Three legends. One trail. Stories that built UTA.

EP29 - Off the Map, Into the Extraordinary with Gina Johansen

Gina Johansen grew up on a horse farm in rural Sweden, riding before she could walk. By 19, she was halfway around the world chasing a life most people only dream about. And that was just the beginning. What followed was a series of expeditions that would stop most people cold — literally. Solo crossings. Record-breaking distances. Temperatures so brutal they don't belong in a conversation about human endurance. Yet somehow, Gina kept going back for more. In this episode, she pulls back the curtain on what it actually feels like to be alone in the kind of wilderness that doesn't forgive mistakes — and why, for her, that's exactly the point. Her next goal? Even bigger. And she's already moving toward it. If you've ever talked yourself out of something hard, this one's for you.

The One Word That Put 100km Behind Her at UTA100

From the outside, she looks like an ordinary mum. But beneath the surface, a fire was smouldering — quiet, patient, waiting. A fire that drove her to the start line of a race most women wouldn't dare picture themselves running. 100 kilometres. Ultra-Trail Australia. The kind of distance that makes most people's jaws drop just thinking about it. And she crossed the line as the final finisher — beating the cutoff on grit alone. To get there, she had to outrun the clock. Outlast the doubt. And outperform a version of herself she didn't know existed. How? One word. Louise Pontello sits down with Kelvin and Dave to share the mindset, the mantra, and the moment she nearly stopped on the trail. She tells us the single word she called out to herself when her body begged her to quit — and why every woman, every mother, every "I'm not a runner yet" needs to hear this conversation. If you've ever put a limit on yourself before you've even tried, press play. @louisepontello [https://www.instagram.com/louisepontello/] https://www.isagenix.com/en-au/collagen [https://www.isagenix.com/en-au/collagen] The Cowbell Podcast episode is brought to you by Kelvin Yip from ZoneRace ⁠⁠@zonerace.ai ⁠⁠ [https://www.instagram.com/zonerace.ai/] "⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Endu1⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠" ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@endu1sportsnutrition⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://www.instagram.com/endu1sportsnutrition/] and Dave Stewart ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@_daventures_⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://www.instagram.com/_daventures_/], the legendary trail race MC.

Three legends. One trail. Stories that built UTA.

Three legends. One trail. Decades of stories that have never all sat in the same room — until now. In this special UTA retrospective, we're joined by Andy Lee (15-time UTA finisher, original 100K record holder), Brendan Davies (current UTA 100K record holder, 10-time miler winner), and Lou Clifton (three-time UTA 100 podium finisher and Blue Mountains race director) to look back at how Ultra Trail Australia became what it is today. We're talking the early days of the North Face 100 — when "fat ass races" was a term you had to Google, mountain biking packs counted as race kit, and one runner led the whole field until something nobody saw coming took him out. There's a record that toppled Kilian Jornet's name. A truce called mid-race. A climber who found her sport by accident. And the cowbell moments that still give them goosebumps. If you're heading to Katoomba this week — press play. @brendanjdavies [https://www.instagram.com/brendanjdavies] @andrew.m.lee [https://www.instagram.com/andrew.m.lee] @loumclifton [https://www.instagram.com/loumclifton/] The Cowbell Podcast episode is brought to you by Kelvin Yip from ZoneRace ⁠@zonerace.ai ⁠ [https://www.instagram.com/zonerace.ai/] "⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Endu1⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠" ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@endu1sportsnutrition⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://www.instagram.com/endu1sportsnutrition/] and Dave Stewart ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@_daventures_⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://www.instagram.com/_daventures_/], the legendary trail race MC.

Sh.t Happens — Own It, Deal With It, Run With It

Some people run to escape. Owen runs to prove something far more powerful. At 16, Owen's life was turned upside down by a diagnosis that would challenge everything — his health, his identity, and his future. What followed was four years of battles most of us will never face, and a moment at age 20 that changed him forever. But this isn't a story about what he lost. It's about what he built from it. Just months after a life-altering surgery, Owen was back in training. Today he's lining up at ultramarathons, backyard ultras, and triathlons — and inspiring a community of people who've been told they can't. In this episode, Owen gets brutally honest about the highs, the lows, the moments he nearly didn't make it, and the people who pulled him through. He also shares something he's never stopped fighting for — recognition and belonging in a sport that hasn't quite caught up yet. This one will stay with you. Owen Lancelot - ⁠@BagOnTheRun [https://www.instagram.com/BagOnTheRun] Follow his new supplement business venture, Zōi - @TheZoiHealth [https://www.instagram.com/TheZoiHealth] Follow his active wear StrydeActive - @StrydeActive⁠ [https://www.instagram.com/StrydeActive] The Cowbell Podcast episode is brought to you by Kelvin Yip from ZoneRace @zonerace.ai [https://www.instagram.com/zonerace.ai/] "⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Endu1⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠" ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@endu1sportsnutrition⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://www.instagram.com/endu1sportsnutrition/] and Dave Stewart ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@_daventures_⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://www.instagram.com/_daventures_/], the legendary trail race MC.

Running Didn’t Save Me, Showing Up Did - Ali To

In this episode of The Cowbell, we sit down with Ali – a 36-year-old ultramarathon runner, self-confessed carb enthusiast, and proud “slow runner” who proves that belonging has nothing to do with pace or podiums. Ali’s running journey didn’t begin with talent or triumph. It started with a DNF in an 8k race at high school, a moment that convinced her sport wasn’t for her. For more than a decade, running disappeared from her life – until a casual invitation to a 15k fun run changed everything. What followed was not just a return to running, but a lifeline. Ali opens up about how running helped free her from more than 14 years of mental imprisonment shaped by childhood trauma and suicidal ideation. Since then, she’s kept leaping – completing multiple 100k races, covering more than 220 miles in a six-day event, running across Scotland, and learning to see DNFs not as failures, but as part of the process. This conversation goes beyond miles and medals. We talk about redefining success, showing up on the hardest days, why representation matters – especially for women and Asian women in ultra running – and how doing hard things slowly can still change your life. If you’ve ever felt like you don’t belong on a start line, this episode is for you. Just keep showing up. Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ali_runs_an_ultra/ [https://www.instagram.com/ali_runs_an_ultra/] For coaching queries: https://www.alisonto.com/ [https://www.alisonto.com/]