Lauren Burnison is the founder of We Love Lucid, the UK’s first alcohol-free travel company, and a trailblazer in the sober travel movement. From couch-surfing with nomads on the Mongolian steppe to snorkelling with sharks in Oman, Lauren has spent her life seeking off-the-beaten-path adventures—and this year, she took a two-month road trip through Spain and Portugal in a micro camper with her four-year-old daughter to celebrate ten years of sobriety.

In this Tough Girl Podcast EXTRA episode, we catch up with Helen Dainty — solo female cyclist, self-described “full-time global hobo,” and one of the most committed long-distance bike travellers you’ll ever meet.

At the end of July, I’ll be setting off on my next big adventure — taking on the GR5, one of Europe’s most iconic long-distance trails. The GR5 stretches from the North Sea in Holland all the way to Nice on the Mediterranean coast, covering over 2,200 kilometres and crossing multiple countries, landscapes and mountain ranges along the way. It’s a route that has been on my radar for a while. The plan is to complete the GR5 in around 70 days. Which means walking approximately 2

In this episode of the Tough Girl Podcast, we meet Chloe Stead — 42 years old and currently living in a rustic tiny shack in the bush in Tasmania with her husband — but her journey to this simple life has been anything but ordinary.

Aisyah Rafaee is a two-time Olympic rower from Singapore who competed at the Rio 2016 and Paris 2024 Olympic Games in the single scull. After taking an eight-year break from the sport, Aisyah made the bold decision to return—qualifying for Paris 2024 as one of the oldest athletes in the field and redefining what it means to be a high-performing athlete in your 30s.

Lauren Roerick, known on trail as Longway, is a long-distance backpacker, filmmaker, and outdoor educator who has hiked across North America, Europe, and Oceania. From the Pacific Crest Trail to New Zealand’s Te Araroa, and becoming the first North American woman to thru-hike France’s 3,034 km HexaTrek, Lauren shares her adventures and the lessons they’ve taught her.

⛰️Challenges: the rain, the wind…. Getting there! ✨Highlights: honestly, whenever the sun came out, reaching the accommodation at the end of each day and getting to Santiago and finally having a little bit of sunshine! It’s a good short camino, very manageable, gives a great idea of what a longer camino would be like. A great first camino.

⭐️ Highlights of the Day: the sun coming out, reaching Santiago, getting the certificate (no queue), lunch in the sun ⛰️ Challenges Faced: none ✍️ Reflections / Pilgrim Thoughts: nice to have finished with good weather! Only the Camino del Norte left to do!

⭐️ Highlights of the Day: the sun coming out. Avoiding walking via the motorway. Making great time & progress. ⛰️ Challenges Faced: shins were starting to hurt from all the concrete walking. ✍️ Reflections / Pilgrim Thoughts: less than 16k to go. So glad the sun came out today. It really did improve my mood by about a 1000%

In this Tough Girl Podcast EXTRA episode, we catch up with Paula “Must Try Harder” McGuire — author, speaker, triathlete, wing-walker, double TEDx speaker, mental health ambassador… and proudly, a trier. Based just outside Glasgow, Paula has been adventuring since 2015 and has built a reputation for trying something new every day — including completing 366 new experiences in 2020. But the years since we last spoke have brought extraordinary challenges.

⭐️ Highlights of the Day: getting collected and taken to the hotel. Occasionally getting to walk without the umbrellas. ⛰️ Challenges Faced: the concrete is super hard on your feet & legs. Due to the rain, I didn’t take any photos. This is the only one I’ve got from the little bit of sunshine that we had. ✍️ Reflections / Pilgrim Thoughts: What lovely weather in Spain! Where is the sun - I need sun!!!!!!

⭐️ Highlights of the Day: having an umbrella, lying in bed watching Netflix and eating chocolate ⛰️ Challenges Faced: the non stop rain ✍️ Reflections / Pilgrim Thoughts: none - brain is dead

Nice to be outside again, the weather though… not going to lie - was a struggle. Great to cross the bridge & get into town. Having a hot shower and getting clothes dry.