Lou discovered trail running at 43 and went onto win both her 1st 100km race and her 1st 100mi/160km race.
Then earlier this year, Lou finished 2nd at the prestigious Ultra Trail Mt Fuji; the largest 100mi/160km race in the world!
In this conversation, Lou and I discuss:
- how she developed a passion for rock climbing in her early 30s and what prompted her to focus on running in her early 40s,
- why she thinks she was able to develop relatively quickly in the sport,
- why she doesn’t always look forward to training.
- why she prioritises sleep and will do a shorter session or even miss a training session if she thinks she hasn’t had enough sleep,
- how she mentally prepares for a major race, including turning pre-race nerves into positive energy,
- her experience with the Imposter Complex (and why she doesn’t like the word ‘imposter’), and
- her experience at Ultra-Trail Mt Fuji and why she describes the result as “bewildering”.
Get the full show notes for the episode here.
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Mel Nicholls was a healthy, fit and active 22 year old when, in 2001, she was struck down by a stroke.
7 years later, her 3rd stroke left her with permanent paralysis and limited function primarily in her left side.
4 years later - and just 15 months after taking up wheelchair racing - Mel was selected to represent Great Britain at the 2012 London Paralympic Games in the 100m and 200m.
After representing Great Britain for the second time at the Rio Paralympics in 2016, Mel moved away from track cycling and back into endurance events, including the New York and London marathons.
Looking for a new challenge to feed her adventurous spirit, Mel combined her love of adventure and her competitive streak and set the goal to break the World Record for handcycling the length of Britain - from the south to the north along a route known as Lands End to John o’Groats (or LEJOG). It’s a journey of 874mi/1,400km.
Not only did Mel break the record, but she also smashed it!
Get the full show notes for the episode here.
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Visit the Sparta Chicks Radio website here
Follow Sparta Chicks Radio on Facebook: facebook.com/SpartaChicks
Follow xxx on Instagram: instagram.com/teamdolly/