It’s almost that time again, when Sheffield opens its cinema doors to adventure lovers and outdoor enthusiasts for the annual Sheffield Adventure Film Festival, the headline event of the Outdoor City Weekender.

Here’s a quick glimpse at what’s in store during the festival, which runs from 22-24 March.

I’d like to wish you all a very Happy Christmas and also thank you for reading Lessons in Badassery this year. I have lots of exciting projects planned in 2019 to bring you access to even more incredible women in sport, fitness and adventure, so stay tuned.

I’m taking a little break over Christmas week so my next post will run on New Year’s Day.

Have a wonderful Christmas and see you in 2019!

Katie x

© Trek Bikes

This year’s Kendal Mountain Festival is packed with inspiring talks and speaker sessions, but which are the ones most likely to fire up your inspiration levels? I’ve been trying to plan my schedule, which is tough because the line-up of speakers this year is incredible – and also because some of them run concurrently.

I’ve whittled it down to the speakers I’m personally getting excited about hearing from, but there are loads of others who are leading talks during the weekend, so check out the event programme here. The weekend itself takes place from 15 – 18 November. If you’re going, see you there!

The Women’s Adventure Expo is back with two June events which bring together some of the most inspiring women speakers from the world of adventure and exploration. Get your tickets, pronto!

If hearing stories about women doing courageous things in adventure and endurance is your thing, the Women’s Adventure Expo will be right up your street. On top of their big yearly event in October, this month they’re hosting two events which give you the chance to hear from, and about, some of the most inspiring women in the world of outdoors and adventure.

This year’s special event marks the Centenary year of women’s suffrage and encompasses two events on the same day, Thursday 21 June, at the Royal Geographical Society in London.

If you’re into adventure and long-distance cycling, it’s pretty likely you’ve come across The Adventure Syndicate. Between them, this kickass group of female bike riders encompasses ultra-cyclists, record holders, former World Championship cyclists and round-the-world adventurers (hey, Sarah Outen). In other words, what they don’t know about cycling and adventure isn’t worth knowing.

If you love listening to (and hearing about) inspiring women within the realm of adventure and sport – and presumably you do, otherwise you’re kinda in the wrong place! – you’ll want to hotfoot it to this year’s Women’s Adventure Expo in Bristol on Saturday 7^th.

Love the outdoors? There’s still time to book your ticket for November’s Kendal Mountain Festival. Set across four inspiring days in the Lake District, this year’s event sees outdoor enthusiasts come together with some of the industry’s leading brands, adventurers, climbers, runners and authors for talks, adventure film screenings and lots more.

At 13.1 kilometres long, 1803 metres high, and with an average gradient of 8.19% (max gradient 12%), Alpe d’Huez is one of France’s most iconic cycle climbs. Here, 54-year-old Lori Hoechlin recounts her experience of cycling up it an incredible EIGHT times in one day to achieve the feted ‘Everest’ – a continuous hill climb repeated until the height equivalent of Everest has been reached (a crazy 29,029 ft.)

The Fireflies Tour is a beast of a charity cycling event, taking its riders up and down momentous Cols and legendary Tour de France climbs during the nine-day journey from the Swiss Alps to Cannes in France. It covers a crazy 1,000km distance and a leg-busting 26,000 metres of vertical climbing. All in all, it’s pretty epic and takes a serious level of badassery, grit and fitness to complete.

Right now, the biggest women’s rugby event of the sporting calendar, the Rugby World Cup, is taking place in Ireland. And if you’ve found you’ve been inspired by watching England’s mighty Red Roses storm to victory over both Spain and Italy, but haven’t known where to start with rugby, you’re in luck – England Rugby’s Warrior Camp taster sessions are BACK.