In this episode of the Tough Girl Podcast, we’re joined by Marie “Lootie” Leautey, the second woman in history to run around the world solo and unsupported — and the fastest woman to do it.
Lootie’s journey began in France, far from the running world. A former smoker and corporate finance professional, she swapped cigarettes for daily runs at 25, building up to her first marathon in just eight months. That spark turned into an audacious dream: to run across the globe — 26,000+ km, across four continents, relying entirely on herself.
Starting her run in Europe in December 2019, Lootie faced deserts, mountains, and long stretches between resupply points, carrying only a 12–15kg stroller packed with her essentials. Along the way, she experienced the kindness of strangers, the thrill of new cultures, and the incredible mental discipline required to run a marathon every day for years.
Beyond the physical feat, Lootie shares how her journey is rooted in purpose: raising funds for Women for Women International, honouring her grandmother’s legacy, and inspiring women to ask themselves, “Why am I doing this, and is it aligned with who I want to be?”
This is a story of grit, adventure, and the extraordinary power of chasing your own path — a reminder that there’s very little you can’t achieve once you set your mind to it.
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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
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Show notes
Social Media
Website: lootie-run.com
Instagram: @lootierun
Facebook: @lootierun
Strava: www.strava.com/
Stephanie Ho is a 24-year-old adventurer, endurance athlete, and exercise physiologist based on the Gold Coast, Australia. From rock climbing and ocean swimming to triathlons and mountain expeditions, Stephanie has always chased the outdoors — but her biggest goals lie in the polar regions.
In this episode of the Tough Girl Podcast, Stephanie shares her journey from discovering hiking and camping as a teenager to trekking Everest Base Camp, running 43km a day for a week, and skiing 540km across Greenland. She opens up about the mental and physical challenges of polar expeditions, the lessons she’s learned in extreme environments, and what it takes to keep motivation alive when the goal seems impossible.
Stephanie is now preparing for a solo 1,200km expedition to the South Pole in 2026 — hauling a 100kg sled through temperatures as low as -50°C — a feat that, if successful, will make her the first Australian woman to achieve it. Along the way, she talks logistics, training, nutrition, dealing with fears and unsolicited advice, and the importance of listening to your body while chasing what sets your soul on fire.
This conversation is a masterclass in mental toughness, gratitude, and stepping beyond your comfort zone. Stephanie’s story will inspire you to dream big, push limits, and embrace adventure — no matter your age or background.
New episodes of the Tough Girl Podcast drop every Tuesday at 7 AM (UK time).
Support the Tough Girl mission via Patreon: www.patreon.com/
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Show notes
Social Media
Website: solosouth.com.au
Birgit Hermann is a global leadership coach, speaker, executive leader, ocean advocate, professional freediver, and extreme endurance athlete who translates lessons from the edge into meaningful impact for people and planet.
She supports purpose-driven leaders to turn bold challenges into grounded, values-led action.
She has raced the Marathon des Sables, run a marathon in Antarctica, freedived beneath Arctic ice without a wetsuit, and cycled across the African continent — often as the only woman on the start line.
Alongside these edge-tested experiences, Birgit brings over 20 years of leading and coaching teams across marine conservation, climate resilience, international development, and peace building in more than 20 countries.
Based between Timor-Leste, Germany, New Zealand, and Egypt, she is the founder of Inspired by Nature and the author of B.O.L.D.E.R.™ — a leadership framework forged at the edge and built for real-world change.
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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
Social Media
Website: www.birgithermann.com
Instagram: @b_
Facebook: @b.
Youtube: @b.
Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/in/
Direct link to the book: www.birgithermann.com/
Amanda Duling is an endurance athlete, writer, and founder of One Gear Short of Normal™.
A post-bariatric, perimenopausal gravel cyclist and Ironman 70.3 finisher, Amanda uses grit, science, and unapologetic humour to tell the stories no one else is telling about endurance sports, women’s bodies, and doing hard things later in life.
Through her writing and community work, she challenges the “suffer in silence” culture of endurance athletics and advocates for smarter fueling, better hygiene, realistic training, and radical honesty—especially for women navigating menopause, major weight loss, and endurance sport at the same time.
When she’s not riding gravel roads or lifting heavy things, Amanda writes research-backed, laugh-out-loud essays on endurance life, parenting, and why choosing your hard matters more than perfection.
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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
Social Media
Website: onegearshortofnormal.
Instagram: @onegearshortofnormal
Facebook: Amanda McMahon
Substack: @
Youtube: One Gear Short of Normal
Growing up near Boston, Sugar discovered hiking in her early twenties while exploring the White Mountains of New Hampshire. After getting sober at 30, she found herself with the clarity, time and capacity to pursue the life she truly wanted. What followed was a decision to live authentically, prioritise long-distance hiking, and become what she proudly calls a professional dirtbag.
In 2021, Sugar set out on the Appalachian Trail. While she knew she was a strong hiker, she also faced the uncertainty of what it would mean to walk the trail as a trans woman. Feeling the isolation of not seeing many stories like her own pushed her to begin writing, speaking openly, and becoming someone other queer and trans hikers could reach out to.
Since then, she has become the first known trans woman to complete the Triple Crown of long-distance hiking, founded TrailQTs – a free mentoring programme supporting first-time queer and trans thru-hikers – and in 2024 pioneered the Divide to Crest Route, a 3,000-mile backcountry journey from the Mexican border in New Mexico to the Canadian border in Washington.
In 2025, Sugar set a new women’s self-supported speed record on the Appalachian Trail southbound, breaking the previous record by more than a day and a half.
In this episode, we dive into sobriety, transition, representation, burnout, post-trail blues, building community, and what it really takes to push the body day after day. Sugar also shares practical advice on training, fuelling on a budget, protecting your feet, and why big dreams are built through small, steady steps.
This is a conversation about courage, visibility, and creating the path you wish had existed when you started.
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New episodes of the Tough Girl Podcast drop every Tuesday at 7 AM (UK time). Hit subscribe so you never miss the inspiring journeys and incredible stories of tough women pushing boundaries.
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: www.patreon.com/
Your support makes a difference.
Thank you x
***
Show notes
Social Media
Instagram @seltzerskelter
In this episode of the Tough Girl Podcast, we’re joined by Sara Eydmann — ultra-marathon runner, counsellor and therapist based in Edinburgh, Scotland.
At 30 years old, Sara is no stranger to pushing her limits. From attempting to run 500 miles to taking on the North Coast 500, her journey into ultra-running has been anything but straightforward. But behind the miles is a powerful and deeply honest story about mental health, identity, resilience and learning to change the narrative.
Growing up as an only child, Sara was always active — until an eating disorder at 14 forced her to stop exercising completely. Years later, she found her way back to running, initially using it as a way to control her weight. During lockdown, her running became increasingly intense, driven and compulsive. With the support of therapy and a coach, she began learning how to train with more structure, balance and self-awareness — eventually making it to the start line of her first marathon in 2023.
Shortly after, she signed up for her first ultra.
In this episode, Sara shares her experience of being late diagnosed with Autism at 27 and ADHD at 29 (AuADHD), and how that diagnosis helped her better understand herself, her anxiety, and the way her brain works — particularly in high-stress, high-performance environments.
We dive into:
Sara speaks candidly about what it feels like to “lose your head” mentally during a challenge, the lessons she’s taken from injury, and how she’s learning to run from a place of curiosity rather than compulsion.
Now preparing to move to France for a year to focus on training, immerse herself in the culture and learn French, Sara is continuing to explore what’s possible — on her own terms.
This is an episode about endurance, identity, healing, and redefining success.
Trust the process. Don’t fear the outcome.
*there is mention of eating disorders and running for weight loss - we do not go into specifics
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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
Social Media
Website: mind-and-miles.com
Instagram: @
Youtube: @
Substack: @