Kaytlyn Gerbin – Motherhood, Mountains, and 100-Mile Runs: Her Ultra Running Comeback
Release Date: 12/23/2025
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...
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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...
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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...
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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,...
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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...
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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...
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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,...
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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...
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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,...
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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_outlineWhat 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, Western States 100, and Transgrancanaria.
But Kaytlyn’s story isn’t just about running. It’s about resilience, reinvention, and balance. After the birth of her daughter Era in 2024 and undergoing surgery to correct hip dysplasia—a procedure many thought would end her running career—Kaytlyn came back stronger than ever, winning the Cascade Crest 100 and taking on the epic 330km Tor des Geants race in Italy.
In this episode, you’ll hear about:
- How she discovered her running talent and found her passion for ultra distances
- Overcoming setbacks, starting over, and learning to meet herself where she is
- The mental strategies that help her tackle 100-mile races and multi-day alpine challenges
- Balancing motherhood with elite-level running
- Her plans and goals for 2026, including Hardrock 100 and UTMB
Whether you’re an aspiring ultra runner, a parent chasing big goals, or someone who loves stories of grit, perseverance, and adventure, Kaytlyn’s story will inspire you to push your limits—on the trails and in life.
Tune in to hear how Kaytlyn combines mountains, motherhood, and science-backed training to redefine what’s possible, one long run at a time.
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Show notes
- Who is Kaytln
- Ultra runner and trail runner for the North Face
- Living in the foothills outside of Seattle, US
- Having a degree in Bioengineering and previously working as a scientist
- Having her first daughter, 14 months ago
- Reflecting back on her childhood and early years
- Growing up in rural US
- Being the oldest of four and being very active as a kid
- How her running journey progressed
- Playing soccer in high school
- Being good at running on the field, but not enjoying the running for training
- Making friends with other students at college who ran
- Discovering her running talent in her mid-twenties
- Entering her first small, local race and finishing 2nd female
- Having fun and feeling strong while running
- Finding her distance
- Loving the 100 mile distance
- Figuring out training for races
- The longer she ran, the stronger she felt
- Feeling overwhelmed by the running distances
- Having to start over with her running
- Remembering how hard it is to start running again after set backs
- Having a hard time with running
- Never having a running coach and getting to make all the rules
- Tracking her training
- Meeting yourself where your at ie being ok with walking
- Bringing in science to her running?
- Lessons on failure and how it applies to running
- Staying humble with her running
- Why the hardest part of the race, is just before it starts
- The anxiety before a race, struggling to sleep and eat before
- Staying relaxed while running and settling into the run after 50k
- Running through the night
- Taking some time before doing the hard thing, and thinking about the mental challenges which may come up and how to handle it
- Running a 220 mile race over 4 days
- Dealing with the guilt of being away from her baby while running
- Anticipate what some of the mental challenges might be during a race and how best to approach it
- Taking a step back from the running during pregnancy
- Not feeling the pressure to go back to running
- Her ‘A’ race in 2025
- Tor des Geants 330km race in Italy
- Winning the Cascade Crest 100 mile race
- Seeing the 2nd placed woman - starting to race
- Wanting to run hand and push herself
- Plans for 2026
- Applying for Hardrock 100 mile race
- Wanting to go back and race at UTMB
- Having a pregnancy deferral for UTMB
- How to connect with Kaytlyn
- Advice for women wanting to take on a 100 mile race
Social Media
Instagram @kaytlyn_g