Sophie Pierce: Healing Through Nature – A Journey of Grief, Love, and Wild Swimming

Tough Girl Podcast

In this episode of the Tough Girl Podcast, we sit down with Sophie Pierce, a writer, broadcaster, and passionate wild swimmer from Dartmoor in Devon, UK. Sophie shares her profound journey through grief, particularly the loss of her son Felix in 2017, and how the healing power of nature has been an anchor in her life.

Sophie talks about her memoir, "The Green Hill," which explores themes of love, loss, and the transformative effects of wild places. She also discusses her work as a journalist with the BBC, her love for exploring new places, and the growing popularity of outdoor swimming. We delve into her co-authored wild swimming guides, including her most recent book, "Wild Swimming Walks Exmoor and North Devon.”

This episode highlights the mental health benefits of outdoor swimming, the importance of community, and how nature can help reset and heal us. Sophie offers insights on navigating grief, the support she received from friends and family, and how she continues to find solace in nature.

Join us for an inspiring and heartfelt conversation with Sophie Pierce as we explore the intersection of nature, grief, and resilience.

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Show notes

• Who is Sophie
• Being based in Dartmoor in South west England
• Living close to the sea and a wild moorland media
• Working as a journalist for many years
• Her love of exploring
• The loss of her son in 2017
• Where her love of exploring and swimming came from
• Her childhood and growing up with 3 brothers
• Being quite ferrel when younger
• Getting back into outdoor swimming
• Connecting with friends and exploring new places
• Outdoor swimming and it’s increase in popularity
• How outdoor swimming have changed over the past 25 years
• Why its about your mindset and having a desire to be out in nature and explore
• Why all you need is a map, a swimming costume and a pair of walking boots
• The benefits of communities
• Looking out for one another while in the water
• The importance of having fun at any age
• Going wild swimming in the River Dart ever day during the summer
• The impact cold water can have on your mental health and how it can help reset you
• Dealing with the loss of her son, Felix
• SUDEP ‘the Sudden, Unexpected Death of someone with EPilepsy’
• How her life changed afterwards
• Learning to incorporate her grief into her life
• Finding spending time in nature to be helpful
• Charity SUDEP Action
• Dealing with grief
• Book: The Green Hill: Letters to a Son
• Writing a series of letters to Felix – composed during walks and swims taken close to his burial place by the river Dart
• Still feeling connected to Felix
• Why it was hard to go back to the places where her and Felix had spent time
• Wanting to explore new places and create new memories
• Remembering Felix as a child
• Processing her grief
• Having some counselling but not finding it helpful
• Book: Weathering By Ruth Allen
• The narrative imposed about grief by society
• Not feeling the urge to process grief
• Making something beautiful out of something terrible
• Feeling a loss when the the book was published and not having anything to focus on
• The support from friends and family and what helped
• Living in a small town and having to face people
• What happens when a year or two passes
• Getting use to living with the loss
• Why the second year can be tougher than the first
• Published Wild Swimming Walks guide books
• Wild Things Publishing
• Artist - James Lewis
• Push back from locals who don’t want to share their beauty sports
• The impact sewage is having on beautiful wild places
• Surfers Against Sewage App
• Doing a risk assessment before getting into the river/water
• Writing to your MP and complaining about the sewage situation
• How to connect with Sophie on social media
• Advice for women dealing with grief and the loss of a child

Social Media

Website: www.sophiepierce.co.uk

Instagram: @mssophiepierce

Twitter/X: @sophiepierce