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Tough Broad: The Power of Adventuring as We Age - Caroline Paul
Caroline Paul is an author, adventurer, surfer, pilot and former firefighter who has published 7 books including The Gutsy Girl and Fighting Fire. Her most recent book Tough Broad: From Boogie Boarding to Wing Walking—How Outdoor Adventure Improves Our Lives as We Age is an exploration into the science and psychology of outdoor adventures and our relationship with these activities, typically associated with youth and adrenaline, as we age. As Caroline writes "Ultimately, I am my best self in the outdoors - curious, brave, and present." Tough Broad acknowledges that older women are less visible in the outdoor adventure world as they age, but seeks to explore and uncover the benefits when they do continue to participate in and take up these types of activities later in life.
In this conversation, Caroline shares what motivated her to write Tough Broad and her own thoughts on positive ageing, the importance of awe and the power of gratitude. She highlights the research around the benefits of time spent in the outdoors as well as the stories of the women she met and shared adventures with, who are finding ways to thrive into their 60s, 70s, 80s and beyond.
Jonny Ball is the host of the ‘Veterans In Politics’ podcast, interviewing over 70 interviewees from across the globe who have ‘stood up to serve again'. He is also Founder of Campaign Force, a not for profit organisation that aims to inspire and support members of the military community to serve in public life. His civilian career has seen him run campaigns at every level of government, from local to National & European elections and as a consultant to military charities as well as a number of MPs.
His lengthy Army service includes operational tours of Northern Ireland and Afghanistan. In 2013, following a tour of Afghanistan the previous year, he was awarded a Commander Land Forces’ Commendation for his work as a Pashto Linguist and Intelligence Analyst. Following a traumatic RTA on his motorcycle in 2019, where it took 7 surgeries to save his leg, in September 2023, Jonny competed in the Invictus Games as part of Team UK as part of his own recovery journey through sport, and walked away with a Bronze medal in powerlifting, as well as personal bests in Indoor Rowing and track cycling.
This is a wide ranging episode which coincides with the General Election in the UK on 4 July 2024. Jonny shares his motivations for inspiring military veterans into political life and we discuss the the concept of service more broadly. He also shares his personal story of recovery and reconnecting with his own purpose through sport and the community he found in the Invictus Games.
Amanda Fitzgerald is an award-winning PR and media training expert whose clients have featured in publications including Forbes, Psychologies and Grazia. She is also a passionate open water swimmer and triathlete. In 2023 she completed the 4km Hever Castle swim raising over £2500 for the Afghanistan and Central Asian Association. Amanda is delighted to be providing PR support for the IWD Brighton Sea Swim.
In this episode we explore how she got started with open water swimming and triathlon, the benefits it has brought her and her advice for anyone wanting to get started with their own adventures.
This episode is part of a 6 part mini series in collaboration with PinkNicky Blog in support of the IWD Sea Swim 2024. Each episode is approximately 15 minutes long and shines a light on one of the women supporting the event, their reasons for being involved and the benefits they have personally experienced from living life adventurously.
To find out more about PinkNicky Blog and register for the IWD Sea Swim, please click here
Check out PinkNicky's Blog - A Blog for Empty Nesters and those ready to write a new life chapter: It's time to create your story One Adventure At a Time!
Nicky Chisholm is the founder of the International Women's Day Sea Swim Brighton and creator of the PinkNicky Blog. Owner of Daisy the camper van and mother of two, she is a self-confessed adventurer who thrives on challenge (particularly if it involves the cold) and is constantly looking for ways to to squeeze adventure into her daily life. Her passion is to encourage that adventurous spirit in women over 50 and on 9th March 2024, she is aiming to host the UK South Coast's biggest sea swim, with over 500 women taking part.
This episode explores Nicky's penchant for late night ideas and her motivation for organising this event for International Women's Day 2024. She shares her own love of adventure and the benefits this has brought her as well as information on how to get involved in the event. Nicky's enthusiasm is infectious and even if you are not based on the south coast of the UK, you cannot fail to be inspired to embark on adventures of your own!
This episode is part of a 6 part mini series in collaboration with PinkNicky Blog in support of the IWD Sea Swim 2024. Each episode is approximately 15 minutes long and shines a light on one of the women supporting the event, their reasons for being involved and the benefits they have personally experienced from living life adventurously.
To find out more about PinkNicky Blog and register for the IWD Sea Swim, please click here
Check out PinkNicky's Blog - A Blog for Empty Nesters and those ready to write a new life chapter: It's time to create your story One Adventure At a Time!
Nikki Love turned 50 in 2017 and decided it was time to take her love for travel, marathon running, and cross-country running to a new level. She is now on a mission to run across, around, or through as many countries that her feet can take her, bringing as many people as she can along for the run.
Her big adventures include running 63 marathons in 63 days through the UK, a 750 mile run around Ireland, running through Malta and around Gozo and across the Netherland and an extremely muddy and cow-pat laden run from top to bottom of Wales. On July 16, 2023 at the age of 56 Nikki set the women’s record for running across Australia from Perth to Sydney 4,044kms in 76 days, 3 hours and 43 minutes.
Driven by her curiosity to answer the question “I wonder if I can do that…” Nikki shares her adventures – the highs, lows, fun, tears and her experience of overcoming fears, doubts and obstacles as she navigates perimenopause – through her writing, speaking and film-making. Her goal is to help women know and own their place and space in the world and to keep believing and backing themselves.
This is a generous and inspiring conversation with Nikki as she shares the motivation behind her run, the highs and lows even just getting to the start line and some of the scariest moments she encountered on her run - which may not be what you think!
Nick Goldsmith is a a former Royal Marine Commando, speaker and author who served over 10 years between 2007 and 2018 completing 6 operational deployments in some of the world's most challenging regions.
After leaving military service, following a diagnosis of Complex- PTSD, Nick turned his focus towards championing mental fitness. His deep & personal understanding of nature's role in supporting mental wellbeing has secured him a place as a thought leader in this field.
Nick now works with government, military and private organisations and charities on programmes to help foster professional growth and strengthen team connections. Alongside his wife Louise, he founded the acclaimed Woodland Warrior Programme in 2017. This CIC initiative, brought into the limelight by a 2022 BBC documentary, harnesses nature's therapeutic power to aid rehabilitation for Armed Forces & Emergency Service Personnel. With support from distinguished organisations such as the Invictus Games, the Veteran’s Foundation, and the Blue Light Card Foundation, the programme is now into its 7th year.
In this episode, Nick shares the difficulties he faced with his own mental health following multiple deployments and how this started his journey to reconnecting with nature. We explore the challenges that come with disconnection from the natural world and the levelling power of conversations around a campfire. Nick is unflinchingly honest and thought-provoking in his analysis of some of the challenges faced in modern society and is generous in sharing his lived experience, including why a daily walk can make all the difference.
Uzma Khan is the founder of Four Seasons CIC, a community walking, hiking and social group based in the north west of the UK. A mother of three from a traditional Pakistani family, she recognised the benefits of the outdoors for her own physical and mental health and wanted to find a way to share her passion with others in her community, breaking down the barriers that still exist. Four Seasons now run regular bi-weekly walks and hikes for individuals and families as well as residential and charity events.
In this episode, Uzma shares her motivations for establishing Four Seasons, the barriers and challenges she has faced on the way and the unexpected benefits that have stemmed from her desire to provide an accessible and welcoming way of connecting her community with the outdoors.
Katie Carr is an expressive arts therapist, coach and educator and author of “Moderate Becoming Good Later”, the story of her brother Toby’s attempt to kayak in all areas of the Shipping Forecast. Toby sadly died before he finished his challenge, but as a result of the recordings, photos and extensive notes he collated during his adventure, Katie was able to write the book for him. Having completed the book, she is now finishing his adventure, kayaking the areas of the Shipping Forecast that Toby was unable to complete. Yet whilst Toby was a single man and expert kayaker, Katie is the mother of two small kids and a total novice which makes her challenge all the more impressive.
This is a powerful and personal conversation about life, loss and the power of adventures to help us navigate grief. Katie shares her motivation for undertaking the book and subsequent kayaking challenge, the challenges she encountered and the unexpected benefits she has experienced on the way.
Moderate Becoming Good Later is now available to buy on Amazon and other bookshops.
Soraya Abdel-Hadi is the founder of All the Elements, a community working to increase diversity in the outdoors. Her passion for the outdoors stemmed from childhood and she has carried this through her career ever since. After working as an equestrian journalist, she left in 2014 to study Sustainability in Business. Through her work as a sustainability professional, writer and artist, she aims to help as many people as possible to find their own connection with nature, motivating them in turn to protect it. She also offers coaching, facilitation and consultancy through her business Soraya Earth.
This is a far reaching conversation covering Soraya's motivation for starting All the Elements and the unexpected benefits she has experienced through building a connected space for individuals and organisations who are working to diversify the outdoors. We also explore the challenges of being fully present and the deep joy that can be found in being a beginner.
What is the point of adventure outside of the experience itself? And what impact does it have on the rest of our lives? In this solo episode, host and psychologist, Nicki Bass, explores the wider benefits of adventures, reflecting on how they can support us in many aspects of our lives including our careers, relationships and mental wellbeing. Adventures help us to:
Manage uncertainty, building our confidence in our internal resources
Adapt and trust our innate creativity
Build new connections
Support our ability to manage failure
Strengthen our psychological core to help you cope with hard things
Louis Hall is a writer, rider and explorer from Scotland. Aged eighteen, he first discovered the power of the horse while in search of a tribe in northern Mongolia. Since then he has gone on to ride down the length of the UK and across Europe in aid of charitable causes. In 2020 he founded The Big Hoof, a charity that promotes adventure and wellbeing though long distance rides. So far, The Big Hoof has travelled over 4000km in 5 different countries, raising over £70,000 for causes centred on mental health, wellbeing and child welfare. In 2022 Louis created the first conclusive horse trail across the Ligurian Alps, on his way from Siena, Italy to Cape Finisterre, Spain. He now has his eyes set on America and the Silk Road. Louis has also recently worked in partnership with Insulate Ukraine to restore windows blown out by the war.
This is a wide ranging conversation exploring the motivation behind the Big Hoof and Louis' treks on horseback as well as the work he has undertaken recently with Insulate Ukraine and the challenge of bearing witness to traumatic events.
Pip Delamere-Wright is a retired Army Officer turned Therapeutic Forest Practitioner and founder of Knockiehill Woodland Centre in the Scottish Highlands. During her 17 years in the British Army she served around the world and was the first female Army commando. On returning home to Scotland she suffered from severe postnatal depression which led to her retraining as an outdoor leader working with children with additional support needs. Pip and her husband recently established Operation Cairngorms with the aim of supporting veterans and members of the emergency services by providing a space to experience the therapeutic benefits of time in nature.
To raise funds for Op Cairngorms, Pip decided to carry out a dip a day in December - wild swimming every day regardless of the elements. This episode is a deep dive into her experience of that month - her motivations, challenges and the unexpected benefits she experienced as a result.
Alastair Humphreys is a British Adventurer and Author. He spent over 4 years cycling round the world, a journey of 46,000 miles through 60 countries and 5 continents. More recently Alastair has walked across southern India, rowed across the Atlantic Ocean, run six marathons through the Sahara desert, completed a crossing of Iceland, busked through Spain and participated in an expedition in the Arctic, close to the magnetic North Pole. He has trekked 1000 miles across the Empty Quarter desert and 120 miles round the M25 – one of his pioneering microadventures. Alastair was named as one of National Geographic’s Adventurers of the year for 2012. In 2023, The Royal Geographical Society gave Alastair the Ness Award for ‘his long-standing contributions to promoting a greater understanding of our world and wider public engagement with the outdoors.’
Alastair has written 15 books about his adventures. His most recent book "Local" reflects a year he spent investigating the small map around his own home. As Alastair states, in doing so he discovers more about the natural world than in all his years in remote environments and issues such as the state of British nature, land use, and freedom to roam the countryside really hit home. In "Local" whilst he celebrates time spent outdoors, the book is also a rallying cry to protect the wild places on our doorstep.
In this episode, Alastair shares his motivation for exploring locally, the unexpected benefits he experienced in doing so and his perspective of why undertaking this type of exploration is so vital to protect the natural environment. He also shares his advice for anyone looking to undertake a local everyday adventure for themselves.
Megan Hine is a survival consultant, expedition leader, producer and author. She has gained a wealth of knowledge and expertise through countless expeditions, consulting for TV survival and adventure shows and working and living with indigenous communities. As one of the few high profile women working in the industry, she has carved a reputation not only for her commitment and attention to detail, but also for her reflective approach and psychological insight, as seen in her 2017 book "Mind of a Survivor".
In this episode, Megan shares what drives her in her work, reflects on why adrenaline and adventure are not always the closest of friends and highlights the benefits of the connection and community that adventures can brings. This is a honest and reflective conversation with one of the world's leading survival experts, who generously shares many lessons from her own experience that can be applied just as readily to our everyday lives.
Welcome to Season 6 of the Everyday Adventure Podcast! During this season, Nicki will explore some of the enduring psychological themes of the podcast in addition to guest interviews. In this first episode she delves into some of the research on comfort zones, performance and resilience and the benefits of doing this. Key points include:
What is a comfort zone?
How does stepping outside your comfort zone increase performance?
How does stepping outside your comfort zone increase resilience?
Why is building your psychological core important?
How does it relate to adventure?
How do you find our comfort zone sweet spot?
What impact does going out of your comfort zone have on your internal narrative
What can you do to help us to step outside of your comfort zone? A few tips!
Pammy Johal is the founder of Backbone CIC which she set up to celebrate diversity through adventure connecting underrepresented groups with nature and the outdoors. Through their work, Backbone provides opportunities for Black, Asian and minority ethnic and marginalised communities to form relationships with the outdoor and environmental sectors.
Born in the 60’s in inner city Coventry to a Sikh immigrant family, Pammy was introduced to the mountains at the age of 16 when a school trip changed her life. Pammy has been an outdoor/environmental practioner since 1979 and in 1995 it struck her hard as she noticed the lack of Black, Asian & Minority Ethnic role models in the sector, at every level, from service users to Board level and felt very strongly this had to change. This laid the foundations for the pioneering work she has driven forward over the last 25 years.
This is a raw and open conversation about the challenges Pammy has faced in her quest to open up opportunities in the outdoors for under represented communities, her frustration at the lack of progress and the hope she has for the future as a new generation of diverse and passionate outdoor practitioners help to change the narrative and push the boundaries even further.
Kate Mackay is a performance coach, management consultant and the author of Take It All On Board; a self-development book where she uses her journey learning to snowboard to help others step out of their comfort zone. She is also the author of mummysnowboarder, the only UK blog to focus on snowboarding for women and families. She has ridden a camel in the Sahara, an elephant in Rajasthan and a horse in the Rockies before she ever rode snowboard.
In this episode, Kate shares her journey of learning to snowboard in her 30s, the lessons she took from this and how she has applied these in her life and the adventures she has undertaken since. We discuss the challenge of trying new things as we get older and how to prioritise our own everyday adventures amongst other commitments in our lives.
Aleema Noormohamed is a mindfulness coach and TEDx speaker who helps people to let go of emotions and beliefs that are holding them back. She is a passionate advocate for the power and possibility of nature and the outdoors and regularly works with her clients in outdoor spaces.
In this podcast, Aleema shares her story of how she came to embrace mindfulness to navigate her own grief, how she has used it to support her clients and the therapeutic powers of spending time in nature.
Sam Bleakley is a writer, academic, presenter, filmmaker, producer and multiple European Longboard Champion. First learning to surf in the early 1980s, Sam has successfully navigated a multifaceted career, combining his interest in the intersection between geography, community and culture with his passion for surfing and emerging surf communities around the globe. He has produced the Surfing Brilliant Corners documentary series for the World Surf League and is the author of several books including Mindful Thoughts for Surfers (2020) , Mindfulness and Surfing (2016) and The Longboard Travel Guide (2015)
In this wide-ranging conversation, Sam shares what has motivated him to explore surfing and surf culture through a broader, more inclusive lens, his work with emerging surf communities and how surfing can act as a catalyst for broader societal change. He highlights the importance of creativity and connection in diversifying the narrative around surf culture and how adventure is as much a psychological as a physical endeavour.
In January 2022, Preet Chandi made history becoming the first woman of colour to complete a solo expedition in Antartica. Covering a distance of 700 miles, she took just 40 days to reach the South Pole.
I first spoke to Preet back in January of 2020 when she had just returned from a self-funded training expedition to Greenland. At that point she was relatively unknown, had no sponsorship and was trying to convince the polar gatekeepers that she really did have what it takes to complete an Antarctic expedition, despite her lack of experience. Fast forward a year and she has proved to everyone that she was absolutely right. She returned from her expedition to a whirlwind of publicity and has spent the time since returning speaking to school children, inspiring them with her mantra that "Nothing is Impossible" and showing them how far courage, self-belief and determination really can take you.
This is a wide ranging and honest conversation, covering the build up to the expedition, the barriers that Preet has had to face and overcome and what motivated her to continue when thing got tough. Preet is warm, engaging and unflinchingly honest in her account of what it takes to achieve your dreams and how inspiration is usually much closer to home than we think.
Maggie Fennel works in environmental R&D, specialising in green roofing and innovative planning techniques for aesthetic and environmental impact. She is a founding member of GRO, the UKs first green roof trade association and has recently worked with the West Midlands Combined Authority setting up their natural environment plan. Maggie recently spoke at TEDx Moseley delivering a talk focused on how we value the natural world.
This is a wide ranging conversation considering some of the challenges facing sustainability, environmental impact and town planning whilst focusing on the benefits that nature can be. Maggie is a passionate advocate for opening up conversations around sustainability and helping people to foster their own individual relationships with outdoor and natural spaces.
Moose has over 30 years of traditional and alternative education experience around the globe. His experiences include course directing 58-day Outward Bound instructor trainings in Appalachia, working as a deputy headmaster in the Kalahari Desert and juggling as a street performer in too many cities to mention. He has more than 2000 days of field instruction in a wilderness setting and has recently returned from teaching a canoe program for Veterans on the Gulf of Mexico.
Since 2002 Moose has been a member and senior trainer of Yosemite Search and Rescue, working as a technician and within Incident Command, at one of the busiest SAR operations in the world. He currently works for NatureBridge in Yosemite National Park as the Senior Projects Director for planning, design and construction of the National Environmental Science Center. Moose also has been the Lead Trainer for Family Liaison Officers for the National Park Service.
In this episode, Moose shares the inspiration behind his unique career path and the many experiences and benefits it has brought him along the way. We discuss his work as a Family Liaison Officer and the general life insights this has brought and the challenges around accessibility to outdoor spaces and what can be done to remove these barriers.
Charlotte Ditchburn is a Countryside Access Officer and passionate advocate for access to outdoor spaces. Through her blog, Public Rights of Way Exploer, she shares posts on access campaigns as well as advice, guidance and her own experiences of spending time in the outdoors - and how this has benefited her both personally and professionally. She is also an ambassador for Ordnance Survey, British Canoeing and The National Outdoor Expo.
In this episode, Charlotte shares her in depth knowledge of the barriers and opportunities around access to the outdoors as well as how her connection to the outdoors has helped to support her own mental health. This is a highly informative and engaging episode that will inspire anyone who wants to find out more about the countryside around them and the benefits it brings.
To find out more about Charlotte and her work, visit:
In May 2023, Emma Wood embarked on a two week adventure cycling the length of the UK from John O'Groats to Land's End.
As a busy mum of two girls, with a successful career in financial services, the logistics surrounding this journey were half the battle. But having got a taste of long distance cycling during a 4 day trip cycling unsupported from Dorset to Cornwall, she was ready for a bigger challenge . Accompanied by her dad in the support van, she set off cycling solo from the north of Scotland on the adventure of her life.
Whilst others have completed this nonetheless challenging route, Emma's story is extraordinary in that it shows what is possible amongst all the other commitments in our daily lives and the importance of taking time for ourselves s. It would have been totally understandable for Emma to say she was too busy or that she was needed by her family. But by listening to and validating the voice that told her that she needed to do this for herself, Emma has achieved something amazing and inspired many others to dare to dream and do along the way.
This is an honest and engaging conversation about the guilt and challenges we experience as parents when we decide to head on a solo adventure as well as the benefits we encounter when doing do - and the positive ripple effect that these adventures can have on those around us too.
Find out more about Emma on Instagram at @wildlyemazing
A former mountaineer and Army Reservist, at the age of 26 Darren Edwards was involved in a serious climbing accident which paralysed him from the chest down. After searching for ways to continue living adventurously, Darren took up kayaking, founding Kayaking 4 Heroes. In 2021, he organised and led an adaptive team kayaking 1400 kms from Land’s End To John O’Groats raising over £110,000 for charity in the process
In this episode, Darren shares his journey from his life changing accident to undertaking an expedition in a sport he had little experience of. He speaks candidly about how adventure has been a fundamental part of his physical and emotional recovery and how it has enabled him to find strength through adversity. He now works as a motivational speaker and resilience coach, using his story and experiences to inspire others and motivate change.
Kelly Smith is a sustainability and flood prevention enthusiast with over 10 years experience in the construction industry. Kelly has an active and passionate relationship with nature and believes that these two sectors should have ever-more intersectional relations as this would improve progress in the built environment sector. Kelly is the regional lead for Black Girls Hike Sussex, an outdoor swimming ambassador for Swim England and the founder of an Adventure Equality Diversity and Inclusion Consultancy, Kelly Smith on the Go.
In this episode, Kelly shares their passion for connecting people to their environment and how this can help our sense of self as well as create better and more inclusive policies and practices around sustainability and environmental issues. We also discuss their most recent challenge which is focused on climbing the three highest peaks in England, Wales and Scotland, talking to people along the way about their experiences of the outdoors.
Kitty Dimbleby is a writer, editor and best-selling author with over 20 years experience of writing for national newspapers and magazines. I first came across Kitty's work on her Instagram account and was immediately captured by her wonderful poems and the photos of her everyday adventures, wild swimming and paddleboarding. She is a proud feminist and having battled with serious illnesses throughout her life, she uses writing as a way of opening conversations and covering topics that are sometimes taboo, but always with honesty and authenticity.
In this conversation, Kitty shares the motivation behind her everyday adventures and how wild swimming in particular has given her courage in other areas of her life. We talk about identity, finding the space to be creative and the power that can be found in giving voice to subjects that are difficult to address.
This is the last episode in Season 4 of The Everyday Adventure Podcast- thank you so much for listening! Season 5 will be back in early 2022, but in the meantime please check out previous episodes to hear more inspiring tales of everyday adventurers.
Jocelyn (Floss) Cockle is the founder and CEO of Freefloski. She started skiing at nine years old as a recreational skier and went on to become an internationally recognised ski teacher and race coach by the time she was 30. She is a fitness, mindset and adventure coach and as one of the few British female ski coaches in France, she has helped hundreds of people to build their skiing confidence and skills. In June 2021, she took on the challenge of skiing Mont Blanc and her incredible videos of her adventure can be seen on her You Tube channel.
In this conversation, Floss shares the challenges and benefits she experienced taking on an adventure that was outside of her comfort zone. She shares her own moments of self-doubt and the techniques she employed to reinforce her own self-belief and that of those she works with as well.
Gina Allsop is a military veteran and adventurer who was supported by the charity SSAFA following a series of traumatic events including the death of her brother to cancer. Inspired to give back, she undertook a challenge to complete 100 miles for each week of the year, raising over £10000 for the charity in the process. As a way of navigating her grief, Gina also sought solace in writing poetry. She subsequently came up with the idea of curating a book of poems written by those connected to the Services, as a way to raise funds and awareness of their experiences.
Military Memories is a collection of poetry by veterans, serving personnel and their families telling the stories of their lives in the Services and raising money for SSAFA and Sporting Force. In this conversation, Gina shares the motivation behind the project, the challenges she has faced along the way and personal benefits she has experienced through her connections with the contributors and supporters of the book.
Keri Wallace is the co-founder of Girls on Hills, the UK's only guided trail, fell and skyrunning running company, designed specifically for women. Their guided runs take place in the Glencoe area of the Scottish Highlands and are aimed at women who want to break free from the road and take their running into the mountains. Girls on Hills also recently supported Black Trail Runners in their Ramsay Round Challenge.
Keri is a fell runner, skyrunner, rock climber and writer. She is Summer Mountain Leader (SML) and Rock Climbing Instructor (RCI) qualified and mother of two toddlers. She has been running and racing in the Scottish mountains for 12 years and lives in Glencoe. Keri completed her first mountain marathon in 2007 and has since gone on to win several of these events in various categories.
In this conversation, Keri shares her motivation for starting Girls on Hills, the key challenges that her clients' experience when it comes to taking up hill running and the benefits they experience. She also shares her passion for driving greater inclusivity in the outdoor running community and helping to dismantle the physical and psychological barriers that exist in this space.
Frit Tam is an award winning adventure filmmaker and founder of Passionfruit Pictures and between May and July 2021, he travelled 1000 miles across England by rollerblade and bicycle. The aim of the journey was to experience and showcase LGBTQIA+ stories and narratives through interviews and visits to historical places of significance for the community. Frit was accompanied throughout the journey by his partner, Frankie Dewar (some of you may remember Frankie from S1 Ep23 when I spoke to her about her 3000km cycle around the UK!). Frankie was responsible for much of the filming on the trip as well providing much needed logistical and emotional support for Frit as he set out on this endeavour.
Frit and Frankie have recently launched a Crowdfunder with the aim of financing the film which aims to be the first adventure film with a transgender, East Asian protagonist showcasing the wealth of LGBTQIA+ stories that England has to offer.
In this conversation, Frit and Frankie share their experience of the journey as both protagonist and support crew. They talk candidly about the challenges they both faced along the way as well as the unexpected benefits that arose from hearing and sharing these stories. This is a raw and personal conversation about the realities of taking on a large adventure, the importance of supportive relationships and allyship and how it is in confronting our real emotions that we find the strength and the courage to shape the direction of our lives.
On the Outside is a new podcast focused on sharing diverse views on outdoors news. The show is for anyone who spends their time outdoors in the UK and wants to engage in the wider outdoor community. In each episode, a diverse panel of enthusiasts and experts from a range of outdoors sports discuss the news stories that matter to them.
In this bonus episode, host and founder, Francesca Turauskis, shares her motivation for starting the podcast and some of her favourite stories so far.
Tom Hewitt, a lifelong surfer, first went to South Africa in 1990 on an anti-apartheid fact finding trip with local activists. He also spent time with peace activists in Maputo, Mozambique during Mozambique’s civil war. It was here that he met street children for the first time. Inspired by the movement against apartheid, Tom stayed on in South Africa to volunteer further. Shocked at the plight of street children in Mozambique, upon his return to South Africa, he noticed and befriended a group of street children in East London, a town in the Eastern Cape. In 1992 he started working with street children in that town as a way of supporting, in a small way, the transition of the country into the new South Africa and in 1994 he was a peace monitor at South Africa’s first free and fair elections.
In 1997, he relocated to Durban and a year later, set up the Durban Street Team which introduced surfing as an activity. This was so popular among the street children that they soon pioneered a new model for working with homeless street children which fused surfing with mentorship and care. This organisation would go on to be renamed Surfers Not Street Children. The charity has gone from strength to strength and now works with both street children and children at risk in the downtown Point area of Durban. Surfers Not Street Children also operates in Mozambique and in 2017 launched Girls Surf Too, specifically targeting girls living in difficult circumstances.
In this episode, Tom shares more of the backstory to Surfers Not Street Children and how it has evolved and developed over the last 20+ years. We discuss the challenges he has faced along the way and the unexpected benefits that have come from his work with the children and those who support them. We also discuss the growing body of evidence around the power of "blue health" initiatives and his plans for the future of the charity.
Annabel Abbs is an award winning author whose fiction and non-fiction has been translated into over 15 languages. Her recent book "Windswept - Walking in the Footsteps of Remarkable Women" is a part wild walk, part memoir that follows Annabel's own walking experiences, interwoven with the stories of six incredible women whose lives were partly defined by their love of walking too.
Annabel decided to write the book when searching for stories of other women who walked and finding that they were missing from a predominantly male genre of writing. She set out on a mission to raise the visibility of these women and the role that walking has played for women throughout history as well as the many visible and invisible barriers they have encountered.
In this episode, Annabel shares more about her motivation for writing the book and her own relationship with walking and the outdoors. We talk about the challenges that these women - and women in general - face when seeking to undertake an activity outside of that which is considered acceptable and explore the very relevant issues around safety when walking alone. We also discuss the very many benefits that walking can bring and the difference that this has made to Annabel's own story as well.
Joyce Osei is an Equity, Diversity & Inclusion Consultant, an author and storyteller whose works focuses on increasing the representation of women in male dominated industries. Storytelling is at the heart of Joyce’s work and she passionate about increasing the number of people from minoritised backgrounds through content. As part of tackling under-representation, Joyce wrote and published her first book in 2020 ‘The Adventures of Amma and Kwessi in Barbados’, a children’s story inspired by her two children and her Ghanaian and Barbadian heritage. Joyce has also co-authored 3 books: Voices of Hope, Resilient Voices and Keepers of The Flame and has developed a workshop titled ‘Giving Bias A Voice’ using her lived experience in the workplace. In 2022 Joyce learnt how to swim and her journey was documented in a Radio 4 podcast.
In this podcast, Joyce shares her life changing everyday adventure of learning to swim as an adult. We discuss what prompted her to learn to swim , the barriers she faced, both psychological and physical and the benefits it has brought her.
Joyce also featured in Season 1 Episode 11 of The Everyday Adventure Podcast where she spoke about her adventure of becoming an author for the first time. Listen here to find out more: Season 1 Episode 11
Belinda Kirk is an explorer, author and speaker who draws on her experience of two decades of leading groups on adventures across the globe. She is the founder of Explorers Connect and in 2020 she founded the inaugural Adventure Minds conference exploring the links between psychology, resilience and adventure. She has recently published her first book "Adventure Revolution" which sets out to explain why adventure is so essential for our wellbeing.
In our conversation, Belinda shares the transformations she has both experienced and witnessed as a result of adventure. She highlights the personal benefits that adventure has given her and why living adventurously is the key to wellbeing and greater connection, both with others and ourselves.
Find out more about Belinda & Adventure Revolution:
At the age of 35, Emma Gray’s husband was diagnosed with terminal cancer. Not only was she faced with losing the love of her life, but overnight had to come to terms with the reality of bringing up two children alone, becoming the family breadwinner and the carer to her partner. Emma found the experience isolating and lonely as she battled with her demons whilst everyone else appeared to be getting on with their seemingly happy, normal, family lives. Yet, even on the most challenging of days, Emma discovered what she called ‘Rainbow Hunting’ – looking for the smallest break in the clouds to find moments of hope and joy.
Now widowed, Emma founded Rainbow Hunting in order to use her personal and professional experience - as a solicitor and trainee counsellor - to help others. She takes a holistic approach by inspiring people to ensure the practicalities are taken care of, whilst helping them to find their own rainbows and learn to dance in the rain.
This is frank and honest conversation on managing grief, the co-existence of joy and pain and how looking for little moments of light can keep you going when you're not sure how.
*Trigger warning: This episode covers topics including cancer, grief and depression.
Francis Benali will be a very familiar name to football fans and supporters of Southampton FC in particular. Born and raised in the city, he played over 400 games for the club, retiring in 2004. More recently he has completed a number of endurance challenges culminating in 2019 with a challenge undertaking 7 ironmans in 7 days, raising over £1m for Cancer Research UK. He has received a number of high profile awards as a result of his efforts including Freeman of the City of Southampton and was awarded an MBE in recognition of his efforts in 2020. Francis now works as a football pundit, commentator and motivational speaker and has recently published his autobiography.
Whilst Francis' experiences may be very different from the majority, his drive to find meaning and purpose after transitioning from an all encompassing career will resonate with many. In our conversation, Francis talks about what motivated him to take on these enormous challenges, the psychological hurdles he faced alongside the physical ones and why having good people around you is both the key to success and the antidote to failure.
Ash Alexander-Cooper is a former specialist unit Colonel in the British Army, disabled veteran, international athlete and musician, business leader, mental health campaigner and speaker on leadership, resilience, performance and adaptability. In June 2021, whilst in quarantine in Australia, where he had travelled to see his daughter for the first time in 12 months, he decided to run a marathon in his hotel room. He eventually ran a distance of 32.2 miles (or 11,334 turns!) and used this as an opportunity to raise money for the Royal British Legion Industries (RBLI); to date he has raised over £7,500.
In this episode, Ash shares what inspired him to take on this challenge and what helped to motivate him over 5 hours of running in a confined space, turning around every 8 steps. He shares the benefits of how this experience connected him to a wider community, but also the benefits of seeing the opportunities for adventure where there seem to be none.
Kwesia is the founder of City Girl in Nature, a movement she created as a way to give back to her community. Having grown up in Deptford in SE London, she experienced many of the challenges that come with living in an area, and with people, who have often been neglected, excluded and marginalized. An opportunity to be part of a British Exploring Society’s expedition to the Peruvian Amazon Rain-forest in her words, transformed her life. On her return she started to think about connecting with other people with similar backgrounds and experiences and wanted to explore whether a connection with nature could help them in the same way. Kwesia's aim is to share her love and passion for the outdoors and she is fuelled by the belief that everybody should have the chance to be healed, to be nourished and to live life with abundance.
In this episode Kwesia shares the inspiration behind City Girl in Nature and the personal benefits connecting with nature has bought her. She also shares that challenges she has experienced on this path, focusing on the importance of identity and a sense of belonging in outdoor spaces.
Find out more about Kwesia and City Girl in Nature:
Sally Orange is a physiotherapist, veteran, charity fundraiser, endurance runner, Invictus game medallist, inspirational speaker, ambassador for the Army Cadets and mental health advocate. She holds multiple world records including being the only person to complete a marathon on every continent dressed as a piece of fruit!
Having faced her own challenges with severe depression and chronic anxiety, Sally speaks openly in an attempt to remove the associated stigma with mental health and encourages others to manage their own mental well being through healthy eating, physical activity and a positive mindset.
In this episode, Sally shares what motivated her to take up endurance events, the challenges and benefits she has experienced in doing these and her belief that everyone can achieve more than they believe is possible. She highlights how failure can open doors to other possibilities and is candid in speaking about her own mental health struggles and how the challenges she has undertaken have opened up conversations with others around this too.
Emma Kingston is a mountain biker turned bikepacker, adventurer, writer, teacher and self-confessed map-geek! She is also the author of the recently published "Bikepacking England" which contains 20 great multi-day mountain bike adventures across England.
In this episode, Emma shares how she started bikepacking and what inspired her to write the book. She talks about the challenges of visibility and the benefits of being able to share her passion for the sport and combining it with the art of writing. She speaks candidly about her own challenges of seeing herself as an author in a predominantly male space and also why wasps are definitely not a bike packers friend...
Catie Friend is a presenter, commentator, mother of two and host of the brilliantly named podcast "Chatting to a Friend." In her podcast, she speaks to incredible women about their lives and adventures, but she also has some pretty impressive adventure credentials of her own. In 2018, she competed in the Patrouille des Glaciers from Zermatt to Verbier and she has also completed the Half Marathon Des Sables. She commentates for the ISMF (International Ski Mountaineering Federation) World Cup circuit and is the English Speaking voice of the Africa Eco Race (formerly the Paris Dakar Rally). She also an experienced presentation skills coach, using her experience to presenting to support private and corporate client from small business owners to multinational CEOs.
In this episode, Catie shares what has inspired her to take on these adventurous challenges and how she came to take up sport at the relatively late age of 38. She also speaks openly about learning to navigate the guilt of spending time away from her children in order to do the things that she loves and the impact this has had on her confidence, self-belief and sense of of identity.
For many who love adventure, Sarah Williams will be a very familiar voice. As founder of Tough Girl Challenges and the host of the Tough Girl podcast, Sarah has given voice to an incredible range of women adventurers. Tough Girl is now in its 6th year, having received over a million downloads and Sarah herself has undertaken a number of impressive adventures along the way including the Marathon Des Sables and hiking the Appalachian Trail.
In this episode, Sarah shares what inspired her to start the podcast and how it has expanded and evolved since her initial idea. She talks openly about her move from corporate life to adventure and is honest about the lifestyle changes and choices that this has entailed. Within this she speaks candidly about the role of money in adventure and the fact that this is a topic that is so important and rarely discussed.
Find out more about Sarah, Tough Girl Challenges and the Tough Girl Podcast at
Yvette Curtis is the founder of Wave Wahines CIC, a surf and fitness club based in North Devon which aims to provide affordable and accessible surf training for women and girls. She has also recently launched a diversity programme funded by Sport England and Active Devon, introducing a group of Syrian girls to the joys of surfing and the ocean, some for the very first time.
In this episode, Yvette shares what inspired her to start Wave Wahines , despite her own limited experience of surfing and the benefits it has brought to her personally as well as the women and girls she supports. She also talks about her passion for driving greater inclusivity and diversity in surfing and how this has resulted in her work broadening access to the waves for those who might not have felt able to participate.
To find out more about Yvette's work with Wave Wahines visit:
Welcome to Season 7 of The Everyday Adventure Podcast! In this episode, host Nicki Bass shares 5 tips to help you get started on your own everyday adventure and overcome some of the common barriers we can encounter.
These are: I. Identify your why 2. Find a time that works 3. Find an activity you enjoy 4. Start small 5. Prioritise yourself
Shadi Ganjavian-Connor is a philanthropist, adventurer and public speaker who has undertaken some extraordinary challenges. In 2016, she climbed Mont Blanc to raise money for the Teenage Cancer Trust despite her fear of heights and hatred of the cold. She has since gone onto scale the Matterhorn and Mount Elberus and is currently planning to be part of an all female team aiming to ski to the North Pole in 2022 to conduct ice research.
In this episode, Shadi talks about what motivated her to start mountaineering in her early 40s, the challenges she has faced along the way and the benefits she has experienced from her adventures. She also shares insights into her latest expedition and her advice to others getting started on their own adventure challenges.
Jay Worthy is an experienced Executive and CEO turned Life Coach and host of the 28 Summers Podcast. Racing up the career ladder just like everyone else, he got to the top, tookup his spot in the corner office and had an epiphany. He had been climbing the wrong ladder and the view wasn’t at all what he expected! Later, after moving back to the UK, Jay struggled with depression and a loss of identity. Through the power of nature, he was able to reconnect with his adventurous childhood and ultimately taught his heart how to sing again. He believes in the power of living adventurously and that pushing your boundaries, exploring the world around you and finding out how tall you are is the secret to a happy life.
In this conversation, Jay and I discuss the inspiration behind 28 Summers and what led him to start the podcast. We talk about "Project Adventure" where he's taking on a four different adventures to raise money for the charities Scotty's Little Soldiers and Mind and explore which of these adventures presents the greatest challenge and why. Jay also shares his thoughts on how we can all start to live more adventurously and how finding our own personal Everest plays a key role.
To find out more about Jay and the 28 Summers podcast visit:
Lesley McKenna is a former professional snowboarder, 3 x Olympian, coach, mentor, mother and yoga teacher. She has recently launched Wandering Workshops with photographer and sports journalist, Hannah Bailey, offering split boarding and ski touring adventures which combine expert coaching with creating a holistic and embodied connection with the natural environment.
In this episode, Lesley and I talk about what first brought her to snowboarding and split boarding. We discuss the benefits she has experienced personally from time spent outdoors and in nature. Lesley talks about the inspiration behind Wandering Workshops, the interconnection between action sports and the environment and how challenging the dominant narrative around these sports can impact positively on both our experience and perspective.
BONUS EPISODE* Carl Orme is an Army Veteran and runner and is best known on Instagram as @fighting_the_dadbod. Here he holds regular "Instaviews" with prolific guests from the world of sport including Fiona Oakes, Dean Macey and Becky Adlington. Last year, Carl raised over £10k for Breast Cancer by running 10 marathons in 10 days across 10 different counties and this year he's taking part in a number of events to raise funds for Prostate Cancer and the Tower Hill Stables Animal Sanctuary.
In this episode, Carl shares what inspired him to start running and the idea behind the Instaviews. He talks about why he's willing to share the difficult side of undertaking challenges as well the highs and the huge support he has received from the running community on his journey.
NB There were a few technical issues with this recording which has impacted on sound quality. However, they do not affect the content and Carl's story is well worth listening to!