Tough Girl Podcast

In 2016 Sophie Rooney set off with the bold intention of becoming the first woman to run the length of Scandinavia. From Nordkapp (the northernmost point of mainland Europe) to the German border with Denmark (3000 km south) carrying everything she needed on her back. Initially accompanied by a fellow trail runner, Sophie finds herself thrown into a solo adventure running through some of the most rugged scenery Europe has to offer. Heading out to Norway, bears are top of Sophie’s worries. However, she is soon to find that these big grizzly creatures would be the least of her concerns.  In the first month alone having to battle extreme fatigue, dehydration, relentless bog, hunger and eventually illness, the odds are quickly stacked against her.  However, not willing to give in Sophie pushes on, often against the advice she has received from people back home. In doing so she finds herself on a journey of self-discovery which creates memories that will last a lifetime.  Listen to Sophie on the Tough Girl Podcast as she shares more about this incredible journey.  Show notes Her olympic dream Growing up with 6 siblings Starting swimming from a young age Wanting to do everything properly How her swimming evolved into kayaking Being inspired to do a big running challenge! How the run challenge evolved  Having 5 months to plan and prepare Flying off on the 1st August Having a good level of base fitness What training looked like Building up a kit list Funding the trip  Deciding how to share her story Getting into blogging  Struggling at the start Being scared of being left on her own Knowing that she could do it solo, but needing to be brave enough to make that decision Deciding to switch to the road Not feeling ready when starting the run Dealing with the fears and how they never went away Starting to get really really tired Having to call a doctor  Carry on or go home? Building her own self confidence Daily routines while out running Turning her blog posts into a book in 2019 Don’t over think things Supporting Mimi Andersons’s run across the USA Dealing with the disappointment of failure  Doing a relay race from Lands End to John O’Groats Moving to the Lake District and plans for 2020 Social Media Blog -  DaringMightyThings.Blog   Facebook @thesophierooney  Instagram @rooneysophi   Twitter  @thesophierooney  Book: Rundinavia: Running 3000km through Scandinavia 

Jacki Hill-Murphy MA, FRGS is an explorer, teacher, film maker and speaker and has spent the past few years exploring and filming some of the most inhospitable and remote places on earth. There are many reasons why she loves  being an explorer including gathering memorable experiences that last forever recorded on film and in writing, pushing herself to the limit and being loosed from her cultural moorings. Recreating the Journeys of the Early Women Explorers Project  Jacki has recreated the journeys of: Isabella Godin, the first women down the Amazon in 1769. This was done by travelling down the River Bobonaza in Ecuador and onto the River Pastaza in Peru in a dugout canoe and investigating the real truth behind her story at each landmark. Mary Kingsley, who climbed Mount Cameroon in Africa in 1894 by a new route and nearly perished from the shear enormity of the the undertaking. Isabela Brookes, who died in the Llanganates in Ecuador in 1912. This was part of the ‘Search for Gold’ expedition that she organised with Ken Hames of BBC Beyond Boundaries as survival leader. Isabella Bird, who crossed the Digar-La Pass in Ladakh on a yak in 1889. Jacki relived every aspect of Isabella’s book during her 150 mile trek which included finding the house she stayed in and having tea with the King of Ladakh. Kate Marsden who undertook a gruelling journey by horse, sledge and cart thousands of miles across Siberia to take relief to the lepers in 1892. Jacki replicated her journey as closely as possible on buses, trains and boats. Show notes Where her passion for adventure comes from  The different adventures she’s done since we last spoke The Amazon expedition Why you should announce your plans and share it with the world Figuring out how to make the journey happen Finding the one person who could get her down the river safely Funding the adventure  Liking to create opportunities for others The safety challenges of going to such remote places The impact of oil and logging on local tribes in the jungle The risks and dealing with fear Meeting the other members of the team Day to day life Figuring out the food The anti climax at the end of the journey Reflecting back on 2017 Moving house from the city to the countryside 2018 - The Lost Inca Trail The challenges of the jungle Following a 500 year old map… Leading a team of all women Walking the length of the River Thames Under the Sky Events Quick Fire Questions Heading to Nigeria The next dream - Sir Samuel and Lady Florence Baker Historical Trail (Sudan-Uganda)  Final words of advice to encourage you to explore the world! Social Media Website - www.jackihill-murphy.co.uk  Twitter:  @jackihillmurphy   Director of Under The Sky CIC www.undertheskyevents.org   

Sonya is a 42 year old Canadian who is currently hiking across Canada on the longest multi-use recreational trail in the world with her partner Sean.  The 24,000 km long Great Trail stretches from Cape Spear, Newfoundland to Victoria, British Columbia, and from Edmonton, Alberta to Tuktoyaktuk, Northwest Territories.  They began their journey in Cape Spear, Newfoundland on 1 June 2019 and hiked just over 3,000 km to Riviere-du-Loup, Quebec before the winter arrived.  They will head back to the trail in spring, and estimate they will complete their journey in fall of 2022. Sonya's love of hiking, camping, and the outdoors began as child during multiple school trips into the wilderness.  She built on these experiences in university, where she studied Conservation Biology and Forestry, and spent as much time as possible outside, doing field research on forest songbirds.  Her love of long-distance hiking began with Ontario's 900 km long Bruce Trail, and grew when she hiked the 800 km Camino Frances in Spain with Sean in 2016.  Together Sonya and Sean hiked across France on the Via Podiensis (GR 65) in 2017, and along Newfoundland's East Coast Trail in 2018.  After that they decided to make hiking a more central part of their lives, and after selling the house, donating most of their possessions, and leaving behind Sonya's desk job, they did a warm-up hike along the Camino Portuguese in early 2019 and then began their adventure on the Great Trail. As they hike, their goal is to share positive images and stories of their travels across Canada to showcase the amazing and diverse people, places, history, and landscapes that make up this country.  By sharing their passion for birds, hiking, and nature in person, on their blog, and through social media they hope to inspire people of all ages and backgrounds, but especially youth, to get outside, explore, and connect to nature through birding and Citizen Science. Show notes Who is Sonya Growing up in Canada Getting into hiking and nature The Bruce Trail, Canada Accommodation on the Bruce Trail Walking the Camino’s in Europe GR65 Her love of hiking The Great Trail in Canada - 24,000 km Their reasons for walking the Great Trail Planning to hike the trail How long would it take? Starting in the East Breaking it down into sections Time and money Walking for a cause Having a passion for birds Selling their home Being ready for a change The reactions of friends and family Concerns before the start Dealing with Hurricane Dorian Problem solving while on the trail Day to day life on the trail The highlights so far Bird watching on the trail Getting fit for the trail Taking it slower at the start Budgets and accommodation Stating section 2 in March 2020 What happens during the winter months Advice and tips for you to undertake your own challenges Why you need to try things out first Social Media Website: www.comewalkwithus.online. (has links to blogs for our hikes across Canada, the Camino Frances, Via Podiensis, and East Coast Trail)  Facebook: @WalkWithUsAcrossCanada Twitter: @TransCanadaWalk  Instagram:@comewalkwithusonthegreattrail 

Sunshine People was set up to highlight the changes in our society and the need to stay connected through kindness.  It has never been as important in our education and leadership with the shift towards technology to keep human connection at the forefront of our conversations.  Set up after her partner died on a charity cycle challenge the founder, Nahla Summers completes a challenge each year and asks people to show their support not by donating money to a charity but by doing an act of kindness for a stranger instead.  She had started by doing smaller challenges just asking her friends and family to do the acts of kindness. What started to emerge was a wave of kindness stories that was changing hearts and minds.  Ultimately, changing the way people saw the world and it inspired her to keep going and make her challenges even bigger.  In 2018 Nahla cycled 3,000 miles across America after purchasing her bike just six weeks prior.  She is a woman who understand the power of the mind and a ‘can do’ attitude.  2019 she walked from Swanage, Dorset to Gretna Green 500 miles visiting schools along the way promoting kindness through speaking, workshops and more sunshine people events.  She promotes the ties that kindness and a higher emotional intelligence and wellbeing has on society and wants to promote this from the bottom up. 2020 will see Nahla take on 20 challenges in 20 countries.  With a dedicated social media team and cinematographer on board.  A film will be produced and you will be able to follow the progress and antics of the challenges through social media.  All the challenges will be based on the principal of kindness.  Feed 100 people with £10, a day of free listening, give 100 hugs, build a well and so on.  The idea is start the biggest global movement towards kindness. Show notes Who is Nahla How Sunshine People started Losing her partner on a charity cycle ride The healing power of horses Grieving and going to climb Kilimanjaro Coming out of deep sadness Memories and Money? Doing acts of kindness Deciding to cycle across America  The goal of 1 Million acts of Kindness Being a yes person Being very corporate led Changing her job Accidental researcher of kinder Starting her American Cycle ride in San Diego Recording Daily Vlogs for Youtube Getting to the end of the trip The kindness of strangers The biggest challenge while cycling in America The lack of hard shoulders and dealing with trucks Dealing with real fears Not wanting to do this anymore… Knowing what the purpose is Finishing the journey across America  Wanting to keep on going Dealing with the adventure blues Wanting to keep busy  Walking 500 miles from Swanage, Dorset to Gretna Green The power of 10 mins… Free school talks and kindness workshops… The logistics of the walk and figuring out accommodation on the way The power of social media The challenge of accepting kindness “you inspire the uninspired” BIG TALKS 2020 - 20 challenges in 20 countries Figure it all out! 1 Million Acts of Kindness Kickstarted stating on the 1st March Final words of advice Social Media  Website  - www.acultureofkindness.co.uk Website  - www.sunshinepeople.org.uk Kickstarter Campaign - Find out more HERE! For any organisations to join up withe the 1 million acts of kindness they simply need to fill out this form.   Instagram - @sponsorkindness Twitter - @sponsorkindness  Facebook - @sponsorkindness  YouTube @SunshinePeople 

We first spoke with Mimi in December 2015, where she shared more about her early life, how she got into endurance running. During the first episode we go into more depth about some of the bigger challenges she has done, for example breaking the world record for fastest women running JOGLE (John O’Groats to Lands End - 840 miles) in the UK in 2008. (This record has since been broken in 2019 by Sharon Gayter - You can listen to Sharon share more about this on the Tough Girl Podcast.) “The only way of finding the limits of the possible is by going beyond them into the impossible” During this episode we catch up with Mimi and find out what’s she’s been up to since. We talk in detail about her dream of running across America, we talk about fears and failure and having to let go of running and try new sports.  Mimi talks really openly and honestly during this episode, I had a tear in my eye when I was recording it and a tear in my eye when I edited it. You have been warned it does get emotional! Show notes -  Quick update from Mimi Her dream of running across America in 2017 The planning and the preparation for the challenge Applying to Guinness for the World Record Starting in LA City Hall and running to City Hall in New York City Getting a hard time from other runners Planning with Google Maps Driving the route in advance  Getting the money together for the challenge Getting a crew together Speaking with Sophie Rooney (also on the Tough Girl Podcast coming 10th March!) Training and race strategy Having a sports psychologist  Having to postpone the run in 2016 Running for 1 minute at a time Dealing with the frustration 6 am, 7th September on the start line Having the whole world watching Switching off from everything and becoming very calm Dealing with criticism 2 women going for the world record…. The good and the bad of social media Getting stalked on the run and having to call the police The structure of her days Fuelling her body Her evening routine What’s going on in her head while running The 40th day… Recovery  The end of her running career Ride Across Great Britain  Riding a bike! Cycling!!!  Marv and Mavis  Cycling the Pacific Coast Highway  Hills on the PCH New book coming out in Spring 2021 Overcoming her fear of water Zoe Langley-Wathen - #100ScaryDays  Being a goal driven person  Plans and goals for 2020 5 Parks in America Ride Across America Naming her bikes! The footage from the run across America… Wise words from Mimi - “Small steps will lead to big things” Social Media Website - http://www.marvellousmimi.com Instagram @marvellousmimi  Facebook @MarvellousMimi  Twitter  @MarvellousMimi  

Bruna is a dedicated adventure sport explorer.  Bruna has solo-climbed the tallest mountain in the Western Hemisphere (Aconcagua, 23,000 ft), whitewater rafted the entirety of the Grand Canyon (226 river miles), and sailed across half of the Pacific Ocean, 6,100 nautical miles! During this podcast Bruna shares more about her early years, how she got into hiking and how her love of adventure has evolved. Bruna shares stories from hiking in the mountains and kayaking down rivers.   We also learn more about Conquer a new website to connect adventurers to new challenges!  Show notes Getting into the outdoors at the age of 20 How going to college changed her life and discovering the world of hiking Visiting the White Mountains in America How she added hiking into her life  Heading off to climb Aconcagua in South America Her reasons for wanting to climb Aconcagua  Ranked as number 4 for difficulty out of the 7 summits Deciding to do it as a solo trip Planning for 18 months Dealing with the logistics of weight and gear Deciding not to use porters The different emotions during the challenge Experiencing insecurity  Dealing with the lack of oxygen and how it affects you Base camps and weather windows Dealing with storms and a whiteout Going for the summit  Dealing with the aftermath  The deadly conditions of the mountain Making the smart choice Going back for another go Setting a big challenge every year  2018 Challenge  - White water rafting the Grand Canyon Applying for the lottery 2 years in advance! Pulling a team of 8 together! Struggling to find women to do the trip Taking on a new sport and the challenges of breaking into the community  Founder of Conquer  - “Push Your Limits”  Building resilience in tech and how it has applied to the outdoors Social Media Website - https://brunaadventures.weebly.com  Sign up for Conquer  -  http://launch.conquersignup.com/early 

Beth in her own words…. I’ve traveled a lot and have had what many would consider some pretty adventurous trips. I’ve completed (twice) the 25-day, 220-mile Snowman Trek in Bhutan (one of the most difficult treks in the world), climbed Mt. Kilimanjaro and reached the top at 19,341 feet, finished marathons in Hawaii, Tokyo, Portland and Seattle. I ran my first marathon at 50, ran five marathons that year (including two back-to-back marathons where one was an ultra at 31 miles), ran the Seattle Quadzilla (four marathons in four days) and have qualified for the Boston Marathon twice. I’m currently working on my next book, Be Bold: Discover Your Best Self Through Travel and Adventure. I’ve also written a guide For Women Traveling to India. In 2019, I ran the Epic5 Ultra (5 ultras in 5 days on 5 Hawaiian islands).  In 2020, I am running the 4 Deserts which consists of running 155 miles over six days in four deserts–the Gobi, the Namib, the Atacama and Antarctica.  Show notes Where her love of travel came from Being inspired by the National Geographic  Growing up in New Jersey, USA Starting to travel while in college Travelling to India for her first big trip Wanting to move closer to Asia Bringing a unique perspective on female solo travel Being able to be alone for long periods of time Travelling in the 90s  Not having structure while travelling  Starting her website in 2006 Encouraging other women to travel solo Starting a tour company Having the opportunity to lead a tour to Bhutan Fears of travel Victim blaming  The kindness of strangers The places she goes back to over and over again Getting into running Staring running at 45/46 P90X Training for the Snowman trek in Bhutan The limiting stories we tell ourselves  Deciding to run her first marathon at 50! Running 4 marathons in 4 days Running Epic 5 - 5 - 50k on 5 different islands What the Snowman Trek was like! - 220 miles, 25 day trek in Bhutan The physical and mental challenges of the trek Getting use to the repetition of the journey  How it changes when you are responsible for a group of people of the trek How journalling helped Why you have to keep on moving forward and to keep a good attitude. Epic 5 Ultra 2019 The 4 Deserts Race in 2020 Be Bold…. Expectations versus reality.. Training for the 4 deserts race - with the fist race happening in April 2020 She’s Bold Podcast  Final words of advice from Beth Social Media Personal Website - https://wanderlustandlipstick.com Website Wander Tours- https://wandertours.com  Be Bold Podcast - http://beboldpodcast.com  Facebook - @ShesBoldPodcast  Instagram - @wandergal  @bethwhitwa      

Helen shares more about her journey into cycling as well as the different challenge she’s undertaken.  In September 2015, Helen took her first foray into multi-day, solo bike touring by cycling the classic route from Lands End to John O’Groats (LEJOG). Helen cycled a distance of 1,000 miles in 13 days! In January 2016, Helen met Mike on Tinder! Through a mutual love of cycling and wanting to travel the world. They started planning a cycle trip around the world! After moving in together, working multiple jobs to save money. They started their adventure on the 4th April 2017. They returned in August 2018, married, completely in love with the world and one another! They rode over 30,000 km, through 30 countries. Helen shares more about the planning and preparation as well as the challenges of being on the road and what she learned from the experience. Helen also shares more about her next big challenge in 2020! It’s a BIG challenge!!!!! Please note during this podcast episode we do talk about mental health, and depression. Please make sure you are in a good space before you listen. Show notes Starting cycling in 2011  Being nervous while commuting  Growing up by the sea in Dover Where her passion for cycling came from  How it helped her mental health  Signing up for a 3 day trip from London to Paris with the British Hearth Foundation Deciding to do LEJOG (Lands End to John O’ Groats) Having a year to plan the trip  Why it was so tough getting to the start line  Wanting to do something for her Some of the issues with the route Learning to be flexible  Doing the LEJOG challenge solo The kindness of strangers The mental side of the challenge  Learning how to become self sufficient  Dealing with the breakdown of a relationship  Getting the support needed to help with depression  How Tinder turned her life around  Meeting Mike… Wanting to cycle around the world  Is it possible…. Taking multiple jobs to save money Building the bikes from scratch  Connecting on a deeper level Turning a joke/dream into a reality  Taking about the money and starting from scratch  Selling everything they owned, doing extra jobs, & getting small amounts of sponsorship Making the plan!!!  Saving £26,000  What it was like in the run up to leaving  The route, leaving Glasgow and getting the Ferry to Amsterdam   Making changes to the route and how they made that decision  2.5 months in China  Documenting the journey while out on the road Cycling from Perth to Brisbane Knee and glue problems The wedding!!!!! The honeymoon and why it wasn’t the best The end of the trip…. The transition back to normal life The next big challenge!!!!!!  Dealing with the pressure of the next challenge  Costs of the challenge and doing as much preparation as possible before 1st May  The power of setting a date  Social Media  Website - https://helenlangridge.com  Twitter - @HelenCycling  Instagram - @helen.langridge  

Chris is a wife, mother, and business owner who loves to get her hands dirty and feet wet. Her adventurous spirit shines through in her work as a writer, speaker, trainer, and consultant. She lives in the Pacific Northwest with her husband, teenage son, and two labs, Winston and Kiya. Chris and her husband Marty became the first American married couple to ski without guide, resupply or other assistance to the South Pole and became Guinness World Record holders. When not outdoors playing in the wild, you’ll find Chris leading creative discussions in corporate conference rooms and at off-site locations around the country. Show notes Chris introduces herself Working full time and doing adventures Not coming from an adventurous family Growing up with 4 siblings Enjoying spending time outside Not having access to the mountains Leaving college and taking her first professional job Starting to feel as though she didn’t below Taking a 4 month leave of absence  Deciding to travel solo  Going back to work…. Wanting to build a different type of life Starting her own consulting business Building a life which had more flexibility The steps taken to get into challenges  Developing skills in mountaineering  Climbing Mount Denali the highest mountain peak in North America Meeting her husband Marty on the Mountain! Switching from mountains to trail running Being all in on ultra running for 13 years Fitting family, work and adventure into life Taking it one day at a time Why you can’t do it all  Deciding on the next challenge - The South Pole Was it possible to do it on their own…  Do they have the skills? The planning and preparation needed to do this challenge Leaving their 12 year old son behind Balancing the risks of living a life of adventure while being a parent The 3 year journey to the start line Defining roles in the partnership  Working as part of a team Dealing with the fears of the unknown  How knowledge helped to calm fears Getting onto the ice for the start of the adventure! Keep moving forward with the goal of 15 miles per day 40 days….. 45 days worth of food… Running out of food… The reality of the situation and enjoying the journey? Dealing with the low points  The attraction of the challenge Can I do it Enjoying the journey… Writing a book about the challenge Quick Fire Questions Social Media Website - https://chrisfagan.net  Instagram @chriscfagan  Twitter @chriscfagan   Facebook @chriscfagan   Youtube  @3belowzeroexpedition   Book - The Expedition: Two Parents Risk Life and Family in an Extraordinary Quest to the South Pole (She Writes Press, September 3, 2019)

Nienke in her own words… I am an equine veterinarian and have travelled the world pursuing my career.  Although I have always been an active person I found the love for sports later in life and ended up reasonably good at it! I dreamt of becoming a professional athlete on the mountain bike and as an adventure/multi-sport racer and with the belief of my coaches I starting racing elite in 2013. I was however still working full time as a veterinarian and I ended up overtrained with a serious back injury which put a halt to my sporting aspirations in 2016.  I couldn’t really let go of what I was so passionate about and although running was not an option with the persistent pain I was feeling in my legs, I started to focus on mountain bike adventures.  This led to the dream of traversing the Great Himalaya Trail by mountain bike through Pakistan, India, Nepal and Bhutan.  The first leg was Nepal which I completed in December 2019 achieving a world first by mountain biking the Great Himalaya trail from Hilsa in the West to Phaplu in the east covering 1700kms, 85000m ascend and around 15 passes between 3500m-5000m with two passes over 5000m high. Show notes Who is Nienke  Getting into mountain biking and adventure racing  Being sporty as a child and growing up around Europe Getting into running while at university Moving over to New Zealand Being very shy Wanting to improve in the sport Meeting a guy… Qualifying for the World Championships Making huge improvements Having the right people around  Working full time while competing at an elite level Paying the price with over training Breaking her back Needing to slow down 6 weeks to recover Not understating what was going on  Pushing though pain… Chronic Pain or Chronic Injury How she coped  Not being able to be the athlete she once was Learning to love her body The dream of mountain biking in Nepal Being goal driven  The first step in making the dream a reality  What Nepal is like Going solo for the first time The plans for Stage 2 Doing the research The learning’s from this experience  Needing to have a positive mind Being grateful for everything she’s been through The adventure blues… Making some changes in her life Feeling really positive Advice for other women who want to make changes in their life Social Media Challenge Website - https://saikalako.com  Personal Blog - https://nienkeventures.blogspot.com  Instagram @nienkeventures @saikalako