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. 38:53Helen Dainty - Full time global hobo cycling the world on AU$100/week. 5 years in and 58,000 km cycled so far…Jan 20, 2022
  2. 46:26Hazel Oakes - Illustrator and mural artist, passionate about empowering women to reach their goals and to become more adventurous.Jan 18, 2022
  3. 51:04Samantha Turner - Serial challenge adventurer, executive coach, mum of two boys, and unfortunately, recently diagnosed with stage 4 cancer.Jan 13, 2022
  4. 49:59Person Irresponsible - Author of "Everything You Ever Taught Me". Female, fat, funny, forty-something and in her 4th year of recovery from Alcoholism. Walking 2,653 from Mexico to Canada on the PCT.Jan 11, 2022
  5. 51:08Leah Goldstein - The 1st female ever to WIN the overall SOLO division of the gruelling Race Across Across America in its 39 year history!Jan 06, 2022
  6. 44:29Kristen Berkeley - City girl who moved to the subarctic! Advocating diversity and inclusion outdoors. Founder of Amplify Outdoors.Jan 04, 2022
  7. 49:46Eleanor Carey - Adventurer and Ocean Rower, 2x GWR holder for rowing 2,400 miles across the Pacific Ocean.Jan 01, 2022
  8. 51:59Julie Veloo - Canadian Adventurer for Good. Expeditions Chief, Horse Trek Mongolia and Founder of The Gobi Gallop.Dec 30, 2021
  9. 44:23Gowri Varanashi - Environmental Educator, Climber and founder of Climb Like A Woman (CLAW) - inspiring more women to climb in India.Dec 28, 2021
  10. 33:56Anna Taylor - Rock climber who recently completed a link up of all 83 Classic Rock climbs in the UK, while cycling 1,500 miles between them.Dec 25, 2021