Sparta Chicks Radio: Mindset | Confidence | Sport | Women

I first spoke with Michelle Lee back in July, 2017 when she shared her goal to complete the world’s toughest nautical challenge; the Talisker Whisky Atlantic Challenge.A 5,300km / 2900 nautical mile solo, unassisted and self-supported ocean rowing event across the Atlantic from the Canary Islands off the coast of Spain all the way to Antigua in the Caribbean.In February 2019, Michelle achieved her goal and, in the process, became the first Australian woman to row across an ocean.Now there’s one key piece of information you need to know; Michelle did not come from a rowing background.At the time she set the goal, she had never pulled an oar through the water.In fact, when Michelle pulled out of the dock at the start of the race, she had never rowed in the open ocean (all her training had been confined to inside Sydney Heads). Wow!So in this week’s episode of Sparta Chicks Radio, Michelle rejoins me to share what’s happened in the last 18 months since we first spoke, as well as how this incredible race unfolded

Dr Stacy Sims is an environmental exercise physiologist and nutrition scientist at the University of Waikato in NZ.She’s an incredible athlete in her own right too, having competed at the Hawaii Ironman in Kona as well as the Xterra (Off-Road Triathlon) World Championships in Maui.And she’s the author of an important book called Roar. It is a profound book that will challenge everything you thought you knew about training, nutrition, racing and recovery.At the core of Stacy’s work is the concept that women are not small men.It seems obvious, I know!However the majority of sports science research - and a result, the majority of what we understand about the best way to train, eat, drink, race and recover - has been done on men.Even the common training program structure of 3 weeks of training followed by 1 week of recovery is - you guessed it! - based on research done on men, without any regard for the hormonal changes experienced by women each and every month.Yet given that every system in our body changes acro

3 months after finishing High School at the age of 18, Jess Fox qualified for the 2012 London Olympics.She left those Games with a Silver medal and, in hindsight, admits she felt the need to prove herself and to show that her result in London wasn’t a fluke.Of course, it wasn’t a fluke - in fact, it was just the start of an incredible career!A 2 x Olympic medalist (Jess won Bronze at the 2016 Rio Olympics), Jess has also won 7 World Titles (and counting!) making her the most successful canoe slalom paddler - male or female - in the history of the sport.And she’s on Sparta Chicks Radio this week!We discuss:- how Jess got into the sport (given she initially thought it was “uncool”)- the power of writing down your goals and seeing them on a daily basis,- why you should welcome conditions that aren’t ideal in training, and- her experience with the Imposter Complex, especially after the London Olympics

Lucy Gossage finished last in a cross country race when she was 13 or 14.And while she didn’t realise it at the time, she now recognises that a fear of failure held her back from participating in any competitive sport until she was talked into doing her 1st triathlon at the age of 26.Fast forward a few years, she’s now an oncology doctor and former professional triathlete who won 13 x Ironman Championships throughout her career.Lucy has now returned to working as an oncology doctor part-time while using her available time to chase new experiences outside her comfort zone (like her recent race at Patagonman) while using her platform to drive exercise-related initiatives for cancer patients and thrivers.In this conversation, we discuss the fear of failure, how suffering is a choice for athletes and the Imposter Complex.

Melissa Urie joined me on the podcast way back in episode 14 to share her experience of becoming only the 2nd woman ever to complete the Epic 5 - a race consisting of 5 Ironman-distance triathlons on 5 Hawaiian islands over 5 days. This week, Mel returns to the podcast to share her experience of competing at the Ultraman World Championships on the Big Island of Hawaii in 2018.Ultraman is a 3 day triathlon, consisting of a 10km swim, 420km riding and an 84km run.#spoileralert Mel missed the cut-off on Day 2 by 8 minutes (after 12 hours of racing).Some in the same situation might describe this DNF as a ‘failure’. However, Mel views it as a battle she lost, rather than a ‘failure’.In this fun conversation, we discuss:- what her experience at the Epic 5 means to her now (almost 2 years down the track) and how it’s changed how she sees herself,- her advice to women who struggle with their athletic identity and naming and claiming who and what they are,- how she found her way through an intense period of experienci

Katee Pedicini’s work around hormones and their impact on our health, happiness and performance has been pivotal for many women, myself included.Katee is the founder of Holistic Endurance and is based in Melbourne. She’s a triathlon coach and self-confessed hormone nerd who specialises in managing fatigue, stress and hormones to achieve not only performance but optimal health and happiness.And I can hand-on-heart say Katee and her work has changed my life.Katee has been on the podcast in both 2017 and 2018.And if you haven’t listened to either conversation (or perhaps you haven’t heard them recently) I’d encourage you to go back and listen to them first as this episode is the 3rd part of a series, and the first 2 conversations will lay the foundations for what we talk about today.This time, we dive into the importance of recovery and rejuvenation.Now on the face of it, it may not seem a ‘sexy’ topic. But the importance of this can’t be understated.You can’t have performance improvements - you can’t get fitter

At the time of recording this conversation in 2019, Sparta Chicks Radio celebrated its 2nd birthday (or anniversary).And there is no-one I’d rather share that celebration with than this week’s return guest, Lucy Barnard!Lucy is attempting to become the 1st woman to walk the length of the world.She set off in February 2017 from Ushuaia, Tierra Del Fuego in Argentina to walk all the way to Barrow, Alaska; a journey of 30,000km /20,000mi across 15 countries that will take her about 5 years.Yes, years.Lucy was first on the podcast back in March, 2018 (you can find that episode here).And in preparing to speak to Lucy for that episode, I realised we share a unique connection; we both started our respective journeys - Lucy started walking and I published the first podcast - on the very same day in 2017.That conversation turned into our first anniversary/birthday celebration and we agreed to catch up for a yearly update throughout her expedition.In this episode, we cover everything that has happened during the 2nd ye

Julie Howle is a talented triathlete and surgical oncologist.She's currently the Head of the Melanoma and Sarcoma Multidisciplinary Groups at Westmead Hospital here in Sydney and a Clinical Senior Lecturer at The University of Sydney.Julie is also an Age Group World Champion triathlete, having won her AG at the ITU Long Distance World Championships in 2017. And she's a 2x finisher for the Hawaii Ironman in Kona (in 2017 and 2018).Plus she’s someone who openly admits that her experience of changing degrees at University “laid the foundation for a lifetime of the imposter syndrome”.Julie and I discuss:- how being resilient and focusing on her goals has helped her navigate her experience with the Imposter Complex,- how the words “World Champion” sit with her,- why she took almost 10 years from her first triathlon to do her first Ironman,- why being sick in the week leading up to her 1st Hawaii Ironman at Kona was a good thing,- how she’s realised getting stuck in ‘comparison’ ruins her enjoyment of the s

Steph Lowe is a triathlete, Sports Nutritionist and the Founder of the Natural Nutritionist.Steph was first on the podcast in August, 2018 (episode #69) where we had a wide-ranging discussion about nutrition - specifically the benefits of adopting an LCHF lifestyle on everything from your hormones, weight, PMS, mood, immune system, gut health and even 3:30itis.I asked Steph to return to the show so we could ‘deep dive’ into one specific health issue that affects millions of women; Polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) and the impact your diet and nutrition can have (both in contributing to the disease and reversing it).If you don’t have PCOS, I'd encourage you to keep listening.Our discussion around PCOS is really part of a broader discussion around the topics of hormones and menstrual cycles and the impact of nutrition, stress, exercise, supplements, the contraceptive pill (amongst other things) on it.

Alyssa Godesky is most well-known these days for being a professional triathlete and the co-host of the popular Ironwomen podcast.What isn’t well known is that she was an ultra marathon runner and trail runner, long before she moved into the world of triathlons.In 2018, Alyssa returned to her trail running roots and set out on a mission to break the Fastest Known Time (or FKT) on the Vermont Long Trail in the United States, a 273mi / 440km trail which traverses the State of Vermont from north to south.Now if you saw the film ‘Finding Traction’ on Netflix last year, you know more about the Vermont Long Trail than you might think...That film follows legendary trail runner, Nikki Kimball, on her attempt to break the (men’s) record on the Vermont Long Trail.#spoileralert Nikki misses the men’s record but smashes the women’s record.It turns out that watching ‘Finding Traction’ lit the spark in Alyssa to wonder if she could do it.Fast forward a few years and in 2018 (#spoileralert), Alyssa set a new women’s record

At 20, Jana Pittman became the Commonwealth Games Champion in the gruelling 400m Hurdles event and, at 21, the World Champion.By the end of her athletics career, she’d competed at 2 Olympic Games, won 2 x World Championships and 4 x Commonwealth Games Gold medals.Then in a transition that surprised many people, she switched sports!She took up the bobsled and represented Australia at the 2014 Sochi Winter Olympics, becoming the 1st able-bodied Australian woman to compete at both the Summer and Winter Olympic Games.Now, she’s finally pursuing her childhood ambition to become a doctor - not in sport’s medicine however but as a gynecologist (or “vagina doctor” to use her words).In between all of that, she’s experienced and survived toxic relationships, a 13 year battle with bulimia and disordered eating, miscarriages, IVF, breast implants, struggles with breastfeeding and retirement as well as a cervical cancer scare - all of which is documented in her real, raw and vulnerable autobiography.In this conversation,

An active, sporty child, it wasn’t until Kate was in her late 20s that she discovered mountain biking and quickly fell in love with both the physical demands of the sport, but also the strong technical and strategic elements of it.In 2010, Kate lined up at the start of her first race on her entry level bike, complete with bell and reflectors; it also happened to be a mixed pairs team in a 24 hour mountain bike.Her team won their category and a love affair with 24 hour racing was born.She’s now the 2x Australian Champion and has competed at 5 World Championships, finishing inside the top 5 in every year since 2014.In this conversation, we discuss:- the mind games and self-doubt that troubled her early career,- her frustration at being ‘so close but so far’ after finishing in the Top 5 at the World Championships every year for the last 4 years,- the constant struggle between worrying about things you can control vs things you can’t (and how when you wholeheartedly let go of concern over the things you can’t con

Perhaps the most powerful question you can ask yourself is - what do I need?There is no-one better equipped to help us answer that question than Kemi Nekvapil.Kemi is, quite simply, a force of nature.A pioneer in the raw food movement in Australia, Kemi is now an accredited executive and personal coach.She’s committed to helping women like you and I change how we feel about ourselves and how we express ourselves, so we can set boundaries and pursue what we want from life, without guilt or apology.She’s also a powerful speaker as those who attended Sparta Chicks Unleashed 2018 will attest.Plus she’s a trail and ultra marathon runner. Kemi has completed 11 x marathon distances races, plus a 100km race, the Surf Coast Century, in 2016. So she ‘gets’ us!Kemi was my ‘secret weapon’ during 2018.  She was my coach for 6 months throughout the year and I can hand-on-heart say Sparta Chicks Unleashed would not have happened if not for her support.In this conversation we discuss:- what an underwear shopping trip at 13 w

Caroline Buchanan's cycling bio is quite extraordinary.Not just because she's an 8x World Champion, but also because she has achieved those titles across 2 multiple disciplines within the sport of cycling (3x in BMX and 5x in mountain biking).She is a 2x Olympian (London in 2012 and Rio in 2016) and has now competed at the World Championships in 4 different cycling events.Off the bike, Caroline is committed to the next generation of cyclists and to encouraging more girls to get into the sport, including through her latest venture; a children's book series called 'Girls Can B'.Needless to say, she's a woman of many talents - both on and off the bike!We could have spent the hour just talking about her cycling career, but I wanted to go deeper than that -- to discover the mindset and mental strategies she uses to manage her fear (in a risky and potentially dangerous sport) so she can perform on the world stage at her best.

Lucy was my guest on the podcast back in January, 2018 (episode 45). In that episode, Lucy shared her background; how she first started running as a way to spend time with her Dad, her first 100km race at 16 through to her victory in 2017 at the 100km Ultra Trail Australia race (also her 21st birthday).At the time of that episode, Lucy was still getting her head around the news she had secured an entry to the Western States Endurance Run (WSER); not only one of the world’s most prestigious 100mi/160km races, but it would also be Lucy’s first attempt at that distance.So Lucy returns to Sparta Chicks Radio in this episode recorded late in 2018 to share how the race, and 2018, unfolded for her — including why she labelled her blog post about the race ‘Show Up, Blow Up, Grow Up’.Here’s a #spoileralert - Lucy finished 3rd at WSER that year; an extraordinary performance for someone so young, and racing that distance for the first time, against the best in the world.

Mel was born into an extremely violent home. Her father was physically abusive towards not only her mother but also to Mel and her sister as well.Despite her mum eventually leaving her father when she was around 12, Mel was firmly trapped in a cycle of violence.At High School, Mel found herself the victim of bullying, but also at times an instigator of it.This continued into her romantic relationships too, where she found herself in several abusive relationships.That was until, at the age of 18, when she met (as she describes him) ‘one of the good guys’ who introduced her to martial arts, which changed the course of her life.Mel is now the founder and CEO of the KYUP! Project, a revolutionary self-worth and self-protection program created to break the cycle of violence against women and children.By the time we had recorded this episode in 2018, she had already worked with more than 10,000 students and young women around the country and is on a mission to change the devastating statistic that 40% of women over

In 2011, a doctor told Tania - then aged 42 - that she wouldn’t live to see grandchildren if she didn’t stop smoking and drinking.That distressing doctor’s visit started a chain reaction of events that has led Tania to become the first woman to run the length of the Hume and Hovell Track - a 453km track from Yass to Albury in regional NSW.Her time of 8 days, 12 hours and 39 minutes is now recognised as the ‘fastest known time’ (FKT) for a woman over the Hume and Hovell.So how does a mother and grandmother who only started running a few years ago become an FKT record holder in just 7 years?That’s what we explore in this conversation.

Tanya Geisler is a Leadership Coach from Canada who specialises in working with women regarding their experience with the Imposter Complex.Tanya was one of my first guests on the podcast; episode #7 back in April 2017.That conversation was not only one of the most popular episodes from 2017, but it is also the most profoundly impactful episodes.If you haven't listened to that episode, I'd encourage you to press 'pause' and go back and listen to that episode first.Since that episode was published, I have lost count of the times someone has said to me (after listening to that conversation) words to the effect of: “I didn’t know everyone felt that way too".Over the last 18 months, Tanya has explored what is on the other side of the Imposter Complex.Her answer: ‘unshakeable confidence'.So what does it mean to be ‘unshakeably confident’? That’s what I ask Tanya in this episode.

Jo joined me on the podcast back in episode #38 in November 2017.In that conversation, we discussed Jo’s background and history, why she started running at 35 and the way in which she’s struggled with comparison, feeling like an imposter as well as how it took years for Jo to call herself an ‘athlete’ and mean it.If you haven’t listened to that episode, I’d encourage you to listen to that episode first.Almost one year to the day later, Jo and I pick up where we left off and cover the events, and lessons, of the last 12 months.Since we last spoke, Jo has finished her 1st 100mi (160km) race.Then, in January 2018, Jo discovered she’d won a lottery spot to enter one of the world’s most famous ultramarathons; Ultra Trail du Mont Blanc (or UTMB), an incredible 100mi / 160km race that passes through France, Italy and Switzerland as you run around the Mont Blanc massif (yes, you literally run around the mountain!)Sadly, Jo’s race at UTMB didn’t turn out the way she wanted after she missed a cut-off around the 100km m

Kate is a psychologist, mountaineer and ‘free spirit at heart’.A rock climber and mountaineer (who also served in the Army for 10 years), Kate has a unique perspective on how to manage fear, the thoughts we believe and the stories we tell ourselves.We dive deep into the topic of fear on this episode and discuss:- why spending time in nature is such a powerful source of confidence for women (hint: it’s about the facades we carry in our everyday life),- why fear is actually a good thing, and being fearless is bad,- the physiological response that occurs in your body when you feel fear - whether that fear is real/immediate or perceived,- why you can’t think straight when you feel anxious, and tactics you can use to calm your anxiety and get your brain functioning again (I’ll vouch for the 4 second breathing exercise she mentions; I’ve been using it a lot in the last week or two),- why mantras and affirmations work and why you should ‘let the body climb’ (or swim or run or ride or whatever it is you love to do),