Tough Girl Podcast

Tough Girl Challenges is all about motivating and inspiring women and girls. This is an episode not to be missed, especially if you’re interested in swimming or want to know more about open water swimming.    Lisa Williams is a down to earth normal woman in her thirties, who has gone on to do an extra-ordinary challenge. Lisa has just swam the English Channel, the 21 miles from England over to France!   During this podcast, Lisa explains how she first got into swimming as a young girl and why she decided to take it up again later on in life. She clearly explains everything, and gives awesome actionable tips on how to get involved in swimming through masters clubs, and how to make an individual sport, fun and sociable. It has certainly encouraged me to go for a swim, but definitely in a heated pool!    Let Lisa tell you more about the challenges involved in training for the English Channel swim, the hours of dedication over a two and half year training plan and having to put on over two stone in weight!

Tough Girl Challenges is all about motivating and inspiring women and girls. As well as interviewing athletes, explorers and adventures. I also think it’s important to interview the women behind the scenes, the women who support and help others to achieve their goals.   In this episode I interview Gale Bernhardt, she has a real passion for helping others and she found this passion when she was sixteen years old. As a renowned Olympic Coach with over twenty years experience she knows what she's talking about. She’s also heavily involved in cycling and multi-sport athlete development.   In this episode, Gale gives a fascinating insight into how the sport of triathlon has grown over the years since its birth in 1976. She has been there from the start. Gale was one of the first female coaches to realise how big triathlons were going to be in the future. Gale reminisces about her first event, and why she became hooked on the sport. She provides advice and tips for women who want to do their first sprint triat

Tough Girl Challenges is all about motivating and inspiring women and girls. In this episode I interview Liz Yelling.    Liz is a British long-distance runner, who excelled in the marathon distance (26.2 miles), and her personal best is a staggering time of 2 hr 28 mins 33 seconds! Liz has competed in two consecutive Olympics Games, Athens and Beijing, she’s also a Commonwealth medalist winning a Bronze medal in Melbourne in 2006.   During this podcast, Liz talks about how she first got into running, and how she progressed from running cross country at school, to joining an athletics club before becoming a professional and making the transition from 10K races, to marathons.    For anyone interesting in running and wanting to understand the mind set of how runners train for the big event. This is the podcast you need to listen to. Liz has a fascinating story to share, its full of highs and lows and during this interview she is very open as she discusses a variety of topics, from confidence, how she trai

Tough Girl Challenges is all about motivating and inspiring women and girls. In this episode I interview Ann Daniels a record breaking polar explorer. Described by the Times as “living proof that humans really can reach new peaks”.   In 2002, Ann became the first woman in history to ski to the North and South Poles as part of all women teams. She has sledge-hauled over 4000 miles, completing over 10 polar expeditions and surviving over 400 days on the ice.   During this podcast Ann talks about how she took her first steps to becoming a polar explorer. At thirty years old she’d never done anything like this before. She was going through a tough divorce and she had just given birth to triplets! Ann decided she needed to follow her dreams and she wasn’t going to let anything or anyone stop her.    She applied for a relay expedition to the North Pole in 1997. She was not one of the strongest candidates, with her limited knowledge and experience. But she made up for this with her work ethic and drive. She s

Tough Girl Challenges is all about motivating and inspiring women and girls. In this episode I interview Emma Timmis who is a phenomenal endurance athlete. Emma has done some extreme adventures where she’s pushed her body and mind to her limits.    Emma was the winner of the National Adventurer of the Year Award in 2015 where she was recognised for her achievement in physical endeavour by running across Africa!  This journey took 89 days, starting at the Atlantic Ocean at Henries Bay in Namibia with her running all the way across to the Indian Ocean at Pemba in Mozambique a total distance of 3,974km.   Emma has just made her way via bike from Manchester down to Dover, where she is catching the ferry over to France, she will then be cycling over to Italy to do a month of rock climbing before cycling home. We recorded this interview while she was waiting to board the ferry, so you’ll have to excuse the noises in the background!   In this podcast, Emma talks about how she got a love for adventure and fitn

Amy Hughes is a normal girl from Oswestry in Shropshire, who did an extraordinary challenge.    Amy ran 53 marathons in 53 days and raised over £53,000 becoming a world record holder at the same time.    During this podcast, Amy talks about her start into fitness and making the decision to take up running. Initially, she was so embarrassed, she would go for runs at six in the morning so no one else would see her.   Learn how Amy persevered and went from a standing start to running marathons and beyond.   Amy also provides information, advice and tips about her mental and physical preparation. The day to day experience of running the 53 marathons, including the ups and downs she experienced.   Running from Oswestry to London, 220 miles in six days and then running the London Marathon! She also discusses her personal role models and future challenges.   Amy is a personal trainer and nutrition expert, she works with individuals in person and online. If you want to know more about Amy check out her n

Cheryl Hunter is a motivational speaker, best selling author and transformational expert.    Cheryl left her small town in Colorado and headed to Europe with the dream of making it big in the modelling world. What happened next almost broke her, she was kidnapped, raped, abused and held captive. The experience profoundly changed her and her outlook on life.    In this episode Cheryl shares how she broke free of her mental prison and cracked the code for others to use.   Cheryl is very open and honest about who she is and what the impact was on her life. She provides advice and tips on how you can also break free from your limiting beliefs and whatever is holding you back.   This is real advise, and real tips from someone who has made it work.   Learn more about Cheryl mission and how she’s turned the negative into the positive and what she’s learnt on the way.     Her book: Use It: Turn Setbacks Into Success is available on Amazon.   www.cherylhunter.com   Follow Cheryl on Twitter @HunterChery

Sophie Radcliffe from “Challenge Sophie” is currently living in Chamonix in the French Alps where she takes advantage of the mountains to run, cycle and to train for her next adventure. Sophie describes herself as a normal girl who just happens to love pushing herself both mentally and physical with various endurance challenges.    During this podcast Sophie talks about the mental and physical challenges she’s undertaken from completing the three peaks, cycling from London to Paris in twenty four hours and planning and undertaking the first Alpine Coast to Coast; a gruelling challenge which took her on a journey through eight countries, seven summits, 1,653 kilometres and 51,016 metres of ascent.    Sophie’s on a mission to show that challenge in the great outdoors are accessible and achievable for everyone.   As well as being entertaining and informative, Sophie also talks about; self competitive spirit, mental preparation, confidence training, nutrition & role models   Sophie is one Tough Girl

Sally Kettle has always wanted to live an exciting life, she’s wanted to make the most of her time whilst she's here. She has thrown herself into numerous different challenges, from running the London Marathon,  to rowing across the Atlantic twice! The fist time, never having been in a boat before and with her mum for company!   Sally talks through her different challenges, explaining what made her want to do them, how they came about and how she prepared both physically and mentally. She shares advice and tips and in the process will inspire the listener to think about what it is they want to achieve.     Sally is an Ambassador for a number of worthy charities and causes and she has raised significant sums of money over the years.    Sally also shares the details of an exciting new project she's working on, its a different kind of adventure, but one which still takes her out of her comfort zone.    For more information on Sally please see her website www.sallykettle.com, she is also on Facebook and

Tough Girl Challenges is all about motivating and inspiring women and girls. In this episode I interview Jessi Stensland an elite multi-sport athlete and movement specialist.    As well as being a video journalist she is also the founder and creator of MovementU. Jessi has had a long and distinguished career over the past twenty years, with national and international wins. In 2004 she won the Half Ironman Mexico, her first attempt at that distance. The highlight of her career was the Olympic journey which culminated with the 2004 US Olympic Triathlon Trials where she finished 4th and 6th among the American women.    Jessi is a lover of life, a woman who loves learning about herself and pushing herself to the limits, she’s traveled the world and is passionate about motivating and inspiring others to lead fit and healthy lives.   Her bio on twitter says - “Requires a bit of epic in every day”. By listening to this podcast you will get that epic. Jessi discusses how she first got into fitness, what drove