Tough Girl Podcast

Two years ago, Ria was burnt out from her tech career in Silicon Valley, coming out of a difficult relationship, and struggling with mental health issues. Running became her way out.
Within a year, she went from struggling to finish a half marathon to setting ultramarathon records on world-renowned routes.
The Via Francigena: 1,014 km in 21 days
The Camino de Santiago: 780 km in 12 days
And now she has just started her journey to become the first human to run across Eurasia on the silk road, or what she calls: the 20000km Experiment.
In this episode, Ria shares how running helped her rebuild her life, the mindset shifts that enabled her to go from beginner to record-breaking ultrarunner, and the enormous logistical challenge of planning a 20,000km expedition through 17 countries.
Listen to this episode to learn about resilience, finding purpose after burnout, taking bold leaps into the unknown, and why sometimes the most "delusional" dreams are the ones worth pursuing.
***
 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/toughgirlpodcast.
 Your support makes a difference.  Thank you x
 
***
Show notes
Who is Ria?
Trying to run across the Asia and Europe on the Silk Road 
Currently being in her support vehicle in the northeast of China, approx. 17 days into her journey 
Calling in from the road after running 50km
Growing up in China as a child figure skater
Trying to make the Olympics
Living on the edge of Beijing 
Moving to the USA at 14 for school 
Suffering from some knee injuries and not being into running 
Her final year of high school and trying out running in nature 
Going through a significant breakup 
Starting to run everyday for 30 days
Struggling with depression and reaching the point where nothing made sense 
Having no control over the situation of her life
Not knowing what to do with herself 
Being in Chamonix and being inspired by the humans running the UTMB
Going to Egypt to become a free diving instructor 
The Sinai Trail in Egypt 
Going from a half marathon to running 539km 
Deciding to run across the length of the silk road
Continuing to challenge herself in daily distances 
Running the Sinai Trail and what the experience was like 
The logistics and planning behind the trail 
Running in Egypt
The logistics of the Silk Road Journey and pulling it all together
Planning for over a year and a half
Visa's and being able to run through 17 countries
Being supported by her crew and how it works day to day
Paying for the running, the crew and the gear
Being supported by internet strangers and creating a GoFundMe 
"It's only delusional until it's not."
The Planetary Run Club 
Running day after day 
The power of sleep and feeling more refreshed mentally 
Finding motivation in many different ways
Rest days
Dealing with a car accident and food poisoning 
Connecting with Ria
Daily updates…. Planned! 
Planning on starting a Patreon, YouTube channel and podcast!
Words of advice for women 
 
Social Media
Website: 20000km.com 
Instagram: @whereisriax 
Youtube: @whereisriax 
GoFundMe: gofund.me/8d624216f

Irene is a sports scientist, endurance coach, and ultra-runner originally from Spain, now based in the UK. She moved to the UK in 2013 to pursue a Master's degree, intending to stay only briefly, but quickly fell in love with the country and never left.
Her journey into ultra-running was entirely unplanned. She only started running consistently in 2017 during her PhD in Neuroscience, initially as a way to cope with academic stress. Distances gradually increased, and without even realising ultramarathons existed, she found herself constantly curious about how far she could go. Once she ran beyond 21 km, something clicked—and she never looked back.
Running became both a coping mechanism and, at times, a source of imbalance. A combination of PhD stress, under-fuelling, disordered eating, and overtraining led to injury after her first ultramarathon in 2021. While challenging, that injury marked a turning point. Although her academic career appeared highly successful from the outside, Irene was experiencing severe burnout and quietly drifting away from neuroscience.
In January 2023, she left academia altogether after a period of profound burnout. Ultra-running remained a constant during this time and ultimately helped her rebuild. By then, she had already completed coaching and sports rehabilitation qualifications, and the transition into applied sport felt natural. She founded Train4BodyMind, combining science, performance, and a more holistic approach to endurance sport.
Later that year, Irene began a second MSc in Sport and Exercise Science and Medicine, while simultaneously building her coaching business and working in a physiotherapy clinic. Throughout this journey, she became increasingly aware of a major gap in sports science: the lack of research and evidence-based guidance for women.
While searching for answers about her own body, she realised how little research existed on female endurance athletes—particularly in ultra-running. 
This led her to investigate how the menstrual cycle affects performance in female ultrarunners, an area that had been largely overlooked despite the extreme demands of the sport.
Today, Irene is passionate about supporting women in endurance sports through evidence-based coaching and education. She is particularly focused on countering the widespread misinformation surrounding women's physiology and rigid cycle-based rules, which often create fear rather than empowerment. Her work aims to help women understand their bodies better, train with confidence, and use their physiology as a strength rather than a limitation.
***
 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/toughgirlpodcast.
 Your support makes a difference.  Thank you x
***
Show notes
Originally from Spain, now living in Edinburgh, Scotland in the UK
Working as a running coach for women, specialising in ultra marathons 
Being a sports scientistic and science nerd 
Her early years growing up in Spain
Developing an eating disorder and spending time in hospital 
Not being able to get involved in sports 
Getting into running when she moved to the UK
Starting her Neuroscience PhD in 2017
Wanting to do an ultra marathon 
Becoming addicted to the ultra distances 
Experiencing burnout 
Deciding to do a shift in her career and move into coaching 
Getting into running to be able to disconnect 
Being an ultra runner before she knew about ultra marathons 
Using running to help manage stress
Not fuelling enough during running and dealing with niggles and injuries 
Being very alone and not having support around her
Getting injured and having to stop running 
The turning point in her life
Working with a physiotherapist 
Starting to study coaching ultra marathons 
Losing the attachment with her career and starting a different path 
Leaving academia, her job and becoming unemployed at 33 years old 
Learning how to coach herself 
Going deep into the science of ultra running
Studying for her masters in Sports Science 
Researching into the menstrual cycle and ultra runners
Why the menstrual cycle is a health marker
Dr Stacy Simms - Tough Girl Podcast episode 
Coaching women on an individual basis
The importance of educating women about periods and menstruation
Racing in Snowdonia 
Ultra Trail Snowdonia (UTS) 
Getting the balance right with training and work
Being organised and the importance of knowing what you are doing
Doing strength training and why it's non negotiable for a runner
Breaking down the training into different phases and periods 
The final phase and tapering 
Making training work for her
Visualising what can go wrong and right during the race 
Helping to prepare your mind 
Magical moments from UTS after DNF'ing the race previously 
Why it was one of the best races of her life
Training your body and your mind 
The mental preparation- advice and tips for other runners to train their brain for success
Her coaching philosophy 
Focusing on longevity 
How to connect with Irene
Being most active on Instagram and Strava 
 
Social Media
Website: www.train4bodymind.com
Instagram: @train4bodymind

Meet Helen Spencer, a veterinarian from Kent who swapped clinic life for the extremes of the world. From hiking in Afghanistan, Mongolia, and Yemen to caring for orangutans in Borneo, Helen has chased adventure across the globe.
In this episode, she shares her journey to ski the last degree to the South Pole, including:
Training, kit prep, and polar skills courses
The physical and mental challenges of long polar expeditions
Coping with loss, vulnerability, and finding strength on the ice
Lessons in perseverance, confidence, and small steps toward big dreams
Helen's story is a testament to courage, resilience, and pursuing your goals—even when the journey is long and demanding.
***
 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/toughgirlpodcast.
 Your support makes a difference.  Thank you x
***
Show notes
Who is Helen
Being based in Kent
Growing up on a farm and having a lot of freedom 
Becoming a vet
Wanting more adventure 
Working for the charity: World Wide Veterinary Service 
In her free time loving to travel 
Leaving school and travelling with her backpack, and staying in hostels 
Starting to do a few solo and group expeditions
Hiking in Afganistan, Madagascar, Mongolia, Yemen, Palestine, North Korea
Recently skiing the last degree of the South Pole  
Building her confidence with travelling 
Earning enough money to go f www.interrail.eu/en
Having a budget of £10 per day
Spending time in Borneo looking after Orangutans
Being a shy, farm kid growing up and being better with animals than people 
Having 5 years at university 
Having a neighbour who had a zoo and spending time helping out at the zoo
Knowing what she wanted to do when she was 5
Building internal confidence 
Hiking in Afganistan's Wakhan Corridor  
Why expedition are about the people you meet as well as where you go
Getting the balance right between being social enough but also having time for herself 
Needing time out and making sure she has her own tent
Having a 10 day tolerance on expeditions 
Her goal to ski to the the pole in Antarctica and where the dream came from 
Being fascinated by polar history 
A week long polar skills course in Finse, Norway 
Needing a challenge - being in bad mental and physical health 
Taking some time out after selling her veterinarian clinic in London
Having a year to get in shape 
Training at the Altitude Centre in London 
Not being able to test her kit
Receiving a lot of help and advice 
Heading to Loughborough Elite Sports Centre to have her fitness tested 
Dr Amelia Rudd 
Heading over to Antarctica and what it was like 
Antarctic Logistics Expeditions (ALE)
Being out on the ice and why it was like being out on the open ocean 
Pulling the pulk at altitude on the ice 
Why it was a physical challenge but also a mental challenge 
Her way of coping with difficulties 
Wanting to feel small 
Being there mid summer, when the sun never sets.
Rainbows and halos forming around the sun
Being able to move forward after the challenge
Trying to cope with the loss of her parents in an accident, 2 weeks before she was due to be married 
Being in a dark place 
Coping by being on her own and doing physical endurance 
Wanting to be broken down and feel vulnerable 
Getting to the pole and why it was hugely emotional 
Why it meant everything to her 
Kick on
Fundraising £20K in memory of her mum who had Parkinson's
Gaining confidence, a bit more self assurance and pride.  
Spending 3 weeks in Antarctica, and skiing for 8 days 
Tent life…
Going to the loo! Code Brown! Pooing in a bag and packing out your poo.
The worst bit of the expedition and having to leave your warm sleeping bag
How to connect with Helen on Social Media 
Final words of advice
Some dreams can take time
Taking small steps and trying the thing you want to do
Her mantras in life…. "Don't be a dick to yourself", "Don't be a dick to others" and Don't be a dick with our environment" 
 
Social Media
Instagram: @adventure_vet_spence 
Justgiving: www.justgiving.com/page/helen-spencer-1728903029666

Meet Dr. Shawna Pandya, Canada's first named female commercial astronaut and a leading figure in space medicine. From emergency medicine to aquanaut missions and suborbital research flights, Shawna has trained to thrive in some of the most extreme environments on Earth—and soon, in space.
In this episode, she shares her journey from a childhood inspired by Dr. Roberta Bondar, through neuroscience and medical training, to testing spacesuits in zero gravity and completing multiple NEPTUNE aquanaut missions. 
We dive into:
The challenges of spaceflight on the body and mind
The "RIDGE" framework Radiation, Isolation, Distance, Gravity, Environment
Using emergency medicine, diving, and piloting to build operational readiness
Maintaining balance, avoiding burnout, and living a life aligned with values
Preparing for her upcoming flight with Virgin Galactic
Shawna's story is a masterclass in perseverance, curiosity, and aiming for the stars—literally.
***
 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/toughgirlpodcast.
 Your support makes a difference.  Thank you x
***
Show notes
Who is Shawna 
Being Canada's first named female Astronaut 
Her early years and growing up in the 90s
Wanting to be an Astronaut since she was a child and being inspired by Dr. Roberta Bondar
Simplifying things 
Wanting to follow in her footsteps 
Doing a neuroscience degree
The influence of her parents 
Girl Guides of Canada 
Doing outdoor education during junior high and building her spirit of adventure 
Inheriting her work ethic from her parents - thinking the normal work day was from 7am to 10pm
Sharing her goal and telling people what she wanted to achieve 
Taking a family trip to Australia at 12 years old and being obsessed with the Southern Night Sky 
Not knowing if it will work out or not - Having to love the grind and the journey 
Keeping focused on the goal 
Not letting other people opinions stop her 
Her parents wanting her to have a realistic career ambition 
The roadmap included medicine 
After doing her undergrad in neuroscience and applying for medical school
Having a back up plan - just in case 
International Space University - Masters Program 
Asking medical school for a deferral 
Doing an internship at the European Space Agency European Space Centre and making a meaningful contribution to space medicine 
Dealing with criticism
Having balance in her life and not suffering from burnout 
Pursuing the trajectory as a research astronaut - and still maintaining her clinical hours in emergency medicine 
Work life balance 
Why she does't burn out
Living her life according to her values 
Having complete control over her schedule  
Being surrounded by good people
Finding fulfilment and loving what she does
Being inspired to be a better version of herself everyday 
Fitness and health in space 
Bone density and muscle mass 
Space Medicine 
The challenges of space flight environment and why it's trying to kill you 
The "RIDGE" Framework short for Space Radiation, Isolation and Confinement, Distance from Earth, Gravity fields, and Hostile/Closed Environments.
Altered day night cycles - 1 sunrise/sunset every 90 mins - 16 sunrise - sunset cycles per 24hr period every and how it interferes with your sleep cycle
Micro-gravity and how it affects your bodily systems 
Physical activity as therapy and using it as a way of investing in herself. 
The days she doesn't make it to the gym 
Needing to change something up - or end up burning out 
Learning diving skills and spending time underwater
Looking for transferable skills
Being operational good and a good team mate
Operational environments: - emergency medicine, diving, sky diving and piloting 
The importance of having aqua-naught experience 
Going on 2 NEPTUNE Missions 
NEPTUNE (Nautical Experiments in Physiology, Technology and Underwater Exploration)
Building her space flight readiness
Learning to handle stress in challenging situations 
Why there is no room for ego 
Using emergency medicine as an example 
Escalation patterns of communication 
Question - Suggestion - Statement - Command 
Why there is a time and place for everything 
If everything is urgent - nothing is urgent!
Urgency fatigue - not knowing what do first
Being aware of what tools you have at your disposal
High risk - high reward scenarios 
The countdown to flight 
Since 2021 - the launch of private companies into space 
Going to space for research 
What kind of astronaut do you want to be?
Being a research astronaut 
Training flights as a team - and getting to fly with her good friends
Kellie Gerardi 
Dr. Norah Patten 
Figuring out research priorities 
The outreach aspects of what they do
Science diplomacy 
The lead up to the space flight 
Managing fears and concerns 
Having a job to do 
Being aware of the need to be prepared 
Deciding on the final payloads
Dealing with periods in space 
Quick Fire Questions
Being an evening person
Not scheduling early morning meetings
Starting her day at 9am
Favourite movie and favourite space movie 
2007 movie - Sunshine
Book inspiration - Chris Hatfield - An Astronaut's guide to Earth 
Music inspiration - liking high adrenaline workout play lists 
Liking the John Wicks Soundtrack 
Beach or mountains..
Favourite food at home and in space
High RPM skipping
Rest and relaxation
Her love for birds - having a 56g Lovebird - 'Jules' 
Mantra and words she lives by - 'You've got this"
Words from mum - "Keep going" - "Keep moving"
Words from dad - "What's the difference between success and activity? Success is eating tomato soup with a spoon, activity is eating tomato soup with a fork"
How to connect and follow along on social media
Final words of advice and wisdom for other girls who want to pursue 
Pick what you want to do, aim to be really, really good at it. 
Aim to become the hardest working person in the room. Because the work ethic is free.
Work really hard to get to where you want to be and then act like you belong there, because you do.
You just need to make space for yourself. 
 
Social Media
Website: shawnapandya.com 
Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/in/shawnapandya 
Instagram: @shawnapandya 
Facebook: @shawnapandyaofficial

Jeannette McGill is a seasoned mountaineer and executive leader who, at 52, became the oldest South African woman to summit Everest in May 2025. With more than 30 years of global climbing experience—including leading expeditions across four continents—she knows deeply that the summit is never just about standing on top. 
Jeannette's journey is a testament to patience, resilience, and the quiet power of backing yourself, no matter how many setbacks you face. Beyond her personal achievements, she is passionate about demystifying the modern-day myths of Everest and advocates instead for the very real challenges mountain terrains face through climate change globally. Having been there herself, she brings an informed, honest perspective on what is truly happening above 8,000m. 
Today, Jeannette combines her love for high-altitude adventure with leadership on Boards and helping others explore their own limits. She also supports future generations through leading snow camps in the Victorian Alps and mountaineering scholarships, believing that mountains are powerful teachers of courage and humility. Her story is not just about conquering peaks but about becoming the kind of person who dares to try.
We first spoke with Jeannette on 7th January 2021 - Jeannette McGill - 1st South African woman to summit Manaslu, the 8th highest mountain in the world
***
 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/toughgirlpodcast.
 Your support makes a difference.  Thank you x
***
Show notes
Who is Jeanette
Corporate executive, board director and most importantly a mountaineer
South African by origin,  located in Melbourne and spending up to 5 months in Nepal
TGP Episode - January 7th 2021 - - 1st South African woman to summit Manaslu, the 8th highest mountain in the world
Her Mt. Everest dream 
A one day - someday project…
How climbing Mt. Everest came to the forefront of her mind
To be a real mountaineer you needed to tick Mt. Everest off the list
Deciding to go in a different direction in 1995 
The pivotal moment - university and having a career or entering the climbing competition 
Pursuing her career 
Was Mt. Everest a realistic goal?
Growing into the project
Adding Mt. Everest to the bucket list after covid
Going through a back surgery and perimenopause and deciding that 2023 would be her Mt. Everest year
Using Mera Peak as an acclimatisation strategy 
Getting sick and not recovering well, getting to camp 2 and not being able to continue.
Heading back to Australia and deciding to go back in 2024
Deciding to gift herself the power of a mid-life sabbatical 
Exciting her role in December 2023 and starting to train properly for Mt. Everest in 2024
Joining a small team
Mechanical failure on the mountain - her jumar not working and getting word that her house in Australia had burnt down. 
Getting to the South Col and not being in the right head space. 
Knowing she was making the right decision to turn around and head back down the mountain 
Dealing with the frustration and disappointment and why it was difficult 
Not being in a good head space. Needing to pivot and become nomadic during the winter 
Floundering and not knowing what was next
Deciding that she would regret it if she didn't back herself one final time. 
Pivoting and making the best of the situation 
Having flexibility and deciding to do Mt. Everest one last time 
Figuring out where to do the winter work - in either Scotland or New Zealand 
Packing up and heading over to New Zealand to do training 
Doing more mountain work, on the NZ Alps in the South Island 
How it became a more personal/internal  objective/goal 
What training looked like 
Working with a mental and physical coach
Using Training Peaks 
Evoke Endurance Coach 
Returning to Manaslu in the fall of 2024
Muscle endurance - steep hills in NZ out of Queenstown carrying 20kgs 
Following a structured gym program 
Her 'A' Team 
Figuring out through processes and what could derail her
Having cheat sheets e.g. a mopey list to keep her focused on her goal and what she needed to do
Heading back to Mt Everest in 2025 and wanting to do the Everest - Lhotse Double (having 2 permits) 
Acclimatising on Mt. Mera Peak 
Being an older climber and the changes she made
Sleeping at camp 3 on her rotation 
Heading up to the balcony 
The challenge of the 2025 season 
Dealing with extreme winds and not being able to stand up
Having to turn around - returning to her tent on the South Col and being hit with disappointment. 
Maybe climbing Mt. Everest just isn't going to happen again - shedding a tear 
Having her main sherpa needing to head back down to camp 2
Having the opportunity to go for the summit of Mt. Everest the following night 
Now or never!!!!!
Starting to prepare, getting herself together and heading back to the balcony before reaching the summit
Reaching the summit - A surreal, glorious moment. 
Crying on the summit and why she will never forget it
The descent back to base camp - dealing with fatigue 
Being able to look after herself on the descent 
The afterwards - Relief? Adventure blues?
The pressure on herself to achieve the goal
Being at peace with herself 
Needing to rest this calendar year and savour her summit
Wallowing in the peace and knowledge of achievement 
How to connect with Jeannette 
Final words of advice for other women who want to take on their own mountains and challenges
Keep stretching your fear muscle 
 
Social Media
Website: www.mcgillsmountains.com
Instagram: @mcgills_mountains