After 20 years in a relationship that limited and stifled her, former advertising professional, turned fitness pioneer and award-winning entrepreneur, Vicki Anstey became (age 41) one of the first ever women to participate in Channel 4’s ‘SAS Who Dares Wins’, reaching the final stages after 11 days in extreme conditions at an altitude of 3,000ft in Chile.
In 2021, she and 2 other women, the Girls Who Dare, set a new World Record for rowing unaided across the Pacific Ocean, confronting her fear of deep, open water to do so. It took 60 days, 17 hours and 6 minutes.
Her latest endeavour (a second Guinness World Record) was to cycle 3,000 miles in the ‘World’s Toughest Bike Race’ as a team of four women from West to East coast America in just 6 days 19 hours and 38 minutes.
Vicki has also completed ultra distance runs (covering 250kms and carrying everything she needed to survive) in some of the World’s most extreme environments – crossing the Arctic in temperatures of -35 degrees and the Savannnahs of Kenya in blistering 50 degree heat.
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Show notes
Who is Vicki
Vicki’s diverse career journey
Emphasising her unique life experiences
Overcoming a coercive relationship
Leaving her long-term marriage
Encouraged by friends, she applied for SAS: Who Dares Wins
The beginning of her journey into adventure and self-discovery
Reflecting on the rigorous training during SAS: Who Dares Wins
Building self-belief and resilience
The experiences that revealed her capabilities
The importance of mental strength in overcoming obstacles
Rowing across the Pacific
Facing her fear of deep, open water by undertaking a rowing challenge
Her preparation for the task to confront her anxieties
Finding strength in vulnerability
Embracing fears and seeing the opportunities that lie beyond them
Developing resilience, managing self-doubt, and embracing challenges
Emphasising reflection and learning from past experiences
Transition from solo to team challenges
How her experiences with solo challenges influenced her approach to teamwork
The importance of clear communication and setting boundaries
Being initially intimidated by her rowing teammates
Learning to embrace tough conversations
Unravelling tensions in team dynamics
Vicki’s concept of “free speed”
Understanding each team member's emotional responses under stress
Advocating empathy and support in navigating team dynamics
Training for Race Across America
Her transition into cycling
A rigorous training regime of up to 25 hours per week
Having a supportive coaching network to enhance her skills
Vicki’s memorable moments from RAAM
The importance of supporting one another during challenging phases
Production of a documentary covering her rowing and RAAM experiences
Social Media
Website: vickianstey.co.uk
Instagram: @vickianstey
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