Nicole Bradley joined the Australian Army at 20 and served for 22 years. And admits she ‘lost’ herself in the process.
However after leaving the Army, and at the age of 42, Nicole discovered the sport of powerlifting - and life hasn’t been the same since.
Nicole progressed quickly and set her 1st Australian Masters Record for the bench press (she now has 3 records) in her first competition!
Injuries acquired during her service in the Army meant Nicole was eligible to compete (and was selected) to represent Australia at the Warrior Games in the United States and in the 2018 Invictus Games held in Sydney.
And the honour didn’t stop there; much to her surprise, Nicole was appointed the co-captain of the 2018 Australian Invictus Games team!
In this conversation, Nicole and I discuss:
- why children need to see adults participating in sport,
- why she turned down the first invitation she received to attend an Invictus Games training and selection camp,
- the challenge associated with shifting identity from ‘Army Officer’ to ‘civilian’,
- what prompted her to take up powerlifting at 42,
- how the application process for the Invictus Games caused her to doubt whether her service was significant enough, her injuries were “bad enough” or if she was the right ‘fit’ for the team,
- the lack of appreciation for non-visible injuries,
- the importance of being happy with doing your best on the day, even if it’s not your best performance of all time.
Get the full show notes for the episode here.
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