Explore Your Core

I am joined with Hilary McAllistar the CEO of For Wild Places, who explores and protects wild places. She’s an advocate, speaker and facilitator who is a trailblazer in the space.

We talk about her journey starting up For Wild Places in COVID; the challenges, the growth and the setbacks and the impact it is making now.

She talks on her experience being the CEO and learning when to take a step back.“I think the hardest part is trying to disconnect and switch off, you know that if it doesn’t happen today it’s not the end of the world and if it doesn’t happen next month it’s not the end of the world”. But she speaks to the benefit of community, the support you have when people have your back and having the courage to make change even when it brings discomfort because ultimately ‘people are quick to forget’ and soon the new becomes the norm.

You can check out For Wild Places and Hilary's feed on socials as well as the website.

Photo Cred: Calumn Hockey

Until next episode,

Explore Your Core

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In this weeks episode I am joined with Brooke McIntosh. She’s taken things to a whole new level, after completing a 1600km run from Pilbara to Perth in 2023, she decided to run 14,200kms around Australia for suicide prevention with a mission to help spark ‘just one more’ conversation.

Even after these two huge feats, this is only the beggining for Brooke as she continues to make ripples in this space.

I first came across Brooke’s film ‘Impact to Ignite’ at the Gutsy Girls Film Festival, and later down the track got to meet up with her in Melbourne during her run around Aus and I’ve been able to see her skyrocket firsthand as she continues to shape what we know to be possible and the way we talk about mental health.It took a head-on car crash for Brooke to realise things weren’t okay. In the middle of her FIFO work, she had some big realisations and the seed and for the run began here in the workplace.

On the podcast, we talk about finding the courage to do things that scare you, even when you have no prior proof to back you and what it takes to be courageous.

She talked of some of the tools she used to improve her self-esteem, the way she speaks to herself and how to build a brighter outlook on life. She also states how having a sense of community and connection has impacted her wellbeing and why it’s so important to have.

She speaks on how getting diagnosed with ADHD acted as a permission slip to live outside the box, do things differently and go all in. ”I said to myself, if I wasn’t to do this, how many lives would I not be impacting, or how many people am I doing a disservice to by not sharing my voice, by not creating the impact, by not being all of me and bringing all of me”

You can follow Brooke’s journey on socials, her website and can donate to Blue Tree Project here.

Until next episode, Explore Your Core

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In this week’s episode, I’m joined by Squamish artist and backcountry guide, Jessa Gilbert.

Jessa’s approach to life seeps into her work, art and everyday- she has a knack for finding joy. Jessa has recently produced a short film “Drawn in” and done a live painting at the BANFF Film Festival and over the years has collaborated with brands such as Burton, Yeti, Leatherman and Roxy, as well as done graphics for the Women’s Adventure Film Tour and been in numerous mural festivals. Her works are brightening the towns and mountain slopes and bringing joy to so many places and spaces. As well as an artist, Jessa is a backcountry splitboard and hiking guide who froths the outdoors.

In this episode, we talk about her journey to becoming an artist and guide, her change in identity after injury, imposter syndrome and the power of having a team to make ideas come to life. “Seth Godin talks about imposter syndrome as this beautiful moment where you’re at the cusp of what you know and what you don’t. And it’s actually a really good place to be if you’re trying to do something new or different, because it means that you’re stepping outside of your comfort zone and into a new arena.”We also talk about the similarities in art and adventure in it’s ability to foster curiosity, bring joy and learn through trial and error. “It’s like, you gotta be good in your own head. You can be your best ally and your worst enemy on the same day, multiple times, but it doesn’t help you to beat yourself up.”

You can follow her epic journeys and works on socials, watch her film "Drawn In" and find out more about her on her website. Until next episode, Explore Your Core

For episode 89 of the Explore Your Core Podcast, I am joined by Matt Glover, Lead Guide at Forest Therapy Victoria and Director of MGA Counselling Services.

I went down to Mount Dandenong to join Matt as he led a forest therapy session as part of a Zorali x Forest Therapy Victoria event. What I experienced over the following 3 hours was remarkable. He spoke about how time in nature can lower cortisol levels, increase calmness and mood and that mindful walking can induce ‘soft fascination’ which allows us to recover from overload, increasing creativity. As well, he spoke about how the trees emit phytoncides, natural compounds that protect plants and boost our immune systems when inhaled all of which I got to experience firsthand. He mentioned how shared forest therapy experiences increase social bonding, lowering isolation and enhancing wellbeing, which is why experiences like this are more important than ever.

I then had the honour to chat further with Matt on the podcast, where he shares his story with Forest Therapy. Forest Therapy or Shinrin-yoku (“forest bathing”), started in Japan as a response to rising stress and burnout and is a slow, sensory immersion in nature that invites presence, mindfulness, and connection to the natural world- you could say you return to ‘nature time’ which is far slower than the speed we often operate at. In the episode, we talk about the role of storytelling, metaphors and how feeling a sense of belonging is important for healing. He raises the term Biophillia, ‘Bio’ meaning life, ‘phillia’ meaning love, so ‘a love of life’ and the biophillia effect, which refers to the health effects we receive when we connect with the natural world. We talk about how we can bring more of that connection with nature into our daily lives such as eating outside, gardening and having more greenery inside and chat about the idea of a nature prescription. And if you were already persuaded how healing nature can be here’s a few more incredible things time in nature does:-Increase Natural Killer cell activity which is important for fighting viruses and cancer cells which effects can last days to weeks- Interoception which is the awareness of internal body signals improve and supports emotional clarity and resilience- Increases social bonding, lowering isolation - Decreases heart rate and blood pressure and breathing deepensYou can find out more about the Forest Therapy Experiences with Matt Glover here and on socials, and his counselling services here. The new book will soon be released and available through Zorali. Until next episode, Explore Your Core

On episode 89 of the Explore Your Core Podcast, I talk with Pauly James, who is currently riding 18 000kms around Australia for youth mental health. He joins me in the middle of his trip, having just crossed the WA border. On this episode, Pauly talks about his experience with depression and how he realised it’s never too late to rewrite the narrative. With this realisation, he had the idea of riding around Australia to shine a light and inspire people, raising money for Human Nature .

“You hold the pen to the script that you get to write for your life.”

In 2022, Pauly started to see that nothing was working, so he committed to trying everything he hadn’t done yet. This ended up in traveling the world for 9 months- from exploring Volcanos to the Himilayas, to hiking the Camino De Santiago. This opened his eyes up to a world he didn’t know existed- one that was far more expansive than the walls we was confined to thinking ‘this was it’.He realised how changing his environment could change his perspective and went on a mission helping other people change their environment through an organisation called Human Nature which is a youth mental health service that focuses on youth empowerment through outdoor therapy.

Episode now live! You can donate to Human Nature on his website. Be sure to follow along the journey on his socials here.Until next episode, Explore Your Core

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Eric Philips is no stranger to the unknown- he has pioneered his life around exploring where people haven’t gone before. This venture has led him to become a polar explorer, guide, and astronaut as well as an educator and author. Eric’s feats are nothing short of remarkable, from becoming the first Australian alongside Jon Muir to ski both the North and South Poles, pioneering numerous new routes to the South Pole and a sea-to-sea crossing of Greenland by using skis, kites and kayaks.

He was also onboard Fram2 which was the first spacecraft to fly in polar orbit, spending almost 4 days in space and completing 55 orbits over the North and South Poles.

Eric shares his earliest recollection being fascinated by space; that was when he was 7 years old, watching the first moon landing on a black and white TV in his school classroom. It wasn’t until years down the track when he crossed paths with someone while guiding that this dream was able to come to fruition.

On the podcast, Eric talks about his journey, how he knew what to follow when there was no clear path ahead and how he navigated staying on track even when ‘the longitudes inevitably pull you in different ways’. Eric also talks about his space travel and polar expeditions and we discuss the different ways of going about it, how expeditions allow for time to disconnect and the challenges we face with constant stimulation.

“Go back to what makes the blood surge through your veins, what makes your heart skip a beat when you see something that inspires you… follow that little lead, chances are it’s going to take you to amazing places.”

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You can follow him on socials and find out more on his website as well as the space missin with F2 here. To find out about upcoming Svalbard and Greenland expeditions, head over to Ice Trek. Until the next episode, Explore Your Core

A year ago, runner Nick Kumar took the reins and hosted the Explore Your Core Podcast to hear my experience crewing Sean Bell from Townsville to Darwin as he ran around Australia. A year on, we met up to talk about what has happened since.

On this episode, I talk about some of the challenges living a nomadic life brings and how it’s hard to feel grounded while being on the move. I also chat about what draws me to the mountains, Mount Beauty, and the community of a mountain town. We speak of the recent New Zealand expedition, where a short film is to be released soon as well as the Zorali short film that came out, 'The Curious Path'

Alongside that, I talk about the realisation that crewing Sean Bell, sailing with James and the New Zealand trip have shown me that possibilities are limitless.

I open up about my journey with ADHD and how I have learnt to honor it and lean on it’s strengths, and my last few months dealing with iron deficiency and learning to listen to my body. The episode is now live on Substack and Spotify Until next episode,Explore Your Core

On episode 85 of the Explore Your Core Podcast I am joined with film maker, adventurer and ultra runner Benny Plunkett. Benny has had a plethora of experiences that have shaped him- from hitchiking across Australia to attempting to run 15 peaks in a day, it’s an episode filled with insight.

Halfway through Benny’s Uni degree he decided to leave for Canada, when we returned months later, he didn’t see himself in the work he was previously doing. He looked elsewhere and discovered an avenue that would lead him into the guiding world. We talk about the change that it brought about, how he began to blend guiding with photography and the challenges he found now working as a creative.

We talk about descion making and how sometimes, they can be crucial ‘sink or swim’ moments where you either rise up, and love it or realise it’s not for you. We also talk about the transition into creative work and how the early period can be challenging to navigate with learning the demands, handling crititsm but also can be the best way to give it a try and do it without the pressures that can build when the expecations increase.

“It’s easy to get caught up comparing yourself with others in the ceative field”. We speak about how important it is to go through the archives and the journey to get to where you are and see the progress and celebrate the wins that have got you there.

In this episode we discuss labels we put on ourselves or by others and the power of defying categories. We also touch on as the lessons his own projects that have taught him.

“We are so much more than the box we put ourselves in”

You can follow his journey on socials here.Make sure to follow along to keep up to date with new episodes!Until next one,Explore Your Core

On episode 84 of the Explore Your Core Podcast, I am joined by Ange Malysheva, a climbing instructor and guide from the Blue Mountains. Ange’s passion for the mountains and rocks seeps into every part of her life and she is not only pushing her boundaries in the climbing space but also bringing women’s empowerment into the space with an initiative called RAWQ that helps build skill, knowledge and confidence.

Her connection to climbing started in her 20’s when she felt like something had been missing. She first got into hiking, and while travelling and couch surfing, came across a climber who introduced her to the world of climbing and eventually got into mountaineering, canyoning and guiding.

“I think it was the feeling of flow, I just remember not thinking about anything else and just being in it.”

On the podcast, we talk about connection and how the vulnerability in climbing allows for deep and quick connections to be formed, as well as the mindset of fear and dealing with stressful situations. We also talk about the climbing initiative RAWQ (Rescue and Adventure climbing for Women and Queer) and how that came to be.

“I remember hitting my head against this wall, like I would love to be able to do that, but I don’t know how and I don’t know where to start.”

Ange talks about what she has learnt from bringing RAWQ to life, her years of adventuring and pushing her limits.

“I think it’s really important for people to know that we all fail and that’s how we build our confidence, by failing time and time again and learning.”

Listen to the full episode on Substack, Spotify or Apple Podcast. You can follow Ange on socials and find out more about RAWQ here.Subscribe to stay up to date with new episodes.Until next episode,- Explore Your Core

On Episode 83 of the Explore Your Core Podcast I am joined with Adventure Psychologist Paula Reid from the UK.

Paula Reid lives by the motto “living life to the full” and what she has accomplsihed and her attitude towards life show she has truly embraced that motto. Paula has skiied 1000km from the coast of Antarctica to the south pole, a journey hauling an 80kg sled over 46 days. She has also sailed around the world in the worlds toughest Yacht race and cycled across 17 countries. On the podcast, we talk about her recent trip volunteering in Ukraine and the broadened persepctive she came back with. We also talk about the conflicting pull- the moment you realise you have the path you ‘should follow’ and the path you have a pull for, and speak about what gave her the courage to listen to that pull and pave her own path where there wasn’t a clear way forward.“It was about 20 years ago that I realised this could be a lifestyle and that it’s okay to be me and it’s actually better, I feel more alive and therefore I’m able to put more energy back into the world”She talks about a positive psychology model called PERMA which makes up the core elements needed for wellbeing- Positive Emotion, Engagement, Relationships, Meaning, and Accomplishment and how important having meaningful conversations and relationships and a sense of purpose are for our wellbeing. Paua’s story shows it’s not about chasing happiness, it’s about honoring all the human emotions we have by seeking richness in experience.

Follow the Explore Your Core Podcast to stay up to date with new epsisodes. You can find Paula Reid here and on socials.Until the next episode,Explore Your Core.