Celebrating 11 Years of the Tough Girl Podcast

On the 4th of August 2015, I released the very first episode of the Tough Girl Podcast. I honestly had no idea where this journey would take me or that, eleven years later, I'd still be here, sharing the stories of incredible women from around the world.

Every year, I like to record a solo reflections episode to mark the anniversary and share what I've been up to. Usually, there are adventures to report back on, big challenges completed, and plenty of miles covered.

This year has looked a little different. The first half of theg year was quieter than usual—focused on training, working behind the scenes, and planning future challenges.

And now, as I celebrate 11 years of the Tough Girl Podcast, I'm back doing what I love: out on the GR5, attempting to set the first women's Fastest Known Time on the trail.

A reminder that not every season is about big adventures. Sometimes it's about laying the foundations, doing the work behind the scenes, and preparing for what's next.And honestly? The year has flown by.

It feels like only yesterday that I was preparing to hike the GR10 to celebrate ten years of the Tough Girl Podcast. That milestone felt enormous in itself, and now somehow another twelve months have passed.

What hasn't changed is how incredibly privileged I feel to speak with so many inspiring women.

Over the past eleven years, I've had conversations with women who have:

• Run ultramarathons across deserts

• Explored the polar regions

• Climbed high-altitude mountains

• Returned to elite sport after setbacks

• Become pioneers in their fields

• Travelled the world solo and sober

• Cycled across countries and continents

• Through-hiked thousands of miles

• Navigated grief, strokes, injuries and autism diagnoses

• Become the first women to achieve extraordinary feats

• The breadth and depth of these stories continue to amaze me.

If you've never spent time scrolling through the archive at toughgirlchallenges.com, I encourage you to do so. I hope you'll be inspired by the incredible women who have shared their journeys, their challenges, their fears, and the lessons they've learned along the way.

The mission of the Tough Girl Podcast has always been simple:

To increase the amount of female role models in the media, especially in relation to adventure and physical challenges.

Every Tuesday, another episode is released. Another woman's story is shared. Another voice is amplified.

It's a mission that I remain deeply committed to.

Sometimes it feels like I'm making a real difference and moving the needle. Other times, it can feel incredibly small when you look at the bigger picture.

When I think about what's happening around the world—the rollback of women's rights, the restrictions faced by women in Afghanistan, the violence against women, the gender pay gap, the lack of research, funding and sponsorship for women's sport and adventure—it can feel overwhelming.

And when it does, I come back to my niche.

I come back to what I know I can do.

I can share women's stories.

I can preserve women's voices.

I can make sure these stories are recorded and don't disappear or get erased from history.

Because representation matters.

Visibility matters.

And understanding how women achieved what they did—the obstacles they faced, the lessons they learned and the resilience they developed—can inspire all of us in our own lives, whatever our circumstances.

Whether you've been adventurous since childhood or you're only just discovering the outdoors later in life, there is a place for you here.

So thank you.

Thank you for listening.

Thank you for sharing episodes.

Thank you for supporting this mission.

The Tough Girl Podcast is made possible by an incredible community of Patrons. Currently, 114 individuals support this work and help keep the podcast going.

The podcast will always remain free because I know that not everyone is in a position to contribute financially.

But if you have found value in these stories, if the podcast has inspired you, motivated you, or encouraged you to take on your own personal challenge, and if you are in a position to do so, then supporting the mission through Patreon is a wonderful way to pay it forward and help continue promoting and sharing women's voices around the world.

Eleven years.

Thousands of stories.

Countless lessons.

And we're only just getting started.

Thank you for being part of this journey.

Here's to the next chapter of the Tough Girl Podcast.

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