Tough Girl Podcast

Emily is a writer, adventurer, climber, and comfort zone smasher. Put on her first international flight at 3 weeks old, she's been addicted to adventure ever since. From wandering the forests of Sweden alone at age nine, to solo trekking in the Himalayas of India, to joining the circus as a professional aerialist, Emily is a big fan of the "just get out there and do it" mentality. She loves inspiring others to go outside, travel, and get curious about everything. As John Muir so aptly put it, "going out is really going in.” Emily works as a freelance journalist based out of Los Angeles and has written for Outside Magazine, Backpacker Magazine, Mountain Life Magazine, Outdoor Project, Modern Hiker, Territory Supply, The Outbound, Women Who Explore, and many others. Some of her notable outdoor accomplishments include: hiking the Annapurna Circuit in Nepal, backpacking the High Sierra Trail in California and finishing atop Mt. Whitney, trekking the Laugavegur Trail in Iceland, summiting Illiniza Norte in Ecuador

Sarah Outen is an adventurer by land and sea, bestselling author and motivational speaker. Keen to encourage people outside and enable young people to access adventure, she is a proud ambassador and patron of a number of charities.  Candid about her own mental health struggles and journey, Sarah is keen to encourage others to seek help and share their vulnerabilities.  In November 2015 Sarah completed her London2London:Via the World expedition, a mammoth attempt to row, cycle and kayak 25, 000 miles around the Northern Hemisphere. The journey took 4.5 years and was all the richer for not turning out exactly as planned. 'Home', the feature film of that journey releases across the UK in October 2019.   *Please be aware that during this podcast we discuss, grief, trauma, and going to dark places.  Before you listen to this episode please just make sure that you are in a good space. Show notes Who is Sarah Starting on big expeditions after university Rowing across the Indian Ocean  Loving the outdoors  What we c

Rachel, a 49 year old full time gypsy adventurer, a citizen of the world, meditator, cyclist, trekker, chef, scuba diver, yogi, mother, blogger and vlogger. Her passion is the journey to self discovery through meditation and adventure. Three years ago she gave away nearly all of her belongings (except a bicycle and two small boxes) to live a nomadic lifestyle. Rachel has just finished the first part of a world bicycle tour that originated in Bangkok, going through Myanmar, southern Thailand, and onto Malaysia and Indonesia. Currently Rachel is cycling through Indonesia. Three times a year Rachel goes travelling with her 12 year old son—Wexler, they have been on a reforestation project in Haiti, cycling in Denmark, learnt Spanish in Guatemala and gone scuba diving in the British Virgin Islands. In June 2019 Wexler and Rachel hiked the entire Oregon Coast Trail, 400 miles. Rachel is now a full time adventurer with no address or home. Through blogs, vlogs, and public speaking, Rachel hope to motivate, inspire, a

Paula in her own words… Combining business, adventure and positive psychology expertise - and being the world’s first Adventure Psychologist - I’ve created a tried-and-tested model to develop the wisdom, resilience and growth you need to thrive in these uncertain times. I am a trainer, facilitator and coach as well as a speaker, author and adventurer. Perhaps best described as a “Performance Catalyst”, my best self at work is when I am empowering and inspiring others – from primary school children to blue-chip leadership teams. In the non-organisational world, I have been described as “a female Bear Grylls only smoother”.  I have done 116 things on my ‘Living Life to the Full’ list and counting, including sailing around the world and skiing to the South Pole. I have written four books and speak internationally at conferences, schools and for charities. With 20+ years’ experience as a leader, consultant and coach, I believe in humanising business; making work enjoyable, energising and engaging for all involved

Véronique is a French-Canadian ultra-runner living in Singapore. Since her debut in ultra-running races, Véronique love to keep on pushing herself to go farther and beyond what she thinks is possible. In the summer 2015, she ran 3,010km in 72 days, self-supported across Japan. This is the equivalent of 1 full marathon a day for 72 days! Véronique has raced in Japan (Sakura Michi, 250km), UAE (Salomon Wadi Bih Run, 72 Km ) and in Germany (100 Meilen Berlin). In November 2017, Véronique came first overall at the 'Melaka Ultra 100' mile race in Malaysia in a time of 21h 24 mins! Her next big goal is to run the Africa continent from North to South. Approximately 14,000km in 1 year 3 months. Véronique is registered for the "Guinness World Record” and by completing this goal, this will make her the first female to accomplish it! Show notes Growing up in Canada Coming from a single parent family and being bullied when she was younger Doing marital arts from 12 years old Having a bad experience at 14 years old Think

Anna Blackwell is an adventurer, writer, photographer and speaker with a love of the outdoors and pushing her limits. This has led her to pursue numerous adventures, from kayaking across Europe, spending five weeks trekking across the wilderness of Arctic Sweden alone, to walking 1,000 miles solo across France and Spain, and even hitch-hiking to Morocco. In Anna’s words This July I set off on a 1,000km solo trek across Arctic and Northern Scandinavia. I started at the Treriksröset (the cairn signifying where Sweden, Norway and Finland meet) and made my way south, following the length of the mountains on the Swedish-Norwegian border.  The expedition was self-supported, solo, and crossed some of Europe's greatest wilderness areas. I carried everything I needed (weighing in at around 25kg) and wild camped most nights. Travelling through such remote areas, I was often going up to four or five days without seeing any other people. Throughout this expedition I aimed to minimise my environmental footprint to the gre

Scottish ultra-endurance adventurer Jenny Graham has smashed her way into the Guinness world records by becoming the fastest woman to cycle around the planet. Last summer her ride took her 18,000 miles, over 4 continents, through 16 countries, completing the trip solo and unsupported in just 124days. To prepare for that challenge Jenny raced some bike packing routes including the Arizona Trail 750, Highland Trail 550, the Cairngorm Loop and the Yorkshire dales 300 and completed a winter LEJOG in four days! Show notes Jenny introduces herself Growing up in the Highlands of Scotland Being adventurous from a young age  Getting into cycling and mountain biking Lack of female role models growing up Loving the challenge of mountain biking Cycling to Bothies in Scotland and staying overnight Doing an outdoor course and getting to go skiing Getting work experience  Funding her life with a young child How her cycling developed The Highland Trail 550 and quitting the race 8 days in!!!  Wanting to go back and finish th

In Lindsey’s words…   I’ve just finished cycling around Britain, connecting with wild swimmers.   Since mermaiding the Thames I have absolutely fallen in love with wild swimming. It makes me feel magically alive and I’ve never known such a welcoming, heart warming community quite like it. I received messages from all over the UK inviting me to swim with them. So, of course I made a plan.   In February, I cycled from Devon to the inaugural Scottish Winter Swimming Championship in Taymouth Marina and connected with wild swimmers en route. It was only meant to be for two weeks, but I was so high on adrenalin for that fortnight that I decided to carry on. And six months later, I finally hung up my dipping cossie and parked my bike   “Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn’t do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbour. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.” — MARK TWAIN Show notes Catching up with Lindsey B

Sian Lewis is an award-winning travel and outdoors journalist and blogger who writes for titles including The Independent, Evening Standard, BBC Countryfile and Coast. She is also the editor of Active Traveller and Snow magazines. Her work as an adventurous writer has taken her around the world in the name of a good story and she also edits award-winning blog The Girl Outdoors, www.thegirloutdoors.co.uk, which encourages women to get outside and get adventuring. Her first book, The Girl Outdoors, was published by Bloomsbury in 2018.     Show notes Who is Sian What life was like growing up Being encouraged to follow her passions from a young age Studying Italian at University  Doing a Masters in Journalism Starting up her blog - The Girl Outdoors Being a Pioneer in the women’s adventure space How her blog was also her CV Getting her 2nd job in journalism Editing for Active Traveller Magazine Turning the blog into a full time blog or not? Balance  The type of content Sian likes to write Adventures that fit int

Jo in her own words… My job title is now an Outdoor Instructor and Expedition Leader and since going self-employed I have led 30 expeditions on Kilimanjaro along with numerous other expeditions on foot, 2 wheels and horseback, most at high altitude, all around the world with both charity and private clients.   In the UK I teach and assess the expedition element of the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award from Bronze through to Gold as well as leading many a challenge on bike and foot in the UK and Europe. I also help to deliver corporate team building events and expedition training weekends as well as public speaking about my experiences before I discovered the outdoors, Everest, the earthquake and beyond to corporates, schools and groups. To be honest I never thought I would summit Snowdon even once so becoming the 3rd British woman to reach the true summit of Manaslu, the world’s 8th highest mountain standing at 8163m in September 2013 and then being the 36th British woman to reach the summit of Everest in May 2016 ha

In October 2018 Laura Marshall became the FIRST solo Australian woman to complete one of the world’s toughest ultra endurance triathlons - the Enduroman Arch to Arc!  In doing so she also broke the world record for fastest woman, non wetsuit, in a time of 81 hours and 28 minutes. This made her the 35th solo person to ever do the event and the 9th woman. She was also the 4th ever person to do the swim leg of the event without a wetsuit. ​This gruelling event involves a 140km run from Marble Arch in London to the coast of Dover, a 33km+ swim across the English Channel and a 292km cycle from Calais, France to the Arc de Triomphe in Paris.  If completing all 3 legs of the event under your own steam wasn’t enough, Laura has also elected to take the traditional approach to swimming across the English Channel in just a swimsuit and swim cap, something that within the realms of this particular event is relatively rare, as most competitors choose to swim in a full length wetsuit for added warmth and buoyancy.  As part

More about Kat in her own words… While studying at university, I took an internship in Tokyo and climbed Mt. Fuji for the first time. ‘A wise man climbs Mt. Fuji, a fool climbs it twice’ is a popular Japanese saying… so I climbed it 7 times. From Tokyo to Toronto to London where I’m now based, I’m searching for many of life’s answers, and hoping to find them somewhere along a trail. Since quitting an office job in 2013, I’ve walked over 12,000km, this has included the Pacific Crest Trail in America (2,700 miles), multiple Camino’s throughout France, Spain and Portugal, as well as walking the Kumano Kodo trail, and completing the Shikoku 88 Temple Pilgrimage in Japan. Earlier this year in May I cycled 4,529km, the total  length of Japan! Show notes Where is all began How walking the camino in 2013 helped change her life Developing a love for walking and long distance hiking The beginning of 2017 - after coming back from the PCT Starting writing a guide book on the Camino Portuguese  Having an ankle reconstruc

Rosie Swale Pope - (MBE) is a legendary global adventurer, author and motivational speaker. Throughout her life, Rosie has completed numerous marathons in some of the world’s most challenging terrains and has embarked upon many adventures including riding across Chile on horseback and sailing across the globe in a small boat. In 2003, aged 57, she began a five-year run-around-the-world, travelling 20,000 miles to raise awareness for the early diagnosis of cancer. Rosie is the only person in the world to have completed this solo challenge unsupported, carrying all her belongings in her cart behind her.  Now, at the age of 73, Rosie has taken on an exciting, new challenge: a run of 6,000 miles from Brighton, UK all the way to Kathmandu in Nepal in support of the charity PHASE Worldwide and their work in remote areas of the Himalayas. Show notes Where Rosie is in the world Rosie is running from Brighton to Kathmandu for Phase Worldwide Growing up and being looked after by her grandmother Why she decided to work

Dr. Stacy T. Sims, is a Senior Research Scientist at the University of Waikato. She is an applied researcher, innovator and entrepreneur in human performance, specifically sex differences in training, nutrition, and environmental conditions.  She served as an exercise physiologist and nutrition scientist at Stanford University from 2007 to 2012, where she specialized in sex differences of environmental and nutritional considerations for recovery and performance. Specializing in women's health and performance. She had the opportunity to translate earlier research into consumer products and a science-based layperson's book written to explain sex differences in training and nutrition across the lifespan. Both the consumer product companies and the book challenged the existing dogma for women in exercise, nutrition, and health outcomes. Her contributions to the international research environment and the sports nutrition industry has established a new niche in sports nutrition; and established her reputation as th

Pip has two world first endurance records, she is the winner of multiple international yacht races and has over twenty years of experience ocean racing! We first spoke with Pip in 2017, when she shared more about her early years, growing up, getting into sailing as well as her passion for the sport. She also shared more about doing the 3 Peaks Yacht Race as part of an all female team and winning the race in 2016.  We pick up with Pip where we left off. Pip shares more about going back to do the 3 Peaks Yacht Race in 2017, but this time as a pair, making the challenge even more extreme!  Pip explains more about the Vendee Ocean Race and why this has been a dream of her’s which has been 10 years in the making. Pip goes into detail about her preparation and training as well as answering quick fire questions at the end. I am so exited to be following Pip as she chases her dream of breaking the women’s record while sailing solo around the world in the ultimate 3 month solo ocean race -  The Vendee Ocean Race 2020.

Alice Morrison, is a Scottish Adventurer, currently based in Morocco. After a childhood spent running around the African Bush, she was sent to boarding school in Edinburgh where she learned Latin but no decorum. She studied Arabic and Turkish at University which has led to a long love affair with the Middle East.  Adventuring had been something she had always done part time until in her mid-forties destiny in the shape of the British Prime Minister, David Cameron, intervened. His cuts made her redundant and she gleefully burned her briefcase, and headed off for a life in the unknown. She has plunged through a number adventures including the Tour D’Afrique when she raced from Cairo to Cape Town on a bike; Atlas to Atlantic, a world first trek from the highest point of North Africa straight across the Atlas mountains to the sea; and the Marathon Des Sables, the toughest footrace on earth, six marathons across the Sahara desert in six days.  “If I can do it, anyone can,” she says, “You just have to set your sigh

A wife and mother whose life was going downhill when she was diagnosed with Ulcerative Colitis - an inflammatory bowel disease. With an encyclopaedic knowledge of every public toilet, bush or tree to dive behind, and after numerous extreme dietary regimes, Caroline elected to have her large intestine removed, and to live with a permanent ileostomy.  The decision she made then, and those she’s made since, have brought her face-to-face with some tough obstacles and hard decisions to make. No-one truly realises their own resilience until they are put in difficult situations. Motivated to learn to swim by her children, her enthusiasm for triathlon was lit after meeting Ironman world champion, Chrissie Wellington. Caroline has turned her life around from being a self-confessed ‘couch potato’ to a tough ‘can do’ individual who competes in– Ironman triathlons.  Show notes What her childhood was like Hating running and hating sports at school Deciding to get fit  Becoming ill with Ulcerative Colitis The challenges o

Jasmin Paris is a mother, long distance fell runner, small animal vet and research scientist, who was launched into the media spotlight in January this year when she won the 268-mile Montane Spine race outright, breaking the overall record by 12 hours, and beating her nearest rival by 15 hours.  Jasmin was born in Manchester in 1983, and brought up between the Peak District, UK, and Šumava, Czech Republic. She studied veterinary science at Liverpool University (2002-2008). Although very active outdoors throughout childhood, it was not until 2008, whilst working for a year as a small animal vet in Glossop that she started fell running.  In 2015, Jasmin finished first lady and second overall at the infamous Dragon’s Back race, and the same year she won the British Fellrunning Championship for the first time.  In 2016, she gained international recognition by winning the Skyrunning Extreme Series, and the same year she broke records for the three classic UK 24-hour hill challenges. In 2017, Jasmin gave birth to h

Sharon is a member of North York Moors AC and became a serious runner in 1994 when she completed her first 100km and 24 hour race, winning gold in the National Championships at both events, she is still the only person to take both titles in the same year.  Sharon has represented Great Britain for 18 years, on 27 occasions, winning several medals as well as further National Championship titles. Towards the end of her international career Sharon progressed to longer and more extreme races. In 2011 she was ranked World Number 1 for 6 days on the road with her British Record of 750km, a race she won outright as the first person.  In the same year Sharon broke the  Guinness World Record for the furthest distance run on a treadmill in 7 days. Her distance of 833km added over 100 miles (160km) to the existing female record and nearly 50 miles (80km) to the men’s record. It is rare that a female world record is better than the male world record in athletics! In October 2016, Sharon had run 186 ultras, 114 marathons

Josephine is a a French-born ex oilfield engineer turned sports and fitness industry professional. Josephine started getting into longer distance challenges while she was in her final year of university, when she took on the Marathon des Sables desert ultra-marathon in 2012. Since then she has cycled down the US West Coast from Seattle to Santa Barbara, ran and hiked, 3,000km across New Zealand, followed by cycling across Sardinia and Taiwan!  Josephine has a passion for ultra running, outdoor adventuring and travelling. She enjoys spending her free time hiking through the hills, running on dirt trails and swimming in the ocean – the closer she is to nature the happier she feels. She currently lives in Indonesia where she is starting a new business,  Outventure Hub which is a platform full of resources to help passion-driven outdoor sports entrepreneurs grow successful, long-lasting businesses. At the same time, she continues to explore the world through long human-powered journeys - which she shares on her b