Why Now is the Time to Go Big with Paula Ralph (Episode 255)

Hit Play Not Pause

Health & Fitness, Medicine, Fitness

4.9 • 769 Ratings

🗓️ 17 December 2025

⏱️ 73 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

As we wrap up 2025 and start dreaming about our goals for the New Year, this week’s guest, ultracyclist Paula Ralph, has one simple message: Just go for it. We often wait until we’re 100% ready—which usually means we never start. But whether you succeed or fall short, you’ll be better for having tried. Paula knows this firsthand. She set out to break a world record riding solo from Cape Town, South Africa to Nordkapp, Norway. Sponsors pulled out. Mechanical issues piled up. She got heat stroke…and hit by a truck. Safety concerns forced reroutes. The record slipped away. But she didn’t stop. She kept going—ultimately riding 12,290 km across 17 countries in 126 days. And what she gained was far bigger than a record: proof that she’s stronger than she ever imagined, and a reminder of what midlife women can do when we dare to go big.

Paula Ralph is a solo endurance cyclist who rode unsupported from Cape Town to Nordkapp, Norway — a 12,290 km journey across 17 countries in just 126 days. What began as a world record attempt quickly turned into a raw test of resilience. Navigating relentless challenges, both on and off the bike, Paula had to let go of the record and hold on to something more powerful — the will to keep going. Her journey is one of survival, courage, and what it means to find freedom at the edge of your comfort zone. She was recently named a "sporting hero" as one of the top 100 female cyclists by CyclingUK. You can learn more about her and her mission @thelongrideglobal on Instagram.

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Transcript

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0:00.0	Hello, Feisty Friends. Sarah Gross here, founder and CEO of Feisty Media. So before the podcast
0:07.3	starts, I wanted to jump in and tell you about a brand new strength training club that is launching
0:12.6	in the new year. Like so many of our offers, we created this one with you in mind, because many of you
0:19.6	have been asking for more guidance about what it
0:22.3	means to lift heavy. We all know the advantages of being strong for longevity, bone density, body
0:28.6	composition. We want to feel strong and capable, but it can be hard to know where to start.
0:34.4	Or maybe some of you have been doing the same strength routine for months or years and
0:39.3	are looking to switch it up for faster gains. If that sounds like you, I highly recommend
0:45.2	the feisty, strong barbell club, which is a 12-week community strength training program designed
0:52.5	for women who want real coaching,
0:54.9	expert barbell programming, and the confidence to take up the space you deserve in the barbell section of the gym.
1:01.1	It includes three strength workouts per week, optional hits workouts as finishers,
1:07.6	and a community of support of women to share the journey with.
1:11.3	You will get monthly coaching calls, weekly forum reviews on your lifting technique,
1:16.7	guest experts, and thoughtful guidance from feisty head strength coach Cassie Neiman.
1:22.2	You'll learn the foundational barbell lifts, gain confidence under the bar,
1:26.7	and train with a plan that meets you where you are at.
1:30.1	So if you're barbell curious or looking for a new routine or reason to get started with strength training,
1:36.7	this is the program for you. To learn more about the feisty strong barbell club, just click the link in the show notes.
1:44.2	2026 is the year we get strong together.
1:56.2	You are listening to Hit Play Not Pause, a feisty menopause podcast for active performance-minded women.
2:03.3	I am your host, Celine Yeager.
	...

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