joyce Girl on BBC Radio 4’s Soul Music. It is currently being adapted for the stage.   Her second novel, Frieda: The Originial Lady Chatterley, was a Times Book of the Month, then a Times Book of the Year 2018 and one

Tiphaine in her own words:   "My name is Tiphaine, I’m from France and since I was a child my parents took me backpacking in other continents. They’ve opened me to the world. After three years of studies to obtain my Specialized Educator diploma, I felt the urge to explore more of this planet. I went to Australia on a Working Holiday Visa for a year. The adventures I’ve experienced there made me reconsider my whole perspective on life.   Inspired by my short cycling trips in Australia and New Zealand, I bought a bicycle and left, in June 2017, on my 23rd birthday. I started from my home in Paris, without a real plan, without a final destination and ended up cycling 20,000 km in 14 months, half of it with Martin (@hi.martin.cycles).    This trip, more than any others, showed me that dreams can come true and that travelling is a matter of motivation. Since then, I dare to live a different life, “unstable”, full of changes, adventures, experiences, that make me who I am today.”   Listen to Tiphaine on the tough

Aneela is passionate about encouraging people from all walks of life to ride bikes and she works with individuals, organisations and the cycling industry to encourage wider participation. She works tirelessly to increase diversity in cycling and mountain biking and firmly believes that mountain biking is more than a sport - she’s a champion of the wider benefits of mountain biking in building confidence, strength and resilience in everyday life.   With 20 years+ diversity and inclusion experience, Aneela is particularly interested in diversity and wellbeing; women in MTB leadership; diversity role models; young girls in sport and promoting mental health. She offers training and workshops; inspiring talks and presentations; diversity audits; participation and engagement activities as well as professional advice and consultancy.   ANEELA'S JOURNEY 20 years+  Diversity and Inclusion experience in the public sector Co-Chair, British Cycling’s new Diversity and Inclusion Advisory Group 10 years+ running Go-Where

Erica Terblanche is an accomplished endurance runner and adventure racer and has won numerous iconic long-distance races all over the world, including the gruelling Racing the Planet 7-day Sahara Desert Ultra Marathon among many others.   Erica is a Life Coach and psychologist with a master’s degree in Positive Psychology. She is also the founder of Teach a Girl to Fish, Thrive Guru & Thrive Run Club. Her lifelong quest is to determine how we can over time shape and mould ourselves to become ‘the best we can possibly be’.   At heart Erica is an outdoor enthusiast with over 20 years of adventure experiences.   Erica in her own words on Adventure Racing:   “Adventure Racing was a wonderful vehicle for access to extreme adventures - and over a period of five years I experienced the most extraordinary adventures while running, cycling, canyoneering, river rafting, sea kayaking, and rappelling in some of the most wild landscapes in the world and often with less than an hour of sleep a day for races that spanne

Kisha in her own words:   “I grew up in Virginia, a gymnast and cheerleader, playing softball and soccer. I knew I was bound to do something special, but I didn’t know what.   When it comes to my career, I’m often called a ‘bad-ass.’ As the Managing Director of Portland's Artists Repertory Theatre, I feel at home on a stage in front of thousands of people. When it comes to spending time outside, however, I wasn’t what you would call an “outdoors woman.”   I didn’t camp. I didn’t spend hours in the woods. Yet, when I moved to Portland, I found a love I didn’t know existed: my love of hiking. Days spent exploring all of the swimming holes and waterfalls in the Pacific Northwest transitioned into my first solo trip to Reykjavнk, Iceland.    I scuba-dived, hiked through Gullfoss, Skуgafoss, Hengifoss, and fiingvellir, and I HIKED UP AND THROUGH A GLACIER! Me! All 240 pounds of me.    I became a superhuman on that trip. I’m a fat, Black woman with Lupus who hikes glaciers, mutherf*ckers! My outdoor exploration unlo

Elise in her own words:   “To me, Alexandra David-Néel’s book My Journey to Lhasa was one of those books I just couldn’t get over. You know when you read a book or see a film and you keep thinking about it for weeks afterwards, it was like that. Except that with this book, I never stopped thinking about it. The book recounts the final six months of Alexandra's epic 14 year journey through Asia, her quest to reach the forbidden city of Lhasa, the capital of Tibet. Against all odds, dressed as a poor pilgrim, she reached Lhasa in 1924.   12 years after reading this book for the first time, I was still wondering just how she managed to achieve what she did. 14 years of dealing with the cold, the wet, illness and of course the constant pressure and difficulty that came with being a female traveller in the early 1900s.   So, I decided to act on that idea that had always been in the back of my mind - to recreate Alexandra’s journey in some way, and to experience life travelling as a woman as closely as she would h

Clare Rutter grew up in rural, coastal west Wales with childhood days often spent with her brother playing and exploring in nature, climbing trees, jumping hay bales, cycling the green and lush country lanes and time spent on the beaches exploring rockpools, playing in the sand and swimming in the sea. Everyday was a mini-adventure in Clare’s eyes which was only added to by joining the Brownies, the Guides and later the Scouts when girls were (finally!) permitted to join across all age sections. At age 6 and continuing through her participation in these youth organisations, Clare began her journey in paddlesport thoroughly enjoying kayaking and canoeing.    Now, after more than 25 years spent in the Scouts, Clare has many ‘on the water’ hours paddling and has been on many Scouting adventures including working at a large, commercial Scout summer camp and activity centre, expeditioning in Africa, multi-day tall ship sailing, led the Welsh Contingent at a Boy Scouts of America National Jamboree and volunteered a

Kwesia grew up in Deptford, an inner city area of South-East London. Along with many of her friends, neighbours and peers, she experienced a great deal of challenges that come with living in an area, and with people, who have been neglected, excluded and marginalized.   At 17, Kwesia found herself homeless, moving from sofa to sofa. Her life was chaotic, often harsh, without any meaning and lacking a clear sense of direction or purpose.   At her lowest point, Kwesia received an opportunity to become apart of a British Exploring Society’s expedition to the Peruvian Amazon Rain-forest. Grabbing the opportunity, Kwesia spent 3 weeks in a remote part of the jungle, with no phone, and no contact with the outside world, with a group of individuals she barely knew.   It was a life-changing experience for her.  She experienced the beauty of nature, there was no judgement, just new friendships, new energy, a chance to be herself, to experience new energy and to think about new opportunities.   On her return to the UK,

Jessie in her own words:   “It would be a lie to say that I have always been aware of the climate crisis, because I haven’t. Frankly, that is the problem.   Whilst always enjoying spending time in nature whether that be up at our allotment or walking on the wilds of Dartmoor right on my doorstep, it was only a few years ago that I became aware of the dire straights our climate is in.   It was at this moment that like many youth activists, I began to realise that I really had no choice but to fight for it. This didn’t mean that it necessarily was something I wanted to do, because most young people just want a care free experience as they grow and develop, and activism is certainly not these things. However, I felt a duty to do this, because the vast majority of adults around me and in society were choosing not to.   It was then that I decided to create People Pedal Power and cycle to COP26 both as a personal challenge and as a way to bring the many individuals concerned about the Climate Crisis together. As a

Kirsty in her own words:   “I’m a mixed-race freelance mountaineering and climbing instructor from the west coast of Scotland. I love being able to introduce and share so many of the incredible Scottish environments, whether it’s the mountains in full winter conditions or a beautifully still sea with views out to the Hebrides.    Climbing in all forms is pretty much my life but earlier this year I also started mountain biking and roller skating, which are both great fun and very different!    Outside of work and play, I’ve been a member of Oban Mountain Rescue Team since 2013. I’m a callout manager and the Training Officer on the team, and love being able to give something back to the mountaineering community.    I’m the founder of Our Shared Outdoors, an organisation set up to tackle and change the lack of diversity in the outdoors and promote underrepresented groups. I’m really passionate about making outdoor communities as accessible as possible to everyone, because it should be!   I’m also a panellist on