The Everyday Adventure Podcast – Season 8, Episode 10

Marina LeGree: Empowerment and Adventure

In the final episode of Season 8, Nicki Bass speaks with Marina LeGree — founder and executive director of Ascend Athletics — about using adventure, movement and community to create spaces for women and girls in Afghanistan and Pakistan.

What began as an idea rooted in the mountains of Afghanistan grew into a organisation combining outdoor adventure, leadership development, mental wellbeing support and civic engagement. Marina shares how Ascend evolved from mountaineering expeditions and rock climbing programmes into a broader movement focused on confidence, resilience and access for women, even in the most testing contexts and environments.

Together, Nicki and Marina explore:

The transformative power of outdoor adventure and movement

Why “just starting” matters more than perfection

Leadership, confidence and learning through discomfort

How women support and uplift one another in challenging environments

Adapting purpose when circumstances radically change

Hope, resilience and continuing forward in uncertain times

The role of community, courage and everyday action

This conversation is deeply honest, inspiring and timely — especially for anyone feeling overwhelmed by the state of the world, uncertain about taking the next step, or searching for ways to create meaningful impact.

About Marina & Ascend:

Ascend Athletics co-creates and delivers holistic development programmes rooted in:

Adventure sport

Mental health and wellbeing

Leadership development

Civic engagement

Entrepreneurship training

Ascend works primarily with women and girls in Afghanistan and Pakistan, creating opportunities for confidence-building, community connection and personal growth through both outdoor and indoor programming.

Follow Ascend:

Instagram – @ascendathleticsngo

LinkedIn

Facebook

Key Themes & Takeaways

“Just start.”

Marina reflects on the importance of taking action before everything feels perfectly planned:

“Something has to be started… if you are paralysed at the start point, you’re missing everything.”

Confidence grows through experience

From trekking and rock climbing to leadership and entrepreneurship, Ascend’s work centres around helping women trust themselves and navigate uncertainty.

Access matters

Whether it’s access to mountains, movement, community, mental health support or opportunity, the episode explores how powerful it can be simply to create space.

Hope is built through people

Despite global uncertainty and immense challenges, Marina shares why seeing the impact on individual lives continues to fuel her work:

“If there’s a human being benefiting from what you’re doing, it’s worth doing.”

Follow the podcast and Nicki’s work:

Everyday Adventure Podcast Instagram

Resilience at Work

Nicki Bass on LinkedIn

If you enjoyed this episode, please consider sharing it, leaving a review, or sending it to someone who might need a reminder that even in difficult times, hope, courage and adventure still matter.

“This isn’t just about physical access — it’s about creating spaces where people feel they belong.”

Will Behenna is an adaptive paddleboarder, accessibility advocate and founder of multiple initiatives focused on improving access to blue spaces across the UK including Inclusive Paddleboarding and The Beach Access Project. Through adapted equipment design, coaching, campaigning and community partnerships, he works to create more inclusive opportunities for people to enjoy the physical and mental benefits of water environments.

Growing up on the Cornish coast, Will developed a lifelong connection to blue spaces. After a spinal injury as a teenager left him a full-time wheelchair user, Will refused to let barriers keep him away from the water. He now dedicates his time to ensuring more people can experience the freedom, wellbeing and adventure that water environments can offer.

This episode explores:

What true accessibility in outdoor spaces really looks like

Why “independence” is such a powerful driver for adventure

The hidden barriers that prevent many people from accessing beaches and water sports

How inclusive design benefits everyone

The emotional impact of exclusion from blue spaces

Lessons from beach accessibility projects in Europe

The future vision for Hengistbury Head Outdoors as a leading inclusive watersports hub

How connection to nature encourages environmental stewardship

Will also shares the inspiring vision behind making Dorset the “Inclusive Blue Space Capital of the UK” through partnerships, community collaboration and innovative accessibility projects already underway.

This is a thoughtful and practical conversation about belonging, dignity and why designing outdoor spaces that welcome everybody matters to us all.

Find out more about Will and his work:

Inclusive Paddleboarding

Beach Access Project

Inclusive Paddleboarding on Instagram

Inclusive Paddleboarding YouTube Channel

Enjoyed the episode?

Thank you for listening to Season 8 Episode 9 of The Everyday Adventure Podcast. If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe, leave a review and share it with someone who could use a little more adventure in their life :-)

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Craig Mathieson is a polar explorer, motivational speaker and founder of The Polar Academy, a groundbreaking Scottish charity that helps young people build confidence, resilience and self-belief through adventure. He was recently awarded The Polar Medal in the King’s New Year’s Honours.

Craig has completed expeditions to both the North Pole and South Pole, including leading the first dedicated Scottish expedition to the South Pole in 2004. Having mentored a young person on a life-changing expedition to the North Pole two years later, Craig saw the extraordinary potential of these experiences and was determined that this would act as a catalyst to extend these opportunities. In 2013, the Polar Academy was born.

To date, the Polar Academy has worked with nearly 300 young people and their families. The programme deliberately seeks out “invisible kids”— young people who struggle with confidence, anxiety, bullying, bereavement or simply feeling overlooked. Over the course of an 18 month training programme, the teenagers on the programme prepare physically and mentally for an expedition to East Greenland, where they haul sleds across Arctic terrain and discover what they’re truly capable of.

Our conversation centres on Craig’s journey to founding The Polar Academy and the work it does to transform the lives of young people struggling with trauma, low confidence and mental health challenges. Craig speaks with honesty, humour and compassion as he shares stories from his own experiences at school, the inspiration that first sparked his dream of becoming an explorer and how that ultimately led him to create a programme that helps young people discover their own strength. We explore themes of belief, resilience, family support and the life-changing impact of nature as Craig reflects on why so many young people feel hidden and what it truly takes to help them thrive. From trekking across Greenland to searching for Yetis on the west coast of Scotland, this conversation is both moving and inspiring — a powerful reminder of what can happen when someone believes in you, before you believe in yourself.

Learn more about The Polar Academy:

https://www.thepolaracademy.org/

Facebook: @thepolaracademy

Instagram: @thepolaracademy

Thank you for listening to Season 8 Episode 7 of The Everyday Adventure Podcast. If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe, leave a review and share it with someone who could use a little more adventure in their life :-)

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This week on The Everyday Adventure Podcast, I’m joined by two truly inspiring women, Clare Millington and Vicky Balfour. Both are passionate advocates for making the outdoors more inclusive and accessible for everyone.

Clare is the founder of Outdoors Is For Everyone and a powerful voice for increasing opportunities for people with disabilities to experience adventure in nature. She’s also a mum of three, including twins Pip and Alix, who both have complex disabilities, and her lived experience shines through in her work.

Vicky — also known to many as Vicky Bikes — is a writer, bike mechanic and someone deeply committed to helping others discover their voice, their confidence and their freedom through the outdoors. She’s actively involved with the New Forest Off-Road Club, doing brilliant work to open up cycling and outdoor spaces to more people. Her daughter Cece, who has complex needs, is also one of the club’s ride leaders — which tells you everything about the spirit of this amazing community.

In this conversation, we explore resilience, community, the assumptions which can impact inclusion and the many different ways adventure can belong to all of us.

Find out more about Vicky and Clare:

Instagram: @outdoorsisforeveryone @vickybikes

Website: www.vickybikes.co.uk

Facebook: @outdoorsisforeveryone

Useful links:

https://www.bendrigg.org.uk/ - Bendrigg Trust

www.thenewforestoffroadclub.com - The New Forest Off Road Club

https://www.alltheelements.co/news/5-minutes-with-pip-and-clare - All The Elements

Thank you for listening to Season 8 Episode 7 of The Everyday Adventure Podcast.

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Ash Alexander Cooper is a former soldier, combat helicopter pilot, athlete, musician, artist and now keynote speaker, who works with businesses and leaders looking to build resilience and adapt in complex environments.

He has also recently added author to his impressive CV, having just published ‘Mindful Soldier’ written with Dr Jessica Miller. In the book, Ash draws on his own experiences and the psychology behind them to share strategies that can be applied by anybody who’s looking to build resilience and overcome life’s challenges.

Our conversation centres on his motivation for writing Mindful Soldier and his hopes for the impact it can have going forward in terms of supporting others with their mental health. Ash speaks with openess and candour as he shares stories from his life and explores how they have shaped his approach and build his resilience. Ash is a former colleague, long time friend and previous guest on the show (S3 Ep 10 Hotel Marathons and Silver Linings) so it was a huge pleasure to catch up and explore the highly relevant themes of this book in depth - a must read for anyone navigating life’s challenges or simply wanting to feel less alone.

Find out more about Ash visit:

Instagram: @ashalexcooper

Website: www.ashalexandercooper

Facebook: @ashalexcooper

Substack:

To buy Mindful Soldier visit:

Gurkha Welfare Trust

Amazon

RBVE Shop

Thank you for listening to Season 8 Episode 6 of The Everyday Adventure Podcast.

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Instagram:@everydayadventurepod @resilienceatworkLinkedin: @Nicki-bassWebsite: www.resiliencework.co.ukTEDx: The Life Changing Power of Everyday AdventuresEmail: [email protected]

At the age of 60, Brian Woodley was diagnosed with young-onset Alzheimer’s dementia. As a successful business owner, avid footballer, father, grandfather and the last one to leave the dance floor, this diagnosis turned his life upside down. But Brian refused to let dementia define him and with the support of his wife, Keely, he has discovered and embraced the sport of walking football through Bradford City FC, enabling him to keep fit and active whilst bringing renewed purpose, friendship and joy.

Brian is a volunteer “Expert by Experience” for the Pathways Programme run by Bradford University which supports those affected by young-onset Alzheimer’s Dementia. Brian and Keely have recently started an Instagram account called The Life of Brian and Loki to share what it is like to live with dementia as a younger person. They are also currently fundraising to help pay for the training of Loki, Brian’s assistance dog, to enable him to provide vital support to Brian in the future.

In this episode, Brian and Keely discuss the motivation behind their decision to share Brian’s story on their Instagram account, highlighting that the challenges of young-onset dementia are still relatively hidden. Brian shares his struggle in coming to terms with the disease, the support that has been provided through Pathways and the difference that walking football has made to both his physical and mental health, as well as the joy it has brought to both of their lives. This is a candid and honest account of the realities of living with dementia as well as the joy, hope and strenghth that can be found in sharing experiences, connection and community.

Find out more about Brian and Keely visit:

Instagram: @lifeofbrianandloki

To support fundraising for Loki’s training and enter the prize draw go to: https://www.gofundme.com/f/the-life-of-brian-and-loki

To find out more about Pathways visit: https://www.dementiapathways.co.uk/what-we-do/

Thank you for listening to Season 8 Episode 5 of The Everyday Adventure Podcast.

To keep up to date with the latest news, follow us:

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Instagram:@everydayadventurepod @resilienceatworkLinkedin: @Nicki-bassWebsite: www.resiliencework.co.ukTEDx: The Life Changing Power of Everyday AdventuresEmail: [email protected]

Jo Bradshaw is a Keynote Speaker, Leadership Development Coach, Expedition Leader and DofE Outdoor Instructor. Having competed her first challenge in 2004 when she cycled 500kms from Lake Titicaca to Machu Picchu, she has gone on to complete many more adventures including completing the 7 Summits and Mount Everest.

Her most recent project is More then a Mountain - a documentary that follows 15 women of all ages and abilities as they face the emotional and physical challenge of climbing 5,550m mountain Yala Peak in Nepal. Led by Jo in April 2025, this expedition was a living tribute to Junko Tabei, the first woman to summit Mount Everest on 16th May 1975.

My conversation with Jo is published to coincide with the first screening of More then a Mountain at Kendal Mountain Festival in November 2025. Jo shares her motivation for producing the film and what she learned from the process as well as the expedition itself. We discuss the narratives around failure, the power that is found in vulnerability and why Junko Tabei’s legacy deserves to be pulled from the shadows and given her rightful place in mountaineering history.

Find out more about Jo visit:

Website:

https://www.jobradshaw.co.uk/

Instagram: _jobradshaw

Linkedin: Jo Bradshaw

More than a Mountain

Thank you for listening to Season 8 Episode 4 of The Everyday Adventure Podcast.

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 Nic Wilson is a writer, editor and Country Diarist for the Guardian Newspaper. She has nearly 30 years’ writing experience spanning academia, education, journalism and narrative non-fiction. She works for BBC Gardeners’ World Magazine, specialising in wildlife and wild plants and her writing has featured in numerous magazines, journals and anthologies. Nic has recently published her debut book, Land Beneath the Waves , a memoir which interweaves her own story with her explorations of the natural environment around her.

Our conversation centres on Nic’s motivation for writing Land Between the Wave and the process of crafting the narrative, moving between her observations of the natural world and her own story of living with chronic illness. This is an honest and reflective account of the therapeutic benefits of sharing our stories and the beauty that can be found in front of us when we start to pay attention.

Find out more about Nic visit:

Website: https://nicwilson.co.uk/

Substack: https://substack.com/@nicwilsonauthor

Buy Land Beneath the Waves here

Thank you for listening to Season 8 Episode 3 of The Everyday Adventure Podcast! To keep up to date with the latest news, follow us:

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Instagram:@everydayadventurepod @resilienceatworkLinkedin:@Nicki-bassWebsite:www.resiliencework.co.ukTEDx:The Life Changing Power of Everyday AdventuresEmail: [email protected]

Hetty Kingston is an adventurer, author, event organiser and a self-confessed data geek. She is passionate about improving accessibility and inclusion in the outdoors and her many achievements include organising the Women's Trad Festival, Peak Gravel Gang and the Running Out of Time relay between COP26 and COP27. When she's not up to her eyeballs in spreadsheets and logistics, she relaxes by climbing, mountain biking and wild swimming, often with her twin toddlers in tow - they have even accompanied her on a bikepacking race in Switzerland…

Our conversation centres on identity and transition - the profound shifts that often occurs as we move into motherhood, but that are also prevalent at different stages of our lives, whether parents or not. We reflect on how we can navigate these changing dynamics, as well as how our external and internal resources ca

n support this. This is an honest and reflective conversation about the realities of losing and finding ourselves alongside the needs and expectations of others and how doing hard things can be the key to so much more.

Find out more about Hetty visit:

Instagram: Hetty Kingston

Substack: Hetty Kingston

Thank you for listening to Season 8 Episode 2 of The Everyday Adventure Podcast! To keep up to date with the latest news, follow us:]

Substack:

The Everyday Adventure Podcast

Instagram:@everydayadventurepod@resilienceatworkLinkedin:@Nicki-bassWebsite:www.resiliencework.co.ukTEDx:The Life Changing Power of Everyday AdventuresEmail: [email protected]

Emma Simpson is a wild swimmer and life-long hobbyist writer specialising in narrative non-fiction. Having spent a couple of decades as an air traffic controller and experiencing two life-wrenching events, she rediscovered her passion for storytelling whilst experiencing the transformative effects of cold-water swimming for the first time. Trained in coaching psychology, she combines her years as an observer of human behaviour in high stress environments with her love for listening to people’s tales around the shores of a lake; mug of steaming hot tea in hand.

Her latest book “Breaking Waves” is an exploration into the primal powers of femininity and water with stories gathered from around the world that demonstrate the power of connection and humanity in an often challenging world.This is a powerful and honest conversation focused on Emma’s motivation to write Breaking Waves, the stories that continue to fuel her and our experiences of grief and how we navigate this in our lives. Find out more about Emma visit:

Website: https://emmasimpsonauthor.com/

Substack: Emma Simpson

Instagram: @emmasimpsonauthor

Thank you for listening to Season 8 Episode 1 of The Everyday Adventure Podcast! To keep up to date with the latest news, follow us:]

Substack: The Everyday Adventure Podcast Instagram: @everydayadventurepod @resilienceatworkLinkedin: @Nicki-bassWebsite: www.resiliencework.co.ukTEDx: The Life Changing Power of Everyday AdventuresEmail: [email protected] Everyday Adventure Podcast is proud to be part of the Tremula Network of Adventure and Outdoor Podcasts@tremulanetwork

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