End-of-Year Reflections: Six Months, One FKT, A Decade of Podcasting & A Whole Lot of Feeling

As we approach the end of 2025, I’ve found myself doing what I always do at this time of year: reflecting.

Not just loosely thinking back, but really taking stock — of the past six months, of the decade of the Tough Girl Podcast, of my adventures, my work, my emotions, and even the uncomfortable questions about the future.

A lot has happened since August… and also, somehow, it feels like nothing has changed at all. Here’s where I’m at.

August: A 10-Year Anniversary… and the GR10

The Tough Girl Podcast turned 10 years old on August 4th — a milestone I’m deeply proud of.

But I wasn’t at home celebrating with cake and balloons.

I was standing in France, at the start of the GR10, wondering what the next 955 km would bring.

Thirty-five days later, they brought me an FKT, some of the best hiking of my life, enormous physical and mental strength, and a film — edited with help from Jessica at Shimnix Films — that I believed in.

We submitted the film to the BMC Women in Adventure Competition. It didn’t get selected.

It stung. Rejection always stings. But I can’t talk endlessly about doing hard things and then crumble when I face my own hard thing.

So I reflected. “What could I have done differently?” The honest answer: maybe nothing. Sometimes things just aren’t right this time.

And sometimes, you simply have to stop rewriting, re-filming, re-editing and… move on.

September: Finishing Strong — Really Strong

I got home mid-September feeling the fittest, strongest, and healthiest I’ve ever been after a challenge. I’m convinced this was thanks to all the red-light therapy and hyperbaric oxygen treatments I’ve been doing. They’ve honestly made a huge difference.

I hit the ground running in October — straight into editing, recording new podcast episodes, interviewing incredible women — and then before I knew it…

November: Kendal Mountain Festival

Four days of films, friends, inspiration, connecting, and being surrounded by the outdoor community I love.

And yet… it wiped me out.

I’m an extrovert/introvert. I love people, connection, and conversation — but I also find it draining. I needed a few days afterwards to recharge, reset, and breathe.

December: Christmas Chaos, London Trips & Looking Ahead

Now suddenly it's December, full of Christmas mayhem and travel. I’m heading to London for 10 days to stay with friends, see uni mates, and have a little break.

And then, in the blink of an eye, it’ll be 2026.

Looking Back Further: Two Years of Non-Stop Motion

When I reflect on everything from the end of 2022 to now, it’s been… a lot.

• Wales Coast Path & Anglesey

• Scottish hikes (West Highland Way, Moray Coast Trail, etc.)

• Singapore, Australia, Covid, newborns, chaos

• The Great Ocean Walk

• India (and absolute burnout)

• Camino Francés

• Isle of Man

• Coast to Coast

• South Korea

• Te Araroa Trail

• Spain - Camino Via de la Plata

• GR 20 - GR10 … and more walks than my brain can currently list

  
  

It’s been incredible. Truly. It’s also been relentless.

And yes — some of it has broken me. Some of it has rebuilt me. All of it has shaped me.

The Plateau

This year, something shifted. Not in a dramatic way. Not in a crisis way. But in a slow, creeping, quiet way:

Everything… plateaued.

• Podcast downloads

• Social media

• Sponsorship opportunities

• YouTube (because I haven’t been posting)

• Growth in general

Even though I’ve got FKTs. Even though I’ve made films. Even though I’ve hiked thousands of kilometres. Even though I’ve released over 800 podcast episodes.

I honestly thought the 10-year anniversary, the GR10, and the film would create a bigger splash. More exposure. More support. More opportunities.

Instead: silence.

It’s emotionally hard when the vision you had — the one you believed in — doesn’t materialise.

The Financial Reality No One Likes to Talk About

Here’s the truth: Tough Girl Challenges is still not financially sustainable.

It’s an expensive hobby wrapped around a meaningful mission.

The only reason I’m coping is because:

• I live at home

• I don’t pay rent or food

• I have a part-time job

And that job now becomes an “opportunity cost”: if I go away for 2–3 months, I lose the income I would have made.

On top of that, gear needs replacing (thermarest, go pro etc), flights wipe me out physically and financially, and sponsorship has become increasingly hard.

This is the part no one sees. This is the part no one talks about.

The Big Question: What Now?

This is where I’m properly stuck.

Do I:

A) Keep going as I am — podcast, part-time job, adventures?

B) Plan a big 2026 expedition that reignites everything?

C) Step away from long adventures, prioritise financial stability?

D) Seek a “proper job”?

E) Trust that things will figure themselves out (like they somehow always do)?

I don’t know the answer yet.

Six months ago everything felt crystal clear.

Now… fog.

The Ego, the Purpose, and the Why

Here’s something I’ve been brutally honest about with myself:

Most people don’t care about my adventures.

Not in a mean way. Just in a “we each have our own lives” way.

People dip in and out. People enjoy the journey but move on to the next shiny thing. That’s human nature.

And with more women in the adventure space (a brilliant thing!), I’m not unique. I’m not the fastest, the strongest, or the most extreme.

I’m an average, privileged woman who loves adventure.

What sets me apart is the podcast — the work of elevating women’s voices.

That’s the legacy. That’s the important bit. That’s where the impact is.

And working alone for 10 years amplifies self-doubt:

• Am I a good interviewer?

• Am I choosing the right guests?

• Am I promoting it properly?

• Are people still listening?

• Does any of it matter?

Then the next day I’ll wake up thinking:

“Sarah, you absolute legend. Look at the difference you’ve made.”

And both things are true.

What I Do Know

I still love the podcast.

I still love adventures.

I still believe in this mission.

But I’m at a crossroads.

Not a crisis.

Not a breakdown.

Just a gentle, uncomfortable, significant crossroads.

Maybe What I Need Is… A Spark

Maybe I need a goal for 2026.

A proper, exciting, scary challenge — something with meaning and purpose.

Or maybe I need to tick off some lingering tasks (hello, SWCP and GR10 vlogs) so I feel like I’m moving forward.

Maybe the next step doesn’t need to be perfect — it just needs to be a step.

And maybe that’s the point.

Every step I’ve taken so far has somehow been the right one.

Even when it didn’t feel like it.

Even when it hurt.

Even when it led me somewhere unexpected.

So whatever 2026 holds — Camino de Norte, Finland, Iceland, Scotland, something brand new — I know it will be the right step too.

Final Thoughts

If you’ve read this far — thank you.

These reflections were long, messy, emotional, honest, and very human.

I don’t have all the answers yet.

But I do know this:

I’m not stagnating.

I’m evolving.

And the next chapter — whatever shape it takes — is going to be meaningful.

Here’s to 2025.

To the GR10.

To the FKT.

To 10 years of Tough Girl Podcast.

To growth, honesty, and uncertainty.

To the spark that’s coming.

And to whatever 2026 brings.