Tough Girl Podcast

AnnMaria began practicing judo at the age 12 and it changed the direction of her life. She found her passion and her calling, and by age 19 she was winning National Competitions. Not only was she training and competing in Judo, at the highest level, she also raised four daughters and managed to achieve her Bachelors, her Master, her PHD, and an MBA!  During this podcast, we learn more about AnnMaria, her drive, her ambition, and why she continues to push the boundaries, and to go after what she wants. AnnMaria talks about what it takes to be a champion and why not everyone will have that drive and determination. She shares more of her life growing up, spending time in Japan, and her passion behind education and why she wants to encourage more children to reach higher.  Show notes About AnnMaria; BA, MA, PHD, MBA, mother of 4 and founder of numerous tech companies! Growing up and how judo and maths have made a huge difference in her life Being dropped off at the YMCA and told to join something! How Judo was t

Stephanie is a 34 year old Canadian human rights lawyer who discovered ultra running eight years ago. After completing a year in Afghanistan with the UN in 2013, she took a job in South Sudan in 2014 assisting people who were displaced by violence, which required her to live in a tent in very basic conditions. That same year, she started a charity called Free to Run, which provides opportunities for women and girls to get involved in sports in conflict-affected communities. They have now been operating for two years in Afghanistan across three different provinces and have a refugee program in Hong Kong.  Recently, she finished two years in Gaza working for the UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights and is now based in Geneva, where she’s enjoying being able to access the mountains again. Over the last eight years, she’s competed in eight 250 km self-supported footraces. The Tor des Geants, a 338km mountain race in Italy, remains her passion. In 2015 she completed the shorted course and went back

Ali went along to the Women’s Adventure Expo in October 2015 where she picked up a leaflet about the Tough Girl Podcast, and by May 2016, she was pedaling her old Alpinestars mountain bike on a 767-mile, 13-day adventure from South Wales to Chamonix. At the age of 41 she had found something exciting to give her a new focus, after forcibly retiring from sport due to old knee injuries. The ride to Chamonix took Ali to mental and physical places that she had never been before, and she climbed almost the height of Everest on her way. This journey was significantly longer than her first bike packing adventure, which took her on the Whitehaven to Sunderland Coast2Coast route back in 1995 on the same bike. Ali is a Sport Psychology Coach and works with individuals and groups to teach them how to implement sport psychology strategies into their training, event and competition programmes. Since her bike ride to Chamonix, she has itchy feet and is making plans for a new bike packing adventure. Show notes When Ali &

7 Women - 7 Challenges came about back in October 2016 after discussions and feedback from the Tough Girl Tribe. It was decided as well as having inspirational interviews with the women who were the elite and the best of the best. I also wanted to connect and share the stores of; everyday women, real women, ordinary women, who are out their living full lives and saying yes to challenges and adventures. This would be a way to learn more about members of the Tribe and how they go about achieving their goals.  I asked the tribe to put themselves forward with their challenges and goals for 2017 and we then took a public vote to shortlist potential women who we would be interviewing for the podcast.  There were so many amazing entires it was a really difficult process to narrow it down and only select only 7! I’ve tried to be as fair as possible and have gone for a mixture of challenges and ages. On a side note, expect more interviews with member of the tribe on the Tough Girl Podcast EXTRA which comes out on an

I try not to look back, I want to live in the present. I don’t want my past to dictate my future and I don’t want to have regrets. However, every once in a while it’s important to look back, if only to see how far we’ve come and to appreciate the journey we’ve been on. This year has been a journey, a massive learning curve. I’ve made mistakes, failed and also faced & overcome challenges. During this podcast I'll share more of my thoughts and answer a few questions about 2016 as well as sharing more of my plans for 2017! I talked about Blinkist - Blinkist is a way to consume good quality information fast. Blinkist has done all the hard work for you. They’ve read the books and have made a summary for you with the key pieces of information. There's so much content out there. How can you read it all? You can’t!! But with Blinkist you'll be making the best use of your time.  Books I'd recommend to read on Blinkist The Slight Edge -  Jeff Olson Awaken the Giant Within – Tony Robbins The 4 Hour Work Week – Tim

Elise started running in January 2013, on the back of a New Year’s resolution to run a half marathon, but she soon started to wonder how far she could run!  On November 1st 2015 she set off to run around the British coast. In August 2016, after 301 days, Elise returned to Greenwich having ran 5000 miles.  She ran self-supported, carrying all of her kit on her back, including camping equipment, and is the youngest person and only female to have completed this challenge. This adventure wasn’t about mile splits or Garmin stats. It wasn’t about being the fastest or the most athletic. It was about using running as a mode of transport by which to really explore both Elise’s home country and her own capabilities. The end result was a a great big British adventure, featuring a lot of cake and a terrible fear of cows. Show notes Getting to know Elise - what it was like growing up, not being sporty and being known as the girl who would always skip PE lessons.  Starting running in January 2013 on the back of a New Yea

Polly learned to fly when she was 50 years old and after qualifying, she went on to complete numerous flying challenges in order to raise funds for the charity - Flying Scholarships for the Disabled. In 2001 Polly completed a lateral solo circumnavigation of the world. At 59 years old on May 6, 2003, Polly took off from Birmingham airport seeking to become the first pilot to complete a solo flight around the world via both Poles in a single-engine aircraft! During this podcast we learn more about Polly, where her love of flying came from and why she doesn’t let fear stop her from going after her dreams. She shares personal stories and how she trained for over two years to prepare for this incredible journey. Now aged 72, Polly is still challenging herself and wants to encourage you to challenge yourself and to go after those dreams. It’s time to stop with the excuses and start believing in yourself.  Thank you to the Patrons and Supporters of the Tough Girl Podcast who have allowed me to produce this content

Amelia Boone is 33 years old, working as an attorney in California while also competing as pretty much a full time OCR athlete (Obstacle Course Racer). Since the sport's inception, she’s arguably the world's most decorated obstacle racer amassing more than 30 victories and 50 podiums!  Career highlights include: 3x winner of the World's Toughest Mudder (2012, 2014, 2015) Spartan Race World Champion 2013 Spartan Race Points Series Champion (2013 & 2015) 3x Death Race Finisher (Winter 2012, Summer 2012, Summer 2013) “I’m not the strongest. I’m not the fastest. But I’m really good at suffering.” – Amelia Boone Show notes Moving from Chicago to California and the benefits which came from it Getting Amelia to introduce herself  Being a full time attorney and also a full time obstacle course racer Being sporty at school, but not being a typical runner Getting to spend time outside, playing team sports such as softball, and soccer Being good at everything but not the best at anything Why she thinks she's suc

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

Alison North is a married mother to two girls, (We interviewed her older daughter Lorna from “Queen of the Mile” last week on the podcast!), she’s also a business women, and can now call herself an ultra runner! During this episode we learn more about Alison, what drives her and why she decided to put her trainers on at 64 and start running.  We learn more about her mental resilience and why she wants to encourage more women and men to take up fitness when they hit their sixties. Its never to late to start but its always too late to wait! #66notout Show notes Growing up in Aberdeen Having children late for her generation Being an older mother and how it kept her fit Having the support of her husband and how it helped her work life balance Growing up as a healthy family  Getting the mothers perspective on daughters going off on adventures Why she decided to take up running again at 64 Deciding to do the a 100K Race - The Race to the Stones! How her walking progressed to running and how she amazed herself! De

Whether it is working out to lose weight, training towards a marathon or playing team sport, keeping your body fuelled is a vital part of producing the best results. And when it comes to understanding the science behind eating healthily and nutritionally to support an active lifestyle, not many people have more expertise than University of Bath-based sports nutritionist Renee McGregor. Renee is a qualified Dietitian and she says, "I'm passionate about nutrition and enjoy making the science simple and practical to follow; no fads, no feelings of deprivation, just sensible dietary solutions.” Show notes Renee introduces herself and shares more about her experiences Woking with the women & mens fencing & basketball wheelchair teams Heading over to Rio to support the teams. What’s its like over there and dealing with the difficult conditions such as the heat and lack of good quality food Getting balance with the athletes and how to help them with distractions Why its not about #cleanfood and why its mor

Lorna North is the founder of Queen of the Mile, a platform for those who share the joys of road cycling and running with a particular focus on making these sports less intimidating and more accessible to women. The idea came about when she bought her first road bike and couldn’t find any personal insight on how to get started. As a professional writer anyway, she decided to build a resource to fill this gap and share first-hand experiences of the cycling and running challenges she and the community were embarking on. Lorna’s approach is not about being the fastest but about pushing your own limits, having fun with it and seeing every mile as a victory. Show notes Getting to know Lorna, what it was like growing up in London and finding her first passion - Gymnastics Why she decided to give it up Why running came next and what she loved about it Spending 4 years abroad, traveling around Africa and Asia and what she learned from it and why it empowered her Returning to the corporate lifestyle and why she decid

Rachel is a 44 year old, Special Needs PE Teacher who loves sports and has represented Team GB at Triathlon. This is her story of how she knew something was wrong with her, but no one would listen. Eventually she stopped talking about it. She was then diagnosed with a brain tumour in 2014. During the podcast we talk about how she handled the news, and how she coped with her diagnoses. What kept her positive through the challenges she faced, from emergency operations, to only being able to sit up in bed for five minutes at a time. Rachel has fought her way back to health and fitness and inspired many along the way with her story.  Show notes Where her love of sport came from and why a teacher inspired her at 11 years old to become a PE teacher Quitting hockey and changing over to football The changes she has seen in girls sports and why it’s changed so much over the years Why she decided to leave football and try a new sport at 40 years old Wanting to make the GB Triathlon Team Her first triathlon, on a borro

Yorkshire born Lauren did all the normal things that are expected, she did her GCSEs, her A’Levels and headed of to University. After graduating instead of following a safe career path she decided on a different route and in 2013 she and a friend set off to row the Atlantic Ocean. It was a challenge like no other. During this podcast we learn the reasons behind her row, how she dealt with the catalogue of errors that happened on the row and why she went back in 2015 to row it again. Lauren is a 2x World Record Holder for rowing across the Atlantic Ocean, she’s also survived “The Island” with Bear Grylls. Shownotes  Who is Lauren & how she describes herself Taking up rowing in her 2nd year at university How the death of her close friend, Elle from cervical cancer at 23 years old changed the direction of her life and how she choose to live her life Having 100 days to prepare for the ocean row The journey across the Atlantic Ocean; the highs, the lows, the errors & the mistakes made along the way  Being

Erin Bastian is a sea kayak explorer like no other. Adventure is her life. She’s embarked on many expeditions, trying to achieve the impossible and as a result is continually having to raise the bar. From an early age Erin was drawn to exploring the dramatic coastlines around her hometown, Cornwall, where she was able to connect with nature and gain a unique perspective of the cliffs. At the age of 15, Erin started working in the outdoor industry and has since become a qualified Sea Kayak Coach, which has allowed her to work during the summer season and organise epic adventures in the off-season to the likes of Patagonia, Peru, Nepal, Norway, Tanzania, Mexico and Sardinia. One of Erin’s latest expeditions was to Patagonia where she and two others embarked on a 33-day self supported kayaking adventure. Paddling through the wilds of this remote region they dealt with extreme weather, discovered glaciers, fought against strong tidal currents and navigated through a maze of canals. During this episode we learn mo

Of French, Swiss and Filipino descent, Christine Amour-Levar is a true citizen of the world, she grew up between Manila, Paris and Tokyo and is currently based in Singapore, where she lives with her husband and four children. She is one of the founding partners of Women On A Mission, a non-profit organisation that combines challenging expeditionary travel to remote locations around the world with the support of humanitarian causes.  Christine recently received the 100 Most Influential Filipina Women in the World Award that recognises Filipina women who are influencing the face of leadership in the global workplace, having reached status for outstanding work in their respective fields, and who are recognised for their leadership, achievement and contributions to society, female mentorship and legacy. "Have the courage to define success on your own terms. Your uniqueness in your power." Shownotes -Christine is Introduces herself and shares more about growing up and living a very international lifestyle -How spo

This week we’re going back to catch up with Amy to see what’s she’s been up to since we last spoke in August 2015! Which is a lot!  Amy is a massive runner and her passionate has always been to inspire other people. Her latest challenge has been the biggest and hardest challenge she’s ever take on, dealing with blisters, tiredness, and exhaustion. We talk to Amy about her determination, her stubbornness and achieving a NEW Gluiness World Record!  Amy has also been travelling to Ecuador to film a new TV show called “On the Run” and we discuss the next challenge she’d like to take on, which would be another world first!   Show notes -Catching up with Amy Hughes (53 Marathons in 53 Days Raising £53,000!) -How Amy came up with her next challenge -Why saying her challenge out loud and making her challenge public helped her to achieve it -Coping with the pressure of the challenge -Why Amy kept her planning simple and why I’m the opposite! -Why different things work for different people -Being in the middle of the T

The Marathon des Sables (MDS) is known as the toughest footrace on earth, where competitors carry everything required to survive on their back for the week, except the water they collect en route and tent they share with seven strangers.  Temperatures can reach up to 50 degrees Celsius (122 degrees Fahrenheit).  Selina run over 2,000 miles in training and added a further two official marathons to her total of nine.  She'd never run an ultra-marathon before so the fourth day, which is typically over 90KM long, was both a mental and physical challenge! Selina ran the race to raise money for Women for Women International, which provides life, business and vocational skills to women in countries affected by conflict.  Women and girls suffer disproportionately from high rates of rape, violence and extreme poverty during times of conflict.  In modern war, it is shocking that it is more dangerous to be a woman than it is a soldier.  Women for Women International is making a difference in these women's lives, by empo

Jill changed the direction of her life when she decided to move to Alaska to follow her heart. After have her heart broken she recovered while riding in the 2009 Tour Divide — a 2,745-mile mountain bike race along the Continental Divide from Banff, Alberta, to Antelope Wells, New Mexico. In 2014 Jill completed in the Freedom Challenge, a 1,400-mile mountain bike race across South Africa. Following on from that race, Jill went on to set a new women's fastest human-powered time while riding her bike across Alaska in the 2016 Iditarod Trail Invitational.  During the podcast we discuss the why, we discuss the motivation and we discuss her fears and how she still battles them everyday. Show notes Getting to know Jill Why she moved to Alaska Finding out about the Iditarod trail - 350-mile winter bike race from Knik, Alaska 100-mile winter bike race What she learned while racing and how she found it empowering Growing up timid, being cautious and not wanting to take risk How she changed the direction of her life af

Corey is an American living the expat lifestyle in London. She started blogging in 2011 “Learning Patience” and has documented her adventures in cooking, running, traveling, and all things expat.  I’ll also be giving an update about the Tough Girl Tribe and what’s in store for 2017! Show notes Struggling to deal with patience Learning a little more about Corey Dealing with a foot injury Being diagnosed as a diabetic Differences between the types of diabetics Growing up and hating running How running has changed her life Starting with virtual races and moving onto trail marathons to relay races Being diagnosed with type 1 Diabetes and how it impacted on her life Why her goal was to just get running again Trying to learn patience! Recovery from injury and not taking no for an answer Dealing with the worst year of her life and why she tries to be as positive as she can Top tips for patience How meeting her husband taught her about positivity and why she only hangs out with positive people Her plans for the futu