Girl. Woman. Athlete.

In this episode Sophia is joined by Sophie Shallard, winner of the 2 day Coast to Coast. She's 22, she's energetic, she's already got 4 adventure races under her belt and has had to bounce back from some serious setbacks. Sophie tells us all about her winning Coast to Coast race (and how it didn't quite go as she planned!), the lessons she's learned and why having fun is absolutely key. If we coul...

Katie Cambie is something of a legend here in Otautahi Christhchurch. She co-owns Topsport kayaking with her partner Len and the two of them are passionate kayaking enthusiasts who've helped to make many coast to coast dreams come true. Kate herself is a phenomenal athlete, 6x winner of The Classic River race and record holder for the fastest paddle in the Coast to Coast. Kate's wins have not come...

This week I am joined by Sara Vermeulen, an adventure addict, a nurse, a wife and a mother. We talk about her latest adventure race,the MAGnificent chapter 2, plus the more recent race she competed in, the Mackenzie. We delve deep into the topics of how she managed her commitment to running (particularly ultras!) and training whilst pregnant and post-partum, the need for good pelvic floor strength...

In this episode Sophia is joined by Christchurch based physio and whaka 100 winner Mary Gray. Mary shares her journey from racing internationally in her late teens, taking some breaks, dabbling in triathlon and multisport and coming back to mountain biking. She shares tales from when races went wrong to how it all came together for the recent whaka 100 win and also how she came back from a serious...

Tune in to an exciting, inspiring, comedic and sometimes horrifying race review with two amazing athletes: Kirsten Cluley and Em St John. Tour te Waipounamu is a once every 2-year bike packing race that journeys 1300km from tip to tip of the South Island of Aotearoa New Zealand. It took place from the end of January to start of February in 2026 and my guests were one of less than 50 people who com...

This episode’s guest is Jenny Boomen, retired teacher, grandmother to five children and avid wing foiler! Jenny is keen to get more women out on the water to enjoy this fantastic sport. It's time at the beach, good for your strength, a way to learn something new and a fabulous way to make new friends. Jenny shares her journey into wing foiling - and what it is for those of us who don't know! We ta...

In this episode Sophia is joined by 22 year-old Molly Spark. She's a household name in the multisport community having competed in 8 expedition adventure races and reported on the Coast to Coast 2026. Molly shares how she got into adventure races, what it was like taking that first plunge into multi day events and the lessons she's learned. She's had to bounce back from injuries and a RED-S diagno...

In this episode Sophia shares some highlights from the sporting world going on in the last few weeks and challenges that are happening in March that you can get involved with. The Guest this week is Georgie Kirkland, founder of Christchurch based womens board sport community the Indy Project. We talk about how Georgie got into skate boarding and how she's supporting many other women to give it a g...

In Episode 38 Sophia is joined by endurance athletes Bronwyn Harris and Emily Trevail to discuss all things Kathmandu Coast to Coast. Bronwyn took on her first two day event, dealing with the course change due to heavy rain and Emily had her debut in the longest day, seeded in 5th position. We discuss how race prep went, execution, lessons learned, highlights on course and why we think the multisp...

In this episode, a Coast-to-Coast pre-race special, Sophia is joined by Simone Maier. Simone is a phenomenal athlete, having competed as a professional triathlete doing Iron Man races before finding multisport here in New Zealand and getting in to Adventure Racing. She's raced all over the world! We talk about what movement is for her, the importance of eating well and how she manages the pressure...

Eeek it’s 3 weeks till the Kathmandu Coast to Coast. Sophia shares some updates on her training as the start date draws nearer and nearer. Back in November 2025 Sophia interviewed Naomi Cranston. She’s an adventure lover and an athlete who juggles the demands of shift work in the Emergency Department. You’re going to hear how she, in her words, went from being a kid picked last on the sports team...

In this episode Sophia is joined by Jodie Fa'avae. Jodie shares her life experiences and the tricks she learnt in order to make that important time for herself in the outdoors throughout every stage of life. From being the 7-year downhill mountain biking champion in her 20s, raising three active children to lining up for the Coast to Coast aged 50, Jodie has years of wisdom and stories to share th...

In this episode Sophia is joined by Jess Lamb, a plant based ultra runner with a passion for environmental protection. We talk about the journey Jess is on, the lessons she's learning with how to fuel for endurance events whilst minimising waste and some ways that sport lovers can make a difference with groups like Athletes for Nature.

This episode is a special GODZONE Chapter 12 race recap. Sophia is joined in the studio with Holly Weston and Abby Pagel to talk all things race prep and then race debrief. Chapter 12 has been called the toughest race yet - tune in to find out how these girls endured one of the worlds most challenging multi-day adventure races.

Sophia interviews Fleur Pawsey, a Coast to Coast longest day winner and someone who's competed in the event 14 times. She came dead last the first time but came back for more and surprised herself with how good she got over the years. Fleur is a humble athlete whose let go of the competitive side of multisport and adventure racing, she shares what she's learnt and how that helps with the a...

In this episode Sophia interviews Vicky Havill. Vicky is a trail runner, a coach, a mother, a wife and one of the 1% of people who are diagnosed with epilepsy here in New Zealand. Vicky shares her journey into trail running, thanks to a friend who invited her on a trip and what an impact this had on her life. She didn't foresee epilepsy, something she was diagnosed with in her 30s, and she sha...

In this episode host Sophia give a short race recap from the Crater Rim Ultra (53km!) and some tips from fellow trail runners based on questions from the GWA community. My guest this week is Moira Calley, a New Zealand Black Dragon in the breast cancer division. She tells us why dragon boat racing is more than a sport for breast cancer survivors and why aging is a privilege.

In this episode I'm joined by President of the New Zealand Mountains Guide's Association, Adventure racer and Coast to Coast winner (1990), Anna Keeling. Movement has defined her career and her life. Her passion for the alpine environment has allowed her to support many others in achieving their dreams by reaching incredible summits. However, Anna shares how the mountains have taken from h...

Deborah Lynch must be the only endurance athlete who's described themselves as a cat who'd love to lie on the couch if it weren't for all the training she has to do! Having a conversation with Deb about all things sport was super fun. She's had a journey to get her groove with her kayaking (which yes, gave me a lot of hope!) and she's learnt heaps during her racing years from e...

My guest this week is Georgia Murty, a woman who's dabbled in plenty of sports! She shares her journey from childhood playing cricket and representing her state in AFL (Aussie rules football) to where she's at now, loving being a member of a Surf Life Saving Club and working towards long distance swimming goals (without a wetsuit!). Georgia works from home and we talk about the challenges...

This is an extra special episode! I interviewed Bronwyn Harris in August 2025, a woman whose mental resilience and lust for life is truly inspirational. Bronwyn and her family received the worst news when she was given 18 months to live due to stage 4 ovarian cancer. She now has a longer prognosis and will take that and more! She talks about her cancer symptoms, her chemotherapy and ongoing treatm...

Join me in conversation with Danielle Donaldson, Wanaka-based middle-distance triathlete (70.3 Iron Man), to hear our conversation on everything triathlon, health and Taylor Swift! We had so much fun recording this (our second attempt) and I know you'll love getting to know Danielle as she shares her journey to taking tri to the next level, navigating the mental health challenges of her 20s wi...

In this episode Sophia is joined by Anna Scheirlinck, operations manager at Christchurch's latest climbing gym Boulder Co., she's also team leader for Alpine Rescue Canterbury and she's a ski guide amongst so much more! Listen to find out how Anna got into these sports, how she learnt to ski at 30 and get to know the sort of woman that thinks its would be rude not to share some of the...

In this episode Sophia is joined by Anita Kerr, a self-proclaimed procrastinator, night owl and someone who has committed to moving every day for a whole year not once but twice. Anita share's her journey with movement as an IT professional. Also in this episode Sophia shares some reflections on an exhibition of Physical Freedom in Milan, and how work needs to be done to remove the barriers to exe...

This episode Sophia is joined by the wonderful Emily Trevail, the winner of the 2 day Coast to Coast in 2025! She has a contagious love for getting out into nature and adventuring. Listen to our interview where she shares her journey, what it took to win the 2 day Coast to Coast and what she's got lined up next.