Into the Wee Hours Podcast Sarah Pendergrass

The first in our Gutsy Girls three part mini series is here!
A huge thanks to Gutsy Girls Adventure Film Tour for sponsoring this series - make sure to check out the film festival and get tickets to a show near you at www.gutsygirlsadventurefilmtour.com.au
Episode 54! Today's conversation is with Canberra based bikepacker, Stephanie Skinner. After chasing a big goal of racing the Tour Divide in 2023, Steph had to make some serious decisions when struck by injuries which forced her to refocus and push out this enormous, iconic bikepacking challenge. In the meantime, Steph has had the opportunity to stay close to bikepacking in a different form by spending time building community events for women and locals, while rebuilding and navigating surgery and recovery.
We cover all things bikes and bikepacking, including:
Discovering a love for riding bikes thanks to a work commuteRediscovering Canberra through the lens of riding bikes, on road and off-roadDiscovering offroad riding and her Hunt 1000 experienceFuelling your races and adventuresInjury, healing and refocusing - and the (somewhat begrudgingly done but essential!) physio exercises that are required to build overall physical strength and resilience for big goalsMental strength in endurance environmentsCreating a women's only bikepacking overnighter out of CanberraMaking bikepacking more accessible to a wider audienceCanberra winter solstice camp out and tips for winter bikepacking on a budget
Steph also references "Touring with a Sense of Urgency" - by legends Sarah Hammond and Jesse Carlsson.
And, of course, we have a chat about dogs too, because, dogs!
Thanks Steph for your time and all the best in your post surgery healing. You can find Steph on Instagram at: @steph_skinner
If you've enjoyed this episode and are enjoying listening to the podcast, you can join the Patreon community for as little as $2 a month - any contribution really helps to keep the lights on. www.patreon.com/intotheweehourspodcast Thanks so much to the existing patrons! I appreciate you!
And thanks too to the Gutsy Girls Adventure Film Tour for supporting this three part mini series, celebrating Gusty Girls in the Aussie adventure space.

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A less than ten minute check-in to let you know the latest in the land of the Into the Wee Hours Podcast, and to announce an exciting collaboration coming up thanks to the Gutsy Girls Adventure Film Tour - www.gutsygirlsadventurefilmtour.com.au .
Listen in and make sure you're subscribed to receive the three part weekly series!
Follow the podcast on Instagram @intotheweehourspodcast
Thanks to the Patreon community for your support! www.patreon.com/intotheweehourspodcast


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Episode 52!
Today's conversation is with the super inspiring, Meanjin, Brisbane based bicycling advocate, Ben Fallon.
Ben shares with us how his love for riding bikes has been so pivotal in his life, including:
Adventuring with his two young children, taking them bikepacking from the ages of 2 and 4Family bikepacking 1000km routes across Tasmania and in New Zealand and tips on choosing gear for bikepacking with childrenFat biking across the Simpson Desert on an adventure, following in the footsteps of Australian explorer, Cecil MadiganStage Racing the Simpson Desert Bike Challenge several timesHis upcoming European adventure, riding 5000+KM from Norway to Spain along EuroVelo 3
If you're looking for tips on bikepacking with young children, or on riding across the Simpson Desert, or the multitude of other topics we touched on, Ben can be found on Instagram at @benny_pacer
Thanks as always to the podcast Patreon supporters - you're amazing! You can help keep the podcast lights on and join the community here: www.patreon.com/intotheweehourspodcast

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Episode 51! Today I speak to the very lovely Sophie Gray, originally from the UK, now based on SA's Fleurieu Peninsula.
Sophie generously shares with us her reality of a shock diagnosis of Acute Myeloid Leukaemia at 29, which subsequently resulted in a lifesaving stem cell transplant. While trapped in a hospital ward for over a month, Sophie looked out of the hospital windows at the countryside surrounding Adelaide, wishing she were out exploring. Indeed nature and movement have formed a major part of Sophie's recovery, and without having ever gone on a multiday hike before, Sophie embarked on a through hike of the 1200km Heysen Trail as part of her journey.
Now working as a yoga teacher, we cover a range of topics including:
the magic of yoga, meditation and breathworkmovement as medicinehow you may be able to make a difference to someone else's life through the stem cell registrySophie's own Yoga after Cancer course creationhiking the 1200km Heysen Trail (with a few days left to complete, thanks to a sprained ankle along the way!)Camel trekking through the desert
Sophie references the organisations Strength to Give and Ur the Cure.
We also mention Sophie Matterson's book, The Crossing.
You can find Sophie on Instagram at @sophiegrayyoga
Thanks as always to the podcast Patreon supporters - you're amazing! You can help keep the podcast lights on and join the community here: www.patreon.com/intotheweehourspodcast


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Episode 50! Wow. And what a great Episode 50 as I'm joined by the super down to earth and engaging, Evan Howard, generously sharing his time with me (on his birthday!) from his home on Wurundjeri Country.
As an accomplished mountaineer, skier, climber, bikepacker and much more, not to mention a talented creator, this was a wide ranging conversation with Evan. Tune in to hear it all! A few of the topics we touched on include:
the evolution of his business, Terra Rosa Gear, creating and sewing lightweight gear for many adventure purposesbeing an Arc'teryx Design Ambassador and part of the ReBird upcycling program (...and for the dog lovers, Barctery'x!)life as a first time father, adventuring with Gwendolyn and his changing views of risk tolerance through life, especially now as a DadPackrafting and the versatility of these boats when it comes to exploringUnderstanding the environment you're adventuring in and the crew you're going with - and the value of backcountry training and courses like Remote Area and Wilderness First Aid
Evan mentions Schusser Threads, Packraft Australia, Survive First Aid,
You can find Evan on Instagram at @terra_rosa_gear
To support the show and keep the lights on, check out www.patreon.com/intotheweehourspodcast - any donation of any size means the world to me and to keeping the podcast going!
And not forgetting, the amazing new podcast music, courtesy of Allie Geddes (Episode 28) @themisadventuresofalice


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Episode 49! Today's episode is a laughter filled, insightful conversation with Rhianna Knight, based on Wurundjeri Country. Rhianna is a fashion designer, hiker, founder of Amble Outdoors and all in all, a really joyful, inspiring creative and adventurous human.
While out on her own hiking adventures, including in Patagonia, Rhianna realised that while the gear she was wearing was technically appropriate for the conditions, her sense of personal style was totally missing in the then offering for women in the outdoors. Building on her experience as a Fashion Design student, and a really valuable internship in a small snow sports brand where her responsibilities were huge and wide ranging, Rhianna set out to design her own line of outdoor apparel which women can feel good in, while also focusing on sustainability throughout the journey.
Rhianna shares with us so many gems when it comes to the realities of creating, and continuing to evolve "Amble" with sustainability in mind, and her knowledge and passion in this space is so incredibly evident, along with her strong desire to see more women outdoors.
Tune in to hear about many things not limited to:
building an outdoor apparel brandsustainability considerations in creating and choosing outdoor geardesigning for women and size inclusivity for womenRhianna's experience in multi-day hikes and her contrasting approaches to different (both solo and shared) adventures
Amongst others that we no doubt didn't cover (!) Rhianna herself has hiked Wilsons Prom; Great Ocean Road Walk; Larapinta Trail; Grampians Peaks Trail, in addition to her overseas adventures. It's clear that her very open minded and really balanced approach to her own adventures brings such an inclusive perspective to the development of her own brand.
Rhianna mentions the book "Let my People Go Surfing" - Yvon Chouinard.
To find Rhianna online, visit @amble.outdoors or www.ambleoutdoors.com.au
Thanks so much to our newest Patreon sign up - Allison W - and to all of our patrons, I appreciate you so much! To support the show and keep the lights on, check out www.patreon.com/intotheweehourspodcast - any donation of any size means the world to me and to keeping the podcast going!
And not forgetting, the amazing new podcast music, courtesy of Allie Geddes (Episode 28) @themisadventuresofalice

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.