Hey guys, just a heads-up that I’m going to be changing my posting schedule in the run-up to Christmas and January. I’m hoping to develop even more exciting content and interviews for you, so from next week you might notice I switch to posting twice a week for a bit.

I’ve got some really incredible women coming on the site soon, including adventurers, endurance athletes, downhill mountain bikers and stunt women, so keep checking back. I’ll be also be sharing updates over Christmas on my Facebook page, Instagram and Twitter accounts, so if in doubt look them up.

In the meantime, head back here next Tuesday for my interview with ski-cross athlete and Winter Olympics 2018 hopeful, Pam Thorburn!

Katie x

Image courtesy of Zwift

More than 2100 women signed up to this year’s Zwift Academy, an online programme of virtual social rides, races and structured cycling workouts designed to source new talent for the professional peloton. On offer: the dream prize of a professional cycling contract with pro women’s team CANYON//SRAM. 2100 women soon became three as the global cycling talent was whittled down via performance data, races and testing. And today, 28-year-old Medicine graduate and former triathlete Tanja Erath was awarded the coveted crown of Zwift Academy Winner 2017.

I caught up with Tanja over a call from her home in Dortmund, Germany to talk about her Zwift Academy win, her triathlon background, and what the future holds for her as a professional cyclist riding for CANYON//SRAM.

Photo Credit: The Great Swim

For Olympian and two-time open water swimming world champion, Keri-anne Payne, years of 5am starts were all part and parcel of her medal-winning mission to inspire more people to take up open water swimming. After hanging up her professional swim cap earlier this year, the 30-year-old Olympic silver medallist explains how she’s achieving her goal in retirement through Triscape, the coaching business she’s launched with her husband and fellow Olympic swimmer, David Carry.

Juggling a full-time job with training and racing, squishing into a hired minibus to travel 30 hours to European races, burying yourself during a hard stage race to then cook your own meals and wash your bike/kit. It’s all par for the course for small cycling teams on limited budgets. Here, rider Alice Sharpe of sponsor-seeking elite team NCC Group-Kuota-Torelli, reveals the highs and lows of Tour life on a small budget – and how it didn’t stop her kicking ass on the Tour Ta Malta podium.

When it comes to multisport events, Helen Russell has been there, done that and scooped a podium in the process. Currently the British Quadrathlon Champion (swim, kayak, bike, run), Helen also has World and European age group titles in aquathlon, triathlon and duathlon under her belt. On top of that, she’s a fervent fundraiser who has cycled the entire Tour de France route one day ahead of the pros for Cure Leukaemia, and last year cycled up Mt. Ventoux via all three routes in one day for Air Ambulance. All in all, she’s pretty epic!

Here, Helen chats capsizing kayaks, surreal moments cycling with Lance Armstrong and how failing her driving test kick-started her journey as an age group multisport athlete.

Journalist, news anchor and sports correspondent, Samantha Johnson works on the English-speaking sports show Beyond the Game at TRT World in Istanbul.  A passionate campaigner for equality and positive change, she was named on last year’s highly regarded 2016 Football Black List of influential figures in football. Here, she gives us an insight into her working day at the Beyond the Game studio.

Photo Credit: Stephen Baccon/Red Bull Content Pool

Hailing from a family of iconic ocean athletes, 24-year-old Jordan Mercer has blazed a trail in surf sports since the age of 16, running, paddling and swimming her way to Surf Ironwoman victory. A Surf Ironwoman Series Champion and ten-time World Champion, the talented Aussie has also won the gruelling 52km paddleboard crossing from Molokai to Oahu an incredible six successive times.

Here, Jordan talks surf sports, fuelling long-distance events, and how she balances a jam-packed training schedule.

Do you have a story to tell about your adventures, endurance escapades or challenges? Maybe you have an interesting job in sport or adventure? If not you, perhaps you know a brilliant, inspiring woman who would be perfect for Lessons in Badassery?

There’s no shortage of women in sport, fitness and adventure doing things we should be celebrating. But their stories aren’t always told, so I’m hoping you guys can help me find them so I can share them here.

Whether you (or they) are an everyday woman doing inspiring things, an athlete, a brand founder, or you work in the world of sport and adventure, drop me an email via katie@lessonsinbadassery.com and let’s big up the ladies.

On the subject of inspiring ladies, look out for upcoming interviews with open water Olympian Keri-anne Payne, downhill MTB badass Tracey Hannah, British Quadrathlon Champion Helen Russell, Wonder Woman stunt double Caitlin Dechelle, and loooads more kickass women!

Katie x

Photo Credit: Sally Hornung

Ultra marathon runner Susie Chan fell into running six years ago, when her brother persuaded her to enter a half-marathon. Today, she’s one of the most recognisable faces in the British running community, a three-time Marathon des Sables finisher, and a former 12-hour treadmill world record holder.

In my chat with Susie we cover heat training, Strava segment sprees and ‘unravelling’ during her third Marathon des Sables.

Last month I wrote about my cycling session with Dr Barney Wainwright, applied sport scientist at Leeds Beckett University, who adjusted my bike position, introduced me to the benefits of pedalling effectively (you can read the post here) and armed me with some simple pedalling drills as my homework. There were gains to be made. And the fundamentals were pretty simple.

Here’s a quick update…