What Next Mum

Welcome to the final episode of season 5 of the What Next Mum Podcast! We are finishing on a high with my chat with Sophie Carter, a PT, run coach and Mum of 5 who came second woman in the 100km Race to the Stones at 20 weeks pregnant. In this episode we chat about Sophie's journey into running, how she stayed active during her pregnancies and how she managed to run RTTS when pregnant and eve...

Welcome to a new episode of the What Next Mum Podcast! In this episode I chat to Claire Maxted, ultra runner, writer, you-tuber and mum of 1. Claire is the author of The Ultimate Trail Running Handbook and the host of the excellent Wild Ginger Running You Tube Channel and Podcast. In this episode we chat about the shock and trauma of childbirth and being a new parent, how Claire got back into runn...

Welcome to a new episode of the What Next Mum Podcast! In this episode I chat to Natalie Hawkrigg, a fell runner, GP and mum of 3. Natalie has been fell running for over 25 years and has completed the Bob Graham Round,  However, following a calf tear in 2018 she took up more swimming and this led her to obtain the record for the winter  Frog Graham Round in 2022 in a time of 15h45. She is the only...

Welcome to a new episode of the What Next Mum Podcast! In this episode I chat to Dr Ruth Naughton-Doe, a mum of one, trail runner and bike packer. Ruth and I chat about life pre-children and the barriers to be active when you don't feel you look the right way - and the traumas of having to wear knicker shorts at school! When Ruth's daughter was 2 she and her husband took her on a 2 week...

Welcome to a new episode of the What Next Mum Podcast! In this episode I chat to Katie Kaars Sijpesteijn, an ultra running Mum of 1. Katie got into ultra running after meeting her husband who was a hill walker.  They entered the Lakeland 50 as a pair and in 2017 came back and took the male and female course record. Once Katie fell pregnant she continued to run and hill walk right up to the birth a...

Welcome to a new episode of the What Next Mum Podcast! In this episode I chat to Kerry Dawson, an outdoor swimmer and mum of 2. Despite having only taken up outdoor swimming during the pandemic, Kerry has already completed the Triple Swim Challenge - having swum the lengths of Coniston, Ullswater and Windermere. Kerry talks about how she got into outdoor swimming, how she fits training into her bu...

Welcome to a new episode of the What Next Mum Podcast! In this episode I chat to Susannah Gill, a marathon running mum of 1. In 2019 Susannah ran 7 marathons on 7 continents in 7 days and wrote a great book - Running around the world - which I recommend you have a read of. Susannah has run over 80 marathons and ultra marathons and has not let the birth of her son stop her.  She ran the London Mara...

Welcome to a new episode of the What Next Mum Podcast! In this episode I chat to Steph Bridge, a Mum of 3 and 5 x kiteboarding world champion. Steph lives and works in Exmouth where she runs Edge Watersports with her husband.  Steph talks about her sailing and windsurfing pre-kids and the highs and lows of having kids young (and close together) whilst also trying to build up a business. Steph got...

Welcome to a new episode of the What Next Mum Podcast! This week I chat to Keri Wallace, a mum of 2, runner and co-founder of Girls on Hills. Keri was a climber and runner pre-kids but it was after the birth of her second daughter that she decided to leave her job in science to start Girls on Hills and encourage other women to get outside and to challenge themselves. Keri and I chat about how she...

Welcome to a new season of the What Next Podcast! In this episode I go slightly off piste and talk to Al Humphreys - an adventurer, writer and Dad of 2.   Al has been on some big adventures including cycling around the World and rowing the Atlantic but since having children and becoming a stay at home dad he has satisfied his adventure itch with more local adventures. In this episode we talk about...

Welcome to a new episode! In this episode I chat to Purusha Gordon, a mum of 2 who, in 2021 rowed the Pacific Ocean in an all female team and got a world record for the fastest female crossing. Purusha and I chat about how she gained back her fitness after putting on weight with her 2 sons how she undertook 40 challenges for 40 which led her to the row. We talk about what it was like to leave her...

Welcome to a new episode of the Podcast! In this episode I chat to Wendy Searle, a Mum of 4 and polar explorer. Wendy talks about the fact that she only started to be more active after the birth of her 3rd child when she realised she needed to  do something for herself. Wendy then became fixated on the Antarctic  and managed to ski the 715 miles to the South Polo solo and unsupported in 2020/21 in...

Welcome to a new episode of the Podcast. In this episode I chat to Lebby Eyres, a journalist and Mum of 2 who in 21/22 rowed the Atlantic as part of a 4 woman team called The Mothership.  They completed the crossing in a speedy 40 days, 11 hours and 25 minutes. We chat about life before the row, how Lebby came to be on the rowing team and what the row was like. We also talk about the impact on her...

Welcome to a new episode of the Podcast! In this episode I chat to Gemma Dobson, a triathlete, triathlon coach and Mum of 2. Gemma is a self confessed sport junkie who competed in gymnastics and swimming when she was younger.  She now has the triathlon and long distance cycling bug and  qualified for the Age Group World Champs in 2021. Gemma talks about how she found her pregnancies, both mentally...

Welcome to a new episode of the Podcast. In this episode I chat to Kate Hallam.  Kate has undertaken some big adventures pre-motherhood, including rowing the Atlantic and climbing Mont Blanc, Kilimanjaro, Denali and Ama Dablam. She is now Mum to a young son and pregnant with her second.  Just 8 months post partum she undertook the Marathon des Sables. We chat about Kate's adventures before mo...

A new episode of the Podcast is live! In this episode I chat to Laura Briggs - a runner, writer and Mum of 2. In 2022 Laura ran the 300 Macmillan Way to raise money for Macmillan.  She did it in 6 days and 13 hours and bagged a FKT in the process.  Laura is now training for the September 2023 Dragons Back Race. Laura and I chat about how the Macmillan Way run came about, how it went and how she is...

Hello and welcome to a new episode! In this episode I chat to Becks Ferry, an ultra runner, mountaineer and mum of 5. Becks shares how she got into ultra running, including her novel approach to training for the MdS, and how that race was pivotal for her in terms of both her running and approach to life. Since the MdS Becks has gone on to race ultras around the world and then got into mountaineeri...

Welcome to a new episode! In this episode I chat to Helen Ryvar, a single mum of 3 who is currently running 333 half marathons in consecutive days. Helen talks honestly about her mental and physical health issues when her children were young, which were exacerbated by her ex-husband who suffered from his own mental health issues. In 2021 Helen took up running more regularly and decided to run a ha...

Welcome to a new episode of the Podcast! In this episode I chat to Claire Smith aka Brutal Claire.  She’s a mum of 2, founder of Brutal Events and an ultra long distance triathlete.   Claire is currently training for the Arch to Arc and has just announced that she will be going for the endless pool swim world record in February 2023, which currently stands at 31 hours. Claire talks about how she g...

Welcome to a new season! In this episode I speak to Kate Barron, an adventurer, story teller and Mum of 1. Kate quit her teaching job for a life of adventure.  A couple of years ago she met her partner Chris, was is walking the ENTIRE coast line of the UK to raise funds for SSAFA and decided to join him.  They got pregnant on the walk and decided to continue through Kate's pregnancy and now w...

Welcome to the 30th episode of the Podcast! In this episode I chat to Carolin Botterill, a 56 year old, Canadian multi-day endurance runner and mum of 3. Carolin started running after her youngest daughter was born to lose weight so she could be healthier and run after her kids.  She soon discovered her competitive spirit and has gone on to compete in a number of multi day ultra races - including...

In this episode I chat to Zahrah Mahmood aka The Hillwalking Hijabi. Zahrah is a new mum to baby Harris and a keen hillwalker.  She took up hill walking around 7 years ago to help her manage work stress and despite not enjoying her first trip up a Munro, that walk inspired her to take up walking and to come back into the hills as her confidence and ability grew. Zahrah was extremely sick throughou...

Welcome to a new episode! I am speaking to Ines Thoma, a German Enduro mountain bike racer and mum of 1. We talk about Ines' decision to become pregnant while racing professionally,  how she found her pregnancy and how she stayed fit during it - including cross country skiing and e-biking.  Ines also shares how her recovery has been and that she continues to suffer from diastasis. We  talk ab...

Welcome to a new episode of the What Next Mum Podcast! In this episode I speak to Masha Gordon, former MD of Goldman Sachs turned climber, world record holder and Mum of 2. Prior to the birth of her children Masha was focussed on her career and was not very sporty.  However, after the birth of her second child she decided to spend her 6 months maternity leave in Chamonix where a love of the mounta...

Welcome to a new episode of the What Next Mum Podcast! In this episode I am delighted to speak to Rachel Cullen, a runner, Mum of 1 and author of 3 books: Running for my life, A midlife cyclist and her latest book - Running for our lives, which is out in May but available to pre-order now. Rachel talks about her mental health problems which made her initially think that motherhood was not for her...