Gina Johansen - Walking 3,000km the length of Norway, plus a solo crossing of Lake Baikal in Siberia!

Gina 28, from Sweden has a passion for travel and adventure, and for pushing herself outside of her comfort zone. Her goal is to “Escape the Ordinary”. Over the past few years, that is what Gina has done!   On May 14th 2016 Gina left Sydney on a bicycle, with everything she would need to be self sufficient as she cycled 2,700km up the east coast of Australia to Cairns, where she stayed for 2 months.   In early 2018 Gina decided to take on her first big solo winter expedition, skiing 60 days from North Cape to Jäckvik  in Sweden, having never skied before. Since then she has gone on to cross  Lake Baikal in Siberia (Russia), 692 km  over 14.5 days - Going solo from South to North and most recently she did the NORGE PÅ LANGS a 3,000km walk over 3.5 months, from the southernmost point in Lindesnes to North Cape the northernmost point of Norway.   During this episode, Gina shares more about her early life, how she got into adventure, how she picks future challenges and what she has learned on the way. Gina also provides top tips and advice to motivate and inspire you as you go after your next challenge.   Show notes
  • Who is Gina
  • Growing up in Sweden around horses
  • Why she decided to enter the world of adventure
  • Leaving school at 16 and starting to work with horses in a professional capacity
  • Getting into Thai boxing and trail running
  • Being inspired by podcasts
  • Not being excited by work anymore
  • Starting to look for a new challenge in her life
  • The process behind getting more adventure in her life
  • Deciding to cycle the East coast of Australia with her now ex boyfriend
  • Spending 3 months living in the mountains
  • Dealing with injury
  • Starting to be scared when riding horses
  • What she would do differently on a big cycle trip
  • Where the idea came from for the ski expedition
  • Wanting to see more of her own country
  • Having no experience in skiing
  • Deciding to start at North Cape - the northern most point in Sweden
  • Starting 3 week later than planned due to delayed equipment and bad equipment
  • Doing the challenge solo and unsupported
  • Walking for days in a whiteout 
  • Not being able to make any mistakes while in the extreme cold
  • Think 3 x before you act
  • How this challenge changed her life going forward
  • Thinking about happiness
  • Moving back to Norway
  • Meeting a new man!
  • 2019 - Hiking across Lake Baikal in Siberia 
  • Dealing with the extreme cold in Siberia
  • The importance of good quality gear
  • Getting to the start of Lake Baikal 
  • Dealing with feelings of loneliness 
  • Deciding on the next big challenge
  • Travelling with her partner and a dog!
  • The amazing moments
  • Dealing with winter storms
  • Final words of advice
  Social Media   Website  - https://www.ginajohansen.com    Instagram @ginajohansen91   Twitter @ginajohansen91   Facebook @ginajohansen91

More from Tough Girl Podcast

  1. 51:39Ashley Manning - A plus-size adventurer who promotes body inclusion, equity and diversity in the outdoors.Mar 04, 2021
  2. 43:57Dani Reyes-Acosta - Athlete, advocate, and storyteller rewriting the narrative of who plays outsideMar 02, 2021
  3. 48:18Helen Mort - Poet & Author - ‘Never Leave The Dog Behind’ who explores the relationship between people, dogs and the great outdoors.Feb 25, 2021
  4. 52:00Lee Vue - Paddling the Mississippi River (2,300+ miles) and her team winning first place in the Women’s Voyageur Division in the Yukon River Quest, paddling 444 miles in 53 hours.Feb 23, 2021
  5. 49:10EmmaLucy Cole - The joys and challenges of being a solo woman researcher, explorer and biker. Sharing more about spending 2 years with a Bedouin tribe in Sinai.Feb 18, 2021
  6. 53:46Monisha Rajesh - Author of “Around the World in 80 Trains”, Nat Geo Traveller Book of the Year.Feb 16, 2021
  7. 49:03Kat Young - Hiker & Blogger at Attitude over Ability - Hiking the Coast to Coast UK, Alpine Pass Route, Switzerland and the South Island of New Zealand.Feb 11, 2021
  8. 38:55Santia Deck - Professional athlete making history as the highest paid Female Professional American Footballer.Feb 09, 2021
  9. 52:46Kim Ingleby - International Award Winning Mind & Body Coach. Passionate about helping people embrace fear, grow their confidence, and take action.Feb 04, 2021
  10. 50:09Sophia Danenberg - The first African American and first Black woman to climb Mount Everest.Feb 02, 2021