Marta in her own words:   “My name is Marta and I come from a small town in Poland called Pila. Growing up I was raised by a single mum; I had a good but humble upbringing, I always loved the outdoors and hanging out with my friends.   My childhood in Poland was a happy time in my life, but after my first trip to London as a teenager it all changed. I realised very quickly that living in Poland wasn’t for me anymore; I had big dreams and ambitions that I knew I couldn’t pursue in my hometown. I spent one more year living in Poland, learning English and saving ready to finally enter the ‘big world’… then I moved to London.   Taking this chance opened up so many opportunities for me. I got a good degree, good job, I travelled the world and had some awesome adventures whilst doing so, that I’ve decided to share them here. So, here I am, writing my blog, hoping to inspire and invite you on my journey.   My love for travelling has grown immensely over the years. The more countries I saw, the more countries I wanted to see. Along the way, my style of travelling changed; I had even bigger accomplishments on my agenda. So I set myself two goals: to climb to the highest peak on each continent, the challenge known as 7 Summits; and to reach the highest peak of each European country, which I call The Crown of Europe.   Out of the 7 Summits, I’ve already completed 5 (the highest peak in Europe, Africa, North and South America, Antarctica) and I am getting ready to attempt another one later this year… Everest. I am extremely excited about it as this is also the last continent I still haven’t seen.   The second goal is to reach the highest peak of each European country, which I call The Crown of Europe  There are 50 countries but 48 peaks and I have already completed 17 of them. However, this leaves plenty of adventure still ahead…”   *This episode was recorded in 20th January 2022 - Marta summited Everest 6.25am on May 15th, 2022.   New episodes of the Tough Girl Podcast go live every Tuesday at 7am UK time - Subscribe so you don’t miss out.    Support the mission to increase the amount of female role models in the media especially in relation to adventure and physical challenges. Visit www.patreon.com/toughgirlpodcast Thank you.   Show notes Who is Marta Moving to the UK from Poland 17 years ago Her goal to climb the 7 summits  Wanting to climb the highest peak in each European Country  Growing up in Poland and what her early years were like Not being close to the mountains as a child Being inspired by her father who was very outdoorsy Getting use to the cold weather  Her passion for travel Wanting more from travel and wanting to combine it with adventure  Setting herself 2 BIG goals  The Crown of Europe of Challenge Climbing Kilimanjaro first  Climbing Mt. Blanc and then Elbrus. Climbing Aconcagua in South America Climbing Denali in North America which was the toughest climb she’s done. Go to Antarctica to climb Vincent and why it was her favourite climb so far Taking on Everest in April 2022 Leaving Carstensz Pyramid until the end due to the political situation and the costs involved.  Costs of climbing mountains and how she’s paying for the adventures  Going to Everest in 2021 and having her trip cancelled Funding her challenges Her fear of dying while in the mountains Dealing with the downtime and how she handled the waiting.  Handling her period while in the mountains Using wet wipes to shower Stop taking the pill when you are at high altitude as it thickens your blood Wearing a nappy on the summit push? Trying things out in advance Dealing with stress diarrhea while climbing  The mental side of the challenge  Dealing with stress and anxiety  How you can change your thinking  Focusing on what she can control  Visiting the Altitude Centre in London  Getting physically strong and what training looks like this year Developing her own training plan and being flexible with what it looks like Stretching for recovery and eating well Being