I can’t quite believe it, but here we are — the 800th episode of the Tough Girl Podcast!

In this special solo episode, I’m taking you behind the scenes for a personal catch-up and reflection on everything that’s happened so far in 2025 — from January through to August. I talk about what life has looked like lately (yes, still living at home with my parents!), working part-time at AIM Health, the adventures I’ve been on, the challenges I’ve faced, and the exciting things coming up next.

This episode is a bit of everything: gear chat (flat-lay photos and a new Atom Pack!), health updates (peri-menopause, gut health, strength training, and more), financial planning (Patreon, pensions, broken laptops!), plus reflections on my time walking the English Camino, Snowdonia Slate Trail, and tackling the GR20 in Corsica — which was honestly tougher than the Marathon des Sables.

I’m also talking about my motivations for taking on the GR10, what I’ve learned in 10 years of podcasting, and why the mission — to increase the amount of female role models in the media especially in relation to adventure and physical challenges— is stronger than ever.

Thank you for being here with me on this journey. Whether you’ve listened from the start or are just finding the show now, I’m so incredibly grateful. This is a celebration of us — of consistency, resilience, growth, and dreaming big.

🎧 Tune in to hear what I’ve learned over 10 years, what’s changed (and what hasn’t), and where I see the podcast — and my adventures — heading next.

Let’s go!

🎙️ 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

Intro to the podcast - solo reflections episode with me - Sarah Williams
800th episode!
Reflecting back from January 2025 - to August 2025
Setting the scene - chaos in my room - kit and gear everywhere
Taking photos for the flat lay gear post
New backpack - atom pack - needing to go on a test hike
Agenda and plans for this episode
Behind the scenes and what’s been going on
Living at home with my parents since 2014
Working at AIM Health - structure, regular hours, income, access to therapies
Aim Health therapies - Cryotherapy, compression trousers, red light, HBOT, rebalance bed
Impact on my wellness and recovery
Saving money, emergency funds, breaking my laptop, spending money…
Saving money for my pension
Funds from patreon - paying for the website, music, search function, auphonic, Zoom costs
Root canal - and teeth looking good
Health - consistent with training, mobility and strength with Franco
Not trusting my ankles - needing to strap them up
Adult ballet
Yin yoga - not being as consistent as I would like (Kassandra Yin Yoga - Youtube)
Reflecting back - longevity - turning 44 - big jump in aging
Peri-menopause and menopause
Bioresonance, OligoScan
Feeling slightly fatigued - anaemic again? Blood test coming back normal
Too much cryotherapy? And stopping for the summer so as not to loose my heat adaption
Feeling everything is coming together and feeling strong and well
Gut health issues; belches, bacteria overgrowth, wheat free
October focus will be gut health and working with a nutritionist and Dr Cath
Home based for 7 months.
Adventures
April - Walking The English Camino with Gemma Smith - stats and filming and not having time to share online
Snowdonia Slate Trail - 5 day practice hike - getting back into the mountains again
Watch the Snowdonia Slate Trail - vlogs on YouTube
Why I recommend the Snowdonia Slate Trail
Public transport back from the trail
Wanting to get mountain fit
Hiking the GR20 with Alex Mason end of June, beginning of July
Cicerone Guidebooks
Abbie Barns Vlogs on the GR20
Meeting at Gatwick for a super early flight to Corsica
Watch the Tough Girl GR20 Vlogs on Youtube
Harder than Marathon des Sables
Mentally wanting to quit the challenge every day
Starting to doubt myself
Why I didn’t quit
Never quit on a bad day
The challenges of the first 3/4 days
The early starts - 5am starts
Not eating and feeling rough
Double stages….
Having the same goal to finish on the Friday
Needing more recovery at the start of the challenge
Always being able to push it on the final day
Change the plan, not the goal.
Why I’m taking on the GR10
The incredible trails in Europe, UK
Wanting to walk trails and spend time in the mountains
FKT website for GR10
BMC Women’s Adventure Film Competition - ‘Make a Difference Award’
Kendal Mountain Film Festival
Get involved in the film! Send in your clips! Has the tough girl podcast inspired you to take on your own adventure? (Filmed Horizontal)
YouTube Channel- update - slow growth
Being behind with editing the South West Coast Path Vlogs - 40 days of footage - 40 mins per day
Needing to get into flow with film/vlog editing
Are you an editor?! E-mail me!
Podcast update and next recording date in October
Tough Podcast Extra
Tough Girl Tribe - 1,600 strong
Shout out to Patrons - thank you so much for your support.
What I have learned in 10 years of podcasting
Why you need to start
Showing up and being consistent
Being a learning and continuing to learn and getting better
How quickly has the past 10 years gone
How has the mission changed? - It hasn’t! Still the same mission
Being more motivated than ever before
Feeling more pressure in relation to getting older
Being proud of the women who listen to the podcast, being proud of the guests and the women who are going through tough times.
Website changes and updates!
Thank you to Rebecca ‘Beck’ Mcpherson for creating the new artwork
The next 10 years - the Purple Decade
Over 7,400 miles of hiking and cycling, 13 countries and doing 31 challenges - Pink Decade
Putting all my goals out there
What’s going to happen?!
Would you want to go mega viral
Founder Marketing and why it’s good for your business
Goal - 10 Million Downloads
Goal - 100k followers on Youtube?
Awards? Film Festivals?
What’s going to happen?!
Loving my life and wanting to continue to travelling and going on adventures
Questions from listeners
How easy was it wild camping on the South West Coast Path
Wild Camping Principles
Bucket List Goal or challenge?
Pacific Crest Trail
Group/Team Challenge
Responsibility and stress
Repeating any hikes?!
Appalachian Trail in 100 days now? Easier or Harder?
Favourite country for camping and free hiking
Safety and managing the fear on trails.
Things you can control in advance
Things you can do while on the trail
GR10 - I’ll be sharing daily updates
Thank you for everything you are doing
10 years!!!
Time for you to think about what you want to achieve over the next 10 years
Have you created your list of goals, your vision board?
What excites you? There is no right or wrong.
I believe in you!