Margie Goldsmith – Becoming a Badass: From Fearful to Fierce at 81 – Adventures, Confidence & Living Life Boldly

This week on the Tough Girl Podcast, I'm joined by Margie Goldsmith — an award-winning writer, journalist, and adventurer who proves that it's never too late to reinvent yourself or chase new challenges. At 81 years old, Margie is still boxing, biking, climbing mountains, and living life with unstoppable energy. Her new book, Becoming a Badass: From Fearful to Fierce, shares her remarkable journey from a fearful young woman growing up in a dysfunctional family to a confident, adventurous storyteller who's visited 150 countries and built a life full of courage and curiosity. In this episode, we talk about how Margie learned to turn fear into fuel, why Paris was the turning point in her life, how she's stayed strong and active through the decades, and why movement, recovery, and mindset are key to living fully at any age.  Tune in for a funny, fearless, and deeply inspiring conversation that celebrates the power of saying yes to life — no matter how old you are.  New episodes of the Tough Girl Podcast drop every Tuesday at 7 AM (UK time)! Make sure to subscribe so you never miss the inspiring journeys and incredible stories of tough women pushing boundaries.  Do you want to support the Tough Girl Mission to increase the amount of female role models in the media in the world of adventure and physical challenges? Support via Patreon! Join me in making a difference by signing up here: www.patreon.com/toughgirlpodcast.  Your support makes a difference.  Thank you x Show notes Who is Margie Living in New York City Writer, journalist, novelist, essayist  Her new book: Becoming a Badass: From Fearful to Fierce  Visiting 150 countries  Her early years Coming from a dysfunctional family Being told she was not good enough  Escaping by going into the woods Moving all the time and having to make new friends Getting into sports to make friends  Proving that she was good enough, and not less than  Being on her own from a young age Graduating from college and seeing a flyer to go to Europe for the summer Wanting to escape her mother  Heading to Paris for the summer in 1965  Deciding to stay in Paris and beginning her grown up life Her transition to Margie the Adventurer  81 years old - boxing, riding her bike, moving, Climbing Mt Etna at 80  Moving from feeling fearful to fierce  Why Paris was the turning point Not wanting children Meeting an older man, (27 years older…) Smoking back in the day Travelling in the 1960s Deciding where to go and what to do Starting her first novel (Screw Up) Working as an extra in films Meeting husband number 1! Pressure from family/society to get married? Learning to hold her own Meeting husband number 2! Living the high life and getting bored  How going rafting on the Colorado river changed things  Trying things that scared her Gaining new confidence  Going to advance base camp at Mt. Everest  Getting into marathon running! Trying a triathlon in Cuba Being diagnosed with a tumour in her pancreas  Becoming a type 1 diabetic  Getting through the operations  Still feeling the feelings of fear Writing her book and why she loved it Deciding to give her body to science Being in her 80s and moving towards the end stages Doing everything she wants to do  Living life day by day  Keep doing the little adventures  Talk yourself into things, not out of things Why you don't need to travel to find the fun and the adventure  Keeping her goals inside her Doing everything she can to stay healthy and why it means physical movement The trends of fitness and how they have changed Move it or lose it Getting weekly massages  Aim Health - Treatments  The importance of recovery  How to connect with Margie  Going on to TikTok!  Advice for people who do feel/have felt less than  Find a mentor who you trust Listen to yourself and your gut Go find something to make you feel good   Social Media Website: margiegoldsmith.com  Facebook: Masters Of The Harmonica  Book: Becoming a Badass: From Fearful to Fierce