Couverture de Tough Girl Podcast

Tough Girl Podcast

Tough Girl Podcast

De : Sarah Williams
Écouter gratuitement

The Tough Girl Podcast is all about inspiring and motivating YOU! I will be interviewing inspirational women from around the world, who've faced and overcome difficult challenges and situations, they will share their story, their knowledge and provide advice and essential tips for you to overcome your own personal challenges. Exercice et forme physique Fitness, alimentation et nutrition Hygiène et vie saine Sciences sociales
Épisodes
  • Lauren Burnison – Pioneering the Sober Travel Movement and Adventures of a Single Mum

    Lauren Burnison – Pioneering the Sober Travel Movement and Adventures of a Single Mum
    Jun 2 2026
    Lauren Burnison is the founder of We Love Lucid, the UK's first alcohol-free travel company, and a trailblazer in the sober travel movement. From couch-surfing with nomads on the Mongolian steppe to snorkelling with sharks in Oman, Lauren has spent her life seeking off-the-beaten-path adventures—and this year, she took a two-month road trip through Spain and Portugal in a micro camper with her four-year-old daughter to celebrate ten years of sobriety. In this candid conversation, Lauren shares her journey from self-destructive habits to sobriety, how travel became her school of life, and the joys and challenges of being a single parent exploring the world. She talks about starting We Love Lucid, the lessons learned while traveling solo and with her daughter, and how adventure can transform the way we see ourselves. Explicit content: We touch on drugs, drinking, and addiction. *** 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 *** Show notes Who is LaurenComing from Northern Ireland Originally41 years oldFounder of We Love Lucid - The UK's First Alcohol-free Travel CompanyBeing a single mum to a very energetic 4 year old girl Being an aspiring writerReflecting back on her early years Being very creative, loving animals, and growing up in the countryside Where her love of travel came from Starting to learn Spanish in school and how her teacher inspired herHaving a knack for learning languages Finding a diary entry from when she was 15 years oldHaving an ambition to learn Spanish and French and wanting to live in Spain Getting to visit Spain at 16 on a sports camp Having her eyes opened and feeling invigorated while travelling on the road Why A'Levels were such a slog and hated being told what to do Being confident about travelling Deciding to travel around South America Getting into drugs and going down a self destructive path Heading back home to go to university Spending 6 months in Barcelona - working in a pizza restaurant and living in a tentGetting her degreeBeing taken further down the path and still being self destructive Making changes at 32 Wanting to explore and see more of the world - spending time in South AfricaGetting in more and more trouble Turning 30 and heading to South Korea to work as an English Teacher Having the best and worst moments of her lifeHitting rock bottom and deciding not to drink ever sinceGetting in trouble, and having the fear of losing her lifePartying with Chinese Dwarfs Seeing how bad her behaviour had gottenFeeling and being alone on this part of the journey Drinking 4 nights a weekThe hardest part - being faced with this situation of not knowing who she was Who is Lauren? Having to deal with difficult emotions.Feeing so vulnerable The night she decided to quit drinking Creating 'We Love Lucid' and how it helped her stay connected with the sober community Visiting the vast empty spaces in Mongolia Growing up with horses and riding horses Wanting to ride horses in Mongolia and how it turned in to a trip of self discovery Trying to figure out the next stepsWhy life is not just good or bad - it's a mixture of everything Heading to the South of Spain and doing a workaday experience over thereHow the idea for - We Love Lucid came about Not having a positive view of sobriety Thinking about her experiences as a sober person travelling Starting to run the trips Why the trips are all about connecting with sober people Cycling from Beer to Soberton….Why not all projects turn out how you want them to Not wanting to be a quitterGetting to 70 miles…..Why it was a bit of a failure, but also a valuable lesson at the same time Riding up the East Coast of Korea on a bike to North KoreaThe goodness of people How travel and adventure changed after having her daughterFeeling as though her world has been shrinkingHow it affected her mentally - with not being able to travel The realities of being a single mum in ScotlandHow her life seems so normalStarting to go away with her daughter Being on a road trip in Portugal for 1/2 months Trying to escape the winter in the UKNeeding to stay in the UK and going with that Starting to accept the reality Wanting to start her blog - "Adventures of a single, sober mum" Being able to afford a micro camper Why trips are a condensed school of life The beauty and joy of the quiet momentsWalking with 12 women on the Santiago de Compostela Mandy Manners - Sober Coach She Recovers Foundation How to connect with LaurenThe stigma around being a ...
    Afficher plus Afficher moins
    45 min
  • Helen Dainty – First Woman to Cycle Across Libya & 9 Years Living on £50 a Week by Bike

    Helen Dainty – First Woman to Cycle Across Libya & 9 Years Living on £50 a Week by Bike
    May 26 2026
    In this Tough Girl Podcast EXTRA episode, we catch up with Helen Dainty — solo female cyclist, self-described "full-time global hobo," and one of the most committed long-distance bike travellers you'll ever meet. For the past decade, Helen has spent nine years on the road, travelling exclusively by bicycle and living on around £50 a week. She's cycled across Australia, ridden from London to Nordkapp and back, travelled extensively through the Middle East and North Africa — and in 2025 became the first woman to cycle across Libya. When war in Sudan forced her to abandon an overland route into East Africa, Helen adapted and rerouted — because that's what life on the road demands: flexibility, resilience, and the ability to trust the process. In this episode, we dive into what's happened since we last spoke in January 2022. From navigating complex visa systems (including Algeria and Libya), to travelling with police security details, being detained in Libya, and accepting incredible hospitality through the Warm Showers community — Helen shares the raw, practical realities of long-term cycle touring. We also talk about: The logistics of visas with a British passportWorking with visa agents and last-minute plan changesCycling in Algeria and LibyaBudget travel (sticking to AUD $100 per week)Her bike setup — switching from chain to belt driveSchwalbe Marathon Plus tyres and long-distance reliabilityNot collecting souvenirs and living with lessDocumenting her journey on YouTube (and the time spent editing!)Saying yes to unexpected opportunities Helen also opens up about going through perimenopause and menopause while cycling through deserts — dealing with extreme sadness, brain fog, hot sweats in the middle of the night, and coming out the other side feeling stronger and more balanced. At 47, she believes she has another strong decade of adventure ahead — and she's not slowing down. Looking forward, Helen plans to spend the next two years cycling down the west coast of Africa in an attempt to circle the continent, before eventually heading back towards Australia through Asia. Her advice for women wanting to do something different? Say yes to the opportunity — you can work out the details on the way. Accept without hesitation. Raw, honest, practical and deeply inspiring — this is a powerful catch-up with a woman who has built her entire life around two wheels. *** 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 *** Show notes Who is HelenCatching up since we last spokeCycling through the Middle East and Africa TGP Episode - January 2022 - TGP Extra Episode - What's changed?!Going back to the start of 2022 Taking the ferry from Turkey to Lebanon Flying home to surprise her family for Christmas Setting off toward Iran in 2022 The practical side of travel - visa's, entering and leaving countries (with a British Passport)Saudi Arabia and Oman using a E-visa system Getting a visa for Algeria - paperwork, needing to be in your home country while applying for the visa, face to face visit to the Embassy in London Visa's for Libya - not being issues and needing to work with a contact to get a visa Using a visa agent - Tap Persia Last minute change of plans and trying to extend a 2 week visa while in the country - which proved impossible Booking accommodation to get the visa Cycle touring being a little stressful at timesCycling in Algeria for a few days and what the experience was likeWarmshowers hosts Accepting hospitality Having an Algerian security detail (police) and what that entails Needing to trust the process Having her passport taken off her…Arrested/detained in Libya by the police Finding affordable accommodation Tourist sites in Algeria and Libya Not meeting other bike packers in Libya How it all happened….Saying yes to opportunities as they present themselves Libyan Cycling Centre Starting to share videos on Youtube and documenting her trips Working on improving the sound quality Aiming for 8 min vlogsThe time spend editing….Sticking to her budget of AUD $100 a weekThe bike, the bike set up and new gearChanging from a chain to a belt drive Getting a new saddle - Repente What is a belt drive and needing a specific frame for it and how it works Why it's popular with long distance tourers Schwalbe Marathon Plus tires Not collecting souvenirs Day to day emotions and loving life on the roadNot having any plans to stop cycling Heading into Western Africa - and taking 2 years to cycle down the coast...
    Afficher plus Afficher moins
    39 min
  • Chloe Stead – From Navy Life to Nomadic Living, Caminos, Grief & Choosing a Simpler Way

    Chloe Stead – From Navy Life to Nomadic Living, Caminos, Grief & Choosing a Simpler Way
    May 21 2026
    In this episode of the Tough Girl Podcast, we meet Chloe Stead — 42 years old and currently living in a rustic tiny shack in the bush in Tasmania with her husband — but her journey to this simple life has been anything but ordinary. Since 2008, Chloe has been living a travelling, nomadic lifestyle. After leaving school at 18 to join the Navy and later working in health and safety in Perth, Australia, she reached a quiet breaking point while staying at the Whim Creek Hotel in 2006. A simple but powerful thought surfaced: There has to be more to life than this. Within a week, she sold her house, packed up a shipping container, took her dog, and began driving solo around Australia with just $500 AUD — despite being petrified of sleeping in a tent. That leap of faith set the course for the next chapter of her life. But Chloe's story is not just about adventure — it's about grief, reinvention, and learning to live on her own terms. After the sudden death of her partner Willy in 2013, everything stopped. In the depths of grief, Chloe stepped away from social media, let go of her old life, and slowly began again. Meditation, yoga retreats, and eventually walking the Camino de Santiago in 2014 became turning points. Carrying everything on her back, she discovered a deep love for minimalism, simplicity, and self-reliance. Over the years, Chloe has: Walked multiple Caminos including the Camino del Norte, Camino Primitivo and Via de la PlataHitchhiked and walked along the beaches of UruguayTaken a 10,000km road trip with her dog DexterLived off less than $100 AUD per weekWorked seasonally to fund months of adventureCycled from Alaska to San Francisco (86 nights in a tent!)Walked the Wales Coast Path and the Portuguese CaminoChosen to stay off social media to be fully present on trail Now married, Chloe continues to design a life built around freedom, movement, and intentional simplicity. With big adventures planned for 2026 — including walking the South West Coast Path and the GR10 — she shares honestly about navigating partnership on trail, managing knee issues, strength training gains, and why getting to the start line is often the hardest part. This conversation is about: Letting go of possessions and expectationsLiving with uncertaintyProcessing grief through movementCreating "trail life" off-trailWhy you don't need technology to experience adventureTrusting that the universe conspires to keep you goingAnd why you should "give it a crack and get to the start line." Chloe's message is simple but powerful: Life is uncertain. Don't put things off. If there's something you want to do — take the plunge. *** 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 *** Show notes Who is Chloe42 years old, currently living in Tasmania in a rustic tiny shack in the bush with her husband Living a travelling lifestyle since 2008What was the lead up to making changes in her lifeLeaving school at 18 and joining the Navy2006 living in Perth, Australia and having a job in health and safetyStarting to feel different when staying at the Whim Creek HotelThinking that there has to be more to life100 things to see and do in Australia before you die Selling her house within a week, filling up a shipping containerTaking her dog and starting to drive solo around Australia Being encouraged by a friend - to just do it! Not being in tune with herself Highlights from spending time on the road, driving around Australia Starting off with $500 AUD and getting a job Spending the trip just driving around Being petrified of staying in a tentPitching her tent and staying in it for the first timeMeeting a boy, Willy (which wasn't part of the plan!) Deciding to move to New Zealand (2009 - 2010)Backpacking around Europe for 3 monthsPlanning every day and having a very tight schedule Feeling disheartened with her experience Needing to do something spontaneous Backpacking around Cambodia for 3 weeks with no plan Seeing a flyer about yoga and meditationStruggling with mental health and things in life Doing a yoga retreat in Australia and doing a deep dive into meditation Starting to work in farming around Australia 2013 and the year of her 30th birthdayDeciding to go to South America to visit Machu Picchu Willys death and how it stopped everything Not knowing how to copeThe funeral and not wanting to live where she was living or work where she was working Getting rid of her phone and getting off social mediaStarting again and wanting to forget Needing to deal ...
    Afficher plus Afficher moins
    1 h
adbl_web_anon_alc_button_suppression_t1
Aucun commentaire pour le moment