Tough Girl Podcast

We first spoke with Kiko on the 1st May 2018, where she shared more about her solo and unsupported row, 3000 miles across the Atlantic Ocean. Kiko tells more about her life, the challenges she faced and overcame, from being diagnosed with Cushing's Disease and having brain surgery only months before the Atlantic row. Kiko achieved the impossible, she broke the women's record by 5 days and crossed the ocean in 49 days, 10 hours and 13 seconds. Kiko had never rowed before deciding on this challenge! In this Tough Girl Extra podcast episode, we catch up with Kiko to find out what’s she’s been up to, how she decided on her next challenge - Kik Plastic, how she funds her life, what motivates her and what the future looks like.  Kiko does not hold back and shares all the details, she’s authentic and as real as they come! Enjoy this episode!  Show notes Kiko shares more about her backstory Deciding what to do next after her Atlantic row Doing a beach clean in Portugal  Cycling around the world and doing beach clean

Women Overlanding the World began as a Facebook group where traveling women could congregate for information and community related to all things overlanding. After the first year, they had grown to an active group of over 1,600 members around the world.  They started to realised that they had created something amazing and that something exciting was happening in the space.   “Women were no longer listening to messages that say “you can’t” or “you won’t.”  They are refusing to stay quiet in the predominantly male worlds of overlanding, off-roading and exploration.  Women are out on the road.  They are going where they want to go.  They have expertise and knowledge.  They are defining their own lives and redefining their own limits.”    Women overlanding hopes that the group, the website, the book, the meet ups and overland retreats will serve as a source of inspiration, and be a catalyst for you to have courage as you start your overlanding journey.  During the podcast we speak with the 4 founders: Sunny Eaton

We first spoke with Fiona back in February 2018, where Fiona shared more about walking Great Britain; 993 miles, solo and unsupported over 57 days in 2017. This was followed in September by cycling almost 1200 miles, solo and unsupported, from Lands End to John O’Groats. Fiona has come back on the Tough Girl Podcast EXTRA episode to share more about her most recent challenge, which involved setting 3 world records in 2018 for stand up paddle boarding the length of Great Britain!  Fiona shares more about the challenge, from the logistics of getting a support crew together, funding the challenge as overcoming her deep seated fear of the sea. Fiona goes no to share more about her ambition for cycling around the coast of the Mediterranean, and what she has learned so far by cycling from Gibraltar to France.   When she's not outside adventuring, Fiona runs the Adventure Book Club to inspire and support people to take on their own adventures. Fiona also coaches entrepreneurs to utilise the power of action to bring

In 2012, Kate was diagnosed with an autoimmune disease and for the most part, doctors weren’t particularly optimistic about how she could improve her quality of life. Kate was living in the no-man’s land of having received a diagnosis, but nothing was relieving her symptoms.  It took her a few years to find out what the combination of things would be that that would get her system working again. In 2015, Kate began training for her first triathlon, following her fist success a few months, later she had set her sights on doing an half-Ironman! Training for Kate was really intense, and she often found it frustrating, because she felt sick and fatigued more often than other athletes, it was also taking her longer to recovery. Nonetheless, she persisted, and for Kate her goal of finishing a half-Ironman was her way of saying to the world that she was in charge of her body.  Kate made the decision that it was all about her mindset and deciding to make the conscious choices to practice courage even after setbacks.

Katie-Jane is a British adventure girl living in the French Alps. She’s addicted to type 2 fun, powered by sugar and sunshine, and a lover of marzipan! Katie is mostly known for her organisation and planning skills (a queen of lists and highlighters), and her unwavering belief that anything is possible, whilst bringing a touch of pink and girly glamour to adventure. Katie in her own words… “My friends often refer to me as slightly crazy! But don’t be fooled… I’m not very brave, nor an adrenaline junkie or a daredevil, I’m just a normal girl, that through adventure is perpetually learning that ordinary people can do extraordinary things if they just can be bold enough to begin. When I am not busy at my desk designing websites for clients, or organising expeditions, you might find me looking out of my tent on a mountain summit, snuggled deep in my sleeping bag, drinking a cuppa, watching the sun creep up over the mountains at dawn. I have a passion for exploring this wonderful world in which we live. Having vis

Mara had a massive year of big challenges in 2018, from training for her first triathlon and Ironman UK. She then  ticked off completing a multi-stage ultra marathon off her bucket list by taking part in the Wadi Rum Ultra marathon in 2018.  The race was held in the desert in Jordan, and involved running just over 250km in five days!  During the podcast Mara shares more about her triathlon training, how she bought all the gear she needed with a budget of £1000! Mara then goes into more detail about her biggest challenge to date - The Speed Project which she did in March 2019, involving a 340 mile (550K) relay race from the Santa Monica Pier in Los Angeles all the way out to Las Vegas. There are no rules and the only aim is to run from LA to Vegas as fast as possible! This is a jam packed episode filled with motivation and top tips! Show notes Her aim is to encourage women and women of colour to step outside their comfort zone The speed project What life was like growing up Being sporty and giving everything

Since 2010, Zoe has been working on inspiring others to get out and get their soles active to get their souls revived - particularly through this year’s challenge of #100MappyDays.    HeadRightOut is the brand new face of WathWalk and it’s here to encourage YOU to head out and try something new...                                                                                                                                 *Do you need to give yourself more outside time?                                                                                                                                                                            *Do you need to step out of your comfort zone a little more?                                                                                                                                      *Are there things that you deliberately avoid doing in your daily life in case you get it wrong?                                                                                      

Wendy is setting out on a journey to the South Pole, her aim is to break the women’s speed record. This involves covering a total distance of 700 miles, approx. 17 miles each day, pulling kit and equipment in a pulk behind her, through the ice and snow, while avoiding crevasses and dealing with the challenging katabatic winds. Antarctica is twice the size of Australia, and is officially a desert, it is the only continent with no permanent human inhabitants. Wendy will be solo, unsupported and unassisted.  During this podcast, we learn more about Wendy her background, growing up, being a mum to 4 children and working a full time job. She shares more about where the idea came from, what’s going to be involved as well as sharing more of the detail behind the planning and preparation and what she has sacrificed in order to turn this dream into a reality.  We will be speaking to Wendy again in 2020 after her challenge, make sure to subscribe so you don’t miss out!  Show notes 41, doing a big polar expedition in N

Natalie Moore - quitting her job and heading to Madagascar for 6 weeks on a marine conservation program! The ending of a bad relationship was the catalyst for Natalie taking back control of her life. Her first step was to sell the joint house, quit her job, and go to Madagascar for six weeks, where she volunteered in a marine conservation program. Since then, she's been pushing herself and her boundaries further and further, and completed her first ultra and multi day race in June. She's not fast, but she's determined.  Words from Natalie,  “I've been a long time listener of the podcast, and started supporting it almost after the first episode I listened to. It was so inspiring to me to hear about women doing amazing things, and I love knowing that we're all out there, doing them, even if it doesn't make the news, or the magazines.  My happiness and my confidence have increased so much, and whenever I feel a bit of a wobble, I remember that if all these other amazing women can push themselves and achieve amaz

Monika made history in 2019 when she became the first woman to ride the entire 3,058km route of the Vuelta a España. Which is know as one of cycling’s toughest grand tours. Monika started riding every morning at 6 am hours before the men started, she rode the full 21 stages which included a staggering 49,337m of climbing! This was all done in the blistering Spanish heat.  Her mission was to prove her own RAD (Real, Adventurous, Daring) Method and to inspire other women to live a more adventurous life!  During this podcast Monika shares more about her journey, studying over in America, not knowing if she was making the right decisions, trying to become a professional cyclist and realising it wasn’t for her. Monika is super passionate and positive about living an adventurous life! She goes after her goals with unbelievable focus - whether it is writing a book in 5 weeks or moving on a whim to a country she doesn’t speak the language of with just her bike and one nights accommodation booked.  Show notes Who is

Dani French - 42 challenges before turning 42 & Hannah Dayan - getting back into cycling and doing Cyclo-cross! Dani French - Taking on 42 challenges before turning 42! Dani French writes: Hi, I love TG podcast, I was introduced last April and have embraced it thoroughly. I have almost listened to all of the back catalogue and am only a few shy. I started a 42 challenges before turning 42 last may shortly after beginning my TG journey and signed up to Patreon almost immediately after, I'm 19 challenges through and about to embark on a big 100 mile row next month. I had hip surgery between having my sons and various other complications, and at that time thought that my life as I knew it was ending, turns out so much has changed for the better that I'm fitter at 40 than 20! I have enriched my life so much since last April, thanks to you and your many amazing Tough Girls. Website -  www.peerpossible.com Show notes Who is Dani Being adventurous as a child Being inspired by her parents  How she heard about t

Joyce was born in 1984, during the Lebanese Civil War in Beirut. While growing up, Joyce didn’t get to spend time outdoors in nature or in the mountains, her childhood was traumatic, living in a war zone and having to flee her family home to escape the bombings.  Her love of sports and the outdoors came later on when she was a teenager. A friend invited her to go hiking and that experience of going outside and climbing mountains changed her. Through the challenges of the mountains,  she has found her strength, they have made her stronger, they have become her mentors.  She has gone on to climb mountains all over the world and has become the first Lebanese women to climb the 7 highest summits on the 7 continents. During this podcast, Joyce, will share more of her journey, the passion, the challenges, the set backs she has had to overcome and what she has learned on the journey. She also shares more about her motivations and why she continues to dream big. “Mountains are my mentors, they have changed me, and th

Ellie Blake - Her journey to Ironman Wales!  Ellie started listening to the Tough Girl Podcast back when it started in 2015 at what was a particularly low point in her life. She was feeling lost having just failed to get into medical school for the 3rd time, she became a shell of herself and spiralled into depression.  Ellie was inspired by listening to the Sophie Radcliffe episode on her way to work one morning and just kept thinking wow!  Since then she has listened religiously on commutes, during training and planned new adventures  “I truly believe this podcast gave me the confidence to make changes in my life and to have a little faith that it’s ok not to have everything figured out.” Ellie has gone on to complete, her first, Sprint triathlon, half marathon, Marathon, 2 ultra-marathons and is currently training for Ironman Wales! Show notes 27 from Wiltshire  Studying for her Masters in Aberdeen Being half way through a career change Training for Ironman Wales Having a passion for cycling Starting to li

Dr. Tamie J. Jovanelly is an Associate Professor of Geology at Berry College. Classically trained as a hydrologist, she has completed water quality assessments on five continents to make comparisons between developed, undeveloped, and developing countries and their relationships to local watersheds.  Tamie grew up in Detroit in a working class family that had little ambition to go anywhere. Her brother ignited her spirit of adventure at the age of 10 by taking her for rides on the back of his motorcycle. By getting to explore the local area this encouraged and inspired Tamie to dream of travelling further afield. She accomplished this by pursing a career in academics, with a focus on Geology. Tamie has gone on to lead and run research expeditions all over the world. Tamie’s first venture to Iceland was in 2006 when Iceland was still off the radar of most tourists. With the keys to a Toyota Yaris and a series of paper road maps, she and her older brother circled the island in 11 days. Over the course of the ne

Shamila grew up in Afghanistan under Taliban rule where she was deprived of an education and confined to her home. While Shamila and her family knew there were severe consequences for families who taught their daughters how to read and write, their dedication and belief in the importance of education overcame their fears, and Shamila studied in secret. Shortly after the Taliban were removed from power, Shamila began to play football (soccer), a sport that in the country is male-dominated and socially taboo for women. Shamila, found her passion and playing football gave her the freedom and courage to come out of her comfort zone and to fight for what she believed in.  Shamila found her voice and began to fight for women’s rights. With the help of the Afghan Football Federation, she worked to establish the first Afghan Women’s National Football Team in 2007. Shamila was proudly named Captain of the Women’s National Football Team and has said, “Soccer provided me with the opportunity for an education and connect

Mel lives a life of adventure and is inspiring others to believe that anything is possible. Mel was a fit and healthy young woman, who loved to get outside, go running and ride bikes, while caring for her horses. After a series of life changing strokes Mel’s life was turned upside down, she was unable to walk and after her third stroke in 2008, struggled to use much of the left side of her body. Fast forward four years after watching the Beijing Paralympics from her hospital bed, Mel was racing in front of 80,000 people at the London 2012 Paralympics. At this point, Mel had only been involved in the sport for 15 months. Mel went on to represent Team GB for the next 4 years, where she achieving track world records, European and World major medal success. At the end of 2016 Mel made the move from track racing, to endurance and road racing. She has found her new passion, hand cycling. Mel has gone on to break the 2 hour time barrier in the London Marathon, and has recently smashed both the men and women’s  LEJOG

Paula has had a passion for running every since she was young, she was inspired by her father to take up running and joined her first running club when she was 9 years old and she hasn’t stopped, apart from when dealing with injury.  Paula is a British long-distance runner, who has dominated at the marathon distance - 26.2 miles. She has won the London Marathon and New York Marathon three- times, as well as winning the 2002 Chicago Marathon. In 2003, Paula ran the fastest female marathon of all time at the London Marathon. A record breaking time of 2 hrs, 15 mins and 25 seconds. This record still stands today.  I got to meet Paula at RunFestRun where I heard her talk about her career the ups and the downs and what she’s learnt along the way. I know her story will inspire others, I’m so pleased Paula has come on the Tough Girl Podcast on the 4th year anniversary to share more about her career, why she loves running, her training tactics, mental strategy as well as sharing more about her life now after becoming

I set up Tough Girl Challenges in 2014 as a way of motivating and inspiring women and girls. I host the Tough Girl Podcast where I interview inspirational female explorers, adventurers, athletes and everyday women who have overcome great challenges. The podcast is listened to in 174 countries around the world and has passed 850,000 downloads. The podcast is in the top 15% of podcasts globally and has a unique focus on women who do adventures and undertake big physical challenges.   I completed the Marathon des Sables in April 2016 (6 marathons in 6 days across the Sahara Desert), in 2017 I thru hiked the Appalachian Trail solo and unsupported (2,190 miles) in 100 days (which I also daily vlogged)! In 2018 I cycled over 4,000 km from Vancouver, Canada via the Pacific Coast Highway to Cabo San Lucas in Mexico.  I have a Masters in Women & Gender Studies (2018), with my dissertation focusing on women, adventure and fear. I am also a qualified Yoga Instructor & Personal Trainer (2019). I am now based back

Currently there is no Tour De France for women so a women’s team called the ‘InternationElles’ decided to cycle the whole course but start a day before the men’s race in order to raise awareness about this inequality. The InternationElles team are riding each day alongside female team Donnons Des Elles Au Vélo J-1 - the French group of riders who launched the riding challenge five years ago and have continued every year since. This year, the teams are hoping their new collective power will send a clear message to the sporting world - to give women’s cycling the equal opportunities it deserves. Pippa was part of this international team of women who set out to show the world why women should be a part of races like this. In this podcast we catch up with Pippa who shares more about joining the team, the planning and preparation before and during the race - the 2019 Tour route will be the most mountainous in the event’s 106-year history. And unlike the men, the female teams will have to cycle alongside cars and o

Christine is half Spanish, born and raised in NYC, she was an only child and traveled from a young age. She has been surrounded by great mentors such as her grandmother, mother and family friends. She has been raised in a multicultural environment by strong women who have empowered her to go after her dreams.    Christine is the co-founder and President of Mad Dog Expeditions an internationally recognised technical scuba diving and exploration company based in NYC. For more than 20 years Christine has been diving and exploring in remote regions of the world. Christine is the first woman to dive and explore beneath the Arctic Sea ice and ice caves of the Canadian High Arctic. Christine is also the first woman to dive the dangerous piranha saturated waters of the Amazon's Rio Negro and its tributaries.  During this podcast, Christine shares more about her background, growing up in NYC and her struggle to get certified to scuba dive (for fun and business) while battling asthma, severe inner ear issues and sea si