Tough Girl Podcast Jenn Phillips - From Medical Menopause to Trail Leader: One Woman's Journey to Outdoor Empowerment
Jenn is a long-distance walker, community leader, and passionate advocate for women's wellbeing in the outdoors — especially during menopause. From battling endometriosis, PCOS, and the trauma of an early medical menopause in her 20s, she was once told she couldn't live the active, adventurous life she craved. She's spent the last few years since proving otherwise — one footstep at a time.
What began as a personal outlet for healing has evolved into something much bigger: being able to connect women to their strength through hiking, movement, and community. Whether she's leading local walks, multi-day hikes, backpacking or pushing her own limits, she walks with the intention that creating space for people to feel heard, safe and be around nature is of the upmost importance.
A qualified lowland leader, speaker, and founder of a thriving women's walking community in Kent, she brings insight, humour, and unflinching honesty to conversations about menopause, mental health, leadership, and what it means to feel powerful in your body again — especially when the world told you not to try.
Through her trail stories — from ultra hikes to quiet woodland days — she shows that adventure isn't about speed or summits. It's simply about showing up.
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Show notes
- Who is Jenn and running MJ Outdoor Adventures
- Her aim to get everyone outdoors, regardless of what stage of life people are at
- Her early years and not being sporty or outdoorsy
- Getting into fitness in her mid to late 20s
- Going through an early menopause in her early 20s
- Gaining weight very quickly
- Feeling very uncomfortable in her own body
- Starting walking and moving into swimming and yoga
- Getting into hiking and how her passion came alive
- Currently 39 years old
- Talking about perimenopause and menopause
- Reflecting back on what happened 20 years ago
- Only hearing from doctors, not hearing other voices or having other support available.
- Not having a clue what was happening
- Discovering hiking and her hiking journey
- Shifting the weight and starting to get more energy once she started walking
- Signing up for ultra challenges
- Adapting gear to make it work for her
- Lowland Leaders
- Taking a leap of faith and quitting her day job
- 3 months into the adventure
- Working in retail and making the transition
- Setting up her first walking group
- Women's Wellness Walks
- The power of women sharing their stories
- Peri-menopause - and how it's starting earlier and earlier
- 51 symptoms of menopause…
- Vitamin D and bone density loss
- What can women do, to manage the symptoms of peri-menopause
- Strong not skinny and the importance of keeping mobile
- Mental health and balancing hormones
- How the outdoors have helped
- Solo hiking and the power of spending time alone in the Highlands of Scotland
- Isle of Wright Ultra - 100km
- Wanting to prove to everyone that she could do it
- Achieving 75km and not hitting the 100km
- Having to shift her mindset
- Learning grace for herself
- Practicing mindfulness on the trail
- Saxon Shore Way, Kent
- The power of nature
- Walking as part of a group
- Community and friendships
- Learning how to be in the outdoors
- How it helps to build confidence
- Meeting Mike!
- The W trail in Patagonia (Feb 2026)
- The Greensand Way
- Working as an Ordnance Survey Champion
- North Down's Way Ambassadors
- The challenges of wailing in February in the UK
- Fast packing and going from hotel to hotel, or from B&B to B&B
- Doing what works for you
- The stats from the North Down's Way (National Trail UK)
- Being a woman in the outdoors industry
- How to connect with Jenn and sign up for her walks
- Final words of advice for other women who want to get outside more
- Finding your tribe and the right footwear!!
Social Media
Website: www.mjoutdooradventures.co.uk
Instagram: @mjoutdooradventures