Dr. Thomaida Polydorou is a researcher and lecturer in Civil Engineering at the University of Cyprus, holding a PhD, MSc, and BSc from Kansas State University. Her research spans prestressed concrete, sustainable building materials, and the circular economy, including a Horizon 2020 Marie Skłodowska-Curie Postdoctoral Fellowship on innovative road safety infrastructure. Alongside her academic career, she’s also a two-time Cypriot national champion in the triple jump, with a personal best of 13.36m. In this episode, she talks about building a career across two demanding worlds, engineering research and elite athletics, and the perseverance and curiosity behind both.