In this episode of Life’s Tough, Explorers are Tougher, host Richard Wiese welcomes Hayley Arceneaux, childhood cancer survivor and astronaut. Hayley shares her deeply personal and inspiring journey—from undergoing treatment at St. Jude as a child to becoming a physician assistant at the very hospital that saved her life. Now, she’s on the verge of becoming the youngest American in space as part of the Inspiration4 mission.

Hayley reflects on her training, the surprise invitation to join the crew, and how she was chosen to represent the mission’s pillar of Hope. She offers insight into what this mission means for her patients, how she speaks to teens about resilience, and the real meaning of staying positive through life’s hardest moments. Her story is a testament to courage, transformation, and using personal challenges to inspire the next generation.

This is Life's Tough, Explorers Are Tougher, with your host, Richard Weiss. Scratch the surface of an explorer and you'll find an adventure and a great story. This show is about their tales.

This podcast is a proud supporter of the Explorers Club and the EC50 Initiative. 50 people changing the world that the world needs to know about. For more information, go to explorers.org.