🧗‍♀️ From Near-Death to Rock Climbing Again: Melissa Strong on Injury, Recovery Tools, and Writing a Memoir

The First Ukrainian Woman to Summit the Five Highest Mountains on Earth: What Mountaineer Antonina Samoilova Wants Women to Know About Fear

Antonina Samoilova's mountaineering career began with a breakup, two weeks' notice, and a one-way ticket to Antarctica. Antonina is the first Ukrainian woman to summit the five highest mountains on Earth — Everest, K2, Kanchenjunga, Lhotse, and Makalu — and in 2024 she made history by summiting Everest and Lhotse in a single 24-hour push. She grew up as a city girl in central Ukraine with zero outdoor background, and her message for women is as direct as the routes she climbs: fear is a door, not a wall. Antonina and Angie talked about: * Growing up in a landlocked city in Ukraine with no mountains and no outdoor role models * Her first mountain — Kilimanjaro — and swearing she'd never climb again (she lied) * The breakup that sent her to Antarctica on two weeks' notice, and how that trip changed everything * Summiting Everest just four months after Antarctica * Running out of oxygen on Kanchenjunga at 8,400 meters — and her only option was to keep climbing * Summiting Everest and Lhotse back-to-back in exactly 24 hours * Why she believes women's biggest limits live in their heads, not their bodies * Managing your menstrual cycle at extreme altitude * Her current "fear frontier": public speaking in English * What's next — Nanga Parbat and the full Crown of the Earth Check out these resources: * Antonina's website [https://www.antoninasamoilova.com/] * Antonina on Instagram: @tonya.samoilova [https://www.instagram.com/tonya.samoilova/] * The Cairn Project on IG [https://www.instagram.com/thecairnproject] * The Cairn Project's newsletter [https://cairnproject.org/email-signup] * Become a Trailblazer [https://cairnproject.org/trailblazers] * Summit Scholarship Foundation [https://www.summitscholarship.org/] Like this episode? Leave a 5-star rating and review on your podcast app! You can help us close the gender gap outdoors and beyond: * Become a Trailblazer [https://cairnproject.org/trailblazers]. Your Adventure Fundraiser makes wilderness experiences possible for girls and women. * Check out the Summit Scholarship Foundation [https://www.summitscholarship.org/]. * Send this episode to a friend who wants to climb an 8,000m peak. Make sure you subscribe to the See Her Outside Podcast so you don't miss a story! Follow on Spotify [https://open.spotify.com/show/01x4PI8OoMRS1Rx64OXsTf] Subscribe on Apple Podcasts [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/see-her-outside/id1794910016] Listen on: Amazon [https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/d00e98fc-15c9-4856-a743-364bcd926900/see-her-outside], Pocket Casts [https://pca.st/pkdfwlg1], iHeartRadio [https://www.iheart.com/podcast/269-see-her-outside-265153886/], other platforms [https://pod.link/1794910016]

🎤 Rachel Entrekin Live at Wild Woman Race Weekend (Bonus episode)

Ultrarunner Rachel Entrekin joined the First 50k Sisterhood and hundreds of other women running the Wild Woman Trail Runs races on June 19-21, 2026. We recorded our conversation in case you weren't there IRL! Rachel Entrekin is a pro trail runner and record holder who most recently outright won the Cocodona 250 race in Arizona. Rachel and Angie talked about: * Traits that make for a strong runner (that society sometimes weaponizes against women) * The life-changing moment in the middle of Cocodona 2026 and what she's passing onto other women * How sharing your story with others can shape the future of trail culture Learn more: * The First 50k Sisterhood [https://cairnproject.org/first-50k-sisterhood-2026] * Rachel on Instagram: @rachel__entrekin [https://www.instagram.com/rachel__entrekin/] * Wild Woman Trail Runs [https://wildwomantrailruns.com/] * Start your own Adventure Fundraiser [https://cairnproject.org/trailblazers] * The Cairn Project on Instagram: @thecairnproject [https://www.instagram.com/thecairnproject/]

🏃‍♀️ Human-First Run Coaching, Fueling for Sport, and Why Trail Culture Needs Your Story with Zoë Rom

Our First 50k Sisterhood runners ran their first ultramarathon last weekend, and Coach Zoë was one of the folks who made it so successful. Zoë Rom is a journalist, coach, podcast host, and ultrarunner based in Carbondale, CO. She co-hosts Your Diet Sucks and The Trailhead Podcast. Zoe's journalism focuses on public lands and the environment. She coaches endurance athletes through Microcosm Coaching, where she designed the First 50k Sisterhood's training program alongside her partner TJ David. We talk about: * Why carbs are queen and other women’s nutrition talk * When should you hire a coach? * Coaching the First 50k Sisterhood and what shifted for the 15 women * Mental barriers she sees for women athletes and why "just be confident" misses the point * What trail races can do to be more welcoming of women * Zoë’s path to 2nd place at Leadville in 2024 * What perimenopausal listeners of Your Diet Sucks are asking about * Insta-Coach: Zoe answers one-sentence coaching questions on toddlers, treadmills, night miles, and making carbs less scary * Why YOUR story can be just as impactful as Rachel Entrekin’s! Check out these resources: 🏃‍♀️ Microcosm Coaching [http://microcosm-coaching.com/] 📱 More from Zoë [http://zoerom.com] 💌 Meet the First 50k Sisterhood runners [https://cairnproject.org/first-50k-sisterhood-2026] (and read their stories!) ➡️ The Cairn Project on IG [https://www.instagram.com/thecairnproject] ✨ The Cairn Project's newsletter [https://cairnproject.org/email-signup] 🥾 Become a Trailblazer [https://cairnproject.org/trailblazers] 📅 Summit Scholarship Foundation [https://www.summitscholarship.org/] Like this episode? Leave a 5-star rating and review on your podcast app! You can help us close the gender gap outdoors and beyond * ⁠⁠⁠⁠Become a Trailblazer⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://cairnproject.org/trailblazers]. Your Adventure Fundraiser makes wilderness experiences possible for girls and women. * Check out the⁠⁠⁠⁠ Summit Scholarship Foundation⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://summitscholarship.org/]. * Share this episode with a woman in your life who has a wild business idea she hasn't acted on yet. Make sure you subscribe to the See Her Outside Podcast so you don't miss a story! ⁠⁠⁠⁠Follow on Spotify⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://open.spotify.com/show/01x4PI8OoMRS1Rx64OXsTf] ⁠⁠⁠⁠Subscribe on Apple Podcasts⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/see-her-outside/id1794910016] Listen on:⁠⁠⁠⁠ Amazon⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/d00e98fc-15c9-4856-a743-364bcd926900/see-her-outside],⁠⁠⁠⁠ Pocket Casts⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://pca.st/pkdfwlg1],⁠⁠⁠⁠ iHeartRadio⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://www.iheart.com/podcast/269-see-her-outside-265153886/],⁠⁠⁠⁠ other platforms⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://pod.link/1794910016]

📖 Blending Mountains + Medicine into a Memoir: Tap Dancing on Everest with Grit Lit Featured Author Mimi Zieman

Mimi was a third-year medical student when she signed on as the sole medical officer and only woman on a four-climber expedition attempting the east face of Everest from Tibet (a route that had only been climbed once before). If you love what Mimi has to say, her memoir was the featured book in our last winter Grit Lit box. Join Grit Lit now [https://cairnproject.org/grit-lit] and you'll get our welcome box plus the next quarterly box this summer. Proceeds fund wilderness scholarships for girls and women. Mimi Zieman is a physician, writer, and the 2025 Georgia Author of the Year for her memoir Tap Dancing on Everest, also selected as the Best Memoir of 2024 by the American Writing Awards. Mimi and Angie talk about: * Training to be the sole medical officer on an Everest expedition while still a third-year med student * Solo backpacking in Nepal in a pre-internet era * Why Mimi became an OB/GYN after a bad teenage appointment * The beauty and challenge of being the sole woman on an Himalayan expedition * What menstruating adventurers should know before heading into the backcountry * Advice for women who want to write a book, and behind the scenes of writing a vulnerable memoir 📚 Join Grit Lit [https://cairnproject.org/grit-lit] — Tap Dancing on Everest was in last winter's box! Check out these resources: 📖 Tap Dancing on Everest by Mimi Zieman [https://bookshop.org/p/books/tap-dancing-on-everest-a-young-doctor-s-unlikely-adventure-mimi-zieman-m-d/2e4ff146d017a34d] 🌐 mimiziemanmd.com [https://www.mimiziemanmd.com] 📱 Mimi on Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/mimiziemanmd], Facebook [https://www.facebook.com/mimiziemanmd], and TikTok [https://www.tiktok.com/@mimiziemanmd] ✏️ Medicine, Mountains, & More on Substack [https://mimiziemanmd.substack.com/] ➡️ The Cairn Project on IG [https://www.instagram.com/thecairnproject] ✨ The Cairn Project's newsletter [https://cairnproject.org/email-signup] 🥾 Become a Trailblazer [https://cairnproject.org/trailblazers] 📅 Summit Scholarship Foundation [https://www.summitscholarship.org/] Like this episode? Leave a 5-star rating and review on your podcast app! You can help us close the gender gap outdoors and beyond * ⁠⁠⁠Become a Trailblazer⁠⁠⁠ [https://cairnproject.org/trailblazers]. Your Adventure Fundraiser makes wilderness experiences possible for girls and women. * Check out the⁠⁠⁠ Summit Scholarship Foundation⁠⁠⁠ [https://summitscholarship.org/]. * Share this episode with a woman in your life who has a wild business idea she hasn't acted on yet. Make sure you subscribe to the See Her Outside Podcast so you don't miss a story! ⁠⁠⁠Follow on Spotify⁠⁠⁠ [https://open.spotify.com/show/01x4PI8OoMRS1Rx64OXsTf] ⁠⁠⁠Subscribe on Apple Podcasts⁠⁠⁠ [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/see-her-outside/id1794910016] Listen on:⁠⁠⁠ Amazon⁠⁠⁠ [https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/d00e98fc-15c9-4856-a743-364bcd926900/see-her-outside],⁠⁠⁠ Pocket Casts⁠⁠⁠ [https://pca.st/pkdfwlg1],⁠⁠⁠ iHeartRadio⁠⁠⁠ [https://www.iheart.com/podcast/269-see-her-outside-265153886/],⁠⁠⁠ other platforms⁠⁠⁠ [https://pod.link/1794910016]

🌲 How to Build a Sustainable Career in Seasonal Work with Sasha Clonts of Guide Theory

Seasonal workers know the feeling: You love the community, the adventure, the purpose, and then every fall you get laid off, change your address, and try to figure out health insurance, again. Sasha Clonts is the founder of Guide Theory, a platform helping seasonal workers build more sustainable, empowered lives through coaching, community, and practical tools. Sasha and Angie talk about: * The COVID-era burnout that pushed her to change her life and work * Selling her car, buying a van, and ending up at a Taos rafting company * Falling in love with the seasonal lifestyle before she even knew how to raft * Why empathy is one of the most powerful tools adventure leaders can hold * Why she was the wrong fit for full-time raft guiding (and what that taught her) * How she built her business, Guide Theory, to help seasonal workers find sustainability in finance and lifestyle * Curiosity as the antidote to imposter syndrome * What corporate employees can learn from seasonal workers See Her Outside is partnering with⁠⁠ Western Colorado University's Outdoor Industry MBA⁠⁠ [https://western.edu/landing/outdoor-industry-mba/] — a remote degree program built for people who want to lead, build, and create in the outdoor space. If you've ever thought about building a career or business in the outdoor industry, WCU's Outdoor Industry MBA was made for you. Check out these resources: 🛶 Guide Theory programs: guidetheory.com [http://guidetheory.com] 📱 Guide Theory on Instagram: @ [http://instagram.com/hudsonbaygirls]guidetheory [http://instagram.com/guidetheory] ⁠➡️ The Cairn Project on IG⁠ [https://www.instagram.com/thecairnproject] ⁠✨ The Cairn Project's newsletter⁠ [https://cairnproject.org/email-signup] 🥾⁠ Become a Trailblazer⁠ [https://cairnproject.org/trailblazers] 📅⁠ Summit Scholarship Foundation⁠ [https://www.summitscholarship.org/] 🎓⁠⁠ Western Colorado University Outdoor Industry MBA⁠⁠ [https://western.edu/landing/outdoor-industry-mba/] If you want to put a big seasonal adventure on your own calendar, join us in the Grand Canyon on October 10, 2026 for our Rim-to-Rim hike! It’s a bucket list trip, and proceeds fund wilderness scholarships for girls and women. ⁠⁠Learn more here. [https://cairnproject.org/grand-canyon] Like this episode? Leave a 5-star rating and review on your podcast app! You can help us close the gender gap outdoors and beyond * ⁠⁠Become a Trailblazer⁠⁠ [https://cairnproject.org/trailblazers]. Your Adventure Fundraiser makes wilderness experiences possible for girls and women. * Check out the⁠⁠ Summit Scholarship Foundation⁠⁠ [https://summitscholarship.org/]. * Share this episode with a woman in your life who has a wild business idea she hasn't acted on yet. Make sure you subscribe to the See Her Outside Podcast so you don't miss a story! ⁠⁠Follow on Spotify⁠⁠ [https://open.spotify.com/show/01x4PI8OoMRS1Rx64OXsTf] ⁠⁠Subscribe on Apple Podcasts⁠⁠ [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/see-her-outside/id1794910016] Listen on:⁠⁠ Amazon⁠⁠ [https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/d00e98fc-15c9-4856-a743-364bcd926900/see-her-outside],⁠⁠ Pocket Casts⁠⁠ [https://pca.st/pkdfwlg1],⁠⁠ iHeartRadio⁠⁠ [https://www.iheart.com/podcast/269-see-her-outside-265153886/],⁠⁠ other platforms⁠⁠ [https://pod.link/1794910016]