113. Elise Wortley: Finding inspiration in nature

In this episode, Elise Wortley joins Sue Stockdale to discuss her adventure in the Canadian wilderness for the Channel 4 TV show "Alone". She shares her experience being dropped in the middle of nowhere and having to fend for herself in the wild. Elise reflects on the challenges and rewards of immersing herself in nature, including hunting for food and building shelter for the first time. Elise also talks about how reconnecting with nature can have a positive impact on our wellbeing and why she was inspired to start a project to follow in the footsteps of forgotten women adventurers.

About Elise Wortley
Elise Wortley is an adventurer, writer and presenter, on a mission to redefine what it means to be an explorer. Her on-going project, Woman with Altitude, has received widespread media attention and her writing has featured in outlets such as The Guardian and The Telegraph. Elise has presented on primetime BBC TV, is a fellow of the Royal Geographical Society and recently starred in Channel 4's new adventure series ALONE, becoming runner up in the ultimate test of endurance and ingenuity, in one of the most beautiful but challenging landscapes on earth.

Connect with Elise Wortley on website and Instagram

Key Quotes

• “One of the reasons I did Alone was to become fully immersed in nature and to just leave modern day life behind.”
• “ I decided to take a team of women with me to India because I wanted the trip to show other women that you can go on these adventures.”
• “ I used to see rain as horrible, but now I realise that it has a place in the ecosystem and I know how it feels to get as wet as the plants.”
• “ I learned that when I was in nature in the mountains or anywhere, even the park, I felt so much better.”
• “Nan Shepherd is all about not getting to the top of the mountain and just rushing to summit it, but experiencing it as a whole. The beauty that you can get out of just immersing yourself in nature.”
• “Sitting, doing nothing, we don't really do that in our normal lives.”
• “ I've learned to be a lot calmer because in London, everyone's rushing around.”
• “ I just want to inspire other people to go on adventures and get out there and not necessarily think you have to live by the normal ways.”

Time Stamps
[00:00:22] Alone in the Canadian wilderness.
[00:02:44] Being kind to yourself.
[00:05:02] Managing anxiety.
[00:11:31] Female explorers and empowering women.
[00:14:58] Nan Shepherd and The Living Mountain.
[00:19:18] Mental health and work-life balance.
[00:22:34] Who or what inspires you?
[00:24:04] Women with Altitude.

This series is kindly supported by Squadcast by Descript –the remote recording platform which empowers podcasters by capturing high-quality audio and video conversations.

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Producer: Sue Stockdale
Sound Editor: Matias De Ezcurra

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