Listen to Kaz on the Tough Girl Podcast as she shares her passion for running and helping individuals discover their inner strength. Kaz founded Mettle—a platform dedicated to empowering runners to conquer personal challenges, chase personal records, and train for specific distances. Mettle isn't just about running; it's about equipping runners with coaching plans, mental strategies, and unwavering support to thrive both on the track and in life. Drawing from her extensive academic...

In this episode, we delve into the inspiring journey of Emma Hull, a confidence coach who discovered her true potential in her 40s and embarked on a transformative path towards self-empowerment. From grappling with anxiety and self-doubt to embracing a life of purpose and fulfilment, Emma's story is one of resilience, courage, and unwavering determination. Emma's journey to confidence began with a desire for change, fuelled by a reluctance to rely on medication for anxiety and depression...

Dr. Meera Velankar, a mother of two with a doctorate in life sciences, embarked on a transformative journey over a decade ago. Feeling unfit and discontent, she turned to cycling, becoming a seasoned endurance athlete since.  Her achievements include completing numerous running and cycling events, earning the title of an Ironman 70.3 finisher, and conquering the Super Randonneur norm three times, with a podium finish at the Tour of Nilgiris. In 2022, Meera made history by setting a Guinness...

Join us for an exhilarating journey into the world of long-distance hiking with Arlette Laan, affectionately known as "Apple Pie."  In this episode, Arlette shares her awe-inspiring tale of becoming the first woman to hike all 11 National Scenic Trails in the USA, covering over 35,000 miles on foot. From her childhood adventures in Holland to navigating the rugged terrains of America's most iconic trails, Arlette's story is one of perseverance, passion, and the sheer joy of exploration.  ...

In this episode, we embark on a journey with Lauren Beihoffer, a trail and ultra-running enthusiast residing in Tennessee, USA. As she prepares for a 100-mile race in the rugged mountains of Virginia, Lauren shares insights into the physical and mental challenges she faces and offers valuable advice for fellow runners, particularly women over the age of 40. Lauren's love for running runs deep, having discovered it in her 30s and gradually progressing into the world of trail running. Through...

Shirin made history as Iran's first female triathlete to compete in a world championship. On 15 September 2013, Shirin represented Iran at the triathlon championship in London, wearing full Islamic dress.  Growing up, Shirin discovered her love for movement through activities like yoga, swimming, and running. Her passion for sports blossomed further during her university years when she decided to pursue triathlon. Despite initial fears, she pushed through, embracing the challenge with...

Beth is a traveler first and foremost. With 35 years of travel experience, each year she spends three to four months abroad, combining her love of adventure with vacation and business.  For 15 years she has been running WanderTours, focusing on women-only tours, where she encourages and inspires women to dive deep into cultures and to challenge themselves by getting out of their comfort zone. She recently discovered running and, at age 50, ran her first marathon. She then discovered...

Hey Hey, it's Sarah Williams from the Tough Girl Podcast, and I'm thrilled to share with you my latest solo episode reflecting on my unforgettable journey hiking the 3,000km Te Araroa Trail in New Zealand. Sponsored by Zoleo #ChallengeWithZOLEO, this episode dives deep into the highs, lows, and everything in between of my epic adventure. Join me as I address questions from listeners about a wide range of topics, including solo hiking as a woman, hitchhiking, hygiene, nutrition, and more. I...

In this episode, we explore Sophie Power's incredible journey from self-professed anti-runner to ultra-runner and advocate for women in racing. Despite her initial reluctance towards running, Sophie discovered a passion for it at 26, leading her to tackle challenges like the Marathon des Sables (MDS) with only nine months of training. Her journey wasn't without hurdles, especially as a mother of three. Yet, Sophie's dedication to running while pregnant sparked global attention, inspiring...

AN ADVENTURE STORY – WITH A DIFFERENCE Jessica Hepburn is an unlikely athlete. She hates exercise and believes the only reason to do it is for food, booze and box-sets on the sofa.  However, in her forties, following a succession of hard life experiences, she started to try and exercise her way out of heartbreak. She has now become one of the world’s most extraordinary endurance athletes.  The first and only woman on the planet to have completed the “Sea, Street, Summit Challenge” – which...

Celeste's love for hiking began in Maui, Hawaii, following a difficult breakup. The Lahaina Trail hike was transformative and made her feel empowered.  She quickly progressed in her hiking journey and decided to share her experiences on social media. To her surprise, she inspired other plus-sized individuals to explore the outdoors. In 2022, Celeste embarked on a mission to hike in every US state. Her dedication to this goal, despite being a non-planner, is truly inspiring. She encourages...

Meet Jacky Hunt-Broersma, a remarkable individual who's shattered expectations as an amputee ultramarathoner, endurance coach, dedicated mom, and cancer survivor. Recognised as the RRCA Road Runner of the Year, WRAL Athlete of the Year, and featured in Strong Fitness Magazine's Women to Watch in 2021, her journey is nothing short of inspirational. In 2016, Jacky embarked on her extraordinary running odyssey. Her path to greatness was marked by a profound personal challenge—losing her leg to...

Melissa in her own words: “After connecting with my now husband on match.com 20 years ago, we realized we had one key difference: he wanted a partner to ‘Sail around the world’. I, on the other hand, wasn't an adventurer. I was a professional woman with a degree in Psychology, dedicated to non-profit work and healthcare. But my husband ignited a desire in me to embrace life's adventures while we were still healthy. The turning point came when he asked, ‘When are you going to quit your job...

Join us today as we have a conversation with Dr. Katie Myint, an eye surgeon at Moorfields Eye Hospital in London. Her journey takes us from her Midlands upbringing to becoming a doctor and the role running and exercise played in promoting mental well-being. Katie candidly shares her battle with depression during her second year as a doctor, shedding light on how exercise and medication became transformative tools for enhancing her mental health. As we explore her running journey and...

Nicky is a self-confessed adventurer, loves a challenge, delights in cold shenanigans and is ready to embrace the next stage of her adventure life. Her super powers are making things happen and connecting people and she is the Queen of pushing herself out of her comfort zone. Nicky lives in Brighton with her husband, 2 teenage boys and Daisy the camper van.  At 52 her adventure journey has changed many times over the years, from a 20-year-old canoeing and sailing instructor, to a Mum with...

Christine Yu is an award-winning journalist whose work focuses on the intersection of sports science and women athletes. Her writing has appeared in Outside, The Washington Post, Time, Runner’s World, and other publications. She’s a lifelong athlete and yoga teacher who loves running, surfing, and skiing. She lives in Brooklyn, New York. About the book:  “In the past half-century, women have achieved remarkable progress in the realm of athletics. More women are participating in sports and...

Nikki Love is an adventure runner, a sports psychology under-grad, and a motivator of dreaming big, taking action and achieving extraordinary goals. Nikki 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 1996, Sue Stockdale achieved a remarkable feat: she became the first British woman to set foot on the Magnetic North Pole, a journey she never thought possible.  What followed was a realisation that her success held a profound purpose—to inspire others to venture beyond their comfort zones and unearth their untapped potential. Sue's captivating memoir, "EXPLORE: A Life of Adventure," chronicles her life's journey, commencing from challenging beginnings and extending into a lifetime of...

A self-proclaimed late outdoor bloomer, Kimberly began exploring life outdoors after purchasing a folding kayak, which she credits with changing her life.  What started as an impulse purchase put her on a path of adventure, and she now travels around the world with her dog (Bentley), camping, kayaking and stand-up paddle boarding.  Learning as she goes along, she documents her travels on her instagram page, in hopes of inspiring and empowering other women to have solo adventures. *** The...

Meaghan Hackinen is a Kelowna-based bikepacker and writer whose two-wheeled adventures have taken her from Haida Gwaii to Mexico’s high plateaus, across Canada and the United States, and from North Cape to Tarifa along some of Europe’s highest paved roads.  She is a 4X Everester as well as a Transcontinental Race, Trans Am Bike Race, and Paris-Brest-Paris brevet finisher. Meaghan holds the women’s course record for the World 24-Hour Time Trial Championships, among others.  In 2023, Meaghan...

Sarah Thomas, aged 41, is an ultra-marathon swimmer who achieved the current world record for the longest continuous swim in current-neutral conditions, performed without assistance or a wetsuit. This record-breaking feat spanned 104.6 miles over the course of 67 hours and took place in Lake Champlain, USA, in August 2017. Shortly after this remarkable swim, Sarah faced an aggressive form of breast cancer diagnosis at the young age of 35. During her cancer treatment, which included...

Rebecca's story starts in the North East of England, where she grew up on a smallholding in an area with little ethnic diversity. Influenced by her mom's passion for animals, she pursued a dream of becoming a vet and moved to Liverpool for University.  As a young mom, she discovered tennis and joined a fitness group before her journey led her to running. Residing at the foot of the Pennines in West Yorkshire with her husband and two children. Rebecca turned to running in 2021 as a way to...

Bethan is committed to challenging the way we talk about running to encourage as many people as possible to find joy in the experience. She’s an advocate for pace inclusion, spending time outdoors and living well in the world. Bethan in her own words: “I live in South London with my husband Mike, our daughter Evie and Loki the Brussels Griffon in a flat that has views over the whole city.  A few years ago I quit the city and went back to university to work on my PhD and I spend my days...

“On 5th September 2022, full of excitement for what lay ahead, I began my run from Land’s End to John O’Groats to show others that despite life throwing curveballs our way we can still achieve. I intended to cover a distance of 40-50 miles a day for 20 days, a total of approximately 855 miles, aiming to become the world’s fastest female, with single-sided deafness, to complete this journey by foot. However, after 4 days of running in continual torrential rain, things went very wrong on day...