Sahir Permall is an adventurer, writer, and senior leader in the third sector who is passionate about getting more women on bikes. As the head of a Glasgow-based cycling charity, she is dedicated to making cycling more accessible and empowering women to experience the freedom of two wheels.

In 2024, Sahir was named one of Cycling UK’s 100 Women in Cycling after completing an epic solo ride from Glasgow to Istanbul, covering over 2,800 miles across 10 countries.

In this episode of the Tough Girl Podcast, Sahir shares the story behind her journey—what inspired her to take on this incredible challenge, how she navigated different landscapes and cultures, and the lessons she learned along the way. She also talks about the power of adventure, the importance of setting a start date, and how she is planning the next stages of her journey along the Silk Road in 2025.

Tune in to hear how Sahir transformed a dream into action and how she’s using her experience to inspire other women to push their own boundaries.

Catch the latest episodes of the Tough Girl Podcast, dropping every Tuesday at 7 am UK time! Don’t forget to subscribe so you won’t miss the inspiring journeys and incredible stories of tough women.

Want to play a part in uplifting female representation in the media? Support the Tough Girl Podcast on Patreon! Your generosity helps shine a spotlight on female role models in the world of adventure and physical challenges. Join us in making a positive impact by visiting www.patreon.com/toughgirlpodcast.

Thank you for your amazing support!

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Show notes

Who is Sahir?
Working for Women on Wheels
Her childhood and growing up
Growing up in a Pakistani household
Learning about her culture
Her first exposure to the outdoors
Learning about the Duke of Edinburgh Award
Being supported and encouraged by her mum
Learning how to navigate and spend time in the outdoors
Learning how to ride a bike
Using a bike at university
Being more into hiking in her early 20s
How cycling came about
Being inspired by Dervla Murphy
Book: Full Tilt - Ireland to India on a bike
Deciding to go on a cycle adventure
Wanting to cycle across a continent
Cycling from Glasgow to Istanbul
Wanting to find a meaningful end point
Figuring out her different identities, Pakistani, British and Scottish
Talking about the challenge with friends
Moving from radical through to radical action
Wanting to be someone who does things and not just talks about them
Winning a grant from the Adventure Queens
Alastair Humphrey’s Newsletter
Planning and preparation for the trip
Preferring to have a short time to plan
Wanting to start on the 4th April 2024
Not needing everything to be perfect before starting
Getting fit whilst out on the adventure
Plotting the route
Planning how to navigate with a Garmin
You need to be less prepared than you think
Why the key thing is getting going
Starting with basic equipment and not buying new gear
Sharing the journey on line to help inspire other women to go and do these challenges
Starting the journey at 36, with 2 children, who isn’t particularly fit or going to the gym on a regular basis
Spending time on reflecting on the journey
Taking 6 weeks to fully settle into the nomadic mindset and 6 weeks to settle back into her normal everyday life
Studying for her MBA exam with The Open University
Thinking in a different way while being on the road
The challenges of writing her blog on a regular basis
Magical moments on the road and feeling grateful for being on the journey
Gratitude, peace and joy
Feeling more alive
Moments of connection with people
Hosts from Warmshowers
The route through 10 countries
Making it a very personal route e.g. going through all the places in the UK, that she had lived in
EuroVelo routes
Feeling ready to stop and have a break in Istanbul
Trying to figure out what was going to be next
Women on Wheels
Why it’s more than just cycling
Part 2 of 3 will happen in 2025
Part 3 of 3 will take place in 2026
Why it will be much more challenging this time with the mountains and the terrain
Moving to gravel tyres
Wanting to visit the old silk road cities
Starting in the middle of July 2025
Flying to the start point
How to follow along with sahib and join in with the journey
Words of advice to get you out their doing the things you want to do
The power of setting a start date

Social Media

Website sasaonthemove.com

Instagram @sasaonthe_move

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