Tough Girl Podcast

Tanith is your normal everyday women, she has her own business on the Wirral, she is a mother and at 44 had never been a runner.  That all changed on May 9th…..  Learn more about Tanith’s story and be inspired to take on your own personal challenge. Show Notes Tanith introduces herself and shares why she wanted to do the ultimate running challenge - The London Marathon The importance of having a bucket list, the power of visualisation and how you can make any idea happen. Her first running experience, running her first mile and how she had no idea what she was doing! How she broke it down and started to take small steps in order to accomplish this massive goal she’d set herself Telling the world she was running the London Marathon when she didn’t even have a place! Doing it on her own and what she learnt on the way, taking advice from running forums, an app and why she decided to keep it really simple “If you want to get good at something you have to keep doing it” Being a fitness instructor, but not really being fit. Drinking, smoking and how she’d never really embracing the fitness way of life How running started to help change her social patterns, and how running changed her habits for the better Completing her first half marathon and celebrating with a beer and a fag and thinking she was now an athlete! Why park runs are fantastic, whether your running at the front or the back! Why it’s not about the time - A mile is still a mile no matter how long it takes you! The mental battle of getting through her first half marathon and how this helped her to plan for the London Marathon Starting to get serious in January 2016 and the barriers she had to overcome; chronic fatigue, having an underachieve thyroid, bad knees, posture problems, a tilted pelvis, and her glutes not working! The thoughts running through her head before the marathon and the pressure she was putting on herself Marathon day and what she learned! The wall, lead legs, counting back from 300, why she didn’t care about the time, crossing the line, getting her medal & loving protein shakes! Her top tips to take you from the couch to running a marathon! If you want to run the London Marathon in 2017 you can apply through the ballot between the 2nd - 6th May - CLICK HERE! Sponsor Tanith - CLICK HERE! Tanith is raising money for Claire House Children's Hospital which offers respite and care to children and young people with life limiting medical conditions, as well as support for the entire family. You can accomplish any challenge you set your mind to. What challenge are you going to accomplish this month?! Let me know - send me a tweet @_TOUGH_GIRL Become a Patron! Support the Tough Girl Podcast - CLICK HERE!     You can listen to the Tough Girl Podcast on the go via iTunes, Soundcloud & Stitcher!

The Marathon des Sables is one of the ultimate multi-stage endurance races in the world. It consists of running six marathons in six days across the Sahara desert. It’s been around for over 30 years and according to the Discover Channel has the reputation of being “one of the hardest footraces on earth”. It’s brutal, it's challenging and according to pretty much everyone I speak to, a crazy race to do! During this podcast I will share my journey of the challenges I faced on getting to the start line and running the toughest footrace on earth! Shownotes Introduction from Saira The MDS and when the seed got planted  The start of the journey in September 2014 Preparation for the race - How I changed my fitness routine and diet Weight lifting and how it changed my body Starting to feel tired, lethargic, aching legs, no energy…..over training My low point - not having the energy to get out of bed My body failing me & being so disappointed in myself Dealing with candida and having to drastically change my diet Having to postpone the MDS until April 2016 Working with a Personal Trainer - Jack Clover from JC Performance Why its so important you listen to your body The importance of being specific with your training and not just training for training sake Heading to Australia for endurance training Dealing with issues during training such as a broken little toe! What I learned from training in the heat What a typical week of training looked like Kit & equipment (You can also watch videos on the Tough Girl - YouTube Channel for more info) Top tips for preparing your feet and why it’s so important Dealing with the nerves before the race, and why its important to be relaxed! Getting the hair right for the race! Travelling to the start of the race & what it was like out in the desert The importance of receiving e-mails and the extra motivation they provided  - THANK YOU to everyone who wrote to me!! Cut off times and why you need to stay a head of the camels! Why it was important for me to run my own race. We also discuss the high points, the low points and handling day 4, the long day (80K - 52 miles) How I used gratitude in the race and why I found the finish of the race a bit of a let down Why I wouldn’t race the MDS again and what I’ve got coming up next My top tips for the MDS & dealing with pressure from the race Some final fun questions and what made me emotional after the race! If you listen to this episode before the 29th April - You can vote for me to be your role model with Panache! Become a Patron! Support the Tough Girl Podcast - CLICK HERE! Special thank you to Saira Khan for being an awesome host of the Tough Girl Podcast!

Jacki Hill-Murphy has always been passionate about having adventures and traveling. Along the way she added her passion for learning more about the female explorers of the past, who have largely been ignored or forgotten by history.  During this podcast we get to learn more about the decisions Jacki has made on the way and how she’s followed her passions for traveling off the beaten track. We start with her first major expedition in 1988 when she traveled through Africa in a Land Rover! Show notes The early years and were she got her love for travel and adventure Discussing fond memories from Camp America! Her adventure across the Sahara, the reasons behind it, how she made it happen and what she learnt about herself on the journey The benefits of travel and why its always about the people and not the places Isabella Godin's who was the first known woman to travel the 500 mile length of the Amazon river in a dug out canoe in 1769 and how Jacki is recreating her version of the journey Learning about Mary Kingsley's and her adventures in Cameroon. In 1885 she stopped the ship she was sailing on to go and climb up Mount Cameroon!  Heading off to Yakutia in Siberia to learn more about Kate Marsden and the journey she took while looking for a cure for leprosy. The scandal that surrounded Kate Marsden which overshadowed her achievements in crossing Siberia - “Mad, Bad or an Angel - The Story of Kate Marsden” Being able to retrace the steps of Isabella Bird, and being able to compare the differences and see the changes that have taken place since the two journeys took place. Having an audience with the  King of Ladakh Using the Valverde Map to look for the Inca Gold, which if found would be worth billions today…. It's never been found, but Jacki believes it’s out there... Her future challenges! What she's learnt most from the women she’s researched over the years The global village and how modern technology has shrunk the world   Books Adventuresses, Rediscovering Daring Voyages into the Unknown  Jacki is currently writing a biography about the Victorian nurse Kate Marsden Social Media Jacki is on twitter @jackihillmurphy - I’m also on twitter @_TOUGH_GIRL To learn more about Jacki - Please visit her website  - http://jackihill-murphy.co.uk/    Become a Patron! Support the Tough Girl Podcast - CLICK HERE!    

Parys is an age group athlete, who has won the World Championships at both the Olympic and 70.3 distances, along with European, British and English National titles. At the age of 38 she decided to turn her passion for triathlon into her profession. Parys is originally from Zimbabwe before she moved over to the UK 14 years ago.  Show notes Parys introduces herself and shares more of her life growing up in Africa Being a professional hockey player, and the frustration about never quite making it to the national team Handling that frustration and what she learned on the way Why she decided to give triathlon a try! Even though she could hardly swim, and hadn’t ridden a bike since she was a child “Thriving on overcoming the pain and digging deep” How she has improved her swimming and why its a labour of love. Parys also provides top tips to help you improve your swimming. Borrowing a bike and a trisuit for her first race and what she remembers from the experience Making the decision to turn professional and why she decided to go for it Grey zone training and why you need to avoid it The benefits of getting a professional coach involved The mental strategies she’s uses to help her cope with the pressure of racing at a professional level Being on the start line and how she channels her thoughts  How she deals with challenges while she’s out racing. “Power, Love & Self-discipline” Why she wants to be tough - Why she wants to be the egg & not the potato! How to cope with injury and getting back to full fitness and why you need to focus on what you can do, and not what you can’t Advice for women who want to get into triathlon and why you need to break it down and not be afraid of it The bucket list races she wants to do Top tips for racing in hot conditions The role models who have inspired her throughout her life Check out her website and blog here - www.parysedwards.com Parys is on twitter at @parysedwardstri I’m also on twitter @_TOUGH_GIRL Become a Patron! Support the Tough Girl Podcast - CLICK HERE! Don’t forget to subscribe so you never miss an episode!

Show notes Ragen talks about her childhood, being an athlete, and battling with an eating disorder The word “FAT” and why Ragen’s reclaiming it The story behind the dances with fat blog Why we should decouple the health & body size conversation How you can learn to love your body and be happy, whatever your size by having gratitude for your body and what it can achieve. Why she made the decision to challenge herself with a marathon - “cross finish line, get medal” The “good fatty” V the “bad fatty” “What happens if I do something that I’m not good at?” The disaster of the marathon and why she wanted to quit with every single step Learnings from the marathon experience and how’s she applied it to other areas of her life Handling the negativity that’s been thrown at her and how she turned it around and used it to her advantage Her next big goal - becoming at Ironman & the steps she's been taking to make it happen Dealing with haters, how she copes with online bullies Advice for women who may be holding themselves back from going after their goals Become a Patron! Support the Tough Girl Podcast - CLICK HERE! Don’t forget to subscribe so you never miss an episode!  

Show notes Roz introduces herself in her own words and talks through her childhood and the conventional decisions she made along the way.  It took her 11 years before she realised what she was doing, was not making her happy and how she stumbled into the crazy world of becoming an ocean rower.   How she made the decision to change her life and the steps she implemented to do it.  Making the tough decisions to become free Getting rid of the possessions that hold you back How friends and family reacted to the change in her life and how she got to the stage where she didn’t care anymore about what people thought How she went on to develop her own confidence Being alert to the opportunities coming available to her Heading off to Peru on her first expedition and how taking that first step, led her on a pathway to becoming an ocean rower. How not to get overwhelmed by the size of the challenge facing you. Roz gives advice on how you can get past those feeling to go on and achieve your goals Her motivation to keep going before she got onto the water and while she was out there rowing Getting physically ready for the challenge and the mistakes she made on the way The mental preparation she undertook before she even got into the boat and how her mental toughness developed while out rowing - she shares her mistakes, her learnings and how she made it work for her Routines, daily habits and systems you can implement to move you forward in your life. The highs and lows of rowing across the Atlantic - the challenges she had to face and overcome from broken oars, salt water soars, to the negative voices in her head Why she could not quit the race How she felt on arriving in Antigua and re-living that moment of celebration and most importantly getting a big hug from her mum! Why having a clear vision is so important Why she’s so passionate about the environment  What happiness means to Roz Receiving her MBE and what it means to her Opting out of corporate life and why companies need to evolve out of the corporate dark ages You can listen to the Tough Girl Podcast on iTunes, Soundcloud & Stitcher! Roz is on twitter @RozSavage, I’m also on twitter @_TOUGH_GIRL

Kate is an adventurer, explorer, educator and speaker. She’s completed challenging expeditions all over the world, from cycling round her home country, Australia. To cycling across Africa and Russia.  During this podcast we get to discuss in detail her expeditions, the reasons behind them, what she learnt on the way and how she’s applied that learning to her life. Kate also shares top tips and advice for you in completing your own personal challenges.  Show notes Kate introduces herself and shares more about her early years growing up in Perth the most remote city in the wold Why she loves to travel by bike and remembering back to her first bike - a Malven Star Dragster! Heading off to explore the world at a young age and how she did it, even when she wasn’t confident Why structure is important to her when planning cycle routes The reasons behind her dream of cycling across Russia in  1993 and becoming the first woman to make the unsupported bicycle crossing. How the Trans- Siberian Cycle across Russia came about, from the planning, to finding team mates and communicating before e-mail How she built her confidence over the years with tips and advice for you to build your own confidence.  The problems she faced on the journey from trying to get out of St. Petersburg, crossing swamps, using old US military maps to getting accommodation while on the road.  What the physical demands were on her body and how she coped mentally with the challenge Why its important for you to understand the reasons behind your mission Why you should focus on the beauty of your surroundings and why your perception is your choice. The power of expeditions and what she’s learned on the way and how she’s applied it to her life going forward “GRACE” - The GReat Australia Cycle Expedition Being the first women to cross the Canning Stock Route (1,800 km long with over 1000 sand dunes) and the challenges involved and why it was one of the most spiritual experience of her life Coping with being alone and why she prefers it. Sustainability and why it’s so important for us all “Breaking the Cycle in Africa” - 2010 -22,040km journey across Africa from Point des Almadies in Senegal to Cape Hafun in Puntland, Somalia The story behind naming the book and film - “Njinga”  How she found the writing process and why its hard but worth it; her rules for writing and why hope plays such as important role in her stories Practical steps you can take to mitigating risk on expeditions from how to carry your money, from what support systems to have in place, from where to camp at night The Next Challenge: “Breaking the Cycle - South Pole” -  Once completed she will be the first person to cycle across the Antarctic Continent! “What do you really want to do?” Learn more about Kate here - www.kateleeming.com Kate is on twitter @Leeming_Kate  come say hi!!I’m also on twitter @_TOUGH_GIRL

During this podcast interview we get to learn more about Verena, her passion for racing, the challenges she'd faced and overcome and why she does what she does.  She shares, advice, tips and will inspire the listener to go after their own personal dreams.  Topics covered during the podcast interview - -How she first got into motorsports and how she developed a passion for it -Going to stunt school and the reason she did that first -Coping with intimidation when dealing with a new situation -Being encouraged to try new things from a young age -What Drag Racing is! -What’s she's thinking about while racing and how she can overthink things too much -Why rallying is a whole other ball game  -Working with her co-driver and how she knows how to push her buttons to make her go faster -Driving with her “ears” and not her eyes! -Transitioning from being a model to a racing car driver & the challenges she faced. -Why it didn’t matter what they thought - “This is my dream” & why she had to make it happen herself -What drifting is and why its so mentally challenging.  -Being in Fast & Furious Tokyo Drift - Why do you drift?! Money, fame, girls?! -Winning her first Championship in the Red Line Attack Series -Racing in Rally America & having to find sponsorship -Tips for getting sponsorship & why you have to keep going for it -The highs of her racing career & the biggest challenges she had to face and overcome -Tips & advice for women who are wanting to make a change in their life.  -Why more women should get involved in motorsport. -Why women can end up talking themselves out of what they’re doing. -Why women supporting each other can make us all stronger.   Verena is on twitter @VerenaMai you can also learn more from her website  “My life is an adventure. I’m a big dreamer, and believer that anything is possible. When I have a goal, I work relentlessly to make it happen.”   Become a Patron! Support the Tough Girl Podcast - CLICK HERE! Don’t forget to subscribe so you never miss an episode!

Jenny Tinmouth is the first female rider in the British Superbike Championship and is the only female rider to be racing! Jenny is 100% passionate about what she does, you can hear the passion in her voice as she talks about racing and how much fun she has on the track. Jenny enjoys the adrenaline, going fast and competing with the best. Jenny is down to earth, humble and it was fantastic to get to speak to her in more detail about her career and how she's got to where she is! During this podcast we also discuss the following :- What it was like growing up, and learning what & who influenced her love of motorsports Leaving school at 18 and trying to decide what to do next Getting her motorcycle license the 2nd time round! Working in a local dealership and why she thought they wouldn’t take her on because she was a girl! Getting her start in racing and how her journey progressed and the steep learning curve she needed to conquer Her ambition and the reasons she kept it quiet Sexism in motorsports? Having to raise her game and knowing what she needed to do to take her riding to the next level The skills needed to be a good rider Crashing! Broken bones! Bouncing down the road at 100 mph! The IOM TT 2009 Race where she became the fastest female ever, gaining her first Guinness World Record How she prepared for the IOM TT and what makes it such a special race Dealing with nerves before the race and how she handles them Why the “easy laps” are the fastest laps! The habits she follows before a race Jenny discussing her most challenging season yet and why she almost gave up on her dream.  The challenge of getting sponsorship and why she struggles when asking for money How a change in the scoring lost her, The British Super Sport Cup Championship and she ended up coming 3rd Advice for girls who want to get involved in motorcycle racing and why you should just - GO FOR IT!!! Starting & running her own racing team - Two Wheel Racing How she became a Honda Rider! What she gets up to during the off season Why fitness become more and more important as the bikes get bigger and faster The goals for the 2016 season Jenny has her own website, she’s also on twitter, Facebook and Instagram!  As a listener of the Tough Girl Podcast you can be rewarded for being a patron & sponsor! Become a Patron NOW! Support the Tough Girl Podcast - CLICK HERE!

Tough Girl - Jade Paveley a professional sports car driver for Mazda Motors UK & competing independently in the Motorsport New MSV Championship for 2015/16. Jade introduces herself and shares more about how she got her start in racing! We also discuss: How her Dad pushed her from a young age to try new things and purposefully put her in situations to challenge her! Racing karts at 15 years old and how she found it at that age.  Moving from karts to race cars when she was 17. The differences between racing verses driving on the roads! Why self belief is so important not just for racing but life in general - and how you just have to get on with it. Explaining the difference between racing and rallying. Are women bad drivers?! The experience of racing, the highs, the lows, the crashes, the adrenaline and the danger! Top tips for getting over her nerves before the start of races.  Working closely with her navigator, Sarah while rallying and why team work and communication are so important! Why its important to look to where you want to go! Describing how endurance races work and what some of the tactics are! Why fitness is so important, the training she does to keep her in the best physical condition and how that helps her concentration and focus. Understanding how formula one works and why there are no female racers. Sponsorship for women in the motorsport industry - and why being a female in a male dominated sport has helped her. Top tips for driving & why following the speed limits on the roads are important! Jade’s career highlights so far, and her goals for the future. You can follow Jade on Twitter @JadePaveley and like her Facebook page Jade Paveley Racing. I’m also on twitter @_TOUGH_GIRL The Tough Girl Blog has reached the finals of the UK Blog Awards 2016! Check out the blog to learn more about the inspirational women on the Tough Girl Podcast. You can also be kept unto date with my training for the toughest footrace on earth - The Marathon des Sables, which I’ll be running in April 2016!  To be kept unto date on Tough Girl Challenges - Come and follow the Facebook page. Click HERE!