EP 089: The Healing Process of Adventure Activism and Writing Books with Jessica Hepburn

I have known Jessica for many years, since working with her at her fertility arts event, Fertility Fest. Since then Jessica’s life has taken many twists and turns, through losses and heartache, and she has both adventured and written her way through. Jessica’s three books are all favourites of mine, and I was inspired to invite her on to the podcast after attending the launch of her newest book - her best yet - Save Me From the Waves. 

Jessica Hepburn is an award-winning author, arts producer and adventure activist who has become one of the UK’s leading voices on fertility and family as well as a pioneer in inspiring people to live big and bravely when life doesn’t go to plan, and championing the benefits of going on adventures to improve your physical and mental health. Formerly Executive Director of the Lyric Hammersmith – one of London’s leading theatres – Jessica led from inception to completion the theatre’s £20m capital redevelopment and was nominated as ‘Theatre Manager of the Year’. Whilst doing this, she was also trying to become a mother and went through eleven rounds of IVF at a range of UK fertility clinics which resulted in multiple miscarriages and an ectopic pregnancy that almost took her life. She turned to exercise and adventure to heal her heartbreak and in 2022, she became the first woman in the world to achieve ‘The Sea, Street, Summit Challenge’ – which was swimming the English Channel, running the London Marathon and summiting Mount Everest. 

Jessica has been nominated as one of Amnesty International’s ‘Women of Suffragette Spirit’;  and a 'Woman to Watch' in 2024 by Woman & Home Magazine.

I was delighted to have Jessica join me on the podcast, and I hope you enjoy listening to our conversation. And once you’ve listened, if you haven’t done so already, do read Jessica’s books. They are beautifully crafted emotional stories of life, love, loss and of course adventure.

Here’s what is included in this episode:

• Why Jessica has named herself an Adventure Activist and how this continues to take on more meaning with each chapter of her life.
• Why she believes a healing process takes a lifetime and the power of being the lead character in your own life story.
• The paradox she recognises in herself between high self-confidence and feeling inadequate, and how this is important for self knowledge. 
• Making meaning from her stories with the similarities between going through IVF, swimming the Channel and climbing Everest (Chomolungma) and how nature is ultimately in control. 
• Why I love Jessica’s unique style of writing and insights into how she wrote each of her 3 books. 

Guest Links:

• @jessica_hepburn_ on Instagram 
• www.jessicahepburn.com
• With Love from Jessica Hepburn on Substack

Jessica’s Books:

• Save Me From The Waves: An Adventure from Sea to Summit 
• 21 Miles: Swimming in Search of the Meaning of Motherhood 
• The Pursuit of Motherhood 

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