Angela Maxwell spent nearly seven years walking around the world — solo. Covering over 20,000 miles across four continents and 16 countries, she braved the Australian outback, battled dengue fever in Vietnam, and faced the daily challenge of finding safe places to sleep, often in a tent.

A self-described introvert and novice adventurer when she began, Angela’s journey was as much an inner transformation as a physical one — fuelled by fear, curiosity, and an unwavering commitment to explore what it means to live with courage.

Angela walked with purpose, raising funds to support girls rescued from human trafficking, and continues that mission through mentoring and women’s empowerment workshops. She’s been featured by Lonely Planet, BBC Travel, and Outside Magazine, and most recently became one of the first women to swim across the Caspian Sea — a feat that took 28 days and redefined her relationship with fear and endurance.

Now based in Wales (for the moment), Angela is writing a book about her world walk and sharing her philosophy that “courage is a verb.” Whether she’s walking, swimming, or simply choosing the unknown, Angela lives by example — proving that adventure doesn’t require expertise, just the decision to begin.

***

New episodes of the Tough Girl Podcast drop every Tuesday at 7 AM (UK time)! Make sure to subscribe so you never miss the inspiring journeys and incredible stories of tough women pushing boundaries.

Do you want to support the Tough Girl Mission to increase the amount of female role models in the media in the world of adventure and physical challenges? Support via Patreon! Join me in making a difference by signing up here: www.patreon.com/toughgirlpodcast.

Your support makes a difference. Thank you x

***

Show notes

Who is Angela
Spending 6.5 years walking west around the world
Setting a world record by swimming across the Caspian Sea
Being settled in Wales for the Winter
Having a mutual friend - Miriam Lancewood
Her childhood and growing up
Getting chicken pox at 30
Not having any friends and being an introvert as a young kid
Her love for nature coming later on in life
Liking her own company
Daydreaming about travel
Spending time alone
Being inspired from a young age
WHY?!
Starting walking because she was terrified
Where does an idea come from?
The route and what the journey looked like
Starting in Australia and walking North to South on the West Coast
Heading over to Vietnam
Heading to Europe and the UK
Flying back and forth due to visa issues
Writing a book about the walk
The challenge of writing a book
Not wanting to share the journey on social media
Wanting to be totally present and have the journey for herself
Raising funds for women and girls
Self funding the walk
Being inspired by Rosie Swale Pope who ran around the world
Book: Just a Little Run Around the World: 5 Years, 3 Packs of Wolves and 53 Pairs of Shoes
Living on a budget of $5 per day
Women for Women International
Adventuring with a purpose
Bad days while walking
Thriving on the little daily adventures
The joy of not knowing and what might be around the corner
Still enjoying walking now
The classic thru-hikes
Walking the Pennine Way in the UK
Walking part of Te Araroa in New Zealand
Her thoughts on courage
Dealing with self doubt, before and during the walk
Ted Talk - “Courage is a verb”
Making the decision to continue
The most dangerous place for a woman is in the home
The fear at the end of the walk, what was going to be next
Little feeling of depression at the end
Swimming across the Caspian Sea
Swimming V walking
Having a fear of open water and not being a good swimmer
Funding the challenge
What it was like day to day on the water
Taking 28 days to do the crossing, swimming 6hrs per day
Other around the world challenges?!
Not having a compulsion to share her stories
Living on very little and funding her current lifestyle
Using Trusted Housesitters
Running workshops for women
Guilty pleasures….
Injuries?
Book: Wilder Journeys: True Stories of Nature, Adventure and Connection
Future plans for 2026
How to connect with Angela
Final words of advice on courage
Choosing courage on a day to day basis

Social Media

Website www.SheWalksTheEarth.com

Instagram @AngelaMarieMaxwell

SFP 102 Jada Edwards How Faith Factors into Forgiveness; The Value of Risking Authenticity; Responding to Each Other's Needs is Critical