Tough Girl Podcast

Sarah Outen is an adventurer by land and sea, bestselling author and motivational speaker. Keen to encourage people outside and enable young people to access adventure, she is a proud ambassador and patron of a number of charities.  Candid about her own mental health struggles and journey, Sarah is keen to encourage others to seek help and share their vulnerabilities.  In November 2015 Sarah completed her London2London:Via the World expedition, a mammoth attempt to row, cycle and kayak 25, 000 miles around the Northern Hemisphere. The journey took 4.5 years and was all the richer for not turning out exactly as planned. 'Home', the feature film of that journey releases across the UK in October 2019.   *Please be aware that during this podcast we discuss, grief, trauma, and going to dark places.  Before you listen to this episode please just make sure that you are in a good space. Show notes Who is Sarah Starting on big expeditions after university Rowing across the Indian Ocean  Loving the outdoors  What we covered in the first episode  What happened in 2016  Why it’s been a messy few years Coming back from solitude  Agreeing to write a book in 3 months…. Having a breakdown in 2016 Getting married to Lucy Why it’s taken a long time to feel at home  How Sarah got through 2016 Losing confidence in herself  Coming back with huge amounts of debt Having dark thoughts  Dealing with un-resolved trauma  Finding the right therapies and support  Being reunited with her boat after many years Becoming paranoid and not able to trust many people  EMDR Therapy  Working with her body and releasing it from her body Taking care of herself and leaning to rest  Why the movie is called ‘Home’ Having clear boundaries about what she talks about  Why she no longer watches her film Making the film Filming the challenge Wanting to find the right film maker for the project Wanting to create a brave film  Connecting with Jen Randall  The sheer volume of footage!!! Raising money via a Kickstarter campaign!  Spending £90K on the film 18 months spend on the film and why it was a difficult process Winning award for the film! The creative process of making a film  Money and making money! Training as a child psychotherapist part time in London Wanting to write children books Doing smaller challenges and having balance in her life Quick Fire Questions  Social Media Book - Dare to Do: Taking on the planet by bike and boat  Website - http://www.sarahouten.com Film -  https://www.sarahoutenhome.com/film-screenings  Instagram @sarah_outen_home   Facebook  @sarahoutenhome  Twitter @SarahOuten    

Rachel, a 49 year old full time gypsy adventurer, a citizen of the world, meditator, cyclist, trekker, chef, scuba diver, yogi, mother, blogger and vlogger. Her passion is the journey to self discovery through meditation and adventure. Three years ago she gave away nearly all of her belongings (except a bicycle and two small boxes) to live a nomadic lifestyle. Rachel has just finished the first part of a world bicycle tour that originated in Bangkok, going through Myanmar, southern Thailand, and onto Malaysia and Indonesia. Currently Rachel is cycling through Indonesia. Three times a year Rachel goes travelling with her 12 year old son—Wexler, they have been on a reforestation project in Haiti, cycling in Denmark, learnt Spanish in Guatemala and gone scuba diving in the British Virgin Islands. In June 2019 Wexler and Rachel hiked the entire Oregon Coast Trail, 400 miles. Rachel is now a full time adventurer with no address or home. Through blogs, vlogs, and public speaking, Rachel hope to motivate, inspire, and possibly assist others to pursue their own adventures. Show notes Who is Rachel Where she is at the moment Being all about the journey and getting off the beaten path Growing up in a typical suburban household in the 1970’s Heading to Israel at age 20 for a year out studying during university Meeting her future husband The desire to go on longer adventures Deciding to walk the Camino de Santiago Taking 5 weeks to get clarity in her professional life Meeting the people who changed her life Having a lot of different careers Needed to go on an adventure Heading off solo  What happened on the Camino and making big changes Making the hard decisions Looking for something new The practicalities of making a change The Danish Man  Wanting to be a traveller  Falling in love Making the unpopular decision  3 years of being on the road The route - station in Bangkok The daily routine while out on the road Blogging and vlogging while on the road Being inspired while being on the move Final words of advice  Social Media Website - www.rachelyaseenworldwide.com  Instagram - @rachelyaseen   Facebook - @rachelthetraveler   Patreon -  @Rachelyaseenworldwide   Youtube -  Rachel Yaseen  

Paula in her own words… Combining business, adventure and positive psychology expertise - and being the world’s first Adventure Psychologist - I’ve created a tried-and-tested model to develop the wisdom, resilience and growth you need to thrive in these uncertain times. I am a trainer, facilitator and coach as well as a speaker, author and adventurer. Perhaps best described as a “Performance Catalyst”, my best self at work is when I am empowering and inspiring others – from primary school children to blue-chip leadership teams. In the non-organisational world, I have been described as “a female Bear Grylls only smoother”.  I have done 116 things on my ‘Living Life to the Full’ list and counting, including sailing around the world and skiing to the South Pole. I have written four books and speak internationally at conferences, schools and for charities. With 20+ years’ experience as a leader, consultant and coach, I believe in humanising business; making work enjoyable, energising and engaging for all involved. Having completed a Master’s Degree (MSc) in Positive Psychology and Coaching, I understand first-hand the power of a positive approach to life. We are all more capable than we think and more amazing than we realise. My passion in life is surfacing this in all of us. Accomplishments Skied full distance from Messner to South Pole: One of only 13 women in the world to do this Paddled 300 miles in dugout canoe: Srepok & Mekong rivers, Cambodia Sailed around the world: 35000 miles, the wrong way Cycled length of UK, Poland, Malta, Holland, Belgium, Luxembourg, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania Show notes Paula introduces herself Her living life to the full list Reflecting back on the past few years Getting married and going back to University New challenge - 50 Good Turns Part time - Applied MSc - Positive Psychology and Coaching Supporting her husband’s around the world sailing challenge 12 countries done so far The challenges of doing a good turn  Having people come and join her on the way Unique Cycling Buddies (UCBs) Why its been a challenging 2019 Supporting her partner Alex with his round the world challenge Dealing with stress and worry  Her coping strategy of just getting on with it Changing her view on adventures Doing her Masters! Getting her dissertation published in an academic journal Working while studying and trying to get headspace to think Starting a new business - The Adventure Psychologist Why adventure psychology should exist alongside sports psychology What adventure means… Practical advice  The concept of curiosity Meditation and mindfulness Having an active body and active mind Different forms of meditation  What else has been going on in 2019 Living with each decision for as long as possible Quick Fire Questions! Adventure Mind Conference Getting access to the Journal Article - Exploring the psychology of extended-period expeditionary adventurers: Going knowingly into the unknown   Social Media Website  - www.paulareid.com.  Twitter @ThePaulaReid   Instagram @ThePaulaReid      Article title: Exploring the psychology of extended-period expeditionary adventurers: Going knowingly into the unknown Article reference: PSYSPO_101608 Journal title: Psychology of Sport & Exercise Article Number: 101608 Corresponding author: Mrs. Paula Reid First author: Mrs Paula Reid First published version available online: 22-OCT-2019    

Véronique is a French-Canadian ultra-runner living in Singapore. Since her debut in ultra-running races, Véronique love to keep on pushing herself to go farther and beyond what she thinks is possible. In the summer 2015, she ran 3,010km in 72 days, self-supported across Japan. This is the equivalent of 1 full marathon a day for 72 days! Véronique has raced in Japan (Sakura Michi, 250km), UAE (Salomon Wadi Bih Run, 72 Km ) and in Germany (100 Meilen Berlin). In November 2017, Véronique came first overall at the 'Melaka Ultra 100' mile race in Malaysia in a time of 21h 24 mins! Her next big goal is to run the Africa continent from North to South. Approximately 14,000km in 1 year 3 months. Véronique is registered for the "Guinness World Record” and by completing this goal, this will make her the first female to accomplish it! Show notes Growing up in Canada Coming from a single parent family and being bullied when she was younger Doing marital arts from 12 years old Having a bad experience at 14 years old Thinking about death Her first big lesson in life and quitting  Being grateful for the challenging experiences Having an out of body experience at a young age Getting rid of her fear of water Getting into running Getting a treadmill in the house Not feeling confident to run outside Buying her first pair of running shoes Following a running program to run a marathon  Deciding to run across Japan! Where the idea came from  The difference between the plan and the reality  The kindness of strangers How her body coped with the demands of the run The mental side of the challenge The relationship with her daughter  Completing the challenge and dealing with the adventure blues Deciding to run the length of Africa and how it came about  Heading out to run the length of South Korea for training Dealing with the challenges of the heat Finishing the adventure by bike instead of running Advice and tips for women who want to get into running Social Media  Website  - www.veroniquerun.com Instagram - @veroniquerun   Facebook - @veroniquerun   Youtube - Veronique Run  

Anna Blackwell is an adventurer, writer, photographer and speaker with a love of the outdoors and pushing her limits. This has led her to pursue numerous adventures, from kayaking across Europe, spending five weeks trekking across the wilderness of Arctic Sweden alone, to walking 1,000 miles solo across France and Spain, and even hitch-hiking to Morocco. In Anna’s words This July I set off on a 1,000km solo trek across Arctic and Northern Scandinavia. I started at the Treriksröset (the cairn signifying where Sweden, Norway and Finland meet) and made my way south, following the length of the mountains on the Swedish-Norwegian border.  The expedition was self-supported, solo, and crossed some of Europe's greatest wilderness areas. I carried everything I needed (weighing in at around 25kg) and wild camped most nights. Travelling through such remote areas, I was often going up to four or five days without seeing any other people. Throughout this expedition I aimed to minimise my environmental footprint to the greatest extent possible, by working with with sustainability-focused organisations, choosing locally sourced food where possible, reducing my plastic waste and leaving no trace in the wilderness. I also opted to travel to my start point using trains and buses rather than taking an internal short-haul flight. Show notes Who Anna is and what she does What the Green Ribbon Expedition is and how it came about Creating her own route Committing to the challenge in May 2019 Learning more about the planning Buying a big map of the area Route planning and why it was so time consuming Figuring out resupply while out on the trail  Posting packages ahead of time Taking a few luxury items… Doing very little physical preparation The challenges of the weather Dealing with the midnight sun, mosquitos and very cold weather Being green on the expedition Spending 50 hrs on buses and trains Only working with specific companies who are trying to reduce their environmental footprint The biggest challenges she would have to face Why the first 10 days were going to be the toughest Being stung by a hornet…. Having to call an ambulance  Dealing with a lot of rain over the final 3 weeks Not knowing what to do Daily routine while walking Going with the flow  Getting up at 6am How busy was it on the route Navigation and making a few detours! Problems with the bugs Day dreaming! The process of absorption  Getting through the final 3 weeks Focusing on the small things The biggest lesson learned from  Heading back to university to do a Masters in Environment and Human Health  Future plans  Committing to be in Falmouth for the next year  Final words of advice and wisdom Social Media Website - https://annablackwell.co.uk  Instagram @annablackwell   Facebook @annablackwelladventurer   Twitter @_annablackwell    

Scottish ultra-endurance adventurer Jenny Graham has smashed her way into the Guinness world records by becoming the fastest woman to cycle around the planet. Last summer her ride took her 18,000 miles, over 4 continents, through 16 countries, completing the trip solo and unsupported in just 124days. To prepare for that challenge Jenny raced some bike packing routes including the Arizona Trail 750, Highland Trail 550, the Cairngorm Loop and the Yorkshire dales 300 and completed a winter LEJOG in four days! Show notes Jenny introduces herself Growing up in the Highlands of Scotland Being adventurous from a young age  Getting into cycling and mountain biking Lack of female role models growing up Loving the challenge of mountain biking Cycling to Bothies in Scotland and staying overnight Doing an outdoor course and getting to go skiing Getting work experience  Funding her life with a young child How her cycling developed The Highland Trail 550 and quitting the race 8 days in!!!  Wanting to go back and finish the race Getting a road bike and how it was a game changer in terms of the miles she could do Going on an Adventure Syndicate training camp Meeting her coach John Hammond and getting a year of free coaching Racing in Arizona  Round the world record…. Working through her internal fears The big questions - turning the dream into reality 1 Year of preparation and why it was the hardest year Sponsorship….and getting money Coming out on social media and telling the world what she wanted to achieve The rules and requirements for cycling around the world Deciding on the route Life on the road - what a typical day was like Aiming to ride 15 hrs per day Staying focused day after day  Having to be kind to yourself The WHY The saddle saga Dealing with the extremes in temperature Not having a day off and trying to rest on planes The struggle of organisation before and during the challenge Breaking the world record and going back to that day  Getting the adventure blues after the ride and adjusting back to normal life Why Jenny thinks someone will beat her record next year The biggest learning from cycling around the world Not seeing barrier anymore What the Adventure Syndicate is The Adventure Syndicate Podcast Quick Fire Questions Final words of advice  The next challenge Film! Book! Social Media  Website: jennygrahamis.wordpress.com Twitter: @jennygrahamis   Instagram: @jennygrahamis_   

In Lindsey’s words…   I’ve just finished cycling around Britain, connecting with wild swimmers.   Since mermaiding the Thames I have absolutely fallen in love with wild swimming. It makes me feel magically alive and I’ve never known such a welcoming, heart warming community quite like it. I received messages from all over the UK inviting me to swim with them. So, of course I made a plan.   In February, I cycled from Devon to the inaugural Scottish Winter Swimming Championship in Taymouth Marina and connected with wild swimmers en route. It was only meant to be for two weeks, but I was so high on adrenalin for that fortnight that I decided to carry on. And six months later, I finally hung up my dipping cossie and parked my bike   “Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn’t do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbour. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.” — MARK TWAIN Show notes Catching up with Lindsey Being based in Bristol for now Who is Lindsey! Being nomadic and loving the journey of life Having issues with commitment  Being an Urban Mermaid Deciding to swim the length of the Thames  Planning and preparation…. Plastic pollution…. Going to San Fransisco and deciding to swim from Alcatraz from to SF Bay Earning money and the types of jobs she does Being flown out to SF by Uber Living in Spain Deciding to swim the River Thames in November….. Being sick and not being able to keep food down How she acclimatised for the swim… 22 days to swim the Thames How the accommodation side of things worked Working with a small budget! The mental side of the challenge Why movement is so important Rescuing a cow in the River Thames Swimming with the Mermaid Tail Having no plans for after the swim Trying to put down routes How the idea for the next challenges came about  UK Cold Water Swimming Championships Deciding to cycle to Scotland Swimming twice a day on the 2 week journey unto Scotland How 2 weeks turned into 6 months Swimming with over 1000 people!! What it was like being out on the road The kindness of strangers The challenges of being on the rode and being so free Having some chill time in the bath Teaching English on-line Unleashing who she really is in writing Living with ADHD How she manages her ADHD Settling down?? Where in the world would you most like to go? Why she picked Bristol…. Meeting a boy…. Quick Fire Questions A book on swimming…. Social Media Website - https://www.lindseycole.co.uk  Instagram - @stompycole  

Sian Lewis is an award-winning travel and outdoors journalist and blogger who writes for titles including The Independent, Evening Standard, BBC Countryfile and Coast. She is also the editor of Active Traveller and Snow magazines. Her work as an adventurous writer has taken her around the world in the name of a good story and she also edits award-winning blog The Girl Outdoors, www.thegirloutdoors.co.uk, which encourages women to get outside and get adventuring. Her first book, The Girl Outdoors, was published by Bloomsbury in 2018.     Show notes Who is Sian What life was like growing up Being encouraged to follow her passions from a young age Studying Italian at University  Doing a Masters in Journalism Starting up her blog - The Girl Outdoors Being a Pioneer in the women’s adventure space How her blog was also her CV Getting her 2nd job in journalism Editing for Active Traveller Magazine Turning the blog into a full time blog or not? Balance  The type of content Sian likes to write Adventures that fit into her life Living in Bristol Her struggle with big mountains and altitude Doing volunteering with British Exploring Society  Qualifications…. Wilderness First Aid The Book - The Girl Outdoors: The Wild Girl's Guide to Adventure, Travel and Wellbeing Advice for women who are lacking confidence in the outdoors Wild swimming and being inspired by her grandmother  Swimming in Arctic, Scandinavian waters! Cycling  Gym life? Needing to work out most days How to keep fit while travelling Coming back from a month of travelling Spending time at home 2 weeks in Alaska Quick Fire Questions Social Media Website www.thegirloutdoors.co.uk  Instagram @sianannalewis    Facebook @thegirloutdoors   Twitter @sianannalewis      

Jo in her own words… My job title is now an Outdoor Instructor and Expedition Leader and since going self-employed I have led 30 expeditions on Kilimanjaro along with numerous other expeditions on foot, 2 wheels and horseback, most at high altitude, all around the world with both charity and private clients.   In the UK I teach and assess the expedition element of the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award from Bronze through to Gold as well as leading many a challenge on bike and foot in the UK and Europe. I also help to deliver corporate team building events and expedition training weekends as well as public speaking about my experiences before I discovered the outdoors, Everest, the earthquake and beyond to corporates, schools and groups. To be honest I never thought I would summit Snowdon even once so becoming the 3rd British woman to reach the true summit of Manaslu, the world’s 8th highest mountain standing at 8163m in September 2013 and then being the 36th British woman to reach the summit of Everest in May 2016 have been huge and unexpected achievements. I have gone from having severe vertigo and a great ability to say no way too often to facing my fears, saying yes more and turning my life around. I am now on route to complete the 7 summits and continue to raise funds and awareness for children’s mental health charity Place2Be. *Please note during this episode we do talk about grief and mental health. Please ensure you are in a good place before you listen to this episode.    Show notes Catching up with Jo How has it been 3 years! Who is Jo What does she do Coming to terms with climbing Mount Everest Getting back from Everest and going back to normal life Dealing with the expedition come down Sleeping for 10 days Dealing with the void after expeditions Being sponsored  What’s next?! Coming up with a plan to complete the 7 Summits (4 done - 3 to do!) Heading off to Alaska to climb Mount Denali - June 2017  Dealing with the death of her father at the end of 2017 Taking a break from the 7 summits in 2018 and focusing on mental health and work Going on a cruise with her mum  25th Anniversary of Place2Be Carstensz Pyramid closed and the trip being cancelled Hoping the unrest in Chile doesn’t cancel the next summit attempt  How she has changed since the earthquake in Nepal Why there is no Plan B or second chance The amazing sponsor!!!  Taking students to Everest Base Camp Finding a way to make it work Getting into debt How Jo approached climbing Denali  Why she wanted to climb Denali  Getting at fit as possible and wanting to be on top form Training with Dave the tyre! What the weather was like on Denali The 24hr walk out Coping mechanisms and practical pieces of advice “it’s just another day on the hill” Positive Polly & Negative Nelly Carry shit…. Reading - Rebecca Stephens Book - On Top Of The World  Reflecting back on 2018  Blog post - Mission Self-Destruct: successfully aborted Starting to drink too often Being proud of her mum Why there is no time frame on grief Quick Fire Questions Social Media Website  - https://www.jobradshaw.co.uk Facebook -   @jobradshawadventurer  Instagram - @_jobradshaw   Twitter - @_jobradsha  Support PLACE2BE - HERE   

In October 2018 Laura Marshall became the FIRST solo Australian woman to complete one of the world’s toughest ultra endurance triathlons - the Enduroman Arch to Arc!  In doing so she also broke the world record for fastest woman, non wetsuit, in a time of 81 hours and 28 minutes. This made her the 35th solo person to ever do the event and the 9th woman. She was also the 4th ever person to do the swim leg of the event without a wetsuit. ​This gruelling event involves a 140km run from Marble Arch in London to the coast of Dover, a 33km+ swim across the English Channel and a 292km cycle from Calais, France to the Arc de Triomphe in Paris.  If completing all 3 legs of the event under your own steam wasn’t enough, Laura has also elected to take the traditional approach to swimming across the English Channel in just a swimsuit and swim cap, something that within the realms of this particular event is relatively rare, as most competitors choose to swim in a full length wetsuit for added warmth and buoyancy.  As part of this event Laura is raising awareness and funds for beyondblue, an Australian organisation that helps people affected by anxiety, depression and suicide. Laura is a former Outward Bound Australia staff member (2004 to 2012). Laura lives in Canberra, ACT, where she works as a secondary school teacher. Show notes Who is Laura Growing up and getting into the outdoors Where it all started Working for Outward Bound in Scotland and then moving to Australia in 2004 The Enduroman Arch to Arc Applying for it in 2013 Loving the challenge of ultra races The application process for the race What’s involved in the race! Having to postpone for a few years due to uni work  Taking a year to train for the event Working with a coach and a nutritionist Joining a local swimming club Going part time to get the training in and the rest  The benefits of it being a supported race Why swimming was her weak point Wanting to be a professional athlete What a typical day was like Getting the nutrition right and doing fluids test and how that helped figure out her specific needs The mental side of the challenge, the high points and the low points Is it selfish to do challenges? Deciding to raise money for charity Sharing more about mental health Suffering from bi-polar The build up to the race Having a 10 day slot for the race Power naps and coffee! The sleeping arrangements Waiting for 12 hrs in Dover Why the swim was the big worry Dealing with the tides and currents of the English Channel Deciding to just swim in a costume and not a wetsuit Starting the bike ride in France Being good at day dreaming Being able to zone out while running or swimming Seeing the Arc de Triumph  Achieving her dream and celebrating!! What she learned from the whole experience Being persistent and consistent Adventure blues and getting past the challenge Why it’s ok to do adventures  Quitting her job! Plans for 2020 - a triathlon of New Zealand Self funding her challenges Living a simple life Quick Fire Questions. Final words of advice for women and girls who want to live a more adventurous life Social Media Instagram: @laura.marshall.a2a  Facebook: @LauraMarshallA2A