Sparta Chicks Radio: Mindset | Confidence | Sport | Women

Nicole Bunyon is a trail runner, mum of 3 and founder of Running Mums Australia (RMA). RMA is an Australian wide network and community for mums who love to, or are interested in, running. You can’t go to a running or triathlon event in Australia without seeing a woman sporting their distinctive logo. While RMA shares many women’s stories, I wanted to turn the tables (and microphone) and Nicole and share her story. We discuss how she started running as a child and why it appealed to her at that age, her first marathon, how being diagnosed with a melanoma (skin cancer) in 2016 changed her perspective and why it’s so important to trust your gut instinct. Nicole is also an ambassador for several running events including Ultra Trail Australia so we discuss whether she feels the weight of expectation of others or pressure to perform as a result of her public profile in the sport. Get the full show notes for the episode here. — Visit the Sparta Chicks Radio website here Follow Sparta Chicks Radio on Facebook: facebo

Amanda is a professional downhill mountain biker race based in the US. She is also an outspoken advocate for women in sport and a vocal critic of the cycling industry for its treatment and portrayal of women. In this conversation we discuss how cycling helped her find her sense of self and self-worth, that fear is healthy, why it’s important to remember why you are riding. Plus Amanda shares how she handles the fear associated with crashing (especially after one crash described as the worst face plant you’ll ever see) and why she continues to share her deepest darkest secrets and fears about body image on social media. 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 Amanda on Instagram: instagram.com/abattycakes 

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. In 2017, she finished 2nd at the Australian 24 Hour Solo Mountain Bike Championships. And this year, she will line up at the Australian Championships in September before going onto contest the World 24 Hour Solo Mountain Bike Championships in Scotland in October. 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

Katee Pedicini is a triathlon coach based in Melbourne, Australia and has a degree in Exercise Science who specialises in managing fatigue, stress and hormones in endurance athletes to achieve not only athletic performance but optimal health and happiness. Kate first appeared in episode 21 (our most popular episode in 2017!). You can find it here. This time, we dive deeper into two specific issues concerning women’s hormones and health; peri-menopause and menopause (and how they impact on your athletic ability, strength, training and racing) and why you should take advantage of your natural cycle by structuring your training program around it. The more I speak with Katee, the more I learn and the more I wish I’d been exposed to this knowledge in my 20s and 30s. 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: instagram.com/katee_holisticendurance 

Sarah is an accomplished rower, rock climber, multi-day cyclist and triathlete. She’s completed the Race Across America twice, including as part of the winning Velouoos squad. And she is now returning to competition after a terrible accident left her in a coma for a month. 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

If there is one complaint I hear from women more than any other, it is their frustration about not losing weight despite the hours and hours of training involved with endurance sports (or worse, that they’ve put weight on!). So I wanted to call in an expert for Sparta Chicks Radio this week to explain why this happens — and, most importantly, what you can do to change it. Katee Pedicini runs Holistic Endurance in Melbourne, Australia. She’s a triathlon coach with a degree in Exercise Science who specialises in managing fatigue, stress and hormones in endurance athletes. But this isn’t only a conversation about weight. It’s a conversation about your health and the widespread impact stress has on your body. From your risk of injury and illness, the results you get (or don’t get) from your training, how quickly you recover from hard training sessions, how tired you feel, whether you hit the wall at 3pm and have to reach for coffee/chocolate/sugar, you feel like you're constantly on a short fuse to whether you ne

“The decision to believe in yourself can be done instantaneously. Then to become unwavering belief, it’s a daily practice.” How do you develop self-belief? This question is at the core of my discussion with Natalie Cook - a 5x Olympian and dual Olympic medallist, including the Gold medal in Beach Volleyball at the 2000 Sydney Olympics - this week on #SpartaChicksRadio. Although Nat and partner Kerry Pottharst won the Bronze medal in Sydney, Nat will be the first to admit that, at the time, she didn’t believe she had the mental toughness or emotional stability to win. So she went on a 4-year journey of personal development and self-discovery to understand the power of the mind and how to develop deep-in-her-bones self-belief. In this fun interview, we discuss everything from a fear of failure to the power of using an alter ego to find the inner strength and conviction you need. (What alter ego would you adopt?) Get the full show notes for the episode here. — Visit the Sparta Chicks Radio website here Follow Sp

Tanya Geisler is a Leadership Coach based in Canada who specialises in the Imposter Complex. You may not have heard of it before but I can assure you that you’ve felt the sting of it. It is found in the stories - or lies - we tell ourselves about not being ready, good enough, that we don’t belong or that we are fooling everyone and that any moment everyone is going to find out we have NFI what we’re doing. We dive deep in this personal and revealing interview. 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 Tanya on Instagram: instagram.com/TanyaGeisler

How do you use your fear and self-doubt to get the best out of your yourself? That's the question we explore in our interview with Siri Lindley who was 2x-ranked the #1 triathlete in the world and the 2002 ITU World Champion in 2002. Since retiring, Siri has gone onto have an extraordinarily successful career as a coach and is regarded as one of the best triathlon coaches in the world. Even if you aren't interested in triathlon, I have no doubt you'll gain a lot from Siri's heart-centred approach training, racing and life. The author of Surfacing: From the Depths of Self-doubt to Winning Big and Living Fearlessly, in her book and this interview Siri talks openly about her struggles with self-doubt as an athlete and how recognising and challenging your fears is the key to getting the best out of yourself. And once you hear the story of her first triathlon, I think you’ll agree that nothing is impossible with self-belief, passion and hard work.  Get the full show notes for the episode here. — Visit the Sparta

Jo Sorrenson is an age group triathlete, busy mum of 3 and lives with PTSD after a career in the police force. In this interview, we dive deep into Jo’s career - both as an officer and as a triathlete. We talk about mental illness and the shame associated with it and how Jo discovered cycling as a powerful form of therapy for her. 8 x Ironman 70.3 races later - including the 70.3 World Championships - Jo has discovered how to manage her condition with the support of family and friends, as well as the sport she loves. 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: instagram.com/jo.jo.72

Caroline Pemberton was crowned Miss Australia in 2007 at the age of 21. You might assume she grew up dancing, modelling and competing in pageants, only to discover outdoor adventure later in life — but nothing could be further from the truth. A self-proclaimed “goofy tomboy girl with messy hair”, Caroline grew up with two older, outdoorsy brothers and spend most of her childhood chasing them around and trying to keep up. At 19, Caroline accompanied her brother to Everest Base Camp which experience changed the trajectory of her life. These days, Caroline has launched the brand Miss Adventure is on a mission to empower young girls to realise how strong and brave they are, and what their bodies are capable of doing, before the storm of adolescence kicks in (and the pressure on what you look like, more than what you can do, intensifies). 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 In

Sam Lane is an award-winning journalist who specialises in covering the Australian Football League (AFL) and cycling.  She has also covered 2 Olympic Games and the Tour de France twice. Sam has been a member of Channel 7’s AFL broadcast team since 2013 and has spent the last 15 years writing and talking about footy. She has recently published “Roar”, a book about the history and launch of the Women’s Australian Football League (AFLW) in Australia in 2017. You might think Sam loved sports as a child. But nothing could be further than the truth; she describes herself as “nothing short of indifferent” to sport. So how do you go onto become an award-winning sports journalist? 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 Sam on Twitter: twitter.com/SamJaneLane 

Lucy Barnard set off in February 2017 to walk the length of the world. From Ushuaia, Tierra Del Fuego in Argentina all the way to  Barrow, Alaska; a journey of 30,000km /20,000mi across 15 countries that will take her about 5 years. Yes, years. My first question to Lucy is probably the same one you’re thinking right now too; why? In this conversation we talk about the logistics as well as the lessons she’s learnt about asking and accepting help, how she manages her fear and self-doubt and especially the fear and doubts of her friends and loved ones, how she’s learning to deal with her self-talk, why she’s already accepted the fact she might ‘fail’ (air quotes) to complete the expedition and why it’s ok to quit. 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: instagram.com/tanglesandtail 

Pamela Jabbour is an amazing woman. She founded Total Image Group at the age of just 21 with no previous business experience. In fact, Pam’s story of establishing the business is such a rare and incredible example of pure grit - she made 100 cold phone calls, every day, for 12 months before the company won their first client. Fast forward and in 2017, Total Image Group was selected as the official formal uniform supplier for the 2018 Australian Winter Olympic team. And over 250,000 Australians each and every day wear a uniform designed and made by her company. Maybe even someone you know — or perhaps even you! In this conversation we discuss everything from not conforming to the expectations and stereotypes others have of us, how Pam felt the need to prove herself so much so that for the first 10 years in business, she didn’t change her official title to CEO, the importance of habit and routine, where Pam experiences the Imposter Complex in her life and how she deals with public or personal criticism. Get the

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 has set a World Record for the world’s highest wingsuit base jump and has flown her wingsuit over Sydney Harbour, the Grand Canyon and, most recently, a mountain in Antartica. 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: instagram.com/heatherjswan

These days, a Fitness and Sports Counsellor and Body Positivity Advocate, Leah Gilbert's relationship with food and her body wasn't always so, well, positive. A child who loved sport but who, because she was bigger than the other kids, was very self-conscious of her body. Leah openly admits that, as a result, she always limited the amount of effort she put into her sport (and therefore limited her potential). It was only with the birth of her daughter in 2012 that Leah's relationship with food, exercise and her body began to shift. In this conversation, we discuss her relationship with sports and her weight as a child, why she started running and how she then got into triathlons, how motherhood was a catalyst for her to change her relationship with food, exercise and her body, the surprising way her public role and advocacy work impacted on her running and why she stepped away from social media as a result. Plus we talk about why it's important for you to identify as and recognise that you are an athlete. Get

Today not only marks our 50th episode, but the first birthday of the podcast! Yes, that’s right, exactly 1 year ago today, we launched the podcast with our first guest, Siri Lindley. So I thought this would be the perfect chance to share the top 10 most popular episodes of the podcast over the last 12 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

Caro Ryan describes herself as the “unexpected outdoors chick”. As a child, she wasn’t physically active. But after a 3 day experiential leadership training course in the Australian bush at the age of 21, the trajectory of Caro’s life changed and a deep love and connection with the bush was born. These days, she is 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 the outdoors and “red bandana girl” changed her life, the stories we tell ourselves, including in Caro’s case that she “wasn’t a runner”, the importance of 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 Fac

Brad Stulberg is fascinated with the science of human performance. In 2017 Brad co-authored, with Steve Magness, a fantastic book I devoured on a flight called "Peak Performance: Elevate Your Game, Avoid Burnout and Thrive With the New Science of Success." This book (and this conversation) is based around the concept of periodisation (which is - or should be - the principle that any and all training you do should be based on); stress + rest = growth. Unfortunately, this formula isn’t well understood or applied which results in injury, illness, burn out or overtraining. In this conversation, we discuss how stress isn’t always a bad thing and how you can use it to your advantage. Plus we talk about smartphones, sleep and meditation as other factors you need to consider if you want to get the best out of yourself and feel good about it. Get the full show notes for the episode here.   —   Visit the Sparta Chicks Radio website hereFollow Sparta Chicks Radio on Facebook: facebook.com/SpartaChicksFollow Brad on Twit

Terra Roam will, in 2018, also become the 1st woman to walk around Australia, solo and without the assistance of a support vehicle. For much of her walk, she was accompanied only by Dory, her bright blue and yellow custom-build barrow. Terra’s story is of a girl who discovered a love of, and connection, with nature from a very young age. But who didn’t realise until later in life that she had been using walking as a form of therapy to recover from the trauma she has experienced and the social anxiety, depression and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) she has since been diagnosed with. This is a story about hope and recovery and the importance of connection to nature. 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 Terra on Instagram: instagram.com/terraroams