Kim Chakanetsa hears about the awe-inspiring journeys of two white-water kayakers from the US and France, and the resilience that's kept them at the top of their discipline. Nouria Newman is the first and only woman to run a 30-metre waterfall, a feat captured in the film Wild Waters which charts some of her most audacious expeditions. After a career on the canoe slalom competition circuit, she left that behind to explore her love of the great outdoors, a passion which has taken her to some of the world's most remote and challenging rivers. Having heard many times what small, slight women like her weren't expected to do, Darcy Gaechter set out to prove them wrong. Her memoir, Amazon Woman, describes the 4,300-mile long perilous journey she undertook in 2013 from one of the sources of the Amazon to where it meets the Atlantic Ocean. Produced by Fiona Clampin (Image: (L) Nouria Newman, credit Getty Images. (R) Darcy Gaechter, credit Matt Power. Background image: East Fork Kaweah River, credit Don Beveridge.)

In many societies there are misconceptions about disability and sex. Beatriz de la Pava meets two activists from Pakistan and Nigeria who break taboos and help disabled women access family planning services. Abia Akram is chief executive of the National Forum of Women with Disabilities in Pakistan. She was on the BBC's 100 Women list in 2021 and has spoken out about the unique disability challenges faced by women in Pakistan. Abia is also a trustee with international charity Sightsavers. Lois Auta is the founder and chief executive officer at the Cedar Seed Foundation, an organisation that promotes the participation of women with disabilities in human rights-based development in Nigeria. She focuses on inclusive legislation for people with disabilities. Lois also works on an inclusive family planning project in northern Nigeria run by Sightsavers and BBC Media Action. Produced by Hetal Bapodra and Jane Thurlow (Image: (L) Abia Akram, courtesy Sightsavers. (R) Lois Auta, credit Sejoro Ekundayo.)

Kim Chakanetsa talks to two women who help save cultural heritage in areas afflicted by conflict and natural disasters. Kateryna Goncharova has a Ph.D. in Museum and Monuments Studies. She joined the World Monuments Fund in April 2022 as Ukraine Heritage Crisis Specialist and she works on the ground to safeguard the country’s cultural heritage. Some of the sites she’s currently working in are the Khanenko Museum in Kyiv, the Library of Youth in Chernihiv, and the Local History Museum in Okhtyrka, which have been severely damaged by missile attacks. Aparna Tandon leads the First Aid to Cultural Heritage in Times of Crisis Programme at Iccrom, the International Centre for the Study of the Preservation and Restoration of Cultural Property. She has worked in countries afflicted by conflict and natural disasters – like Haiti, Nepal, Japan, Italy, and more recently, in the areas of Turkey and Syria hit by the 2023 earthquake. Produced by Alice Gioia (Image: (L) Kateryna Goncharova, credit World Monument Fund. (R) Aparna Tandon, credit courtesy of Aparna Tandon.)

Kim Chakanetsa talks to two Paralympic wheelchair rugby players from UK and Denmark about competing at the top level in this mixed-gender, adrenaline-filled, high-impact sport – that used to be known as murderball. Kylie Grimes is an Paralympic gold medallist, competing at three Paralympics for Great Britain. As a teenage athlete and show jumper, Kylie had a life-changing spinal injury in 2006 but her passion for sport remained. Within three years she was cycling 450 km, from Vietnam to Cambodia, to raise money for charity and was playing wheelchair rugby. In 2012 she qualified for her first Paralympics in London she helped Team GB win its first Paralympic gold in the sport at Tokyo 2020. Sofie Skoubo helped the Danish wheelchair rugby team qualify for their first Paralympics in Tokyo. She has Muscular Dystrophy and has also fought off the court to focus on the special needs of para-athletes. Alongside her sports career she works for the Muscular Dystrophy Foundation on an initiative supporting disabled children access education. Produced by Jane Thurlow (Image: (L) Sofie Skoubo, credit D Echelard. (R) Kylie Grimes, credit Megum Masuda.)

Perfumers from Colombia and Sweden tell Kim Chakanetsa about inventing fragrances that evoke emotion and nostalgia. Adriana Medina is a Vice President Perfumer at one of the world's biggest fragrance companies, Givaudan. She grew up in Colombia and after a Masters degree in Cosmetic Science, she attended the Givaudan Perfumery School in Paris. Her creations include 3121 for Prince and Meow for Katy Perry as well as Bombshell for Victoria's Secret – one of the most popular perfumes in US for more than a decade. Born in Västerås Sweden, Maya Njie moved to the UK to study at the University of the Arts London. She started making her own fragrances as part of her art and as interest grew among friends and fellow artists she founded Maya Njie Perfumes in 2016. Her scents are deeply rooted in her Swedish and West African heritage. Produced by Jane Thurlow (Image: (L) Adriana Medina, courtesy Givaudan. (R) Maya Njie, courtesy Maya Njie.)