In 2016 Sophie Rooney set off with the bold intention of becoming the first woman to run the length of Scandinavia. From Nordkapp (the northernmost point of mainland Europe) to the German border with Denmark (3000 km south) carrying everything she needed on her back.

Initially accompanied by a fellow trail runner, Sophie finds herself thrown into a solo adventure running through some of the most rugged scenery Europe has to offer.

Heading out to Norway, bears are top of Sophie’s worries. However, she is soon to find that these big grizzly creatures would be the least of her concerns.

In the first month alone having to battle extreme fatigue, dehydration, relentless bog, hunger and eventually illness, the odds are quickly stacked against her.

However, not willing to give in Sophie pushes on, often against the advice she has received from people back home. In doing so she finds herself on a journey of self-discovery which creates memories that will last a lifetime.

Listen to Sophie on the Tough Girl Podcast as she shares more about this incredible journey.

Show notes

Her olympic dream Growing up with 6 siblings Starting swimming from a young age Wanting to do everything properly How her swimming evolved into kayaking Being inspired to do a big running challenge! How the run challenge evolved Having 5 months to plan and prepare Flying off on the 1st August Having a good level of base fitness What training looked like Building up a kit list Funding the trip Deciding how to share her story Getting into blogging Struggling at the start Being scared of being left on her own Knowing that she could do it solo, but needing to be brave enough to make that decision Deciding to switch to the road Not feeling ready when starting the run Dealing with the fears and how they never went away Starting to get really really tired Having to call a doctor Carry on or go home? Building her own self confidence Daily routines while out running Turning her blog posts into a book in 2019 Don’t over think things Supporting Mimi Andersons’s run across the USA Dealing with the disappointment of failure Doing a relay race from Lands End to John O’Groats Moving to the Lake District and plans for 2020 Social Media

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Book: Rundinavia: Running 3000km through Scandinavia