Sparta Chicks Radio: Mindset | Confidence | Sport | Women

A few weeks ago, 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 very different from our previous conversations.  In this wide-ranging conversation, we discuss everything from what happens when you're derailed or blindsided by things outside your control to identity, goal setting, values, fear, comparison, self-reflection and the power of community. Get the full show notes for the episode here. — Visit the Sparta Chicks Radio website here  Follow Sparta Chicks Radio on Facebook: facebook.com/SpartaChicks  Follow Lucy on Instagram: @tanglesandtail

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 training to swim across the English Channel! You might be tempted to call her an inspiration, but she actually hates that term. She describes herself as the most ordinary person who just had a life-changing experience that has made her appreciate everything and want to try everything.  And she will leave you wanting to do the same. Get the full show notes for the episode here. — Visit the Sparta Chicks Radio website here  Follow Sparta Chicks Radio on Facebook: facebook.com/SpartaChicks  Follow Gill on Instagram: @stoma_chameleon

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. This time, Kate returns to discuss her experience as a coach and to share her advice for athletes preparing for 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 what event, you are training for.   Given it's January and most of us are thinking about or setting our goals, I thought it would be the perfect time to have this discussion. Get the full show notes for the episode here. — Visit the Sparta Chicks Radio website here  Follow Sparta Chicks Radio on Facebook: facebook.com/SpartaChicks  Follow Kate on Instagram: @katebevilaqua

Welcome to this special edition of Sparta Chicks Radio as we count down the 5 most popular episodes of 2021. The #1 most popular episode of Sparta Chicks Radio in 2021 was Selene Yeager on the Power of Cycling & Why Balance is Bullshit Selene is a professional health and fitness writer who is also the author or co-author of 6 books including ‘Rusch to Glory' about MTB champion Rebecca Rusch and the incredibly popular ‘Roar' with Dr Stacy Sims. Selene is also an extraordinary athlete in her own right. She's been a semi-professional athlete since her late 30s and has competed in everything from Hawaii Ironman to 7 day mountain bike stage races and 200 mile (that's 320km) gravel classics. And she hosts the popular podcast ‘Hit Play Not Pause” for active performance-minded women in their 40s and beyond. In this conversation, we discuss the power of cycling, the importance of storytelling and why balance is bullshit. Get the full show notes for the episode here. — Visit the Sparta Chicks Radio website here  Follow Sparta Chicks Radio on Facebook: facebook.com/SpartaChicks  Follow Selene on Instagram: @fitchick3

Welcome to this special edition of Sparta Chicks Radio as we count down the 5 most popular episodes of 2021. The #2 most popular episode of Sparta Chicks Radio in 2021 was Erin Carson on Strength, Personal Power & Writing Your Own Story Erin Carson is the strength coach to the stars of the endurance sports world. Based in Boulder, Colorado she is the co-owner & operator of Rally Sports and 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!  I use Erin's ECFit on Demand app for my strength and conditioning program.  She's a visionary who is changing what it means to be a strong athlete and what is considered to be the best form of strength training for endurance athletes.  Get the full show notes for the episode here. — Visit the Sparta Chicks Radio website here  Follow Sparta Chicks Radio on Facebook: facebook.com/SpartaChicks  Follow Erin on Instagram: @ecfit_strength

Welcome to this special edition of Sparta Chicks Radio as we count down the 5 most popular episodes of 2021. The 3rd most popular episode of Sparta Chicks Radio in 2021 was Lucy Barnard on Year 4  of Walking the Length of the World 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 she anticipated would take her 5 years.  Yes, years. Lucy was first on the podcast in March 2018. And when I was 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 each year for an update on her progress!  This is our 4th annual episode and Lucy joined me to share how 2020 unfolded for her. Get the full show notes for the episode here. — Visit the Sparta Chicks Radio website here Follow Sparta Chicks Radio on Facebook: facebook.com/SpartaChicks  Follow Lucy on Instagram: @tanglesandtail

Welcome to this special edition of Sparta Chicks Radio as we count down the 5 most popular episodes of 2021. The #4 most popular episode of Sparta Chicks Radio in 2021 was Tara Diversi on Swimming the ‘Ice Mile'  The next time you hop in an ice bath or stick a sprained ankle into a bucket of ice water, I'm sure you'll think of this episode of the podcast with Tara Divesi. Tara is a Sports Dietitian and an Accredited Practising Dietitian and an accomplished athlete and marathon swimmer, having completed the English Channel, the Gibraltar Straight, the Rottnest Island swim and the Palm Beach to Manly swim here in Sydney (amongst many others). But the focus of this conversation is on her most recent, and coldest, challenge - becoming the first Australian woman to complete an Ice Mile.  That is swimming one mile (1.6km) in water that is 5 degrees or less.  To put that into perspective, ice baths used by athletes to help with recovery generally sit around 14 degrees. So why does a woman who lives in tropical Far North Queensland set a goal to swim a mile in ice water? Let's find out! Get the full show notes for the episode here. — Visit the Sparta Chicks Radio website here  Follow Sparta Chicks Radio on Facebook: facebook.com/SpartaChicks  Follow Tara on Instagram: @taradiversi

Welcome to this special edition of Sparta Chicks Radio as we count down the 5 most popular episodes of 2021. The 5th most popular episode of Sparta Chicks Radio in 2021 was Brooke Nolan on Confidence, Compassion & Comparison (in the Arctic)   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.   Get the full show notes for the episode here. — Visit the Sparta Chicks Radio website here  Follow Sparta Chicks Radio on Facebook: facebook.com/SpartaChicks  Follow Brooke on Instagram: @giveintoadventure

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 of Molokai and Oahu in Hawaii, finishing fifth - in her first race in the sport. Sometime later, she read a book written by the first woman to paddle around Australia, the seed was planted and the rest, as they say, is history! Get the full show notes for the episode here. — Visit the Sparta Chicks Radio website here Follow Sparta Chicks Radio on Facebook: facebook.com/SpartaChicks  Follow Bonnie on Instagram: @bonniehancock

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) finishers 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).  Get the full show notes for the episode here. — Visit the Sparta Chicks Radio website here  Follow Sparta Chicks Radio on Facebook: facebook.com/SpartaChicks  Follow Jo on Instagram: @jomumlum

I'm delighted to welcome Dr Anita Heiss to Sparta Chicks Radio this week Anita 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. Get the full show notes for the episode here. — Visit the Sparta Chicks Radio website here  Follow Sparta Chicks Radio on Facebook: facebook.com/SpartaChicks  Follow Anita on Instagram: @dranitaheiss

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. Get the full show notes for the episode here. — Visit the Sparta Chicks Radio website here  Follow Sparta Chicks Radio on Facebook: facebook.com/SpartaChicks  Follow Erin on Instagram: @erineayala

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. Get the full show notes for the episode here. — Visit the Sparta Chicks Radio website here  Follow Sparta Chicks Radio on Facebook: facebook.com/SpartaChicks  Follow Lauren on Instagram: @nextepicadventure_lt21

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. Get the full show notes for the episode here. — Visit the Sparta Chicks Radio website here  Follow Sparta Chicks Radio on Facebook: facebook.com/SpartaChicks  Follow Lucy on Instagram: @thelucybloom

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 understand your body and to maximise your potential. Get the full show notes for the episode here. — Visit the Sparta Chicks Radio website here  Follow Sparta Chicks Radio on Facebook: facebook.com/SpartaChicks  Follow Helene on Instagram: @helene_wild_ai Follow Wild.ai on Instagram: @wild_ai

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! Get the full show notes for the episode here. — Visit the Sparta Chicks Radio website here  Follow Sparta Chicks Radio on Facebook: facebook.com/SpartaChicks  Follow Sarah on Instagram: @sarahpaddles

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 - who we talk about in this episode - 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 new documentary recently released on ABC iView appropriately called “Strong Women”. You can find that series here.  Get the full show notes for the episode here. — Visit the Sparta Chicks Radio website here https://www.spartachicks.com/radio/ Follow Sparta Chicks Radio on Facebook: facebook.com/SpartaChicks https://www.facebook.com/SpartaChicks Follow Leigh on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/leigh.hollandkeen/

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.  Get the full show notes for the episode here. — Visit the Sparta Chicks Radio website here https://www.spartachicks.com/radio/ Follow Jen on Instagram: @SpartaJen Follow Kelli on Instagram: @1wheelonly

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 earlier this year, 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. She now lives in Newcastle and works at Better Being as a PT and Exercise Scientist. Get the full show notes for the episode here. — Visit the Sparta Chicks Radio website here  Follow Sparta Chicks Radio on Facebook: facebook.com/SpartaChicks  Follow Ally on Instagram: @allyally_ally

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 stories of this — and much more in her compelling new memoir, Stand: A memoir on activism. A manual for progress. What really happens when we stand on the front lines of change.  Get the full show notes for the episode here. — Visit the Sparta Chicks Radio website here  Follow Sparta Chicks Radio on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SpartaChicks Follow Kathryn on Instagram: @kathryn_bertine

If you're struggling with motivation, your mojo is MIA or you feel like you've lost your spark, this is for you! You can find all the details here.

Josie 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. Ultimately it 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. Get the full show notes for the episode here. — Visit the Sparta Chicks Radio website here  Follow Sparta Chicks Radio on Facebook: facebook.com/SpartaChicks Follow Josie on Instagram: @springcoachingwellness

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 lifesaving (despite being “freakishly” scared of the ocean),  - the healing impact of ocean swimming on mental health, - why fear is not a bad thing. Get the full show notes for the episode here.  

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.  Get the full show notes for the episode here. — Visit the Sparta Chicks Radio website here  Follow Sparta Chicks Radio on Facebook: facebook.com/SpartaChicks 

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. Get the full show notes for the episode here. — Visit the Sparta Chicks Radio website here  Follow Sparta Chicks Radio on Facebook: facebook.com/SpartaChicks  Follow Jamie (and Flame Bearers) on Instagram: @flamebearers

Based in Boulder, Erin Carson is the co-owner & operator of Rally Sports and 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!  I use Erin’s ECFit on Demand app for my strength and conditioning program.  She’s a visionary who is changing what it means to be a strong athlete and the best strength training for endurance athletes.  Get the full show notes for the episode here. — Visit the Sparta Chicks Radio website here  Follow Sparta Chicks Radio on Facebook: facebook.com/SpartaChicks  Follow Erin on Instagram: @ecfit_strength

Selene is also an extraordinary athlete in her own right. She’s been a semi-professional athlete since her late 30s and has competed in everything from Hawaii Ironman to 7-day mountain bike stage races and 200 mile (that’s 320km) gravel classics. And she hosts the popular podcast ‘Hit Play Not Pause” for active performance-minded women in their 40s and beyond. Get the full show notes for the episode here. — Visit the Sparta Chicks Radio website here  Follow Sparta Chicks Radio on Facebook: facebook.com/SpartaChicks  Follow Selene on Instagram: @fitchick3

An avid hiker, Ingrid Messner has travelled to over 50 countries and most recently hiked Australia’s 10 highest peaks, carrying about 18kg of gear and equipment, over the space of a week. She’s come along way from the experience she shares in this episode: of having to learn to walk again - twice! The first time after a hiking accident in 2017 (which took 11 months of recovery) and the second after contracting a viral infection in 2019. Get the full show notes for the episode here. — Visit the Sparta Chicks Radio website here  Follow Sparta Chicks Radio on Facebook: facebook.com/SpartaChicks 

A few weeks ago, Sparta Chicks Radio celebrated its 4th birthday.  And there is no-one I’d rather share that celebration with than 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 she anticipated would take her 5 years.  Yes, years. Lucy was first on the podcast in March 2018. When I was 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 each year for an update on her progress!  This is our 4th annual episode and Lucy joins me to share how 2020 unfolded for her. Get the full show notes for the episode here. — Visit the Sparta Chicks Radio website here  Follow Sparta Chicks Radio on Facebook: facebook.com/SpartaChicks  Follow Lucy on Instagram: @tanglesandtail

In 2019, Sarah Davis became the first woman to lead an expedition along the length of the Nile and joined me on the show in episodes 34 and 134 to discuss it. This time she returns to share her next epic adventure, in which she’s swapping her paddles for pedals and will ride 5,000 unsupported across Australia! In this conversation, we discuss: * why, just 8 months after finishing her Nile expedition, she decided to paddle the length of Australia’s longest river, the Murray - a journey of 2,500km * where (and when) the idea to ride across Australia came from, * the logistics involved and how she’s preparing her body - and butt! - for the ride, * what she the Nile expedition taught her about risk management and how you can manage the risks associated with your adventures,  * mental health challenges, eating disorders and developing a deeper appreciation for what your body can do, as opposed to what it looks like. Get the full show notes for the episode here. — Visit the Sparta Chicks Radio website here  Follow Sparta Chicks Radio on Facebook: facebook.com/SpartaChicks  Follow Sarah on Instagram: @sarahpaddles

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 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 month.  Yet given that every system in our body changes across the month (not just our hormones), it’s hard and frustrating to believe this “shrink it and pink it” approach has also been applied to sports science. But unfortunately, it has! Stacy and I bust some common myths about how women should train, race, eat and recover in this in-depth conversation. Get the full show notes for the episode here. — Visit the Sparta Chicks Radio website here  Follow Sparta Chicks Radio on Facebook: facebook.com/SpartaChicks  Follow Stacy on Instagram: @drstacysims

Tara Diversi is a woman of many talents. A Sports Dietitian and an Accredited Practising Dietitian, Tara is also an accomplished athlete and marathon swimmer, having completed the English Channel, the Gibraltar Straight, the Rottnest Island swim and the Palm Beach to Manly swim here in Sydney (amongst many others). But the focus of today’s conversation is on her most recent, and coldest, challenge - becoming the first Australian woman to complete an Ice Mile.  That is swimming one mile (1.6km) in water that is 5 degrees or less.  To put that into perspective, ice baths used by athletes to help with recovery generally sit around 14 degrees. So why does a woman who lives in tropical Far North Queensland set a goal to swim a mile in ice water? Let's find out! Get the full show notes for the episode here. — Visit the Sparta Chicks Radio website here  Follow Sparta Chicks Radio on Facebook: facebook.com/SpartaChicks  Follow Tara on Instagram: @taradiversi

[CN/TW: Suicide, suicidal ideation] Katee Pedicini has become a regular on Sparta Chicks Radio over the years.  Yet this is a very different conversation from our previous episodes. This time, Katee shared her story.  It’s the story of her mental health journey over the last 20 years. In her 20s, Katee was (finally) diagnosed with a condition called Pre-Menstrual Dysphoric Disorder (or PMDD) which affects between 3-8% of menstruating woman. To describe it as, or compare it to, PMS doesn’t do it justice. And in fact, it would do a disservice to those who suffer from it. Katee describes it in this conversation as extreme PMS “wrapped up with anxiety, depression, sometimes psychosis and suicidality or suicidal tendencies” We begin this conversation with Katee’s story. Her experience of the symptoms of PMDD, including suicidal ideation. Then we transition into a broader conversation about suicide and mental health.  Finally, we step back and discuss the intersection between mental health and endurance sports. This was an extremely difficult conversation, for both of us. I’m in awe of Katee’s bravery and vulnerability.  But lifting the shame around suicide and mental health requires brave and uncomfortable conversations and we both agreed that if this conversation saves one life, then it was worth it. If you or someone you know needs help, in Australia you can contact: Lifeline 24 hours per day on 13 11 14. Beyond Blue 1300 22 4636 or the Black Dog Institute. Get the full show notes for the episode here. — Visit the Sparta Chicks Radio website here  Follow Sparta Chicks Radio on Facebook: facebook.com/SpartaChicks  Follow Katee on Instagram: @katee_holisticendurance

Tiffany Winchester is an ultra-endurance cyclist.  She rides the kind of distances most of us hate driving! She was first on the podcast June, 2019 (which was also the 5th most popular episode last year). At the time we recorded that conversation, Tiff was 3 months out from competing in the iconic Paris-Brest-Paris race, a 1,200km cycling event that’s only held every 4 years and is effectively the Olympics of the ultra-endurance cycling world. And so she returned in 2020 to share how it unfolded.  In this conversation, Tiff begins by sharing her training and the lead-up to the event, the race itself (including why she had to apply white wine vinegar to her “lady parts”). And then we talk about the aftermath - the trauma the race inflicted on her (and/or she inflicted on herself), the physical, mental and emotional toll it took on her, the depression that followed and how she was able to recover from it and get back on her bike. Get the full show notes for the episode here. — Visit the Sparta Chicks Radio website here  Follow Sparta Chicks Radio on Facebook: facebook.com/SpartaChicks  Follow Tiff on Instagram: @tiffo012

[CN/TW: anorexia and suicide] Hanny Allston is no stranger to the trail running and outdoor adventure communities in Australia. In 2006, Hanny won the Junior and Senior World Orienteering titles. In doing so, she became the first non-European to win an Orienteering World Championship and the first person, male or female, to hold both the Senior and Junior title in the same year. In the years since, she’s achieved a long list of victories and records in the worlds of mountain and trail running, ultramarathons and sky running. She’s also the co-founder of my favourite retail and online store - Find Your Feet - based in Tasmania with her husband Graham.  We covered all of that, and more, in our first conversation in 2017. This episode is very different. This is a conversation about Hanny finding her feet. She has just released her first memoir called ‘Finding My Feet’. And the best way to describe it as soul-full. It's Hanny's incredible story (so far) that is brave and vulnerable and heartbreaking and awe-inspiring. It will make you laugh and it will make you cry. It’s one of the most honest memoirs and autobiographies I’ve read in a long time. Get the full show notes for the episode here. — Visit the Sparta Chicks Radio website here  Follow Sparta Chicks Radio on Facebook: facebook.com/SpartaChicks  Follow Hanny on Instagram: @hanny.allston

Lisa Blair is an adventurer, sailor, climate change activist and World Record holder who discovered a passion for sailing at the age of 22. Just 6 years later, she completed her first circumnavigation of the world as part of the Clipper Round the World Yacht race.  Since then she’s gone onto sail solo to New Zealand twice, to skipper the first all-female team in 16 years to race the Rolex Sydney to Hobart Yacht race and set two World Records in the process of becoming the first woman to sail solo, non-stop and unassisted around Australia. In the midst of that, in 2017 Lisa set out on her most ambitious project to date; to become the first woman to sail solo unassisted and non-stop around Antarctica. And to break the men’s World Record in the process! As you’ll hear in this conversation, that expedition did not go to plan. And on a stormy night 72 days into her trip and 1,000 nautical miles from shore, her boat lost its mast and Lisa had to fight for 4 hours to save her boat -- and her life. Not only did she survive the night and spend 9 days limping back to port in Cape Town, South Africa for repairs, Lisa then found the courage to head back into the Southern Ocean and finish the challenge - in doing so become the first woman to sail solo and unassisted (with one stop) around Antarctica. Get the full show notes for the episode here. — Visit the Sparta Chicks Radio website here  Follow Sparta Chicks Radio on Facebook: facebook.com/SpartaChicks  Follow Lisa on Instagram: @lisablairsailstheworld

[CN/TW: sexual assault and rape] Melissa Browne is an author, financial advisor, speaker and financial wellness advocate who first joined me on the podcast way back in episode 18 in early 2017. And now she’s back with a vulnerable new book and for a very personal and brave conversation. Mel has just published a new book - her fourth book - called “Budgets Don’t Work (But This Does)”. It’s the culmination of her career first as an accountant and now a financial advisor.  Her philosophy; just like diets and one-size-fits-all eating plans or training programs don’t work, budgets don’t work either. So Mel has developed a process that helps you custom design a financial plan, habits and tactics that draw on your natural strengths (while minimising the impact of your weakness). Simply genius! What makes this book so powerful is Mel’s vulnerability around her history, her story and how it has shaped her financial decision making over the years. From the outside looking in, Mel appeared to have it all. Yet as she reveals in this conversation, for years Mel was stuck in a ‘sabotage loop’ in her business and that she carried a victim mentality and story that she wasn’t “good enough” that caused her to work so hard she ultimately experienced burnout and a breakdown in 2017. So she initially started working with a coach to help her navigate her ’sabotage loop’ in her business. But she quickly realised she would also need to unpack the trauma she’s experienced and the way it and the stories she’s carried with her have shaped her personal life as well.  This is Mel reclaiming her story, finding her voice & rewriting a new ending for her story Get the full show notes for the episode here. — Visit the Sparta Chicks Radio website here  Follow Sparta Chicks Radio on Facebook: facebook.com/SpartaChicks  Follow Mel on Instagram: @moremoneyforshoes

Mimi Anderson started running at the age of 36 (after a long battle with anorexia). Over the next 20 years, she went onto set multiple Guinness World Records. Her achievements include:  - completing the Badwater Double; the return trip from Death Valley where the race starts to Mt Whitney, and back - a journey of 469km, - winning outright the 6633 Extreme Ultramarathon, a self-supported non-stop race over 560km in the Arctic Circle in which you drag on a sled everything you need to survive that took her almost 6 days to finish, and - setting Guinness World Record for the fastest time by a female running the length of England and the record for a woman running across Ireland. Now it hasn’t all been smooth sailing. In 2017, she attempted to set the record for running across America - that’s over 5000km. Sadly, that attempt ended due to injury and it also brought to an end to her ultrarunning career. But you can’t keep a woman like Mimi down for very long! So in her late 50s, she learnt to ride a bike, overcame a life long fear of open water and finished her first triathlon. Get the full show notes for the episode here. — Visit the Sparta Chicks Radio website here  Follow Sparta Chicks Radio on Facebook: facebook.com/SpartaChicks  Follow Mimi on Instagram: @MarvellousMimi

Rebecca Stone is a busy woman. She’s a midwife, a mum, and someone who loves racing her mountain bike for 24 hours - all while living with fibromyalgia. In 2010, after 9 months of severe pain which ultimately left her unable to work, drive or walk for more than 5m, Rebecca was diagnosed with fibromyalgia. A chronic condition, fibromyalgia causes widespread pain and sensitivity throughout the body. There’s no cure and it is difficult to treat. Getting back on her beloved mountain bike plan was part of Rebecca’s initial treatment plan primarily for the mental health benefits.  We recorded this conversation in May 2018. Later that year, as the mother of a 2-year-old toddler, Rebecca finished 2nd at the Australian 24 Hour Solo Championships in 2017 and 2018, and then finished 6th at the World Championships in Scotland in 2018. In this conversation, we discuss motherhood as well as living, training and racing with chronic pain. Plus she shares why she thinks she’s a better athlete because of it. Get the full show notes for the episode here. — Visit the Sparta Chicks Radio website here  Follow Sparta Chicks Radio on Facebook: facebook.com/SpartaChicks  Follow Rebecca on Instagram: @24hrracerchick

Alexx Stuart is on a mission to help people want to (not *have* to) make changes for the better in their lives. She launched 'Low Tox Life' back in 2010 a few years after discovering she had a gluten allergy and going on a personal mission to find out what she was putting in, on and around her body. Since then, Low Tox Life has become a thriving online education hub and Alexx has become a 4x best-selling author and podcast host (with over a million downloads), by the same name. This is a conversation about conscious choice, hormones & why you should change your pillow :) Get the full show notes for the episode here. — Visit the Sparta Chicks Radio website here https://www.spartachicks.com/radio/ Follow Sparta Chicks Radio on Facebook: facebook.com/SpartaChicks  Follow 'Low Tox Life' on Instagram: @lowtoxlife

Caroline Buchanan's cycling CV 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 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. Get the full show notes for the episode here. — Visit the Sparta Chicks Radio website here  Follow Sparta Chicks Radio on Facebook: facebook.com/SpartaChicks  Follow Caroline on Instagram: @cbuchanan68

Eliza Ault Connell was a (self-described) normal kid with a pretty average childhood until she was 16. It was then, in 1997, she contracted and nearly died from meningococcal disease. She spent 2 weeks in a coma during which time her parents had to make the heartbreaking decision to amputate both of her legs to save her life. Eliza later decided to have her fingers amputated for reasons she’ll share in this conversation. During her recovery, Eliza was introduced to parasports and started as a runner, before she transitioned across to wheelchair racing - and she hasn’t looked back. She has since won 3 World Championship medals, 3 Commonwealth Games medals and placed 2nd in a demonstration event at the Athens 2004. After a 10 year break from racing to raise a family, at the age of 36 Eliza returned to the sport to chase her Olympic dreams once more. And just a few weeks ago, it was announced that Eliza was one of the first 4 athletes selected to represent Australia at the 2021 Tokyo Paralympic Games. Get the full show notes for the episode here. — Visit the Sparta Chicks Radio website here https://www.spartachicks.com/radio/ Follow Sparta Chicks Radio on Facebook: facebook.com/SpartaChicks  Follow Eliza on Instagram: @elizajane.ac

“Attitude is more important than fact” might seem like one of those weary and overused motivational slogans. But Lisa Bentley lives it every day. Lisa is an 11-time Ironman triathlon champion, including 5 straight victories at Ironman Australia. She also has cystic fibrosis - a genetic lung disease that results in chronic infections with limited lung capacity. Lisa was diagnosed in 1989 at the age of 20, when the average life expectancy for those with cystic fibrosis in Canada, was also 20. The facts would suggest Lisa was never meant to excel at endurance sports. She’s the first to admit she wasn’t the most talented athlete around, especially given her limited lung capacity. But it was Lisa’s approach to the mental and emotional side of sport — her attitude — that set her apart. We dive into her story and the tools she used to build that mental fitness in this conversation. Get the full show notes for the episode here. — Visit the Sparta Chicks Radio website here  Follow Sparta Chicks Radio on Facebook: facebook.com/SpartaChicks  Follow Lisa on Instagram: @lisa_bentley123

In this episode, we cover what’s happened, professionally and personally, over the last 2 years - including the new ‘hat’ I’m wearing and the work I’m doing as a Performance and Mindset expert (alongside my work here at Sparta Chicks and as an endurance sports coach). Get the full show notes for the episode here. — Visit the Sparta Chicks Radio website here  Follow Sparta Chicks Radio on Facebook: facebook.com/SpartaChicks  Follow Jen on Instagram: @spartajen

Jill Wheatley was born in Canada and was working as a Physical Education teacher in Bavaria in September 2014 when she was hit in the head with a ball in a freak accident. Jill was taken to Emergency but was sent home after only about 15min to nurse what the doctors described as a ‘black eye’. Unfortunately, she spent the next 48 hours alone, drifting in and out of consciousness before she was found by a friend, rushed back to the hospital where it was discovered she had a fractured skull (amongst other injuries). 2 years, 7 hospitals and 3 countries later, Jill’s black eye never re-opened. She was left with a traumatic brain injury and only 30% of her vision. But that was not going to stop Jill from returning to her beloved mountains. So she set a goal to circumnavigate the world and run not only trails but what she describes as “illustrious mountain ranges” with her “differently-abled” body. Get the full show notes for the episode here. — Visit the Sparta Chicks Radio website here  Follow Sparta Chicks Radio on Facebook: facebook.com/SpartaChicks  Follow Jill on Instagram: @mtnsofmymind

Amazingly, Chloë didn’t learn how to swim until she was 11. Yet within 2 years, she was swimming at State level and eventually had her eye on Olympic qualification. Sadly, that wasn’t to be. But during her university years, she discovered triathlons which led to marathon swimming. The year was 2006 and the rest, as they say, is history! She now holds multiple world records including for the longest ever unassisted swim by any person - a mind-blowing 124.4km which she swam in the Bahamas in 2014. At the start of 2020, Chloë arrived in England with 31 crossings of the English Channel under her belt, and a plan to break the men’s record of 34 crossings. Get the full show notes for the episode here. — Visit the Sparta Chicks Radio website here  Follow Sparta Chicks Radio on Facebook: facebook.com/SpartaChicks  Follow Chloë on Instagram: @Chloemccardel

Heather Swan was a very normal, everyday woman with no experience in adventure or even camping until her 30s. A single mum with a distinguished corporate career, her life probably would have continued on that track until she met the man who is now her husband, Glenn. Glenn was a base jumper - and the rest, as they say, is history. After doing her first base jump at the age of 40, Heather was gone onto become a wingsuit pilot. She holds multiple world records (including for the world’s highest wingsuit base jump) and has flown her wingsuit over Sydney Harbour, the Grand Canyon and, most recently, Antarctica. We discuss fear, risk, self-doubt and the inner critic in this fun conversation. Get the full show notes for the episode here. — Visit the Sparta Chicks Radio website here  Follow Sparta Chicks Radio on Facebook: facebook.com/SpartaChicks  Follow Heather on Instagram: @heatherjswan

A runner since childhood, Suzy’s (injury-plagued) track career culminated when she competed at the 2006 Melbourne Commonwealth Games in the 800m and 1500m. In the months that followed, Suzy and her husband moved to Singapore for her work (she was an accountant). Not long after, and on a whim, she entered a stair running race. The prize for winning it; a trip to New York to compete in the famous Empire State Building Run-Up, an iconic race that garners media attention from around the world. And she won — both her first race in Singapore and then her debut at the Empire State Building. And at the age of 33, a new career as a stair running champion was born. Since then, she’s gone onto win 10 x titles at the Empire State Building event (the most race victories of any athlete, male or female) as well as 9 x Tower Running World Cup titles. Get the full show notes for the episode here. — Visit the Sparta Chicks Radio website here  Follow Sparta Chicks Radio on Facebook: facebook.com/SpartaChicks  Follow Suzy on Instagram: @suzywalsham

I could fill a page just listing Samantha Gash’s achievements. In 2010, and in her first ultramarathon, Sam became the first female and youngest person to complete the Racing the Planet 4 Deserts Grand Slam, running 4 ultra-marathons across the driest, windiest, hottest and coldest deserts on Earth. That was followed in 2011 by a 222km non-stop race through the Indian Himalayas. It was during that run across the Himalayas that Sam decided to use her running for a greater purpose. Since then, she’s run 379km solo, non-stop across the Simpson Desert in Australia as well as 2,000km along South Africa’s Freedom Trail to raise funds and awareness for the work of Save the Children. Then in 2016, as an ambassador for World Vision, Sam set out on her most ambitious project to date; running across India. Over 76 days, she ran 3,253km from the west to the east of India and, in the process, raised close to $200,000 to fund 6 programs to improve access to education for children in India. Sam’s run was capture in an amazing documentary called ‘Run India’. In this conversation, Sam and I discussed: - the tipping point when Sam transitioned from running for herself to running for others, - what inspired the ‘Run India’ project as well as the impact it had on her, - how running has changed her as a person, - why she cringes at the word 'inspiration’, - her experience with the Imposter Complex, - the power of (and what it means to be) truly committed to a goal. Get the full show notes for the episode here. — Visit the Sparta Chicks Radio website here  Follow Sparta Chicks Radio on Facebook: facebook.com/SpartaChicks  Follow Sam on Instagram: @samanthagash

Katee returns to the podcast for another important conversation about mental health. We begin by briefly discussing her experience as a first time mum during a pandemic. Next, we dive into the research and statistics around the impact that the pandemic has had on mental health in Australia (and some of the numbers are, quite frankly, shocking). Then we transition over to talking about what we can do to look after our own, and others, mental health, primarily around the idea of ‘holding space’ (or debriefing as I call it). Katee and I then discuss: - what it means to ‘hold space’ - the power of connection and conversation especially during difficult times. - how to resist the urge to ‘fix’ how someone is feeling, - what you say after someone has shared how they’re feeling, - how to set boundaries and/or look after yourself if you don’t have the capacity to hold space for someone else (especially important if you’re struggling too), and - why it’s important to accept how you feel, regardless of how you feel (essentially, that it’s ok not to be ok). Whether your mental state or life has been directly affected by the pandemic or you’re someone who has thrived this year, I know you will take a lot away from this important and, at times, uncomfortable conversation. We have two ‘asks’ of you after listening to this episode: - ask someone how they are, and - do something to hold space for yourself today. If you or someone you know needs help, in Australia you can contact: Lifeline 24 hours per day on 13 11 14. Beyond Blue 1300 22 4636 or the Black Dog Institute. Get the full show notes for the episode here. — Visit the Sparta Chicks Radio website here  Follow Sparta Chicks Radio on Facebook: facebook.com/SpartaChicks  Follow Katee on Instagram: @katee_holisticendurance

From the self-described “fat kid” at school, Caro Ryan's life changed and a deep love and connection with the bush was born after a 3-day leadership training course in the Australian bush when she was 21. These days, she’s now one of Australia’s top bloggers in the outdoor space via her website lotsafreshair.com. In this conversation, we discuss: - why she describes herself as the “unexpected outdoors chick”,  - how becoming the “red bandana girl” changed her life,  - the stories we tell ourselves, including in Caro’s case that she “wasn’t a runner”,  - using words, labels and phrases (such as “I’m a runner”) *before* you believe them,  - how to manage and mitigate the most common fears of being in the bush and  - how being in the outdoors is such a powerful catalyst for change for so many women.  Get the full show notes for the episode here. — Visit the Sparta Chicks Radio website here  Follow Sparta Chicks Radio on Facebook: facebook.com/SpartaChicks  Follow Caro on Instagram: @lotsafreshair