Royal Engineers
A commissioned British Army Reserve Officer in the Corps of Royal Engineers, with command of a unit of up to 100 personnel. Featured on the Centre for Army Leadership's podcast, The Human Advantage, talking about being courageous in conversations.
Pilot
A light-aircraft pilot and skydiver, awarded the Faith Bennett Navigation Cup for a world record flying attempt. The cockpit is where physiology, cognition and calm decision-making meet — the same skills she trains in astronauts.
Ski instructor
A qualified ski instructor who is happiest with thin air and a long descent — teaching movement skills honed across a career of coaching bodies to perform.
Master scuba diver
A master scuba diver: the closest thing on Earth to weightlessness, and a discipline that rewards the same qualities as spaceflight — preparation, buddy trust and total presence.
Off duty
Away from the lab and the hangar, Tess champions women in performance, space and defence — speaking on leadership in male-dominated environments and mentoring the next generation of scientists who refuse to choose between the pitch and the stars.
