top of page
Search

Birgit Hermann – Turning Extreme Endurance into Bolder Leadership for People and Planet

  • 3 days ago
  • 3 min read

Renata Chlumska - Adventure athlete who became the first Swedish and Czech woman to climb Mount Everest and in 2005 did a circumnavigate of the lower 48 States of the United States by her own power.

Birgit Hermann is a global leadership coach, speaker, executive leader, ocean advocate, professional freediver, and extreme endurance athlete who translates lessons from the edge into meaningful impact for people and planet.


She supports purpose-driven leaders to turn bold challenges into grounded, values-led action.


She has raced the Marathon des Sables, run a marathon in Antarctica, freedived beneath Arctic ice without a wetsuit, and cycled across the African continent — often as the only woman on the start line.


Alongside these edge-tested experiences, Birgit brings over 20 years of leading and coaching teams across marine conservation, climate resilience, international development, and peace building in more than 20 countries.


Based between Timor-Leste, Germany, New Zealand, and Egypt, she is the founder of Inspired by Nature and the author of B.O.L.D.E.R.™ — a leadership framework forged at the edge and built for real-world change.


 

🎙️ New episodes of the Tough Girl Podcast drop every Tuesday at 7 AM (UK time)! Make sure to subscribe so you never miss the inspiring journeys and incredible stories of tough women pushing boundaries.


💪 Do you want to support the Tough Girl Mission to increase the amount of female role models in the media in the world of adventure and physical challenges? Support via Patreon! Join me in making a difference by signing up here: www.patreon.com/toughgirlpodcast.


🙏 Your support makes a difference. 💖 Thank you x



Listen to Birgit Now!

Click here if you can't see the link below.



Show notes


  • Who is Birgit

  • Growing up in Germany

  • Spending a lot of her life in Asia- Pacific, specifically New Zealand

  • Considering herself a change maker 

  • Working in management positions in relation to climate change adaptions, marine conservation, supporting livelihoods and communities to make changes for the better 

  • Growing up sporty and active 

  • Becoming an outdoor lover after moving to New Zealand 

  • Being a competitive swimmer for many years

  • Trying all sports from judo, to volleyball and cycling 

  • Being interested in different cultures and travelling 

  • Deciding to do her Masters Degree in New Zealand 

  • Deciding to take on Tour d’Afrique

  • Cycling 12,000km from north to south Africa

  • Feeing unsettled and wanting more from life 

  • Getting her courage together to sign up for the challenge 

  • Planning and training for a 4 month challenge

  • Changing her perspective on what’s possible 

  • The physical achievement and trusting herself

  • Realising how all the small steps accumulate over time especially at the end of the journey and looking back on what’s been achieved

  • Knowing that there was more to what she believed she could achieve 

  • Deciding to spend more time in Africa 

  • Freeing herself up to be open to something new 

  • Testing herself in a new environment 

  • Making something close to impossible happen

  • Starting to think and dream big 

  • Why the physical experience can change your mindset 

  • Knowing that the next step was the right step 

  • Why it wasn’t easy 

  • Deciding to head back to New Zealand

  • Being a pioneer and looking to find a role model 

  • Continuing to take on big challenges

  • Living in Timor-Leste in 2016 

  • Wanting to share her experiences of traveling the world while doing endurance challenges 

  • Her experience in Antarctica and wanting to raise awareness and funds for climate change

  • Learning how to free-dive and the benefits experienced 

  • The importance of relaxing - truly relaxing

  • The journey over the last 3 years and putting all the lessons together

  • Boosting her confidence and starting to work for herself

  • Deciding to write her book

  • Being a trail blazer, and shifting culture

  • The lessons to be learned 

  • Inspire change, shift culture and build sustainable impact - without burnout! 

  • Who would benefit from reading from the book

  • Wanting to make a positive change in the world

  • Shout out for the Tough Girl Podcast!

  • How to connect with Birgit

  • Final words of advice for other women who want to live bolder 

  • Talk about it!!

  • Why it’s the first step - talking about it out loud. 

  • There will be people who will support you. 



Social Media


Direct link to the book: www.birgithermann.com/bolder.html

 


Feeling inspired week after week?

You can do 3 easy things to help me continue to grow the podcast!

  1. Subscribe to the podcast in iTunes, so you won’t miss a single episode

  2. If you’re loving the podcast, please leave a 5-star review on iTunes! I read every single comment!

  3. Share the podcast with your friends, especially if you think it could help them, and spread the #ToughGirlPodcast love.

Your support helps me continue to grow the podcast and do inspiring things in this space! Already done all 3? You’re a rockstar! Thank you!

Want to do more?

Please become a Patron and donate US$5 a month to help fund the runnings costs. Thank you.

Become my Patron

Comments

bottom of page