Girl. Woman. Athlete.

This week I am joined by Sara Vermeulen, an adventure addict, a nurse, a wife and a mother. We talk about her latest adventure race,the MAGnificent chapter 2, plus the more recent race she competed in, the Mackenzie. We delve deep into the topics of how she managed her commitment to running (particularly ultras!) and training whilst pregnant and post-partum, the need for good pelvic floor strength and why having a supportive partner has made all this possible!

Tune in to an exciting, inspiring, comedic and sometimes horrifying race review with two amazing athletes: Kirsten Cluley and Em St John. Tour te Waipounamu is a once every 2-year bike packing race that journeys 1300km from tip to tip of the South Island of Aotearoa New Zealand. It took place from the end of January to start of February in 2026 and my guests were one of less than 50 people who completed this 10 day race! It's an impressive feat and I'm sure you will love this episode!

In this episode Sophia is joined by 22 year-old Molly Spark. She's a household name in the multisport community having competed in 8 expedition adventure races and reported on the Coast to Coast 2026. Molly shares how she got into adventure races, what it was like taking that first plunge into multi day events and the lessons she's learned. She's had to bounce back from injuries and a RED-S diagnosis and her approach to rest and resilience has something we can all apply to our lives!

In Episode 38 Sophia is joined by endurance athletes Bronwyn Harris and Emily Trevail to discuss all things Kathmandu Coast to Coast. Bronwyn took on her first two day event, dealing with the course change due to heavy rain and Emily had her debut in the longest day, seeded in 5th position. We discuss how race prep went, execution, lessons learned, highlights on course and why we think the multisport community is amazing!

Eeek it’s 3 weeks till the Kathmandu Coast to Coast. Sophia shares some updates on her training as the start date draws nearer and nearer. Back in November 2025 Sophia interviewed Naomi Cranston. She’s an adventure lover and an athlete who juggles the demands of shift work in the Emergency Department. You’re going to hear how she, in her words, went from being a kid picked last on the sports team line-up, stumbling into a love for running, found surfing whilst doing a year of study in Hawaii and, on a move to the South Island, fell in love with even more backcountry sports! She's an exceptionally humble athlete with lessons we can all learn from!

In this episode Sophia is joined by Jess Lamb, a plant based ultra runner with a passion for environmental protection. We talk about the journey Jess is on, the lessons she's learning with how to fuel for endurance events whilst minimising waste and some ways that sport lovers can make a difference with groups like Athletes for Nature.

Sophia interviews Fleur Pawsey, a Coast to Coast longest day winner and someone who's competed in the event 14 times. She came dead last the first time but came back for more and surprised herself with how good she got over the years. Fleur is a humble athlete whose let go of the competitive side of multisport and adventure racing, she shares what she's learnt and how that helps with the adventures she enjoys now. Her main focus is bikepacking with the Tour Te Waipounamu next on her horizon.

In this episode host Sophia give a short race recap from the Crater Rim Ultra (53km!) and some tips from fellow trail runners based on questions from the GWA community. My guest this week is Moira Calley, a New Zealand Black Dragon in the breast cancer division. She tells us why dragon boat racing is more than a sport for breast cancer survivors and why aging is a privilege.

Deborah Lynch must be the only endurance athlete who's described themselves as a cat who'd love to lie on the couch if it weren't for all the training she has to do! Having a conversation with Deb about all things sport was super fun. She's had a journey to get her groove with her kayaking (which yes, gave me a lot of hope!) and she's learnt heaps during her racing years from elite triathlon to multisport, listening to her body and focusing on having fun. Join us for this inspiring conversation!

This is an extra special episode! I interviewed Bronwyn Harris in August 2025, a woman whose mental resilience and lust for life is truly inspirational. Bronwyn and her family received the worst news when she was given 18 months to live due to stage 4 ovarian cancer. She now has a longer prognosis and will take that and more! She talks about her cancer symptoms, her chemotherapy and ongoing treatment journey as well as how she's fighting for health and fitness for women every where!#ovariancancer #multisport #personaltrainer #coasttocoast #womensupportingwomen #womeninsport #fitnessjourney #health #womenshealth

In this episode Sophia is joined by Anna Scheirlinck, operations manager at Christchurch's latest climbing gym Boulder Co., she's also team leader for Alpine Rescue Canterbury and she's a ski guide amongst so much more! Listen to find out how Anna got into these sports, how she learnt to ski at 30 and get to know the sort of woman that thinks its would be rude not to share some of the skills she's learnt doing incredibly cool things all over the world.

This episode Sophia is joined by the wonderful Emily Trevail, the winner of the 2 day Coast to Coast in 2025! She has a contagious love for getting out into nature and adventuring. Listen to our interview where she shares her journey, what it took to win the 2 day Coast to Coast and what she's got lined up next.

Join Sophia for another episode. This time we have Heidi and Bella, University students with a passion for the outdoors and building community! They've just started Girls Outdoors, a club that aims to bring girls together over sports and adventures. Tune in to hear how these two came to start such a cool club and the journey with movement they have had.