With a background in social work and after losing her beloved Dad tragically to bowel cancer, it’s hardly surprising Annie Crawford decided she wanted to “make a difference” rather than returning to the paid workforce when she returned to Australia after living in the US for several years.
And she’s made a profound difference in the lives of thousands of Australians ever since.
Annie founded Can Too in 2005, a charity with the goal of creating a healthier and fitter community while also funding innovative cancer research.
To be honest, I always thought of Can Too as a cancer fundraising organisation first and foremost.
But as Annie points out in this conversation, Can Too is dedicated to promoting health and wellbeing and encouraging people to step out of their comfort zone, by committing to an event - perhaps their first 7km, first marathon or first ocean swim - with the support of like-minded people and professional coaches, while raising funds for cancer research.
If you’re in Australia, you’ll no doubt be familiar with the ubiquitous orange singlets worn by runners at most events around the country these days.
Over the last 14 years, over 15,000 people have participated in Can Too programs and raised over $21m for cancer research.
While I was familiar with the work and programs run by Can Too, I wanted to know more about the woman with the vision behind the scenes, so I asked :)
We discuss:
* what inspired Annie to establish Can Too,
* the role running has played in managing her mental health,
* why you need to remember that you can’t die of fear (my new favourite quote!),
* her experience with the Imposter Complex,
And more.
Get the full show notes for the episode here.
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Visit the Sparta Chicks Radio website here
Follow Sparta Chicks Radio on Facebook: facebook.com/SpartaChicks
Follow Can Too on Facebook: facebook.com/CanTooRunSwim
Emily Duggan’s story is a perfect example of why it’s important to share the stories of women in sport.
When Emily was a little girl, she was watching TV one weekend and came across the Supercar motor racing series here in Australia and was instantly hooked.
However Emily, in that moment, also realised there were no women racing and thought it was a “boy’s sport” and put it to the back of her mind (as the saying goes, “you can’t be what you can’t see”).
Thankfully the voice that whispered to Emily that day never disappeared and as soon as she started working, she began saving for her first racing car - and hasn’t looked back since.
In 2016, Emily became the 1st female driver to race in the V8 Touring Car Series here in Australia and now in 2019 is racing in the Super3 series (which is the 3rd tier in the Supercar series here).
And sometime soon, I know we’ll see Emily line up on the start of the iconic Bathurst 1000 race (a race I’ve promised to watch, for the first time ever, when she does!).
Emily shares her story with me on Sparta Chicks Radio this week.
Get the full show notes for the episode here.
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Visit the Sparta Chicks Radio website here
Follow Sparta Chicks Radio on Facebook: facebook.com/SpartaChicks
Follow Emily on Instagram: instagram.com/emilyduggan1
In November 2013, Renee Kiley joined friends to watch the Noosa Triathlon. And life hasn’t been the same since.
At the time Renee was an overweight, unhealthy, pack-a-day smoker.
Yet the race reignited Renee’s childhood love of competitive sport. And despite not having ridden a bike or swum laps since she was a kid, Renee set a goal to compete in the Noosa Triathlon the following year.
She did that, and more.
In March 2014, Renee lined up at the start of her very first triathlon; a Sprint distance triathlon.
And less than 3 1/2 years later, Renee raced for the first time as a professional triathlete.
Many people involved in endurance sports have undergone dramatic transformations; from losing weight, quitting smoking and overcoming major health issues.
But I was curious how Renee was able to take her performance and achievements to the next level and became a professional athlete in a sport she didn’t know even existed only a few years ago.
So I asked :)
Get the full show notes for the episode here.
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Visit the Sparta Chicks Radio website here
Follow Sparta Chicks Radio on Facebook: facebook.com/SpartaChicks
Follow Renee on Instagram: instagram.com/reneekiley_/
If there is one woman who has had an up-close-and-personal relationship with fear, it’s Kristen Ulmer.
At 20, Kristen was skiing for the love of it and in jeans.
By 23, she was on the US moguls ski team, starred in the first of 20 extreme skiing movies and was named the ski media as best woman big mountain extreme skier in the world (a ‘title’ she held for 12 years).
This is a woman who came face to face with fear, in life-and-death situations, regularly and she developed a very intimate relationship with it.
However it was only towards the end of her career, as injuries, illness and PTSD took their toll, she began to realise her relationship with fear wasn’t healthy and that it has caused or contributed to many of these problems.
And so she began an in-depth study and obsession with fear.
Fast forward to now and she’s the author of a book called 'The Art of Fear: Why Conquering Fear Won’t Work and What To Do Instead'.
The premise behind it is that conquering, mastering, and trying to overcome fear doesn’t work and instead, we need to learn to embrace our fear and listen to it (rather than trying to ignore it or quieten it down).
Get the full show notes for the episode here.
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Visit the Sparta Chicks Radio website here
Follow Sparta Chicks Radio on Facebook: facebook.com/SpartaChicks
Follow Kristen on Instagram: instagram.com/kristen.ulmer/