Tough Girl Podcast – Details, episodes & analysis

Join us on the Tough Girl Podcast as we dive into the inspiring journey of Josie Fouts, an athlete, mentor, advocate, and filmmaker who is leading the charge to make mountain biking a Paralympic sport. Based in San Diego, California, Josie's story is one of resilience, determination, and a relentless pursuit of her passions.

Born in Seoul, Korea, and adopted at six months old, Josie grew up in Ohio, USA, before finding her true calling in cycling upon moving to San Diego. Known as "Ms. Stubbornness," Josie embraced cycling not just as a sport but as a means of redefining her capabilities, riding one-handed without adaptations and challenging herself to excel.

Josie's journey took a pivotal turn when she decided to leave her job in 2018 to pursue full-time training for the Tokyo Olympics. Despite not making it to Tokyo, Josie found solace and newfound passion in mountain biking, discovering freedom and exhilaration on the trails.

In our conversation, Josie shares her insights on adaptive cycling, the challenges she faced in rethinking her approach, and her advocacy to include mountain biking in the Paralympics. She discusses her role as an upper limb mentoring coach, her nutrition strategies for endurance challenges, and mental tips to overcome obstacles.

Don't miss Josie's story of resilience, her groundbreaking work with Tread Setters to promote inclusivity in cycling through filmmaking, and her empowering advice for women looking to make a difference in the world.

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Don't miss out on the latest episodes of the Tough Girl Podcast, released every Tuesday at 7am UK time! Be sure to hit the subscribe button to stay updated on the incredible journeys and stories of strong women.

 By supporting the Tough Girl Podcast on Patreon, you can make a difference in increasing the representation of female role models in the media, particularly in the world of adventure and physical challenges. Your contribution helps empower and inspire others. Visit www.patreon.com/toughgirlpodcast to be a part of this important movement. 

Thank you for your invaluable support!

***

Show notes

• Who is Josie?
• Asian, American, Adoptee and Amputee
• Based in San Diego, California 
• Trailblazing for or mountain biking to be a Paralympic sport! 
• Bio on Instagram - “Mad scientist on a mission to single-handedly save the world with cycling!”
• Why she’s known as Ms Stubbornness
• Reinventing herself during the pandemic
• Born in Seoul Korea, before being adopted at 6 months old and growing up in Ohio, USA
• Getting into cycling when moving to San Diego and using it to commute to work 
• Riding one handed and not using any adaptations 
• Changing her mindset 
• Deciding to quit her job in 2018 and training full time for the Tokyo Olympics 
• Looking into prosthetics and what would work with her and the bike
• Making the decision to quit her job
• Having an adapted mindset 
• Wanting to get in the best shape of her life 
• Feeling over worked and underpaid and taking a step back
• The 3 red flags with her work and knowing she needed to make a change
• Being an athlete full time and why it was awesome
• Getting multiple degrees in nutrition and putting her knowledge into action 
• Working towards and end goals 
• Funding and paying for a coach and training while not working 
• Not making it to the Tokyo Olympics and why she’s grateful 
• Having the pressure taken off and figuring out what she wanted to do
• Finding herself mountain biking and loving the freedom 
• Starting to rethink her stubborn mindset
• Limiting herself by not using a prosthetic 
• Spending time on mountain biking trails in nature 
• Why don’t the Paralympics offer mountain biking?
• Deciding to focus her time and energy on what she can control and change
• Being an upper limb mentoring coach
• Making it up as she goes
• The White Rim Trail Challenge 
• Filming the adventure - Tread Setters - A group of para-cyclists attempt to ride the White Rim Trail through the heart of Canyonlands in one day with the hope of creating awareness around people with disabilities and growing a more inclusive cycling community.
• Tread Setters Film 
• Nutrition and fuelling for challenges and why read food is so important 
• Eating locally sourced and regenerative products 
• Mental tips and tricks to push on through the hard times and why thinking about physics helps
• Why you create your outcome
• Thinking about what’s going to get her through the difficult section
• How to connect with Josie online
• Advice for women who want to change the world 

Social Media

Instagram: @ms.stubbornness

Facebook: @ms.stubbornness

Movie: Tread Setters

Jen Benson is a runner, writer, running coach and mum of two. 

Along with her husband, Sim, she has co-authored 10 books including Smart Running, The Camping Bible, Wild Running and The Adventurer's Guide to Britain. 

She has an MSc in sport & exercise medicine and is currently a PhD researcher exploring the phenomenology of running. 

Jen has run more than 50 marathons and ultras, including the 100-mile Arc of Attrition in 2024. 

Her new book on women in ultrarunning, The Path We Run, is out in September.

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Don't miss out on the latest episodes of the Tough Girl Podcast, released every Tuesday at 7am UK time! Be sure to hit the subscribe button to stay updated on the incredible journeys and stories of strong women.

 By supporting the Tough Girl Podcast on Patreon, you can make a difference in increasing the representation of female role models in the media, particularly in the world of adventure and physical challenges. Your contribution helps empower and inspire others. Visit www.patreon.com/toughgirlpodcast to be a part of this important movement. 

Thank you for your invaluable support!

Show notes

• Who is Jen 
• Intro to her life and work
• Publishing 3 books in 2024
• Book: Smart Running: The ultimate guide to becoming a fitter, stronger, more confident runner 
• Book: The Camping Bible: The Complete Guide to Life Under Canvas 
• Book: Great British Walkies: 100 brilliant dog walks through beautiful countryside (National Trust) 
• First speaking to Jen - 23rd July 2019 - Adventuring with her partner and two young children, living in a tent for 18 months! 
• What’s been going on since 2019 
• The wild year - spending 18 months in a tent
• Having freedom from the monthly treadmill of paying rent and bills
• Writing their first book (Wild Running) and wanting to make writing a full time career
• Writing their second book - Amazing Family Adventures: Fun days out and action-packed weekends.
• Being back in a proper house since 2016
• Son aged 10, daughter aged 13 
• Researching an alpine adventure book in the Alps
• Getting back into running and starting to train for a 100 miler
• Documenting her training for and attempting to finish her first 100 mile race
• Always being a runner and doing a MSc in Sports and Exercise Medicine specialising in distance running.
• How pregnancy impacted on her life and withdrawing from her PHD
• Deciding to go back and do a PHD at Liverpool John Moors University - wanting to look at the meaning of running for couch to 5k runners and ultra distance runners. 
• The battle with negative troughs and how a lack of confidence impacted on her running.
• Signing up to do a mindfulness course and how it changed her life for the better
• Deciding to train as a mindfulness teacher
• Identifying the triggers for what causes the negative spirals 
• The impact of tiredness and sleep deprivation 
• Running through the dark and running through the night 
• The dream of wanting to run 100 miles
• Book: The Path We Run: A personal history of women's ultrarunning 
• Learning about the history of women in ultra running
• TGP Episode Ann Trason (July 19th 2016) - American ultra runner who has broken 20 world records & won Western States a record breaking 14 times 
• Barriers for women in ultra running 
• Why running can be an expensive sport
• Working with her partner to fit in training 
• Being anaemic and how 50% of women/runners can have low ferritin levels
• Book: Smart Running: The ultimate guide to becoming a fitter, stronger, more confident runner 
• Why it was a dream book to write 
• Book: The Camping Bible: The Complete Guide to Life Under Canvas
• Top tips for camping
• Some of the challenges from the past 5 years
• Planning for work and family life
• Getting older
• How to connect with Jen online
• Final words of advice 
• “Just because something feels scary, that’s not a reason not to do it.” 
• Taking the plunge and doing the scary thing

Social Media

Website: jenandsimbenson.co.uk

Instagram: @jenandsim 

Facebook: @jenandsimbenson

X: @jenandsim 

In this special reflections episode, I, take you through my journey over the past six months and share my plans for the rest of 2024. Celebrating nine years of the Tough Girl Podcast, I'm recording from my bedroom on the Wirral, UK, offering a personal insight into my life.

I'll recount my adventures, starting the year in Wellington, New Zealand, and returning to the UK in March. You'll hear about the highs and lows of walking the Camino via De La Plata, dealing with physical and emotional challenges, and my personal health journey, including gut health improvements and medical support.

I'll also discuss the financial challenges of maintaining the podcast, the support from my Patreon community, and my strategies for growth on Instagram and YouTube. With nearly 3.5 million downloads, I'm focused on reaching over 1,000 episodes and continuously improving my craft.

Looking ahead, I'll talk about walking the South West Coast Path, participating in the Armchair Adventure Festival, Tremula Festival in Brighton and continuing my health and fitness regimen. As I prepare for new podcast episodes in September, I'll express my gratitude to you, my listeners and supporters.

Join me for an honest, inspiring, and motivational episode as I reflect on my journey this year and share my future aspirations. Thank you for being part of the Tough Girl Podcast community and for your unwavering support.

***

 Don't miss out on the latest episodes of the Tough Girl Podcast, released every Tuesday at 7am UK time! Be sure to hit the subscribe button to stay updated on the incredible journeys and stories of strong women.

 By supporting the Tough Girl Podcast on Patreon, you can make a difference in increasing the representation of female role models in the media, particularly in the world of adventure and physical challenges. Your contribution helps empower and inspire others. Visit www.patreon.com/toughgirlpodcast to be a part of this important movement. 

Thank you for your invaluable support!

***

Show notes

• Intro
• 9 year Anniversary of the Tough Girl Podcast
• Based on the Wirral, UK
• Recording from my bedroom
• Snake Plant benefits
• Recording from my bed
• Find out more info about me
• Quitting my job in 2013
• Travelling for 2 years
• Starting Tough Girl Challenges
• Taking on challenges from the Marathon des Sables, to hiking the Appalachian Trail in 100 days
• My mission to increase the amount of female role models in the media especially in relation to adventure and physical challenges
• Sharing my adventures 
• Sharing my stories on other podcasts
• Ask me a question via Instagram
• Sharing to be more transparent
• Why I’m not complaining
• Recording at the end of July
• Where have the past 6 months gone?
• Starting the year in Wellington, New Zealand
• Listen to the New Zealand episodes
• Back to the UK in March 
• Camino V New Zealand 
• YouTube shorts and why it didn’t work for me
• Total stats and tracking my walks (distances, accommodation, costs etc)
• Getting stung by bag charges
• The challenges on the Camino
• Emotional wobble
• Dealing with negative thoughts
• Blisters, and feet issues 
• Nutrition and food and the challenges and consequences
• Not feeling good
• Am I tired or just being lazy
• Starting to note appreciate what I was doing
• What am I doing? Am I enjoying this? Do I need to take a step back and do something different?
• Having plans change and cancelled
• Cotswold Way with Gemma
• Not being able to make any more decisions 
• Watch the Cotswold Way Vlogs on Youtube
• Getting a Drs appointment and having a blood test done
• Blood test results
• Going to AIM - Hoylake 
• Using the rebalance bed for sleep
• Seeing Doctors, and naturopath
• All the tests being done.
• Vitamin I
• Needing to improve my gut health 
• July…. Needing to make money
• Patreon numbers declining 
• Off to Work 
• Starting to feel better and having more energy
• Armchair Adventure Festival 
• Running an Adventure Planning Workshop
• Live podcast episodes from the festival coming out in the late September 
• Walking the South West Coast Path (SWCP) - UK National Trail (630 miles)
• Making my way to Minehead 
• Working with ZOLEO #ChallengewithZOLEO 
• Not having a hard deadline
• Tremula Festival 20th September, Brighton 
• Francesca Turauskis - Advocate for Adventure & Epilepsy, walked the Camino de Santiago solo. May 21st 2019.  
• Catching up with friends
• September and planning to be home for October, November and December
• Needing to stop and take a moment. 
• Trying to do to much 
• Trying to figure out how I can fit everything in
• Mobility training with Franco 
• Strength training
• Run club? 
• Editing the vlogs for New Zealand and SWCP
• Health, fitness, vitality, strength 
• New Tough Girl Podcasts interviewing happening in September  
• Podcast numbers 
• Coming up to 3.5 million downloads 
• Patreon - regular source of income which helps to fund the running costs of the podcast 
• Focusing on what I can control 
• How can I add value? How can I get better?
• Being able to talk to people 
• Goal to get over 1000 episodes 
• Instagram - 13.1k followers
• Facebook - over 5k
• Youtube growth…. 
• Editing and the creative process 
• The next reflections episode to happen at the end of the year 
• Thank you for listening and for your support 

Social Media

Website: www.toughgirlchallenges.com

Instagram: @toughgirlchallenges

Facebook: Sarah Williams 

Allie Mason is an autistic children’s author and micro-adventurer who has just published her first book, The Autistic Guide to Adventure: Active Pursuits from Archery to Wild Swimming for Tweens and Teens. 

Allie lives in the English countryside with her partner and their beloved Labrador. The purpose of her writing is to give neurodivergent young people a place where they recognise themselves and feel that they belong.

Allie in her own words:

“When I was 23 years old, I was diagnosed as autistic. It was a bittersweet moment for me. On the one hand, it answered a lot of questions that had been accumulating since I was a child. On the other, it highlighted that a lot of the struggles I had faced when I was younger could have been avoided with the right support.

I was (and still am!) an avid reader, but I never felt that I recognised myself in the pages of a book. The characters didn’t face the same struggles as me, didn’t think the same way, so as much as I tried to immerse myself in these fictional worlds, there was always something missing.

Now, as an adult, I write books that neurodivergent kids and teens, like I once was, can see themselves in.”

***

About the book:The Autistic Guide to Adventure: Active Pursuits from Archery to Wild Swimming for Tweens and Teens. 

Outdoor adventuring can be life changing - it makes you physically and mentally stronger, takes you to new places and introduces you to new friends, as well as being an exhilarating challenge - but it can be stressful when there are unexpected social and sensory challenges involved. Allie Mason, autistic adventurer extraordinaire, is here to help.

Join Allie as she introduces activities ranging from archery to stargazing, sailing to fossil hunting, snorkelling to nature-writing - and so much more. Each easily digestible factsheet comes with a short introduction, a summary of the sensory experiences involved, suggestions on approaching activities for when you're just getting started, as well as a handy budgeting system.

With personal anecdotes and interviews with awesome autistic athletes, this book will give you the support you need to take on the great outdoors.

***

New episodes of the Tough Girl Podcast go live every Tuesday at 7am UK time - Subscribe so you don’t miss out. 

You can support the Tough Girl mission to increase the amount of female role models in the media - especially in relation to adventure and physical challenge by signing up as a patron. www.patreon.com/toughgirlpodcast. Thank you. 

Show Notes

• Who is Allie
• Chilling with her dog at home
• Her early years growing up 
• Being diagnosed as autistic at 23 (Feb 2020)
• Feeling strange from a young age and knowing she was different
• Feeling isolated and being bullied 
• Why her diagnoses was liberating
• Understanding that she wasn’t broken and that there is nothing wrong with her
• Her outlook on life 
• Being trusting, truthful and taking things at face value
• Not understanding social etiquette very well
• Wanting to gentle educate people by just being herself
• Understanding different Neurotypes 
• Getting an assessment done to diagnose autism
• Signing up for a roller-skate marathon in Berlin
• Training for 18 months and what that looked like 
• Thriving on structure 
• Raising money for charity - Ambitious About Autism
• Taking any reference to the roller-skate marathon out of the book
• What happened on the day of the marathon and why things didn’t go according to plan 
• Dealing with injury and still wanting to do the challenge
• Being told to get off the course after 5km
• The lessons learned from the negative experience 
• Feeling emotions of frustration, resentment and feeling wronged
• How can organisers of the event could have handle having to take people off the course 
• Support for autistic people who enter larger events 
• Wanting to do the event again
• Equality and Equity
• Having the idea for her book while thinking about doing the roller-skate marathon
• New book: The Autistic Guide to Adventure: Active Pursuits from Archery to Wild Swimming for Tweens and Teens 
• The contents of the book and how to use the guide
• Highlights from the Autistic and Adventure manifesto - “Trying the thing, asking for support, respecting your limits and being an adventurer”
• Top tips for “trying the thing”
• Not being afraid to fail
• Who the book is aimed at
• The importance of representation and sharing stories from autistic athletics 
• Future projects in 2023
• Working on book 2
• Wanting to take a sensory space on tour around the UK
• How to connect with Allie
• Final words of advice 
• Being inspired by Al Humphreys

Social Media

Website: www.alliewrote.com 

Instagram: @alliewrote  

TikTok: @alliewrote  

A couple of years ago, Julia embarked on a solo hike along England's 630-mile South West Coast Path. Since then, she has cycled King Alfred's Way, a 217-mile mainly off-road cycle route in southern England, and walked the Camino Frances and Camino Portuguese!

But Julia's adventures don't stop there. In between her travels, she's been busy writing about her experiences, hoping to inspire others to embrace their own bucket lists. 

During this process, she's discovered a love for hiking and is also writing walking guidebooks to encourage others to get outdoors and explore.

Julia's story is a testament to the power of setting goals, pursuing your passions, and living life to the fullest.

New episodes of the Tough Girl Podcast go live every Tuesday at 7am UK time - Subscribe so you don’t miss out. 

To support the mission to increase the amount of female role models in the media. Sign up as a Patron -  www.patreon.com/toughgirlpodcast. Thank you. 

Show Notes

• Who is Julia 
• Deciding to live her bucket list
• Living in South Wales by the sea
• Growing up in Surrey
• Her early years growing up
• Sticking to indoor sports
• Getting into the outdoors in her 50s
• Discovering a love of hiking
• Book: 500 mile Walkies - Mark Wallington 
• Having a health scare in her 50s
• Wanting to get out there and do all the things she wanted to do
• Figuring out a new career 
• Wanting to become an adventurer
• The South West Coastal Path (SWCP)
• Planning and preparation for the SWCP
• Getting fitted for a new backpack and upgrading her camping gear
• Thinking about the things that could go wrong
• Wild camping for the first time by herself
• The start of the walk and feeling terrified
• Thinking time while walking
• Book: Live Your Bucket List: Simple Steps to Ignite Your Dreams, Face Your Fears and Lead an Extraordinary Life, Starting Today 
• Feeling safe while travelling
• Money - paying for and budgeting for adventures 
• Deciding to walk the Camino
• Walking with an open mind
• Reflecting back on the walk and writing a book about it
• Becoming a writer and learning how to self publish
• Book: 15 Short Walks on the Malvern Hills 
• Book: Top 10 Walks: Coastal Pub Walks – South Wales Coast 
• Meeting on the Wales Coast Path - Vlog 42
• The environment and sustainability
• Dealing with carbon guilt
• How to connect with Julia
• Final words of advice

Social Media

Website www.juliags.com 

Instagram @juliagsauthorspeaker 

Facebook @juliagsauthor 

Youtube @JuliaGSAuthorSpeaker 

Listen free of charge to the first three chapters of Live Your Bucket List: www.juliags.com/liveyourbucketlist 

Free Pilgrimage Planner pdf: www.juliags.com/camino
Julia's books: www.juliags.com/writing
15 short walks on the Malvern Hills: www.cicerone.co.uk/short-walks-on-the-malvern-hills-first 

India Pearson, is an Outdoors Advocate, Presenter, and Yoga Teacher based on the Kent coast. 

India's passion for wellbeing and nature has lead her to produce and host the podcast 'Start a Ripple ...' which celebrates the power of moving in nature for the mind, body and environment. Guests have included TV adventurer Ben Fogle, Olympian Michelle Griffith Robinson, BBC Spring Watch Presenter Megan McCubbin and Emmy Award Winner Doon Mackichan.

You can also find India presenting in front of the camera, on the highly successful Youtube Channel Holiday Extras Travel Guides, which over the last 4 years, has taken her all over the world making documentary style videos on sustainable tourism. 

During her time with Holiday Extras India co-founded a sustainable travel podcast 'Green on the Go' which saw her speak to industry professionals and travellers about eco tourism. In 2019 India won the Holiday Extras Difference Award for her efforts to encourage customers and colleagues to travel and live more sustainably.

As a lifestyle model India has worked with a variety of brands across different industries both nationally and internationally. 

India uses social media for discussions based around her passions and expertise in paddle boarding, yoga, environmental activism, and getting outdoors as a new mum to her daughter Malou. India has been featured in publications such as Women's Health and Women and Home, and is also also an ambassador for Gill Marine and Hatha Paddle Boards.

When she's not presenting, India can mostly be found by the sea, either on her stand up paddle board or practicing yoga on the beach. 

In 2020 India founded Fin & Flow, a hub for like minded people to connect through wellbeing activities by the sea such as yoga, paddle boarding, and beach cleans.

New episodes of the Tough Girl Podcast go live every Tuesday at 7am UK time - Subscribe so you don’t miss out. 

You can support the Tough Girl mission to increase the amount of female role models in the media - especially in relation to adventure and physical challenge by signing up as a patron. www.patreon.com/toughgirlpodcast. Thank you. 

Show Notes

• Who is India?
• Living in Kent with her partner and daughter
• Her love of the sea
• Working as a SUP and Yoga teacher
• Being an Outdoor Advocate and being passionate about the outdoors
• Having a very outdoorsy childhood 
• Her podcast - 'Start a Ripple ...' which celebrates the power of moving in nature for the mind, body and environment.
• Wishing she learnt how to surf when she was younger
• Memories of playing in the waves
• Going to college and studying dance, before moving to London
• Dealing with anxiety and getting into yoga for the breathing
• Feeling the benefits and knowing that she wanted to teach it
• Doing the 200hr teaching training inThailand
• Doing a SUP/Yoga Teacher Training Course
• Doing a refresher water safety course
• What can people expect from a SUP/Yoga class
• The benefits of moving in nature and wanting to share it with others
• The ripple effect of spending time in nature
• Deciding to start the podcast and being on it’s 5th Series 
• Pregnancy and being active and spending time outdoors
• Dealing with Postnatel Anxiety 
• Self care tips for new mums during stressful times of the year
• Why comparison is the thief of joy
• How her views of adventure have changed since having a baby
• Dealing with a change in her identify and how she viewed herself
• The challenges of going back to work after maternity leave
• Taking her daughter on adventures 
• Future plans for 2023
• Armchair Adventure Festival 2023 (Use TG10 to get a 10% discount)
• How to connect with India
• Final words of advice for new mums and parents

Social Media

Website: www.finandflow.co.uk 

Instagram @with_india 

The Start a Ripple podcast was founded on the belief that ripples are made when we connect movement with nature, not only for our mind and body, but also the environment too. Every episode India speaks to a guest who shares their story and approach to moving in nature, with the hope that these conversations will encourage you to get outside, move, dream big, and start making your own ripples.

Listen here - https://www.buzzsprout.com/1718611

Join us for an inspiring conversation with Saanvi Sita Mylavarapu, a seasoned hiker, backpacker, rock climber, and youth advocate for the great outdoors. Since the age of six, Saanvi has been exploring the stunning landscapes of the United States, and has completed some of the most challenging hikes in the country, including Kala Pathar, Half Dome, and Mt. Whitney. She recently accomplished the feat of reaching the Everest Base Camp, and is now gearing up for a 120-mile trek across the Tour du Mont Blanc in Europe this summer.

Saanvi has hiked over 800 miles and has visited more than 25 National Parks, making her a true champion of nature conservation. Her passion for the environment has been recognized by national media outlets, who have featured her on the front page of newspapers and in articles in major magazines.

As a National Park Trust Ambassador, Saanvi has been supported by the National Park Service, renowned conservationists, mountaineers, and wildlife photographers. She is also the founder of 'Young Roots', an environmental and ecology club at Frisco ISD, and runs 'Nature Worthy', a non-profit organization that aims to raise awareness of the benefits of connecting with nature. 

Join us as Saanvi shares her insights on the transformative power of nature, and her vision for a more sustainable future.

New episodes of the Tough Girl Podcast go live every Tuesday at 7am UK time - Subscribe so you don’t miss out. 

You can support the Tough Girl mission to increase the amount of female role models in the media - especially in relation to adventure and physical challenge by signing up as a patron. www.patreon.com/toughgirlpodcast. Thank you. 

Show Notes

• Who is Saanvi
• Moving from Dallas to Texas
• Planing to complete the Tour du Mont Blanc trek in Europe 
• Turning sixteen 
• Reflecting on her childhood and growing up 
• Her first road trip at 6 years old and visiting the National Parks
• Her love for hiking and spending time outdoors
• Enjoying the peace and quiet
• Feeling under pressure at school 
• Being self motivated and driven 
• Being a National Park Student Trust Ambassador 
• Going to the Junior Ranger Programs 
• Climbing Mt. Whitney and why it was so strenuous 
• Breaking through mental barriers 
• Feeling mental drained and how to change her state
• Getting into rock climbing and what she enjoys
• Hiking and climbing Half Dome and why it was so tough
• Being inspired by her mum
• Hiking to Everest Base Camp in Nepal
• Wanting to climb the mountains in the future
• Dealing with cold hands and feet
• Using the phrase “you can do this”
• Future dreams and ambitions 
• Preparing to hike Tour du Mont Blanc
• Doing high altitude running
• The Saanvi Speaker Series 
• The importance of spending time in nature 
• Founder of 'Young Roots', an environmental and ecology club
• Her views on carbon footprints and climate change
• The power of making little changes in their life
• Being inspired by Emily Harrington 
• How to connect with Saanvi
• Final words of advice 

Social Media

Instagram: @chalkbagsntents 

Jen Price, is a former British Army Officer who spent the entirety of 2022 undertaking an extreme set of adventure and endurance challenges on behalf of the Veteran’s Foundation. 

The solo challenge she set herself was to complete 12 challenges in 12 months, in quick succession. The challenges were multi-discipline and included the Devizes to Westminster international canoe race, an ironman, a multistage desert ultra-marathon, summit of Aconcagua, and a 1000 mile self supported Lands’ End to John O’Groats cycle. None of the challenges were events she had attempted before and, in total, she covered over 3500km and climbed two of the Seven Summits. 

Jen has raised nearly £35,000 for the Veterans’ Foundation and she continues to fundraise in her spare time by speaking about the challenges at schools, universities and business. She also has two outstanding challenges to go this year (replaced due to severe weather) which she will also fundraise for: paddle boarding across the English channel and climbing the famous Matterhorn.

New episodes of the Tough Girl Podcast go live every Tuesday at 7am UK time - Subscribe so you don’t miss out. 

You can support the Tough Girl mission to increase the amount of female role models in the media - especially in relation to adventure and physical challenge by signing up as a patron. www.patreon.com/toughgirlpodcast. Thank you. 

Show Notes

• Joining the Army in 2012
• Why she joined the Army 
• Deciding to raise funds for the Veterans’ Foundation 
• Being inspired by the Tough Girl Podcast!
• Her role in the Army and being physical robust
• Doing cross country ski racing and competing for the Army
• Joining the cadets at university 
• Deciding to leave the army after 10 years
• How the dream was turned into a plan - the practical steps that were taken
• Starting with the desert marathon and building the rest of the challenges around it
• Paying for the adventures and challenges 
• Being able to borrow equipment to help keep costs down
• Being supported by her friends and family 
• Being frugal to keep costs down
• The stress of planning and doing challenges throughout the year
• Training for the variety of challenges 
• The challenges of the desert marathon (challenge 10) and feeling broken
• Self appreciation and not putting so much pressure on herself to achieve
• Dealing with the feelings of shame
• Her experience with climbing Aconcagua and the challenges she faced with the cold and the altitude
• 28% oxygen!!
• Doing a 1000 mile solo self supported Lands’ End to John O’Groats cycle
• The 2 remaining challenges left for 2023
• The lessons learned from the challenges
• Sharing more about experience addiction 
• Taking a step back from adventuring and figuring out the next steps in her life
• If you’re not on an adventure, you should be planning your next one”
• How to connect with Jen
• Wanting to write a book about the challenges
• Final words of advice for other women and girls
• Not caring what other people think and why it can be powerful 

Social Media

Website: jennevolve.co.uk  

Instagram: @jennevolve

Just Giving: https://www.justgiving.com/team/teamridge  

Emily is an adventurer, solo traveler, mountaineer, quote collector, and all around lover of things that get people out of their comfort zones. Put on her first international flight at 3 weeks old, she's been adventuring in one way or another ever since. 

From wandering the forests of Sweden alone at the age of nine, to solo trekking in the Himalayas of India, to joining the circus as a professional aerialist, Emily is a big fan of the "just get out there and do it" mentality. She considers it her mission in life to inspire others to go outside, travel, and get curious about everything. As John Muir so aptly put it, "going out is really going in.”

Emily is a columnist and longtime contributor to Outside. Her work has appeared in The New York Times, The Guardian, Condé Nast Traveler, Lonely Planet, Adventure Journal, REI, and Backpacker, among others. 

Emily has visited every national park in the United States, and her book Feral: Losing Myself and Finding My Way in America’s National Parks, came out in February 2023.

About Feral: A bracing memoir about self-discovery, liberating escape, and moving forward across an adventurous and volatile American landscape. One year. One national park at a time.

“After a decade as an assistant to high-powered LA executives, Emily Pennington left behind her structured life and surrendered to the pull of the great outdoors. With a tight budget, meticulous routing, and a temperamental minivan she named Gizmo, Emily embarked on a yearlong road trip to sixty-two national parks, hell-bent on a single goal: getting through the adventure in one piece. She was instantly thrust into more chaos than she’d bargained for and found herself on an unpredictable journey rocked by a gutting romantic breakup, a burgeoning pandemic, wildfires, and other seismic challenges that threatened her safety, her sanity, and the trip itself.

What began as an intrepid obsession soon evolved into a life-changing experience. Navigating the tangle of life’s unexpected sucker punches, Feral invites readers along on Emily’s grand, blissful, and sometimes perilous journey, where solitude, resilience, self-reliance, and personal transformation run wild.”

We first spoke with Emily on 17th December 2019. You can listen to that episode here - https://www.toughgirlchallenges.com/single-post/emily-pennington 

New episodes of the Tough Girl Podcast go live every Tuesday at 7am UK time - Subscribe so you don’t miss out. 

You can support the Tough Girl mission to increase the amount of female role models in the media - especially in relation to adventure and physical challenge by signing up as a patron. www.patreon.com/toughgirlpodcast. Thank you. 

Show Notes

• Who is Emily 
• Working as a journalist and writing for; The New York Times, The Guardian, Condé Nast Traveler and Lonely Planet
• Speaking to Emily on the Tough Girl Podcast - 17th December 2019. You can listen to that episode here
• Going back to early 2020
• Saving up $30K for the adventure of a lifetime
• Having a goal to visit all 62 National Parks in the United States
• How Covid impacted her life and work as a travel journalist 
• Having a home base in LA and quitting her job
• Starting her adventure on 6th January 2020
• Living out of her mini van #VanLife and what life was really like while on the road
• Being mindful of climate change and the impact her travel would have
• The transition to full time travel and living in a different way
• Having anxiety about travelling especially solo travel
• Expectations verses reality 
• The importance of having downtime while travelling
• Tips for managing her anxiety 
• Leaning into meditation, online therapy, and medication
• Being caught in the smoke from the wild fires 
• National Parks and the amount of people wanting to use the space
• The challenges of meeting people while being on the road and the challenges during covid
• Magical moments
• Adventuring with a partner and the impact on their relationship
• Spending time in Alaska
• Thinking about what home really means
• The writing experience and why it was like intensive therapy everyday for 6 months
• Reflecting back on the journey and the experience of writing the book
• The key takeaways from the experience
• The importance of rest and scheduling in downtime 
• Getting comfortable sitting with discomfort
• Making better choices and having more compassion
• Wanting to travel to meaningful places and learn more about herself 
• Deciding to move to Colorado and work full time as a writer
• Reflecting on her quality of life and wanting to spend more time in the mountains
• Plans for a second and third book
• How to connect with Emily 
• Final words of advice for women who want to go on a big trip or take on a new adventure

Social Media

Website: www.brazenbackpacker.com 

Instagram: @brazenbackpacker 

Twitter: @BrazenBackpack

Book: Feral: Losing Myself and Finding My Way in America’s National Parks 

Vivianette Ortiz is a Latina originally from Puerto Rico. She grew up in the beach and mountain town of Patillas, Puerto Rico. She grew up running the hills of her hometown, bodyboarding, loving the ocean, and playing hide-in-seek barefoot through the farmlands. 

Vivianette moved to North Carolina at the age of 17. She is a dedicated mother, daughter, and granddaughter. For a long time, she worked countless hours daily with 2 or 3 jobs at a time. Her adventurous soul went dormant for many years due to everyday responsibilities.

Since arriving in North Carolina she has always gone back to the island to visit family and enjoy the feeling of freedom there. Going back to the island would help the homesickness she felt here on the mainland. Due to Covid restrictions, her traveling ceased for a while she found herself extremely homesick and depressed. 

Through social media, she found a North Carolina hiking group page. Discovering the outdoors again provided her with a connection to home. Her love for nature and the Latino community led her to be one of the founders of the group Latinos Aventureros en las Carolinas. She is proud to combine her love for the outdoors with her passion for the Hispanic community through her role as the Executive Director of Latinos Aventureros. 

She has completed over 130 hikes throughout the Carolinas in 2022, and 76 hikes in 2021. 

In 2022 was able to fulfill a lifelong dream of visiting Peru, and completing the Inca Trail. She hopes to start the Appalachian Trail by sections in 2023.

New episodes of the Tough Girl Podcast go live every Tuesday at 7am UK time - Subscribe so you don’t miss out. 

You can support the Tough Girl mission to increase the amount of female role models in the media - especially in relation to adventure and physical challenge by signing up as a patron. www.patreon.com/toughgirlpodcast. Thank you. 

Show Notes

• Who is Vivianette
• Her passion for going outside and travelling 
• Working as a disability rights advocate
• Growing up in Puerto Rico
• Being an ocean girl and her passion for the water
• Not being encouraged to spend time in the outdoors
• Being dedicated to work and working 2/3 jobs to support her family
• Being a single mother
• Moving to North Carolina at 17 years old
• The impact of Covid
• Being very depressed and looking for things to do
• Joining a social media friend for a hike
• Her first memorable sunrise hike on Roan Mountain 
• The gradual change after going on more hikes
• Finding her passion of spending time in the outdoors
• Practical tips and advice 
• Hiking with her children
• Starting Latinos Aventureros in October 2021
• Building a camping gear closet 
• Being able to take families out camping 
• Doing the Inca Trail in 2022
• Planning for 2 years 
• The challenges of the trail 
• Just keep going 
• The mental side of hiking 
• Why self motivation is important
• Plans for 2023
• Finding education and training for the leaders
• The importance of resting and figuring out what your body needs
• Making time to go hiking on her own
• Hiking without an agenda
• Plans for section hiking the Appalachian trail in 2023
• Support, sponsorship and funding for the Latinos Aventureros
• The Year of the Trail 
• Disability rights and hiking 
• The need for disability rights advocates 
• Looking up trails on line to see if they are accessible 
• All Trails App
• How you can use your voice 
• How to connect online
• Advice for women who want to get out hiking and spend more time in the outdoors
• Why it’s ok to ask for help
• Words of encouragement in Spanish 

Social Media

Instagram @vivi.la.exploradora

Facebook - Vivianette Ortiz

Facebook Group - Latinos Aventureros en las Carolinas

Linktree - https://linktr.ee/latinosaventureros