Tough Girl Podcast

Brigitte, is a Belgian-born Australian mountain climber. Her climbing career spanned over thirty years. In 1997, she became the first Australian woman to summit Mount Everest and the first Australian, male or female, to climb the Seven Summits (the highest summit on each of the continents). Her nine year quest, which included four dramatic attempts on Mount Everest, gives her a unique insight on achieving long term goals, and on maintaining personal motivation. After her career in mountaineering and adventure, Brigitte became a film maker and an inspirational speaker. Brigitte has also written an autobiography The Wind in My Hair which is a tale of true heroism, courage and an unconquerable determination. She now leads community building treks in her beloved village of Lura in Eastern Nepal, where she started a women’s literacy and empowerment program 'Il faut vivre ses reves et non rever sa vie.' 'We must live our dreams, not dream our lives’. Show notes Growing up in Belgium Her parents Being inspired by Tin Tin The turning point in her life being inspired by her teacher.  'Il faut vivre ses reves et non rever sa vie.' 'We must live our dreams, not dream our lives’. Joining a caving club at 16! Her first experience in a cave and why she felt so safe and comfortable How her journey evolved and why people are so important Meeting boys and going climbing in Canada Working at the supermarket to save money Finishing university and what happened next Moving to Australia and living in a tent Not having any idea what she wanted to do Taking it one expedition at a time The low point of her lifestyle Struggling to make friends after moving to Australia The last mountain she climbed in 1999 Losing a loved one in the mountains Why it was time for something else Deciding to focus on other challenges and going through a divorce Having a mountaineering career which spanned 30 years Talking about money Mental grit and mental resilience Beyond the Smile - where it comes from Plans for 2019 Starting with Patreon Advice and top tips  Social Media Website https://beyondthesmile.net  Support Brigitte - via Patreon -  https://www.patreon.com/brigittemuir 

In 2010, Sarah's curiosity and thirst for adventure led to the greatest expedition of her life, becoming the youngest female Documentarian at 21 years of age to produce her first film in the Amazon Rainforest “Amazon Souls”. While over there for 2 weeks, Sarah lived with the Huaorani tribe, hunted with the warriors, gathered with the women and was initiated into their existence by marriage to a warrior, making her a Queen! Through this alliance Sarah continues to send out their message of protecting their land through her film and speaking work. Sarah’s achievements include winning the “Spirit of Adventure Award” from the Captain Scott Society 2014 for her next big expedition, “Life In The Darien Gap”, shortlisted by the SES (Scientific Exploration Society) Explorer of the year Award 2014, Finalist of the National Geographic Explorer Award, Finalist of the Winston Churchill Memorial Trust Fellowship Award 2014, highly commended by The Adventure Fund in association with Sidetracked magazine. With an interest in ancient civilizations and a Fellow of the Royal Geographic Society, Sarah has since been exploring the world, embarking on adventures and working on various film and humanitarian projects. As a side project, after realising there was no hub for female explorers on or off screen, Sarah partnered with Russ Malkin from Big Earth to set up ‘The Adventuress Club’ – a platform to connect, share, empower and encourage women in the world of adventure.  Show notes Not knowing how do describe herself Doing what she loves How she defines herself Not living a conventional lifestyle Being inspired at 9 years old Making her first film at 21 Being made a Queen What life was like growing up Her childhood and being the ‘black sheep’ of the family Growing up in a conservation, Bengali, Muslim family Being a fashion designer Spending 16 months living with her grandparents in Bangladesh What she learnt from that experience Coming up against resistance Proving people wrong Without action there is no reaction Feeling different from everyone else Trying to prove herself constantly Meeting the tribe for the first time Hunting with the warriors Living with the tribe for 2 weeks Dealing with the language barriers Getting use to being naked The marriage ceremony Heading back to the UK and adjusting to life afterwards Finishing her final year at university  Deciding to become a journalist Heading to the Atlas mountains Learning to be open and understand of people who are different Setting up -  The Adventuress Club Plans for 2019 Final words of advice and tips for you  Social Media Website : http://sarahbegum.tv  Twitter : @Sarah_Begum   Instagram : @sarahbegumtv  Facebook : @sarahbegumtv  The Adventuress Club The Adventuress Club is here to inspire and empower women to live in the spirit of adventure. Website: https://www.theadventuress.club Facebook: @theadventuressclub  Twitter : @AdventuressClub    

Sara Hastreiter - adventurer, professional sailor and athlete. Current challenge - to be the first women to sail the 7 seas and to climb the highest summits of the world's 7 continents. Sara Hastreiter is a globe-exploring, international adventuring sailor and climber. It's Sara's goal to be the first woman ever to sail all 7 seas, and climb to the highest summits of the world's 7 continents. This feat would also see Sara become the first person in history to have competed in the Volvo Ocean Race (the 'Everest of Sailing'), and climbed Everest itself. During her reign as a professional sailor, Sara has sailed the equivalent of 5 laps of the planet, and has no signs of slowing down. Show notes Getting Sara to introduce herself Growing up in the cowboy state Her career path and journey after high school Going all in  Ending up in the Caribbean and starting to sail Wanting to cross an ocean How her sailing career progressed Reading books and being inspired  Deciding to become a professional sailor Deciding to get experience over qualifications Volvo Ocean Race (hardest sailing race on the planet)- a once in a life time opportunity  Becoming part of Team SCA The process of making the team over 18 months Taking advantage of the opportunities that came her way The challenges involved in the race and why it is so full on Getting though the tough times on the water and how she made it through Getting into climbing  Deciding to climb Mount Everest Deciding on the 7 seas and 7 summits challenge 4 more mountains to go! Looking for corporate sponsorship and how she approaches it Deciding every day to believe in herself and to keep working on it Being 2 years in and still just as passionate as she was at the start Keeping herself motivated  Balance…. Not being concerned with a personal life Making money through sailing Dealing with her first knee injury Climbing Mt Elbrus in Russia Fracturing her pelvis and dealing with more injury Coping with the recovery process Being kind to herself Advice and tips for women who want to follow a different type of career path Giving herself permission and asking herself the question - is she doing the right thing You create your life and why you need self initiative   Social Media Website & Blog : https://www.sara.blue  Twitter: @SaraSailingUSA   Instagram: @sara_hastreiter 

Abbi is adventurous, fun, loves being outside and can not sit still! She loves being in the open air, and strives for everyday big and small adventures. Abbi encourages others to get outside and to get active she does this as both a hobby and a job; her job as an expedition leader and outdoor instructor, sees her travel a lot taking groups of adults and children on challenge expeditions it also allows her to teach bushcraft and survival skills to all types of people.  In 2017 Abbi set herself a HUGE challenge, to take part in 30 endurance events over 2018 to raise money and awareness for the charity Young Minds. During this podcast we learn more from Abbi about her life the challenges she has faced and overcome and what she has learned on the way *** Please note during this episode we do talk about eating disorders, mental health and suicide - we do not go into specific but please be aware these subjects are mentioned *** Show notes Loving the outdoors, being outside and being into health and fitness Not being able to sit still Loving to learn and studying for her Masters Growing up in Dartmoor in the South West of the UK Deciding to be an expedition leader Meeting her husband and how her path changed Training to be a teacher  Moving to the Isle of Man Going to Borneo as an Assistant Leader Finding out about the adventure industry Working with charities and helping children who have behavioural expeditions Getting into sporting challenges…  Why exercise wasn’t always a positive thing Recovery and having anxiety about food Being inspired at school to get outdoors Being in all boy teams Realising she liked ultra running Being booked on to the Thames Trot Ultra Marathon What she loves about ultra marathons Running a double marathon and managing to stay positive and out of the dark moments Deciding to do thirty4thirty Going back to December 2017 and how she was feeling before the start of the challenge Wanting to raise money for a mental health charity - Young Minds Sharing her story and sharing her past history Her first event - January 1st 2018! The Knacker Cracker What happens as the months went by Having a coach and working with Mark  69 mile ultra marathon and feeling emotional when no sponsorship came through Doing a 100 mile race and an ironman! Starting to feel tired towards the end of the year Being intimated by the ironman course How she has recovered between events Her nutrition while training  The final event and making it up herself Preparing for 2019 and taking time out to reflect on what she has achieved Hosting a charity ball in March 2019 for Young Minds What Abbi has learned from this year Advice and tips for you  Social Media Ball tickets: www.buytickets.at/thirty4thirty Website: www.abbinaylor.com Justgiving: www.justgiving.com/fundraising/abbisthirty4thirty Instagram: @abbi.naylor    

On the 10th September 2018 - I started my next challenge, cycling over 4,000km down the Pacific Coast Highway to San Diego, before crossing the border into Mexico to cycle the Baja Divide to Cabo San Lucas. During this podcast I share more about the journey and what I learned along the way! Show notes What this episode is about Flying of to Vancouver in September 2018 Check out the previous episode which is all about the planning and preparation before the trip Talking the talk and walking the walk Stepping outside my comfort zone Questions from the Tough Girl Tribe Choosing my bike…  Flying into Vancouver and buying a second hand bike Being scared the first time I rode the bike Navigation on the Pacific Coast Highway Packing…. being a minimalist and being conscious of weight Clothing and wanting to be warm at night Taking my laptop with me…. Trying to do two very separate challenges Borrowing an off road mountain bike Riding the off-road section and breaking my chain Breaking my back rack in the desert FASS Bike Shop - Baja California - deciding on options What would you do differently… Posting the bike back from Cabo San Lucas What I should have done! Navigation on the Baja Divide - Garmin etrex 10 Where I stayed and how I organised my accommodation Looking one day a head for camping What I packed and what I didn’t use Why I took my laptop with me Swapping bikes half way through Highlight from the trip Meeting awesome people to cycle with Biggest difficulty from the trip What I loved about the trip What I learned about myself Food and nutrition Bike repair and bike maintenance Safety while travelling Injuries and chafing   Check out the vlogs from the adventure on Youtube —>> https://www.youtube.com/c/SarahWilliamsToughGirlChallenges  Support the Tough Girl Podcast —>> Become a patron www.patreon.com/toughgirlpodcast

Allie has run over 60 races, from half marathons to 100 mile ultras, and her race sheet for 2018 is looking pretty interesting. In 2017 she gained her first podium place at The Ox 50 where she came first woman, repeating this at the Cotswold Ultra 44 mile race.  In October 2017 she finished her first 100 mile race in under 24 hours. She’s passionate about empowering women in sport and especially about endurance racing.  In January 2018 she became the first woman to cross the largest body of freshwater in the world on foot, taking part in a 100 mile multi-stage event on Lake Khovsgol in Mongolia. She has also trained people to run marathon and ultra distance. Having suffered from mental health problems for a lot of her life, she’s a passionate advocate of running as therapy and will be supporting Mind Hackney as her charity of choice in 2018.  Show notes Coming back from Man V Lakes (Rat Race Event)  Why she introducers herself as a mid pack runner Getting into running 6 or 7 years ago Being rubbish at sport Deciding to go on her first run Working in the music industry in a high stressed environment Running her first 10K Trying to raise some money and entering the London Marathon ITB Injury… Why she had to run another Marathon. How her running journey progressed and why sibling rivalry motivated her Doing her first trail run and what she loved about it Deciding to do an ultra! Venn diagram of runners Swapping music festivals for running Comparing her 20s to her 30s Playing a role Becoming a freelancer What she loves about running communities What she thinks about while running Bad Boy Running - Online Running Community - Facebook & Podcast Creating her own running community for women - She’s Electric Running 100 miles across a frozen lake in Mongolia Not liking the cold! Using running spikes on the lake The issues with sleep and nutrition Wanting to get to the end The book - Relentless Forward Progress   Social Media Website - www.alliebailey.co.uk  

Tough Girl Kikkan Randall - 5X Olympian, Olympic champion cross-country skier 2018 & World Champion, “Get-Activist” and Mom Athlete.   Kikkan Randall is an American, Olympic champion cross-country skier. She has won 17 U.S. National titles, taken home 17 U.S. Championships, made 16 podiums in the Stage World Cup, made five trips to the Winter Olympic Games and had the highest finish by an individual U.S. woman at the World Championships (2nd in the Sprint FS at Liberec, CZE in 2009). She was the first American female cross-country skier to take a top ten finish in World Cup competition, to win a World Cup race and to win a World Cup discipline title. She won the silver medal in the individual sprint at the FIS Nordic World Ski Championships 2009 in Liberec, becoming the first American woman to win a medal in cross country skiing at the FIS Nordic World Ski Championships, and in 2013 teamed up with Jessica Diggins to win the first ever American FIS Nordic World Ski Championships gold medal in the team sprint. She and Diggins won the United States' first ever cross-country skiing gold medal at the Winter Olympics in women's team sprint at Pyeongchang in 2018.   Show notes Retiring from cross country skiing and being diagnosed with breast cancer Seeing herself in a number of different ways Being focused, energetic and determined Where her name comes from What life was like for her growing up Being on skies since she was 1 years old Growing up in an active family Starting cross country skiing at age 6 - but not loving it at first Setting goals at a young age Having benchmarks to reach which help to keep her motivated Creating her roadmap to the Olympics The female role models she had growing up The motivation to keep going to get her Olympic gold medal Patience Working to fund her training Getting out of the dark places in her mind and how she changed it around The 2008 season - the high points and low points What a week looks like for an athlete at this level Spending a lot of time being her own best cheerleader The 2018 Winter Olympics (her 5th and final) The race and winning gold! What happened next, after 20 years of chasing a goal!! Finding out she had breast cancer Being diagnosed and what it was like Staying practical and focusing on what she can control Get Activist - what it means and where it comes from “Little goals, small success. build your confidence and become the person you want to be” Having her son, 2 years before the Olympics and the impact on her life Having an amazing support system in place Social Media Website - https://www.kikkan.com  Instagram - @kikkanimal   Facebook -  @kikkanrandall  Twitter - @kikkanimal 

During this podcast we speak to Kat and Bettina about solo female travel in Asia and Africa, what it’s like being location independent, how they met and why they decided to create Aurora Wild Women of the World. More about their mission with Aurora Wild Women: “A mission to bring back the knowledge of the female wisdom from the depths of Africa, the continent of the heart, the birthplace of the Sapiens.  Engage with its medicine women. Visit its sacred spaces where rituals were performed, generation after generation. Bring back our learnings to a world that is re-learning to honour mother earth, care for her and care for each other. The world as we know it is changing, shifting, from a patriarchal system that is becoming obsolete, to a balanced union between the masculine and the feminine. Our aim is to do our bit to bring the balance back.” Bettina Guirkinger Fascinated with "why people do what they do", Bettina has been engaged in a 10 year-long exploration of human nature - including her own! - Which has taken her to the four corners of the world in an attempt to figure out what it is that makes us truly human & alive. Half-french half-colombian, Bettina grew up in France, Belgium, Benin and Peru before pursuing her studies in international relations in England. Today Bettina manages her company Explore Your Elements from Cape Town in South Africa  Kat Scriven “A traveller, a wishful thinker. I dream to call the world my home. A writer, a designer. Inspired by the little things. An african heart but a wandering soul. A goddess-warrior. A beautiful mess. Kundalini yoga teacher.”  Show notes Speaking to Bettina - living a nomadic life and now living in Europe Speaking to Kat - spending 10 years travelling the world How Bettina got into travelling and how her parents impacted on her life Being curious to meet new people and to engage with new cultures How Kat got into travelling and why travel is her greatest passion Solo travel in South East Asia and South America Practical advice for other female travellers Awareness and going with the flow Why you should trust your gut and develop your feminine intuition  How you can work on and develop your feminine intuition  How Kat and Bettina met in the desert in South Africa Afrika Burn Building a giant structure in the middle of the desert Attending Afrika Burn in 2016 after going through a massive heartbreak Deciding to move to South Africa and wanting to contribute to the festival by building it What the festival is like Bettina and how she made changes to her life How the idea for Auora Wild Women of the Word came about 2018 the year of the divine feminine and figuring out what it means to be a powerful woman What it means to Bettina to be a powerful women How the trip through Africa evolved Digging into the detail - the car, the trip, the plan What life was like on the road The women they met along the way How they decided to document the conversations they had with the women What they have learned from the women they have spoken to and why it comes back to Love Why this project is just the beginning Plans for the future and where they would like to take the project - the 3 year vision Wanting to go to Asia How they are funding the trip   Social Media Aurora Wild Women Facebook - @aurorawildwomen  Instagram  - @aurorawildwomen    Bettina Guirkinger Website -  www.exploreyourelements.com    Kat Scriven  Website - https://thesaltyseawench.wordpress.com  Instagram - @katscriv   Twitter - @KatScriven 

Carolin is a 51-year-old ultra-runner and multi-day stage race specialist, however, this wasn’t always the case. When Caroline was 36 years old, she was a stay at home mum to three daughters. Wanting to feel better in herself, and wanting to get fitter and lose some weight, she started on a  journey which would ultimately lead to her becoming an ultra-runner….accidentally!!  She didn’t tell anyone what she was doing, and it was tough going at the start, she started with walking, then gentle jogging and gradually build it up over time to running further and further distance, until she was training for her first marathon! She persevered with it, even through injury and kept on challenging herself more and more. Since then Carolin has gone on to participate in some of the toughest multi-day ultras on the planet, from running the Ice Ultra in the Arctic Circle to the Jungle marathon in Peru. Show notes Living in Calgary in Canada Having 2 siblings and doing lots of sports growing up  An ordinary person who just fell into ultra running and extreme distance sports Why she decided to take up running As a stay home mum, how she started running with 3 children Not telling anyone she was running Deciding to do a marathon as her first race Dealing with injury and getting the bug for running Starting to notice the benefits almost from the start Not having any proper equipment  Celebrating the mini victories along the way  Never having good body image How her confidence built over time as she got stronger Not telling her friends Running her first marathon at 39 and why it didn’t quite go to plan Doing her first triathlon!  How she trained for her first triathlon  Why it’s all about the challenge Where she gets her determination from? Getting burnt out from triathlon  Doing her first ultra race in California (50K) and coming in last and why it didn’t matter The support she has received from the trail running community  What she thinks about while running What training is like Training for the Ice Ultra organised by Beyond the Ultimate and why she wanted to do it Her race training strategy Why gear was so important and why her biggest challenge was keeping her water from freezing How she protected her face with buffs The high and low points from the race The Peru Jungle Ultra - what it is and why she loves it  Why she has run it 4x Being terrified the first time she did the race The mental preparation she does before a race What she’s feeling on the start line and her race strategy for the Jungle Ultra Why she has to break the long stage down into smaller sections How she prepared for the heat! Her mantra - “Just keep moving forward” and why got it tattooed on her arm Her nutrition and diet Managing your feet in wet jungle conditions  Her 3 top tips for the Jungle Ultra Wanting to go after a 100 mile race - the reasons why and why she keeps on trying The Lost Soul Ultra (100 mile race) Mental Health - and why its important to talk about it How running has helped your mental health Her self care routine  Her running from home bag Her next few races Final words of advice   Social Media  Facebook: @accidentalultrarunner   Instagram: @carolinbotterill  Blog: www.accidentalultrarunnerblog.wordpress.com  

Growing up Janey spent the majority of time in wellies and a wax jacket covered in mud. When she wasn’t scooting round the fields bareback on her little Dartmoor pony she was playing in the woods with her brother and her dog. She then spent several childhood years in the bright lights of Las Vegas. Long summers were spent sneaking out while the folks were in bed. Exploring the desert and what the city had to offer. Swapping Geography degrees at the University of Exeter as a result of a more desirable field trip to the outback of New Zealand was a sign of things to come. Janey’s heart lies in the military where she spent four fulfilling years as a soldier with the Honourable Artillery Company. In an unfortunate twist of fate she suffered a serious back injury while training for a military horse race, the Royal Artillery Gold Cup. This halted her plans of joining the Army Legal Service as an Officer. Now a qualified lawyer but unable to fulfil her ambition in military law she embarked on a new business venture; a travelling art gallery, which flowed naturally into life modelling, presenting, running a bar and starting a jazz night; amongst other things. In December 2018, she will explore the female side of Oman with an all-female Anglo-Omani team. Together they will circumnavigate the country and attempt a first for female exploration; walking the length of Oman’s most formidable landscape, Rub’ Al Khali, The Empty Quarter. She currently resides in rural SW France surrounded by dogs and horses. Show notes Living in rural SW France trying to find her way  Wanting to join the army as a lawyer Breaking her back  Setting up a travelling art gallery and doing it for 5 years Becoming lost and not knowing what to do and which direction to travel in  Growing up in the country side and Las Vegas! Deciding to join the army reserves  What it was like and wanting to ride in the Royal Artillery Gold Cup Suffering a serious back injury Adjusting to life after the army and her injury Deciding to walk the South West Coastal Path How much time she decided to give herself to plan and prepare for this trip Starting the challenge in July 2015 Coping with her emotions while walking Only wanting to look forward Other issues while on the SW Coast Path Dealing with her family while on the trip Why she picked the sunflower to plant Deciding what she wanted to next and why she wants to continue pushing herself physically Post Traumatic Growth Doing the Dartmoor Way - walking and raising money at the same time (90 miles in 39 hours) The high points, the low points and what she learned Wanting to stop because of the pain and how she kept on going What she’s thinking about while on the challenge What she got from the challenge The next big walk/challenge Why she picked Oman The catalyst and why she needed to change Why it’s about the conversations Starting on the 1st December and finishing on the 1st January How the journey is going to be documented How’s she funding the trip What she’s focusing on in the follow few months Keeping her team together The biggest challenge she thinks she will face while over in Oman Team dynamics in extreme environments Why patience is the hardest thing Connecting with Felicity Aston Final words of wisdom Social Media Website - www.janeymcgill.com  Twitter - @JaneyMcgill Instagram - @gijaneyadventures