{"podcast":{"title":"Tough Girl Podcast","slug":"tough-girl-podcast-47123","podcast_index_feed_id":47123,"rss_url":"https://toughgirlchallenges.libsyn.com/rss","website_url":"http://www.toughgirlchallenges.com","image_url":"https://static.libsyn.com/p/assets/d/5/8/5/d585a2188f2b02b6/Tough_Girl_LOGO_FOR_ITUNES.png","author":"Sarah Williams","episode_count":857,"summary":"The Tough Girl Podcast is all about inspiring and motivating YOU! I will be interviewing inspirational women from around the world, who've faced and overcome difficult challenges and situations, they will share their story, their knowledge and provide advice and essential tips for you to overcome your own personal challenges.","last_synced_at":"2026-07-07T16:20:00.820433+00:00","page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/tough-girl-podcast-47123"},"episode":{"title":"Dr. Shawna Pandya – Canada's First Named Female Commercial Astronaut & Space Medicine Pioneer","slug":"dr-shawna-pandya-canada-s-first-named-female-commercial-astronaut-space-medicine-pioneer","published_at":"2026-06-16T07:00:00+00:00","page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/tough-girl-podcast-47123/dr-shawna-pandya-canada-s-first-named-female-commercial-astronaut-space-medicine-pioneer","show_page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/tough-girl-podcast-47123","url":"https://toughgirlchallenges.libsyn.com/dr-shawna-pandya-canadas-first-named-female-commercial-astronaut-space-medicine-pioneer","audio_url":"https://traffic.libsyn.com/secure/toughgirlchallenges/Dr._Shawna_Pandya.mp3?dest-id=278579","summary":"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. In this episode, she shares her journey from a childhood inspired by Dr. Roberta Bondar, through neuroscience and medical training, to testing spacesuits in zero gravity and completing multiple NEPTUNE aquanaut missions. We dive into: The challenges of spaceflight on the body and mind The \"RIDGE\" framework Radiation, Isolation, Distance, Gravity, Environment Using emergency medicine, diving, and piloting to build operational readiness Maintaining balance, avoiding burnout, and living a life aligned with values Preparing for her upcoming flight with Virgin Galactic Shawna's story is a masterclass in perseverance, curiosity, and aiming for the stars—literally. *** 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/toughgirlpodcast . Your support makes a difference. Thank you x *** Show notes Who is Shawna Being Canada's first named female Astronaut Her early years and growing up in the 90s Wanting to be an Astronaut since she was a child and being inspired by Dr. Roberta Bondar Simplifying things Wanting to follow in her footsteps Doing a neuroscience degree The influence of her parents Girl Guides of…","meta_description":"Meet Dr. Shawna Pandya , Canada's first named female commercial astronaut and a leading figure in space medicine. From emergency medicine to aquanaut miss…","key_points":[],"chapters":[],"topics":[],"duration_seconds":2737,"processing_state":"not_requested","actions":[{"name":"request_transcript","method":"POST","url":"https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/tough-girl-podcast-47123/episodes/dr-shawna-pandya-canada-s-first-named-female-commercial-astronaut-space-medicine-pioneer/transcription-requests","description":"Idempotently request low-priority transcript generation for this episode."},{"name":"read_markdown","method":"GET","url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/tough-girl-podcast-47123/dr-shawna-pandya-canada-s-first-named-female-commercial-astronaut-space-medicine-pioneer.md","description":"Read the agent-friendly Markdown representation of this episode resource."}]}}