Cath Pendleton works full-time in an office in Wales and is a single mum to two daughters. But she’s also swum an ice mile in Antarctica, won Bronze for Team GB in the World Ice Swimming Championships in Russia and completed a swim across the English Channel.

Cath’s inspired countless women to get outside and have an adventure, including TV presenter Louise Minchin, whom she persuaded to go free diving under the ice in Finland!

Also known as ‘the Merthyr Mermaid’ (referencing Merthyr Tydfil where she lived), Cath certainly knows about juggling real life to make time for outdoors adventures, and she had so many insights to share when I spoke to her at The Big Retreat Festival in Pembrokeshire.

Don’t miss Cath’s tips for getting started with ice swimming at the end of the episode, as well as a minute of the sounds of nature for a little bit of escapism in your busy day.

Cath’s episode of The Outdoors Fix is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever else you get your podcasts. It’s also embedded below. I hope you enjoy it!

Liv x

The Outdoors Fix is a podcast produced and hosted by Liv Bolton @liv_outsideuk
You’ll find Cath Pendleton on Instagram @swimcathswim - The Big Retreat Festival is @thebigretreatfestival
You can find photos from our recording on Instagram @TheOutdoorsFix
The Outdoors Fix book is now available: http://bit.ly/3GJDLJc

The audio from the festival was produced by Pete Crouch from Liquid Studios: https://www.linkedin.com/in/petecrouch/

The post Cath Pendleton: The ice swimming ‘Merthyr Mermaid’ – Live from the Big Retreat festival appeared first on The Outdoors Fix.

At the age of 60, Siobhan Daniels decided to sell her flat and most of her belongings, buy a motorhome and explore all around the UK.

Five years later, she’s fulfilled so many of her dreams, including spending months adventuring around Orkney and the Outer Hebrides, watching beautiful sunsets in the wilderness and writing a book about her journey.

Siobhan, who calls herself a ‘pro-age campaigner’, is determined to encourage older women to dismiss age as a barrier to adventure, and to go out and have the time of their lives.

I had a fantastic time chatting to Siobhan in front of an audience at The Big Retreat Festival in Pembrokeshire. It was a conversation that will stay with me and inspire me for years to come.

Siobhan’s episode of The Outdoors Fix is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever else you get your podcasts. It’s also embedded below. I hope you enjoy it!

Liv x

The Outdoors Fix is a podcast produced and hosted by Liv Bolton @liv_outsideuk
You’ll find Siobhan on Instagram @shuvonshuvoff - The Big Retreat Festival is @thebigretreatfestival
You can find photos from our recording on Instagram @TheOutdoorsFix
The Outdoors Fix book is now available: http://bit.ly/3GJDLJc

The audio from the festival was produced by Pete Crouch from Liquid Studios: https://www.linkedin.com/in/petecrouch/

The post Siobhan Daniels: The ‘Retirement Rebel’ adventuring all over the UK – Live from the Big Retreat festival appeared first on The Outdoors Fix.

David Haze’s story is one of the most extraordinary that I have ever come across on this podcast.

He’s a nine-time world record breaking paddleboarder and ocean activist. But five years ago, he was in prison for burglary and handling stolen goods.

In the years since his release, he’s grabbed his second chance at life and undertaken some extraordinary paddleboarding adventures, breaking records in England, Wales, Scotland, Northern Ireland and Iceland.

Just last month, he paddleboarded across the English Channel in tandem with his adventure partner Joe Cartwright, something that he’d already broken the record for solo.

David’s also made a name for himself in zero-carbon, environmentally-friendly adventures, and he was recognised for this in 2023 when he was named Ocean Activist of the Year by the campaigning charity Surfers Against Sewage.

I spoke to David at the Big Retreat festival in Pembrokeshire in front of a live audience and I heard more about why he feels paddleboarding has helped his rehabilitation after prison, how he got into the sport, and why he’s passionate about encouraging others to have more adventure in their lives.

Don’t miss David’s tips for getting started with paddleboarding and how we can have more environmentally friendly outdoors adventures at the end of the episode, as well as a minute of the sounds of nature from one of my morning walks for a little bit of escapism in your busy day.

David’s episode of The Outdoors Fix is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever else you get your podcasts. It’s also embedded below. I hope you enjoy it!

Liv x

The Outdoors Fix is a podcast produced and hosted by Liv Bolton @liv_outsideuk

You’ll find David Haze on Instagram @nomadicpaddler The Big Retreat Festival is @thebigretreatfestival

You can find photos and videos from our recording on Instagram @TheOutdoorsFix

The Outdoors Fix book is now available: http://bit.ly/3GJDLJc

Audio from The Big Retreat Festival produced by Pete Crouch at Liquid Studios: https://www.linkedin.com/in/petecrouch/

The post David Haze: Prison to paddleboarding and breaking world records – Live from the Big Retreat festival appeared first on The Outdoors Fix.