Tough Girl Podcast

Hope Virgo suffered with anorexia for over 4 years, before being admitted to a Mental Health Hospital in 2007. She lived in the hospital for a year, fighting one of the hardest battles of her life. Since being discharged, she has fought to stay well.  Hope has now written about her journey with anorexia, in her book, Stand Tall Little Girl. Hope uses her experiences of mental health illness to champion the rights of others, inspire them to get well, and help break the stigma of mental illness. Hope lives and works in London. In her spare time, she volunteers for refugee charities, and charities that support young and abandoned children. She is a dedicated runner, and has a keen interest in maintaining good mental health through healthy eating and exercise. Show notes Growing up in Bristol Starting to run Developing anorexic   Having something else to think about Being admitted to a mental health hospital at 17 Learning to talk about her feeling Deciding to write about her story Learning to open up and being in a place to share her story. Taking with her mum while out running Her relationship with her mum, why it’s had its ups and downs Travelling around South East Asia with her boyfriend Why she had to manage her anorexic every day Her ‘friend’ - the voice of anorexia How her running developed from the cross country team at school, to running half marathons Doing her first marathon and over training 3.26 marathon… Making sure she has rest days Trying to not get obsessed with weight training The Brighton Marathon What she thinks about while running Negative thoughts in her head while running Where her drive comes from Working with schools talking about mental health Talking about body image and mental health What a typical week looks like Life after a marathon Cycling across Taiwan & staying with local people What she learnt from the experience Being an ambassador for Sure Mind Foundation  Her book  - Stand Tall Little Girl  Twitter @HopeVirgo Facebook @HopeVirgo    

Show notes Loving sports & science Coming from a sporty and academic family Playing lacrosse at school and University Deciding to take up high altitude mountaineering Climbing mountains in South America - Heading to Bolivia to climb 6,000 m peaks The struggles she faced at the start - dealing with the cold the wind and the altitude How she moved forward with mountaineering How she developed her skills with no money Climbing a non technical mountain and learning through experience The impact of altitude on her body The next mountain and heading to Alaska! Climbing Denali….with no guide Being stuck inside the tent for 12 days… The preparation that’s done in advance Summit night on Denali Fitting in climbing around her PhD Funding her expeditions to the Andes Collecting data and using the super computer! Identifying all of the mountains over 5,000 m in the Andes Finding Inca ruins on the summit of mountains Getting to name the mountains… 106 mountains over 6,000 metres…. Route planning in modern times Adjusting back to life after spending time out in the mountains TV opportunity and being approached by the BBC… Do you want to be an Astronaut?! The tests! Developing resilience Being taken outside her comfort zone Staying calm under pressure Wanting to go into space & astronaut selection.. Being back in the academic world Inspiring the younger generation with outreach programs Dreaming about the mountains…. Having balance in her life… getting up at 5am, running, getting to work at 7 am, work… Why routine is so important  Learning languages… and why you have to challenge yourself and do things that you aren’t good at Persistence, working hard and developing skills Twitter - @SuzieImberSpace 

Anna, is a British born adventurer, motivational speaker, influencer and author. She was recently named by Condé Nast Traveller as one of the 50 most influential travellers of our time, and by the the Guardian as one of the top modern female adventurers . She is also proud to be the UK Ambassador for Girl Guiding, and the co-founder of Adventure Queens; the UK’s fastest growing women’s adventure community. Show notes Social Media Experiment…. riding across Europe… Thinking about journeys  Being a planner & getting uncomfortable Climbing over her back fence…. left, right, straight on?? What’s going to happen next? Making a change from walking to cycling Having an element of control Wanting to see the monkeys Focusing on the new opportunities & not dwelling on missed opportunities Accommodation while on the road Warm showers - https://www.warmshowers.org  The kindness of strangers and the people she met on the way Getting home.. train..plane? Going to Gloucester The love story…. following your passion Trying to be the sunshine in people’s lives The next adventure idea! Missing her brothers wedding  Making it work with Jamie Deciding on the route? Testing out Kick Scooters Loving the mountains and cycling up hills Starting at La Paz & being hit with altitude straight away Cycling Death Road, as a bikepacker Navigation with MapOut Accommodation while on the road… Wild camping! The challenges on the journey… Facing your fears and getting naked! The wild dogs…. & being bitten by a dog.. Travelling with Faye and what she learnt from the experience Being ready to finish the adventure & how they celebrated the end! Dealing with the post adventure blues… Heading over to Canada on a book tour with Jamie….. Plannada…. Book writing… the Prequel… (Cycling the 50 states America) Being an Ambassador for the Girl Guides The Adventures Queens…. The next challenge… A running adventure in 2019 Final words of advice and wisdom Live your life, like no one else is watching! Connect with Anna - Support & follow! Website - https://annamcnuff.com  Twitter - @AnnaMcNuff  Instagram - @Annamcnuff  Facebook -  https://www.facebook.com/AMcNuff/   

Faye found her adventure mojo in 2014, since then she’s taken on a new challenge each year;  from climbing Kilimanjaro, to cycling the length of New Zealand solo and most recently coming back from spending 6 months cycling the Andes. Show notes Living in Cornwall Being shy & feeling homesick Going to university and taking a gap year  Learning to live off very little money Spending time in Thailand Being called an Adventurer & why she  What she got up to after university Deciding to climb Kilimanjaro & getting the adventure bug Summit night on Kilimanjaro.. Making changes in her life Micro Adventures and meeting new people Joining the search and rescue team in Cornwall Deciding to cycle the length of New Zealand The fears, and making the decision to do it -  BE BOLD, COMMIT & GIVE IT A GO! Being a planner… Getting to meet Anna McNuff Starting her cycle ride in the South of NewZealand in 2015 Crying on the bike and having doubts Wanting to quit What she learned from her New Zealand experience Your vibe attracts your tribe Deciding to go on her next Adventure to South America Fitness…. Flying into La Paz and dealing with Altitude Being in South America - dealing with standing out, learning Spanish and the physical demands on the body Being stung by a scorpion! The end of the challenge! Adventure Blues and coming to terms with them If your going through hell, keep going  Why its normal to have hard times Changing her career aspirations Future dreams and goals Why you should do something that scares you! Commit to it and be bold https://fayeshepherd.wordpress.com Twitter - @Faye_Shepherd  -  Instagram - @faye_shepherd   

Fiona is an adventurer, speaker and entrepreneur who loves to get outside and push her limits on expeditions big and small, meeting new people and discovering tasty cake stops en route. In 2017 she walked and cycled the length of Britain and in 2018 is due to set a new world record by becoming the first person to SUP Britain. When she's not adventuring you'll find her running Adventure Book Club and coaching entrepreneurs.  Show notes Who is Fiona? Being inspired by Al Humphries Being an entrepreneur and wanting to direct her own career and life Hating the corporate life & quitter her job after 6 weeks Setting up her first business Getting into cycling The freedom of Adventure and what she loves about it The self development side of adventure Cycling from London to Brighton How she ended up cycling the length of Great Britain Cycling home for Christmas Not being a runner or a swimmer Why she loves adventuring on her own The challenges she faced while cycling and why she had to stop on her first attempt Key learnings from her failures Getting to the end of her challenge Doing the same challenge again Social media and how it interacts on an adventure Mental resilience, mental toughness and mindset Walking from Land’s End to John O’Goats The pains from walking Planning at the last minute Getting injured What she thinks about while walking and why she wants to digitally detox People from Instagram The plan for 2018 - SUP Britain Stand up Paddle Boarding…. The 3 Lakes Challenge- March Dealing with fears & funding for her challenge The Adventure Book Club #TakeAction Words of advice and why you shouldn't be afraid of failure Website- http://fionalquinn.com   T: @FionaLQuinn IG: @FionaLQuinn FB: /FionaLQuinn M: @FionaLQuinn  

A former corporate business management specialist within the banking sector, she's now fully focused upon soul sustaining adventuring with purpose. Megan has mountaineered across the globe and has scaled some of the world’s most famous peaks such as Elbrus and Mera Peak. Megan is one half of the all-female adventure team Dare two Do. Megan is an advocate of adventures in any shape or size, is partial to an overnight bivi wild camp under the stars as well as an epic self-powered voyage, and is an avid fan of all that’s deemed a challenge. Show notes Walking away from her stable job Being drawn to the outdoors Heading to Borneo when she was 17 & getting to climb her first mountain Getting distracted by university her job and her career Deciding she needed to do something with her life Running away to the mountains at every opportunity Everest Base Camp, the preparation before hand and getting ready to go there Arriving into Kathmandu & meeting new people with a similar mindset Being changed by the whole experience and having a need to be in the mountains Getting up-skilled and learning about alpine climbing Her first taste of being scared in the mountains How it changed her future expeditions Deciding to quit and do adventuring full time Having a purpose to her life Heading of to Mexico to climb  Taking the step and why it took her 4 years to get there What will other people think? Heading back to Nepal in April 2015 to climb Mera Peak Taking some time out to figure out what she wanted to do Going to Climb Mt. Elbrus What did she want from her life - trying to figure it out The decision making process Feeling like an imposter The Paddle Pick Up with Love Her Wild Creating - Dare two do The first Challenge - The Grand Union Canal Plans for 2018 The Great Pacific Race! Advice and tips for you to follow your own dreams   www.daretwodo.com Facebook: www.facebook.com/mhoskin Instagram: @meg_hoskin Twitter: @meghoskin  

Mina is a 36 year old Primary School teacher who discovered the beauty of long-distance running in her late 20's. She would say she’s very ordinary and just someone who has a love of long distance running and spending time outdoors.  She hopes by sharing the different challenges and adventures she has, that it might in some way inspire you to take that step to actually do the things you really want to in your life. She believes that just by telling people the things you want to do it will start to make them more of a reality.  So say out loud what you want to do with your life and see what happens!  Mina is not a sponsored athlete, she doesn’t win the races she enters, she is a normal woman who has followed her passions! Show notes Based in Wellington in NZ Being someone who loves being outdoors and loves running Not being a runner & being un-sporty Why it all changed in her mid - 20’s Her first Half Marathon…& how she got into long distance running What if she could do the Marathon des Sables? 3 years to train.. the pressure? Training in her final year.. including an ironman! Becoming obsessed with her plan! Training with her partner and by herself Managing her nutrition and food Her highlight from the MDS.. Why did you start? What are your reasons? Taking it to the next level and deciding to run the full length of a country! What if…. Getting to the start line on the 16th November 2014 77 days on the trail! Getting past the first 7 days and why day 8 she hit a low.. What’s going on in her head while she’s out on the trail.. Key moments on the trail Dealing with the rivers… The final day, the final 65K & reaching Bluff What happened after the run? Deciding to live on a boat! Deciding on her next challenge! Wanting to see more of Great Britain Planning the GB run Expectations verses reality What’s she learnt from doing these challenges Advice for other women Future plans and ambitions Emilia Lahti - https://www.emilialahti.com/  Sisu Not Silence - https://www.emilialahti.com  What her role will be as a supporter of the challenge Family Violence - #ItsNotOk How to keep updated with Mina and her challenges - http://minaholder.com/index.html

Antonia Bolingbroke-Kent is a travel writer, TV producer and director of Edge Expeditions. She’s written three books, penned numerous articles for magazines, set an unlikely Guinness World Record for driving a tuk tuk 12,500 miles from Bangkok to Brighton and filmed in remote locations from Bolivia to Borneo and beyond.  Her latest book, Land of the Dawn-lit Mountains: A Journey Across Arunachal Pradesh – India’s Forgotten Frontier. Show notes Living in Bristol and growing up in Norfolk Being inspired by her parents and her grandmother Family holiday Going straight to University and using her holidays to travel Deciding to drive a tuk tuk from Bangkok to London in 2006 “Ting Tong" the bright pink tuk tuk and raising £50K for the charity MIND Quitting her job, planning the trip, and raising the funds! Getting ill in Bangkok Taking a month to cross China How the trip changed her perceptions of herself Adjusting back to real life after the trip The Ho Chi Minh Trail adventure and how it evolved Loving the history and the research behind the trips Travelling by herself & being terrified The day that stands out in her mind Having a scary day in the Cambodian Jungle… Treating writing like a job Being a self motivated person and being consumed by what she does Her latest book…. Money -how she funds her trips… Getting to the remote parts in India Getting drunk with the nuns! How happy and content the people seemed Her routine while travelling Missing her boyfriend & hot baths while being away Edge Expeditions Future expeditions Wanting to go to Pakistan Advice and tips for travel Talk on 2nd Feb -  London - Destinations Website Social Media Website - http://www.theitinerant.co.uk

Maria Leijerstam is a Welsh British polar adventurer and a Wales 2016 Year of Adventure ambassador. She was the first person to cycle to the South Pole from the edge of the continent in 2013.  Leijerstam started her expedition on the Ross Ice Shelf at the edge of the Antarctic continent. She cycled for 10hrs to 17hrs each day with no rest days, and the total distance cycled was 638 km (396 mi). Leijerstam cycled a uniquely designed, three wheeled Polar Cycle, a modernised form of polar travel, demonstrating that cycling can be more efficient than skiing to the South Pole.   Show notes Why she doesn’t call herself an explorer Growing up and wanting to be an astronaut  Her childhood Getting into more extreme adventures Always living in a mans world Joining the Officer Training Corps Learning how to look after herself How she started her journey into adventure Doing the Marathon des Sables! The lead up to the race, dealing with nerves and preparing her body for the heat Knowing how your body responds during a challenge Learning how to manage pain Why you put your body through the extreme challenges? Being the 200th person to ever reach the South Pole Doing an adventure race & what she loves about it The last wild race in Patagonia Handling team dynamics during adventure races When races fall apart… Dealing with discomfort and managing your pain Colour therapy 4 years preparation to get to the South Pole Testing out equipment and figuring out what was going to work £100,000 needed to do the expedition and how she paid for it Dealing with rejection Getting onto the ice and the relief she felt What she leant from the experience of planning and doing the polar expedition Coming home and returning to Wales Future goals and plans Being a mother of 2 and how she fits fitness into her life

Follow Beth on Social Media Website - http://bethfrench.co.uk Twitter - @bethsbigswim  https://twitter.com/bethsbigswim Instagram - @bethfrenchlives  https://www.instagram.com/bethfrenchlives/ Facebook  @bethfrenchlives https://www.facebook.com/bethfrenchlives/  ****************************************************** If you have questions about me, the podcast, what I’m doing… then please check out my website https://www.toughgirlchallenges.com/ If you want to do more to help increase the amount of female role models in the media, please, 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 and share the podcast with your friends, to spread the #ToughGirlPodcast love.  ****************************************************** If you have questions regarding the Marathon des Sables - Please read  - Tough Girl Sahara Challenge  http://amzn.to/2mwP0hd  If you have questions regarding climbing Kilimanjaro - Please read - Kilimanjaro Tips for The Top http://amzn.to/2mPfKFO ****************************************************** Want to do more? Become a Patron and donate a small fixed amount every month to help fund my mission https://www.patreon.com/ToughGirlPodcast?ty=h If you want to support my mission - you can also donate via PayPal - https://www.paypal.me/toughgirl  ***************************************************** You can listen to the Tough Girl Podcast on the go via iTunes, Soundcloud & Stitcher!