Sunny is a professional adventure athlete, guide service owner and story teller based in Kanab, Utah. After obtaining an MBA from Harvard Business School and pursuing a career as a management consultant in her twenties, Sunny decided to leave behind the business world in order to focus full-time on mountains, climbing and VLDs (very long distances). Today, she is a professional athlete and owner of two guiding businesses - AWExpeditions and Dreamland Safari Tours. She is also the founder of the AWE Summit Scholarship Foundation that breaks down barriers for women+ to access mountaineering and the backcountry -- in the form of tens of thousands of dollars in expedition scholarships. Sunny first came on the Tough Girl Podcast on Jun 23, 2020. Sharing her story about being the first woman to circumnavigate and summit Aconcagua in a single push. You can listen to that episode Here *** Don't miss the latest episodes of the Tough Girl Podcast, released every Tuesday and Thursday at 7 AM UK time! Be sure to hit the subscribe button to stay updated on the incredible journeys and stories of strong women. This episode of the Tough Girl Podcast is proudly sponsored by INOV8, pioneers in cutting-edge sportswear. Use code TOUGHGIRL15 to get your 15% discount. Click Here *** Show notes Who is Sunny Working as a professional adventure athlete and running her own travel companies Sunny first came on the Tough Girl Podcast on Jun 23, 2020. First woman to circumnavigate and summit Aconcagua in a single push.What happened in 2020 Deciding to buy a tour company/guide service businessUsing her MBA from HarvardThriving with the challenge and the uncertainty Pursuing her own adventures and being her own bossGetting involved in running Fastest Known Times (FKTs)Starting to focus on adventuring in Alaska350 mile race on cross country skis - Iditarod Trail Invitational (ITI), held in Alaska during Winter (2021)Planning to head to the South Pole in the future More info about the ITI and how its structured, and what you can expect. The short version - 350 miles. The long version 1000 miles. You need to do the short version of the race before you can attempt to race the longer version.The different modes of travel: Fat bike, dogs, skies, walkingThe lessons learned from the recce before the bigger raceNo mandatory gear listBeing able to connect with folks who had done the race before to get advice and tipsLeaving her comfort zone behind and moving into the stretch zoneDealing with uncomfortable feelingsReflection back on her first ITI in 2021 Dealing with overflowNot having a background in cross country skiingKnowing that she able to keep herself safe in these extreme conditionsDealing with broken bindings and having to hike the final 150 milesHaving a 10 day deadline to cover the 350 milesBeing pushed to her limits both physically and emotionally Going back in 2022 to ski the 350 mile distance again - gaining more experience and knowledgeFat biking the race in 2023 with her husbandFeeling ready to commit to the 1000 miles race in 2024Race strategy and plan (both adhoc and thought through)Needing to complete the 1000 miles (approx 930 - 960 miles) in 30 daysDealing with a stress fracture on her shin in the December and only having 5 weeks to trainUsing both a backpack and a pulk/sled to transport gear. Dealing with the cold and trying to avoid getting wet in -30/-40 degreesAiming to travel slowly, keeping her heart rate low in an aim to keep from sweatingDealing with wet and damp gloves and getting a little bit of frost bite on her fingers. Dealing with numb heels and maybe a little bit of nerve damage after the raceHighlights and magical moment from life on the trailBeing in her own thoughts for 14hrs or more a dayFood and nutrition on the trailFeeling the pressure to reach the finish line before the cut off pointMaking it across the sea ice before it flooded or meltedBeing 200 miles from the finish on the North ShoreBecoming the first women to ski the ITI 1000Recovery after the race (doughnuts & wine!)How to connect with Sunny and to follow along with her adventuresFinal words of advice and and wisdom to inspire and motivate women and girls Why you need to continually be pushing your comfort zone Social Media Websites: www.sunnystroeer.com www.awexpeditions.org www.dreamlandtours.net www.summitscholarship.org Instagram: @sstroeer @awexpeditions @dreamlandsafari
