Tough Girl Podcast

“Road To 50 Miles” chronicles the journey of two women as they train for and run a 50-mile race, an ultramarathon.  Their journey leads them on a discovery to find their true heroes and inspires an entire community to help them get across the finish line.    Trailer here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uUMZYK0Y_vU   Kara Wilson in her own words:   As a child I was always one of the fastest in the class. I was tall and skinny and though awkward I was light and could fly confidently quicker than most on the field or the track. Running wasn’t a chore back then. If I would get a pair of fresh sneakers I would want to see how fast and far they could take me the minute I fastened them to my feet. It wasn’t until I hit puberty that I started to slow down a bit and running soon became a bore. I didn’t need to run to lose weight and I didn’t quite understand why anyone would want to run  longer than once around a track. As time passed by I just grew completely disinterested in it. It wasn’t until I moved to England a

Alison Walker is a U.K. based Malaysian ultra runner who started running ultras in 2019.    Alison holds several fastest Malaysian ultra times and has most recently the first person to complete the Smog Graham Round.    Over lockdown, she had also completed 4 other FKTs from 18 miles to 120km.   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 sponsorship and ad free thanks to the monthly financial support of patrons. To find out more about supporting your favourite podcast and becoming a patron please check out www.patreon.com/toughgirlpodcast.   Show notes Who is Alison Growing up in Malaysia and going to school in Singapore  Not being into sports or exercise when she was younger moving over to the UK to attend university Getting into running for the first time  How her running increased  2015 moving to East London Running with a group called - Run Fast  Starting with a runni

Gillian Larson and her equine partners have accomplished numerous long distance solo rides on remote wilderness trails in the U.S. Together they have traveled from Mexico to Canada three times: twice on the Pacific Crest Trail (2014 and 2016) and most recently on the Continental Divide Trail (2018).    Gillian has also completed the Arizona Trail and the Colorado Trail in 2017 and rode from the Grand Canyon across Utah to Wyoming in 2019.    Since embarking on her first thru-ride at age 22, Gillian’s main goal has been to learn how to mitigate the many challenges of wilderness riding through proper planning and preparation, and to share this information to help others safely explore backcountry trails on horseback.   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 sponsorship and ad free thanks to the monthly financial support of patrons. To find out more about supporting your

Megan is a runner, writer and adventurer from Manchester, UK.    Megan in her own words:   “I’m a relentless optimist who always tries to say yes to living life to the fullest. I was born hearing impaired, I am completely deaf in my left ear and partially hearing impaired in my right ear.   In 2018, during one of the hottest heatwaves Britain has ever had, I ran from John O’Groats to Land’s End completely unsupported, becoming the youngest woman to do so. I covered around 1000 miles in 40 days and I’m now writing a book about it.    I believe in being good and kind, I believe in saying yes and I believe in the power of positivity.”   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 sponsorship and ad free thanks to the monthly financial support of patrons. To find out more about supporting your favourite podcast and becoming a patron please check out www.patreon.com/toughgi

Charlotte Fowles - also known as The Executive Adventurer - helps corporate leaders who are frustrated, lost or bored to rediscover their purpose, passion and fun without sacrificing their current success. She is an author and public speaker.   Always one to practice what she preaches, she has spent a lot of her life pushing herself way outside her comfort zone in pursuits such as free-diving and scuba diving; marathon running; solo-hiking whilst on chemotherapy; and crossing the Australian outback for months in an ancient 4x4 truck. After enduring over a decade of significant personal trauma, she is an expert in resilience and creating triumph from tragedy and living life in spite of this, and she brings this epic resilience to her coaching. She is passionate about mental wellness and the outdoors and is fascinated by the combinations of these elements that can bring about incredible change.   It is this unapologetic energy and relentless pursuit of her clients' complete success that gets results. She knows 

Marinel de Jesus was a former human rights lawyer from Washington, DC.  In 2016, she founded her social enterprise, Peak Explorations, and media site, Brown Gal Trekker. Both entities aim to create equity and inclusion in the outdoor and travel spaces.    In 2019, she launched the nonprofit organization, The Porter Voice Collective, which utilizes media to advocate for the rights of porters in the trekking industries of Peru, Nepal and Tanzania.    Marinel is also a writer who focuses on stories that elevate the voices of women, people of colour and immigrants.    She has recently discovered filmmaking as a means of advocacy for social changes and completed her first film project, We Are Nomads, in Mongolia where she currently stays as a result of the pandemic.    Marinel is an avid trekker and a full-time global mountain nomad.     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

As a 4x Winter Olympian, a career high ranking of 8th in the World, 7x British National Overall Champion and the only British female skier to ever win a run in a World Cup, Chemmy Alcott is widely regarded as one of Britain’s greatest ever skiers.   In a time where competing at a Winter Olympics was unusual for a British athlete, Chemmy defied the odds and pioneered a skiing movement that has inspired a generation. Resulting in not just skiers, but British Winter Sport athletes as a whole seeing the Winter Olympics as a realistic and achievable goal.   Since retiring from competing on the world stage after The Sochi Olympics in 2014, Chemmy has immersed herself in the world of TV & media, where she now presents for the BBC on Ski Sunday and commentates on the World Cup Ski Series for Eurosport amongst being a guest on many other show.   Chemmy continues to constantly push her body to the limit, competing in multiple physical challenges including the World’s Toughest Ski Race in Greenland, the 100-mile roa

Namira Salim, a Space Diplomat, Future Astronaut, Pioneering Polar Explorer and Artist, is a prominent Pakistani based in the Principality of Monaco since 1997. She is well renowned as the First South Asian and First person from Monaco to go to space aboard Sir Richard Branson’s Virgin Galactic –the first private space-line of the world.   In March 2006, Sir Richard Branson, Chairman Virgin Group, personally introduced Namira to the world press as one of the earliest Founders and Future Astronauts of Virgin Galactic. As an example of early consumer confidence, Namira’s membership landed Virgin its biggest investor from Abu Dhabi, worth US$380 million. In August 2006, the Government of Pakistan, officially launched Namira to the nation as the “First Pakistani Astronaut” making her an instant source of inspiration for women and youth. In October 2007, she successfully qualified to go to space after completing her spaceflight training at the worlds largest centrifuge in the United States.   Namira became the fir

Jean Muenchrath's passion for hiking, skiing and exploring wild places began as a child in the Rocky Mountains of Colorado. In 1982 she skied 223 miles along California’s John Muir Trail using skinny Nordic skis without metal edges. Her strength, courage and determination helped her survive a near fatal mountaineering accident on Mount Whitney, the highest peak in the continental United States, and a five-day epic to self-evacuate.   Her love for nature and travel has take her to South America and Asia. Jean has worked as a trekking guide in Nepal and Thailand and as a consultant in Bhutan with the World Wildlife Fund. She was a park ranger with the U.S. National Park Service for over thirty years.    Today she gives inspirational talks about pursuing one's dreams, outdoor adventures and what she’s learned from her tragedy. Through sharing her story, she hopes to give others the strength and courage to transform their own life’s challenges and the moxie to follow their dreams.   Her book, If I Live Until Morn

Tazneem is a UKA Run Leader, and works with ASICS Frontrunner. Her aim to inspire more women from the Black and Minority Ethnic communities to run. Tazneem works as full time Pharmacist and is mum to 3 boys.   Tazneem in her own words   “My name is Tazneem, but most people call me Taz. I live in Buckinghamshire and I'm a pharmacist working in the pharmaceutical industry. I started running in 2017 as a complete beginner and ran my 1st half marathon within 6 months of starting.    I'm a runner who wears hijab and that in itself does mean I dress a bit differently when running, but my hijab has never been a barrier for me at all.    I'm not a super fast runner, but I train hard to achieve the running goals I set myself”   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 sponsorship and ad free thanks to the monthly financial support of patrons. To find out more about supporting you

Katie Visco, who has been called a "bubbly and offbeat running, biking, soup-making, people-loving, community-building exclamation mark," started running when she was in middle school, duped into the sport thinking it was some kind of soccer conditioning camp. Oops. She quickly fell in love with running, and then...   In 2009, promoting the importance of a bold and passion-driven life, Katie ran solo across America, from Boston to San Diego, and became the 2nd youngest and 13th woman overall to make the crossing. During, and the year after her transAmerican crossing, she raised funds for the charity, Girls on the Run, and also stopped to visit more than two hundred audiences en route to spread her message to young and old alike. Running has been a versatile cornerstone of her wellbeing for years, and she especially loves the trails!   Besides trail running, biking, creating delicious food, and traveling, Katie loves her husband and family very much and enjoys getting to hear the stories of others. She's been

Amazin LêThi was born in Saigon where she was left in an orphanage by her mother. Amazin was then adopted by a white Australian family and became a trans racial adoptee and grew up in Australia. As a young adult, she was homeless for a period of time and it was at this lowest point, contemplating suicide, Amazin realized her passion and love for sport could help her survive.    Amazin got into weightlifting as a young age and through this, she gaining physical and mental strength, which in turn helped her with her confidence. Amazin shares more from her personal journey of homelessness and having to fight against all the odds to overcome enormous barriers to become a leading global rainbow (LGBTQ) sports activist and thought leader.    Amazin is a former competitive natural bodybuilder, TV/Film star, entertainment executive and the first Vietnamese internationally published health and fitness author. Currently focusing on the sport of shooting with her goal of reaching the Olympics in this sport.    Amazin is

Amy is a professional athlete, career-woman, mother and the founder of the One Step Ahead Foundation.    After losing her left leg below the knee due to a motorcycle accident that occurred in 1994, Amy compiled a tremendous portfolio of world records and firsts for a female amputee in marathons, ultramarathons, triathlons, and ultra-triathlons. As she attained more and more achievements, she found herself in the position of being a role model, especially for young people with physical disabilities of their own. She soon found herself working extensively with children, introducing them to sports and athletics as a way of helping them overcome their physical limitations. After several years, Amy founded the One Step Ahead Foundation in order to provide even more opportunities for children with physical disabilities.   In 2011, Amy became the first female amputee to finish the Badwater Ultramarathon, a 135-mile course starting at 282 feet below sea level in the Badwater Basin, in California's Death Valley, and e

Loretta was one of 9 children, and lived with her single mum and siblings. Loretta was born partially blind and intellectually challenged, she was unable to walk or talk until the age four. Through the support and commitment of her mum, Loretta eventually began to speak, walk and soon started to follow her big brother into running.    After being introduced to the Special Olympics her life started to change. She introduced President Bill Clinton at the 1995 Special Olympics World Summer Games has won multiple medals in dozens of its events, and also holds the current women's record in her age group for the 5000 meters at seventeen minutes.   Loretta has also crossed the finish line of twenty-six marathons, twice placing among the top one-hundred women in the Boston Marathon. Loretta holds a 4th-degree black belt in karate, communicates in four languages, including American Sign Language, and holds three honorary doctorate degrees from Quinnipiac University, Villanova University, and York College of Pennsylvan

Tracy was expelled from school at the age of 15 and with no exams or qualifications she left to travel the world. She began working on charter yachts in Greece at the age of 17 and learned how to sail.    Tracy took part in her first Whitbread Round the World Race as cook aboard ‘Atlantic Privateer’ in 1985/86 becoming the first woman to race around the world on a Maxi.   Upon completion she decided to enter the first all-female crew in the 1989/90 Whitbread and ‘Maiden’ crossed the start line on 2nd Sept 1989 and sailed into the history books. ‘Maiden’ went on to win two of the legs and came second in class overall. The best result for a British boat since 1977 and the best result for an all-female crew ever.    Tracy was awarded the MBE and became the first woman in its 34 year history to be awarded the Yachtsman of the Year Trophy.   Tracy founded The Maiden Factor in the process of rescuing her beloved yacht Maiden. In 2016 she decided she wanted to do more than just restore Maiden, she also wanted to mak

Susan took up cycling as a hobby about 10 years ago and since then has gone on to spend over 2 and a half years on a cycle tour around the world.    Susan visited 15 countries on four different continents. Meeting amazing people along the way and having fantastic experiences, which she has shared on her blog.    Since then, Susan has gone on to become a Breeze Champion and she set up Leicester Women’s Velo with a few other Breeze Champions in Leicester.    Susan is also one of Cycling UK’s “100 Women in Cycling 2019”. Susan hopes to inspire you to go on your own adventure!   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 sponsorship and ad free thanks to the monthly financial support of patrons. To find out more about supporting your favourite podcast and becoming a patron please check out www.patreon.com/toughgirlpodcast.    Show notes Getting back into cycling 10 years ago

Kerri Andrews is Senior Lecturer in English Literature at Edge Hill University. She writes about literary history, particularly untold or forgotten histories, and has published widely on women’s writing. Her book, Wanderers: A History of Women Walking, published by Reaktion in September 2020.    Tracing the footsteps of ten women walker-writers from eighteenth-century parson’s daughter Elizabeth Carter – who desired nothing more than to be taken for a vagabond in the wilds of southern England – to modern walker-writers such as Nan Shepherd and Cheryl Strayed, Wanderers offers a beguiling, alternative view of the history of walking.   Kerri is also one of the leaders of Women In The Hills, an Arts and Humanities Research Council-funded project aimed at exploring the factors enabling and inhibiting women's access to upland landscapes. The project brings together people from all areas of walking, mountaineering, land access and management, to drive change in women's access and experiences.   Kerri is the General

“I want to change the world, one race at a time” - Khadijah Diggs   Khadijah is Mother, Project Manager and a Team USA and Silver IronMan All-World Triathlete. Her mission is to Promote a Positive Image of Muslim Women and Islam in General through Sport.   Khadijah is currently ranked in the top 5% of her age group by Ironman Triathlon and is the first African American woman to represent Team USA in Long Course Triathlon and the first Muslim women to represent Team USA in any multi-sport event. The single mother of twins competed in her first triathlon in 2012 at age 43, and now aspires to win a national championship in the Master’s division.   Khadijah in her own words:   "Training and racing started off as my therapy to recover from a failing marriage and the loss of loved ones to cancer. It has remained that but has also become how I express myself and share who I am as Muslim, a Mother and a Woman."    Her GOAL is to open dialogue and connect women of all backgrounds on a personal level by sharing common

When Claire hit 30, far from settling down and considering herself approaching middle age, she discovered a new lease of life and re-engaged with her love of the great outdoors and travel. Claire loves a challenge and likes to set herself something new each year.   This has led to a passion for water based and, in true British style, sitting down sports. She started rowing in 2012 and very quickly caught the bug, racing regionally and nationally. She also loves sea kayaking and the freedom and self-sufficiency of being able to kayak and wild camp.     From there Claire has gone on to do the Rickshaw Run in India, as well as being part of a mixed crew to row across the Atlantic Ocean, earning her a World Record!   Claire has experience under expedition conditions around the world, and is now keen to see just how far she can push her body and mind.    Claire also shares more about her next challenge to row the Northwest Passage, the Arctic route that links the Atlantic and the Pacific. This will be a true

At 79 years young, Dr. Betty Holston Smith has the fitness level of your average 30-year old and looks at least 20 years younger than she is!    Dr. Betty was previously a 200-pound couch potato who loved junk food and smoking. Dr. Betty shares more about how she transformed her life 50 years ago. This really is a master class told by a phenomenal story teller, who goes into the details.   During this podcast episode Dr. Betty shares more about her early life, how she got into running, how she changed her diet, how she trains, and how she copes on 4hrs of sleep a night. At 79 years young Dr. Betty is still running 60 to 100 miles per week!    If you want to learn the secrets of running, health and fitness, this is an episode not to be missed.   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 sponsorship and ad free thanks to the monthly financial support of patrons. To find out