Dr. Rosa Vasquez Espinoza – National Geographic Explorer, Amazon Scientist & Advocate for Indigenous Wisdom and Biodiversity
Release Date: 09/09/2025
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_outlineIn this episode of the Tough Girl Podcast, we journey into the heart of the Amazon and the mind of a remarkable woman pushing the boundaries of science, culture, and conservation—Dr. Rosa Vásquez Espinoza.
Rosa is a Peruvian chemical biologist, National Geographic Explorer, UN Harmony with Nature Scientist, and the founder of Amazon Research Internacional.
Splitting her time between Bath, England, and the Peruvian rainforest, Rosa blends cutting-edge research with ancestral knowledge to protect biodiversity and uplift indigenous communities.
Her journey—from a curious child growing up in Peru to leading expeditions in the Amazon, researching the legendary Boiling River, studying stingless bees, and authoring The Spirit of the Rainforest—is nothing short of extraordinary. Rosa shares how she learned expedition skills later in life, why documenting indigenous science is crucial, and what it means to be a female scientist navigating international platforms like the UN and COP16.
This conversation is packed with insight into climate resilience, overcoming self-doubt, and the healing power of nature, science, and community. Rosa’s message is a powerful call to action for women everywhere: follow the questions that stay in your head—you never know where they may lead.
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 Dr Rosa
- Currently living in Bath
- Being based between England and Peru
- Working as a Peruvian scientistic
- National Geographic Explorer
- Leading science and conservation efforts in the Amazon Rainforest
- Having a deep connection to her indigenous roots
- Her early years living in Peru and relationship with her grandmother
- Spending time in the city and the mountains
- Being fascinated by the things she couldn’t understand
- Loving space and wanted to know everything about the planet
- Having a fascination for science
- Wanting to dedicate her life to the Amazon
- Getting her PhD in Chemical Biology from Michigan University
- Taking a year off to get more work experience and reconsidering her whole life
- Being able to study traditional Chineses medicine in Beijing in her last year of undergrad
- The Amazon Boiling River
- Ted Talk - Andrés Ruzo
- Book: The Boiling River (TED) by Andrés Ruzo
- Discovering new microbes in the river
- Boiling mud
- Book: The Spirit of the Rainforest: How indigenous wisdom and scientific curiosity reconnects us to the natural world
- What you can expect from the book
- Learning expeditions skills later on in life
- Leading her first expedition
- Chapter 4 - Stingless Bees - the oldest bees on the planet
- Capacity building
- Partnerships with different indigenous groups
- Climate challenges
- Climate Anxiety
- The importance of indigenous science and making sure that it is documented
- Being motivated to write the book
- COP16 in October 2024 in Colombia
- Dealing with self doubt and why the work is not easy
- Being a voice with the international press
- Creating space for female indigenous members
- Being a good team member
- The importance of community
- Current expeditions and plans for heading back to the field
- Funding expeditions
- Extreme climate explorers
- BBC - Documenting their work on stingless bees
- How to find stingless bees
- Smelling fish in the jungle….
- Medicinial Honey?!
- Comparison to Manuka honey?
- Her Ayahuasca experience
- The ego death experience
- Chapter 11 - becoming a black jaguar
- How to connect with Dr Rosa
- Final word of advice for women who want to explore more and get into science and exploration
- Follow the questions that stay in your head
- You never know where they may lead.
Social Media
Website: www.rosavespinoza.com
Instagram: @rosavespinoza
Facebook: @
TikTok: @rosavespinoza
YouTube: @