Tough Girl Podcast

Di is a global leader and award-winning woman of influence who has inspired more than 30,000 people off the couch through shared hiking adventures, while raising over $30 million for charity and helping women lead adventurous lives they love. She does work she loves with people she loves the way she loves and she’s keen to help families, friends and workers do the same. She is passionate about motivating women to lead adventurous lives they love, creating pleasure, power and productivity from hiking adventures. She has climbed many extreme altitude peaks and holds the record for the world’s highest handstand on Mt Ama Dablam, 6,982m, Nepal. Show notes Growing up and having an adventurous spirit Having a difficult time as a teenager  Looking for alternative places to achieve her dreams Being called - bossy when she was younger Learning about leadership Getting injured after becoming the Australian National Champion in Gymnastics Deciding to become a PE teacher Discovering adventure in her 40s Turning 40 and why it was worse than turning 30! Going to climb the highest mountain in the Southern Hemisphere! Being told she was a bad mother… Not summiting Aconcagua and what she learned from this ‘failure’ The importance of having a goal booked in the calendar How she handled the haters Not making decisions based on fear Maintaining the motivation over the 6 months before the challenge Having a goal buddy How she was feeling at the start of the challenge Life on the mountain, fearing for her life and learning about herself The disappointment of not making the summit Deciding to start - Wild Women on Top The power of failure and why you learn the most from failure Going back 8 years later to summit Aconcagua! Having a surprise baby in her 40s Being a mum to 3 children and dealing with the end of her marriage Coming up with the idea for Coast Trek  Inspiring over 30,000 women and raising over AUS $30,000,000 for charity  Using adventure to help her over come the challenges in her personal life Walking 100K and how it pushes you mentally and physically  Building your own inner strength Words alone are not enough - you need to take ACTION Going to climb Mount Kilimanjaro & Mount Elbrus Living and breathing the mountains and trekking The fear of going back to Aconcagua and not making it to the summit again Working as part of a team Turning 60 next year! (60 adventures in one year) Turning 50…. and heading to Everest base camp Turning a negative into a positive Advice for younger women - trying new things and trusting your body Coast trek  - Sydney & Melbourne  Book - How to prepare for world class treks   Social Media Twitter - @DiWestaway  Instagram - @diwestaway Facebook - @DiWestawayCEO  Wild Women on Top Website - https://www.wildwomenontop.com  Twitter - @wildwomenontop  Instagram - @wildwomenontop   Facebook - @wildwomenontop       

Bex started out with her blog, The Ordinary Adventurer, in 2016 and a year later founded Love Her Wild. In just over a year, she grew the community to over 5,000. Her blog now receives over 10,000 visitors a month and she regularly delivers talks and sell-out expeditions. She was shortlisted for TGO personality of the year 2017 and made the 2018 San Miguel Rich List. Since we last spoke with Bex in 2017, Bex has gone on to do numerous challenges and expeditions, which have included; kick scooting the length of the United States from Vancouver in Canada to Mexico, hikes in Israel, climbing mountains in India and eco trips in Africa. During this podcast Bex shares more about her adventures, the issues of fundraising, getting sponsorship, how she handles the stress of being on the road and making decisions, and why after 3 years she has decided to have a permanent base for a while.   Show notes Where is Bex currently? Kicking the States! 1750 miles from Canada to Mexico on a scooter! Putting personal adventures on hold Doing a big challenge which hadn’t been done before Deciding to fundraise for charity Heading off in May and not having much time to prepare Having to share your trip on social media Feeling under pressure Getting the trip sponsored by Vivo Life The pressure and challenges of fundraising  Why raising $10,000 is one of the proudest moment of her life The challenges she faced on the road Legs & scooting!! The John Wayne Joke! Her scooter muscle!! Having a 3 month visa The unknown factors and trying not to stress about it Going back to the start of the trip in Vancouver Handling the uncertainty and getting use to it  Doing an expedition with her husband - Gil Finishing the challenge and the relief she felt and being ready for it to be over What happened after the end of the challenge Heading off to India and leading a hike in Israel What Love her Wild is and how it came about “The Everest Adventure” The gap for all female expeditions So many different expeditions to choose from! Focusing on conservation and being environmentally friendly as possible Working with whale sharks in Tanzania! Going on an adventure with Cal Major and Holly Hughes (who have both been on the Tough Girl Podcast!) The problems she faced on the hike Handling the issues and problems and how she handled them Doing what she needs to do  Deciding to change from being nomadic Going to move to Bristol Why travelling stopped being fun Why normal living is not a negative thing Deciding on Bristol and why it was a quick decision Plans for 2019! Where to connect with Love Her Wild Advice and tips for other women to find their wild   Build Your Brand Workshop 6th & 7th April  —>> LONDON More info can be found HERE —>>  https://www.loveherwild.com/build-your-brand-workshop/  

Georgina credits the mountains and a life of adventure to shaping who she is today. She is passionate about sharing the gift of adventure and wellness with others to unleash the power within and enjoy life a bit better. Georgina is a social entrepreneur, adventurer, public speaker, consultant, and coach combining over a decade of Corporate, Start-up, and Adventure experience. She is a social innovator working to accelerate gender equality globally and exploring new ways to unleash full human potential in life and business from a holistic mind, body, spirit approach. She's passionate about building healthier and more socially conscious entrepreneurial ecosystems that combine business and spirituality. She firmly believes that women are the world's largest untapped resource and that given the proper resources and equal opportunities they can change the world. She’s on a mission to do her part to change this statistic.  As an accomplished mountaineer, climbing 6 of the 7 highest peaks on each continent, including Mt. Everest twice, she is fascinated by the power of human potential. She loves working with people to help them unleash their full potential and bring to surface conscious and subconscious roadblocks in order to help them reach their dreams, goals, and objectives in business and life. She is currently in the process of completing the Explorer Grand Slam, a feat that less than 15 women globally have completed.  Georgina credits the mountains and a life of adventure to shaping who she is today. She is passionate about sharing the gift of adventure and wellness with others to unleash the power within and enjoy life a bit better.  Show notes Who is Georgina Coming from a small family Growing up in LA and San Diego Now living between the West Coast and Amsterdam  Getting into the adventuring world and being an unlikely adventurer Discovering rock climbing How being playful could benefit your life Going above 10,000ft Not being able to run a mile Figuring out what your body can do  Deciding to go public with her goal of the 7 summits - 2007 The article that changed her life Being 10 years into her challenge Why the result don’t always come over night Climbing Mount Elbrus  Saying her goals outloud for the first time Being brought up in a traditional Latino household A message from ‘a real climber’ How she keeps going after her goals even without family support How she decided when to summit Mount Everest Deciding to climb Mount Denali first (May 2010) Not making it up Everest on her first attempt (2011) Learning from failure and why her approach in 2013 was different Spending 30 hours in the Death Zone Making the decision to turn around Getting over the “failure” Why you need to train your mind How Georgina pays for her adventures The misconception about sponsorship and money The remaining challenges Saving Antarctica until last She Ventures Life is trail and error Top tips for you to step outside your own comfort zone   She Ventures  Website -  www.sheventures.co  Facebook -  @SheVenturesCo   Personal Website - www.georginamiranda.com  Instagram - @gg_miranda   Twitter - @georgina_here  Facebook -@georginamiranda0      

Following the breakdown of her marriage and at the age of 48 in 1998 Jacqui decides to leave her job in health visiting and set off on a years adventure, alone backpacking in South East Asia. This was to be the beginning of a journey that left conformity a distant memory. Finding herself bitten by the travel bug she then set off again, at the age of 50 with the Dutch Man this time combining her love of travel with her other passion … motorcycling. During this podcast Jacqui share stories from her 7 years on the road, where she visited 20 countries with no plan. Jacqui speaks with warmth and an openness, sharing the mishaps, the mistakes, the broken leg, the food, and how she dealt with storms, castaways and pirates!  Show notes Currently living in Tasmania, Australia  Heading off to go backpacking at 48 Having her marriage breakdown Liking travelling and meeting awesome people Meeting the Dutch man Deciding to buy a motorcycle to travel around the world Deciding to travel solo  Reactions of friends and family when she headed off to go travelling at 48 Wanting to get away from it all The plan for her year off Never being on her own before Staying in a hotel for 3 days and crying Learning who she was Wanting to slow down and to go at her own pace Being frugal and managing a budget while travelling Making mistakes and being wrong How her confidence has grown over the years Being a people pleaser and wanting to change that Heading back to the UK after her first gap year and seeing that nothing had changed Deciding not to go back to her old job as a health visitor The return of the Dutch man! Moving back in with her mum Deciding to buy her own motorbike Riding with a partner throughout India Riding from India into Nepal, then spending time in Pakistan Breaking her leg Getting back on the bike after the  crash Why she loves Australia Dealing with pirates, storms and castaways! Sailing with interesting characters…. 7 years of travelling and being on the road Travelling with guilt  Taking another 7 years to write a book The difficulties of heading home  Doing an A’level in history The next part of the journey  Plans for 2019 - “Plan what plan?!” Advice for going with the flow and why you have to want to      Social Media Website - www.jacquifurneaux.com/  Facebook - @JacquiFurneauxTravels   Instagram - @JacquiFurneaux   "I have found that all I need in life is the right attitude. And what can be comfortably carried on an Enfield." Jacqui Furneaux  

Jenny is passionate about human powered endurance challenges and loves combining this with her love of the mountains. At the moment, Jenny is making her way around the globe, running across a mountain range on every continent. In 2016 she ran across the Tien Shan of Kyrgyzstan, in 2017 she ran across the Atlas of Morocco, and most recently ran across the Bolivian Andes. In 2019 Jenny will be tackling her fourth expedition, the Southern Alps in New Zealand!  Jenny first came on the tough girl podcast in February 2017 when she shared more about her first challenge, exploring the Yukon of North Canada by cycling over 3,000 km. After her ride to Yukon, suddenly being fit enough to take on a running endurance challenge seemed like a possibility. Jenny decided to run solo, self-supported across Kyrgyzstan over 900km! On the Tough Girl podcast, Jenny Tough shared stories from several of her adventures and the lessons she learned along the way. Whether you’re thinking about a major challenge or want a little more adventure every day, you can learn something from this incredible woman. Show notes Her next big challenge  How the idea came about Loving the mountains and her passion for running Being looked after by local people Deciding on her 2017 challenge Getting into the zone Moving from the survival stage to the thriving stage The Atlas Mountains in Morocco The planning of the trip Making it up as she goes along (to a certain extent!) The excitement! Getting in shape for the challenge Getting injury proof The gear:- backpack - poles - shoes Fast packing Why weight is everything Mental preparation and dealing with the unknown The fear and doubt Be the expedition buddy you wish you had brought Tricking your brain Covering 55k on her first day Meeting the Berbers Over coming language barriers The beauty of the desert The challenges of North Africa Dealing with the Police Not being able to enter cafe and restaurants Helping to change attitudes Adventure blues and finishing the challenge Recovery time after a challenge Trying to get better at patience Her 3rd run- October 2018 heading off to Bolivia Dealing with the altitude Dealing with bad weather and storms Doing constant risk assessments Insurance Paying for the challenges Her plans for New Zealand - only 1200 km! Being an introvert and dealing with the remoteness Being more mindful when using a camera Social Media Check out Jenny’s website - www.jennytough.com Jenny is on Twitter @JennyTough  

Callie 32, is a winter sports enthusiast who loves skiing and being in the mountains. She grew up in Southern California, before moving over to Alaska. One of Callie’s first challenges was bike touring from Dushanbe, Tajikistan to Ulaan Baaar, Mongolia. Callie has then gone on to successfully climb Mount Denali the highest mountain in North America and Aconcagua the highest mountain in South America.  Both were unguided expeditions! Her most recent challenge led her to complete a 5,000 mile unsupported ski, kayak and bike from Arctic Russia (in mid-winter), to the Bosporus Strait in Istanbul!  During this podcast Callie talks about her journey, the challenges she has faced along the way, the high points, the low points, the dangers and realities of being out on the road. What she has learned about being brave and why women should get out there. Show notes Who is Callie Growing up in California and moving to Alaska 10 years ago How a SoCal girl ended up in Alaska! Going to university and taking extra classes to get though university quicker Her first big adventure - a big bike trip across Asia Going to graduate school  Deciding to go cycling with her best friend  How her plans changed and why she decided to carry on solo Transitions from being in a pair to being solo Deciding to go to Afghanistan  What it was like in Afghanistan in 2013 Learning between bravery and recklessness Being reported as missing… Speaking to her parents  What happened next Not being able to get out of the country Managing fear and keeping calm Getting back on the bikes again Deciding to go skiing in Kashmir Cycling through India and why it was her least favourite place to go as a women Having to be so aware of her surrounding and the people she was engaging with Planning where to sleep at night and making use of cheap hotels Talking herself into leaving Delhi  Deciding to finish after a year of cycling Being attacked on the side of the road Being angry at men and why cycling wasn’t fun anymore Heading to Turkey to meet a friend Going to graduate school in Dublin Studying - Philosophy of Peace  Getting into climbing and the mountains Becoming a more competent mountaineer 2016 and climbing Mount Denali and giving herself 6 month to plan Climbing Aconcagua in South America in 2014 Climbing before the busy season - being there for Christmas and New Year What happened while on the mountain 2 summit attempts and the weather window Knowing when to turn around Heading back up by herself Summit day! Costs of climbing Aconcagua  - permits, food, & flights - less than $3,000  Deciding to climb Denali Gaining mountaineering skills and learning from friends Being injured at the moment with a torn ACL and MCL… Waiting to have surgery The Russian Expedition in 2017! A break down of the challenge Dealing with the cold …. Siberia in winter …. - 40! Going from skiing to bikes and then into kayaks! Navigating though the mountains Keeping positive in challenging situations Why everything is easier with a partner How the challenge came about  The challenges during the kayaking portion Dealing with the Russian Army & Police Future plans for 2019 Not being on social media Final words of advice for women out there   ************************************************** Feeling inspired week after week?  You can do 3 easy things to help me continue to grow the podcast! Subscribe to the podcast in iTunes, so you won’t miss a single episode If you’re loving the podcast, please leave a 5-star review on iTunes! I read every single comment! Share the podcast with your friends, especially if you think it could help them, and spread the #ToughGirlPodcast love.  Your support helps me continue to grow the podcast and do inspiring things in this space! Already done all 3? You’re a rockstar! Thank you! Want to do more? Please become a Patron and donate a small fixed amount every month to help fund the runnings costs.  ****************************************************

Favia is a 30 year old Pathologist living in New Mexico, she is a keen climber and has been a competitor on American Ninja Warrior! During this podcast Favia shares more about her life, growing up with a single mum, going to Harvard University, deciding to go to medical school and what it was like being diagnosed with cancer. Favia, shares more about the challenges she faced and overcame and why climbing is such an important part of her life.  Favia gives practical advice and top tips about how to schedule your time to be efficient and, why you may have to say no. Favia talks about mental sadness, the feeling of frustration and angry while dealing with cancer and how she managed to get through the chemotherapy and the recovery process to be able to start living her life again. Show notes Favia introduces herself Her childhood and being raised by a single mum Attending Harvard University Going to Colombia to get her Masters and coming across rock climbing Not liking climbing to start with Setting the goal to go to Harvard when she was 5 years old Her dream of being of Doctor What life was like at Harvard Deciding to give rock climbing another chance Moving to Ohio and going to the rock gym to make friends Being welcomed into the climbing community  Being scared of spider and bugs Recovery tips for climbing Being diagnosed with cancer The cancer journey and why training as a Dr. helped to save her life Not being believed by the doctors Standing up for herself Getting through the toughest 6 months of her life Getting back into sport and climbing Living minute to minute Doing radiation or not? Trying to get out of the house and live again Dealing with the anger and frustration from her condition  Chaining her mental state Working out her mental sadness Needing a reason to not give up Her reason for living American Ninja Warrior Learning how to schedule her time to be efficient Getting fit with her husband Having to get 9 hours of sleep and not getting up to early Advice and tips for women who want to get into climbing Advice and tips for women who are going through a tough time    Social Media Website - www.traversegirl.com Instagram @FelineFavia    Feeling inspired week after week?  You can do 3 easy things to help me continue to grow the podcast! Subscribe to the podcast in iTunes, so you won’t miss a single episode If you’re loving the podcast, please leave a 5-star review on iTunes! I read every single comment! Share the podcast with your friends, especially if you think it could help them, and spread the #ToughGirlPodcast love.  Your support helps me continue to grow the podcast and do inspiring things in this space! Already done all 3? You’re a rockstar! Thank you! Want to do more? Please become a Patron and donate a small fixed amount every month to help fund the runnings costs.       

We first spoke with Jessica after she had successfully completed her thru-hike of the Appalachian Trail in 2015. Since then Jessica has continued to share her backpacking and hiking advice though her website and hugely popular Youtube channel  - Homemade Wanderlust (well worth checking out - over 150,000 subscribers!) Jessica talks very openly about her dreams, doing what she loves, the challenges out on the trail as well as how she is funding her life. I am inspired by Dixie and what she has achieved and I know you will be as well. Enjoy this episode! Show notes What does she prefer to be called? How Dixie would introduce herself Completing the recipe to be successful.. but not being happy Doing what she loves Listen to Jessica when she shares more about hiking the Appalachian Trail in 2015 Getting back home after the Appalachian Trail Wanting to get hiking again Doing a wide variety of different jobs while growing her youtube channel 2017 and doing the Pacific Crest Trail - the why and the how Learning about the CDT The pressure she felt at the start of the PCT and feeling so nervous about the desert and the snow Gear changes and wanting to go lighter with her gear Getting use to dry camping Not being able to train before the PCT Dealing with the desert and the first 700 miles Filming on the PCT and trying to capture more of nature  The moment that stands out on the trail and why the bad days make the best stories Loss of life on the trail Crossing rivers Navigation on the trail and using the Gut Hook App Appreciating the trail but also taking time out for a family graduation Getting to the end of the trail and what it felt like Patreon and how patrons have helped to change her life Wanting to get out on the CDT in 2018 Heading north bound - 3,050 miles! Create your own adventure trail! The challenges of the CDT  Food and nutrition on the trails Lessons learned on the CDT Taking risks doing thru hikes When things don’t go to plan Completing the triple crown and why it was surreal Life after a thru hike Future hikes and plans  2019 plans with her mum on the PCT Top tips for having a successful thru-hike   Social Media Youtube @homemadewanderlust Website - www.homemadewanderlust.com

Verónica is a retired diver from Argentina. She earned a spot in the Olympic finals with appearances in 1980 (Moscow, Russia), 1984 (Los Angeles, Calif.), 1988 (Seoul, South Korea) and 1992 (Barcelona, Spain), with best finishes of eighth on the platform and 10th on the springboard, both at the 1992 Games. She was the only female competitor to make finals in both events in Barcelona. She is a 12-time South American champion (1980-92) while competing for her native country of Argentina, winning championships on the 1-meter and 3-meter springboards and the platform. Ribot-Canales later captured a pair of U.S. national titles in the 3-meter in 1992 and 1993 before retiring in 1996 after her fourth year as a member of the U.S. national team.  Veronica’s journey continued on from being a very driven and competitive diver at the international level, to taking up SUP racing and yoga in her late 50s. Veronica shares more about her life, the challenges she has faced and overcome and how she stays physically active, especially while training in all kinds of weather. At the same time she is also deepening her yoga practice, while opening her heart, experiencing gratitude and abundance, and inspiring others.  Show notes Who is Veronica in her own words Getting into SUP - doing both SUP yoga and racing in the summer Her childhood - being born in Argentina and growing up in the Bahamas Getting into diving and swimming at 8 years old How she progressed in diving  Potential being able to dive for Argentina in the Olympics! The Pan American Games How her diving career progressed What it’s been like at the Olympics and how it has changed over the years Competing at the olympic level - and dealing with the stress and pressure the mental training they did  Positive and negative stress Perfection and the issues The biggest challenge she had to face and overcome in her career Coaching at Cornell  Tips and tricks for coaching Losing your “who am I” Suffering from depression Moving across the country with 2 small children Going through a divorce Being the only female diving coach Starting yoga and how it helped change her life Deciding to become a yoga instructor SUP racing and winning! Plans for 2019 No comparisons allowed   Social Media Personal Website - http://olympicheartyoga.com/about/ Yoga Website  - www.ithacasupyoga.com  Instagram - @olympicheartyogi  

Ayesha is working tirelessly towards this goal and is determined to take every opportunity that comes available to make this happen. She is extremely passionate about creating representation in cycling that will encourage and inspire other African-American women and youth to follow their dreams, whatever they may be.  #aquickbrownfox #representationmatters Show notes Ayesha on her mission and passion for cycling Going back to her childhood and coming from a sporty family How her cycling developed - which started with commuting and why she loved it How commuting open up her access to the city and enabled her to take on different jobs How it all started with ally cat races Her first race - 2014 Type 2 fun and why it was a horrible experience Why she decided to carry on Why she is still learning Deciding to go professional Advocacy and what she’s doing Focus on content creation Starting her own blog and podcast podcast - A quick brown fox Being inspired by how people got there in the first place Crashing out of the National Championships… Dealing with crashing and how to get back on the bike again Working with coaches and the impact on her confidence What a typical training week looks like The Dirty Kanza 200 - gravel race  The mental aspects of the race Getting comfortable in the saddle The journey of going pro and the help she had along the way How she funds her life and affords to ride Why she doesn’t want donations Patreon and how she’s finding it  The bike she rides Have an integrated seat post and why she loves it Dealing with difficult situations How we can help to increase diversity Plans for 2019   Social Media Website http://www.aquickbrownfox.com  Twitter @ayesuppose  Instagram @ayesuppose  Facebook @ayesuppose   Support Ayesha & her mission on Patreon - https://www.patreon.com/aquickbrownfox