Alexandra Garcia: Why Difficult Pursuits Matter — Resilience, Running & the Mountains
Release Date: 05/08/2025
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...
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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...
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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...
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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...
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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,...
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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...
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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...
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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...
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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...
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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...
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Thank you for your amazing support!- Who is Alex
- Growing up in Porto Ricco - a small island in the Caribbean
- Her childhood and early years
- Spending time in nature from a young age
- Living in Western Northern Carolina, USA
- Spending time around the ocean
- Swimming and respecting the water
- Her parents farm
- Hiking with her family
- 2017 and deciding to climb Mt Kilimanjaro
- Looking for the next thing to work towards
- Pushing herself to achieve
- Difficult pursuits of the year
- Training physically and mentally for the challenge
- 2018 and doing the Grand Canyon - Rim to Rim Challenge
- Keeping herself learning and engaged and wanting the challenges to be fun
- Running….
- Learning as she goes
- The importance of training
- Planning Approach
- Thinking of her own ideas for Difficult Pursuits
- Focusing on challenges in Porto Ricco
- 35 miles - Backpacking trail in Porto Ricco
- The power of visualisation
- The power of doing hard things
- Going through hard times
- Managing emotions while on challenges
- Letting emotions out and acknowledging them
- Journaling and writing for outdoor magazines in the US
- The women who inspire Alex
- Being inspired by Sunny Stroeer
- Co founding the AWE Summit Scholarship Foundation
- Their mission to increase accessibility for women and girls and for gender equality in the mountains
- Offering scholarships to 25 women to climb mountains around the world
- Her difficult pursuit in 2025
- Heading to France in July and wanting to climb Mt Blanc
- Wanting to set a Fastest Known Time (FKT)
- How to connect and support Alex
- Final words of advice for other women who want to take on difficult pursuits
- Find a community of people or women who can support your goals over a period of time.
- The advice of ‘just do it’
- Choosing what is difficult for you