Tough Girl Podcast

Sue is a passionate trail runner, cyclist and hiker.    During this episode Sue shares more about her life, the challenges she has faced as she entered her 50th decade as well as her goal to remain fit, active and healthy for the next 30 years. Sue is a lover of the outdoors and the natural world. She enjoys taking part in a variety of different adventures and challenges; from learning how to swim, taking on her first triathlon, running her first marathon and ultra marathon.    During this podcast, Sue shares more about her role models, her motivation and why she decided to apply for the Adventure Queen Grant in 2017.  Sue talks in details about her fears, and dreams and what she learnt from taking on a 1,300 mile human powered journey through the mountains along the spine of the Alps.   There are lots of top tips and advice which will motivate and inspire you, to get fit and active and to spend more time outdoors.    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.    The Tough Girl Podcast is sponsorship and ad free thanks to the monthly financial support of patrons. To find out more about supporting your favourite podcast and becoming a patron please check out www.patreon.com/toughgirlpodcast.     Show notes Who is Sue and what she loves The challenges of her 50th decade Her current focus for mid lift Wanting to keep active and healthy, and age well Growing up in the 1960s Building resilience at a young age Being inspired by teacher and her parents Playing hockey for over 40 years Having the freedom to play and explore Team GB winning the gold medal in hockey Motherhood and having 2 daughters Wanting to give her children opportunities Reading about Rosie Swale Pope - A little run around the world  Turning 50 Needing to put herself first  Taking on a new challenge every year Going to the SW Outdoors Festival  Meeting - Anna McNuff  Winning the Adventure Queens Grant in 2017 Advice for how to priorities yourself Committing the idea down to paper The mother daughter relationship The plan… Adapting the trails to suit their plan and abilities Spending quality time with your mum Creating magical memories Fears and concerns before heading out to the Alps Meeting armed police in the mountains What a typical week of fitness looks like The Tough Girl - March Daily Mile Challenge with Inov-8 Trial Running Magazine - Run 1,000 miles Community  Country Walking Magazine - Walk 1000 miles throughout the year Struggling for motivation in February Month long challenges…. Training her family… The importance of a community  Find Sue on line and follow along with her journey Find words of advice      Social Media   Blog - supersuebarrett.wordpress.com    Instagram @adventurequeenmother     Twitter @runnyhunny     Adventure Queens - A UK based, not-for-profit women’s adventure community – set up with the aim of delicately bringing down the barriers that prevent women from going on outdoor adventures and realising their full potential. Free to join, highly accessible and completely inclusive for anyone that identifies as a womxn.   Website - adventurequeens.co.uk    Listen To Anna McNuff on the Tough Girl Podcast   Anna McNuff - Running 2,300+ miles through Great Britain barefoot!    Anna McNuff - Racing in the Kathmandu Coast to Coast, New Zealand & her next challenge - Barefoot Britain!    Anna McNuff - Adventurer, Speaker & Mischief Maker!

On Thursday 25th February myself and Laura Kennington hosted a live event for mountain sports retailer Ellis Brigham focusing on endurance and mental resilience.    You can now listen to the audio from the live event via the Tough Girl Podcast.    Laura Kennington - is a British adventure athlete, author and speaker with a passion for the endurance capability of the human body. Previous adventures include cycling all 1600 miles of the world's longest coastal route in Ireland, cycling Scotland’s North Coast 500 route, running the length of Fuerteventura (100 miles) in 4 days and circumnavigating three of the Channel Islands using three different sporting disciplines.    Her most notable adventure (so far!) has been solo cycling 3700 miles along the North Sea-facing coasts of 8 countries, from Scotland to Norway. Laura is a strong believer in the positive impact that adventure and sport can have on children and adults alike, Laura uses her human powered journeys as a platform to inspire and encourage others.   Sarah Williams - is the creator of the award winning Tough Girl Podcasts and the founder of Tough Girl Challenges which is all about motivating and inspiring women and girls to get fit and active, travel and explore, and to encourage women and girls to have big dreams and to step outside their comfort zone.    Sarah completed the Marathon des Sables in April 2016 (6 marathons in 6 days across the Sahara Desert), in 2017 she thru hiked the Appalachian Trail solo and unsupported (2,190 miles) in 100 days. In 2018 Sarah cycled over 4,000 km from Vancouver, Canada via the Pacific Coast Highway to Cabo San Lucas in Mexico. Most recently  Sarah was in Australia walking the Overland Track in Tasmania.    Social Media    Ellis Brigham -  www.ellis-brigham.com    Laura Kennington - https://laurakairos.com    Watch the Live Event on Youtube - https://youtu.be/MzpkpGNCxEg

Gerlinde Kaltenbrunner's interest in mountain climbing developed while she was growing up in Spital am Pyhrn, Austria.   Her greatest dream—climbing an 8,000-meter peak—came true at the age of 23, when she succeeded in climbing the fore-summit of Broad Peak in Pakistan, at a height of 8,027 meters. She then put the money she earned as a nurse into different trekking and climbing expeditions to the Himalaya.   After climbing the Nanga Parbat—her fifth 8,000-meter peak—in 2003, she decided to become a professional mountain climber.   Today, Kaltenbrunner has climbed all 14 main peaks in the 8,000-meter series.    When she reached the summit of K2 (8,611 meters), she became the first woman to scale all 8,000-meter peaks without the use of supplementary oxygen. During this episode Gerlinde shares more about her journey into mountaineering and takes us up on K2, she shares lessons learned and how she moved forward after dealing with a friends death on the mountain.   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.    The Tough Girl Podcast is sponsorship and ad free thanks to the monthly financial support of patrons. To find out more about supporting your favourite podcast and becoming a patron please check out www.patreon.com/toughgirlpodcast.   Show notes Where her love of the mountains came from Being inspired at 8 years old by her priest Loving nature from a young age Watching a lecture on K2 and being inspired at 16 years old Going to Pakistan at 23 to climb her first 8,000m peak Telling her parents about her mountaineering dreams Wanting to climb without oxygen Working as a nurse and doing as much endurance training as possible Cycling 40km to work and back again Spending as much time as possible in the mountains Finding the right people to climb with  Female role models in mountaineering  How her grandmother inspired her passion Climbing Broad Peak (8,027m) in Pakistan Spending 6 days in Islamabad  Trying to save a life on the mountain The importance of drinking water at high altitude The importance of routine in high altitude climbing  Being very focused and not being able to enjoy the summit of Broad Peak Getting addicted to the high mountains Having a break of 4 years to save money and holiday time Why the learning should never end Being discriminated against and deciding to go in small teams Changing her strategy on climbing mountains  Being more selective on who she climbed mountains with  Climbing Nanga Parbat - the ninth highest mountain in the world at 8,126 metres (26,660 ft) above sea level Being ignored on the mountain by other climbers Not being allowed to break trail Making life long friends on the mountains Making 7 attempts on K2 Evaluating risks while on the mountain Walking for 39 hours to get back to base camp and away from the oncoming storm Losing a friend on the mountain Dealing with the aftermath of a death on the mountain and figuring out whether to keep climbing or not Accepting the accident  Deciding to change the route on K2 and go from the Chinese side Being very disciplined at high altitude Drinking at least 6 litre of water to help with blood circulation Being trapped in a snowstorm for 3 nights at over 7,950m The importance of staying calm and maintaining a positive attitude in tough situations Accept the situation and keep your mind positive and strong  The importance of team work and tolerance Deciding to continue with the K2 climb when others decided to turn back Having to accept the power of nature Getting another chance to summit  Being on the summit of K2 Sitting in silence for 50 mins to take it all in Having a life long dream come true     Social Media   Website - www.gerlindekaltenbrunner.at    Instagram - @gerlinde_kaltenbrunner

Yui is an educator, writer, and accomplished traveller who has been to more than 200 countries and territories, including Antarctica and the Arctic.   In 2017 she made history by becoming the first Asian woman to visit every sovereign country in the world. She also holds the record for being the first Singaporean to have visited all United Nations member states.   Her work centers around the use of language and she has a particular interest in world language families and comparative linguistics. She has knowledge of over twenty world languages, many of which are written in a non-Latin script.   A keen advocate of education as a means of empowerment, Yui is also the founder of a non-profit that supports education and other causes in developing countries.   Listen to Yui as she shares her story on the Tough Girl Podcast.   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.    The Tough Girl Podcast is sponsorship and ad free thanks to the monthly financial support of patrons. To find out more about supporting your favourite podcast and becoming a patron please check out www.patreon.com/toughgirlpodcast.   Show notes Who is Yui Her early life and family travel trips Being encouraged to try adventure sports Having a desire to explore the world Working with languages Gap years…. Starting to travel while at University  The goal of travelling to every country in the world Wanting to see as much of the world as possible Being motivated by curiosity  Planning trips around time and budget Being self funded Making travel a priority Travelling solo and the lessons learned The more challenging countries to travel to  Being mindful of the more high risk countries and taking appropriate precautions  Visiting Afghanistan Wanting to spend more time in Iceland visiting the DRC - the Democratic Republic of Congo The issues of getting a visa Travelling on a Singapore passport Finishing the challenge Starting a non-profit Travel post covid Future travel goals Follow on social media Words of advice for future travellers     Social Media   Website yuipowredford.com    Instagram    @yuipowredford  @travelyus1    Twitter @travelyus1

Ashley is a lover of the outdoors and is passionate about whitewater rafting and hiking.    Ashley has been dreaming about hiking the Appalachian Trail ever since she was a little girl when her and her father would pick up thru-hikers and give them lifts into town. After graduating college in 2018, it was the right time to commit to taking on this challenge. Ashley was sponsored by the Thru Hiking Syndicate which is where she got her gear from. After a false start on the AT, and forgetting her pants! Ashley soon got into the rhythm of daily hiking, gaining a trail name and a trail family, she completed just shy of 1,000 miles before having to leave the trail.    During this episode Ashley shares more about her dream, the challenges she faced getting to the start line, what it was like being plus size on trail, and providing lots of top tips on how to spend more time in the outdoors.    Ashley has made it her mission to help enlighten and encourage folks from every walk of like to enter the world of nature in a safe and fun way.   “Do not let anyone’s words stop you from enjoying what you love” - Ashley Manning.   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.    The Tough Girl Podcast is sponsorship and ad free thanks to the monthly financial support of patrons. To find out more about supporting your favourite podcast and becoming a patron please visit  www.patreon.com/toughgirlpodcast. It is super quick and easy to set up - and you too can be part of the mission to help increase the amount of female role models in the media.     Show notes Who is Ash Coming from a sporty family Getting into the outdoors Being inspired by her Dad and Uncle Pollywog hunting Growing up in a small town in the Appalachian Mountains Chasing frogs and tadpoles Outdoorsy, dirty, romantic lifestyle Raft guiding in the summers  Hiking for weight loss Reclaiming the word ‘fat’ Appalachian or Appalachian Trail? How to pronounce it…. Hiking on the AT Where the dream came from  Being inspired by her cousin  How the dream fell into place Feelings of shame Dealing with a lot of stress “Nothing will really prepare you for the Appalachian Trail, like doing the Appalachian Trail” Self reflection before the trail Being able to start with a friend Starting on a cold, wet, muddy day! Dealing with the challenges of the AT Being ok with type 2, type 3 and type 4 fun! Dealing with her mental health and emotions while on the trail Keeping going when times got tough The encouragement of other is a huge factor Trail names Being ‘othered’ while on the AT Trail family life An average day hiking on the Appalachian Trail Getting gear together for the hike Being part of the Thru Hike Syndicate (People who are doing big thru hikes in the USA)  Being collected from Virginia by her mum Feeling defeated  Feeling sad about leaving the trail Tearing her ACL and the recovery process Top tips for you to spend more time in the outdoors How to follow Ash on social media   Social Media   Instagram @ashleysadventure    Unlikely Hikers @unlikelyhikers    You can also listen to Ash on the Unlikely Hikers Podcast - Episode 8

Dani is a storyteller, strategist, advocate, and professional big mountain athlete redefining who plays outside and how we build community with others on this planet.   Originally from Southern California, she has traveled through Argentina, Chile, Mexico, Peru, Andorra, Canada, and the USA building her craft as a split board mountaineer (plus climber, surfer, and runner) since 2014, when she graduated from corporate life with a one-way ticket to South America.   Ever since then, she's worked to build a life AND career she loves, in spite of setbacks, naysayers, and building everything from scratch.   Her goal?    To inspire individual action and collective communion through self-care and self-determination found in the outdoors.   “I want to find the limits of my possible—whether in the mountains, my creative work, or as a strategist—and travel into the higher reaches of the world that vests me with this power. To grow as individuals, communities, and a society, I think we need to embrace discomfort. This is how we evolve.” - Dani Reyes-Acosta     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.    The Tough Girl Podcast is sponsorship and ad free thanks to the monthly financial support of patrons. To find out more about supporting your favourite podcast and becoming a patron please check out www.patreon.com/toughgirlpodcast.   Show notes Who is Dani Growing into adventure Not taking the typical path Her dreams as a little girl Going to college and combing her love of the sea with her desire to give back to the world Studying Marine Biology Growing up in a strict catholic family  Wanting to connect with the bigger world around her How her career evolved Deep dive into how she got to where she is now Wanting to start a non profit in South America Being burnt out from university  Getting into marketing  Dealing with the economic crash of 2008 Starting to work for Nike in 2012 Having to make a decision about adventure  Deciding to become a mountain person Work hard and play hard Using meet-up.com to connect with people Not knowing anyone in Oregon How her life got consumed by work in her late 20s Exiting an unhealthy relationship in 2013 Turning her life upside down in 2014 Buying a one way ticket to South America Buying a car Spending 9 months driving around  Why deciding on South America Setting new goals and new priorities  The life that everyone else is impressed with Putting pen to paper Setting new goals  Making goals apart of her process Talking money and making money from your passions Having a broken knee Van life realities  Follow along with the journey  Final words of advice   Social Media    Website danireyesacosta.com    Instagram @notlostjustdiscovering   Facebook @notlostjustdiscovering

Helen Mort has published two poetry collections with Chatto & Windus, ‘Division Street’ (2013) and ‘No Map Could Show Them’ (2015).    She won the Fenton Aldeburgh Prize for best first collection. Her novel ‘Black Car Burning’ was published in 2019.    She teaches creative writing at Manchester Metropolitan University and she is also the author of ‘Lake District Trail Running’ (Vertebrate).    Her new book is ‘Never Leave The Dog Behind’. Inspired by the story of Missy, a German Shepherd who was abandoned by two hikers in the Canadian Rockies, the book explores the relationship between people, dogs and the great outdoors, comprising interviews with dog owners and experiences with a variety of dogs as well as Helen's own observations as a runner and pet owner herself. This is a book for anyone who loves dogs or has ever been dogged by loneliness and found solace in animals and landscapes.    Helen in her own words:   “I’m a mum to a toddler, a step parent, a trail runner, climber and all round outdoor enthusiast. I love the Peak District and get out whenever I can. I grew up in Chesterfield. I love dogs, books, dancing and real ale.”   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.    The Tough Girl Podcast is sponsorship and ad free thanks to the monthly financial support of patrons. To find out more about supporting your favourite podcast and becoming a patron please check out www.patreon.com/toughgirlpodcast.   Show notes Getting into fell running as a teenager Spending a lot of time in her own company Not looking like a runner Having a lot of stamina at a young age Doing the beep test at school Dealing with a foot injury and having a break from running Exploring different types of running Running for the experience of running Getting into climbing in Derbyshire  What does adventure mean to Helen and how it’s changed over the years Sharing adventure with someone else Her dreams as a little girl Always been a writer and getting interested in poetry  Connecting with other writers and poets Being able to make a living as a writer Becoming a poet in residence  Book - Waymaking - An anthology of women’s adventure writing, poetry and art.  Heather Dawe - Adventures in Mind  Telling stories from a female point of view Book - Never Leave the Dog Behind  The personal narrative behind the book and being scared of dogs  Getting over her fear of dogs How her relationship with the mountains changed after getting a dog Exploring the relationship between people and dogs in the mountains in a non fiction book #NeverLeaveTheDogBehind What does it mean if you invite the black dog into your home Having a reason to get out everyday  Dealing with challenging moments Being present in the moment What a perfect day in the mountains looks like Getting back into the mountains with a toddler Setting more manageable fitness challenges Motherhood and mental health challenges Getting back to fitness after having a baby Knowing that running clubs are not the right choice for her Running as and when Managing during Covid  Book - Trail Running Guide   Final words of advice to spending more time outdoors      Social Media   Website - www.helenmort.com   Twitter @HelenMort

Lee Vue is a creative professional with deep knowledge in communications and digital strategy committed to social impact. She graduated from the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities with a degree in political science. Her professional career spans across multiple industries that include startups, academia, small businesses and nonprofit organizations.    As a current board member of Camp Menogyn, Friends of the Boundary Waters Wilderness and Building More Philanthropy with Purpose (BMPP) Giving Circle, she’s passionate about bringing the voices of underserved communities and communities of color to the climate, philanthropy and social justice movements.   When she’s not immersed in creative work and creating content, she’s exploring wild places.    Through YMCA Camp Mengoyn (2007), she spent 50 days paddling the Kazan River and Kunwak River in the arctic tundra of Canada.    In 2013, she paddled the entire Mississippi River (2,300+ miles) and then the following year, she paddled the Illinois River (200+ miles).    In 2016, her team won first place in the Women’s Voyageur Division in the Yukon River Quest, paddling 444 miles in 53 hours.   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.    The Tough Girl Podcast is sponsorship and ad free thanks to the monthly financial support of patrons. To find out more about supporting your favourite podcast and becoming a patron please check out www.patreon.com/toughgirlpodcast.   Show notes Her cultural background  Being a Hmong American Working as a creative in the communication space A personal family history  Not growing up with the outdoors Going at a summer camp at 13 years old Starting to love the outdoors Sharmanism and how being in the woods can make you vulnerable to evil spirits  Managing suspicions while in the woods Having 8 sisters and 4 brothers Studying political science in college and going to explore South East Asia Balancing the two cultures  Wanting to move the needle with regards to climate action How the outdoors is dominated by white people Being the only person of colour at summer camp The flow to nature and how it does not discriminate  Paddling the Kazan River and Kunwak River in the arctic tundra of Canada.  Being dropped of in the middle of nowhere to start the adventure! The magical moment on the river Going on a once in a lifetime experience Being young and reckless and feeling invincible The possibility of youth Taking on the Mississippi River in 2013 The North South divide in America  Feeling unsafe as a person of colour paddling on the river The disconnect in environmental education Spending 70 days on the water Feeling unsafe and vulnerable The team dynamics and only meeting people on the start day Being the peace maker and being good in large groups Handling stressful situations  Finding the positive twist on challenging situations Getting into photography The power of capturing imagery Being fascinated with change and transformation The Yukon River Quest, paddling 444 miles in 53 hours To poop in the canoe or not? Feeling angry and miserable during the Yukon River Quest Reaching a low point on the trip Ending up in hospital, not being able to breath Paddling through the night and dealing with sleep hallucinations  Eating a lot of boiled eggs… What adventure means to Lee Words of advice to motivate and inspire women of colour to get outdoors Privilege and sacrifice Why you should create your own opportunities   Social Media    Website https://www.lumielumie.com/    Instagram  @lkvue https://www.instagram.com/lkvue/    Twitter @leevue https://twitter.com/leevue

EmmaLucy Cole is a UK-based speaker, writer, explorer and researcher. She is a fellow of the Royal Geographical Society, Associate Fellow of Higher Education Academy as a lecturer and co-director of the Vicarious Festival of Travel Storytelling. EmmaLucy is currently studying towards a PhD at the University of Bristol, researching how travel writers represent Arabic and Middle Eastern (SWANA) cultures.   After over two decades spent studying and representing North African and Middle Eastern cultures, in 2011 EmmaLucy decided to sell everything she owned in order to spend six weeks with a Bedouin tribe in Sinai, learning Arabic and researching local culture. Two years later she finally left, not only having gained a ginger Bedouin cat (called Bryan) and a myriad of stories, but also witnessing first-hand some of the ways in which marginalised groups can be misrepresented.   With this habit of visiting places and forgetting to leave, she has developed the concept of Downward Exploration: rather than travelling long distances and seeing many places superficially, this type of exploration allows us to focus in-depth on communities and local environments, learning about the cultures, habits, food and history – and forming connections which allow for deeper understanding and more ethical representations.   In 2018 EmmaLucy attended the Adventure Travel Film Festival in London and decided that motorcycles could be a powerful tool for connecting with people in marginalised cultures; crossing gender divides and enabling mobility and independence whilst on the road researching. She passed her test within a few months, bought a Triumph, and began exploring. She has presented talks at events such as the Overland Event UK about the joys and challenges of being a solo woman researcher, explorer and biker.   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.    The Tough Girl Podcast is sponsorship and ad free thanks to the monthly financial support of patrons. To find out more about supporting your favourite podcast and becoming a patron please check out www.patreon.com/toughgirlpodcast.   Show notes Who is EmmaLucy and what does she do Her early life growing up and spending time in the outdoors Not being sporty  Doing a degree in Fine Art and a Masters in English Literature  Being interested in Nomadic Groups Being inspired by the English Patient book Being invited to spend time in Egypt  Bedouin culture Her passion for learning languages  Learning Arabic for the past 12 years Going for 6 weeks and ending up staying for 2 years Not being able to earn money in 2008 in the UK Selling everything she owned and doing some basic teaching to earn money Living in Sinai and what day to day life was like Living in a hut by the edge of the red sea Wifi Deciding to move back to the UK Studying for her PhD at the University of Bristol  The concept of downward exploration  Wanting to learn more by going back to the same places Writing (reflective and observational) while travelling  Film and photography What adventure means to EmmaLucy Learning how to ride a motorbike before her 40th birthday Handling challenging situations  Vicarious Festival - Celebrating cultural diversity through travel literature and photography.  Getting into sports, health and fitness Figuring out what she enjoyed and what felt good Food and culture Becoming a Fellow of the Royal Geographical Society (RGS) Coping during Covid and not being able to travel Funding this lifestyle Final words of advice and learning how to say no Refine and create your own story Don’t judge yourself    Social Media   Website: emmalucycole.com   Twitter: @emmalucycole   Instagram: @emmalucycole    Patreon @emmalucycole

Monisha Rajesh is a British journalist and travel writer whose writing has appeared in Time magazine, The New York Times, The Guardian, Vanity Fair and The Sunday Telegraph in which she wrote a monthly column about travelling the world by train.    Her first book Around India in 80 Trains (2012) was named one of The Independent’s top ten books on India, and her second book Around the World in 80 Trains was published in 2019 to great acclaim.    Monisha was born in Norfolk and mostly raised in Yorkshire – with a brief stint in Madras. She currently lives in London with her husband and two daughters.   Show notes Who is Monisha Moving to India when she was 9 years old Doing a French Degree at Leeds Moving to London Where her love of travel comes from Moving around a lot when she was younger Wanting to travel around India via trains F28 The cultural aspects of travelling The magical moments from India Her writing process Using a paste board Fitting writing into her life Writing her second book being 8 months pregnant Feeling happiest when writing  Planning an around the world train adventure The route Day to day life on the trains The community on the trains The epic train journeys The Qinghai–Tibet railway  Being ready to head home The challenges of travel in North Korea Arriving back into London Sending 7 months on trains around the world The 3rd Book! The importance of sustainable travel The challenges and stresses of air travel  Buy from an independent book shop! Buy signed copies of her books from - Queen’s Park Books      Social Media   Website - www.80trains.com    Twitter @monisha_rajesh    Instagram @monisha_rajesh