The Two Saints Way continues with another hot day on the trail. Day 3 was all about settling into a rhythm, adapting to the heat and being reminded of the difference between being fit and being truly hiker fit ahead of the GR5.

The Two Saints Way continues through Staffordshire and Cheshire as I settle into life on the trail. Day 2 brought curious cows, long stretches of canal walking, soaring temperatures and a reminder that this trip is all about preparing for the GR5, not chasing mileage at any cost.

The Two Saints Way is a 149km long-distance walking route connecting St Chad's Church in Lichfield with Chester Cathedral. I decided to walk the trail as a training hike ahead of the GR5, using it as an opportunity to test my gear, carry a full backpack and get my trail legs back before heading to Europe.

Meet Helen Spencer, a veterinarian from Kent who swapped clinic life for the extremes of the world. From hiking in Afghanistan, Mongolia, and Yemen to caring for orangutans in Borneo, Helen has chased adventure across the globe.

Meet Dr. Shawna Pandya, Canada’s first named female commercial astronaut and a leading figure in space medicine. From emergency medicine to aquanaut missions and suborbital research flights, Shawna has trained to thrive in some of the most extreme environments on Earth—and soon, in space.

Jeannette McGill is a seasoned mountaineer and executive leader who, at 52, became the oldest South African woman to summit Everest in May 2025. With more than 30 years of global climbing experience—including leading expeditions across four continents—she knows deeply that the summit is never just about standing on top.

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.