Hillary Allen, famously known as the "Hillygoat," is a world-class ultrarunner celebrated for her fearless climbs on steep, technical terrain. But in 2017, at the peak of her career as the #1 ultrarunner in the world, Hillary faced a life-changing setback: during a race in Norway, she fell 150 feet off a ridge, breaking 14 bones. Doctors told her she'd never run again.
Yet Hillary didn't just defy the odds—she redefined them. Today, she's back competing at the elite level and inspiring others to rewrite their own stories of resilience.
With a background in neuroscience and a master's in physiology and structural biology, Hillary combines science, grit, and empathy in her work as an author, coach, and speaker.
Her book, Out and Back: A Runner's Story of Survival Against All Odds, chronicles her incredible comeback.
In this episode, Hillary shares:
- How her lifelong love of running and science shaped her journey
- The mental and physical challenges of recovering from a life-threatening fall
- Practical tips on mindset, self-belief, and self-compassion
- Why she believes your best athletic days can be ahead of you
Whether you're an athlete, adventurer, or someone looking to overcome setbacks in life, Hillary's story is a powerful reminder that resilience, courage, and persistence can take you farther than you ever imagined.
***
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/
Your support makes a difference. 
Thank you x
Show notes
- Who is Hillary
- Growing up in Boulder Colorado, USA
- Being an athlete all her life
- Coming from an outdoorsy, academic family
- Describing herself as a science nerd
- Currently in a Masters Program for Applied Sports Psychology
- Having an older sister
- Growing up camping with her family
- Her parents both being professors
- Studying chemistry and neuroscience
- Not finishing her Phd
- Getting her first running sponsorship
- Her running journey to get to being a sponsored athlete
- Starting running in graduate school
- Needing an outlet to reset
- Starting to run with a running group
- Discovering the trail running scene
- When things clicked after running a road marathon
- Wondering if she could do it…
- Being drawn to running and feeling satisfaction in the challenge
- Working hard on her weaknesses
- Working on her ability to run on technical trails and push herself when feeling tired
- Getting into skyruning
- Being named the Hilly Goat!
- Why its a skill you need to practice
- The challenges of 2017
- Heading over to Europe to race
- Tromsø Skyrace
- Thinking she was dying
- Falling 150ft, breaking 14 bones, damaging ligaments and being lucky to be alive
- Book: Out and Back: A Runner's Story of Survival Against All Odds
- Being depressed
- Starting to think about running again
- Believe that your best athletic days are ahead of you
- Helping her mindset and the mental side of the challenge
- Working with a counsellor
- Working past fear
- Breaking her ankle and dealing with another injury
- Going ba
Popular Podcasts
Dateline NBC
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com
Stuff You Should Know
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.
The Bobby Bones Show
Listen to 'The Bobby Bones Show' by downloading the daily full replay.