The Valor Podcast

A good yarn = the antidote to chaos After a week of vaccine mandates, extended lockdowns, rioting and a big bloody earthquake, I needed to unpack my brain. I enlisted the help of Josh Reid Jones, founder of the Just Be Nice Project (@jbnproject @joshreidjones) and Lachy Wallace, founder of Virtus Performance (@virtusperformance @theexcellencecoach), to help share a quality chat about all the craziness going on in Melbourne and all over Australia. We discuss lockdowns and their purpose and why we have been locked down for so damn long, we discuss vaccines and their purpose, why people resist, why conspiracies are so persuasive, whether vax mandates are a human rights and segregation issue or not, how to debate with friends without losing our friends, who we should be trusting to guide our health related decisions, and much much more. We truly hope this episode can help any person that is on the fence, a little unsure, scared, or just so fucking confused about all of it, we hope that this episode can give you a little more clarity and the confidence to think critically about our current situation and your responsibilities within it.

How did Valor come to be what it is today? It is hard to portray how special ValorFNM is. We don't consider ourselves to be just another gym, a place to sweat and get fit. It goes so far beyond that. The impact Valor has on all those that are connected to it is something special. The community that exists is a beautiful, safe, warm and encouraging place to be a part of. People can be themselves, people can share how they feel, people can grow and develop themselves in every aspect of their lives while also feeling a part of something greater than themselves. Every person involved in Valor feels as though they are contributing to this good good thing, and everyone benefits as a result. In this final episode of season 2 we flip the roles. This time, Carmen and Darren, two legends of the Valor community, interview Stu about everything Valor and how it came to be. We dive into Stu's history in sport and fitness, how his idea's and philosophies have shaped him and his gym, and much more. A really great finish to what as been a wonderful second season of The Valor Podcast. Enjoy!!

Nicole is a Cranny OG member. She is a sweet soul who is always looking to make others happy. So kind and so very generous with her time, you would find it so hard to believe that behind her selfless exterior, she was struggling on the inside. Nic takes us on her journey through alcoholism, from a typical binge drinking 20 year old Aussie, to a high functioning working mum living off a bottle of wine a night, to her rock bottom, and then out the other side. Nic's story is gripping, compelling, and will hit pretty close to home for many. We discuss many forms of addiction and what we can do to overcome them and live a better, more functional, more fulfilling and happier life. A massive thank you to Nic for opening up and sharing, as she mentions, if her story can help just 1 person, then sharing her story will be absolutely worth it.

Darren Michelle did what many of us want to do, but are still that bit too fearful to bite the bullet, shut the eyes, and go for it. Darren turned away from his high paying, cushy, cosey, secure bank job to pursue a career he actually enjoys. One that sees him spending less time in traffic, less time stuck in an office, and more time with his family doing the things they enjoy. But how easy is it? How hard is it to turn away, to lose that security, to take that risk of losing it all in order for the happiness we truly are after? Many of us ask this same question, losing more time with our kids, missing out on events, and for what? A big retirement? Darren shares his views an insights into choosing flexibility and more family time over big money. A fantastic story of biting the bullet, showing massive courage, and reaping the rewards as a result.

Kate Kelleher Beitans is a sweet, kind, tolerant and incredibly accepting person. She's the kind of person that allows you to feel like you can be completely yourself when you are around her. A large part of her life story has helped shape her to be this beautiful person that she is. Just before Kate's birth, her mother came to realise her true sexuality, that she was gay. This lead to a very standard, very 'normal' childhood for Kate, until she realised that it wasn't normal, and that not everybody was quite as accepting of homosexuality as her family was. Kate's story takes us on a journey navigating her left-of-centre life through childhood and adolescence in a very conservative, gossipy and judging middle class Australian community. Experiencing confusion, bullying, isolation, shame and identity crisis, Kate's incredible story will have you feeling all the feels. I couldn't be more proud of Kate for being so vulnerable and so brave sharing this story. Kate epitomises what "Valor" is all about. Enjoy!

Jesse is a Valor member, local footballer, amazing musician, new dad and a year level coordinator and teacher of maths and science at a local secondary college. He also has ADHD. Jesse shares his story of growing up through the Australian school system with ADHD in the 1990's and 00's. A story close to home with many, either as parents of children with learning and behavioural issues, or as someone who dealt with it themselves. It is certainly not a surprise to learn that Jesse was somewhat of a ratbag during his school years. "Managed" by teachers, Jesse was rarely understood and found many aspects of the school system challenging. But despite all expectations, Jesse not only got through school, but excelled in maths and science, leading to him heading to university and gaining his degree is teaching. Today, Jesse uses his experience as a young lad with ADHD to his strength. His ability to understand what kids are going through in school and the way they often see the world different to a grown up helps him to get the most out of his students in ways that suit them best. Jesse provides some really fantastic and useful tools for all parents and teachers struggling to help their child/ren enjoy and excel in school, including some great advice for those navigating remote learning.

Andray Voronov is an Osteopath and Kristian Vidakovic is a Myotherapist (and studying Osteo). Put these guys together and you've got a tonne hilarious banter, quality dads jokes... and I guess a bit of knowledge and experience on how to manage and overcome injuries and chronic pain. In all seriousness, this episode is fantastic. The boys share their wisdom on common issues people experience including back pain, inflammation and bursitis, as well as sharing incredibly interesting information about various interesting injury and pain related topics. A massive thanks to these lads for creating a very enjoyable listen. Enjoy!

Luke Spencer epitomises what it looks like to set a big challenging long term goal, put your head down and do the work, see it through until you see success...and then keep going. Luke shares his story of unwavering dedication to his dream of competing at the top level in competitive CrossFit. He shares what it takes to perform at an elite level, and gives some of the most important lessons required to get there, including being an informational sponge and staying humble. Enjoy this great and valuable chat with our larrikin, fun loving boy, Lukey Spencer.

Huge props to Chris for braving a tonne of vulnerability when sharing this story. It's not easy talking about your own personal mental health crisis to anybody, let alone on a podcast. But this is what this story is about. Braving the fear and uncertainty and putting your hand up when all is not well. I'll leave you there, just get listening. We both hope this chat inspires even just one more person to shout out when all seems too much. If you do need some help. Don't hesitate to seek help. You can start with a mate or family member. But there is no shame in seeking a professional. Get to the GP and get yourself a mental health plan. There are also a tonne of resources at the tap of a button away. If you are unsure, start here: Lifeline 13 11 14

Welcome to episode 1 of season 2! Many many babies were born as a result of the COVID pandemic. Fair enough when there isn't too much else to do during a long lockdown! Our gym has seen at least 8 babies born in the past 7 months, with many of the mums continuing their gym training throughout their pregnancy. We chat with Haley and Mardi about their experiences with exercising during their pregnancies, right from the early stages up until now, a few months post birth. We chat about scaling and modifying their exercise, consulting doctors and specialists, the stigmatism surrounding exercising during pregnancy and their purposeful reasons for sticking with it that go well beyond physical fitness. Enjoy the chat. And of course, if you are looking to exercise during your pregnancy, speak to your doctor and specialists, get a range of quality information and make smart decisions that support you and the health of your baby.

We are back (finally)! Hit a few snags which slowed down the commencement of season 2, but hey, 'rona. Here we are, we are back. Season 2 see's us focusing on you. And by you, I mean our members. You don't need celebs, sports stars and successful businesspeople for good storytelling and valuable lesson learning. We have it right here amongst the amazing people that make Valor what it is today. This season the members of the immediate Valor community will share their stories of success, failure, and everything in between, with the goal of serving you, the listener. We will cover mental health, pregnancy and exercise, hard work paying off, turning your back on the $$ and so much more. Strap in homies, we kick off on Monday! (5/6/21)

Struggles, challenges and suffering are an inevitable fact of life. 2020 can vouch for that. Yet despite this fact, many of us live with the aim to avoid all struggle and suffering. And of course, we eventually fail to dodge it. When it does eventually come, we often lack the tools to cope with these struggles. The legendary Lachy Wallace of Virtus Performance joins me to chat about struggle, how people view struggle, how to cope with it, and how to not only overcome it, but grow from it. The final episode of season 1 has arrived a little late on your podcast apps, but I think it is more fitting for it to hit your phones in a fresh new year, with fresh new ears and hopefully following a little more reflection time on the past year (and when I say year, I mean shitshow). Enjoy!

Stretching sucks! We all hate it, unless you're a yogi. We all hate stretching so much that you're probably umming and arring as to whether you will even bother listening to this episode! It's boring, it hurts, we don't have time for it. But man do we need it! And man do you need to listen to this episode! Kristie and Stu chat about why having good mobility is so important, why we don't value it enough, why we put it on the back burner and how we can overcome all of these problems so we can move better, have less injuries, hit more PR's, be pain free at work or with the kids, for good!

In this ultra fast paced, must get ahead/must keep up rat racing world, so many of us experience or are experiencing burnout. Complete and utter exhaustion, brain fog and a loss of connection to our work, friends and family. The COVID lockdown has helped a lot of people to stop for a moment and realise that they were way too busy in their former pre-COVID life. Committing to too much and never actually living in the moment. On the flip side, many people have been working harder than ever during this lockdown and haven't truly been able to give themselves the opportunity to stop and process what the heck has gone on this year. That inability to process a significant change to our world, mixed with hectic overworking is an absolute recipe for potential burnout. In this episode, Stu talks about what burnout is, what causes it, what typical human behaviours make it worse and how to get off the debilitating and never-ending merry-go-round of work, work, parent, commitment, work, work parent, commitment...

It's pretty safe to say that 2020 has been rough. For most of us, rougher than we've ever had it before by a long shot. But from pressure and suffering comes change, and mostly positive change at that... if you have been paying attention and not hiding under a blanket all year. Today I discuss some of the major lessons and reinforced messages I was hearing loud and clear during our big double (plus time on x 5) lockdown. Truly important lessons that may not have gotten through had we all be rushing around doing the same old stuff we have been doing every other year. As rough as this year has been, it is time to look at much of what has happened as a gift, not a curse. A gift that if you did have your head up, if you were paying attention, it will help shape a very promising future to come.

The human ego is a fascinating thing. Our ego guides so much of what we do, especially the decisions and behaviours we make that are detrimental to our health, fitness, relationships, work, lifestyle and mental state. It is so powerful that marketing and social media are intentionally designed to play to our ego's. To stroke it, to give us all the good juicy feelings of self worth, affirmation, envy of others, adoration and importance we crave for. But is it helping? Is serving our ego making us happier or making it all so so much worse? If you want to learn more about ego, I highly recommend reading 'Ego is the Enemy' by Ryan Holiday, and then exploring topics such as Ancient Stoicism. The positive self growth and contentment in my own life and the evolution of my own version of success have been greatly helped along as a result of the learnings from Ryan Holiday's books and stoicism.

Tyson's story is unique. Living with FOP (Fibrodysplasia ossificans progressiva), where the soft tissue in his body regenerates as hard tissue, his condition is so rare that there is zero government funding available to fund research for a cure. Tyson shares his journey with FOP, detailing the challenges he has to endure. But Tyson has this incredible knack for shining a light on his situation and appreciating all of the opportunities that have come to him as a result. A truly inspiring chat, I hope you all enjoy listening to Tyso's story. To learn more about and to support FOP, hit the link below https://fopaustralia.org/

Don't eat carbs No! Eat carbs, but don't eat fat Go vegan Drink this skinny tea Eat protein, but only from white coloured meat Don't eat insert just about anything here because it's ‘fattening' Have this shake and this shake only, every meal, every day You can only eat 1000 calories a day You must intermittently fast You must train fasted too You must eat within a 30 minute window after training No carbs after 5pm Train every day as hard as possible at the gym, don't you dare miss a sesh or your week is wasted Walking burns more fat Cardio burns more fat than weightlifting Actually, lifting weights now burns more fat Oops! Scrap that… back to cardio, but mainly running Man... figuring out how fat loss works is f***ing exhausting! I am here to put this to bed, forever. There are 3 variables and 3 variables only that we need to address when it comes to combatting fat loss, or weight gain, or any change to our body composition...

The COVID life has certainly rocked us and how we were doing life. But were we doing life to our best before all of this happened? Has the COVID struggle taught us some hard lessons and given us all a little wake up call on what is most important in our lives?

How have you managed working and schooling from home this year? Great success? Or epic fail? The gym has been closed all year, forcing me to spend almost every moment of my day at home since March '20, I have failed A LOT, nailed A LOT and learnt A LOT. 6am Valor legend from across the Tasman, Jared Riesterer, has been in a similar boat. Jared jumps on the podcast and we share all the high and lows of remote life, and discuss all the thoughts, ideas and revelations we have had while working and schooling from home...

Why do we often not achieve our goals? Is it a loss of motivation? I call bulls**t. There is a little more to why we fail certain things and never seem to ever learn from them or overcome them. It has a little to do with purpose... I hope you enjoy episode 1! If you enjoyed the episode, please share it around! Send it to a mate, post it on the socials, scream about it from your balcony. We appreciate every little bit of love and support.

Welcome to Season 1 of The Valor Podcast! Gym's are great for improving physical and mental health, but it isn't as cut and dry as Do Fitness --> Eat Good --> Get Results = Happy. We need to dig a little deeper if we want true joy and contentment in our lives, which is often somewhere we are resistant to go. If we truly desire to be better and live better, it is going to take some Valor. Join me each week as I share knowledge, ideas and experiences. As well as chat to others that know far more than me about how we can face adversity, challenge our current habits and beliefs, and overcome our struggles to live a happier, more purposeful, more content life.