Tania Carmona – First Mexican Athlete to Complete the 5 Deserts Grand Slam: Ultrarunner, Coach, and Podcaster
Release Date: 08/12/2025
Denisa Krásná – Flow, Fear, and Female Adventure: Redefining Women’s Stories in Extreme Sports
Tough Girl Podcast
What does it mean to challenge the limits of both body and mind—and to redefine what success looks like along the way? Denisa Krásná, scholar, author, and adventurer from the Czech Republic, takes us on a journey into the world of women in extreme sports. From her early days trekking with her parents to highlining hundreds of meters above the ground, Denisa has always been drawn to adventure, isolation, and pushing herself beyond comfort. She co-edited Flow: Women’s Counternarratives from Rivers, Rock, and Sky, an inspiring anthology celebrating diverse women’s voices in adventure...
info_outline
Sarah Williams: Solo Reflections Episode, GR10, the Numbers and Plans for 2026
Tough Girl Podcast
Happy New Year! I’m taking a moment to look back at the last six months of 2025—what’s worked, what hasn’t, and what the numbers tell me about the year so far. I reflect on the journey I’ve been on, the adventures, the challenges, and the mindset shifts that have shaped my life. I talk about working in longer blocks, thinking in decades not years, and the balance between pushing hard and giving myself space to rest. I share what I’m learning about consistency, structure, and getting intentional with my time, energy, and goals. I also get real about needing magic, wanting change,...
info_outline
Dr Latika Nath – Nat Geo’s Tiger Princess: Pioneering Conservation and Studying Big Cats in the Wild
Tough Girl Podcast
From the jungles of India to the global stage of wildlife conservation, Dr Latika Nath has spent her life studying and protecting big cats, becoming the first woman in the world to study tigers in the wild. Known as Nat Geo’s “Tiger Princess,” she shares stories from deep in the forests where she observed tigers using tools, hunting porcupines, and navigating complex human-wildlife conflicts. In this episode, Latika takes us on her journey from a childhood spent exploring the outdoors to pursuing her dream in a male-dominated field, studying elephants and tigers in the wild. She shares...
info_outline
Kaytlyn Gerbin – Motherhood, Mountains, and 100-Mile Runs: Her Ultra Running Comeback
Tough Girl Podcast
What does it take to return to the top of the ultra running world after major life changes and a “career-ending” surgery? Kaytlyn Gerbin knows. In this episode, Kaytlyn shares her journey from a scientist with a love for the outdoors to a world-class trail and ultra runner. Growing up active but without formal running experience, she discovered her talent in her mid-twenties and quickly fell in love with the 100-mile distance. Since then, she’s set course records, tackled some of the most technical alpine trails in the Pacific Northwest, and stood on podiums at legendary races like UTMB,...
info_outline
Sheryl Ramstad – Surviving the Impossible: A 1% Miracle, Radical Resilience, and Rebuilding Life After a Plane Crash
Tough Girl Podcast
Sheryl Ramstad’s story is nothing short of extraordinary. After surviving a catastrophic plane crash with less than a 1% chance of survival, Sheryl’s life was forever changed. What began as her first solo flight at age 29 became a harrowing journey through life-threatening burns, multiple surgeries, overwhelming grief, and two years of excruciating rehabilitation. But this isn’t just a survival story—it’s a testament to the power of resilience, faith, and the unbreakable human spirit. In this powerful conversation, Sheryl shares how she transformed unimaginable trauma into...
info_outline
Hillary Allen – Ultrarunner and Author of Out and Back: A Runner’s Story of Survival Against All Odds
Tough Girl Podcast
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...
info_outline
Lani Woods – Inspiring Women to Ride, Explore, and Belong Through Cycling Adventures
Tough Girl Podcast
Lani Woods is a passionate cyclist, adventurer, and creative force behind a vibrant community of outdoor enthusiasts. Known for blending her love of cycling with a flair for design, Lani leads initiatives like Triple Crown Adventures to inspire others to explore the world on two wheels. Whether organizing group adventures in Hawaii or crafting unique cycling gear, she’s dedicated to building an inclusive, adventure-loving community. * Marked as explicit — just one F bomb! *** New episodes of the Tough Girl Podcast drop every Tuesday at 7 AM (UK time)! Make sure to subscribe so...
info_outline
Charlotte Fisher – From Zero Running Experience to Elite Ultra Runner
Tough Girl Podcast
From a council estate on the Isle of Wight to conquering some of Europe’s toughest mountain ultras, Charlotte Fisher’s journey is nothing short of extraordinary. Less than three years ago, she had never run competitively. Today, she’s a full-time ultra runner chasing elite races like UTMB and Western States 100, proving that it’s never too late to find your path. In this episode, Charlotte shares how a charity ultra challenge sparked her running journey, the lessons learned from 50km races to brutal 100-mile mountain ultras, and how running transformed her mindset, confidence,...
info_outline
Paula Ralph – Cycling Solo from Cape Town to Nordkapp: 12,290 km Across 17 Countries - When Everything Seemed Impossible
Tough Girl Podcast
What happens when a dream is so big, so audacious, that you commit to it long before you have the skills, money, or confidence to make it happen? For Paula Ralph, that dream was to cycle from Cape Town, South Africa to Nordkapp, Norway— a 12,290 km journey across 17 countries. What began as a Guinness World Record attempt soon transformed into something far more powerful: a test of courage, resilience, and self-belief. Paula set off with one goal — to become the fastest woman to complete the route. But along the way, reality hit hard. Injuries, financial setbacks, fear,...
info_outline
Sharon Jessop – Ultra-Endurance Runner & Conservationist: Running 3,500 Miles Across Africa for Rhino Conservation
Tough Girl Podcast
This week on the Tough Girl Podcast, I’m joined by Sharon Jessop — an ultra-endurance athlete, conservationist, keynote speaker, and serial entrepreneur whose running adventures are driven by a mission to protect rhinos in Africa. From growing up barefoot in the South African bush to covering over 3,500 miles across some of Africa’s wildest landscapes, Sharon has used her extraordinary endurance to raise awareness and funds for rhino conservation. Her journey is as inspiring as it is challenging, blending adventure with purpose. In this episode, Sharon shares how she...
info_outlineThis week on the Tough Girl Podcast, we’re joined by Tania Carmona—a trailblazing ultrarunner, endurance coach, entrepreneur, and the first Mexican athlete to complete the 5 Deserts Grand Slam. From swimming as a national-level athlete in Mexico to conquering some of the toughest environments on Earth, Tania’s story is one of resilience, reinvention, and relentless curiosity.
Based in Dubai and previously living in Scotland and the U.S., Tania shares her path into ultrarunning—from a reluctant marathon finisher to tackling self-supported races across the Gobi, Atacama, Namib, and Antarctica. We dive into her experience navigating extreme heat, physical stress, and the emotional highs and lows of ultra-endurance.
Tania also opens up about the physiological toll of training, dealing with cortisol imbalances, the decision to undergo back surgery, and why she and her husband launched the Ultra Happy Podcast to bring more real, relatable stories to the running world.
Whether you're chasing your own desert dreams or looking for inspiration to keep putting one foot in front of the other, this episode is packed with heart, humour, and hard-earned wisdom.
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 Tania
- Ultrarunner, coach and podcast host
- Being based in Dubai, born in Mexico and previously living in Glasgow, Scotland
- Growing up in Mexico City in a small family
- Being into swimming when she was little
- Being a national swimmer
- Deciding to stop swimming at 15
- Moving to Chicago to do her Masters
- Getting into running in Chicago after being inspired by the Chicago Marathon
- Starting running with a free group 3x a week
- Finishing her first marathon and deciding to never run again at 20
- Needing to make new friends after moving back to Mexico
- Deciding to give running another go
- A spartan race…. 2016
- Finding trail running!
- Hiring a coach
- Signing up for a 50k
- Meeting her Scottish husband, Andy
- Moving from Mexico City to Scotland!
- Deciding to sign up for longer, harder races and how her lifestyle started to change
- The 5 Desert Grand Slam
- Wanting to do Cocodona 250km race
- The 5 different, self supported races
- Dealing with the heat
- Gobi Desert in Mongolia - more trails and more hard packed terrain - very similar to Scotland
- Running with really old shoes
- Running in Antartica over 5 days - living on an expedition boat
- Atacama Desert in Chile and why it was one of her most favourite races
- Reducing those feelings of overwhelm
- Focusing on the first step first
- Taking a year off to focus on running
- Working with a running coach
- Recovery runs and resting
- Dealing with gut issues and periods problems
- The impact on her body with spikes of cortisol
- Developing a cortisol hump on her back
- Not sleeping well
- The evening routines and life admin after a race
- Having surgery on her cortisol hump (7 cm by 1.5 cm deep) on her back
- Dealing with more stress, by moving to Dubai
- Ultra Happy Podcast
- Co-hosting with her husband Andy
- Documenting the journey
- How to connect with Tania
- Mini films from each dessert available to watch on YouTube
- Final words of advice
- Live your life with curiosity
- Don’t do it for the likes
- Think about what else you could do
Social Media
Website: taniacarmona.komi.io
Instagram: @
TikTok: @taniaruns_theworld
Youtube: @Tania_Carmona