Dr. Sarah Lonsdale is an accomplished journalist, author, and lecturer at City University of London. With a career spanning over three decades, Sarah has written for major newspapers, including The Observer, and has dedicated her work to uncovering untold stories—particularly those of trailblazing women in history. Her latest book, Wildly Different: How Five Women Reclaimed Nature in a Man’s World, explores the lives of remarkable women who defied societal expectations to forge their own paths in the great outdoors. In this episode, Sarah shares her journey from working as a journalist since 1988 to becoming a passionate educator and historian of women’s stories. She discusses the challenges women have faced in both journalism and exploration, the importance of rewriting history to include the female perspective, and the incredible women who inspired Wildly Different. From mountaineers and adventurers to environmental pioneers, Sarah’s research sheds light on the resilience, courage, and passion of these extraordinary figures. What to Expect in This Episode: 📚 Sarah’s journey in journalism and academia 🌿 Her love for storytelling, history, and the outdoors 📝 The process of uncovering hidden stories of women adventurers ⛰️ The inspiring legacy of female explorers like Dorothy Pilley and Mina Hubbard 💡 The need to challenge historical narratives and amplify women’s voices ✍️ Her writing process and what’s next on her literary journey Sarah’s work is a testament to the power of persistence, curiosity, and the importance of reclaiming women’s place in history. Whether you're passionate about adventure, history, or storytelling, this conversation is sure to inspire. *** 🎙️ Catch the latest episodes of the Tough Girl Podcast, dropping every Tuesday at 7 am UK time! Don’t forget to subscribe so you won’t miss the inspiring journeys and incredible stories of tough women. 💪 Want to play a part in uplifting female representation in the media? Support the Tough Girl Podcast on Patreon! Your generosity helps shine a spotlight on female role models in the world of adventure and physical challenges. Join us in making a positive impact by visiting www.patreon.com/toughgirlpodcast. 🙏 Thank you for your amazing support! *** Show notes Who is Sarah LonsdaleTeaching journalism to under graduates at City University of LondonWorking as a journalist since 1988Living in rural Kent Her early years growing upBeing brought up in a very bookish, academic environment in Cambridge Her love of nature the outdoors and landscapes Her love for telling stories Wanting to work for the Observer NewspaperHistory and Herstory Historic stories with the “great male hero” Being a girl in the 70s and 80sWhy we need to keep pushing back Not seeing many women role model out there for herWhy history is about ‘great men’The unfairness of how the system is constructed against women Book: Rebel Women Between the Wars: Fearless Writers and Adventurers (Manchester University Press, 2020) https://amzn.to/43j5jlh Writing the book and the process of sharing the stories Not being a brave person and being scared easily Not having the heart of a lion….Wanting to learn from the women she was writing about - how they managed to break through Studying the life of Shiela Grant Duff an author, journalist and foreign correspondent. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shiela_Grant_Duff Journalist and war correspondant, Martha Gellhorn https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Martha_GellhornThinking about writing her next book: Wildly Different Finding private diaries of the women through their families or visiting the Bodleian Library in Oxford https://www.bodleian.ox.ac.uk/homeFinding out about the women from over 100 years ago and finding out what makes them tick, what makes them cry, what makes them passionate or angrySpending many hours digging through old archives The thread from ‘Rebel Women' to ‘Wildly Different’ Being inspired by mountaineer; Dorothy Pilley - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dorothy_Pilley_RichardsThe Pinnacle Club for women climbers since 1921 https://pinnacleclub.co.uk/about First ascent of the north west ridge of Dent Blanche in the Alps https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dent_Blanche Being inspired by Dorothy and wanting to know more about her life Wanting to write about women in the great outdoors Book: East of the Sun - West of the Moon “I am not afraid”Medusa being misunderstoodThe Odyssey Homer - Translated by Emily Wilson https://amzn.to/4h01SU5 How male archaeologists dismissed women as huntersWho gets to tell the story?!Wanting the book to be a journey from the 20th century to the early 21st century Canadian Explorer - Mina Hubbard https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mina_Benson_HubbardEvelyn Cheesman - British entomologist and traveler https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Evelyn_Cheesman Ethel Haythornthwaite - environmental campaigner ...
