Para Horse Rider Crosses The Pyrenees: A World First With Stephanie Quintrell

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Para Horse Rider Stephanie Quintrell Crosses The Pyrenees  In A World First Expedition.

In 2023, Stephanie Quintrell became the first wheelchair-dependent woman to traverse the Pyrenees on horseback — five days in the saddle, over 130 kilometres from France into Spain, following the World War II Freedom Trails. In this episode, Steph shares how a sudden 48-hour illness in July 2019 changed her life, the bond with her horse Bubba that pulled her through, what it took to ride that mountain pass, and her next world-first attempt: crossing the Andes from Argentina to Chile in February 2027.

Chapters

• 00:00 — Freedom in the Saddle
• 01:01 — Welcome & Episode Intro
• 02:43 — Meet Stephanie Quintrell
• 03:52 — Growing Up with Horses
• 06:46 — Riding Across Scotland
• 08:21 — Meeting John & Becoming a Military Wife
• 10:46 — 48 Hours That Changed Everything
• 12:56 — Diagnosis: Functional Neurological Disorder
• 15:27 — Grief, Identity & Rebuilding
• 19:33 — The Bond That Pulled Her Through
• 22:35 — Back in the Saddle
• 28:15 — Forces Wives Challenge
• 32:51 — Ride to Freedom: Crossing the Pyrenees
• 34:16 — The Mérens Horses
• 37:14 — Adapted Tack & Riding Gear
• 38:15 — Day One on the Trail
• 40:56 — Weather, Teamwork & Trust
• 46:22 — A Day Without the Wheelchair
• 48:35 — Crossing into Spain
• 51:28 — What's Next: Equine Para Adventures
• 54:01 — Ride to Independence: The Andes 2027
• 58:10 — Inspiring Others to Adventure
• 1:03:53 — Pay It Forward: Adaptive Grand Slam
• 1:05:18 — Call to Adventure: Get on a Horse
• 1:07:34 — 10 Quickfire Questions
• 1:11:43 — Where to Find Stephanie Quintrell

Key Takeaways

• A sudden onset: Steph went from full-time working mum and competitive rider to losing the ability to walk within 48 hours in July 2019, later diagnosed with Complex Functional Neurological Disorder.
• Horses as freedom: In the saddle she's independent — able to access mountains and trails her wheelchair can't reach.
• A world first: Five days, 130+ km, ascents to 2,500 m across the Pyrenees, following WWII Freedom Trails on native Mérens horses.
• The wheelchair stayed strapped to the pack pony: On the toughest day, she spent nine hours out of her wheelchair entirely.
• Next up: Ride to Independence — crossing the Andes from Argentina to Chile, up to 4,400 m, February 2027.

• Equine Para Adventures 
• Forces Wives Challenge 
• Steph on Instagram

Transcript

[00:00:00] Steph: Don't really think about my life as the person before disability, because it feels like I've, I've got this really fulfilling life built up of all the things that I love and I'm passionate about, and I, and I do all this, that it doesn't even really enter my head. I don't miss it because actually the life I have right now is the life we've built.

[00:00:18] Steph: And I couldn't imagine now not having the life I have now when I'm on my horse. Fair enough. I might, I need lifting into the saddle, but then I'm on my horse and suddenly I'm independent. I'm, I've got this level of freedom that I don't have in any other way. You know, I've, I'm really great, really, um, lucky to have a wheelchair that go, does some great off-road tracks, but, you know, I can't do what I would once have done, like walking in the mountains or the hills, but on my horse, I can, you know, so suddenly all of these things that were, that I would've once taken for granted I can do again.

[00:00:59] Steph: [00:01:00] Without my wheelchair. 

[00:01:01] Welcome & Episode Intro

[00:01:01] announcer: Welcome to the Adventure Diaries Podcast, where we share tales of adventure, connection, and exploration from the smallest of creators to the larger than life adventurers. We hope their stories inspire you to go create your own extraordinary adventures. And now your host, Chris Watson.

[00:01:19] announcer: Chris Watson.

[00:01:23] chris: Welcome to another episode of The Adventure Diaries. Today we're joined by Stephanie Quintrell, a horse woman founder of Equine Para Adventures, and the operations Manager at Forces Wives Challenge. In 2023, Steph became the first wheelchair dependent woman to traverse the Pyrenees on horseback, five days in the saddle, over 130 kilometers across the mountains from France into Spain, where she and the team followed a World War ii.

[00:01:55] chris: Freedom trails, but Steph wasn't always in a wheelchair. In [00:02:00] today's episode, we explore how a sudden 40 hours back in July, 2019 changed everything. We unpacked a long road back into the saddle, Steph's incredible bond with our horse that pulled her through those hard times, and what it really took to ride that trail and that mountain pass in the Pyrenees.

[00:02:21] chris: And we look ahead to our next world first attempt crossing the Andes from Argentina to Chile in February, 2027. So please settle in and enjoy this fantastic conversation with Stephanie Quintrell, welcome to the Adventure Diaries. How are you? 

[00:02:43] Meet Stephanie Quintrell

[00:02:43] Steph: Good, thank you and thanks for having me on. 

[00:02:45] chris: Uh, no, it's a, it's an absolute pleasure.

[00:02:47] chris: Excited for this. Uh, there's some wonderful stuff I want to get through in terms of your expeditions. I want to unpack and excited 'cause I think you've got quite a powerful story and, and I want to kinda unpack that and I'm sure people are going to [00:03:00] take some, some incredible inspiration away from this, uh, in terms of your journey where you are and, and I think what, what the future holds as well.

[00:03:08] chris: So, without foreshadowing too much, in fact No, I'll, I'll a little bit actually. So the, so the frame for today is your, your journey. You had a life event. You, you're kind of dependent on a wheelchair at the moment, but you've done some epic expedition, uh, on an epic expedition. The first woman to, uh, you know, that was in a wheelchair that traversed on horseback, the, the Pyrenees, France to Spain.

[00:03:33] chris: So that's what everyone that's watching and listening can look forward to. Imminently. Before we get into that, Steph, I'd like to bring it right back and just understand what was life like for, for little Steph? What were, what were your formative experiences as far as the outdoors and adventure and all that goes?

[00:03:52] Growing Up with Horses

[00:03:52] Steph: Uh, yeah. So, um, I was very lucky. Grew up in a family that loved being outdoors, uh, and, and loved having animals. Animals are [00:04:00] a huge, a huge part of my life and always have been. So, yeah, I was sort of outside as, as early as I can remember. Uh, and I was lucky enough to start riding horses when I was young, so most of my chartered was spent with the horses.

[00:04:15] Steph: If I wasn't at school, I was at the stables. And I've been really fortunate to have some lovely experiences with my horses. Uh, I was out competing as a teenager and I suppose sort of having that experience of being outdoors with the horses really sort of set me up. For what my life is now. Uh, and I think that if I didn't have that, you know, if I didn't have that that child have full of, of this love for the outdoors and love for the animals, then I probably wouldn't be in the position I was in at that I'm in now.

[00:04:45] chris: Yeah. Where, where, where was that Steph? Whereabouts were you brought up? 

[00:04:49] Steph: So on the south coast, Hampshire. 

[00:04:51] chris: Yeah. Fantastic. Wonderful. So what, did you go trek in much when, when you were a kid? Anything long distance then, or what, what was it, what was it like? 

[00:04:59] Steph: No, so, [00:05:00] well, anytime we went on holiday as a family, we would always find the local riding trekking center that I could go.

[00:05:05] Steph: So, you know, we'd, we'd go to Devon and, and there'd be somewhere. I'd go there and we'd go to, you know, all over the UK and then overseas. I remember going to Portugal when I was a child and I went trekking in Portugal. So it was always the first thing that, that we did. I am actually the only horse rider in my family though, so I've just got a very dedicated parents and a brother that put up with the fact that I wanted to ride everywhere I went.

[00:05:28] Steph: Yeah. And then, uh, I was, I'd say I was really lucky to have my own horses, uh, from the age of 12. So I used to go out sort of long distance riding with them. But yeah, so I've kind of ridden all over. I had all those amazing experiences. I did go to Scotland when I was in my early twenties and rode from one coast to the, to the other.

[00:05:49] Steph: Um, so that was quite an, an experience. But yeah, it feels like a long time ago now. 

[00:05:54] chris: Wow. That's coincidentally, I, I've, I've never, I've never been on a horse ever. But have you [00:06:00] Not today. And I don't know if it was just. Well, there's two things actually, now that you say that, that, so today I'm going to Canada in, in the summer, me and the family, we're doing just a bit of a kind of just a kinda coasty course and we're booked a horse riding thing for a, a half a day Amazing.

[00:06:16] chris: In Rockies and take a cowboy cookout and all that. So it's quite interesting. But I kinda went off and the rabbit hole and I, and I came across a, a Scottish company that do exactly just what you said. It's like, uh, multid trips and stuff. And I, it had never really occurred to me before, so I think I might, might be catching the bug.

[00:06:35] chris: I 

[00:06:35] Steph: love, I love that. It's never too late to start, so, yeah. 

[00:06:38] chris: Yeah, it's 

[00:06:39] Steph: great. 

[00:06:39] chris: Excellent. Yeah. So, so, so what was the Scotland trip like then when you, when you'd done that? 

[00:06:46] Riding Across Scotland

[00:06:46] Steph: Yeah, so I remember the weather being. Interesting. So 

[00:06:51] chris: yeah, 

[00:06:52] Steph: I did, it was five days in the saddle, really long days in the saddle. I went up there on my own.

[00:06:56] Steph: So all the way from the south coast. So I got on a, um, a coach [00:07:00] actually from Portsmouth, and I got a coach right up as far as I could. And then I had to get a train and then a taxi. And so, and I did all this on my own, which I'd never done anything like that before on my own. But it was a kind of one of those things that I thought, do you know what I want?

[00:07:13] Steph: I want to do this. I wanna just get on and do it on my own. I want it to be something that I can go and do. And it was, yeah, it was incredible. The, the horses were amazing. So one day we had the wind and the rain, and it was so unbelievably cold. And it was like nine hours like that. And then I remember, um, thinking I definitely didn't have enough kit on me to be staying warm.

[00:07:33] Steph: So the, the final day actually, which, which happened to be the next day. I went out like in my waterproofs and like my thermals 'cause I'm not having the last day getting cold and being miserable about it. And oh my word. The sun was shining all day and I remember getting to the end of the day and I was so hot and sweaty Yeah.

[00:07:51] Steph: Where I'd like been prepared for this horrendous weather. And we rode in on the beach. That was the last bit where we finished, was onto onto the coast, [00:08:00] onto the beach. I remember just sinking when I finished the ride, not like, wow, I've had this incredible time. Look what I've achieved. It was like, oh my word.

[00:08:07] Steph: I can't wait to get my waterproofs off 'cause I'm so, so unbelievably hot. But um, yeah, it was, it was a great experience. 

[00:08:13] chris: That's, that's Al Scotland. Uh, it's cliche as it sounds. It's actually true. You can get multiple seasons in a, in a day or two. It's crazy. Yeah. 

[00:08:21] Meeting John & Becoming a Military Wife

[00:08:21] Steph: Uh, 

[00:08:22] chris: so, so kind of rolling back then, Steph. So I wanted to touch on obviously your relationship y your, your husband John.

[00:08:28] chris: 'cause he plays a big part of, uh, your story, which will kinda come to, but you're a kinda military wife, did you? Going from like childhood into your career and then, and then into the, the military wives community and stuff. That's the kinda of bridge I'd like to do. What kinda, when did you meet John and, and how did you into the military wives, uh, community?

[00:08:48] Steph: Yeah, so, um, so at the time, uh, when I met John at the time I was working in the care sector. So, um, I was quite settled in my career. I was, I was, [00:09:00] um, uh, kind of building on that. My career was very important to me. Uh, and, and obviously I had the horses. So my, my life was quite kind of settled and I was, you know, heading in the direction I wanted to be.

[00:09:13] Steph: I met John 'cause he was as, so he, uh, was in the army at the time and he was posted to a camp that's really close to where I was living. And we actually met through friends. At an event that I'd gone to along with them, and that's how we met. So I was able-bodied at that time. So the, the beginning of our relationship, yeah, I was able-bodied, you know, we, we, he ended up being posted away from where I was, but we kind of lived, he would come back at weekends and, and go back to, to where I was posted through the weekday because I was really settled in my life and, and I had no intention of moving, uh, kind of following him round.

[00:09:47] Steph: So we, that was the, was the early part of our relationship and that's how I obviously ended up becoming a military wife. But I didn't actually really end up kind of living in [00:10:00] that environment actually until, until I became disabled. So, because I was, I was quite, I was very independent. I kind of had this independent life and then, and then that all kind of fits in there.

[00:10:09] Steph: We've got, um, our son, Dylan, he is actually gonna be nine soon, but, so this is kind of early of his years as well. So it kind of, we had this very settled life. It was. How it should do until I became unwell. So I didn't really kind of identify with this military wife thought process, you know, I just wasn't really, I just didn't see that as a big part of myself until, as I say, when I got ill and became disabled, then actually life changed.

[00:10:39] Steph: And that's how I ended up really kind of coming into this community, this amazing community and where all these opportunities started. 

[00:10:46] 48 Hours That Changed Everything

[00:10:46] chris: Yeah. And, and just touching on that, if you don't mind kinda stepping into, uh, a, a little bit, Steph. So, because from what I understand, your story, this was quite a sudden onset this, were you, were you suffering from any conditions in that, any [00:11:00] warning saying to this at all?

[00:11:01] chris: Or, or 

[00:11:02] Steph: no? Uh, no, not really. My, all of my adult life, I'd had kind of some issues with, um, pain and exhaustion. Um, and it had been diagnosed as, and fibromyalgia. But I was very kind of, I was quite up and down. It was quite, I'd have days where I was really exhausted and I couldn't walk long distances, but ultimately I was, you know, I was mobile, I was able to still lead a very, uh, kind of, you know, normal life.

[00:11:30] Steph: One is that word. And I just kind of managed that. Uh, and that was, that was, yeah, went all the way through my adult life. Um, and then, yeah, it was really, really sudden. So within the space of 48 hours, I went from being the, the kind of the person I was full-time working, mom riding my horses, um, and just, you know, getting through each day with a 2-year-old, 'cause our son was two at the time.

[00:11:56] Steph: Uh, and then, yeah, within 48 hours, uh, I had lost my ability to [00:12:00] walk. Two weeks later I lost use in one of my hands. And then, and then all of these other symptoms, seizures, and that sort of developed, and that's when I, obviously in those early days when I first got ill, we, we. Had absolutely no idea what it was.

[00:12:15] Steph: So it was a very kind of really unsettling time whilst the neurologist tried to work out what was going on, why I'd become so, well. So in those early days, we also had no idea what this would look like in the future, because actually, you know, I'd become really poorly lost my mobility, but we had no idea if this was permanent or not.

[00:12:32] Steph: So those first, those initial months were really challenging because of this complete unknown ahead, as well as the fact that our whole life had changed. Obviously, I, I couldn't work, I couldn't look after myself. I couldn't look after our son. So literally it was like our world had just been pulled out from underneath us, and we were just sort of, we were just sort of, um, in this limbo of not knowing 

[00:12:56] Diagnosis: Functional Neurological Disorder

[00:12:56] chris: In those early days, Steph, were, were in terms of like the [00:13:00] medical care, like mentally and and physically, did they understand what was happening with you or was that, was that a mystery still?

[00:13:09] Steph: Yeah, so I was quite lucky in that they actually got my diagnosis relatively quickly. So I've got a, a condition called, um, complex Functional Neurological Disorder. I've also now got a couple of other neurological conditions that run alongside it, but that is the, the kind of, that's what, what really changed.

[00:13:26] Steph: They didn't know at the time why I suddenly became so unwell. Quite often people that are diagnosed with illnesses like this, it might be, um, that they have had some sort of really severe infection and their body, um, that's how they kind of responds. And afterwards could be that they've been in some sort of traumatic car accident.

[00:13:45] Steph: Could be, they've had, you know, an operation for something else. So quite often, um, a sudden onset of FND symptoms comes off the back of something. But that wasn't what it was like for me. There was no kind of run up to it. There was no buildup, there was no [00:14:00] reason as such. They've never been able to tell me that there's never been any, any, any understanding.

[00:14:06] Steph: But, but I was very lucky in that they did diagnose me relatively quickly and then I was very lucky that they then got me referred to a specialist neurologist in London, who I still see every three months. So it was great that we had that diagnosis, but there is not a huge amount known about the condition.

[00:14:22] Steph: It's one of these conditions that there's, there's not a huge amount of research going into it. So there's not many answers. There's no fix as such. They treat the symptoms and that's what we do. We treat the symptoms and we, we kind of, it's all around focusing on keeping the bits of, of me that are working, keeping them well, and then treating the symptoms.

[00:14:41] Steph: So yeah, in those early days it was difficult. I can remember when I got the diagnosis from the neurologist I was seeing at the time, this was a very standard neurologist in the local hospital. That's who, um, had been tasked to find out what's going on. That's who diagnosed me. And I can remember that he told me what this condition was.[00:15:00]

[00:15:00] Steph: And then he gave me a, a bit of paper that had written on it, a couple of websites where he could find information about it. And literally sent me on my way. 

[00:15:07] chris: Geez. 

[00:15:07] Steph: And, and I remember my, my husband pushing me out of the hospital because obviously I couldn't walk. It's in the wheelchair. And I remember just crying the whole way down the hallway because I was like, I've just been told this is, this is it.

[00:15:18] Steph: This is what I've got. And what I've been told is there's not really much we can do and we dunno what's gonna happen. So yeah, those early days were really, really tough 

[00:15:27] Grief, Identity & Rebuilding

[00:15:27] chris: because obviously you're a different person now. You're doing, you, you know, living life and you're doing all these 

[00:15:32] Steph: Yeah. 

[00:15:32] chris: Amazing things.

[00:15:33] chris: But it's like an old life's been, you know, kinda past and a, your life being kind of born. Like, do you still kinda, yeah. How do you deal with that now, if you don't mind me asking, do you wrestle with the, the old stuff versus the new stuff? Because it's like, you can look at it in chapters, I suppose, or put the positive spin on it, you know, or do you grieve the past?

[00:15:54] chris: Or how do you, how do you process? 

[00:15:58] Steph: Yeah, so it is, that's a really interesting [00:16:00] question. I think initially though, the first two years after I became ill was definitely this period of grief was absolutely, I was grieving everything that I'd lost. So I'd lost a, kind of, lost myself in, in this, what I could physically do, lost my identity completely, because my, under my identity at the time is very much made up about my, of my career being a mom, being a horse rider, and, and obviously as I said, when I was first poorly, I couldn't look after myself, let alone my child, obviously had to resign on medical grounds from my job.

[00:16:33] Steph: Um, so those first two years were, it was, I was in a, a state of grief all the time, and I wanted to ride again, but at the time I couldn't even really keep myself sitting up in a wheelchair, you know, I had to have my, my wheelchair had this all molded back on it and that, because actually I was so, so, uh.

[00:16:51] Steph: Unable to do anything. So those first couple of years were definitely, but it was very much like, it was sort of, it was around two years, [00:17:00] two years afterwards. And it was almost like I went through this period of grief. I went through this period of grieving what I'd lost and, and the person that I was, and the family life that we had.

[00:17:11] Steph: Um, and it was almost like I came through this and then after that two year mark and just saw it as actually this is now an opportunity, this is an opportunity to find me. Whether that's, at the time I didn't know if that's a new version of me, or that's just me in a different way. But I definitely kind of, I can remember having a bit of a switch at that two year point where I kind of went, do you know what actually this is what, what we make of it now?

[00:17:37] Steph: We'd also at that time managed to get physically things under control. So I was quite stable for quite a long time. So the kind of deterior, the rapid deterioration had slowed down and then. I was physically, because we were able to get on top of that and start getting on top of the symptoms, I was then physically able to start building myself up little by little with this goal of riding my horse again.

[00:17:59] chris: Yeah. [00:18:00]

[00:18:00] Steph: And then, and then, you know, and that's, that's what it was. And I kind of had this opportunity to re really recreate my identity. And I did that. And a lot of that was finding some of my work of horses wise, challenged this whole identifying as a military wife, um, and deciding that I was gonna ride again.

[00:18:17] Steph: And that was all there was to it. I was gonna work hard until I could get back on my horse and make taking the, you know, taking all the opportunities. And, and now when I look back, it's, it's interesting you said at the beginning of that question about, um, kind of, you know, is it the old Stephanie new stuff?

[00:18:35] Steph: How do I feel about that? I, it's, it's, it's really strange, but I don't really think about my life as the person before disability because it feels like I've got this. Really fulfilling life built up of all the things that I love and I'm passionate about, and I, and I do all this, that it doesn't even really enter my head.

[00:18:53] Steph: I don't miss it because actually the life I have right now is the life we've built, and I couldn't imagine now [00:19:00] not having the life I have now. 

[00:19:02] chris: Oh, that's fantastic. That's absolutely fantastic. Amazing. Amazing. I mean, the world works in mysterious ways. It, it's just, and the, the mind, the mind is such a powerful machine when it, when you, it is when you can get, get a grip of it and use it for the, use it point in the right direction.

[00:19:19] chris: I mean, see what you, you see, you kinda run back a little bit what you, but so those two years, you know, the horses, the relationship you had with your horses, were you still seeing them even though you couldn't ride? What, what was, what was the bond in the relationship like? 

[00:19:33] The Bond That Pulled Her Through

[00:19:33] Steph: Yeah, so my horses were, they were so important to me, especially in those early days.

[00:19:38] Steph: So we actually moved, uh, so five months after I got ill, we actually moved up to Rutland to be with my husband on the posting he was in, you know, as I, I think I mentioned a minute ago that I had no intention before getting ill of ever moving, you know, my life was down here. He could just come home at weekends.

[00:19:55] Steph: And that's the way I saw it. That was, you know, we knew he only had a matter of years left [00:20:00] in the Army before he'd be coming out. So we would just kind of just see, we were just, you know, going with that and, and obviously when all that changed, you know, he didn't want to have to be leaving me on a Sunday afternoon and not come back till the Friday evening for, you know, my parents and friends have to look after me and me and our son.

[00:20:16] Steph: So we kind of are, are. We, at that point, we moved to be with him in Rutland. And so our kind of world changed even more so because I didn't have anyone new, new up there, didn't have any more support, you know, didn't have a support, a cup there, but we were together as a family. Um, and that was really important.

[00:20:35] Steph: And actually that's what enabled me to, to build myself by cup again, again. So the reason I say about Rutland, like I'm bringing it back now, is because we would still come back most weekends. So even though we lived in Rutland like four hours away, John would drive us down on a Friday, um, and we'd all come down and then we'd stay at my mom and dad's house.

[00:20:54] Steph: And, and we had this, you know, it was a very busy house with us, like a whirlwind coming in on a Friday and then going home on a [00:21:00] Sunday evening. And then we'd spend the weekend with the horses and I would literally, John would park me up in the corner of the stable, wrapped in blankets. And because obviously I was not able to move, I was getting really cold and it was, and he would literally park me up in the corner of the stable and just let me sit with my horse.

[00:21:18] Steph: And would just be like, I'm just gonna put you there. You know, I'll go and do the yard jobs. I'm just gonna sit you there. And you just sit there. And I would literally sit for hours in the corner of the table watching her eat. She'd come over, she'd sniff at me, I'd listen to the sound of her eating, you know, that, that familiar smell of being around horses and just be, just be there with her.

[00:21:39] Steph: And I, I did not realize at the time how powerful that was and how much I needed that, because at the time it was all about, you know, feeling really bitter about the fact that I wasn't riding the fact that I was sat in a wheelchair, you know, watching her butt. Actually, it wasn't until after that that I realized at that time doing that the fact that he would park me up and, and, and leave me in the corner [00:22:00] there with her was so incredibly powerful for my mental wellbeing, but also my physical because it, it was getting me out the house when it would've been very, very easy just to stay in the house.

[00:22:12] Steph: It was getting me outta the house. Might not have been physically moving, but obviously even just being outta the house in the cold, my body was actually having to work and it wasn't, you know, so it was slowly building itself up, but definitely on a, a kind of the mental wellbeing, having that time with, with being, especially in, with the, with my mayor, with the horse that got.

[00:22:33] Steph: Kind of, it got me through, basically. And 

[00:22:35] Back in the Saddle

[00:22:35] chris: did that time with the horses make you more determined that there would be a way to get back in the saddle? Yeah, yeah, yeah. 

[00:22:44] Steph: I was absolutely adamant, but I didn't know at the time what, what, what that would look like in the future. So my, my initial aim was, I wanna sit on her, I wanna get, you know, I want to get up on her.

[00:22:55] Steph: I just wanna sit on her, because I had absolutely no idea if I would have any physical [00:23:00] capability anymore to be in the saddle doing anything. So I was like, if I can just sit on her in the yard, don't need to go anywhere, just need to sit on her. And that was the initial goal. And of course we made that happen, and then I was like, oh, well, you know.

[00:23:15] Steph: Maybe I set the next goal, which will be walking around the field, being led around the field, and John holding onto me to make sure I don't topple off the side, you know? And, and it was each time I kind of reached this goal and I went, wow, maybe, well, maybe, you know, and, and, and here I am now, I'm actually believe or not much more capable rider as a disabled rider than I was as an neighbor rider, really?

[00:23:35] Steph: Which is quite comical. Yeah. And I think part of that is I had to work really hard to get back in this adult. 

[00:23:41] chris: Yeah. 

[00:23:41] Steph: I had to really, it wasn't easy. It didn't come naturally anymore because suddenly I didn't have good balance. Suddenly I didn't have good core strength, so I had to work really, really hard.

[00:23:52] Steph: So what that did is made me ride properly. 

[00:23:55] chris: Yeah. 

[00:23:56] Steph: And actually now, if I look at what I'm doing with my horses now, I mean, I've just [00:24:00] got a youngster. I've got a 3-year-old who I'm training, he'll be my next, uh, jumping horse. And obviously as, as, as we're gonna speak about the expeditions, like if I look at the rider that I am now, I'm far more competent and capable, but I had to work hard for that.

[00:24:15] Steph: But it's been absolutely worth it. It 

[00:24:17] chris: must be incredibly freeing for the mind and, you know, and, and the soul just, just being on the horse. 

[00:24:24] Steph: Yeah. Do you know what, it's a independence and a freedom that I can't even describe because obviously, so I can't weight bear at all. I'm, I'm, I'm very independent on day-to-day basis in my wheelchair, but I can't stand, I can't run, you know, those things aren't gonna happen.

[00:24:45] Steph: But when I'm on my horse, fair enough, I might, I need lifting into the saddle, but then I'm on my horse and suddenly I'm independent. Suddenly I'm, I've got this level of freedom that I don't have in any other way. You know, I've, I'm [00:25:00] really, really lucky to have a wheelchair that go, does some great off-road tracks.

[00:25:05] Steph: But I can't do what I would wanna have done, like walking in the mountains or the hills. But on my horse, I can. So suddenly all of these things that were, that I would've once taken for granted I can do again without my wheelchair. And that's a really incredible feeling. 

[00:25:22] chris: It's amazing. And that, and I hope people like, can really, really, can I dwell on this and listen and take it in because you're the third person, uh, that, that's said life changing events that I've had on the show, Steph.

[00:25:34] chris: And, and each of those, uh, so spoken to, I, I, I don't know if you're aware of Dad and Edwards an adventure. And he said something to me about not being defined as like wheelchair bound is wheelchair dependent, but he talked about being sitting in a kayak and paddling in a kayak and the freedom. And that opens up to him being on the water.

[00:25:57] chris: And I had a guy, Jeff Holt, who was paralyzed. [00:26:00] He's paraplegic, uh. A terrible accident and he sails and he, he still sails and he takes people that are wheelchair dependent out onto the water and stuff like that. And it's like to show that this, it doesn't need to be the end at all. It could be like, you know, it's, you know, if you embrace it and there's still ways to get out there and be active and, and have danger and stuff.

[00:26:23] Steph: And one of the biggest things, and I'm sure that they would've also spoken about this, is the support around you. You know, you absolutely cannot do these things if you don't have the right support. I'm very lucky that I have a support network that are totally behind absolutely everything I do. And they, they are enabling me to do it.

[00:26:42] Steph: And 

[00:26:42] chris: yeah, 

[00:26:43] Steph: it's, they're, they're kind of me accept, I've spoken about this a lot in the past, is me accepting help, me asking for help and things like that. That took a lot. But to learn that it's okay, but actually now, like you say, look what I'm doing. And, and [00:27:00] they will be the same in that with the right support, the right determination, the right attitude towards it, things are absolutely possible.

[00:27:07] Steph: But you do have to work quite hard to find a way to make that happen. I think you have to really want to. 

[00:27:12] chris: Yeah, and I think, and that, that's important as well. It's recognizing when 'cause able bodied or not, e everyone needs help at some point. Exactly. And I think the biggest thing is sometimes owning up and accepting that, 'cause it can be seen as like a failure or, or, or whatever.

[00:27:26] chris: And, and understanding boundaries and what you can and can't do, whether you're able bodied or, or not. But 

[00:27:33] Steph: that's exactly it. Yeah. Yeah. 

[00:27:35] chris: What, what can, can I ask what, what are you like as a person? Are you headstrong, stubborn, or 

[00:27:40] Steph: ridiculously stubborn? I am like the most stubborn person you'll probably ever meet.

[00:27:46] Steph: I am very determined. So when I say I'm gonna do something, I'm gonna do it and I'm gonna find a way. And I do think that's helped. I really do. I think that that kind of fierce kind of this independence in me and this kind of grit to [00:28:00] kind to, if I want to do something, I'm gonna find a way to do it. And I do think that's really helped.

[00:28:04] Steph: 'cause it's, I kind of have, have never had this, well, look at me and look what I can't do. I've had this look at me and look what I'm gonna go do. You know that, that kind of attitude 

[00:28:15] Forces Wives Challenge

[00:28:15] chris: And to think before this event and then after the event, which will come onto the, the kinda ride to freedom, the Pyrenees.

[00:28:23] chris: I mean, it just, it sounds preposterous when you think about it initially, doesn't it? But it's phenomenal. It's, I mean, so where did that idea come from? You know, how, how did it come about in terms of, 

[00:28:37] Steph: yeah, so yeah, so, so, so to be able to sort of explain that, I need to explain where Forces Wives challenge came in.

[00:28:43] Steph: So I, I mentioned that when I became ill, I had to resign in medical grounds from the job that I'd worked 10 years or the care sector, which I'd worked 10 years in. And I, and I definitely really struggled with this, lots of identity. Um, I then obviously kind of embraced the military wife [00:29:00] identity a little bit more because I didn't have all these other parts in my life that, that were making up my identity.

[00:29:06] Steph: And I stumbled across an organization called Force's Wise Challenge. It was very early in, it's, um, been founded a couple years before and I don't even remember really how I found it. I think it was like a Facebook post. And at the time I was still really, really dependent on others for doing lots of things.

[00:29:24] Steph: For me, it was, you know, it was, this was in 2021, so I was still in that early, early period after being ill. But for something in me made me reach out. So I sent the founder, so Heather, um, sharp, who's a very, very good friend of mine. Now. I had never met her, she didn't know who I was, none of that. But I sent her an email basically saying, 'cause at, at the time for swallow change was very much about getting military wives up, walking mountains together.

[00:29:48] Steph: That was kind of what they were doing. They'd done this epic adventure where they'd walked up the highest volcano in the world, a group of them, and then they came back and then they started doing things, uh, with military [00:30:00] wives. And I basically sent her an email saying, um, I'm in a wheelchair. I'm not gonna be able to climb a mountain with you, but I'm quite good at admin.

[00:30:07] Steph: Is there anything I can do to help? And she kind of took a leap of faith 'cause I say we didn't know anything about each other. Came back to me and said, well look, actually, you know, this might work. And we had a zoom and I mean that whole thing saying like, the rest is history. It really was like that we just clicked lies that we both have strengths.

[00:30:27] Steph: That really compliment each other. We both have weaknesses. So, you know, I am very good at Uping. Heather would be the first one to tell you she's not very good at up. Um, actually, so I came in and she went, do you know what? Amazing, let's, and we've just, we just clicked in that, in that working sort of working relationship.

[00:30:43] Steph: So I was volunteering initially, but it ended up, um, at Full Supply Challenge. FWC has just grown and grown. We have actually just come back from a weekend away from our a hundred. So absolutely. Like we are storming, so we did 30 events last year, so, so kind of that, that [00:31:00] initial, could I help a little bit of admin basically to fill my time because I'm feeling a bit lost and very lonely and not having anything to do became just, you know, it just grew.

[00:31:09] Steph: So I'm operations manager for FW C so this is my, um, my day job. But within that, obviously I met this incredible community of women who, yes, they're all military wives, but we are brought together by this kind of love of adventure. Um, and this, you know. This group of women are wanting to go out and challenge themselves.

[00:31:31] Steph: They're wanting to get something and they want do it outdoors. And so it just grew and grew. Um, and then obviously Ride to Freedom, which was the Pyrenees ride, sort of came along in the middle of that. And the idea basically came from, so I was back riding my horse again. This was in 2022. And Heather had come over to pick some stuff up from me.

[00:31:53] Steph: So she'd come down and met me at the yard. So she'd come down and she'd met Bubba and I had, I was just about to [00:32:00] ride. We sort of, um, were just chatting about future challenges. At the time, we hadn't done many, you know, after obviously was very small still. Um, my husband looked up and said something about, well, why, why don't you like, you know, organize the challenge that you can do with, you can be riding, you can ride, you can do I, me and thought of Heather looked at each other and, and sort of went, oh, I suppose we could think about that at some point.

[00:32:22] Steph: And that was basically the seed that was planted. And out of that grew Ride to Freedom, which ended up being this huge expedition that, I mean, we didn't know quite where it would go and the impact it would make. Um, but yeah, we started planning and that that were, that happened in 2023, and that was, again, it was just absolutely life changing.

[00:32:43] Steph: It was a, an expedition that had far more of an impact for me on me, but also on, on lots of other people as well. 

[00:32:51] Ride to Freedom: Crossing the Pyrenees

[00:32:51] chris: Yeah. And then to bring that to, to life, it was over a hundred or 130 kilometers, five days, but it's more the, it's the [00:33:00] ascent that, that really struck me as well at 2,500 meters and stuff. And, and, and, 

[00:33:05] Steph: yeah.

[00:33:05] chris: You took your wheelchair with you. 

[00:33:08] Steph: Yeah. Yes. So my wheelchair was carried by a pack pony the whole time. Yeah. Wow. So we, so we flew out France. So we started France side and yeah, we trek for five days over the mountains. We followed the World War II Freedom Trails. 

[00:33:22] chris: Yeah. 

[00:33:22] Steph: So these were the, the mountain parties that we used during World War ii by down to airmen, refugees, anyone is having to escape over the mountains.

[00:33:33] Steph: So we followed really closely through on some of those tracks. So it had that real to the kind of, that link with that military side of it, which obviously for us as an organization for FWC is, is really big. But also then that kind of idea of this using the freedom trails and me riding as we were talking about that, that freedom that riding gives and yeah.

[00:33:54] Steph: So five days long, long days in the saddle from France, finishing in Spain. 

[00:33:59] chris: Yeah. [00:34:00] What, so the, the horses that you used, I'm assuming they were local horses? 

[00:34:05] Steph: Yes. 

[00:34:07] chris: How did that go about? 

[00:34:09] Steph: So 

[00:34:09] chris: do you have, have to have a bond with it beforehand? How did you match the rider to the, to the horse? 

[00:34:16] The Mérens Horses

[00:34:16] Steph: Yeah, so that's really interesting.

[00:34:17] Steph: So, so the horses are called Mérens. That's the breed. They're actually the native breed of the Pyrenees. I've actually now got one at home. I've imported one over last year. That's my baby. That's the youngster I've got, and that's how much I fell in love with the breed. Yeah. But these horses, basically, they grow up for the first three years, semi wild in the mountains.

[00:34:35] Steph: And their breeder, amazing guy called Govan, who breeds them, basically they're, they're kept in this herd of a hundred and they grew up in the mountains so they can really learn how to be surefooted, how to be adaptable. And then he, and then he uses some of those for trekking. So it was him, he was our provider for that challenge.

[00:34:54] Steph: So he provided all the horses and, and coordinated the, the trip for us. And no, we had never met the horses until [00:35:00] we went there and we rocked up at his, the kind of bunkhouse thing, and we met the horses. Bear in mind, none of those horses ever seen a wheelchair before either. And a wheelchair to a, to a horse first on this ear is really quite scary because it's, you know, why is that person sat in something that's wheeling around?

[00:35:15] Steph: It's quite an odd concept for a horse, especially a horse that isn't even, you know, these horses live in the mountains, are only ridden in the mountains. And I can remember the first day when the, they were being brought down to where we were and a couple of the girls were leading them in, and the horses at the front saw me in this wheelchair and of oh my word.

[00:35:34] Steph: They were absolutely terrified. And I sat there and thought, how am I gonna ride for the next five days on one of these horses that can't even bear to be anywhere near me? But horses are incredible, like, incredible creatures. It took to, you know, it was, it was like 20 minutes later, they were all used to me rolling around by them.

[00:35:56] Steph: Amazing Govan paired us up. So each one of the team that were out there with [00:36:00] me, we were all paired up of a, with a horse for the trip. I dunno how he got that right. But he did. And uh, yeah. And they were just incredible. Absolutely amazing horses 

[00:36:11] chris: tell, but yeah. 

[00:36:12] Steph: Yeah. Did, 

[00:36:13] chris: did it take, how long did it take to kinda get used to riding?

[00:36:17] chris: Did that come quite quickly or was there any quirks for it? You had to adapt? 

[00:36:21] Steph: So, no. So the tack is slightly different. So the saddles they're riding is slightly different because they're kind of used for trekking and they've got the, you, you have the bags on the back. So that's slightly different to our English style of riding.

[00:36:32] Steph: The horses themselves, they're trained in the same way that English horses over here are. So I'm very used to riding lots of different horses. It doesn't worry me getting on a new horse, but it doesn't take long to be honest. I mean, they know. They know how to handle themselves in the mountains, so mm-hmm.

[00:36:48] Steph: You kind of, you, you trust in them. The fact that when you're going up and down these steep tracks, you trust in them that they know how to do that, and you've got to just be the best rider you can be to support that. Yeah. So, you know, being [00:37:00] balanced yourself, making sure that you are not interfering with the way they're walking, but also, you know, guiding them and making sure that they're not rushing.

[00:37:07] Steph: But there's definitely, um, a lot more trust in, in the fact that these horses know how to look after themselves in the mountains. 

[00:37:14] Adapted Tack & Riding Gear

[00:37:14] chris: And Steph, see, from your own personal perspective, do you have to have any sort of adapted saddle or reigns or anything like that? How does that work? Or customers? 

[00:37:23] Steph: Yeah, just my res, yeah, just my reins.

[00:37:25] Steph: So, because I've only got, so I've got full use in my left hand, but I've only got partial use in my right hand. So on my right hand, my thumb works, but none of the fingers have got any movement whatsoever. So I've still got my fingers, but they don't, they're just there. They, they can't do anything. So because of that, I ride in a splint.

[00:37:43] Steph: So it's like a fixed splint that puts my hand sort of into this position. And then I have reigns that are made for me and they're loops. So, so on the, um, on the left hand side are, are my normal reigns for the hand that works. And on the right hand side I have these loops on it, and it means I just sort of hook [00:38:00] the, the splint into them.

[00:38:02] Steph: But other than that, I don't have any other adapt options. I ride in a standard saddle. There's no other, uh, I don't need anything extra. But yeah, I take my reins wherever I'm riding if I'm riding another horse. And that's what I have. 

[00:38:15] Day One on the Trail

[00:38:15] chris: Yeah. Fantastic. Uh, coming back to the expedition, what, what was it like on your first day when you got into the saddle, when you were away?

[00:38:22] chris: Well, you know, how much excitement, nerves, all that good stuff. Fear, anxiety. 

[00:38:28] Steph: Oh, so much, so much. Believe it or not, the, the actual riding bit wasn't the bit that made me nervous or, or anything flying as a wheelchair. Still, I absolutely hate it. And I've flown a couple of times now. I really hate flying a wheelchair.

[00:38:44] Steph: That was the first time I was gonna be flying since being in a wheelchair. It was also the first time I was going away without my husband there for support. So my husband is normally, you know, because if I'm riding somewhere else, he can he'll get, and when I'm riding my own horse, he picks me up, puts me in the saddle.

[00:38:57] Steph: You know, he'd, I definitely had that. [00:39:00] He's my kind of comfort blanket, you know? Mm-hmm. In those early days. And suddenly I'm away with a team of seven incredible women, ab all, obviously all military wives. Um, and they were unbelievably amazing. Like while we, but just so fantastic, every single one of them.

[00:39:18] Steph: But obviously for me it was really scary. I was going overseas, um, you know, doing all these things. The actual riding didn't worry as much, but it was kind of that first day. There's always this, when you get on a horse for the first time. As a wheelchair user because I have to be lifted into the saddle.

[00:39:35] Steph: It's quite different for a horse getting on in comparison to an able-bodied rider just, you know, hopping on. So, you know, that first day we, me and my team had worked out this way of getting me up into the horse. We've practiced lots on my horse in the run up to it, but they kind of have to, so I have one either side of me and then one with the wheelchair, and we kind of use a sling under me, and then we count to three and then one beside, and they kind of use the sling to hoist me up.

[00:39:59] Steph: I kind of [00:40:00] sort of jump forward and then we swing my leg over. So I, I've never had an issue with a horse. Having trouble getting used to it. But normally the first time you do it, they go, oh my God, what are you doing? And they're like, legs clattering, because this, this person's been thrown at their side.

[00:40:16] Steph: So that happened the very first day I went to get on and this happened and the horse boot, and they had to get me back down into my wheelchair. And I can remember sitting there going, if I can't get on, I can't, if I can't get on the horse, there's nothing feel like, you know, what am I gonna do? So at that point I was, yeah, the anxiety levels were really high, but these horses are amazing.

[00:40:36] Steph: Second try stood still, he stood still, and then that was it. He, he never had a problem since soon as he knew what was going on. And, and I find this a lot with horses, soon as they work it out and they go, oh, okay, this is just a bit different. She's getting on a different way than they just manage it. 

[00:40:49] chris: Wow.

[00:40:49] chris: Wow. What was your days like then on trail in terms of weather and experience and stuff like that? What was, what was it like? 

[00:40:56] Weather, Teamwork & Trust

[00:40:56] Steph: The weather was very much similar to my Scotland [00:41:00] experience. It was either so hot that it was like heatwave hot. Or it was so cold and wet. Um, I, temperature and weather is a really, really big consideration for me.

[00:41:13] Steph: My body can't regulate its own temperature, so I am either normally extremely hot or extremely cold. I mentioned earlier I could have seizures, functional seizures, they can be brought on a lot by different temperature changes my body not managing it. And obviously I can't move around in the same way that, uh, other people do.

[00:41:29] Steph: So, you know, if you are cold you might stand on the salt and sort of move side to side. Jog about, walk about. I don't have that and especially in the mountains. 'cause mountains are not wheelchair accessible. So it'd be kind of, they'd get me off the horse and put me in my wheelchair at the camp where we were, but then that would be it.

[00:41:43] Steph: I wouldn't then be able to move around 'cause I'm on a mountainous environment, so I have no ability to be able to get, get myself warm. So when I get, we were very aware of the fact that when I got wet and cold. Like that, that potentially is like game changing for me, that that's expedition ending. [00:42:00] So luckily, you know, we were aware of this and we were very, very prepared, but it was tough, really tough.

[00:42:06] Steph: The Monday was kind of actually fine weather, so it was quite a nice introduction. The second day was very, very hot and I ended up quite poorly in the evening. Um, then started again on the Wednesday and that was the longest day in the saddle and that was the steepest thing. Pine. That was when we were going up to the highest mountain that we were going to, and it was, oh, the weather and the higher we went, the worse it got and it was absolutely torrential.

[00:42:31] Steph: And then it was a, and then we were racing. Its time because we were aware of the fact there was a thunder and lightning storm coming and we needed to get to the top of the mountain to set up camp. Prior to this storm coming in and it was, yeah, it was a tough, it was a really tough day and it was kind of, everything was soaked or, you know, every part of us was wet.

[00:42:50] Steph: And then, like, you can't, obviously intense, you can't then get dry. So like, getting up the next morning and our gloves being soaked and our boots, you know, like even though we had great kit, it doesn't [00:43:00] matter. You can't, you just can't. It's no around that. But yeah, so it was, it was a challenge, but I mean, what a challenge.

[00:43:08] Steph: Time to end up being that's a 

[00:43:09] chris: problem. Danger if that doesn't happen. It's not really an expedition, is 

[00:43:13] Steph: it? It's not. It's not. 'cause those are the things that, they're the things that test you. They're the things that, and, and especially as a team, I think they're the things that kind of, they give, you know, these things at test.

[00:43:24] Steph: You give you the opportunity to be able to be a team and be able to kind of pull together and, and I mean, it was. The kind of teamwork aspect of it was incredible because on, let's say the Monday and the Tuesday, so that the first and the second day, it was all very, everything was spoken. So it was like, um, so Heather would would say, right, I'm getting the wheelchair off the back of the pat pony.

[00:43:44] Steph: And then Robin might say, right, you and m get step off, or, you know, so it was all very kind of, we, everything was spoken, everything was deliberate. And then I realized on the Wednesday that there was no words suddenly everyone just was just had found their part. [00:44:00] And then suddenly it was like, oh, okay. You know, the girls would just be there, ready to get me on and off.

[00:44:05] Steph: And we didn't need to talk it through anymore because all of a sudden we had this incredible teamwork that just kind of pulled together. Everyone found their place, whether that was supporting me, but also just everything else, you know, because we still had a whole team of ponies to look after a camps, you know, camps to, to deal with as well as ourselves, making sure that we were all well.

[00:44:23] Steph: And then obviously my, my health and and disability on top of that. 

[00:44:29] chris: How, how many were in the team, Steph? Was it like five or eight or something? 

[00:44:33] Steph: Eight of us all together. Eight. Um, and then we had one reserve who didn't come with us because the, the whole eight of us went. 

[00:44:40] chris: Yeah. 

[00:44:40] Steph: And that, yeah. So they were just an incredible team.

[00:44:44] chris: Yeah. And who actually planned all the expedition? Did, did y'all plan it together or did you have an expedition leader or military leaves or military leaves? 

[00:44:54] Steph: Yeah. So, um, so it was my, my kind of my, my creation that was my baby. The expedition was [00:45:00] Ride to Freedom, but I, I worked really closely with Heather, who's our founder and obviously is who I still work really, really close with our CEO.

[00:45:06] Steph: And then we also had someone called Ronnie who took on the team leader role whilst we were, whilst we're on expedition. 'cause it is really, really important that you have one person that kind of is able to take a step back and, you know, have that oversight on safety and, and the realities of what's going on logistically.

[00:45:23] Steph: So it was between the three of us, that's how we planned the expedition. Then we used an application process, put it out to our members so that, to the Adventure Wise members for them to apply. And that's how the other girls in the team were selected. 

[00:45:36] chris: Fantastic. And did it all go to plan in terms of your, well obviously it did to your objectives were, were, were met.

[00:45:43] chris: You, you, you completed it, which was incredible. Yes. What, uh, what were your highlights through throughout? Or, or was there any, the weather being a bit of a low light, but how did it, did it go out to as to plan as you would expect it? 

[00:45:57] Steph: Yeah, I think, yeah, I mean, it did, yeah. [00:46:00] Like you say, we achieved what we wanted to.

[00:46:01] Steph: I think it was far more successful for so many reasons than I anticipated it would be. Like I said, the kind of impact when I came back and I was talking to people about it, I just, I just didn't realize that it, that what we were doing would impact other people as well. Sort of, I went into it feeling very, it was something I was doing for myself and, and for the, for the team of Adventure Wise.

[00:46:22] A Day Without the Wheelchair

[00:46:22] Steph: But actually I, I realized that through it suddenly this was having a massive impact on other people, this kind of inspiration bit and this and this awareness. And so that was all far more important than I imagined it would. Um, the kind of, the highlights were out there, I suppose. The Wednesday that I was talking about, the really, really awful weather day, the longest day in the mountains, we realized when we got to the end of the day that my, so my wheelchair would be, as I say, strapped to the pat pony.

[00:46:53] Steph: Anytime we had to stop, whether that was the lu break food, whatever that might be, the girls would have to get the wheelchair off the pat [00:47:00] pony, get me off the horse, put, you know, into the water bra. And then the same, so e each of the two days before, we'd done that multiple times in the day. And then on that Wednesday when it came to our first stop, we'd found this really convenient log next to this beautiful waterfall.

[00:47:15] Steph: And we sort of said, oh, actually we could just get me straight off and sit me on that log instead of the wheelchair. Then we don't have to unstrap the wheelchair. And that wasn't kind of very deliberately done. It was just a bit of, I suppose, I suppose a little bit of laziness if we don't have, if you don't have to keep strapping and, and unstrap in this wheelchair.

[00:47:31] Steph: But then throughout the day, every time we stopped, we realized we, we kind of didn't do it on purpose, but actually didn't get me off into my wheelchair. The next one was getting me off onto like the edge of a, this, this sort of rock thing. And I sat there and it wasn't till the end of the day when we were sitting in that tent knackered, freezing wet that we realized that I had from the minute they, the girls had got me in the saddle in the morning.

[00:47:54] Steph: So out of my wheelchair in the morning, from the minute we'd got me in to the minute we finished at camp that night, [00:48:00] you know, and got me off for the last time. I hadn't been in my wheelchair once that day. And it might not sound like a massive thing, but for someone who is dependent on a wheelchair, I had spent like nine hours out without even using it once.

[00:48:16] chris: Wow. 

[00:48:16] Steph: And that was really, really, really profound for me and for the rest of the team as well. 

[00:48:21] chris: Uh, and pretty harsh terrain. That's harsh enough for people that are able bodied. That's, yeah, that's just man. Yeah. It's almost like the wheelchair was an afterthought and it was just Yeah. 

[00:48:31] Steph: Totally 

[00:48:32] chris: incredible.

[00:48:32] Steph: Totally. Which is amazing. 

[00:48:35] Crossing into Spain

[00:48:35] chris: Yeah. What, what was it like when you finished, when you, when you crossed into Spain? 

[00:48:40] Steph: Well, when we crossed down in Spain, I remember it was actually the sun came out and as we were riding off, um, off the mountain, down down, you know, we'd cross the border and we'd we'd, which was really strange in itself, crossing the border.

[00:48:54] Steph: 'cause it literally is, we crossed the border over this mountain and there's literally like a little sign that is like [00:49:00] basically saying it's the border. We just sort of, we just like ride across it. And it was really strange. I, in my head, I had this real kind of feeling that it would be this really, like, wow.

[00:49:10] Steph: Like how, look, how obvious it is that we're crossing the mountain over the board. It really wasn't, it was literally a bit of like a, a little sign that sort of either side. But after that, we then rode off and down the mountains and I was, uh, right in the very front. Govan was behind somewhere, all the other girls behind me.

[00:49:27] Steph: And I was, I was, I was right at the very front and I turned around to look at, look at the, my team member who's right behind me. And as I looked round, the sun was shining and I saw the mountain that we'd just come off of. And I realized in that minute that that was, that I'd, that we'd done it, that we'd done it.

[00:49:45] Steph: And it was like this really impacting moment where, and I just cried. I just sat there riding down, just crying, going, I can't actually believe we did it. And it was that real realization of we actually have managed it. We achieved it. [00:50:00]

[00:50:00] chris: Yeah. 

[00:50:00] Steph: And that, that feeling was just, as I say, it sticks with me now if I really think about it.

[00:50:05] Steph: Yeah. It's just, it was a really, really, it's phenomenal, important moment. 

[00:50:08] chris: I think Definitely like, like doing it. It's phenomenal, you know. For so many reasons, but the old saying or the old aide, like going up a mountain is, it's optional, but, you know, coming back down, it's obligatory. You know, you have to, and it's the hard to start of doing that and then coming back down, completing it, you know, and everything that goes with it and mean, it's more than profound.

[00:50:30] chris: It's just, it's, it's incredible achievement. So, and it's, yeah, it's, it's so inspiring. It just, it, it really is. 'cause I mean, and looking back, it must have been, it must have been awestruck, just looking back in the sense of a, a sense of achievement. Yeah. And 

[00:50:43] Steph: yeah, 

[00:50:44] chris: just the mind must be opening up what, what, what is, what more he can do next, what, what is next?

[00:50:49] chris: If you've just done that, that's wonderful. 

[00:50:51] Steph: Yeah, yeah. Exactly. Exactly. And I think, yeah, when we, it didn't take long when we got home and kind of came down off of the, the high of that adventure, [00:51:00] which I found out is a real, you do really get a low after an exhibition like this, you get this kind of, because if you've been working towards it for so long.

[00:51:08] Steph: And then you get this kind of, well, I've achieved it now. And then you get this real kind of this blues, this expedition blues. And it was, it was after that that I kind of went, okay, what's next? You know, I could have at that point been like, that was great. Achieved that, and now I'll just go back to normal life.

[00:51:21] Steph: But I was like, actually, that was really amazing, but what's next? 

[00:51:26] chris: Yeah. 

[00:51:27] Steph: And that was where my head went. 

[00:51:28] What's Next: Equine Para Adventures

[00:51:28] chris: Yeah. And, uh, so, so what, what, 

[00:51:34] Steph: yeah. So, um, so I decided, uh, in my wisdom that like, that wasn't clearly hard enough that expedition. So I said that the next one would be even bit bigger and even better and even more challenging.

[00:51:47] Steph: But yeah, I. I kind of had in my head that I wanted to do something bigger and, and, and, and, and, but also on top of that, I think I mentioned earlier that I didn't realize how much of an [00:52:00] impact, um, Ride to Freedom would have on other people. So I was really fortunate in that I got some opportunities to speak with people at different events and share the journey, share what that's shown, and kind of use that as a lento.

[00:52:13] Steph: And, and what was amazing was how, um, it impacted, so those with disabilities, uh, people maybe that had been riders and were disabled, couldn't imagine having this again in their life, but also, uh, people that were, you know, able-bodied people, maybe not even riders, but this kind of inspiration to go and, and do something amazing.

[00:52:33] Steph: And me and my husband sort of sat back and, and said, well, there's gotta be something more to this. And for me, obviously my passion is riding. My passion is give. It is. Is this. Opportunity for an adventure outside of what can be generally offered at the moment. Because actually, if you're a disabled person, that's a capable horse rider.

[00:52:53] Steph: There isn't a huge amount on offer to you at the moment. I'm very lucky that I have my own horse to get back on again. If I [00:53:00] didn't, this would be a very different situation because pri pre-disability, I was a capable rider. You know, competing, jumping, doing all these different things I wouldn't have wanted to then if my only option was to ride a kind of riding school horse, being led round in a school, I just wouldn't have done it.

[00:53:17] Steph: 'cause that wouldn't have felt, it just wouldn't have been me, you know? So. I kind of started looking into it and, and realized that there really isn't much for people like me. So people that have been, that are capable horse riders, that want to go and do something adventurous with it, do something amazing with it, do something out of the mainstream, what's offered at the moment.

[00:53:36] Steph: And that's where the idea for creating Equine Para Adventures came from. And then it kind of brought together these two ideas, this, well, in the future I want to offer this to other riders like me. And actually we need this big flagship expedition to, to put us on the map, make ourselves known, so that we can then offer the back of that offer, uh, offer adventures to other [00:54:00] riders like me.

[00:54:01] Ride to Independence: The Andes 2027

[00:54:01] chris: Fantastic. And it's, what is it, Equine Para Adventures? 

[00:54:04] Steph: Yes. Yeah, yeah. So we're a nonprofit, uh, a registered CIC, both our flagship expedition was supposed to be this February just gone. Fortunately, and this has been a really hard year. I've been talking about not backs. Three weeks before we were due to go.

[00:54:22] Steph: So I've got an amazing team of five women coming with me. Um, and I can talk a little bit about the actual expedition itself, but we've been, you know, preparing and training for two years for this. And three weeks before we were due to fly, I was taken suddenly really, really unwell. Um, and ended up in hospital mtu surgery and that I, and that was exactly three weeks before we were due to go.

[00:54:43] Steph: It was, yeah. So I'm still sort of recovering from that, but we had no choice. I was never gonna be well enough. Unfortunately, we had no choice but to postpone. Yeah. So we are still doing the expedition. It's called Ride to Independence. We [00:55:00] are booked to go next year. So now we are back on countdown to February, 2027.

[00:55:04] chris: Excellent. Do you want I, I, I know what it is 'cause I've kind of seen it in research it, but do, do you want to talk about it or. 

[00:55:11] Steph: Yeah. So, so yes. Very exciting. So we are going to, um, ride the Andes on horseback. Yeah. So we are starting in Argentina. We are riding for seven days across the mountains, uh, finishing in Chile.

[00:55:24] Steph: Uh, we're following a, a historic route. Um, and it's gonna be, I said I wanted challenging. It's gonna be very challenging. We've got the added, added complexity of riding an altitude. So we ride up to 4,400 meters and yet seven days out in the mountains, we won't have any. So we've, we've got an amazing provider who's enabling us to do it with the horses and, and, and the guides.

[00:55:48] Steph: We won't have any support vehicles, so everything we will have for the week, including all the tents and everything, and my wheelchair again, will be carried with mules that accompany us. And then it's sort of three, three quarters of the route [00:56:00] is down Argentina side. And then we have to. Stop at the border.

[00:56:04] Steph: We have to get off of the team of horses and, and unpack the mules on one side of the border because the horse's mules can't be taken over the border. So then we cross on fert or by wheels, um, across the border, and then we start again with a new team of horses and mules, chili side to finish the route that we're doing.

[00:56:22] chris: Wow. 

[00:56:24] Steph: Yeah. 

[00:56:26] chris: Mental. What, uh, whatcha doing for out training? Are you gonna kind there? 

[00:56:31] Steph: Well, we've, we've got a couple of days out there ahead to acclimatize, 

[00:56:35] chris: acclimatize. 

[00:56:36] Steph: We have been working hard, all of us individually on, on kind of making sure that we are as fit as we can be on a cardio perspective. We are, we've kind of, obviously, because we were prepared and already to go.

[00:56:48] chris: Yeah. 

[00:56:49] Steph: Which unfortunately it's, it's, it was just absolutely gusting that it was so late in there. But my team were amazing. So understanding, I mean, there was nothing that could be done. But yeah, so we were all kind of individually 'cause we're scattered all [00:57:00] over the uk and we've got one, one of our team members is actually in Canada, so we're kind of scattered all over.

[00:57:06] Steph: So we've been coming together for team weekends, but other than that, we've all been individually working on getting ourselves in the best possible fitness, doing breath work, things like that. 

[00:57:15] chris: Wow. 

[00:57:16] Steph: Just making sure that we were, we were as prepared as we could be. 

[00:57:20] chris: That sounds sounds like a, an epic adventure.

[00:57:23] chris: Oh 

[00:57:24] Steph: yeah. It's, it's, um, it's really exciting. It's really exciting. It's gonna be, um, it's a huge, it's a huge challenge. Um, obviously never been attempted, uh, by someone disabled, a power equestrian. Never been, never been attempted by a disabled rider. So, um, kind of, uh, aiming for that second Worlds first, and that feels really powerful.

[00:57:46] Steph: I think this is, it's a really exciting, I mean, I've still got, I've still got a manager. But I'm absolutely confident I'll, it's gonna be really, really testing. 

[00:57:56] chris: Yeah. 

[00:57:56] Steph: But I have got, like I say, the team that I've got coming out with [00:58:00] me, um, are just great. And I just know that, you know, I'm gonna be in the best possible place to be able to achieve it.

[00:58:06] Steph: Yeah. Because of the support I've got and all the preparation that's gone into it. 

[00:58:10] Inspiring Others to Adventure

[00:58:10] chris: Yeah. Well, yeah, good luck. I hope it all falls into place. Thank you. We can maybe chat about that in future. That sounds, yes. Sounds absolutely wonderful. Is see you coming back to the Equine Para Adventures at Steph. Is that to, is the intent there to inspire others to, to show people what's possible?

[00:58:28] chris: Or are you also inviting other, uh, kinda wheelchair dependent people to come and get involved in adventures? 

[00:58:37] Steph: Yes, they're both. Um, so this flagship expedition, ride to Independence will be the thing that hopefully gets our name out there, gets us because we are a nonprofit, gets us the support, the funding will need to then run the, you know, continue forward with it.

[00:58:51] Steph: And like you say, it's that inspiration piece. It's that raising awareness and then showing what is possible. Our, kind of, our tagline is showing that the [00:59:00] impossible is possible. Yeah. Because actually if you look at, let's say, ride to Independence, you know, look at it from the outside, it absolutely does not look possible when you kind of just put it in simple words like a wheelchair user, all of this, you know, in this, on this really extreme, harsh terrain and all that.

[00:59:16] Steph: You, you could look at that and go, that's not even, it's not gonna happen. But actually with all the things that we've put in place with the, with the support and determination that we are making it possible. So there's, there's definitely that side of it. But what we are planning to do when we come back is then run smaller, um, slightly less challenging expeditions for other disabled riders.

[00:59:39] Steph: So the plan will be to go back out to France, um, Govan, who is who was our guide for Ride to Freedom and who, as I say, I've got this, uh, still got this, um, communication with, because I've brought a horse with him last year. We will be, I will be taking other disabled riders over to France to do sort of three day treks with him on his horses.

[00:59:56] Steph: And it won't just be wheelchair dependent, uh, riders. That could be [01:00:00] whatever that disability looks like to them. 

[01:00:02] chris: Yeah, 

[01:00:02] Steph: but that will be for riders that are capable riders. So, you know, not, not beginner riders. It'll be people that maybe they rode before disability, maybe they're, they've been disabled and they're a rider, disabled person.

[01:00:14] Steph: But, but the kind of key is those that want something more than what is currently on offer at the moment in the uk. And that's, that's what we'll be doing. So, we'll, we'll do some bits in the UK as well, training weekends, things like that. Pull a team together with the aim of then taking people over to France and, and giving them the opportunity to do something absolutely epic like I've had.

[01:00:37] Steph: 'cause it is, it has been life changing. Yeah. And I just want other people to have that as well. Why shouldn't they? 

[01:00:43] chris: Yeah, exactly. And, and likewise, you know, it's easy for me to say in a different, different position, but that's why the show exists as well. Just for people of, you know, any, any, you know, any adventure, any vocation.

[01:00:55] chris: Yeah. Able bodied that are otherwise to be inspired and show what's [01:01:00] possible. Because you touched on something earlier about it, it could be easy to fall into the trap of poor me. And it's easy, like, it's easy for me to say I can't relate. But by doing what you're doing and listening to conversations like this, you can see what's possible and the things that you're building as well.

[01:01:18] chris: It's adventure is accessible and arguably doing. Harder things than some able bodied people, should I say so? 

[01:01:26] Steph: Yes. So yeah, that is true. That is true. 

[01:01:28] chris: Yeah. 

[01:01:28] Steph: But it's, it's iss like you said, um, it's about inspiring everyone as well. Yeah. I mean obviously a disabled rider can directly relate to, to that kind of feeling of riding in this, but actually come away from the horses, come away from the disability in that.

[01:01:42] Steph: Exactly what you were just saying. That you are, what you wanna do is show people what's out there and actually, because it would be so easy for all of us to go into that. I don't, it's a bit scary, it's a bit too much. I'm not gonna do it. But until you put yourself in a position where you are challenging yourself, where you're pushing your boundaries, where [01:02:00] you are doing something that's a little bit scary, you're not gonna, um, ex you're not gonna have that experience.

[01:02:04] Steph: You're not gonna grow. And I think that that's, that's really important. And that's, that's kind of, it's regardless whether I'm disabled or not, that is the same attitude, isn't it? That if you look at anyone in adventure that's going out and doing things like this, that is that same attitude. That enables these things to happen.

[01:02:21] chris: Exactly. And, and it goes a step further as well, Steph, it's like the community aspect of this. It's like, you know, and people can start enabling you in a good way and they can start keeping me accountable and it's like trying new things. Some things it might be hard, some things it might, and that's a relative thing to each individual, but it's just, yeah, it's, it's living with more intent, being intentional about these things and having experiences that fill your heart and, and, uh, and your mind.

[01:02:50] Steph: Yeah. And, and, and having a goal, having something to work towards. Having something on the horizon that makes you want to get up and, and carry on. [01:03:00] Because, you know, we all struggle with different things in life and we, it would be very easy to feel sorry for ourselves, for whatever's going on, whatever our own individual challenges are, but having something.

[01:03:11] Steph: You can work towards. Obviously I'm a real believer in being outdoors and obviously the animal side of things, but you know, you talk to anyone that spends their time outdoors, they'll say the same thing. That it's that mental wellbeing, that kind of mental health benefit of being outdoors and, and being in nature and, and whatever that looks like for you, whether that's a walk in the park or whether there's a walk up a mountain.

[01:03:31] chris: Yeah. 

[01:03:31] Steph: There are so many benefits, but you do have to want it. 

[01:03:36] chris: Yeah. Uh, yeah, exactly. Exactly. Uh, here, here, uh, this has been absolutely wonderful. It's been, it's been what I wanted and more from this conversation and I, and I really hope people are gonna really pay attention to this. It's been fantastic, Steve.

[01:03:52] Steph: Thank you. 

[01:03:53] Pay It Forward: Adaptive Grand Slam

[01:03:53] chris: With that, we, we'll move into the closing traditions, respect for the Time. Closing Traditions is three called Adventure. [01:04:00] Pay it Forward, and then there's some 10 questions, quick fire, fun that you haven't seen. So that's a bit of a surprise, but it's just, just for a bit of fun. Okay, we'll start with first, with a pay forward.

[01:04:11] chris: It's an opportunity to raise awareness for the charity project or something that's important to you to get people to give a platform for people to get involved. So what would you say is a pay forward recommendation? 

[01:04:25] Steph: So I. For me. So this is an organization called Adaptive Grand Slam. They have a foundation side of it, which is a charitable side of their organization.

[01:04:33] Steph: They, uh, the Adaptive Grand Slam is about, um, enabling disabled people to have adventures, but they've also got this foundation side of it where they support disabled people going on expeditions and things. They actually funded, uh, I was very lucky that they gave me a grant funding for my wheelchair that came over the Pyrenees with me and which will come to the Andes with me.

[01:04:55] Steph: And they are, they enabled that to happen Without that specific wheelchair, lightweight [01:05:00] wheelchair, I would not have gone across Pyrenees. And they're doing incredible things. So they, they, they do these real big extreme adventures with, with disabled people, but also then do things closer to home. So they would be the, they're the ones that I, I would love people to look into.

[01:05:14] Steph: Adaptive Ground slam. They are doing incredible things. 

[01:05:18] Call to Adventure: Get on a Horse

[01:05:18] chris: Yeah. Excellent. Thank. Thank you. Adaptive Grand Slam. Excellent. We'll get that listed. So next our call to adventure. So a recommendation for a place or an activity or something to inspire people to do something adventurous. So what would you say is a call to adventure?

[01:05:33] Steph: So, uh, for me it's obviously, I, I want people to go and experience what it's like to be around horses because I think, like you said, you know, you've never been on a horse, but you absolutely, you might not love it, but you absolutely might. And I think there's so many opportunities out there to go and just be around animals or ride or whatever that looks like.

[01:05:52] Steph: Um, and actually there's so many incredible places in the UK where you can ride. We, one of our training weekends [01:06:00] that we did a couple of times was in Wales, a place called Cross Whale Riding sas, this tiny little trekking riding tables nestled away Wales. And you literally can ride and be on the side of this mountain and you can feel like you're a million miles away from, you know, normal life.

[01:06:15] Steph: And actually, you know, so many of these track centers cater for people that are new to riding all the way to people that are, that are, um, are very competent riders. So for me, it's. Yeah, just give it a go. You can try it once. You might hate it, but you absolutely might get something from it. 

[01:06:31] chris: Yeah. Excellent.

[01:06:32] chris: I love it. It's, uh, get on a horse. I mean, like I said, I, I booked something today and it's three months away and I'm, I'm so excited about it. It just, I love that epic, epic up through the Rockies. And then, uh, I cook out after that. I can't wait. So, yeah. Horse, I mean, that sounds 

[01:06:46] Steph: exciting. Yeah. Yeah. Just get on a horse.

[01:06:48] Steph: That's my, that's my go get on a horse. Why not? 

[01:06:50] chris: Yeah, and I'm taking my wife and my, my daughter on it. My wife's a bit, uh, I, I'm not quite sure what she makes of it yet because she's never been on a horse either, so, 

[01:06:59] Steph: really we'll see. [01:07:00]

[01:07:00] chris: Yeah, my little girl has, we've taken her like a trek a couple of times, just places, but it's been like, I know we're here and there when we've been away at Adventure places around the uk, so, but 

[01:07:10] Steph: that is so exciting.

[01:07:12] Steph: I can't wait to, uh, hear how that goes. 

[01:07:14] chris: Yeah, well, the time this episode goes live, it might just, we might just be, or this will be out before that actually, but it'll be around about the same time, so people are listening. You'll see it all being well, that I'm not talking rubbish, and I might be absolutely resorted with it.

[01:07:28] chris: Or terrified. 

[01:07:30] Steph: Yeah. And that, yeah. Well, I'd probably go one way or the other, so that'll be interesting to see which. 

[01:07:34] 10 Quickfire Questions

[01:07:34] chris: Excellent. Right. And finally, just to close out, uh, Steph Quin control 10 questions and quickfire. You can pass if you, you want, but try not to. It's not fun. 

[01:07:45] Steph: Okay. 

[01:07:46] chris: So, uh, so que question one of 10.

[01:07:50] chris: You can have a dinner party with two guests, dead or alive. Who would they be? 

[01:07:56] Steph: Goodness, the queen. Right? And that's because she was the [01:08:00] most exceptional horse woman ever. Clearly everything's gonna be about horses with me, isn't it? Like, I think there's a theme here. So the queen would absolutely, I would love to sit down with her and and talk horses and oh my God, who else?

[01:08:12] Steph: Dinner. Her lives probably. I've got so many, like, again, it's horses I think gets drawn to horses. Like there's some top inventers that I follow that I absolutely love. So Zara Tyle, for example, she's incredible. So I'd probably have someone like that, but that purely be so I can sit and talk horses over the entire dinner.

[01:08:30] Steph: Yeah. 

[01:08:31] chris: Excellent. Number two, do you have a hidden talent? 

[01:08:36] Steph: Oh, goodness, no. Wow. No, I talk a lot. You might be able to get that. I'd say that's a talent, but I don't think anyone else would. Yeah. 

[01:08:43] chris: Oh, that's possible. Number three. If you could snap your fingers and be anywhere, where would you go? 

[01:08:49] Steph: Oh,

[01:08:52] Steph: I think anywhere. Oh my word. Do you? I'd go back to the Pyrenees. I would. 

[01:08:58] chris: Wonderful. Wonderful. 

[01:08:59] Steph: I would, [01:09:00]

[01:09:00] chris: number four, sunrise or sunset, 

[01:09:03] Steph: sunrise. Love. You know that sunrise in the morning. Yeah. Looking at the day ahead. 

[01:09:09] chris: Right. So number five, if Bubba could talk, what would, what would she say to you? 

[01:09:14] Steph: Oh, my word.

[01:09:14] Steph: So she is so unbelievably protective over B, so it wouldn't be what she says to me. It would be what she says to everyone else. So she like doesn't let the other horses near me if she's in one of a funny mood. So she'd be telling her little brothers off and reminding them to behave and look after me because she doesn't let anyone get in the way of mommy, basically.

[01:09:33] chris: Ah, that's amazing. How intelligent. Yeah, it really is. 

[01:09:35] Steph: So intelligent. 

[01:09:37] chris: Number six, what is your favorite?

[01:09:42] Steph: I like the Phillipa Gregory series. I've got a little bit of a hidden Liket history, passion, so one of her books. 

[01:09:49] chris: Cool. Cool. Number seven. What was the first album that you bought? 

[01:09:54] Steph: Oh my word. Do you know what it'll be one of the now ones, but this would be showing my age if I said which one it [01:10:00] was. I don't even know what number it's on.

[01:10:01] Steph: It's probably on like number 180 or something. I'm sure it was like maybe now 70 or something. Yeah. 

[01:10:08] chris: Okay. Yeah. Be with that. Uh, number eight, what scares you? 

[01:10:15] Steph: What scare me? Change, believe it or not, change. 

[01:10:18] chris: Okay. 

[01:10:18] Steph: Yeah. I struggle with change, but yeah. 

[01:10:20] chris: Yeah. Uh, number nine, what makes you happy? 

[01:10:27] Steph: My favorite thing in the world is being at the stables with the horses with my son and watching hi watching him with them.

[01:10:33] Steph: That to me is just, I could do that all day long. 

[01:10:35] chris: I was gonna say is, is, is your son getting into horse riding and stuff? Yeah. 

[01:10:39] Steph: Yeah. He's not that bothered about the actual riding, but he just loves being up there with them and he has this incredible way of communicating. He's got a little rescue pony that he's working with, and I just, yeah, it makes me very happy watching them together.

[01:10:51] chris: Amazing. Amazing. And then number 10, and finally, what is the best advice that you have ever received? 

[01:10:58] Steph: That [01:11:00] however difficult the days are, however hard it can be, there is definitely light ahead and that you have to keep moving forward if you, if you can't see past that, you're never gonna move forward. So just keep looking for those tiny little bits of light.

[01:11:18] chris: This too shall pass. Yeah, it's mine. 

[01:11:20] Steph: Exactly. Exactly. 

[01:11:22] chris: Excellent, excellent. That as we've kinda come to today, and I've absolutely loved this. This has been absolutely wonderful. Wonderful. Steph. I, uh, yeah, we have, uh, yeah, no, I just, I'm just so inspired by this. I hope people really, I think your passion, your love, your, your, uh, horses and, and everything you're doing comes through.

[01:11:41] chris: It's just, it's wonderful. It really is. 

[01:11:43] Where to Find Stephanie

[01:11:43] Steph: Thank you. 

[01:11:44] chris: Where can, in the usual way that we close this out, where can everyone find out more about you and Equine Para Adventures as well? And, and look, uh, you know, the Forces Wife's challenge, so where can people, uh, go and find out more about all of that? 

[01:11:58] Steph: Yeah, so social's [01:12:00] the best place to look.

[01:12:01] Steph: So Instagram Forces Wives Challenges on there, and also Equine Para Adventures, same as Facebook and LinkedIn. And then on the website as well. So if you just Google Equine Para Adventures or Forces Wives Challenge, you'll come across the websites and, um, yeah. Can follow along with what, what we're up to. 

[01:12:16] chris: Yeah.

[01:12:16] chris: Excellent. And look out for what's happening in the Andes and uh, 

[01:12:20] Steph: exactly. Follow along. Yeah, yeah, follow along for the journey. 

[01:12:24] chris: Oh, brilliant. It's been an absolute pleasure chatting, Steph. Really, uh, thanks for coming on today. It's been, it's been a pleasure. 

[01:12:30] Steph: It's been great. Thank you so much. 

[01:12:32] Outro

[01:12:32] chris: And with that, I'll bring it to close.

[01:12:34] announcer: Thanks for tuning in to today's episode. For the show notes and further information, please visit adventure diaries.com/podcast. And finally, we hope to have inspired you to take action and plan your next adventure, big or small, because sometimes we all need a little adventure to cleanse that bitter taste of life from the soul.

[01:12:56] announcer: Until next time, have fun and keep paying it [01:13:00] forward.