EXPEDITIONS:  •First female to stand up paddleboard 1000 miles (Missouri river, USA) •Cycled solo + unsupported 2000 miles across the USA •First female in history to swim the length of the Thames River (UK) •400 mile run – 15 marathons back-to-back (London to Land’s End, UK) •Namib Desert solo fatbike expedition (2016) •Upcoming: Record attempt – first female to row the Pacific Ocean solo and non-stop   Show notes Not being a natural adventurer Coming to exploring later on in life Being an accidental adventurer  Deciding to change her life Looking for her passion in life Losing her best friend at university Deciding she no longer wanted to be an introvert and what she did to change it What would you do, if you could not fail Her conservative family and growing up in South Africa Why we need more females in endurance sports getting the spot light  Her list of how to live rather than things to do Her fear of failure Losing her best friend at 20 years old Deciding to live her life her way Deciding to do SUP - Missouri River - 1,000 miles Being inspired by Roz Savage - (Listen to Roz on the Tough Girl Podcast) Enjoying the solo journey  Courage & confidence  Her fears before her first solo cycle Trusting her gut instincts and how it improved her confidence How she’s been building her career and what she’s been focusing on Having her vision of what she wants to do with her life How she decides on what to do Swimming the Thames and the challenges she faced; the cold, dealing with Raynaud’s Disease, spending 10 hours in the water, dealing with the isolation and the pressure What’s going on in her head while she's doing these challenges and why she ends up writing books in her head What she’s learnt about her mindset and her mental resilience  Why her strength in life is to see everything positively Why you need to smile! Watch an Amy Cuddy TED Talk - Your body language shapes who you are 2016 challenges - Joining Laura Bingham in Bolivia for her cycle (with no money) challenge Heading to Namibia - to be the first person ever to solo cycle across the world’s oldest desert, the Namib. The worst decision she has ever made while being on an adventure Being humble and making smart decisions The Pacific Row and why it’s been 7 years in the making Planning for the challenge and wanting to build her own boat Costs of the challenge Working with a performance coach The power of visualisation Final words of advice and top tips for you Watch TED Talk- The power of vulnerability By Brené Brown   “My expeditions and work have taken me to some amazing corners of the world, but there is still so much more to discover.”   Social Media   Twitter - @Ness_Knight Instagram  - @Ness_Knight Facebook  - @explorernessknight Website - http://www.nessknight.com    Next Week Laura Bingham will be coming on the Tough Girl Podcast  to share more about her life and cycle throughout South America   Feeling inspired week after week?  You can do 3 easy things to help me continue to grow the podcast! Subscribe to the podcast in iTunes, so you won’t miss a single episode If you’re loving the podcast, please leave a 5-star review on iTunes! I read every single comment! Share the podcast with your friends, especially if you think it could help them, and spread the #ToughGirlPodcast love.    Your support helps me continue to grow the podcast and do inspiring things in this space! Already done all 3? You’re a rockstar! Thank you! Want to do more? Please become a Patron and donate a small fixed amount every month to help fund the runnings costs.