Ashley is a lover of the outdoors and is passionate about whitewater rafting and hiking.
Ashley has been dreaming about hiking the Appalachian Trail ever since she was a little girl when her and her father would pick up thru-hikers and give them lifts into town. After graduating college in 2018, it was the right time to commit to taking on this challenge. Ashley was sponsored by the Thru Hiking Syndicate which is where she got her gear from. After a false start on the AT, and forgetting her pants! Ashley soon got into the rhythm of daily hiking, gaining a trail name and a trail family, she completed just shy of 1,000 miles before having to leave the trail.
During this episode Ashley shares more about her dream, the challenges she faced getting to the start line, what it was like being plus size on trail, and providing lots of top tips on how to spend more time in the outdoors.
Ashley has made it her mission to help enlighten and encourage folks from every walk of like to enter the world of nature in a safe and fun way.
“Do not let anyone’s words stop you from enjoying what you love” - Ashley Manning.
New episodes of the Tough Girl Podcast go live every Tuesday and Thursday at 7am UK time - Make sure you hit the subscribe button so you don’t miss out.
The Tough Girl Podcast is sponsorship and ad free thanks to the monthly financial support of patrons. To find out more about supporting your favourite podcast and becoming a patron please visit www.patreon.com/toughgirlpodcast. It is super quick and easy to set up - and you too can be part of the mission to help increase the amount of female role models in the media.
Listen to Ashley Now!
Click here if you can't see the link below.
Show notes
Who is Ash
Coming from a sporty family
Getting into the outdoors
Being inspired by her Dad and Uncle
Pollywog hunting
Growing up in a small town in the Appalachian Mountains
Chasing frogs and tadpoles
Outdoorsy, dirty, romantic lifestyle
Raft guiding in the summers
Hiking for weight loss
Reclaiming the word ‘fat’
Appalachian or Appalachian Trail? How to pronounce it….
Hiking on the AT
Where the dream came from
Being inspired by her cousin
How the dream fell into place
Feelings of shame
Dealing with a lot of stress
“Nothing will really prepare you for the Appalachian Trail, like doing the Appalachian Trail”
Self reflection before the trail
Being able to start with a friend
Starting on a cold, wet, muddy day!
Dealing with the challenges of the AT
Being ok with type 2, type 3 and type 4 fun!
Dealing with her mental health and emotions while on the trail
Keeping going when times got tough
The encouragement of other is a huge factor
Trail names
Being ‘othered’ while on the AT
Trail family life
An average day hiking on the Appalachian Trail
Getting gear together for the hike
Being part of the Thru Hike Syndicate (People who are doing big thru hikes in the USA)
Being collected from Virginia by her mum
Feeling defeated
Feeling sad about leaving the trail
Tearing her ACL and the recovery process
Top tips for you to spend more time in the outdoors
How to follow Ash on social media
Social Media
Instagram @ashleysadventure
Unlikely Hikers @unlikelyhikers
You can also listen to Ash on the Unlikely Hikers Podcast - Episode 8
Feeling inspired week after week?
You can do 3 easy things to help me continue to grow the podcast!
Subscribe to the podcast in iTunes, so you won’t miss a single episode
If you’re loving the podcast, please leave a 5-star review on iTunes! I read every single comment!
Share the podcast with your friends, especially if you think it could help them, and spread the #ToughGirlPodcast love.
Your support helps me continue to grow the podcast and do inspiring things in this space! Already done all 3? You’re a rockstar! Thank you!
Want to do more?
Please become a Patron and donate US$5 a month to help fund the runnings costs. Thank you.
Comments