Sparta Chicks Radio: Mindset | Confidence | Sport | Women

A few weeks before recording this conversation in 2022, Sparta Chicks Radio celebrated its 5th birthday. 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 Tierra Del Fuego in Argentina to walk to Barrow, Alaska; a journey of 30,000km /20,000mi across 15 countries that she anticipated would take about 5 years. When Lucy first joined me on the podcast in March 2018, 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 each year for an update on her progress! Needless, the pandemic has interrupted her plans again in 2021. But that wasn’t going to stop us from talking - and in fact, this could be my favourite of all our conversations! It’s

Today you’re going to meet the awesome Gill Castle (you’ll understand the significance of the ‘awesome’ once you listen to this conversation!Gill describes herself as a very ordinary person and Police Officer before the birth of her son in 2011 changed her life. His premature birth left her with traumatic injuries, the full extent of which weren’t identified by doctors for 5 days. Those injuries included a fistula, a hole in the wall between her rectum and vagina that left her with faecal incontinence and needing to use a stoma bag (a colostomy bag) for the rest of her life.A very long physical and mental recovery followed.Then one day she read an article - she’ll tell you about it in this conversation - that changed the trajectory of her life. And the rest, as they say, is history.Since then, she’s done triathlons, scuba dived, skydived, sea kayaked and taken up ocean swimming.And now she’s training for her next challenge: 5 years ago Gill couldn’t swim in the ocean without opening her eyes and now she’s tra

Kate Bevilaqua returns to Sparta Chicks Radio this week!Kate is an endurance coach, triathlete, an Ultraman Triathlon World Champion and the first woman in history to win an Ultraman triathlon event overall. She shared her story in episode 3 of the podcast. However one topic we didn’t explore in that conversation is that Kate is also a coach. In fact, the idea for this conversation came from one of her athletes who also happens to be one of our most popular podcast guests - ⁠Melissa Urie⁠!So this episode, Kate shares her experience as a coach and we discuss, from a coach’s perspective, working with athletes towards ultra events.Even if you aren’t training for an ultra-distance event, I have no doubt you’ll benefit from Kate’s wisdom regardless of what distance or event you are training for.  In this conversation Kate shares:* how to find the right coach,* some of the biggest mistakes athletes make when setting goals or choosing races, * the importance of having a strong ‘why’ (and how to work out if your ‘why

This week on the podcast I’m delighted to welcome Bonnie Hancock.This episode is very timely because today - December 19 - Bonnie sets out on an epic quest: to paddle her surf ski around Australia. Her goal: to become the fastest and youngest person to do it.It’s a journey of 16,000km that will take her around 6 months, along some of the most remote parts of Australia and not to mention through (in places) shark and crocodile-infested waters.Bonnie grew up in the same coastal town of Sawmill and was joining in activities at her local surf club from the time she was 5. At the age of 17, she (and her sister Courtney) moved to the Gold Coast to train and attempt to join the professional (surf life saving) Ironwoman series here in Australia which she did, just a few months later.After competing in the professional ranks for close to a decade (and a bout of overtraining and burnout), Bonnie switched her attention to ocean ski paddling and finished the Molokai Challenge - a 52km ocean ski race between the islands o

Jo Lum is a Sydney-based triathlete and busy mum who has been a regular on the triathlon scene in Sydney for years.Jo and her friend Katie were originally training for Ironman Australia in 2020.That race was postponed 4 times - twice in 2020 and then twice in 2021 - before it was eventually cancelled.So Jo and Katie decided not to let their fitness go to waste and designed and completed a DIY Ironman distance event in May 2021.They swam 3.8km in a pool, then hopped on their bikes and rode 180km primarily along bike paths, before heading to their respective homes to finish their ‘race’ by running 42km around their neighbourhoods.There were even race bibs, finisher’s t-shirts and (to their surprise) finisher's medals!I’ve shared this story multiple times over the last few months because it’s a powerful example of two important things: focusing on what you can control and asking for help (and being willing to accept it when offered). 

I’m delighted to welcome Dr Anita Heiss to Sparta Chicks Radio this weekAnita is a proud member of the Wiradjuri Nation of central New South Wales and one of Australia’s most prolific and well-known authors. She has written 18 books including her latest novel, an epic tale called Bila Yarrudhanggalangdhuray (or River of Dreams).It’s also the first time in Australia, a commercially published book has used a First Nations language for the title.Anita enjoys eating chocolate, running and being a 'creative disruptor'.Initially, I wanted to talk to Anita to explore her running career and how she uses running as a tool to support herself and her work. Yet the more research I did, the more I realised I wanted to speak to her about:-  awareness, history and truth-telling, - the importance of getting comfortable with being uncomfortable and - the power of using your voice, sharing your story and telling your truth.

I’m delighted to welcome Dr Erin Ayala to the podcast this week.Erin is a Licensed Psychologist, a certified Mental Performance Consultant and is listed as a licensed mental health provider on the US Olympic and Paralympic Committee’s Mental Health Register. What I love about Erin’s perspective is that it’s holistic: she recognises that daily life, health and athletic performance are intertwined and inseparable from one another.When she’s not at work, Erin is also an endurance athlete (having completed 9 marathons and 1 Ironman) and these days is focused on life as an elite cyclist. On top of that, she recently co-founded a cycling team called Stamina Racing Collective which prioritises people who would traditionally struggle to find a home in cycling (especially, black, indigenous, people of colour and non-binary and trans athletes)In this conversation, we discuss the power of values, the difficult decisions she had made based on those values and her surprising definition of self-care.

You’ll meet Lauren Tischendorf on Sparta Chicks Radio this week.In 2021, Lauren because the first woman to swim around Lord Howe Island - a distance of 32.2km that she completed in 13 hours and 50 minutes. Lauren’s story is captured in an award-winning documentary called "I Just Went For a Swim”.Lauren is a school teacher by day and an endurance athlete outside school hours.An ultra-marathon runner, she started focusing on her ocean swimming about 5 years ago.In that time, she’s become an accomplished ocean swimmer and is the reigning 5km ocean swimming champion of NSW.And yet, an off-handed comment by another swimmer about the fact she couldn’t keep up with them prompted her to ask herself what she was capable of.The result: a 32km swim around the shark-infested waters of Lord Howe Island.

Lucy Bloom is an award-winning leader, international keynote speaker, consultant and author. Her website says that “she uses her superpowers for writing and speaking about courage, trust, failure, change, maverick thinking, generosity and fun” -- all of which makes her the perfect guest for Sparta Chicks Radio!Lucy went from being a volunteer to the CEO and founding director of Hamlin Fistula Ethiopia (Australia) that raised funds to support the extraordinary work of Dr Catherine Hamlin to treat and prevent terrible childbirth injuries in Africa.So she has a heart as big as the hot pink mohawk that she proudly rocks. She is honest, funny and open and I knew she’d be the perfect guest, even before I read her brilliant memoir ‘Get The Girls Out’ (which I highly recommend).In this conversation, we discuss confidence, change, scars, bouncing back from setbacks and why she doesn’t worry about what other people think.

This week on Sparta Chicks Radio, I’m delighted to welcome data scientist, athlete and the Founder and CEO of Wild.ai, Helene Guillaume.Helene has combined her vast experience to found Wild.ai, an organisation dedicated to supporting active women through every phase of life.There are two things I love and admire about Helene’s work. First, the brilliant Wild.ai app gives you personalised training, nutrition and sleep recommendations based on your specific physiology. And secondly, Helene has also established a research department within Wild.ai that carries out groundbreaking research on women’s health (including a study currently underway about the impact of the Covid vaccines on women).Helene is a talented athlete in her own right - she has done everything from trail ultras to triathlons to ice swimming to rugby and surfing. And she’s a data scientist who studied mathematics, her background was in using algorithms and AI to make smart investment decisions. She now brings her vast experience to help you unde

Sarah Davis is a professional risk manager with a passion for risk-taking.And she’s back for her 4th visit to Sparta Chicks Radio!In 2019, Sarah became the first woman to lead an expedition along the length of the Nile (and joined me on episodes 34 and 134 to share that story).Then in February, 2021 (episode 155) she returned to share details of her next epic adventure, in which she planned to swap her paddles for pedals and ride (with her friend Tara Lal) 5,000km unsupported across Australia for charity.She’s back today to share how the epic adventure unfolded!

This week on the podcast I am joined by Strongwoman competitor, Leigh Holland-Keen. As the name suggests, Leigh competes in what traditionally would be called Strongman competitions. How strong is Leigh? Well, in 2018 Leigh became the first woman in history to be awarded a clean lift of the Dinnie Stones.They are two legendary stones located in Scotland that less than 100 men have lifted in history.They weigh a combined total of (are you sitting down?) 332kg. That’s 733lbs!Yes, you read that correctly —332kg Leigh was introduced to Strongman competitions by her step-father and was encouraged and inspired to compete by her mum. Leigh’s mum was a pioneer of the sport of Strongwoman in Australia and found her strength through the sport after an abusive relationship in her younger years left her with profound PTSD.Leigh is one of four women featured in a documentary released in 2021 on ABC iView appropriately called “Strong Women”. You can find that series here. 

Kelli Jackson was first on the podcast in 2019. In that conversation, she shared how she transformed herself from (and I quote) an “unassuming middle age, overweight, unfit accountant who smoked” and who couldn’t ride a unicycle into an athlete and adventurer who planned to ride a unicycle around the world! This time, Kelli returned to share her most recent adventure - becoming the first Westerner to ride a unicycle inside North Korea!I have never met or spoken with someone who has been to North Korea so I was very excited to hear about it. 

This week on Sparta Chicks Radio you’ll meet Ally Orr. Ally brings a unique perspective to the podcast; she is both a competitive Jiu-Jitsu player and an Exercise and Sports Scientist.A talented musician growing up in regional NSW, Ally moved to Sydney at 16 to attend music school. Not long after, her then-boyfriend introduced her to strength training and weight lifting - and the rest, as they say, is history.She then found the sport of Judo before moving onto Jiu-Jitsu and has won (amongst other things) the lightweight Pan Pacific Championship and in 2021, she became  Australian Champion in the 60kg division. At about the same time she discovered her love of combat sports, Ally transferred her studies from music to Exercise and Sports Science. In this conversation Ally and I discuss:* how she transitioned from studying music to exercise and sport science,* where her love of exercise and movement came from (given that she wasn’t an active or sporty kid)* what she loves about the sport of Jiu-Jitsu and the com

Kathryn Bertine is an author, athlete, activist and filmmaker and you’ll meet her on Sparta Chicks Radio this week. In 2006, Kathryn was a journalist who had been racing as a professional triathlete, when a journalism assignment with ESPN changed the trajectory of her life. The task: to be a guinea pig and see if she could qualify for the Olympic Games in a sport within 18 months. And she chose the sport of road cycling. Now, a spoiler alert: she didn’t make the team - but as she writes in Stand, “something wild happened”. She “almost” did. And the “almost” changed her.“[I]t is not the victories or losses that define our paths in life but the Wonder and What Ifs that lie between”Not only did she come to fall in love with road cycling during the ESPN assignment, but she also became aware and started to question the inequities she could see in the sport. So she set 3 goals - to become a professional cyclist, to get women into the Tour de France and to quiet the demons of worthlessness in her head.She shares the

Josie Askin is a New Zealand based runner and Holistic Wellness Coach who grew up watching her Dad compete in running events.As she tells the story in this conversation, she was a chubby kid who was teased about her weight so she started running during her teenage years to lose weight.Unfortunately, she soon found herself in a cycle of overtraining, under-recovery & under-eating for about 9 years which culminated in her experiencing the female athlete triad (as it was referred to then, which is a combination of disordered eating, amenorrhea and osteoporosis or low bone density) and ultimately a stress fracture in her hip.These days, the concept of the female athlete triad has been replaced by RED-S (relative deficiency in sport) - Josie will explain the difference in this conversation.In this conversation, she shares: * how she approached her running and recovery (and how the goal of wanting to lose weight influenced that)* the symptoms and red flags of RED-S and the surprising statistics about how common

Neanne Alnafta doesn’t like labels. But it is hard to introduce someone without them. So for this moment, I will share that she is a proud Muslim woman, a PhD candidate at the University of Sydney, an ocean swimmer and a volunteer surf lifesaver.She is also someone who is (and I quote) “freakishly scared” of the ocean.I came across Neanne’s story after reading an article about an organisation called ‘Swim Sisters’, an all-female swimming squad that empowers women, especially those from Islamic backgrounds, to feel more confident and comfortable in the ocean.You may know Swim Sisters by its former name - Burkini Babes, a group launched in France in 2016 by a group of women who were banned from wearing burkinis on the beach.In this conversation, Neanne and I discuss:- her love of soccer growing up,- why she felt like swimming and beach life weren’t for her after she started wearing the hijab, - the power and importance of representation,- what prompted her to become involved in ocean swimming and then surf life

Growing up exercise was a source of shame and embarrassment for Brooke Nolan. It was only in her late 20s that she discovered a love of outdoor adventure.Fast forward a few years and in March 2020, Brooke found herself on the first all-female team to cross the Finnmark Plateau, which is an ice plateau in Arctic Norway.The crossing was a journey of 250km 14 days that required the team to drag sleds weighing up to 50kgs up to 20km each day in temperatures as cold as -30.Oh, did I mention? Before committing to this expedition, Brooke had never seen snow before, and certainly didn’t know how to ski!Now we could have spent the entire episode talking about the expedition, but as I said, this was March 2020 and Brooke and her team were off the grid for 14 days.When they left, Covid-19 was a blip on the radar.By the time they returned, it had become a pandemic, borders were closing and it was a race to the airport to try and get a flight home, which ultimately took her over 4 months. 

Jamie Mittelman is the host of my new favourite podcast - Flame Bearers: The Women Athletes Carrying Tokyo's Torch.  The podcast celebrates the journeys of unsung women Olympians & Paralympians.And she joins me on Sparta Chicks Radio this week!We discuss: - the role sport and outdoor activities played in her family growing up,- sport as a mental health tool, - her struggle with Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) particularly during College and how it affected her love of soccer, - where the idea for the podcast came from and why it’s so important,- the episodes that have left a lasting impression on her,- some of the common lessons or themes her guests have shared, and- why she feels “athletically unqualified” to host the podcast and her experience with the Imposter Complex.

Based in Boulder, Colorado Erin is the head coach for EC Fit. Her clients include the dynamic duo of Mirinda Carfrae (3 x Ironman World Champion) and  Tim O’Donnell (fastest American ever at Kona). Aside from the World Champions she coaches, Erin also coaches everyday people - like me! She’s a visionary who is changing what it means to be a strong athlete and the best strength training for endurance athletes. In this conversation we discuss:* her career as a basketball player, including playing professionally in Europe, * how her love of strength training started from a need to become stronger for basketball,* her transition into strength training endurance athletes,* why addressing hormonal responses and creating more energy (rather than strength or speed) is at the heart of her philosophy, * why strength training for performance is about how well you can move, not how much you can lift,* the importance of rest and recovery and the easiest way to incorporate it into your busy schedule (essentially, forget al