Tough Girl Podcast

Sophie in her own words:   “I am a GP and mental health trainer practising in West London. My exposure to diverse pockets of humanity has taught me that social struggles, such as loneliness, don’t discriminate and that the resulting emotional distress is real and reaching pandemic levels. My heart lies in challenging perceptions of these problems and how we support those suffering.   I am striving to increase awareness and education around responding to distress within the current UK system through my work with the organisation 4MentalHealth, while seeking out ways to change the system through the undertaking of research into the root causes of distress and alternative approaches to healing globally.   My growing interest in the relationship between mental health and community led to the creation of 'The Patient's Voice Project' in 2016. I'm delighted this year to expand the project and focus in on cultural influences on mental health and healing through a Winston Churchill Fellowship exploring the potential translation of indigenous traditional practice elements to western society as alternative forms of therapy.    I've also had the opportunity to relay my work more widely; engaging with corporate audiences through talks on community at the Airbnb London Headquarters and contributing to policy change through work with the Jo Cox Foundation and the ‘Campaign to End Loneliness’ .   My work has also fostered a growing awareness of the transformative potential of the natural environment on psychological well being.    I enjoy getting outdoors as much as possible in the role of Expedition Doctor and most recently accompanied a group of young people to the Scottish Highlands with the British Exploring Society.   When not working you will usually find me Scottish country dancing, falling off a surfboard or practising the ukulele.”   New episodes of the Tough Girl Podcast go live every Tuesday at 7am UK time - Hit the subscribe button so you don’t miss out.    Support the mission to increase the amount of female role models in the media. Visit www.patreon.com/toughgirlpodcast and subscribe - super quick and easy to do and it makes a massive difference. Thank you.   Show notes Who is Sophie Being based in London and working as a GP Her Special interests Doing mental health research Being an expedition doctor Her love of travel and expeditions Her early years growing up in the Yorkshire Dales Where her love of travel and adventure came from  Being inspired by her Grandfather Going to Kenya and doing her first expedition at 17 Trekking across the States on the Lewis & Clark Trail  Going to medical school at St. Andrews Getting into expedition medicine Being afraid of taking the next step Going on a trip to Antarctica in January 2020 How the trip on a tall ship changed her life The mental side of adventures and challenges Stress Anticipation and preparation Coping strategies for extreme environments  Creating your own safety plan The emotional kit list Why strategies are very personal  Having a safety plan for general life Creating your own Safety Plan Heading to the USA in 2019 for research Winning a Winston Churchill Fellowship Talking circles  Going on a tall ship in Costa Rica Personal boundaries and looking at your own mental health Keeping expedition fit  Having to want to be on the expedition Visiting Antarctica and getting free vodka Being an emerging film maker and what that means The Patients Voice Project - 2016 Looking to do a Masters later on in 2022 Connect with Sophie Final words of advice Be curious about the world   Social Media   The Patients Voice - A global project researching and collecting patients’ stories from around the world to enhance our collective wellbeing.   Website: www.thepatientsvoiceproject.com    Instagram: @drsophieredlin   Twitter: @DrSophieRedlin

Shikha is a writer based in Uttarakhand, India. Specialising in stories woven around nature and the outdoors, sustainable living, and those with a cultural insight from the remote mountains of India, Nepal and Bhutan.    Her travel stories appear in a wide variety of publications such as the National Geographic Traveller, Travel + Leisure, Conde Nast Traveller, Lonely Planet, and more.    Her environmental and social interest stories have appeared in newspapers such as The Hindu, The New Indian Express, and on platforms such as Nature InFocus and RoundGlass Sustain.    Born and brought up in the mountains, she is a qualified mountaineer who has participated in expeditions in the Himalayas. Her mountaineering stories have appeared in The Outdoor Journal and online on the Red Bull forum.    Shikha is the recipient of a Commonwealth Writers fellowship for her stories on Himalayan ecology, and has also authored an award-winning children's book on Northeast India's first female Everester, Tine Mena, for a literacy NGO, Pratham.    Most recently, she authored a series of Lonely Planet pocket guide books on Nepal.   New episodes of the Tough Girl Podcast go live every Tuesday at 7am UK time - Make sure to subscribe so you don’t miss out.    To support the tough girl mission to increase the amount of female role models in the media -  visit www.patreon.com/toughgirlpodcast.      Show Notes Who is Shikha Growing up in the mountains in India Her love of exploration Deciding to become a professional writer Being curious about the world Quitting her job to backpack across the Indian Continent in 2008 Her love of writing and not wanting to be confined to an office cubicle Being drawn to the mountains and wanting to spend more time there Her year of self discovery Her childhood and early years Going into higher education Making the decision to quit her job and go on a gap year Planning her year out and travelling on a shoe string budget Wanting to get off the regular tourist circuit Heading to the North East of India Spending time in Nepal and Bhutan Building her career as a freelance writer Travelling solo in remote places Advice and tips for solo travel Why planning a little ahead can make things a lot easier Advice for travel writing Why you need to find your niche Finding your writing voice Telling the same story but in a different way Learning mountaineering skills  Encouraging more women to gain skills in the outdoors Challenging times in the mountains Walking on unmarked trails  Being underprepared on the mountains and the lessons learned Dealing with challenging situations and her process for handling it Staying positive and having a back up plan How to connect with Shikha  Putting together her website Writing her award-winning children's book on Northeast India's first female Everester, Tine Mena. Wanting to inspire young girls Advice for women and girls to spend more time in the mountains Future dreams and goals      Social Media   Instagram: @shikha_trip 

Eleanor Drinkwater is a bug nut and adventurer. Her love of all things creepy-crawly has led her to carry out research in field sites across the world, from Australia to the Amazon.    She is fascinated by invertebrate behaviour and has been awarded Inspirational Explorer of the Year award by the Scientific Expedition Society for her work looking into the behaviour of the biggest beetle on the planet.    However, she is equally fascinated by the weird and wonderful critters we have in the UK and has recently she finished her PhD which researched how and why woodlice have personalities.   Eleanor is passionate about communicating and sharing her enthusiasm for invertebrates. She is currently working as a lecturer at Writtle University College where she teaches about ecology and conservation. She also really enjoys encouraging little bug enthusiasts through running bug-hunting events with community groups and schools.   Ultimately, she believes that there’s a real need to encourage budding bug lovers (of every age) and hopes to share some of her enthusiasm with future bug enthusiasts.   New episodes of the Tough Girl Podcast go live every Tuesday at 7am UK time - Hit the subscribe button so you don’t miss out.    Support the mission to increase the amount of female role models in the media. Visit www.patreon.com/toughgirlpodcast and subscribe - super quick and easy to do and it makes a massive difference. Thank you.   Show notes Who is Dr. Eleanor What exactly does she do Getting into more detail about her fascination with bugs Growing up with environmentally conscious parents What was it like to study Developmental Biology and how did it go Her desire to go on expeditions and study butterflies. Her story of how she got her first project, which began her career Over-confidence as her real turning point Finally getting into a PhD program Volunteering in the Peruvian Amazon with Crees Manu Taking part in research expeditions with lots of help and connections Memorable and fun experience she had while crossing a river Lessons she learned from her previous expedition What new expeditioners and researchaer should know and talk about before starting their journey Her love for an expedition-focused research centre Having an amazing research trip in Honduras Being extremely lucky to have been successful on all of her expeditions Wanting to be the first person to do a recorded behaviour study of various creatures Getting into more detail about the Titan beetle How thrilled she is to find the first creature Challenges she had in catching the beetle in such a short period of time How she managed to stay motivated while dealing with a lot of stress Bugs and insects for human consumption Cricket protein powder Protein Rebel  Her thoughts on eating live invertebrates for entertainment Finishing her PhD and what are her future plans Talking about woodlice and its personality Keeping a hedgehog and giant African snails as pets Participating in a short film and rewilding project with Citizen Zoo    Social Media   Website: www.eleanordrinkwater.com   Instagram: @dr.drinkwater.eleanor   Twitter: @E_Drinkwater

Helen Butters is a Sunday Times Bestselling author, keynote speaker, communications & engagement expert, qualified performance coach with NLP, and a member of the National Council of Psychotherapists.    In 2016 she followed her dream of rowing across both the North Sea and the Atlantic Ocean with a team of 3 amazing women and gained a Guinness World Record and an Honorary Doctorate.      A lot of people ask Helen how she coped with the level of endurance rowing, 2 hours on and 2 hours off 24 hours a day.  What got her through, was a positive mindset and understanding how to keep it that way, in times of immense stress    Adventure and business have many similarities.     Helen uses her row across the Atlantic as a backdrop, and adopts a unique, interesting, and amusing approach that sets her apart from many motivational speakers.  Helen is extremely relatable as she’s not a professional athlete: She’s a mum with a busy career who has many barriers that could have stopped her from undertaking a big adventure.  Helen has many examples of how attendees have been inspired to look at life using new perspectives, become more attentive to their own talents which in turn has caused many to leave her talk feeling prepared and motivated.   Helen qualified as a performance life coach in 2019 with the aim of helping others to live a more fulfilling and satisfying life both professionally and personally. She works collaboratively with her clients to find meaning, understanding and solutions: empowering them to come up with the answers.    She is passionate about the ethos of coaching as a powerful positive discipline and uses flexible effective tools which enable her clients to turn their belief into reality.  She has a specific interest in the power of mindset and has put together a mindset reset programme for clients.   Helen will be swapping 40-foot waves for the Pyrenees as her next adventure will see her cycling 1000 miles through 4 countries from Maggie’s Leeds to Maggie’s Barcelona in April 2022.  Helen and her team will be raising money for Maggie’s Yorkshire.    New episodes of the Tough Girl Podcast go live every Tuesday at 7am UK time - Hit the subscribe button so you don’t miss out.    Visit www.patreon.com/toughgirlpodcast and support the mission to increase the amount of female role models in the media. Thank you.   Show notes Who is Helen Wanting to row across the Atlantic Ocean How she met Janette Benaddi "If you plant something in your head that you actually want to happen, your brain subconsciously looks for those opportunities. And when opportunities arrive, that's when you instantly say yes." How grateful she is that she said yes Speaking with Melanie Sykes Getting a No from her husband and Yes from their children about rowing Involving her children in everything Feeling safe with the team despite the risks and dangers Making sure to use all the expertise and that the right people were in place Being good at communicating and building relationships Coaching as her new career Helping Niki Doeg to stay motivated Being strong and positive on the boat Doing mental training in preparation for the row Doing mindset reset and anchoring techniques Crying and holding back her feelings Feeling unhappy when she shouldn't have been The need to prepare mentally before the adventure Having an adrenaline hangover Not getting help and how she struggled mentally for 18 months Using her experience to help other rowers before and after their journeys Her journey into coaching Becoming a qualified performance life coach How self-expansion excites her Believing that everyone should have a coach and why it is important Mindset reset and what is it Teaching people deliberate thinking Jealousy and its positive effects on people The story of her cycling journey for Maggie’s Cancer Care Centre Fundraising event for Maggie's Cycling from Leeds to Barcelona in April Having no prior cycling experience Worrying about her physical fitness Meeting people along the way Raising money for people experiencing complex grief with children and families Final words of advice   Social Media   Personal Website: www.helenbutters.com Instagram: @butters_and_beyond Facebook: www.facebook.com/helen.butters   Yorkshire Rows Website: www.yorkshirerows.com Instagram: @yorkshirerows  Facebook: @yorkshirerows2015 Twitter: @yorkshirerows   

Michelle Moore is an award-winning leadership coach, author, speaker and educator voted as one of the UK’s 50 Most 'Influential Women in Sport’. Based on a twenty year’ career in senior leadership roles across sport, government and education, her pioneering work and coaching and leadership programmes have transformed the lives of professionals, young people, athletes and the culture of many organisations. Winner of the 2016 UK Precious Award for ‘Outstanding Woman in Sport’, a Football Black List award and an esteemed national Change Maker award. Michelle is a globally recognised executive on leadership, race equity and sport for development. A sought after experienced speaker and moderator hosting events and delivering keynotes for The University of Cambridge, The NBA, and UNICEF UK. She has chaired events at the United Nations and presented to the House of Lords. Michelle makes regular appearances for top tier media outlets including BBC Radio 4, TRT World, Channel 4, BBC World Service Sportshour and been featured in The Guardian, The Daily Telegraph, The Times and The Independent. Michelle is a regular contributor on BBC radio. Michelle combines her campaigning roles with board positions for SportsAid, a Sport England Talent Inclusion Advisory Board member and is commissioner for The Independent Commission for Equity in Cricket. She is a senior honorary associate lecturer at the University of Worcester. Michelle’s book Real Wins was published November 25 2021, by John Murray Press, Hachette UK.      New episodes of the Tough Girl Podcast go live every Tuesday and Thursday at 7am UK time - Hit the subscribe button so you don’t miss out.    To support the Tough Girl Podcast and learn more about becoming a patron please visit www.patreon.com/toughgirlpodcast.      Show Notes Who is Michelle Her work in the world  Using sport to address inequities  Supporting individuals in their leadership journey  Helping people to transform themselves and their communities  Being based in London  Working as a former teacher and having a love of education Learning more about Michelle’s early years  Growing up as a twin in the 70s Being at athlete and being encouraged by her mum to do sports Being a Black woman of mixed heritage Being surrounded by love and culture and sports Future dreams and ambitions Wanting to be the best athlete she could be The lessons learned from sports Dealing with losses Showing up every week to train Wanting to be of service and to make a difference Leaving athletics behind after going to university  The challenges at university Having an honest conversation with herself  Using sport to develop leadership  Changing your mindset around fear How we achieve success which is defined by ourselves Why we need to ask ourselves better questions Learning to practice self compassion Write the newspaper headline for tomorrow Why we are not our thoughts Why you have more power and control than you realise Definitions of success and how they have changed  Figuring out strengths and talents Wanting to talk to young people about well-being Why the biggest competition is always yourself Living in the moment and being present Going through the process of writing her book Attracting different opportunities into our lives Why you should be successful at a job if you’ve been doing it for 10 years Why 20% was good enough Creating her own leadership seminars  Backing herself Turning up and being me Focusing on what I can control Writing for herself  How to connect with Michelle How to support Michelle and why it makes a big difference Final words of advice  Wanting to be seen, heard, valued and respected  Why the small things are important    Social Media   Website: www.michellemoore.me    Instagram: @michellemoore.me   Twitter: @hellomoore    Book: Race, Leadership and How to Redefine Success.    Real Wins is an urgent call to action from one of the most influential women in sport. In her unflinching style, Michelle Moore seeks to redress inequality at all levels and shows us how to channel our inner Serena Williams or Raheem Sterling to challenge stereotypes and tired assumptions.    Through this timely, eye-opening insight into her experiences both on the track and in the boardroom, Michelle shows us how to face our fears, build resilience and find our own unique leadership style. She shares stories from athletes, leaders and many other inspiring people, as she redefines the relationship between identity and success for both individuals and organizations.    Giving you the practical strategies of self-awareness and resilience to run your own race, Real Wins will empower you to take responsibility for your own prejudices, actions and ultimate success.

Jill is an underwater explorer, writer, photographer, speaker, and filmmaker.    A pioneer of technical rebreather diving, she has led expeditions into icebergs in Antarctica, volcanic lava tubes, and submerged caves worldwide.    Jill is the first Explorer-in-Residence of the Royal Canadian Geographical Society.    Her memoir, INTO THE PLANET, has been lauded by the Wall Street Journal, Oprah Magazine, and the New York Times.    Her children’s book THE AQUANAUT is a Blue Ribbon Selection for Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library.    Jill is a Fellow of the International Scuba Diving Hall of Fame, Underwater Academy of Arts and Sciences, Women Divers Hall of Fame and the Explorers Club, which awarded her with the William Beebe Award for ocean exploration.   New episodes of the Tough Girl Podcast go live every Tuesday at 7am UK time - Hit the subscribe button so you don’t miss out.    Support the mission to increase the amount of female role models in the media. Visit www.patreon.com/toughgirlpodcast and subscribe - super quick and easy to do and it makes a massive difference. Thank you.   Show notes Who is Jill Loving water since she's a baby How she got into diving Becoming a lifeguard at 16 Taking a Bachelor of Fine Arts in visual communications design Talking about her expeditions Icebergs and cave diving Exploring the B-15 iceberg for 60 days Leading the dive team Writing and producing the documentary film for National Geographic Qualities a good cave diver should have How dangerous cave diving is Having a scary experience while underwater with a scientist Her best piece of advice to deal with fear How she dealt with and processed trauma Processing and overcoming challenges with her husband Having supportive mentors and colleagues Being a woman in the diving industry Becoming the Explorer in Residence at The Royal Canadian Geographical Society Not having female mentors as a kid Wanting to go to schools across the country and give talks about diving and exploration Having a growth mindset Writing her book Into The Planet Jill and her husband's podcast Into The Planet Podcast Impact of technology and natural world changes on the environment Her passion to increase awareness about the big issues we face Top tips and advice "Be willing to step into the darkness to do something that you've never done before. Trust me, your eyes will adjust to the light, and that's when you stand on that threshold of true opportunity to become an explorer." Social Media   Website: www.IntoThePlanet.com    Instagram: @jillheinerth    Facebook: @jillheinerth    Twitter: @jillheinerth

Abi is a white, neurodivergent and fat writer, artist, cyclist and student nurse.  She recently featured in Cycling UK’s 100 Women in Cycling 2021 for her working promoting fat lib in cycling. Abigail was nominated for the 100 Women in Cycling by Chloe Bramwell who said:   "Abigail shows that cycling is open to everyone. Not just only women, but LGBT women, too. Her work embracing body positivity has made me change my relationship with my own body. I make healthier choices for myself because I love my body rather than to punish it. I admire her vulnerability and strength in showing how she sees herself. I admire that she holds the cycling community to account by expecting accessibility for everyone. I admire her for showing that cycling is for us all.”   Abi is the co-author of her first book all about cycle touring ‘Gears for Queers’.    She lives on the Fife Coast with her partner Lea and cat Boba. She can normally be found riding her bike, cooking vegan feasts or obsessively playing The Sims!   "I believe that if people see a diversity of bodies on bikes and trikes, more people will feel like cycling is for them. I feel so happy when we get messages on social media from people who have got on their bikes again after reading our book or blogs. In the future I’d love to organise a big fat cycle tour!” - Abi Melton    New episodes of the Tough Girl Podcast go live every Tuesday and Thursday at 7am UK time - Make sure you hit the subscribe button so you don’t miss out.    To find out more about supporting the Tough Girl Podcast and becoming a patron please visit www.patreon.com/toughgirlpodcast.    Show Notes Who is Abi in her own words Here passions and interests Publishing her first book in June 2020 Being a 1st year student nurse What is neurodivergency Examples of neurodivergency and how it’s impacted Abi throughout her life Challenges with communication  Using masking as a technique to appear normal Her early childhood and growing up in Norfolk Being the eldest child Living by the coast Going to holiday camps and wanting to try everything available. Being an avid reader and wanting to be the hero of the story Wanting to be going out and having adventures Not having a lot of opportunities  Her late teenage years and her early 20s Struggling with her mental health for 16 years onwards Going to Edinburgh University to study English Literature Why she stoped riding bikes  Becoming more self conscious  Not knowing how to travel or go on adventures  Meeting Lea  Woman on the Edge of Time: The classic feminist dystopian novel - By Marge Piercy Going on an accidental mini-break to Brighton  Deciding to go on a cycle adventure in Europe Fears and concerns before heading out on the cycle adventure  Feeling anxious about fitness levels  Going with a partner and handling tough situations while on the road Magical moments while travelling and the places that stand out Being vegan and gluten free and trying to find food to eat  Budgets and paying for the trip Having a supportive family Mental health while travelling Writing the book - “Gears for Queers” and how it came about  Going on a 2nd cycling tour Planning their 3rd cycle tour Going back to university to study to become a nurse Following your passions and dreams Being featured in Cycling UK’s 100 Women in Cycling 2021 Wanting to promote adventure for everyone Advice for women who want to go cycle touring Enjoying having a purpose for cycling  Not cycling for fitness or weight loss How to connect with Abi Final words of advice    Social Media   Blog: https://gearsforqueers.squarespace.com    Instagram: @gearsforqueers    Facebook: @gearsforqueers    Twitter: @gearsforqueers    Book: Gear for Queers

Omie in her own words:   “I’m a keen swimmer and swim teacher, having worked in the leisure industry since 2013. In my teaching role I've worked with a variety of different ages and abilities both in the UK and abroad.   I have been exploring the issue of diversity in aquatics and the leisure industry with my own project titled, ‘If 71% of the world is water, how can we feel at home if we don't know how to swim?’.    I currently work for the Black Swimming Association in community engagement and communication and volunteer in my spare time for Pride in Water, and work as a volunteer swim host for Mental Health Swims in the London region.”   “Swimming has given me so much – employment, friendships and both physical and mental health benefits.”     New episodes of the Tough Girl Podcast go live every Tuesday and Thursday at 7am UK time - Hit the subscribe button so you don’t miss out.    Support the mission to increase the amount of female role models in the media. Visit www.patreon.com/toughgirlpodcast and subscribe - super quick and easy to do and it makes a massive difference. Thank you.   Show notes Who is Omie Her work and love for swimming Getting into swimming from a young age Her love for teaching people Not being able to join a swim club Swimming competitively for her school Role models who inspired Omie growing up What she wanted to be  Being academic at school Talking with non swimmers Teaching people how to swim Wanting to make people feel as comfortable as possible The joy of swimming Loving outdoor swimming Swimming in London The support of the outdoor swimming community The stress of swimming in pools Advice and tips for outdoor swimming Go with experienced people when it’s your first time Why you need to be prepared Working for the Black Swim Association Working on a research project with the University of Portsmouth regarding Bone Density Engaging with community leaders across the UK Mental Health Swims and being a swim host Working with Patagonia in 2021 on the Outsiders Project What’s changed in swimming over the past few years Plans for 2022 and wanting to go with the flow a bit more Managing her mental health and putting herself first Needing to talk about other stuff apart from swimming Enjoying reading and writing  Needing a creative outlet Connect with Omie on the socials  Final words of advice The power of community  Being surrounded by people who are proud of you and support you   Social Media   Website: omie-dale.com    Instagram: @omiedale    Twitter: @omie_dale

Abhejali Bernardova (44, Czech Republic) of the Sri Chinmoy Marathon Team completed an extreme ultra-triathlon from Dover to Prague, during which she covered a total of 1111 km across the 3 disciplines: 34 km swimming, 895 km cycling, 182 km running. It took her 7 days, 12 hours and 5 minutes.    She started on Monday September 13 2021 at 3am from Dover. In very challenging conditions, with the wind at force 5, she swam the English Channel in 15 hours and 33 minutes. The only other successful crossing on the same day was a 5-person relay team. It was her last chance to swim this year and the swim had already been postponed a few times.    Restrictions did not allow her to stay in France, so she had to take a detour back to Dover and then take a ferry to France. She then cycled from Calais to her hometown of Cheb, near the Czech/German border.    The cycling leg, which took her 4 days, was approximately 900 kilometres through France, Belgium, the Netherlands and Germany. She arrived in Cheb on Saturday afternoon, then ran 182km to Prague, arriving on Monday afternoon. Her daily average was 220km cycling and 2 marathons running.    The Czech athlete successfully completed her first English Channel swim 10 years ago. In 2018 she became the 1st Czech, the 10th person in the world, 4th woman and the 1st person from a landlocked country to complete the Oceans Seven*, seven difficult long-distance swims around the world. She is also the only Czech holder of the Triple Crown** of long-distance swimming.    With her ultra-triathlon she aims to connect people and places and inspire others to break down and cross barriers in their own lives. If she can go from the UK to the Czech Republic under her own steam, then we really are closer to each other than we realise, we just put up unnecessary walls between us. She also tries to inspire others to overcome their own limits and show that these limits are often self-created.     (*) Oceans Seven include: English Channel, Gibraltrar Strait, Tsugaru Strait, Catalina Channel, Molokai Channel, North Channel, Cook Strait – all solo, non-wetsuit. See also: https://www.openwaterpedia.com/wiki/Oceans_Seven (**) The Triple Crown includes: English Channel, Catalina Channel, around Manhattan. https://www.openwaterpedia.com/wiki/Triple_Crown_of_Open_Water_Swimming    New episodes of the Tough Girl Podcast go live every Tuesday at 7am UK time - Hit the subscribe button so you don’t miss out.    Support the mission to increase the amount of female role models in the media. Visit www.patreon.com/toughgirlpodcast and sign up - super quick and easy to do and it makes a massive difference. Thank you.   Show notes Her love for swimming in the ocean Wanting to share her adventures  Her childhood and growing up in the Czech Republic  Learning to swim in Russia Not coming from a sports family  Hearing about the English Channel Starting meditation at 18 years old with Sri Chinmoy  Wanting to know herself better Wanting to step outside her comfort zone Going to university and getting into running Going after longer and longer distances Running a marathon doing laps “I can do more” Swimming the English Channel in 2011 Getting into flow while swimming Completing the Oceans 7 Challenge in 2018 Coping with the cold water Taking cold showers in the morning Being scared by sharks Beautiful moments while swimming Advice for going further with swimming  Tips and advice for recovery Sleeping for 7 hrs a night Being a Peace Ultra Runner  The Peace Run  Loving the 24hrs races When it gets difficult on the 24hr races Deciding on a new challenge The logistical challenges of putting the plan together Being dependant on the weather for the swim The training involved to get physically ready for the challenge How her body has changed from 34 to 44 Needing more time to recover Finishing in Prague “I can do it - I have already done it” Use your imagination even while training to tell yourself you can do it Why you should DREAM BIG!!!  Future dream challenges Adventure blues…. Thank you to Abhejali   Social Media   Website: abhejali.cz    Instagram: @abhejali

Rebecca Lowe is a freelance journalist from London who specialises in human rights and the Middle East.    In 2015-16, she cycled 11,000km solo from London to Tehran.    Her first book, THE SLOW ROAD TO TEHRAN, documenting her year-long journey, paints a living portrait of the Middle East through its people, politics and historic relationship with the West, and challenges much of the perceived wisdom about this region of the world. It was published in March 2022 by September Books in the UK and MVG in Germany.   During her career, Rebecca has written for the Guardian, BBC, Independent, Huffington Post, Economist, Sunday Times Magazine, Daily Mail, Evening Standard, Spectator and IranWire, as well as numerous travel, music and sports magazines.    From 2010-15, she was the lead reporter at the International Bar Association, where she focused on human rights and the rule of law, and in 2018 she contributed to the adventure travel anthology THE KINDNESS OF STRANGERS: TRAVEL STORIES THAT MAKE YOUR HEART GROW, published by Summersdale.    Rebecca is a Fellow at the Royal Geographical Society and holds a BA in English Literature from Cambridge University and an MA in Journalism from Stanford University, where she was awarded a scholarship.   New episodes of the Tough Girl Podcast go live every Tuesday and Thursday at 7am UK time - Make sure you hit the subscribe button so you don’t miss out.    To find out more about supporting the Tough Girl Podcast and becoming a patron please visit www.patreon.com/toughgirlpodcast.    Show Notes Who is Rebecca Being a journalist for over a decade Becoming interested in the Middle East  Deciding to quit her job and cycle from London to Iran Becoming a new mum while finishing off her new book The challenges of motherhood and juggling work Being adventurous and having an independent spirit Being into sports and playing with the boys Where her interest in the middle east came from  Always wanting to become a writer  Explaining what the Arab Spring is (2010- 2011) Her journey with cycling  Trying to find a bike via sponsorship Learning to cycle with Panniers Packing everything!! Not feeling prepared before the trip Learning how to deal with new situations Getting into her cycling rhythm Going from West to East Feeling overwhelmed by undertaking big challenges Concerns and fears before starting the journey  The challenges of being a journalist while travelling Taking precautions before the trip  The benefits of being a woman in the Middle East What it was like day to day Having a budget of £15 per day  Trying to avoid the heat The wonderful food! Learning different cultures  Getting to the end of the trip and being ready to finish Dealing with punctures Arriving into Tehran and getting to the finish line Missing the Uk  The lessons learning from time spend on the road Feeling more confident and being able to cope with new situations Connect with Rebecca Final words of advice  Start slowly and push those boundaries Why you can go on Big Adventures Mantra and powerful quotes   Social Media   Website: thebicyclediaries.co.uk     Instagram: @reo_lowe    Twitter: @reo_lowe