THE
CHECKPOINT
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The Checkpoint podcast is hosted by Black Trail Runners and discusses the highs and lows of Black people and their relationship with trail running. Across our interviews with fascinating guests we cover running, music, racism, food, growing up in Britain and much more.
Latest Episode — No.38 — Abby Hall
Epidsode 01:
COREE WOLTERING.
The checkpoint podcast is sponsored by The North Face® who support this episodes guest, elite Ultrarunner Coree Woltering.
In this episode we speak to Coree about his passion for running, his career, and what can be done to tackle the lack of diversity across outdoor activities. Coree champions diversity in the outdoor world so that everyone can find a role model who looks like them
Episode 03:
CHARLIE DARK
In the 3rd Checkpoint podcast we speak to the ever inspirational DJ, producer, motivator, yoga teacher and founder of the legendary Run Dem Crew, Charlie Dark.
We go back to the beginning of Charlie’s fascinating life journey to discover the realities of being a young black boy in 80s London, how that led to touring the world with his band Attica Blues and harnessing the tools that enabled him to engage a new audience into the joys and freedom of running.
EPISODE 5 (pt 1) :
HUWE BURTON
Huwe is a two-time New York Marathon finisher, who took up running while serving a life sentence for murder. In 1989, aged 16, he was convicted of killing his mother. He served 20 years in prison before being released on parole in 2009. In 2019, with the help of the Innocence Project, his conviction, based on a forced confession, was overturned, and he was exonerated.
The police officers and District Attorney who conspired in his wrongful conviction, have yet to account for their actions.
Episode 6:
ANYIKA ONUORA
Anyika is a retired British sprint track and field athlete who competed in the 100, 200 and 400 metres and also the 4 x 100, 200 and 400 metres relay.
In this episode we discuss: the importance of role models, the life of an athlete, the importance of prehab, rehab and good nutrition, and Anyika’s lived experience of racism in her athletic career.
Episode 8:
Michael Holding
In a candid interview, the West Indies cricket legend speaks about his career, about being a black man in the world of sport, and about his forthcoming book on the erasure and re-emergence of black history.
Episode 10:
Reece Parkinson
Reece is a BBC Radio 1Xtra DJ and aspiring trial ultra runner. He detailed his aim to run his first 55 mile ultramarathon in the BBC Documentary ‘How not to run 55 miles’.
In this interview, recorded during an Instagram Live, we cover: Reece’s experience of sport in childhood; his first runs and first lockdown marathon; his Type 1 Diabetes diagnosis; trail running; hill training; kit; what running gives Reece in terms of headspace and his plans for racing his first ultra in 2021.
Episode 12
Donna Fraser
Donna Fraser OBE is a four times Olympic athlete specialising in the 400 metres. Donna calls her Olympic claim to fame as being in the 2000 games where she narrowly missed out on a medal ‘by a boob’ in a performance that saw her shave almost a second off her PB.
Her training partner that year, Cathy Freeman, won the gold and the picture of Donna congratulating Cathy was beamed across the world. For many of us watching, it showed the beautiful relationship that can develop between teammates, training partners and, ultimately, women.
Donna is UK Athletics’s first Equality, Diversity and Engagement Lead, and one of her more recent projects has involved working with prominent voices in both elite and amateur athletics to create the RACE Equality Network.
Episode 14
Ruden Bhutia
Ruden Bhutia is a 30 year old London-based Marketing Communications and Advertising graduate and social entrepreneur, who in 2017 founded a running group to promote community cohesion and physical and mental well-being, and to support international charity projects. Four years later, Runderbolts offers weekly 10k runs in and around London, introducing many people to the benefits of running, has raised many thousands of pounds for charities around the world, and has its own line of merchandise.
In discussion with co-founders Rachel and Sonny, he discusses the genesis and philosophy of Runderbolts, his own motivation and techniques for staying positive and productive, and what running means to him.
Episode 16
Lionel Adams & Ian Sharman
In episode 16 we speak to Black Trail Runners community member, Lionel Adams, and BTR community ally and renowned running coach, Ian Sharman.
Via the community of BTR, which seeks to bring allies and community members together to tackle access, skills and representation, Ian and Lionel began working together in 2021.
Lionel is a BTR athlete who shows immense talent and promise and, already, is starting to blaze trails in the sport of trail running.
Sabrina discusses with Lionel his running career to date, race highlights, areas for improvement and targets for 2021 and beyond.
Ian’s coaching input into this episode is a must listen for any aspiring Trail runner. Topics covered include: fast hiking, nutrition, training plan progression and adaptation and much more.
Episode 18
Mary-Ann Ochota
In episode 18 we speak to Mary-Ann Ochota, she is a broadcaster and anthropologist who spends a lot of time outdoors! She’s a fellow of the Royal Geographical Society and a hiking ambassador for the British Mountaineering Council (BMC) and likes nothing more than exploring the British countryside – whether that’s rolling farmland trails, remote archaeological remains or a scrambly mountain ridge line.
Over the past couple of years, she’s particularly focused on trying to help improve diversity and inclusion in the outdoors. You can read some of her thoughts here: https://www.advnture.com/features/diversity-in-the-outdoors and check out the ideas that a panel of outdoor influencers (including BTR cofounder Marcus!) came up with following a panel event hosted by Arcteryx: https://miro.com/app/board/o9J_lN7DQKo=/.
Later this year she’ll also be launching Finding Our Way, a new podcast from the BMC, championing diverse voices. Keep an eye out for it! Mary-Ann’s also written books on history and archaeology, including Hidden Histories: A Spotter’s Guide to the British Landscape which helps you puzzle out all those lumps and bumps and historical features you might spot on your trail runs.
Follow Mary-Ann on twitter and instagram @MaryAnnOchota or at www.MaryAnnOchota.com
Episode 20
Martin Johnson
In episode 20 we talk to ultrarunner, activist and BTR community member, Martin Johnson.
The 38-year-old Londoner recently set the FKT (fastest known time) on the Thames Path National Trail from the Thames Barrier to the source, completing the 184-mile distance in 38 hours, 35 minutes.
We talk about how Martin got into running and, ultimately, ultrarunning, diversity in the sport and we take a deep dive into his FKT journey and what kept him going through the dark times.
Martin is a Patagonia Europe team member and recently took part in Patagonia’s Running Up For Air challenge to raise funds for 18 European NGOs fighting for clean air.
Martin is also sponsored by Altra and is part of the Centurion Running Ultra Team.
Episode 22
Andrew Alexander King
In episode 22 we chat to Andrew Alexander King, a one man doer machine.
He is the founder of the Between Worlds Project, working with individuals and non-profits around the world to build a bridge of hope and positive change for tomorrow within nature.
His work looks to combat racism, sexism, climate change, economic limitations and the social and economic barriers that keep underrepresented groups from embarking on life-changing adventures.
A celebrated track and field athlete born into the Detroit projects, Andrew now spends much of his time training to take on grueling mountain climbs and battle big waves on a surfboard. His work and travels take him all over the world and he aims to be the first African American to climb the highest mountain and volcano on each continent.
Follow Andrew’s adventures:
@Andrew_alexander_king
https://linktr.ee/Andrew_alexander_king
Episode 24
Preet Chandi
Preet is an army officer, physiotherapist, ultrarunner and endurance athlete. She is aiming to complete a solo, unsupported trek to the South Pole, travelling 700 miles, pulling a sledge with all of her kit, in temperatures of -50c. The journey will take approximately 47 days and will be Preet’s first expedition in Antarctica.
Preet has said: “There are only a few female adventurers that have completed a solo, unsupported trek on this continent. It is time to add some more names, diversity and to make history.”
We talk about what it means to Preet, as a woman of colour, to take on this challenge, what strategies she has in place for when things get tough and what her favourite expedition foods are. This was a broad conversation, full of great take-aways and we look forward to tracking Preet’s progress to the South Pole starting next month!
Follow Preet on Instagram @polarpreet
For latest news and more information on Preet visit: https://polarpreet.com/
Episode 26
Laura Gaga
Laura Gaga is a civil servant, blogger and writer from North West London. She is best known as the host of the Alright Raiders podcast and as a food waste activist.
Laura is a trail and ultra runner, and like most runners pays attention to what she eats. Her Reduction Raider Instagram account shares how she eats well for less, and documents how she has saved tens of thousands of pounds over the last 10 years. Otherwise known as the Yellow Sticker Gal, she shows it’s possible to prepare tasty, nutritious meals without breaking the bank. And with the advent of food sharing apps such as Olio, she shows how we can prevent food going to waste and save money at the same time – effectively eating for free.
In this episode, we talk to Laura about sustainability, food waste and the effect of the pandemic on our eating habits. Oh, and running.
You can follow Laura on Instagram @reduction_raider1. Her Alright Raiders podcast is on Spotify and other podcast services. You can also read her columns in VeganLife Magazine.
Episode 28
Aneela McKenna
In episode 28, Sabrina and Sonny speak to Aneela McKenna – a Scottish Asian rider with Pakistani heritage - a trailblazer and a pioneer in the world of mountain biking.
Voted in 2021 as Single-Track Magazine’s ‘Most Outstanding Human’, Aneela works tirelessly in her campaigning for more diversity and inclusion in the world of mountain biking.
For over 20 years Aneela has worked in the Scottish parliament as Diversity and Wellbeing Inclusion Manager and, alongside this – with her husband Andy - co-founded a cycle tour company ‘Go Where Scotland’, where she leads on the Mor Diversity widening participation in cycling programme.
Aneela’s professional and personal passion for ensuring all feel welcome shines through in all she does and in her first short film – After the Storm - she shares her lived experience of growing up, experiencing racism, and how a series of particularly disturbing long running racist episodes with a work colleague almost broke her. The film, which we will discuss more later, is a must watch.
Episode 30
Sara Hall
In episode 30, Marcus and Sonny talk to Sara Hall, who has represented the United States at the World Indoor Athletic Championships and the World Cross Country Championships. Earlier this year she claimed the US half marathon record, and has been selected to represent the US in the marathon at this year’s World Championships in Eugene, Oregon.
Sara talks to Marcus and Sonny about her training, her motivation and her longevity; she was 39 when she set the US half marathon record of 1:07:15, at the same Houston weekend as 37-year old Keira D’Amato claimed the US marathon record. She also talks about the work of the Hall Steps Foundation (set up with her similarly US half marathon record holding husband, Ryan), her faith, and her multi-ethnic family of four adopted daughters.
Episode 32
Adam Merry
American trail runner Adam Merry is a name in our sport that, if you don’t know already, you are sure to know soon.
Over the past few years, since taking his training to the next level due to working with the well-respected coach – David Roche – Adam has podiumed, and won, some impressive US based trail races. He thrives through hard work, dedication, finding joy in the process and having fun while being super consistent with his training cycles.
Adam - a mixed race man – was encouraged to go for a trail run six years ago. As often happens while out there on the trails, this 4-mile run turned into 8 miles and just a few months later he signed up for his first 50K. Yes, trail running is that addictive!
Nowadays you can find Adam out on the trails of Colorado finding joy in the process, coaching his own athletes, or working – as we do at Black Trail Runners – to increase representation of Black people in trail running.
Episode 34
Sophia Danenberg
In episode 34 Marcus and Sabrina speak with Sophia Danenberg, an American mountain climber.
In 2006 Sophia became the first African American and first Black woman to climb Mount Everest in the Himalayas. Additionally she has climbed Mount Kilimanjaro, Mount Kenya, Mount Rainier, The Matterhorn and Cotopaxi plus many more.
Born in Japan to her Japanese mother and African American father, who was stationed at a U.S. military base in Japan at the time, Sophia and her family eventually settled stateside, in the Chicago area. She went on to Harvard University and became one of the first five students to earn an environmental sciences and public policy degree from the prestigious institution. In her day job she specialises in environmental sciences and public policies.
Whilst we cover the topics previously mentioned, we also have to talk about the time that she partied with Jay-Z, Beyoncé, President Obama to name a few.
It is a really honest and insightful conversation into what it means to be a pioneer in your field, all whilst being true to who you are and what you believe in. Sophia talks about the importance of using her role to inspire the next generation, to show that the climbing world is a space for young girls, demonstrating that women have the power to accomplish incredible things.
Episode 36
The Speed Project
Earlier this year, Black Trail Runners won a grant from Ciele Athletics to send a team to compete in The Speed Project. If you don’t know what The Speed Project is, you’re not alone. Taking place once a year in non-Covid times, it’s an extreme challenge that proudly espouses a ‘no spectators’ philosophy. In simple terms it’s a running relay. But it’s much more than that, because it’s a relay over 340 miles, from Santa Monica on the California coast to Las Vegas in Nevada. It’s a relay that traverses Death Valley. It’s a relay with effectively no rules. Teams self-navigate and self-support, with runners and crew sharing large RVs (that’s a Recreational Vehicle, or camper van, to our UK listeners).
Technically it’s not a trail race, but it has many of the features of one. Varied terrain. Extreme weather conditions. A need to manage nutrition, pacing and logistics. And frankly, it’s epic!
BTR’s team of six flew into Los Angeles a couple of days before, some of them meeting for the first time, and some of them being in America for the first time. Angela, Deo, Jazmin, Laurence, Nethliee and Tony were supported by a three-man crew from the US – Dan, Gordon and Kevin.
Having had only 10 weeks or so to train for the event, our team’s goal was about challenging themselves, about the experience, and about representing the BTR community in what, despite, or perhaps because of its mystique, is an iconic event.
A couple of weeks after they returned from the US, Sonny spoke to some of the team about their experience. First Jazmin, then Laurence, Deo, Angela and Tony.
Episode 38
Abby Hall
Abby Hall is a professional trail runner for adidas TERREX. She started running at the age of 12 and has never stopped!
She fell in love with running, both the pursuit and the community and – as an adult - continued running when she was living in Chicago and Los Angeles, working as a graphic designer. She started to make trips to the mountains on the weekends and moved to Boulder, Colorado with a view to be part of a community eager to explore the outdoors.
In Boulder, Abby signed up for a number of ultras and attended every group trail run she could find, exploring the trails and mountains. She now lives in Flagstaff, Arizona and over the past few years has been racing all over the world.
Recently, Abby has finished 1st at the Innsbruck Alpine Trail Festival 65k, 2nd at the 2022 Transgrancanaria Classic (126km), 2nd in the prestigious 2021 UTMB-CCC race and she has also finished Western States 100 amongst the top 30 athletes.
Abby is part of the adidas TERREX ‘United by Summits’ campaign and we discuss what that message means to her in this conversation.
Episode 02:
MICHELLE GRIFFITH-ROBINSON
In the second BTR podcast we chat to British Olympian Michelle Griffith-Robinson about her career as a former GB triple jumper, where she was the first woman in the Commonwealth to jump over 14m. We talked about the time she met Muhammad Ali, plus we learn other insights into her journey as a life coach, mentor, trainer, and mum.
Additionally in this episode, we catchup with the BTR runners who took part in the recent Ultra X England 125 race in the Peak District.
Episode 04:
MATILDA EGERE-COOPER
Matilda is a long-distance runner and founder of the amazing ‘Fly Girl Collective’ London's first running, fitness and wellness community with the aim to inspire black and brown women to pursue a healthy fitness lifestyle through running.
This was a powerful conversation where Matilda shared lessons she learned across sport, faith and life, including diversity in sport.
EPISODE 5 (pt 2) :
HUWE BURTON
We continue the final part of the conversation with Huwe Burton who took up running while serving a life sentence for murder.
Huwe talks with remarkable clarity about the circumstances of his case, about its historical context, how he continues to Ecampaign for law officers who knowingly sent him to jail to be brought to justice, and how running helped him come to terms with incarceration, release and subsequent exoneration.
Episode 7:
IMANI-LARA LANSIQUOT
Imani-Lara Lansiquot is a Team GB 100m and relay sprinter, a Puma athlete and one of 12 SkySports Scholars.
Born and bred in Peckham, London, Imani won the 100m English Schools Championships in 2013. At the 2019 World Championships in Doha, she reached the 100m semi-finals and went on to win a silver medal in the 4 × 100m relay. In 2020, she became the 100m British champion!
Imani is now Athlete Lead in British Athletics' Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Advocates Group.
Episode 9:
Sabrina Verjee
Sabrina Verjee is a 40-year old small animal vet by day and a top 10-ranking, FKT-smashing, mountain-loving ultrarunner the rest of the time.
In 2020 she was the first woman in The Spine Race Winter Edition, she completed the Wainwright Round in 6 days, 17 hours, and 51 minutes and claimed the women’s record for running The Pennine Way in 3 days, 2 hours and 28 minutes.
Here she talks to Rachel and our own Sabrina about her running achievments and life goals.
Episode 11
JOSEPH GRAY
This conversation is with arguably the greatest male mountain runner of all time Joseph Gray.
Joseph won the World Mountain Running Championships in 2016 and 2019, he’s the US record holder for the legendary uphill Mount Washington Road Race, he’s won the Pikes Peak Ascent, has an impressive collection of FKTs and he’s come second at Sierre-Zinal. He’s also an 18-time national champion, which just shows his consistency over many years.
Episode 13
Jacob Puzey
Jacob Puzey set a world record in 2016 for running 50 miles in 4:57:45 on a treadmill, beating the record of 5:57:31 by nearly an hour. He is also a six-time national champion in cross-country, road and ultra championships, and has three top 10 national trail 50K championships on his resume.
He is a husband, father, runner, coach, race director for Peak Run Performance, TranSelkirks Run, and 5 Peaks and a podcaster.
We dive into some of his pivotal running experiences, and talk about diversity and representation in trail running.
Episode 15
Jordan Marie Brings Three White Horses Daniel
In episode 15 we speak with Jordan Marie Brings Three White Horses Daniel is a Lakota runner and a citizen of the Kul Wicasa Oyate in South Dakota where she was born.
Jordan is an athlete and an activist, dedicating herself to advocating for the rights of indigenous people, as well as raising awareness for other minorities who have been consistently side-lined and silenced including BIPOC, LGBTQIA+ and the disabled community. In 2017, Jordan started her own grass-roots organisation, Rising Hearts.
In 2019, Jordan ran the Boston Marathon with MMIW painted on her body to draw attention to the issue of Missing and Murdered Indigenous Womxn and Girls.
Jordan is also a producer. Her first documentary feature The Sacred & The Snake is due out later this year.
On top of all that, she is part of the Intersectional Environmentalist Council and is a pro runner with Altra, Rabbit and Ultimate Direction.
Sabrina and Rachel talk with Jordan about what running means to her, her intersectional advocacy work, the link between racial justice and climate justice and the importance of representation.
Episode 17
Stuart Lawrence
In episode 17 we speak to Stuart Lawrence is the younger brother of Stephen Lawrence who, on 22 April 1993, aged 18, was murdered in an unprovoked racist attack. Stuart was 16 at the time.
Since then, Stuart has fought the injustice of his brother’s death, alongside family and supporters. He has worked for the Home Office, HMP Belmarsh, and had a teaching career spanning 15 years at a secondary school in Southwest London.
Since leaving teaching, Stuart continues to work as a consultant, educator and motivational speaker.
His first book – Silence is Not an Option – was released in April 2021. In it he reflects on his brother’s life and murder and describes the tools he has used to help him live positively. The book is written for younger readers, from 10+, and aims to help them find their own voice and work towards a better future.
Stuart also works tirelessly to promote the Stephen Lawrence Foundation. A foundation more recently launched to redouble efforts, think bigger and use the current moment to create further opportunities for more people on our journey to equality for all. Stephen Lawrence Day is held on 22 April each year to commemorate the Londoner’s life.
Stuart talked to Sabrina and Sonny about his book, the importance of education and an honest teaching of history, the kind of modern Britain he wants to see, and how he stays positive in his work and daily life.
Episode 19
Live at Maverick Race/Ultra Black Trails
In episode 19 the BTR community are live in Meopham, Gravesend at the Maverick Race event, Ultra Black Trails.
As the U.K. returns to racing, on the grassroots level it is encouraging to see people not only return to running events, but also to see members of the community taking on their first trail race.
In this episode we speak with Dora Atim who founded Ultra Black Running, which she created to form a safe space for black women and non-gender conforming people to turn up, and truly own their place at the starting line. She partnered with Maverick races to bring this event to fruition.
We also speak with Ben Macwilliam, Director of Maverick Race and gain valuable insights into what it takes to put together an event like this.
We also capture a series of conversations with:
Blair Wilson - winner of the short distance event
Simbarashe from BTR captures some great content live from the runner’s on the trails
Matilda from Fly Girl Collective
Manni from London Select
Tash from Black Girls do Run
Sabrina and Sonny from BTR
Plus we capture additional experiences, and insights of the BTR community in this podcast.
Episode 21
Renee McGregor
Trigger warning: some discussion around eating disorders
In episode 21 we talk to Renee McGregor. Renee is a leading sports dietitian with over 20 years’ experience, specialising in RED-S, athletic health and performance, eating disorders and female athlete nutrition.
She is a keen trail runner and the Diet Lead for the Ultra X ultramarathon events and has experience working in clinical and performance nutrition, including with the Olympics, Paralympics and Commonwealth Games teams.
Renee is also a co-founder of #TRAINBRAVE - a campaign raising the awareness of eating disorders in sport and dance and is author of the Training Food, Fast Fuel books and Orthorexia, When Healthy Eating Goes Bad.
We talk about energy deficit in sport, the importance of awareness around eating disorders and we delve into Renee’s work as part of Hearts, Minds and Genes.
Episode 23
Mosi Smith
In episode 23 we chat to Mosi Smith.
Mosi is a US Naval Academy graduate who served in the US Marine Corps for 8 years.
While at high school, Mosi had his first taste of endurance running when his team coach asked him to run 4 miles which, at the time, was 4 times as long as he had ever run. Since that day, a day that sparked something inside him – a taste for endurance – he has gone on to finish more than 100 + endurance events of marathon distance and longer.
Mosi sits on boards for non-profit organisations and raises money for those that seek to support the physical and mental wellness of veterans. One of his current fundraising campaigns is ‘1 in 10’ – a campaign to enable him and a friend to raise 1 million dollars for the Semper Fi fund through the completion of endurance events.
Whether raising money for veterans, representing for Black athletes in ultramarathons and adventure racing, or just finding new places to explore and ‘be’ while training, Mosi continues to show up and inspire through his professional and personal commitments.
For more information on Mosi visit: https://linktr.ee/therunningsmith
Follow therunningsmith on Instagram, Facebook and Strava.
Episode 25
Tasha Thompson
Tasha Thompson started running 21 years ago, initially starting out in the gym on treadmills before deciding to switch to running outdoors and entering races.
Her first race was in 1998 and even at that time she noticed the severe lack of representation of Black women on the start lines. However, being the woman that she is, that didn’t stop her running and she continued to consciously and unconsciously represent at various road races.
Fast forward to 2019 and, after stumbling across a US run club contingent aimed at bringing together Black women to share community through running, the seeds of creating a safe running space for UK based Black women were planted.
In April of that year, Tasha launched Black Girls Do Run UK. The aim being to inspire Black women to run for their health, fitness and mental wellbeing. The group is not about fast times, medals or prize money. Tasha’s community consist of women who work, go to college and are mothers. Women who may feel they run slow. Black Girls Do Run UK is about these women – showcasing them and providing a place for them to be supported and celebrated.
What started out in 2019 as a group consisting of Tasha and a few friends has grown tenfold and continues to attract new face-to-face and virtual members.
So, it gives us great pleasure to welcome to The Checkpoint Tasha Thompson, founder of Black Girls Do Run UK.
Follow Black Girls Do Run UK:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/blackgirlsdorunuk/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/blackgirlsdorunuk/?hl=en
More information: https://linktr.ee/blackgirlsdorunuk
Episode 27
Epping Forest Trail Taster
In episode 27 we take you behind scenes at the trail taster event which took place 27 November 2021 at Epping Forest.
There was a group of more than 20 runners, including a contingent from our friends Emancipated Run Crew, many of whom were running on the trails for the very first time.
We were hosted by Camino Ultra and Orion Harriers Running Club. Regis Martin from Camino gave a map-reading and navigation workshop, focused on the route we would later run. Darren Strachan from Camino shared trail running kit advice.
Then it was out into the cold of late November for a run along the grass and leaf-strewn trails of the largest ancient woodland in the south of England, with views across London from Pole Hill, 91m high on the Greenwich Meridian. So much fun was had that some of the group went out and ran the route again, finishing with some night-running practice!
In this conversation we share firstly some of the key learnings from the workshops that you can apply. And secondly you can listen to some of the great conversations we had on the trails.
Episode 29
Kelly Smith
Kelly holds an undergraduate degree in Project Management for Construction and a masters in Flood Risk Assessment, Modelling and Engineering. Kelly swims in the pool, lakes, and sea, cycles with TWR, hikes with Black Girls Hike and has started running with Black Trail Runners. Kelly hopes to be a beacon of light to get more people from diverse backgrounds into multi-sport events and Kelly also has a big project on the horizon, which we get into on the podcast. Look out for a film coming later this year!
Kelly answers navigation questions submitted by members of the BTR community and shares lots of useful tips on map-reading and route-finding. We talk about Kelly’s inquisitive mind towards all things related to sustainable development as well as their passion for the outdoors.
Episode 31
Amira the Wanderlust
Amira is a 29-year-old Muslim British Indian woman, originally from Bolton who now lives in the beautiful Lake District, here in the UK.
Amira is an adventurer, a changemaker, activist and – for thousands of people who follow her on social media – a truly exceptional human being who, through sharing her adventures, inspires us to get outside.
It was in 2020, during the Coronavirus lockdowns, that Amira founded The Wanderlust Women Group – a hiking and adventure community for Muslim women. And in 2021, after deciding that she wanted to fully immerse herself in all things outdoors, she made the decision to move from her hometown of Bolton to The Lakes and became an outdoor walking leader.
Amira’s aim is to break down the barriers and stereotypes of the niqab and to break down misconceptions of Muslim women through her personal work and that of her thriving community.
Episode 33
Frit Tam
Frit Tam is a British-born, Chinese, transgender filmmaker. Frit is an adventurer, climber, roller-blader, cyclist, stand up paddleboarder, skier, and hiker to name a few.
Frit is also the founder of Passion Fruit Pictures, an award-winning film studio whose aim is to add colour and diversity to the adventure industry through film-making.
In 2021, Frit embarked on Glide for Pride - a 1700km rollerblading and cycling challenge, North to South, across England to showcase LGBTQIA+ stories. Frit is in the process of creating a documentary around the challenge and it will be the first film of its kind with a transgender, East-Asian protagonist, highlighting the wealth of diverse voices the UK has to offer.
In this wide-ranging discussion, we talk about adventure films, how Frit discovered the outdoors, mental health, fries and puns!
Episode 35
Miranda Brawn
Miranda Brawn is a multi-award winning philanthropist. She has more than 25 years of experience in the financial markets and legal industry, and has served on more than 30 boards and committees across the private, public and third sector. She is a non-practising barrister-at-law and a former hedge fund derivative sales trader, being one of the first women of colour on the London trading floor of a tier 1 global bank.
She is the creator of the world’s fastest success course (The 60 Second Coach) and an international public speaker who champions diversity, equity, inclusion, sustainability, success, human rights and opportunities for diverse young people including women and girls. She serves as an independent non-executive director for global corporate boards, including electric vehicle manufacturer Switch Mobility Ltd, making her one of the most senior women in the global engineering boardroom.
In 2016 she founded The Miranda Brawn Diversity Leadership Foundation, where she chairs the Board of Trustees and launched the UK’s first Black Women on Boards initiative.
In Episode 35 of the Checkpoint, Miranda talks to Sabrina and Sonny about her career, what has driven her success, the importance of giving back, and the work of the Miranda Brawn Diversity Leadership Foundation.
Episode 37
How to Handle Hills
In this episode, the first in our new ‘How To’ series, run coaches Sabrina and Rachel are talking about hills
They address questions from the community including:
- How do you train for a hilly trail race when you live on the flat?
- What is a ‘technical’ trail?
- Do you have to use poles?
- How do you improve your downhill running technique?
- What can you do to avoid injury on the up and downhills?
It was a fun and (hopefully) informative conversation. We’d love to hear what you think about this episode, so please drop us a comment and also let us know what other topics you’d like us to cover in future ‘How To’ eps!