Tough Girl Podcast

Amelia Boone is 33 years old, working as an attorney in California while also competing as pretty much a full time OCR athlete (Obstacle Course Racer). Since the sport's inception, she’s arguably the world's most decorated obstacle racer amassing more than 30 victories and 50 podiums!  Career highlights include: 3x winner of the World's Toughest Mudder (2012, 2014, 2015) Spartan Race World Champion 2013 Spartan Race Points Series Champion (2013 & 2015) 3x Death Race Finisher (Winter 2012, Summer 2012, Summer 2013) “I’m not the strongest. I’m not the fastest. But I’m really good at suffering.” – Amelia Boone Show notes Moving from Chicago to California and the benefits which came from it Getting Amelia to introduce herself  Being a full time attorney and also a full time obstacle course racer Being sporty at school, but not being a typical runner Getting to spend time outside, playing team sports such as softball, and soccer Being good at everything but not the best at anything Why she thinks she's successful at endurance events Using the gym while at college and at law school to help deal with stress Learning about Tough Mudder and deciding to give it a go Her first Tough Mudder - going back and reliving the memories! Why she loved it and why she decided to do another one Trying to do her pull up and why the “funky money obstacle” was her big challenge Why you have to go after your first pull up!! Her most impulsive decision in her life and why she signing up for a 24hr Tough Mudder  - The Worlds First! Looking for meaning and try to find a new challenge Using cross fit to develop strength Being one of the 13th finishers to finish the race out of 900 people Having to break through the ice & being the coldest she’d ever been and why this low point was also a high point and life changing for her! Why it’s a race but it’s still about the community Learning mental resilience and why it can be easy to get over whelmed by the size and length of the race Mental tips and tricks to get through the tough times Her favourite song which got her around the 2012 Tough Mudder Race! How the number of women entering races has changed over the years and why women should enter the longer races What’s she learned from running races and how she’s been able to apply it to her life Trying to get balance in her life! Waking up at 4 - 4.30 am!!! Coping with injury over the past year Why you have to find a new normal Losing her identity and going through a period of trying to work out who she was What she would like to see happen in 2017 Dealing with the pressure she places on herself Words of advice & top tips Learn more about Amelia by visiting her website! Say hi to Amelia once you've listened to this episode on twitter! @ameliaboone I'm @_TOUGH_GIRL   Support the Tough Girl Podcast and become a PATRON!!! Your financial support makes a big contribution to the running costs of the podcast - Please check out Patreon to see what goals I'm working towards and what rewards you can get for being a Patron!  

I was looking for a new challenge and boxing was one of those challenges, I’d wanted to do for ages, but I’d never got around to it! After the Olympics in 2012 there’s been a huge surge in women taking up boxing for fitness. I’d done boxing before but I’d never stepping into the ring! After 8 weeks of training I got my opportunity and in front of 600 people at the Adelphi Hotel in Liverpool I had my first fight!! During this podcast I share more about me, my story and how I got to where I am now. I also answer all of your questions about boxing; from training, to mental strategies, what it was like punching someone and getting punched and what music I choose to enter the ring to! I hope you enjoy this episode and the different format! Sarah  xx I was raising money for Cancer Research to donate - CLICK HERE! To watch a small clip of the flight - CLICK HERE!   Links Ultra White Collar Boxing (UWCB) Aspire Combat Sports Academy Underground Training Station   Social Media! Follow me on Twitter @_TOUGH_GIRL & Instagram @toughgirlchallenges   Sponsor the Tough Girl Podcast! CLICK HERE!!

Alison North is a married mother to two girls, (We interviewed her older daughter Lorna from “Queen of the Mile” last week on the podcast!), she’s also a business women, and can now call herself an ultra runner! During this episode we learn more about Alison, what drives her and why she decided to put her trainers on at 64 and start running.  We learn more about her mental resilience and why she wants to encourage more women and men to take up fitness when they hit their sixties. Its never to late to start but its always too late to wait! #66notout Show notes Growing up in Aberdeen Having children late for her generation Being an older mother and how it kept her fit Having the support of her husband and how it helped her work life balance Growing up as a healthy family  Getting the mothers perspective on daughters going off on adventures Why she decided to take up running again at 64 Deciding to do the a 100K Race - The Race to the Stones! How her walking progressed to running and how she amazed herself! Dealing with the negative comments about her age when she decided to do this challenge Being diagnosed with breast cancer in 1998 What drives her to want to prove people wrong Why you need to “pull yourself into yourself” The two types of women in their sixties who run Why you need to squat and why you need to have strong legs What the race to the stones is - and why its a good starter race What cut off times are Race tactics and her strategy The importance of good socks and shoes Feeling stronger and better at 80km than she did at 50km What she’s learned while ultra running and why its the distance for her Starting to plateau and why she needed to change her training  How running has impacted on her life - for positive and negative reasons Learning to burn fat more efficiently, but still having carbs On line communities Advice for women who do want to take up running! Raising money for Charing Cross Hospital and why its so important Say hi to Alison on Twitter @alison8north       Charity - Friends of Charing Cross Hospital To become a Patron on the Tough Girl Podcast - CLICK HERE!!  

Whether it is working out to lose weight, training towards a marathon or playing team sport, keeping your body fuelled is a vital part of producing the best results. And when it comes to understanding the science behind eating healthily and nutritionally to support an active lifestyle, not many people have more expertise than University of Bath-based sports nutritionist Renee McGregor. Renee is a qualified Dietitian and she says, "I'm passionate about nutrition and enjoy making the science simple and practical to follow; no fads, no feelings of deprivation, just sensible dietary solutions.” Show notes Renee introduces herself and shares more about her experiences Woking with the women & mens fencing & basketball wheelchair teams Heading over to Rio to support the teams. What’s its like over there and dealing with the difficult conditions such as the heat and lack of good quality food Getting balance with the athletes and how to help them with distractions Why its not about #cleanfood and why its more important to use food as fuel Stress, food and the importance of building mental resilience from a young age Rituals with food and how it can lead to extreme behaviour Eating disorders with a focus on athletes Periods and how missing more than three periods in a row can impact on bone health Why women should talk about periods more and why its important from a health point of view How to get the balance between periods, health, and performance Positively Primal: Finding Health and Happiness in a Hectic World By Emma Woolf Why its important to listen to your body! Should you be on the pill? Should you merge your pill? Why common sense is still so important  Why balance and moderation is important and why it can be difficult to do Getting comfortable with the uncomfortable How you can lose the ability to moderate consumption and what to do about it Advice for women who think things have gone too far and why they may need to dial it back Why you should seek help Final worlds of advice and why you need to be kind to yourself!   Learn more about Renee by visiting her website and following her on twitter @mcgregor_renee  Listen to Renee when she first came on the Tough Girl Podcast - HERE!  COMPETITION! If you want to win a copy of Renee book - then please like The Tough Girl Challenges Facebook Page and comment on why you should win the book! (I have 6 books to give away!) Deadline 4th December! Winners will be announced on Monday 5th December - through the FB page. SOCIAL MEDIA! Follow me on Instagram @toughgirlchallenges To be kept unto date on Tough Girl Challenges - Come and follow the Facebook page. Click here Join the Tough Girl Tribe - A closed Face Book group specifically for you to connect with the other listeners of the Tough Girl Podcast!!  SUPPORT! Become a patron of the Tough Girl Podcast and donate through Patreon! From $2 to $5 per month!!

Lorna North is the founder of Queen of the Mile, a platform for those who share the joys of road cycling and running with a particular focus on making these sports less intimidating and more accessible to women. The idea came about when she bought her first road bike and couldn’t find any personal insight on how to get started. As a professional writer anyway, she decided to build a resource to fill this gap and share first-hand experiences of the cycling and running challenges she and the community were embarking on. Lorna’s approach is not about being the fastest but about pushing your own limits, having fun with it and seeing every mile as a victory. Show notes Getting to know Lorna, what it was like growing up in London and finding her first passion - Gymnastics Why she decided to give it up Why running came next and what she loved about it Spending 4 years abroad, traveling around Africa and Asia and what she learned from it and why it empowered her Returning to the corporate lifestyle and why she decided to train for her first Marathon Hitting the wall at mile 20 and what was going through her head as she struggled around the marathon courses Why she felt disappointed in herself. The dreaded questions that everyone asks when you talk about marathon running… Having to take a break after the marathon and why she decided to get into cycling! Turning 30! Getting on her bike and going through a baptism of fire! Looking back at her previous challenges and which ones stand out for her - most notably cycling from London to Paris in 24hrs with Challenge Sophie! Getting through the dark moments and what kept her going Her first Ultra - 100k Race to the Stones - what happened and what she learned on the way Dealing with DNF (Did Not Finish) 2016 and what’s been happening! Cycling 220 miles from Manchester to London - and how she coped physically and mentally Coping with “bonking”, dealing with nutrition and how to mange her food needs while completing ultra distances Plans for 2017 Learn more about Lorna by visiting her blog - www.queenofthemile.com Lorna is on twitter @QueenOfTheMile I'm on twitter @_TOUGH_GIRL Next week we will be speaking to Lorna’s Mum - Alison “Ace” North as she shares more about taking up running in her sixties and how she went from running 5K to a 100K ultra race! Make sure you subscribe so you don’t miss out of future episodes!  Visit www.toughgirlchalleges.com to be inspired by the other women who have been on the Tough Girl Podcast. To become a patron of the tough girl podcast - click here!

Rachel is a 44 year old, Special Needs PE Teacher who loves sports and has represented Team GB at Triathlon. This is her story of how she knew something was wrong with her, but no one would listen. Eventually she stopped talking about it. She was then diagnosed with a brain tumour in 2014. During the podcast we talk about how she handled the news, and how she coped with her diagnoses. What kept her positive through the challenges she faced, from emergency operations, to only being able to sit up in bed for five minutes at a time. Rachel has fought her way back to health and fitness and inspired many along the way with her story.  Show notes Where her love of sport came from and why a teacher inspired her at 11 years old to become a PE teacher Quitting hockey and changing over to football The changes she has seen in girls sports and why it’s changed so much over the years Why she decided to leave football and try a new sport at 40 years old Wanting to make the GB Triathlon Team Her first triathlon, on a borrowed bike! Her first Ironman, where she trained herself and just did what she thought should be doing What you need to do to qualify for Team GB  Racing in Budapest & coming 9th in her first World Championships! How her lifestyle changed going forward Where her determination and focus comes from Starting to have dream like episodes and having issues with her eyes Being told she had a brain tumour and how she handled it How quickly things moved forward Why her surgeon encouraged her to exercise How she remained positive during the diagnosis How she came to start writing her book and why writing gave her relief Having the first operation Getting out in time for Christmas Needing to go in for an emergency operation Why she needed to ask the hard questions How she got herself out of the darkness Why she looked at her recovery like training Having to start again  What she’s learned most from the whole experience Heading off to Geneva 7 months later and making the most of the event Getting a Gluiness World Record! Running the London Marathon in a Hippo Costume! Raising money for Brain Tumour Support Why she named her book - The Butterfly Within Learn more about what the Brain Tumour Support charity does by visiting their website. Rachel is also on Twitter @TheRachelBown   Thank you for listening to the Tough Girl Podcast - Make sure to subscribe and check out the website for more info www.toughgirlchallenges.com   

Yorkshire born Lauren did all the normal things that are expected, she did her GCSEs, her A’Levels and headed of to University. After graduating instead of following a safe career path she decided on a different route and in 2013 she and a friend set off to row the Atlantic Ocean. It was a challenge like no other. During this podcast we learn the reasons behind her row, how she dealt with the catalogue of errors that happened on the row and why she went back in 2015 to row it again. Lauren is a 2x World Record Holder for rowing across the Atlantic Ocean, she’s also survived “The Island” with Bear Grylls. Shownotes  Who is Lauren & how she describes herself Taking up rowing in her 2nd year at university How the death of her close friend, Elle from cervical cancer at 23 years old changed the direction of her life and how she choose to live her life Having 100 days to prepare for the ocean row The journey across the Atlantic Ocean; the highs, the lows, the errors & the mistakes made along the way  Being on the boat for 75 days and deciding not to give up and trying to find anyway to fix the boat to make it work Getting rescued and ended up in Canada! After four and half months, finally arriving back in the UK and trying to fit back into normality Dealing with the depression blues after the challenge and feeling very lost What she learnt most about herself from going through this experience Deciding what do to next Applying for “The Island” with Bear Grylls! Getting to the island and being stranded with 14 other women for 6 weeks Finding out she was the youngest women on the island What she learnt most on the island from; friendships, to who she was as a person and being able to stay positive in negative situations.  Going 11 days without any food and how she coped The highlights and making friends for life Having the confidence to go after her dream of rowing across the Atlantic How she changed and how she struggled to relate to her friends and family Dealing with her biggest fear that she could fail again, and not knowing how she would be able to come back from that Not sleeping 3 months before the race and lying awake at night What drives her to do what she does and the mission to inspire younger girls to get outside to get active and to play sports Dealing with the sexism while rowing across the ocean, having people bet against them an how they used it to drive them forward The mental preparation involved and why she made it sounds as unglamorous as possible! Why they decided to head down South at the star of the race Winning two World Records for being the youngest and fastest female rowers across the ocean Getting her Antigua holiday finally! Her future plans and why she wants to keep on testing the boundaries Learn more about Lauren and her adventures by visiting her website.  You can follow Lauren on twitter @MortonLauren  

Erin Bastian is a sea kayak explorer like no other. Adventure is her life. She’s embarked on many expeditions, trying to achieve the impossible and as a result is continually having to raise the bar. From an early age Erin was drawn to exploring the dramatic coastlines around her hometown, Cornwall, where she was able to connect with nature and gain a unique perspective of the cliffs. At the age of 15, Erin started working in the outdoor industry and has since become a qualified Sea Kayak Coach, which has allowed her to work during the summer season and organise epic adventures in the off-season to the likes of Patagonia, Peru, Nepal, Norway, Tanzania, Mexico and Sardinia. One of Erin’s latest expeditions was to Patagonia where she and two others embarked on a 33-day self supported kayaking adventure. Paddling through the wilds of this remote region they dealt with extreme weather, discovered glaciers, fought against strong tidal currents and navigated through a maze of canals. During this episode we learn more about Erin, and the extraordinary challenges’ she’s embarked on! Show notes Growing up in Cornwall by the sea Taking advantage or the opportunities available to her Finding her passion at a young age Feeling powerful playing sports How Erin progressed on her journey and how work experienced helped her to take the next steps Leaving school and trying to decide what was going to be next Her first big solo challenge! Why she picked Sardinia - a massive 850 Dealing with the biggest storm in 30 years!  Planner or not a planner? Only doing 750km and why she felt like a failure and why it was the making of her What Erin has learned from her first expedition that she’s been able to apply to her own life and future expeditions Heading to Patagonia and taking it to the next level - why she went for bigger and better! Learning more about the journey! The start and being dropped off in the middle of nowhere! Being committed to the 800Km journey and having to step up Day to day living and the highlights from the journey The W Trek Adjusting back to normality after the challenge Her new mission and going on an expedition with girls! Changing peoples perceptions & #RethinkImpossible Her next challenge the GR20! Being nominated for the World Paddle Awards! Living in Chamonix for the Ski Season and being able to use it for training for GR20 VOTE for Erin by clicking HERE! Don’t forget to subscribe and for more info about The Tough Girl Podcast check out www.toughgirlchallenges.com You can support the Tough Girl Podcast by becoming a Patron! Support from as little as $2 per month!  I want to support the Tough Girl Podcast!

Of French, Swiss and Filipino descent, Christine Amour-Levar is a true citizen of the world, she grew up between Manila, Paris and Tokyo and is currently based in Singapore, where she lives with her husband and four children. She is one of the founding partners of Women On A Mission, a non-profit organisation that combines challenging expeditionary travel to remote locations around the world with the support of humanitarian causes.  Christine recently received the 100 Most Influential Filipina Women in the World Award that recognises Filipina women who are influencing the face of leadership in the global workplace, having reached status for outstanding work in their respective fields, and who are recognised for their leadership, achievement and contributions to society, female mentorship and legacy. "Have the courage to define success on your own terms. Your uniqueness in your power." Shownotes -Christine is Introduces herself and shares more about growing up and living a very international lifestyle -How sports have always played a part of her life; especially swimming, basketball, tennis & soccer -Working for Nike and how sport continued to play a huge part of her life -Trying to get the balance in her life between; work, family, fitness and having a social life -Having a career break while having her first child and going back to school to follow a creative dream -Moving to Singapore & setting up her own business and a non-profit - “Women on a Mission” -Dealing with guilt and how she copes with those feelings -Her love of trekking which started in Switzerland and how her passion grew when she was older and why she turned to the mountains for strength after her divorce  -Why she keeps going back to the Himalayas and why Nepal holds a special place for her -More about Valerie Boffin, Women for Women International and how that let to her becoming a founding partner of “Women on a Mission” -Their first trek to Everest Base Camp & getting to stay the night at base camp -Trekking to Siberia to experience what daily life is like for the nomadic Nenets reindeer herders -Dealing with the difference in extreme temperatures - going from 30 degrees to - 40! -What she learned most from this experience -What’s next for Women on a Mission  -Writing her book - The Smart Girl’s Handbook to Being Mummylicious,   Website - Links http://www.christineamourlevar.com  http://www.womenmission.com  Don’t forget to subscribe so you never miss an episode! x

This week we’re going back to catch up with Amy to see what’s she’s been up to since we last spoke in August 2015! Which is a lot!  Amy is a massive runner and her passionate has always been to inspire other people. Her latest challenge has been the biggest and hardest challenge she’s ever take on, dealing with blisters, tiredness, and exhaustion. We talk to Amy about her determination, her stubbornness and achieving a NEW Gluiness World Record!  Amy has also been travelling to Ecuador to film a new TV show called “On the Run” and we discuss the next challenge she’d like to take on, which would be another world first!   Show notes -Catching up with Amy Hughes (53 Marathons in 53 Days Raising £53,000!) -How Amy came up with her next challenge -Why saying her challenge out loud and making her challenge public helped her to achieve it -Coping with the pressure of the challenge -Why Amy kept her planning simple and why I’m the opposite! -Why different things work for different people -Being in the middle of the Trafford Centre feeling like she was in a goldfish bowl -Seeing Amy on the treadmill in the Trafford Centre -Being a zombie! -Going back to Day 1 - still feeling fresh and feeling relief at starting -Getting 3 hrs behind on the first day and having to play catch up for the rest of the week -Breaking down on Day 2 after 20 hours of running -Dealing with the lows throughout the challenge -Keeping track of the miles -Mental games and tricks to keep going through the pain and tiredness - Plus her motivational mantra!   “I am Fearless, I am Strong, Don’t Stop”   -Why she had to keep on upping her running game -Sleeping for 2/3 hours per day and spending the rest of the time running -Moments from the challenge that stand out - for good and bad reasons! -Blasting out really fast 5Ks towards the end -The final 12K to do, and knowing it was possible to break the record -Celebrations! -How her feet coped…. -Heading to Ecuador to film “On the Run”  -What’s going to be the next challenge?! -Any ideas for Amy?! Get in contact on twitter @AmyHughes53 or visit her website    Learn more - visit - www.toughgirlchallenges.com    Don’t forget to subscribe so you never miss an episode! LINKS! Twitter - https://twitter.com/_tough_girl Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/toughgirlchallenges/  Blog/Website - www.toughgirlchallenges.com/  FaceBook - https://www.facebook.com/ToughGirlChallenges/  Tumblr - http://toughgirlchallenges.tumblr.com  Pinterest - https://uk.pinterest.com/Tough101/  Patreon - https://www.patreon.com/ToughGirlPodcast?ty=h