What do you think?
Girl Forward: A Tale of One Woman's Unlikely Adventure in Mongolia
“You did what? Where?”
When I tell people I traveled to Mongolia to photograph a horse race there is often confusion. Even my friends and family struggled to understand.
I was a mother of three struggling to build a business for myself. But when I had the opportunity to travel across the world for several weeks away from everything and everyone I loved, I jumped at the chance and left it all behind for awhile.
The Gobi Desert Cup, an endurance horse race over 480 kilometers in six days, on Mongolian horses sought a writer and photographer to attend their event, and that was going to be me.
I don’t camp, I don’t normally take risks, and I don’t speak Mongolian. Yet, I never doubted for a second that I needed to be part of this experience. I knew from the very start this would be a journey of self-discovery.
I didn’t know it would change my life.
When I tell people I traveled to Mongolia to photograph a horse race there is often confusion. Even my friends and family struggled to understand.
I was a mother of three struggling to build a business for myself. But when I had the opportunity to travel across the world for several weeks away from everything and everyone I loved, I jumped at the chance and left it all behind for awhile.
The Gobi Desert Cup, an endurance horse race over 480 kilometers in six days, on Mongolian horses sought a writer and photographer to attend their event, and that was going to be me.
I don’t camp, I don’t normally take risks, and I don’t speak Mongolian. Yet, I never doubted for a second that I needed to be part of this experience. I knew from the very start this would be a journey of self-discovery.
I didn’t know it would change my life.
204 pages, Paperback
First published June 16, 2019
About the author
Heather Wallace
9 books44 followersHeather Wallace is the writer and photographer for the blog, The Timid Rider, which focuses on the struggling confidence of a returning adult equestrian. She is the award-winning author of non-fiction titles Confessions of a Timid Rider, which details her insights about being an anxiety-ridden but passionate equestrian and Girl Forward: A Tale of One Woman's Unlikely Adventure in Mongolia.
In her spare time, of which she has little, she spends her time with her three children, two dogs, and pony. You can follow her on social media @timidrider or at timidrider.com.
In her spare time, of which she has little, she spends her time with her three children, two dogs, and pony. You can follow her on social media @timidrider or at timidrider.com.
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
February 8, 2021
Sound like me!
When I was a child and teenager I liked horses but was afraid of them. When I was close to one he or she always stepped on my foot or tried to bite me.
I wish I were as brave as she was. I'd sign up for that horse race! BUT I'm almost 84 years old with chronic back pain did to multiple problems in the spine. (We can always find an excuse not to do something.)
When I was a child and teenager I liked horses but was afraid of them. When I was close to one he or she always stepped on my foot or tried to bite me.
I wish I were as brave as she was. I'd sign up for that horse race! BUT I'm almost 84 years old with chronic back pain did to multiple problems in the spine. (We can always find an excuse not to do something.)
September 17, 2019
Loved every moment of this book as Heather took us on her wild journey to Mongolia for the Gobi Desert Cup! With detailed descriptions and imagery, I felt like I was right there with her, and I look forward to other upcoming releases by this author!!
January 19, 2026
Girl Forward is a quietly powerful memoir about courage that does not announce itself loudly. Heather Wallace does not frame her journey to Mongolia as a reckless leap or a dramatic escape. Instead, she presents it as a series of small, deliberate choices made by someone who admits fear, uncertainty, and self doubt, and moves forward anyway.
What makes this story compelling is its honesty about starting over. Wallace is not running toward glory or reinvention with confidence. She is a mother, a business owner at a crossroads, and a self described timid rider who does not camp, does not speak the language, and does not fit the mold of an endurance racer. That contrast makes her decision to join the Gobi Desert Cup feel earned rather than romanticized.
The Mongolian landscape and the physical demands of the race are vivid, but the heart of the book lies in the internal transformation. This is a story about trusting intuition when logic hesitates, about allowing oneself to take up space in the world, and about redefining bravery as persistence rather than fearlessness.
Girl Forward will resonate with readers who feel called toward something they cannot fully explain yet. It is a reminder that life changing adventures do not require certainty, only the willingness to say yes before confidence arrives.
What makes this story compelling is its honesty about starting over. Wallace is not running toward glory or reinvention with confidence. She is a mother, a business owner at a crossroads, and a self described timid rider who does not camp, does not speak the language, and does not fit the mold of an endurance racer. That contrast makes her decision to join the Gobi Desert Cup feel earned rather than romanticized.
The Mongolian landscape and the physical demands of the race are vivid, but the heart of the book lies in the internal transformation. This is a story about trusting intuition when logic hesitates, about allowing oneself to take up space in the world, and about redefining bravery as persistence rather than fearlessness.
Girl Forward will resonate with readers who feel called toward something they cannot fully explain yet. It is a reminder that life changing adventures do not require certainty, only the willingness to say yes before confidence arrives.
June 3, 2026
What a fun, inspirational adventure!
Heather Wallace, aka The Timid Rider, is an everywoman - introverted, self-doubting, and struggling under the weight of losing both a business and a friendship. Her decision to apply for the job of media coordinator for the Gobi Desert Cup and fly off to Mongolia exhibits an enviable boldness! Which only serves to remind us that there’s really nothing holding us back from taking that big chance.
Her writing is warm, humorous, and vivid. I got quite the picture of what it felt like to document this race on the Mongolian steppe, in all its rough form! Her thoughts are so relatable and the adventures exciting. This is a quick read that will really transport you somewhere else!
Even when that somewhere else is the Beijing airport - what a nightmare!
Heather Wallace, aka The Timid Rider, is an everywoman - introverted, self-doubting, and struggling under the weight of losing both a business and a friendship. Her decision to apply for the job of media coordinator for the Gobi Desert Cup and fly off to Mongolia exhibits an enviable boldness! Which only serves to remind us that there’s really nothing holding us back from taking that big chance.
Her writing is warm, humorous, and vivid. I got quite the picture of what it felt like to document this race on the Mongolian steppe, in all its rough form! Her thoughts are so relatable and the adventures exciting. This is a quick read that will really transport you somewhere else!
Even when that somewhere else is the Beijing airport - what a nightmare!
March 3, 2021
I love adventure and travel books. Learning of other lands and their people has always been a reason to read for me. Heather Wallace goes a bit further, she adds in the experiences of growing confidence in herself and taking on challenges of the things she fears. The Gobi Desert in Mongolia is a true life experience, the weather, the food, the means of travel, and even the personal hygiene experiences you face, being in the middle of nowhere add to a lifetime of knowledge.
March 19, 2021
I have mixed reviews on this book. The book is about the author stepping out of her comfort zone, and how it felt. I enjoyed that. I was hoping she would give more insight into the actual Mongolia trip. I'm also surprised by the grammatical and spelling errors. I expected more from a writer and publisher. I didn't want to be negative as she talks about lifting people up.
June 5, 2020
I couldn’t finish this book. Written as an extended blog. Not my kind of book. Probably a very light read.
September 20, 2020
Writing a book is a great risk especially for someone with low self confidence. I hope the writer convinced herself that she is worthy and capable.
June 28, 2019
I really enjoyed the behind the scenes trials, tribulations, and successes that Heather Wallace chronicles in her newest memoir. I felt like I was on the trip to Mongolia with her! As with all of her books, Heather's message of being bold and pushing through fear to find a deeper experience of life rings through. I enjoyed reading along as she recounted an adventure of a lifetime.
January 27, 2022
This was an okay listen, it wasn't bad by any means, but it wasn't super intriguing. It was almost-interesting.
Audio:
I wouldn't listen to anything else by this narrator, she sounded pretty robotic. I could have Siri read to me if I wanted this experience. 2-star narration.
Audio:
I wouldn't listen to anything else by this narrator, she sounded pretty robotic. I could have Siri read to me if I wanted this experience. 2-star narration.
August 26, 2020
Very inspiring story.
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews