Trail Blazers: Laura Kennington

In the fifth episode of our special Break the Bias series, I chat to Kate Jayden, who has just finished runnnig 101 marathons in 101 consecutive days.  Kate set off on New Year's Day 2022, and has raised over £27,000 to help refugees with food, hygiene products, and mental health support. The distance of 100 marathons, is the same distance that a Syrian refugee would travel to come to the UK. But this is not her first ultra endurance challenge. In 2027, she ran from London to Paris and cycled back.  She has cycled from John'O'Groats in Scotland to Lands End in Scotland and run back. And this summer, she will do complete 10 Ironman distance triathlons back to back.   She is unusual in being one of the few females in ultra distance events, proving that anything is possible with the right mindset.    We spoke about her upbringing and how she has survived and thrived despite suffer abuse when she was young child.    She chats about the mental processes that she uses to survive and thrive during these epic challenges, particularly when working full time.    And if you want to know what she eats in order to manage to run a marathon a day - all that have to be done as one run, you'll find out here! Charity link is here: https://donate.giveasyoulive.com/fundraising/what-katie-did-next   Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/decajayden    Facebook: https://m.facebook.com/decajayden    If you like the podcast, please subscribe, review and share.    The more it is shared and reviewed, the more we can continue to help share the stories of amazing women who inspire others and break bias in so many ways.  

Endurance cycle coach, Alison Wood challenges bias in so many ways, and has done throughout her life.  Of mixed race heritage, she was raised in Essex/London by a white mother within a stones throw of the British National Front headquarters. We chat about her upbringing and experience of always being the non-white face in her family and enviromment.  Her grandmother wanted her to be a dancer, which she did until her twenties.  Perhaps this meant that she was well equipped to be the only non-white woman in cycling, when she came to this relatively late in life in her 30s. We chat about how she discovered cycling and made this into a coaching career, following a degree in Cycling Performance.  Plus, her mission to empower more women of colour through cycling. In her words,  "I'm on a mission to disrupt the status quo by encouraging, supporting and empowering women, people of colour and marginalised genders to set themselves audacious cycling goals.' She chats about her work coaching for the Ultra Distance Cycling Scholarship which supports women cycling the Pan Celtic Race Series.  Plus, her own race plans for 2022.    https://www.veloqi.cc

On the 3rd year anniversary of Black Girls Do Run UK, a community to inspire, encourage and motivate more black women to run,  I spoke to Tasha about what inspired her to set up the community. She discussses fear of 'the sugars', the term used for diabetes which was prevalent in Jamaica where her parents were from.  I first interviewed Tasha two years ago for the GRTW podcast, just as the Black Lives matter movement exploded, a lot has changed for the community and Tasha.  Feted by brands including Strava, LuluLemon and Salomon, the community has also exploded. We chat imposter syndrome and Tasha's hopes for the future of BGDRUK and her own running.  Find out more by listening to the full podcast. If you like what you hear, please review, share and subscribe. 

Vera Ngosi-Sambrook grew up in Malawi and moved to the UK to study mechanical engineering. From the very start of her adult life, she has challenged bias in her choice of career.  It was after meeting her husband that she first tried cycling, on a tandem, on the promise of being able to just leisurely cycle. Five years later, she was awarded a scholarship The Ultra Distance Scholarship, with her own coach to train for the Pan Celtic Race https://www.pancelticrace.com. From only being able to cycle 50 miles in, Vera had to train to take on a 1200km, self supported bike ride through England, Ireland and Wales. https://www.stayercycles.com/the-ultra-distance-scholarship/  From learning how to ride for long periods of time, how to fix her bike and what to eat, we talked about practicalities along with the psychology of training for an ultra event of this magnitude. Plus imposter syndrome, building mental resilience and how training and achieving this has helped quieten the self doubt. 

In our first episode of our new series celebrating women who break down barriers, we chat to Asics FrontRunner Sally Brider about the representation of older women in running and overcoming the impact of menopause on mental well being. 

  'If the only black people you see in magazines are elite runners, it makes you feel that you have to be exceptional to take part in running.' Listen to these two trailblazing sisters (not sistas, they really are siblings!) chat about growing up in London, how they started running, and the work they are doing to help encourage other BAME men and women to run.

Elle Linton started cycling as a way of commuting to work in London. So when a friend suggested they cycled to Richmond Park just to 'cycle round and round,' she thought it was a crazy idea. 'Why ride round in a circle?'  Despite the punctures enroute, she discovered a love of cycling for the community, being able to explore and a way of getting fit. So much so, she set up her own women's cycling group to inspire others - and so she had a group of women to spin with right from her front door. Now, an ambassador for Liv Cycling UK, Elle has discovered a passion for cycle-cross - ' The Tough Mudder of riding,' as she calls it. Listen to her inspiring podcast about what makes her tick - and what she hasn't quite mastered when it comes to cycling. Plus being a black woman in cycling and the health and fitness space as a fitness trainer with her popular website, www.keepitsimpelle.com. 

Over twenty years ago Claire Smith (@brutalclaire) started running, pushing her baby in a buggy in a bid to lose weight. This August, she was back to pushing a baby stroller but this time, it carried everything she needed to run the length of the UK without any support from John'O Groats to Lands End. She certainly has form. This is the endurance athlete who has also completed 20 back to back Ironman distance events. So, if you're about to take on the virtual @londonmarathon today, listen to this for inspiration and proof that no matter, how tough it gets, the mind is an incredible thing. Good job, because in 2021, she plans to take on the incredibly difficult Arch to Arc, riding from Marble Arch to Dover, swimming the Channel and then running to the Arc de Triomphe.

If you feel dissatisfied with your life, have you done anything about it? No? Then you may want to listen to this podcast for inspiration.  A bit fed up with her life and work trajectory, Laura Kennington turned her life upside down and decided to kayak down the River Volga in Russia on her own simply after hearing about the river during a pub quiz. She had no experience of kayaking. Or travelling solo in far flung destinations.  It set in motion a career as an adventure athlete in a world typically governed by men. She now uses human powered travel to inspire and encourage others to get outside and have adventures.     

Beth Pascall, 32 is a true trail blazing ultra runner.  Even as a young girl, there was something about exploring the outer edges of comfort and challenging herself that appealed.  From begging her dad and brother to let her go on a long bike ride when she was young, this love of exploring the world we live in and the extremes to which the human mind and body go motivates her in all she does.  Listen for more on what motivates her and how lockdown forced her to focus on just one goal - smashing the Bob Graham record. In a loop starting and finishing in Keswick in the Lake District, the 65 mile challenge involves running 42 fells with an 8,2000m ascent.   She finished the Bob Graham Round in 14 hours 34 minutes - taking 50 minutes off the previous best.