Tough Girl Podcast

  The Explorers’ Grand Slam is the ultimate adventure challenge that involves climbing the world’s highest peaks on each of the seven continents as well as trekking to the geographic North and South poles. Masha began her Explorers' Grand Slam challenge in October 2015 she has now scaled the world’s highest peaks on each of the seven continents – Everest (Asia), Kilimanjaro (Africa), Vinson Massif (Antarctica), Aconcagua (South America), Carstensz Pyramid (Australasia), Mt. Elbrus (Europe) and Denali (North America) as well as trekked to the geographic North and South poles. The extraordinary demands of the challenge mean she's been pushed to the edge of her physical endurance and mental resilience. She's spent over a 100 days in a tent and spent three weeks trekking on skis to the North and South Poles in -40C weather and exposed herself to the “death zone” – the high altitude above 8,000 where there is not enough oxygen for humans to breathe. Only two other people have completed the Explorers' Grand Slam ch

Love running? Do you want to take it to the next level? Fancy doing an ultra marathon?  Listen to Ellie as she shares her running journey from PE lessons in Dundee, her first half marathon, before moving over to Canada and starting to run to meet new people. She’s gone on to win some of the most famous ultra races in the world, some of her race highlight include:- -Comrades Marathon (89km) 1st place, South Africa. (2014, 6:18:15, downhill course)  -Western States 100 mile Endurance Run Course Record, California, USA. (2012, 16:47:19) -Comrades 89km 2nd place, South Africa.  (2012, 6:08:24, downhill course) -IAU World 100km Champion, Gibraltar (2010, 7:29:05) and Doha, Qatar (2014, 7:30:48)   Show notes Learning more about her childhood and being sporty at a young age.  Where it all started with the Great North Run at 21 years old The journey of how she made a career out of running Getting her first sponsorship in 2008 and how that helped with accountability Joining a more competitive running club. Making the

Anna is based in London and back in the day she represented Great Britain at rowing, but after ‘retiring’ in her mid twenties, she started a “normal" job but the desire for adventure never left her. In 2013 she set out to cycle 11,000 miles through each and every state of the USA, and most recently she became the first person to run the whole length of New Zealand. Along the Te Araroa trail. She ran it solo and unsupported, stopping off to speak to over 4,000 school children on the way.  Show notes  -Anna share more about her background and what it was like growing up in the McNuff Family! -What it was like being the daughter of two Olympians -Why she wanted to be an Olympian -Representing Great Britain in rowing and making the decision to stop. -Losing her sense of identity and deciding who she was and what she wanted to do next -Entering the corporate world & being excited by it! -Trying to fit adventures in around her work -2013 - The urge for adventure became too much and she decided to scratch the it

This episode has been sponsored by Four Athletics - for a 20% discount use the promo code ToughGirl20! Jules is currently based in the UAE, she was the first female to start an adventure & travel company in the Middle East. After climbing her first mountain when she was 40, she decided to create Mountain High. For the past 13 years, she has been leading expeditions around the world, writing books, and giving motivational talks. During this podcast Jules talks about the following:- Jules introduces herself and tells us how Mountain High came about Climbing her first mountain when she turned 40 and how it changed the direction of her life.  Why age is a lifestyle and not just a number Her 40th birthday and the importance of “Zero Limit Birthdays” Why climbing mountains can be a great metaphor for life The “mountain high” moment and how it took her a year to gain the courage to start her company Trekking to base camp at Everest Advice and tips around courage and why courage is like a muscle you need to ex

  Let me introduce you to Nikki Kimball!! Nikki has had a phenomenal running career and she is a living legend in the world of Ultra running. She has been a member of the US 100K Team from 2001 to 2006, she has won the Western States 100 in 2004, 2006 and 2007. She has also won the Ultra Trail du Mont Blanc in 2007 and the Marathon de Sables in 2014!  During this podcast we discuss; how she got into running, ultra running, dealing with pain and depression. Nikki also provides advice and tips to help you with your own personal challenges, whether that’s running or dealing with depression. Show notes Nikki shares about her childhood and how she was a skier first, before transitioning into running Not feeling like a runner because of body image issues Accidentally running her first ultra! The race that scared her the most - Running the Long Trail in Vermont - A very technical, challenging 272 miles!  Learning more about the off shoot of ultra running - Fastest Known Time running and the 3 ways you can do it.  T

Show notes Sally shares how she first got into sailing and the pathway shetook to get to the Olympics in Beijing Sailing at university and how she moved from being a new memberof the crew to leading the team Deciding to become a professional sailor and how she followedher passion What was involved in the 6 year campaign of getting to theOlympics. How she kept motivated over the years   The type of sailing she was doing and how it works in scoringfor the Olympics What she’s learnt about teamwork from sailing as part ofcrews Heading over to China, and dealing with the differentchallenges before the games even started. What happened in the the final medal race The learning Sally took away from that experience Taking a break from sailing and getting over the sense offailure and loss “The hardest sailing you will ever do” being a member of thefirst all female team for SCA in the Volvo OceanRace  What it was like being out on the boat; the day to day routine,working for 4 hrs on, 4 hrs off, dealing with the pressu

In 2003 Lois decided she’d had enough of working at the BBC and decided to leave it all behind to take a trip on her motorcycle. She headed to Alaska and started the twenty-thousand miles journey  down to the southern most tip of South America. This was the start of many epic adventures.  During this podcast Lois shares the reasons behind the decisions she’s made, the highs, the lows, what she’s learnt on the way and why everyone should take a trip and go travelling. Show notes -Lois introduces herself and shares more of her story; how being a bored 29 year old, passing her motorcycle test and having itchy feed led to the adventure of a lifetime -Deciding to make a big change in her life and how you can make that change -Deciding to get her motorcycle licence and why she decided this was the way to see the world -Planning and preparing for the 20,000 mile ride -Dealing with FEAR - your own and others -Why you do need to modify your behaviour and apply common sense to situations -Crossing the border from Calif

Julie Creffield is a women on a mission. She wants to get One Million women in the UK active and running. She’s focused on the women who don’t get any support, the women who may feel they’re too fat, too overweight, and too curvy to do exercise.  Julie has been providing people wrong over the years, she was told by a doctor she was “too fat to run” she wasn’t -  she went on to run a marathon.  People have been telling her all her life she’s too fat to do things, she decided enough was enough. Just because you weren’t slim or you don’t fit the stereotypical image of what a women should look like doesn’t mean you can’t do exercise and Julie’s proof of this. No matter your size, you’ll be able to relate to Julie and the message she’s spreading. Show notes How the blog idea came about, and how its developed as Julie has grown more comfortable in her own skin Going back to start and finding out more about Julie and what drives and motivates her Getting the wake up call, when a child shouted “Run Fatty Run” Not ha

Tanith is your normal everyday women, she has her own business on the Wirral, she is a mother and at 44 had never been a runner.  That all changed on May 9th…..  Learn more about Tanith’s story and be inspired to take on your own personal challenge. Show Notes Tanith introduces herself and shares why she wanted to do the ultimate running challenge - The London Marathon The importance of having a bucket list, the power of visualisation and how you can make any idea happen. Her first running experience, running her first mile and how she had no idea what she was doing! How she broke it down and started to take small steps in order to accomplish this massive goal she’d set herself Telling the world she was running the London Marathon when she didn’t even have a place! Doing it on her own and what she learnt on the way, taking advice from running forums, an app and why she decided to keep it really simple “If you want to get good at something you have to keep doing it” Being a fitness instructor, but not reall

The Marathon des Sables is one of the ultimate multi-stage endurance races in the world. It consists of running six marathons in six days across the Sahara desert. It’s been around for over 30 years and according to the Discover Channel has the reputation of being “one of the hardest footraces on earth”. It’s brutal, it's challenging and according to pretty much everyone I speak to, a crazy race to do! During this podcast I will share my journey of the challenges I faced on getting to the start line and running the toughest footrace on earth! Shownotes Introduction from Saira The MDS and when the seed got planted  The start of the journey in September 2014 Preparation for the race - How I changed my fitness routine and diet Weight lifting and how it changed my body Starting to feel tired, lethargic, aching legs, no energy…..over training My low point - not having the energy to get out of bed My body failing me & being so disappointed in myself Dealing with candida and having to drastically change my diet

Jacki Hill-Murphy has always been passionate about having adventures and traveling. Along the way she added her passion for learning more about the female explorers of the past, who have largely been ignored or forgotten by history.  During this podcast we get to learn more about the decisions Jacki has made on the way and how she’s followed her passions for traveling off the beaten track. We start with her first major expedition in 1988 when she traveled through Africa in a Land Rover! Show notes The early years and were she got her love for travel and adventure Discussing fond memories from Camp America! Her adventure across the Sahara, the reasons behind it, how she made it happen and what she learnt about herself on the journey The benefits of travel and why its always about the people and not the places Isabella Godin's who was the first known woman to travel the 500 mile length of the Amazon river in a dug out canoe in 1769 and how Jacki is recreating her version of the journey Learning about Mary King

Parys is an age group athlete, who has won the World Championships at both the Olympic and 70.3 distances, along with European, British and English National titles. At the age of 38 she decided to turn her passion for triathlon into her profession. Parys is originally from Zimbabwe before she moved over to the UK 14 years ago.  Show notes Parys introduces herself and shares more of her life growing up in Africa Being a professional hockey player, and the frustration about never quite making it to the national team Handling that frustration and what she learned on the way Why she decided to give triathlon a try! Even though she could hardly swim, and hadn’t ridden a bike since she was a child “Thriving on overcoming the pain and digging deep” How she has improved her swimming and why its a labour of love. Parys also provides top tips to help you improve your swimming. Borrowing a bike and a trisuit for her first race and what she remembers from the experience Making the decision to turn professional and why

Show notes Ragen talks about her childhood, being an athlete, and battling with an eating disorder The word “FAT” and why Ragen’s reclaiming it The story behind the dances with fat blog Why we should decouple the health & body size conversation How you can learn to love your body and be happy, whatever your size by having gratitude for your body and what it can achieve. Why she made the decision to challenge herself with a marathon - “cross finish line, get medal” The “good fatty” V the “bad fatty” “What happens if I do something that I’m not good at?” The disaster of the marathon and why she wanted to quit with every single step Learnings from the marathon experience and how’s she applied it to other areas of her life Handling the negativity that’s been thrown at her and how she turned it around and used it to her advantage Her next big goal - becoming at Ironman & the steps she's been taking to make it happen Dealing with haters, how she copes with online bullies Advice for women who may be holding

Show notes Roz introduces herself in her own words and talks through her childhood and the conventional decisions she made along the way.  It took her 11 years before she realised what she was doing, was not making her happy and how she stumbled into the crazy world of becoming an ocean rower.   How she made the decision to change her life and the steps she implemented to do it.  Making the tough decisions to become free Getting rid of the possessions that hold you back How friends and family reacted to the change in her life and how she got to the stage where she didn’t care anymore about what people thought How she went on to develop her own confidence Being alert to the opportunities coming available to her Heading off to Peru on her first expedition and how taking that first step, led her on a pathway to becoming an ocean rower. How not to get overwhelmed by the size of the challenge facing you. Roz gives advice on how you can get past those feeling to go on and achieve your goals Her motivation to keep

Kate is an adventurer, explorer, educator and speaker. She’s completed challenging expeditions all over the world, from cycling round her home country, Australia. To cycling across Africa and Russia.  During this podcast we get to discuss in detail her expeditions, the reasons behind them, what she learnt on the way and how she’s applied that learning to her life. Kate also shares top tips and advice for you in completing your own personal challenges.  Show notes Kate introduces herself and shares more about her early years growing up in Perth the most remote city in the wold Why she loves to travel by bike and remembering back to her first bike - a Malven Star Dragster! Heading off to explore the world at a young age and how she did it, even when she wasn’t confident Why structure is important to her when planning cycle routes The reasons behind her dream of cycling across Russia in  1993 and becoming the first woman to make the unsupported bicycle crossing. How the Trans- Siberian Cycle across Russia came

During this podcast interview we get to learn more about Verena, her passion for racing, the challenges she'd faced and overcome and why she does what she does.  She shares, advice, tips and will inspire the listener to go after their own personal dreams.  Topics covered during the podcast interview - -How she first got into motorsports and how she developed a passion for it -Going to stunt school and the reason she did that first -Coping with intimidation when dealing with a new situation -Being encouraged to try new things from a young age -What Drag Racing is! -What’s she's thinking about while racing and how she can overthink things too much -Why rallying is a whole other ball game  -Working with her co-driver and how she knows how to push her buttons to make her go faster -Driving with her “ears” and not her eyes! -Transitioning from being a model to a racing car driver & the challenges she faced. -Why it didn’t matter what they thought - “This is my dream” & why she had to make it happen herself

Jenny Tinmouth is the first female rider in the British Superbike Championship and is the only female rider to be racing! Jenny is 100% passionate about what she does, you can hear the passion in her voice as she talks about racing and how much fun she has on the track. Jenny enjoys the adrenaline, going fast and competing with the best. Jenny is down to earth, humble and it was fantastic to get to speak to her in more detail about her career and how she's got to where she is! During this podcast we also discuss the following :- What it was like growing up, and learning what & who influenced her love of motorsports Leaving school at 18 and trying to decide what to do next Getting her motorcycle license the 2nd time round! Working in a local dealership and why she thought they wouldn’t take her on because she was a girl! Getting her start in racing and how her journey progressed and the steep learning curve she needed to conquer Her ambition and the reasons she kept it quiet Sexism in motorsports? Having

Tough Girl - Jade Paveley a professional sports car driver for Mazda Motors UK & competing independently in the Motorsport New MSV Championship for 2015/16. Jade introduces herself and shares more about how she got her start in racing! We also discuss: How her Dad pushed her from a young age to try new things and purposefully put her in situations to challenge her! Racing karts at 15 years old and how she found it at that age.  Moving from karts to race cars when she was 17. The differences between racing verses driving on the roads! Why self belief is so important not just for racing but life in general - and how you just have to get on with it. Explaining the difference between racing and rallying. Are women bad drivers?! The experience of racing, the highs, the lows, the crashes, the adrenaline and the danger! Top tips for getting over her nerves before the start of races.  Working closely with her navigator, Sarah while rallying and why team work and communication are so important! Why its important

During this podcast we also discuss how she was the first person to bum board from over 8,000 metres, a title she gained on Cho Oyu, the 6th highest mountain in the world. Squash has also summited Aconcagua, Mustagata and Mount Everest. Squash is a fantastic speaker and very passionate about sharing her stories and adventures. One of the many things you’ll learn on this podcast is how by having the right attitude every one of us can achieve incredible things. We also discuss: How it all started for Squash, and making the decision when she was younger to try as many life experiences as possible. Her first big mountain attempt in South America - Aconcagua. Learning as she climbed and how she started to challenge herself both physically and mentally “Whats to lose? What's the worst that can happen? Am I prepared to live the rest of my life this way?” Being open to opportunities and being ready to take advantage of them The challenges she faced while climbing Mustagata, from dealing with death on the mountain,

Helene is based in Las Vegas, Nevada and she has an incredible story to share.  She’s always asking herself what more can she do, to inspire and motivate nurses to become better ambassadors for health and fitness. During this podcast we discuss: After surviving cancer, numerous brain surgeries, chemotherapy and radiation, at age 50 she wrote her first book - Nurses In Shape. To promote the book, she decided to take it on the road. In 2010 - She become a transcontinental runner and decided to run across the southern states of America. It took her just 93 days to cover the 2,520 miles from Ocean Beach, California to Atlantic Beach, Florida. She was the first person to run this route during the summer. Averaging about 25 to 30 miles each and every day.  Helene provides advice about how she got through the tough days when she was out running on the highways alone and why it was important for her to get into the zone. Her inspiration to keep on going and to keep others going. How she coped with the heat, tips for