Girl. Woman. Athlete.

This week my guest is Stacey Niao, an athlete who's performed at that high performance level for not one but two sports. She who will no doubt inspire listeners with her passion for giving back (her voice is a little raspy from all the coaching!) and the commitment she's given to sports. She's embarking on a PhD to delve into the challenges of staying culturally connected when overseas...

Join Sophia for another episode. This time we have Heidi and Bella, University students with a passion for the outdoors and building community! They've just started Girls Outdoors, a club that aims to bring girls together over sports and adventures. Tune in to hear how these two came to start such a cool club and the journey with movement they have had.

This is my mothers day special! (Mothers day was on 11th May in New Zealand so releasing this on the 15th counts right?). Join me for this extra special interview with one of the most inspiring women I know. She doesn't let a neurological disorder hold her back as she knows how important exercise is for her mental health. My mum drilled into me that positive mental attitude can get you through...

This episode we hear from a little adventure host Sophia has been on. It didn't go to plan but it was beautiful! This episode's guest is Holly Weston, a lawyer and an adventure racer. She's gone through the grind, been through the highs and lows and knows what it takes to adventure race. This episode was recorded in January 2025 before she took part in the first Magnificent Adventure R...

Sophia is back with a little update from the Girls on Gravel bike ride with the North Canterbury Cycling Club before this episode's interview. Samantha Chapman is the guest this week, a community builder in Christchurch's cycling scene and a Buddhist who's recovering from back surgery. Samantha has done sports all her life but now the goal posts have moved. Tune in to hear more about S...

This episode Sophia is joined with Julz Christie. Julz is one of the core members of the Further Faster team and has had quite the life of adventuring and supporting adventurers. She knows how tough it is it reset your expectations after a big injury, she unfortunately lost the sensation in one of her legs after a traumatic mountain biking accident in her 30s. She was told she might never walk aga...

Back in the studio after a holiday, Sophia shares how much fun she had taking her brother trail running. In this episode Sophia's interview is with Dr Joyce Yager who has a fantastic outlook on all things movement. She shares her journey with movement, its importance to her mental health and how she's recovering from a double mastectomy. This interview was recorded in December 2024.

Sophia and Chelle debrief on the Coast to Coast multisport race that took place on the 7th and 8th February 2025. Chelle competed in the 2 day event as the mountain runner in team Toast to Toast and Sophia in the Longest Day. What an event it was - hear how it went and our tips and tricks for anyone thinking about the race in the future!

Sophia reports back on the final days preparation fro the Coast to Coast. Sophia and several of the guests who've been on the show will be competing in this multisport endurance event taking place on the 7th & 8th of February. We also have the second part of the interview with Emma-Jane, if you didn't listen to episode 12, please do! Emma-Jane is an inspiration, a woman who's survived a life m...

Sophia has an update on her preparation for the 2025 Coast to Coast New Zealand's multisport championship. Her update isn't positive - does anyone have a kayak to spare? This weeks guest is Emma-Jane, an endurance cyclist who battles PTSD and who is celebrating seven years of sobriety. She is one of the most inspiring people Sophia has ever met. Emma-Jane left behind a life many of us could never...

Happy New Year! We start this episode with an update from Chelle Brouwer (Episode 5) who set herself the goal of running 50km in 2024 and we hear how that went. Then we have an epic interview with one of New Zealand's gold medalists, Olivia Brett. She's the 23 year old kayaker who's love of sport and commitment to it is infectious. Hear how Olivia made her Olympic dreams a reality, by realising th...

This week Sophia reviews the Further Faster Classic River Race which sadly did not take place on the Waimakariri followed by an interview with Rosie Rhodes. Rosie founded Freedom Fitness and has competed in multisport and kayaking throughout her life. She shares her journey, her wisdom and some great concepts - like - shouldn't we all be training for our old lady bodies? Enjoy!

This week Sophia is joined by Dr Wendy Sweet from My Menopause Transformation. Wendy has had a long and exciting career in the fitness industry, being a Pioneer of the Personal Trainer movement and taking part in the early Iron Man competitions in Auckland. She moved into Academia in her 40s, embarking on a PhD to look at Womens health and sports, particularly the effect of lifestyle choices throu...

Sophia is back on warm ground and trying to get back into the training plan for the Coast to Coast which is every so quickly approaching. Being interviewed this week is Andrea Solzer, a busy mother of three who has a lifelong passion for artistic swimming. New Zealand has never had a masters artistic swimming team but that all changed recently and you'll find out more in this episode!

Your host, Sophia, is in Antarctica and using the cold conditions to have some snowy training sessions. This week’s guest is Josie Dixon, a PhD student with a love and talent for all things sport. Josie shares her story recovering from Relative Energy Deficiency in Sport (RED-S) and an eating disorder which led to her losing her period. Listen to learn more and hear why we should all be celebratin...

Sophia shares race highlights from the Wanaka Multi Sport Challenge which took place on the 19th October. This weeks guest is Chelle Brouwer, a runner who started with reluctantly running 3km during her outdoor education degree and is now training for a 51km trail run on New Zealand's Paparoa Track. Chelle shares her experience with PTSD and how that's impacted her ability to do certain sports and...

Sophia's finally joined the Down River Kayak Club here in Christchurch, and she's been out racing with the Leeston Cycling Club. Sport is all about community! Guest this week is Em St John who shares her journey with movement, her love of cycling and the challenges she's got lined up for herself.

In Episode 4, Sophia shares a training diary as she prepares for the 2025 Coast to Coast. It's a day that brings joy but not quite all the activity that was expected. This week's special guest is Laura Bonner, an irish gal who's not longed moved to Christchurch but has thrown herself into challenge after challenge. Laura calls herself average but after listening to this episode I am sure you'll ag...

There's a short update from host, Sophia, who's had another fall whilst out trail running (it happens a lot!). This episodes interview is with Dr Penzy Dinsdale. Penzy talks about seeking that work/life balance, a love of getting out into nature and shares details of her epic 85 day traverse of New Zealand's Southern Alps that will have listeners reaching for their hiking boots.

Sophia shares the fun and games of learning to kayak over the New Zealand winter. Nothing ever goes exactly to plan but that is where the growth is right? She's then joined for a chat with Lottie, mum of two, who is finds peace in her busy life with Kung Fu.

Welcome to Girl. Woman. Athlete! In this first episode, you'll meet me, your host, Sophia and learn a little about why I've started this show. Then we'll get straight into a wonderful conversation with Hubertien Wichers, a mountain running champion who didn't get serious about running until she was in her late 30s and had two kids!