Shows
Tough Girl PodcastSophie Etheridge: Breaking Barriers in Open Water – World Record English Channel Swim, Ultra Challenges & Disability AdvocacySophie Etheridge is redefining open water swimming. A marathon swimmer, coach, and disability advocate, she made history in 2023 by becoming the first person with Complex Regional Pain Syndrome to swim the English Channel solo—setting a World Record for the longest English Channel Swim at an astonishing 29 hours and 4 minutes. In this episode of the Tough Girl Podcast, Sophie takes us behind the scenes of her record-breaking swim, sharing the physical and mental challenges she faced during nearly 30 hours in the water. From training and preparation to the unexpected obstacles that tested her resilience, Sophie’s story is a...
2025-03-2751 min
Tough Girl PodcastSophie Etheridge - Disabled long distance open water swimmer and the founder of the Facebook group Adaptive/Disabled Open Water Swimmers (ADOWS).Sophie has spent the past 2 years trying to raise awareness of open water swimmers with disabilities in the hope that more people will become inclusive and accepting to people of all abilities. She has also spent the past year building a community of athletes with disabilities through her ADOWS Facebook group which now has over 600 people in it. Members include those with all sorts of disabilities from people with invisible conditions such as Fibromyalgia and brain injuries to those with visual impairments and amputees. There are also coaches, event organisers and carers in the group so that they can learn the...
2022-08-2355 min