Vedangi Kulkarni - Round the World (Again): Records, Setbacks & Resilience on Two Wheels
Release Date: 09/30/2025
Alexandra Nemeth: Beyond the Seven Summits — Highs, Lows, and Life in Extreme Places.
Tough Girl Podcast
Alex is a qualified International Mountain Leader, Polar Guide, and a professional Photographer based in St. Moritz, Switzerland. From scaling the world’s highest peaks to leading expeditions in the Arctic and Antarctica, she thrives where the wild meets the extreme. Her passion for high-altitude exploration took her on a relentless quest; climbing the highest mountain on every continent, culminating on the summit of Mt. Everest in 2018. She became the first ever Hungarian to climb the Seven Summits. This journey ignited her mission to guide others through the raw beauty of the mountains...
info_outline
Bonita Norris – Mountains, Mindset, Motherhood and Mastering the Impossible
Tough Girl Podcast
Bonita Norris became the youngest woman to reach both the summit of Mt Everest at just 22 and the North Pole at 23, and her story is nothing short of extraordinary. In this episode, she shares the journey that took her from school trips in North Wales to climbing some of the world’s highest peaks, navigating extreme environments, and pushing the limits of what’s possible. Bonita reflects on the early steps that built her career in mountaineering—starting with beginner climbing courses, funding her expeditions, and preparing for the Himalayan peaks. She opens up about the mental and...
info_outline
Jacquetta Megarry – Founding Rucksack Readers, Walking Adventures, and Building Confidence in the Outdoors
Tough Girl Podcast
Jacquetta Megarry didn’t grow up in the outdoors, and she certainly didn’t see herself as an adventurer—or a publisher. But turning 50 sparked a journey that would transform her life. From walking the West Highland Way with friends to summiting Mt Kilimanjaro, Jacquetta discovered the power of pacing yourself, listening to your body, and building unshakeable self-belief. Her adventures inspired her to found Rucksack Readers, a guidebook company that helps hikers navigate trails around the world. Over 25 years later, Jacquetta shares stories from her experiences—from hiking in the UK...
info_outline
Sabrina Pace-Humphreys – UTMB, Trail Running, and Building Community: The Journey of a Runner and Advocate
Tough Girl Podcast
Sabrina Pace-Humphreys is back on the Tough Girl Podcast for her third appearance, sharing her incredible journey as a runner, coach, and advocate for representation in trail running. From being a mum of four and grandmother of three, to taking on some of the toughest ultramarathons in the world, Sabrina’s story is one of resilience, community, and the relentless pursuit of goals. In this episode, Sabrina reflects on her time at the UTMB, the challenges of race preparation, and the lessons learned when things don’t go to plan. She also shares updates on her work with Black Trail Runners,...
info_outline
Becky Wandell – Reinvention, Solo Travel, and Hiking the Pacific Crest Trail at 55
Tough Girl Podcast
Becky Wandell is a Teacher, Writer, Tour Guide, Volunteer, and Solo Traveler. At 47, while weathering a difficult divorce and the death of four close relatives, she clawed her way up from the depths of grief and, in her words, set out to “find her way back to Becky again”. To do this, she quit her job, sold all of her belongings and charted a plan to complete a series of adventures she had always dreamed of doing. Joining the US Peace Corps, learning to speak Spanish and gaining her confidence in solo travel and living abroad set the stage for several years of living her best life...
info_outline
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_outlineIn this candid and raw Tough Girl Podcast EXTRA episode, we reconnect with the unstoppable Vedangi Kulkarni — the youngest woman to have cycled around the world, who’s recently returned from doing it again.
Now based in Inverness, Scotland, Vedangi opens up about her second attempt at cycling around the globe — this time not just for the journey, but in pursuit of a Guinness World Record.
From racing Lael Wilcox to navigating border delays, funding pressures, and the relentless physical and mental toll of riding across five continents, Vedangi doesn’t hold back.
This conversation is about pushing limits, embracing failures, and finding strength when things don’t go to plan.
Highlights from the episode include:
- Breaking a record in the Himalayas (Manali–Leh Highway) in 2023
- Preparing to cycle the world again in 2024 — and finding sponsorship, gear, and coaching
- Struggles of travelling on an Indian passport and the challenge of visa logistics
- Being delayed at borders, detained, and ultimately forced to return to the UK mid-ride due to visa expiry
- Restarting in 2025, finishing the ride under the blazing Indian summer sun
- Dealing with the post-expedition blues and finding her footing again
Vedangi’s story is one of resilience, honesty, and fierce determination. Despite knowing she wouldn’t get the world record, she kept going — driven by passion, grit, and the belief that stories worth telling are born from adversity.
Now, she’s looking ahead to her next expedition, ramping up her YouTube and Substack presence, and continuing to speak openly about the realities of life as a woman of colour in adventure sport.
Heads-up: This episode includes some strong language.
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 Vedangi
- From India but currently based in Inverness, Scotland
- The Adventure Shed
- Coming back from her 2nd ride around the world
- Speaking to Vedangi in Sep 22, 2020 - Vedangi Kulkarni - The youngest woman to have circumnavigated the world on bicycle.
- Tough Girl Extra Oct 27, 2022 - Vedangi Kulkarni - Adventurer and endurance athlete moving into mountain biking and crossing Svalbard.
- The focus of this episode - what Vedangi has been up to over the past couple of years
- Deciding to cycle around the world again
- 2023 - visiting the Himalayas and going after a point to point record. GWR for being the fastest women to cycle the Manali-leh Highway
- Getting her win
- June 2023 - starting to be vocal about her goals in 2024
- Getting the sponsorship and funding in place
- Needing £20k
- Working with Canyon Bikes
- Speaking to the bike experts
- Getting a gravel bike and specking it like a road bike
- Being an Ambassador for RAB
- Working with Tailfin - and having custom build gear
- 3D printed mounts
- Struggling to get sponsorship from Indian companies
- Getting only 1 Indian Sponsor at the last moment
- Training and working with Jon Fearne from E3 Coaching
- Following a training plan and putting in the best effort with it
- Applying for visas and planning the route with an Indian passport
- The challenges of getting to the start line
- Racing against Lael Wilcox (who was attempting the same record at the same time)
- “Why do I think I can do this? I don’t stand a chance”
- Mental blocks and challenges
- The challenges of travelling on a weaker passport
- Having no room for errors - everything needs to go to plan
- Why it wasn’t a level playing field
- Speaking with Lael before heading off - women supporting women
- Knowing that she wasn’t going to get the record and keeping on going
- Having a good story to tell
- Dealing with setbacks and failures and keeping on going
- The route and how it was slightly different to the first time
- Starting on the East Coast of India
- Riding across Mongolia and then on to Australia
- Challenges with border crossings and getting detained and delayed
- Needing to fly back to the UK on Christmas Eve due to UK visa regulations
- Needing to stay in the UK for 2 months
- Getting back to India in March 2025 to finish the ride
- The challenges of the heat - going from Scottish winter to an Indian Summer
- Feeling satisfied once the ride was finally done.
- Adventure blues after the ride
- Planning her next record attempt and expedition.
- Wanting to push her limits further
- Why health isn’t guaranteed
- One precious life and you’ve got to get out there and live it
- Balancing everything that’s going on
- How to connect with Vedangi on social media
- Kickstarting her YouTube again
- Getting more active on Substack
- Final words of advice for women who want to push on through their barriers
- Embracing failure and not letting it dim your light - it’s not always going to go to plan
- Be motivated to try your best
- The journalling process and how it can help mentally with self-esteem
Social Media
Website: vedangi.info
Instagram: @thisisvedangi
LinkedIn: Vedangi Kulkarni
Twitter: @thisisvedangi
Facebook: @wheelsandwords
YouTube: @thisisvedangi
Link to donate me a small amount: [Buy Me A Coffee]