Dr. Caitlin Massone: Overcoming Eating Disorders Through Endurance Sports, Neuroscience & Nature – Author of Running from Perfection
Release Date: 04/01/2025
Rebecca Devereux – Mum, Vet, Trail Runner, and 3rd Place Finisher at the Montane Winter Spine Sprint
Tough Girl Podcast
In this episode of the Tough Girl Podcast, we’re joined by the incredible Rebecca Devereux — a dedicated mum, a vet, and a passionate trail and ultra runner. Rebecca shares her journey into endurance running, her training highs and lows, and what it took to place third in one of Britain’s most brutal races — the Montane Winter Spine Sprint, a 46-mile challenge across the rugged Pennine Way in the depths of winter. We dive into Rebecca’s approach to training and mindset, how she balances family life with her love for the trails, and her growing involvement with Black...
info_outline
Helen Ryvar – Running Through Grief, Finding Strength & Breaking Records | 1,000 Consecutive Half Marathons (May 2022 – Jan 2025) 🙌 Inspiring Others to Be Their Best ❤️
Tough Girl Podcast
What began as a way to cope with grief became a world record-breaking journey that’s taken Helen Ryvar across the globe — from sunrise runs in North Wales to volcanic trails in Fuerteventura and the ancient deserts of Petra. A single mum of three and a self-described non-athlete in her youth, Helen’s transformation into a Guinness World Record holder for running consecutive half marathons is nothing short of awe-inspiring. In this deeply personal episode, Helen opens up about the heartbreak that sparked her first streak, how running became her therapy, and the mental and physical...
info_outline
Caroline Livesey – Extreme Triathlete and Elite Gravel Cyclist: Winning Races, Breaking Limits, and Giving Back
Tough Girl Podcast
Caroline Livesey is an adventurer, extreme triathlete, ultracyclist, elite gravel cyclist and triathlon and life coach. Caroline started her journey into triathlon while serving with the Royal Engineers in the British Army. After 10 years service she left as a Major in 2013 and pursued a career as a professional triathlete (while working full time as a geotechnical design consultant), originally in Ironman events. In 2019 circumstances conspired to throw her into her first extreme triathlon, Canadaman XTRI. Winning this event was the catalyst for her to work on her mindset and...
info_outline
Dr. Sheridan Lathe - Sailing the World to Deliver Veterinary Care to Remote Communities
Tough Girl Podcast
In this inspiring episode of the Tough Girl Podcast, we set sail with Dr. Sheridan Lathe, aka Dr. Sheddy — a wildlife veterinarian, sailor, YouTuber, and passionate advocate for both animal and human wellness. After years of working with domestic and exotic animals in Australia and rescuing bears in China, Dr. Sheddy took her expertise to the seas. Now based on her 37ft sailboat Chuffed, she delivers free veterinary care to animals in remote coastal communities across Central America and Mexico — reaching places where traditional care simply doesn’t...
info_outline
Tinuke Oyediran: Adventure Presenter, Survivor UK Star. Committed to showing diverse audiences that anyone, regardless of background, can experience life to the fullest.
Tough Girl Podcast
In this episode, we sit down with Tinuke Oyediran, an extraordinary adventure presenter and thrill-seeking daredevil who’s breaking barriers in the world of extreme adventure. You may recognise Tinuke from her recent stint on Survivor UK on BBC1, but her journey goes far beyond reality TV. Tinuke is on a mission to show that anyone, regardless of background, can embrace life’s greatest adventures and that the most rewarding experiences often come from stepping out of your comfort zone. From sleeping on the side of a mountain and walking the wing of an aeroplane to climbing glaciers,...
info_outline
Ann Whatmore: A Fearless Adventurer Who Proves Severe Asthma Doesn’t Set Limits – Cycling 3000km Across the UK on a Recumbent E-Trike
Tough Girl Podcast
In this episode, we’re joined by the fearless Ann Whatmore, an adventurer who proves that asthma doesn’t have to set limits on what you can achieve. Ann has faced numerous health challenges, but rather than letting them hold her back, she’s embraced adventure in a big way. In May 2024, she cycled over 3,000km across the UK on her recumbent e-trike, “Bob,” completing a solo journey from Land’s End to Orkney before speaking at Yestival. This was no easy feat – Ann had only a sixth of her lung function available and had to rely on determination, resourcefulness, and a...
info_outline
Aisling Byrne: International Showjumper and Businesswoman on Surviving a Devastating Riding Accident and Defying the Odds to Walk and Compete Again
Tough Girl Podcast
In this powerful episode, we meet Aisling Byrne — an international showjumper, successful businesswoman, and an extraordinary example of resilience in the face of life-altering adversity. After a devastating horse riding accident left her with multiple broken bones, internal injuries, and the prognosis that she would never walk again, Aisling refused to accept defeat. Over the course of a gruelling three-year recovery, she not only walked again — she returned to the international showjumping circuit, proving that mindset, grit, and determination can overcome even the most impossible...
info_outline
Pamela Lee: Irish Offshore Sailor, World Record Holder, Empowering Women Through Sailing, Training for Route du Rhum 2026.
Tough Girl Podcast
In this episode of the Tough Girl Podcast, we’re joined by Pamela Lee, a professional offshore sailor from Ireland who’s breaking records and barriers in one of the most extreme, male-dominated sports on the planet. Now based in Brittany, France—the heart of short-handed offshore racing—Pamela has carved out her path with grit, determination, and a clear vision for empowering women through sailing. Pam shares her journey from growing up beside the sea in Ireland to becoming the first Irish woman to skipper the Transat Jacques Vabre Race, setting three world records...
info_outline
Bianca Fernandez-Clark: 7x Ironman Finisher and Founder of Women in Tri UK, Making Triathlon More Inclusive for Women.
Tough Girl Podcast
Bianca Fernandez-Clark is a 7x Ironman finisher, Chair, and co-founder of Women in Tri UK, a charity on a mission to bring more women into triathlon and break down barriers in the sport. With no background in sport, Bianca laced up her trainers at age 29 to tackle a 10km as a way to manage her mental health. From there, she progressed to marathons and, in 2016, took on the challenge of learning to swim and cycle to complete her first triathlon. As a Black/mixed-race woman, Bianca has been vocal about the lack of diversity in triathlon, especially at long-distance events, and has worked to...
info_outline
Harriet Frost: 2x Arc of Attrition 100 mile finisher, Race Director, Business Owner of Grit Culture, Co-parent of Sea+Flo supporting people to upgrade their periods.
Tough Girl Podcast
Harriet Frost is a force of energy, endurance, and entrepreneurial grit. From completing the notorious Arc of Attrition 100-mile ultra twice, to directing multiple trail races, to co-founding a menstrual cup company focused on sustainable period care for athletes — Harriet is redefining what it means to pursue hard things, in business and on the trail. In this episode, Harriet shares her journey from growing up in Cornwall to discovering a love of endurance sport later in life — despite hating running at first. With no formal coaching, she’s built her own training strategy...
info_outlineDr. Caitlin Massone, ultra-runner, mountaineer, neurologist, and first-time author, sharing the story of her 14-year battle with eating disorders, and how she recovered in an unconventional way through finding endurance sports and nature.
Her book, "Running from Perfection," comes out this spring (April 26th 2025).
Part memoir, part neuroscience, her story delves into the neurobiology of eating disorders, how our brains form habits and addictions, and how nature and exercise can help us heal from mental health disorders such as eating disorders, anxiety, and depression.
Since regaining her health, Caitlin has run numerous marathons and ultramarathons, including a 50 mile race on the Mountains-to-Sea trail, and recently completed the Wonderland Trail around Mount Rainier (93 miles in three days). She has also embraced mountaineering, summiting Mount Rainier and Mount Baker, and is planning to climb Denali in 2026.
Her story is about perseverance, overcoming mental health obstacles, and finding passion in sports that have transformed her from a 100-pound girl with anorexia to a strong, 150-pound athlete who is ready to take on new challenges!
Trigger Warning: This episode contains discussions about eating disorders, mental health challenges, and recovery. Please listen with care, and reach out for support if needed.
***
Catch the latest episodes of the Tough Girl Podcast, dropping every Tuesday at 7 am UK time! Don’t forget to subscribe so you won’t miss the inspiring journeys and incredible stories of tough women.
Want to play a part in uplifting female representation in the media? Support the Tough Girl Podcast on Patreon! Your generosity helps shine a spotlight on female role models in the world of adventure and physical challenges. Join us in making a positive impact by visiting www.patreon.com/
Thank you for your amazing support!
***
Show notes
- Who is Caitlin
- Being based in New Jersey
- Working as a practicing neurologist
- Working 7 days on and 7 days off
- Developing new interests, in running, hiking, backpacking and mountaineering
- Writing about her long term eating disorder and how she found ultra endurance sports
- What a neurologist does
- How her working schedule came about
- Her path from medical school, to residency, and completing her fellowship
- Her early years growing up in New Jersey
- Loving soccer (football) from 5 years old and playing varsity
- Losing her love of sports and nature at 16
- Nature and nurture in the formation of eating disorders
- Being abandoned by her father
- Little Miss Perfect….
- Dealing with pressure
- Type A personality and how they turned against her
- What people don’t know about eating disorders
- Starting to binge eat
- Balancing it out with exercise
- Taking a job in Colorado
- Being exposure to nature at it’s best
- Quitting cold turkey
- Doing short hikes and runs outdoors
- Getting to the top of her first 14,000 ft
- Seeking professional help and working with a therapist
- Keeping her eating behaviours very private
- Good or bad habits…
- Habit formation in the brain and the role that exercise plays
- Exercise junkie
- Not being preoccupied with food
- Having a better outlook on it
- The battle going on inside your brain
- Primitive urges and self talk
- Mantras - Powerful and perseverance
- Running her first half marathon while in medical school
- Her running journey being slow and gradual
- Starting running ultra marathons in 2020
- Race strategy and getting use to time on feet and breaking it down into small chunks of time
- Spacing out nutrition throughout the race
- Fuelling and attitude to food during races
- Working with a running coach for the past 2 years
- Trying to keep things easy
- Getting into mountaineering
- International Mountain Guides
- Planning to climb Mt Denali
- The use of oral contraceptive pills past the age of 35
- Building the mental resilience
- Eating Disorder Survivor Symbol
- Getting her tattoo done
- Social media…. Not being hugely active
- Women in Mountaineering
- Sunny Stroeer
- New book goes live April 26th 2025
- Final words of advice
- Finding someone to listen
- The power of talking and opening up to people
Social Media
Book: Running from Perfection: My Journey from Eating Disorders to Endurance Sports--And the Neuroscience Behind It