Tough Girl Podcast Janey McGill - 630-mile trek of the South West Coast Path, planting sunflower seeds to honour the 616 soldiers severely wounded as a result of the war in Afghanistan.
Growing up Janey spent the majority of time in wellies and a wax jacket covered in mud. When she wasn’t scooting round the fields bareback on her little Dartmoor pony she was playing in the woods with her brother and her dog. She then spent several childhood years in the bright lights of Las Vegas. Long summers were spent sneaking out while the folks were in bed. Exploring the desert and what the city had to offer. Swapping Geography degrees at the University of Exeter as a result of a more desirable field trip to the outback of New Zealand was a sign of things to come.
Janey’s heart lies in the military where she spent four fulfilling years as a soldier with the Honourable Artillery Company. In an unfortunate twist of fate she suffered a serious back injury while training for a military horse race, the Royal Artillery Gold Cup. This halted her plans of joining the Army Legal Service as an Officer. Now a qualified lawyer but unable to fulfil her ambition in military law she embarked on a new business venture; a travelling art gallery, which flowed naturally into life modelling, presenting, running a bar and starting a jazz night; amongst other things.
In December 2018, she will explore the female side of Oman with an all-female Anglo-Omani team. Together they will circumnavigate the country and attempt a first for female exploration; walking the length of Oman’s most formidable landscape, Rub’ Al Khali, The Empty Quarter.
She currently resides in rural SW France surrounded by dogs and horses.
Show notes
- Living in rural SW France
- trying to find her way
- Wanting to join the army as a lawyer
- Breaking her back
- Setting up a travelling art gallery and doing it for 5 years
- Becoming lost and not knowing what to do and which direction to travel in
- Growing up in the country side and Las Vegas!
- Deciding to join the army reserves
- What it was like and wanting to ride in the Royal Artillery Gold Cup
- Suffering a serious back injury
- Adjusting to life after the army and her injury
- Deciding to walk the South West Coastal Path
- How much time she decided to give herself to plan and prepare for this trip
- Starting the challenge in July 2015
- Coping with her emotions while walking
- Only wanting to look forward
- Other issues while on the SW Coast Path
- Dealing with her family while on the trip
- Why she picked the sunflower to plant
- Deciding what she wanted to next and why she wants to continue pushing herself physically
- Post Traumatic Growth
- Doing the Dartmoor Way - walking and raising money at the same time (90 miles in 39 hours)
- The high points, the low points and what she learned
- Wanting to stop because of the pain and how she kept on going
- What she’s thinking about while on the challenge
- What she got from the challenge
- The next big walk/challenge
- Why she picked Oman
- The catalyst and why she needed to change
- Why it’s about the conversations
- Starting on the 1st December and finishing on the 1st January
- How the journey is going to be documented
- How’s she funding the trip
- What she’s focusing on in the follow few months
- Keeping her team together
- The biggest challenge she thinks she will face while over in Oman
- Team dynamics in extreme environments
- Why patience is the hardest thing
- Connecting with Felicity Aston
- Final words of wisdom
Social Media
Website - www.janeymcgill.com
Twitter - @JaneyMcgill
Instagram - @gijaneyadventures