Louise Minchin - former BBC Breakfast presenter, endurance athlete and author of two books, Fearless Adventures with Extraordinary Women and Dare to Tri.
Release Date: 12/12/2023
Carol Devine: Researcher, writer, artist, climate activist and humanitarian professional. From Antarctica's Ice to Scotland's Seas, A Journey of Activism and Adventure.
Tough Girl Podcast
Carol Devine embodies a diverse array of roles, seamlessly intertwining her work as a researcher, writer, artist, climate activist, humanitarian professional, and explorer. Her pursuits range from spearheading groundbreaking ecological expeditions to championing causes such as combating plastic pollution and empowering women in adventure sports. She spearheaded the first civilian volunteer ecological expedition in Antarctica, collaborating with the Russian Antarctic Expedition. Additionally, Carol has actively participated in and documented environmental initiatives, such as Clean Up...
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Gráinne Moss: Navigating Open Waters - Expert Advice from arguably Irelands most accomplished female open water swimmer. First Irish woman to swim Cook Strait (2001) Foveaux (2022), Lake Taupō (2021) and the Channel of Bones in Hawaii (2023).
Tough Girl Podcast
Gráinne Moss is arguably Irelands most accomplished female open water swimmer. At 16 she was the first female to represent Ireland in open water swimming at the World Championships. At 17 she became the first Irish woman to swim the English Channel. She has continued to achieve many firsts including the first Irish woman to swim Cook Strait (2001) Foveaux (2022), Lake Taupō (2021) and the Channel of Bones in Hawaii (2023). Gráinne holds three Triple Crowns of Open Water Swimming (awarded when a swimmer has completed three of the toughest swims in any nation) - including...
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Fatima Haidari: Shattering Stereotypes, Embracing Opportunities, and Pursuing Dreams as Afghanistan's First Female Tour Guide.
Tough Girl Podcast
In this episode of Tough Girl Podcast, we explore the incredible journey of Fatima, from her early years in Afghanistan to her pursuit of education, independence, and empowerment in Italy. Fatima's childhood was marked by challenges, but her curiosity and determination to learn led her to secretly educate herself. As Afghanistan's first female tour guide, she defied expectations and empowered herself economically. Threatened by the Taliban, Fatima made the courageous decision to flee to Italy, where she faced new obstacles but persisted in pursuing higher education. Now, as a refugee with a...
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Dr. Kaz Williams - Performance Psychologist, Certified Running Coach and Ultra Runner. Striving to help people discover their mettle.
Tough Girl Podcast
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 background—holding a PhD in human behaviour and an MSc in Sport and Exercise Psychology—Kaz delves into...
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Emma Hull - Unleashing Confidence, Embracing Change, and Fearlessly Pursuing Adventure and Dreams with Life Untethered
Tough Girl Podcast
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 indefinitely. With a commitment to self-improvement, she gradually introduced yoga into her routine,...
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Dr. Meera Velankar - Scientist turned tandem cyclist. Exploring India since 2015. First woman to complete India’s Golden Quadrilateral, which connects Mumbai, Delhi, Chennai and Kolkata, on a tandem bike (6,000km in 41 days).
Tough Girl Podcast
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 World Record for a self-supported cycling journey from Agra to Umlingla, covering a distance of...
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Arlette Laan aka “Apple Pie”. First woman to hike all 11 National Scenic Trails in USA. 35,000+ miles hiked!
Tough Girl Podcast
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. Tune in as she delves into the essence of long-distance hiking, the challenges she faced along...
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Lauren Beihoffer: Biochemist, Ultra-runner, Coach, and Mom of Three. Passionate About Helping Women Over 40 Feel and Perform Their Best.
Tough Girl Podcast
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 trial and error, she has gained valuable knowledge, emphasising the importance of self-compassion and...
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Shirin Gerami - Trailblazing Triathlete & Advocate for Change who made history as Iran's first female triathlete to compete in a world championship.
Tough Girl Podcast
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 determination. After graduating from Durham University, where she studied Philosophy,...
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Beth Whitman - completed the Grand Slam Plus with Racing the Planet. This included running 5 separate events, each 250K, across Georgia (the country), the Namib Desert in Namibia, the Atacama in Chile, the Gobi in Mongolia and Antarctica.
Tough Girl Podcast
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 ultra-running and has been using these as an excuse to explore remote destinations around the globe that...
info_outlineLouise is a journalist, broadcaster, podcaster and writer.
She presented BBC Breakfast for 20 years and before that was a news anchor on the BBC News Channel and the BBC’s One O’clock News. She has also presented The One Show, Five Live Drive, Real Rescues and Missing Live and has been a contestant on I’m a Celebrity Get Me Out Of Here, Time Crashers and Celebrity MasterChef.
Her first book, Dare to Tri, charted her journey from the Breakfast sofa to representing the Great Britain Triathlon team in her age-group at World and European Championships.
Her second book Fearless, Adventures with Extraordinary Women was published by Bloomsbury on 25th May 2023.
It reflect her passion for celebrating women’s success. In each chapter Louise takes on a different challenge with a courageous woman, to get to know them and tell their incredible stories.
About the book: Fearless, Adventures with Extraordinary Women
JOIN LOUISE MINCHIN ON 17 EXHILARATING ADVENTURES WITH TRAILBLAZING WOMEN WHO ARE BREAKING DOWN BARRIERS, SMASHING RECORDS AND CHALLENGING STEREOTYPES.
'To get to the heart of who these women are… I decided to do it the way that I know best, by taking part, spending time right beside them to experience the things they love.'
Driven to bring more attention to female stories of courage and endeavour, Louise Minchin pushes herself to the extreme and embarks on thrilling endurance adventures with trailblazing women.
She freedives under the ice in the dark in Finland with Cath, the first woman to swim a mile in the Antarctic Circle; she cycles across Argentina with Mimi, one of the world's most famous female endurance runners; and she swims from Alcatraz with Anaya and Mitali, two young sisters who have braved the shark-infested waters over 70 times.
With her natural empathy and sense of humour, Louise forms close bonds with 18 incredible women. She explores what drives them and how they find the resilience and determination to go on despite life's setbacks. Lizzie overcame a life-threatening illness and now paddleboards whilst cleaning up the planet with her community; Rhian set up a charity in the face of grief and fundraises through hikes; and Zee took up rugby alongside her busy nursing career and motherhood.
Louise reminds us of the bravery inside us all, and how essential it is to celebrate women's achievements. Prepare to be touched and inspired by these fearless women.
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Show notes
- Who is Louise?
- Why you might know who Louise is (if you live in the UK)
- Taking up sport at 45
- Calling herself an endurance athlete
- Her early years and passion for sports
- Being a water baby and why swimming was her thing
- Stopping swimming at 15
- Doing a Christmas Challenge in the velodrome for BBC Breakfast in 2012
- Having 1 hour of training before race night
- Buying herself a road bike with drop handle bars
- All the gear….
- Making mistakes on the bike
- Being encouraged by a friend to try a triathlon
- Being a goal driven person and why having a goal helps with training
- Advice for taking your first step
- Telling other people and feeling a sense of accountability/responsibility to achieve goals
- Being willing to say yes to new challenges
- Being pushed out of her comfort zones at work
- Fears and concerns before her first triathlon
- Her attitude of - lets give it a go
- Not worrying about negative outcomes or failure
- Having a life changing moment when her daughter was born
- Thinking she might die and how the experience changed her
- Having a more positive attitude to life
- Feeling so lucky to do what she does
- Her love for cycling and spending time on the bike (both indoors and outdoors)
- Becoming a Team Great Britain (GB) Triathlete
- Representing her country at triathlon at the World and European Championships at Olympic distance.
- Feeling extra pressure when competing in the UK
- Training for a triathlon and fitting it around her work and job
- Waking up at 3.40am every day to host the breakfast show
- Book: Dare to Tri: My Journey from the BBC Breakfast Sofa to GB Team Triathlete
- Chapter 14 - Kit list - What to take and why to take it.
- Book: Fearless: Adventures with Extraordinary Women
- Loving stories about adventure
- Why do we never hear about women doing these adventures and challenges?
- Making changes at the BBC around equal pay and being allowed to say hello first
- Wanting to drive change, by going and doing it
- Doing 17 different adventures with fearless women
- Needing to amplify women’s voices
- Needing different heroes
- Trying to get Fearless on the TV
- Noticing change
- Do you know who Mimi Anderson is?
- Do you know who Cath Pendleton is?
- Free diving under the ice in Finland with Cath
- How hard could that be?
- Why being fearful and having fear is a good thing
- Deciding to cycle across Argentina with Mimi Anderson
- Feeling the fear and wanting to stop
- Listening to her gut
- Doing running with Susie Chan
- Being part of a wonderful sisterhood of amazing women
- Running the London Marathon with her daughter
- Fitting in training while travelling for the book tour
- How menopause has impacted on exercise and taking HRT
- How to connect with Louise on the socials
- Final words of advice for women who want to be fearless and embrace new adventures
- Words from Belinda Kirk
Social Media
Instagram: @louiseminchin
Twitter: @louiseminchin
Books:
Dare to Tri: My Journey from the BBC Breakfast Sofa to GB Team Triathlete
Fearless: Adventures with Extraordinary Women