Happy, limitless and free is Tanya Bottomley's motto and it's early in this conversation I learn why that is.

From depressed, down and almost out, to conquering mountains and so much more.  Tanya's story is one of pure inspiration, from finding the trails to becoming the first woman to attempt the Southern Seasons Miler Challenge, Tanya's story is one of perseverance and courage.

This was a lot of fun, and shows that sometimes just going out and taking on a challenge can be enough to fill one's heart. As a mindset coach Tanya also gives some interesting insights into the mental game behind her achievements, a must listen for anyone who is into adventures.

Don't forget you can support the pod for just $2 a month at the Patreon

The world of ultra running changed when Big's Backyard was introduced into the mix, and since then it's seen hundreds of different iterations of the race format take place across the world.

One of Australia's best at the format is Jessica Smith, who was the first woman in Australia to break the 275km mark in the backyard format, which involves running 6.71km on the hour every hour until you can't go anymore.

But she's so much more than her achievements in backyard ultras, Jess is a fantastic ambassador for the sport of ultra running, and like me enjoys talking about what fantastic things are happening in the sport.

You can follow all of her adventures at jess.on.the.run

It's not often you can sitdown with a dietitian the calibre of Lauren Nash shoot from the hip with questions.

An incredible knowledge base that is only growing, Lauren also known as the thexfitdietitian is a performance dietitian that has worked with some of the world's leading athletes across a wide variety of disciplines.

This was an insightful conversation, that delves into a range of different topics that is bound to benefit runners of all abilities, on their journey in the ultra world.

Don't forget you can support the pod for just $2 a month at the Patreon

Running became a love for so many of us during the pandemic, and for Jake Pearce it's seen him go on an incredible journey.

From hitting the wall in his first attempt at a marathon, just a year later he was running the Atacama Trail during a trip to the Americas with his girlfriend, and a love for the trails saw him race with the highest mountain in the Americas as his backdrop, in an incredible initiation to the sport of trail running.

Now he's hoping to take down Australia's highest peak in December at Ultra Trail Kosciuszko.

You can follow his journey at getawaysticks.ultra

Don't forget you can support the pod for just $2 a month at the Patreon

**Trigger Warning**  part of this podcast discusses suicide.

For help in a crisis call 000. If you or anyone you know needs support, you can contact Lifeline 13 11 14, or Beyond Blue on 1300 224 636.

Simone Brick is a dominant force in Australia's Mountain Running scene, but it hasn't always been that straight forward.

'The Flying Brick' has been incredibly open about her battles with depression, anxiety, eating disorders and psychosis, but after coming out the other side, Simone is now here to spread the messages that are too often drowned out by doubt and lack of awareness.

A three-time Australian Mountain Running Champion, her debut season overseas took place when most of the world was still grappling with complex laws set out by the pandemic.

Throw in a couple of marathons with Erchana Murray-Bartlett, coaching some of the country's best up-and-coming ultra runners and raising awareness for our country's unsung heroes, you have a unique individual who has achieved so much already for someone in their 20s.

PHOTO: martiskka

You can now also support the Peak2Soon Podcast for as little as $2 a month: patreon.com/ThePeak2SoonPodcast

Patricia McKibbin is a trail athlete that I look up to a lot, being from Canberra it's so cool to see someone who's training on the trails I run, competing on the world stage.

She's as humble as they come, and has had some amazing performances in some of Australia's biggest trail events including a win at UTA50 and Sri Chimnoy Canberra 100, and podiums in Bright, Brisbane Trail Ultra, UTK100 and UTA22.

This is a cool insight into how the young mum balances her time with family commitments, working as a director of a children's physiotherapy business and chasing a dream on the world stage.

I really enjoyed this one, you can follow her journey at trishmckibbin on instagram.

With this the Peak2Soon Podcast turns 20 episodes old! Thank you everyone for your support it means the world to me.

You can now support the podcast on Patreon for as little as $2 a month:
patreon.com/ThePeak2SoonPodcast

Some on the east coast ultra running scene may never have heard of Michael Hooker until he blew some of the best runners out of the water with an incredible run at the recent AIS Track Invitational.

The run put him as the A Qualifier for the Australian team that's heading to Taiwan for the World Championships in December. It's worlds away from where Michael was in 2017, faced with the prospect of potentially never running again.

It's an incredible story of never giving up on yourself, and shows that sometimes life has a way of taking us down a path we never expected.

You can follow his journey on Instagram at hooks09.

You can now support the podcast on Patreon for as little as $2 a month:
patreon.com/ThePeak2SoonPodcast

Sometimes all you need is a little help in starting your running journey. I started this podcast to learn from people, and Ash Daniels is one of them.

In this podcast we share some of Ash's tips and tricks behind his coaching, the balance between coaching and running, as well as some of the common mistakes we both made when we first stepped out into the world of ultra running.

As a former Royal Marines Commando Ash brings a unique perspective to his coaching, you can connect with him at Journey2Ultra.

You can now support the podcast on Patreon for as little as $2 a month:
patreon.com/ThePeak2SoonPodcast

Episdode 17 coming at you thick and fast!

Brooke McIntosh gives us a unique insight into her transformation from fly in fly out worker to mindset coach. She's also going to be completed an incredibly tough run from Karratha to Perth raising money for two charities and awareness about the challenges of mental health.

You can support her and follow the journey via her instagram at brookemma.rose

You can now support the podcast on Patreon for as little as $2 a month:
patreon.com/ThePeak2SoonPodcast

Sam Harvey is an incredible athlete who wants to dominate the world of Ultra Running.

Some were surprised by his recent result at Dead Cow Gully, smashing his previous best with 101 loops, before he was medically pulled from the event, but for anyone that has followed the rising New Zealand star, they would've known he was right in the mix to win the event.

With big goals on the horizon, Sam speaks so openly about the challenges associated with backyard ultra running, his battles with his mental health, his training, and his nutrition.

He also gives a unique insight into his result at Dead Cow Gully, his mindset and his goals going forward. I am so grateful to Sam for speaking so openly, it was a refreshing chat.

For those who may be listening with children there is explicit language used at times during this conversation. 

You can follow him on Instagram at: cloudlander_nz

Photo Credit: @charliespagalli

You can now support the podcast on Patreon for as little as $2 a month:
patreon.com/ThePeak2SoonPodcast