She Who Dares, Wins.

In this powerful episode of She Who Dares Wins, Michelle is joined by Sophie, a trail runner and adventurer who traded everyday comfort for an intense social and survival experiment on a Maldivian desert island.Sophie explains how:A lifetime of running, from competitive school races to joyful trail running after university, set the foundation for bigger adventures.A wild night on the dance floor at Love Trails festival – googly eyes, sequins, and all – led to meeting Danny and joining his crew on a 10‑day, 208‑mile run across Iceland.That Iceland experience became the gateway to something even more extreme: a “human experiment” where 20 people were dropped on a desert island for six days, with only two days of survival training.Together, Michelle and Sophie explore:Survival skills & the reality of ‘paradise’The basics of surviving on an atoll: coconuts, fish, and crabs as the only real food sources.Learning to climb coconut trees, use palm fronds for shelter, and build “questionable” ladders.Spear fishing, line fishing with makeshift plastic‑bottle rods, and using crabs as bait.Food, ethics, and our disconnection from where food comes fromThe emotional impact of killing the animals you eat and facing that reality head‑on.Why wasting a single fish felt so heavy when you’d speared it yourself.How the experience shifted Sophie’s relationship with meat, fish, and supermarket food back home.Hunger, morale, and the “emergency rice” dilemmaThe physical and mental crash around day two as the group struggled with heat, exertion, and very few calories.The group vote to bring in emergency rice, and how simply knowing there was a back‑up completely changed morale.The fascinating “tribes” that formed between rice eaters vs. non‑rice eaters, and what that revealed about identity and pride.Community, leadership and group dynamicsHow the group decided to appoint Kelly, an Alaskan hunter and fisher, as a leader – and what it means to “lead from the back”.The challenge of finding enough food for 20 people vs. surviving alone.How everyone eventually “found their groove” and unique role in the micro‑society on the island.Phones, presence, and creative freedomWhat happens when you are suddenly phone‑free and offline: the initial withdrawal, then complete freedom.Discovering how much time and joy re‑appears when you’re carving coconuts, playing games, swimming and simply talking – with no schedule and no notifications.The struggle of bringing those lessons back into a “normal” life that’s busy, structured and always online.Deep connection and telling the truth about yourselfWhy deep, face‑to‑face connection around a campfire is nothing like “social media connection”.How the island gave people space to tell their real stories, share things they’d held in for years, and be met without judgment.Sophie’s biggest personal takeaway: the confidence that she can show up as her full, slightly weird, authentic self and still be accepted.The episode closes with a powerful reflection on what Sophie will leave on the island, what she’ll bring home, and how adventures like this can remind us what really matters: presence, people, and permission to be ourselves.To find out more about the experiment and see if you can joing the next one - shoot sophie a message on Instagram @street_sophie For the running adventures check out https://greatsilkrun.com/

In this episode, Michelle sits down with Helen and Marcella, the duo behind the first ever all‑British female team to finish the Dakar Rally – in a Land Rover they built themselves in a shed, affectionately named Purdy.They share the hilarious, gritty and frankly unbelievable story of how two “normal” women in their 50s went from a chance meeting in rural France to surviving one of the toughest motorsport events in the world.In this episode, we talk about:How it all startedMoving to France, a chaotic first meeting, and how wine + turning 50 led to saying “yes” to Dakar.Building Purdy in a shedBuying a rough Defender off eBay, turning it into a Dakar‑spec car, and battling electrics and wiring gremlins.Funding the dreamSelling cars, jewellery and dipping into a pension, plus the reality of chasing sponsorship when no one knows you.Life at DakarThe moving “town” of the bivouac, zero sleep, mixing with factory teams and legends, and surviving with minimal spares and one young mechanic.On‑stage chaosReading road books, driving dunes and rock‑fields, double punctures on the final day, and almost not making the finish.The unfiltered realitySpider bites, stomach upsets, desert toilet logistics and an escalating obsession with bananas.Friendship & being firstHow they avoided falling out, what deep trust in the car looks like, and what it means to be the first all‑British female team to finish Dakar.Why you should listenIf you’ve ever thought “I’m too old”, “I’m too normal” or “that’s for people with money and connections”, this episode will mess with that narrative in the best way.It’s about:Audacity – deciding to do something wildly beyond your comfort zoneGraft – building the car, finding the money, fixing it when it catches fireGrit and humour – dealing with spiders, sand, sponsors and squits, and still laughingFriendship – trusting someone else with your life, your dream and your worst daysCheck out Be right Back events: Join Dare club: www.shewhodareswins.comShop Merch: www.shewhodareswins.com

This week’s dare is inspired by my incredible previous guest, Abbi Pulling from the F1 Academy. In our conversation, Abbi said something that stopped me in my tracks:“My goal this year is to be more arrogant.”In this mini episode, we unpack what that really means – and no, it’s not about being rude, entitled, or steamrolling people. It’s about backing yourself out loud.In this episode, I talk about:Reframing “arrogance”Why we need to redefine arrogance as unapologetically backing your skills, ideas, and decisions – especially for women who are often overqualified and under-assertive.Self-efficacy and the psychology of confidenceHow your belief that you can handle a task (self-efficacy) affects whether you speak up, try, and bounce back – and how behavior can actually create confidence.The 10% rule: your dare for the next 7 daysOne simple challenge: choose a situation where you’d usually shrink, and act 10% more “arrogant” instead. Not 200% – just 10%.Examples might be:Speaking up in a meeting instead of staying quietCorrecting mis-credit and saying, “Actually, I led that project”Naming your real rates or boundaries without apologisingStretching your comfort zone (without tipping into panic)Why feeling uncomfortable doesn’t mean you’re doing it wrong – it usually just means you’re stepping outside your old script and letting your nervous system recalibrate.Reflection prompts to journal on:Where in my life am I most underestimating myself?What am I quietly excellent at that nobody sees because I keep hiding it?If I was 10% more arrogant this week, what would I do differently?This week’s dareFor the next 7 days:👉 Pick one real situation where you’d usually shrink.👉 Act 10% more arrogant – in the best possible way.👉 Back yourself a little louder than you usually would.You don’t have to grow a giant ego. You just have to stop pretending you are less than you are.Come and tell me what you didI would love to hear how you get on with this dare.DM me on Instagram and tell me what you triedOr tag me in your Stories and share your 10% more arrogant momentDare Club is coming…We are just weeks away from the launch of Dare Club on 28th April – my new online paid community for women who want to live a more daring life.Inside Dare Club you’ll get:Live webinars with previous and new guestsA sisterhood community if you haven’t found your tribe yetOngoing mini dares, tools, and conversations to help you be more daringWe’re starting with 50 founding members who will get a locked-in lifetime price.👉 Head to shewhodareswins.com and click on Dare Club to join the waiting list👉 Or comment “dare club” on any of my Instagram posts and I’ll DM you the link

In this episode of She Who Dares Wins, Michelle sits down with Abbi Pulling – GB3 driver, F1 Academy champion and Nissan Formula E development driver – for a raw, funny and honest conversation about what it really takes to make it in motorsport.Abbi shares how a childhood spent at race tracks with her dad turned into a professional career, the brutal financial reality of racing, and why her goal this year is to “be more arrogant.” She opens up about mindset, burnout, social media, and the pressure of representing women in a male‑dominated sport – all while still just 22.If you’ve ever wrestled with self‑doubt, expectations or the cost (financial and emotional) of chasing a big dream, this one will hit home – whether you’re into racing or not.Key TakeawaysMindset over everything: Abbi’s turnaround season came when she stopped obsessing over expectations and focused on doing the best she could each weekend, reset from zero, and treating every result as data, not judgment.“Be more arrogant” (in a good way): Her goal is to back herself harder, trust her instincts, and speak up – especially when she knows she’s right on car setup and strategy.The real cost of racing: Moving from karts to cars can cost £100k+ a year on a budget, rising to £500k–£1m at higher levels – making sponsorship and creative funding absolutely critical.Female-only series as lifelines: W Series and F1 Academy didn’t just give visibility; they literally kept her career alive when funding ran out.Competing in mixed grids: Abbi’s raced boys and men her whole life; for her, gender matters less than mindset, performance and being at the front.Physical and mental load: Heat, fatigue and constant focus make racing a mental as much as a physical sport – the hardest part is making razor‑sharp decisions while exhausted.Representation and numbers game: More girls are entering at grassroots now, but it will take years before that shows as more women in F3, F2 and F1. It’s not “if” but when.Cars not built for women (yet): From steering wheels and pedals to seat inserts, most hardware is designed around a male body – small design changes could make a big difference.Life outside the paddock matters: Trips to the local pub, time with friends and her dog, and staying “a normal 22‑year‑old” keep her grounded and joyful.Fans really do fund the dream: Merch, fan engagement and community support have directly contributed to Abbi being able to race this season.Be right back adventuresJoin Dare ClubAbbi's Merch

In this episode of SHE Who Dares Wins, Michelle sits back down with Eva – bushcraft instructor, founder of Wilder Horizons CIC, and former contestant on the TV show Alone – to explore what it really looks like to rebuild your life from the ground up.From leaving the NHS and traditional employment, to moving into a caravan, to spending three dark winter months training in North Wales with seven other women, Eva shares a raw, honest look at self-employment, simplicity, female friendship and finding community in the outdoors.If you’ve ever thought, “I can’t do that” or felt left behind because your path doesn’t look like everyone else’s, this conversation is for you.In This Episode, We Talk AboutDaring to begin (again)Why Eva clung to traditional employment “with her fingernails”The crunch point where she realised she was doing a bad job for everyone – and had to choose herselfWhat the first year of full-time self-employment has really looked like (peaks, troughs and all)Calm over “career safety”How leaving the NHS shifted her day-to-day from constant adrenaline to a calmer nervous systemWhy she now values alignment and mental health over job titles, pensions and sick payCaravan life and living smallMoving from a two-bed flat into a tiny caravan with her partner… just as winter startedJuggling three part-time jobs, 4 a.m. commutes, and wondering, “What have I done?”The unexpected gifts of simple living: fewer bills, more outdoor space and learning what she actually needsStuff, screens and simplifyingLetting go of storage units, “just in case” boxes and the things she didn’t miss for a whole yearSwapping infinite Netflix choice for five charity-shop DVDs – and what that taught her about decision fatigue and delayed gratificationLoneliness, lost friendships and starting againThe quiet grief of friendships that fade when you step off the traditional life pathWhy it’s so hard to have honest conversations about “what went wrong” in friendshipsFeeling like you’re starting from scratch socially when your values and lifestyle changeFinding belonging in the outdoorsThree months in north Wales with the Outward Bound Trust and Berghaus:Living in a shared house with seven womenLong days in the cold and wet, learning navigation, rock skills and paddlingThe deep sense of community that formed from being together 24/7How intense shared experiences fast-track genuine connection and trustWomen-only spaces and why they matterTraining with female instructors and what changed when there were no men in the groupThe difference in energy, competition and confidence in women-only learning spacesWhy Eva chose to keep her bushcraft events women-only after hearing participant feedbackBushcraft as a doorway to courageWatching women come solo to events – sometimes for the first time doing anything just for themselvesHow lighting fires, carving wood and sleeping outside can unlock confidence far beyond the woodsThe ripple effect: course WhatsApp groups, new hiking buddies and women planning their own adventures togetherSafety, responsibility and the outdoor industryThe tension between qualified outdoor professionals and social-media-led “hike meetups”Why qualifications, recces and first aid still matter – even when you “just love hiking”Expansion and what’s next for Wilder HorizonsEva’s word of the year: ExpansionMoving from “doing everything myself” to hiring a community and adventure managerHer vision for employing and uplifting more women in the outdoor spaceJoin Dare club: www.shewhodareswins.com

In this episode of She Dares Wins, recorded live at the Be Right Back event, Michelle sits down with Tessa Wittock, a stunt driver and car drifter whose journey takes her from investment banking in London to drifting in muddy fields, then all the way to Hollywood, working on Mission Impossible 7 with Tom Cruise.Tessa shares how she got hooked on drifting after a passenger ride in a Skyline, built her own off-road Suzuki Vitara, and taught herself to drift before going on to win European drift titles and carve out a name in a male-dominated motorsport and stunt world.This conversation is packed with adrenaline, honesty, and practical advice for anyone who wants to push past their limits—on the track or in life.In This Episode, We Cover:From banking to burnout (the good kind):How Tessa left investment banking to pursue drifting full-time and what that transition really looked like.Learning to drift from scratch:Her early cars: Fiesta ST, Focus ST, VXR Nürburgring, Suzuki VitaraTeaching herself in muddy fields and at Santa PodBeing a visual learner and jumping into other people’s cars to improve.Breaking into stunts & Mission Impossible 7:How drifting opened doors to the British stunt worldHer mentor Terry Grant and introduction to stunt director Wade EastwoodAuditioning against other female drivers and landing Mission Impossible 7Driving everything from BMW M5 to a military H2 HummerWhat it’s like doing one-shot, high-pressure stunts with multiple cameras and huge crews.Competing at the top level in drifting:Winning Queen of Europe and placing second in King of EuropeHandling (and sometimes not handling) the pressure of qualifyingThe infamous “Ticked Off at Teesside” story and what she learned from it.Women in motorsport & role models:Navigating a male-dominated industry and not letting it define her limitsEarly female inspirations: Belinda Chalice and Lisa BranchWhy she admires Jess Hawkins and the impact of F1 AcademyHer message to young women: “If I can do it, anybody can.”Teaching others to drift:Running her drift academy at Three Sisters Circuit in WiganWhy she believes anyone can learn to drift—students aged 81 and 84 includedHer top tips for first-time drifters (including Caterham drivers):Look where you want to goUse your eyes to guide your handsAlways be two steps ahead on trackCommon misconceptions racing drivers have when they try drifting.Mindset, nerves & performing under pressure:How Tessa manages nerves on the start lineThe music she uses to get in the zone (drum & bass)Using mental checklists before a run to stay calm and focusedDealing with self-doubt and moments that made her feel “not good enough”Pivoting, pushing on, and continually challenging herself.Cars, dreams & what’s next:Her dream garage – drift car, A90 Supra build, off-roaders, and supercarsWorking as a product expert for Rolls-Royce, driving long distances and on trackWhy she wants to try rally and ultimately something Dakar-relatedPlans for a touring drift academy to bring drifting around the UK.The She Dares Wins “Dare”:Tessa’s dare to other women:Challenge yourself to do something different and out of your comfort zone—every day if you can.Tessa’s dare to herself:Step into rallying and push into a completely new motorsport discipline.https://berightback.uk/

This week’s dare: Reach out to someone who’s a few steps ahead of you in an area you’re trying to grow—business, career, or even a hobby.In this Dare Day episode, Michelle shares:A recent story about emailing a podcasting expert and how one conversation completely refreshed her vision for She Who Dares WinsWhy we often convince ourselves that “they’re too busy” or “I’m too small fry”How many successful people genuinely want to give back and support those coming up behind themA simple example of using this dare for something like wild swimming—finding people near you and asking to join themMichelle also:Invites you to reach out to her directly if you think she can help you on your journeyEncourages you to pitch yourself to podcasts (hers and others!)Shares an update on Dare Club, her structured, paid online community, now launching on 27th April with an initial 50 spots, plus future live event opportunitiesYour dare:Today, send a message or an email to someone whose experience you admire. Ask one clear question or request a tiny bit of guidance. Hit send.Join Dare Club:www.shewhodareswins.com

In this episode of She Who Dares Wins, Michelle sits down with Chloe Brennan – two-time World’s Strongest Woman (u73kg), England’s Strongest Woman, coach, and founder of Lift Your Limits – to explore what really sits behind strength, success, and daring to change your life.Chloe shares how she walked away from a “perfect” academic path in psychology, pivoted into learning disability nursing, and then again into elite strongwoman competition and holistic strength coaching. She opens up about therapy, hypnotherapy, and the “not good enough” complex that drove her, as well as the identity crisis that hit after she’d ticked off all her biggest goals.You’ll hear Chloe and Michelle dig into:Why going against expectations was the first real act of daring in Chloe’s lifeHow sport exposed deep-rooted beliefs about not being good enoughWhat hypnotherapy actually is (and isn’t) – and why high-performing athletes love itIdentity, external validation, and what happens when you’ve achieved “everything”The pressure to stay in one box – athlete, creator, or coach – and how to let yourself be all of youThis is a conversation for anyone standing at a crossroads, feeling they “should” stay where they are, but knowing there’s more.Key TakeawaysGoing against expectations is often the first brave step – leaving psychology for nursing was Chloe’s first real act of owning her life.Performance problems are usually mindset problems – most athletes Chloe works with hit the same beliefs: “I’m not good enough”, fear of failure, and perfectionism.Hypnotherapy isn’t mind control – it’s about self-efficacy, rewiring limiting beliefs, and using evidence of who you already are.Identity is fluid, not fixed – you don’t have to choose between being an athlete, a creator, or a coach. You’re allowed to be all of it.Success without inner work can feel empty – Chloe hit podiums and world records and still felt flat until she faced the deeper stuff in therapy.External validation isn’t evil, just incomplete – it feels good, but it can’t replace self-acceptance.Backing yourself is a dare – confidence doesn’t mean no doubt; it means moving with the doubt anyway.Timestamps0:00:00 – Introducing Chloe and the “She Who Dares Wins” question: how she’s dared and won0:01:30 – Leaving a “perfect” psychology path for disability nursing and owning her first big pivot0:03:40 – Discovering strongwoman through trampolining injuries, powerlifting and an accidental first comp0:08:40 – From nurse to full-time strength coach and building a holistic coaching business0:09:50 – Hypnotherapy explained: busting myths and how it transforms athlete mindsets0:15:55 – Titles, world records and still not feeling “enough” – when success doesn’t fix the emptiness0:18:12 – Therapy, triggers, and realizing sport was carrying a deep “not good enough” story0:25:05 – Identity, parts integration, and letting “athlete Chloe” and “human Chloe” coexist0:31:16 – Purpose, presence and Alan Watts – questioning the obsession with “getting somewhere”0:38:53 – Friendship, boundaries and letting people (and followers) go when they’re not your people0:46:39 – January pivot: saying she was “done” competing to finding her way back to strongwoman0:52:26 – Athletes, businesswomen and mindset: why Chloe’s work goes far beyond the gym0:56:57 – Chloe’s dare for women: back yourself, acknowledge your wins, and do it even when you doubt yourselfJoin Dare Club HereShop hoodies and Tees www.shewhodareswins.com