Michelle was a business owner, gym junkie and busy mum when she broke a foot in December, 2017.
After experiencing balance and walking issues she attributed to a second broken foot in December 2018, Michelle was eventually diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis (MS) and Charcot-Marie-Tooth disorder (CMT) in March 2019.
Both neurological conditions, MS and CMT have left Michelle unable to run or move her legs quickly.
But that didn’t stop her from entering - and finishing - her first (and last) triathlon at the Husky Triathlon in February 2020.
Michelle tells the story in this conversation of what unfolded, her experience of crossing the finish line and what that race means to her.
And trust me when I say this — you're going to need a tissue ;)
Get the full show notes for the episode here.
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Lesley Paterson is a professional mountain biker, 5x World Champion in off-road triathlon, an Ironman Triathlon Champion, coach and (according to her bio) foul-mouthed Scots lassie.
Simon is a sports psychologist with a distinguished career. He's a former Professor, has published over 100 scientific articles on the psychology of exercise, been cited in scientific literature over 10,000 times and had real-world practical experience as the Performance Psychologist for the BMC Racing team, a pro cycling team that competes in the Tour de France.
They are also married, the force behind Braveheart Coaching and the co-authors of a fantastic book I highly recommend to all athletes called The Brave Athlete: Calm the F*ck Down and Rise to the Occasion.
In this conversation, we talk about everything from:
- why Lesley initially retired from sport at the age of 20 due to her disillusionment and frustration and this lead her and Simon to work together to develop this model,
- how your brain works (and is wired to work),
- Lesley’s experience dealing with the Imposter Complex/Syndrome,
- why it’s important to understand your athletic identity and how that can cause you to feel like an Imposter,
- why an alter ego is a powerful tool you can use to change the actions you take (really, it helps you fake it till you make it — or perhaps more correctly, fake it till you believe it).
Get the full show notes for the episode here.
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Follow Lesley on Instagram: instagram.com/lesleydoestri/
Mel is an inventor and adventurer who has tried it all: kayaking, climbing, caving, mountain biking and, her favourite, skiing.
Mel also has a rare form of Dwarfism and so most commercially available sporting and outdoor adventure equipment doesn’t fit or suit her.
Luckily Mel grew up with an interest in fixing things (initially with sticky tape) and parents who taught Mel and her two sisters - who also have Dwarfism - from an early age to adapt and find ingenious ways to get around the challenges their height presented them.
That interest not only led Mel to get a Masters Degree in Mechanical Engineering but develop the skills to adapt or make from scratch her sporting and adventure equipment including kayaks, paddles and wetsuits.
Mel starred in a fantastic documentary called (you guessed it) ‘Mel’ which aired at the Gutsy Girls Adventure Film Tour in 2019.
Get the full show notes for the episode here.
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Self-belief is such a murky, fluid concept.
Some days you feel on top of the world and unstoppable. The next, it’s gone and you’re convinced you were fooling yourself.
So how do you develop unwavering self-belief (and keep it)?
In 2017, I asked Olympic Gold Medalist Natalie Cook
In this interview, we discuss her 4-year journey of personal development after the Atlanta Olympics when she realised she didn’t have the mental toughness or emotional stability needed to achieve her goal of winning the Olympic Gold medal in Sydney.
Plus in an unexpected twist, I got called out on why I was hiding behind my fear and not telling the world about one of my goals.
Get the full show notes for the episode here.
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