Giants in Disguise

In the last episode of series one of the Giants in Disguise podcast, I have a chat with Shirin Gerami, an Iranian who exudes courage and has an infectiously positive outlook on life. Her enthusiasm is hard to ignore - something that was picked up by her teachers early on, who realised her potential and gave her the courage to believe in her own abilities.

Shirin is an incredibly talented yet humble individual who acts as an inspiration and role model for young Muslim women, encouraging them to take up sport and helping them to rethink and redefine what may have been considered previously impossible. 

In this episode, we talk about her childhood, how she got involved with various sports at school, and the overall impact this had on shaping her life. 

As always, I hope that her story resonates with you and acts as a catalyst for you to get out of your own comfort zone and seek adventure in your daily life. It's been a privilege to speak to so many adventurous individuals in this first season of the podcast. I hope through listening we can all find the giant within us.

I speak to Komail Naqvi, Co-Founder and CEO of FindMyAdventure, a tourism-tech startup based in Karachi, that is aiming to become the premier destination for booking experiences in Pakistan. We speak about his humble beginnings, and how he went out and sought discomfort to take a passion and turn it into a growing business. We also speak about the growing tourism opportunities for anyone looking to set up a business in Pakistan.

In October 2019, Roderick made Ironman history to be the first bilateral double above the knee amputee to compete at the World Championships at Ironman Kona in Hawaii. Finishing an Ironman is an amazing personal achievement and takes courage, guts, and incredible discipline to finish, to do while being physically challenging is the stuff of legends. Finishing the course in just shy of 16.5 hours, Roderick crossed the finish line, cheered on by people across the world, realizing that anything is possible. 

This podcast explores his journey to Ironman Kona, his childhood and what legacy he would like to leave behind for the next generation of challenged atheltes. 

Find him on 

Instagram - @rsewell92

Challenged Athletes Foundation

Mehak is the brains behind Muvbase, a gym based in Karachi that focuses on strength and cardio training and yoga sessions. We speak about Mahek's childhood, her inspirations growing up, and how she transitioned from a corporate career to a coach and a gym owner. She has since started another venture - a pet clinic. 

This is just the beginning of her journey and I'm humbled to have sat down and had the chance to speak with her about her ambitions.

Fauzia - a Pakistani amateur triathlete based out of Toronto, Canada is full of energy and enthusiasm to take on her fears. In this frank conversation with her, we recount her childhood, upbringing, the power of community, and what it takes to balance your work, family, and training.  Her determination and attitude is infectious and will hopefully inspire you to tackle your own fears.

To rise when you have fallen is an incredible feat of achievement for anyone. Healing from a mental illness, Seanna has shown that with a mindful attitude, believing in yourself, and listening to your body, it can change your life. We speak about Seanna's childhood, her inspirations growing up, what adventure means to her, and how she overcame her challenges. A true giant in disguise. 

Find Seanna online: 

Seanna's World 

Instagram - @Seannasworld

Youtube - https://www.instagram.com/seannasworld/

Twitter - https://twitter.com/SeannasWorld

Nick is the Founder of Impact Marathon Series, a series of marathons in Nepal, Jordan, Malawi, Kenya, and Guatemala that connect runners from around the world to local communities in a week-long impact experience. I've known Nick since he started organising his events in Nepal and have been following his adventures since, and this episode reminds me of why it is so important to see your ideas through and make something incredible happen. 

The world needs more people like Nick. 

Impact Marathon - https://www.impactmarathon.com/

Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/impactmarathon/

Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/impactmarathons

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Following in the footsteps of the Muslim explorer Ibn-e-Battuta, Osman embarked on the same journey almost 700 years later. Along the way he came to learn more about himself and what travel meant to him. We speak about his childhood, the motivations for his future adventures and he recounts his expedition to the summit of Sonia Peak in Pakistan.

Driven by her experiences of working in international development organisations, Chloe is raising money for Save the Children by doing 12 challenges over 12 months in 2020. We talk about her childhood, Irish dancing, and her motivation for challenging herself over the course of the year. As the UK went into a state of lockdown, and with many events being canceled, Chloe has had to be inventive and is determined to push herself to her boundaries to complete the challenge.

Chloe's fundraising page - https://justgiving.com/fundraising/chloes12months12challenges

Have you thought about an idea and executed it? How has that changed your life? Share your story by sending an email over to [email protected]

Perrine is an incredibly naturally gifted athlete who spent most of her childhood as a professional horserider, Inspired by seeing others take on endurance races, she turned her attention to triathlons and triathlons of an extreme nature. What I find interesting about Perrine's story is her infectious energy to take on seemingly impossible challenges, find a way to manifest the courage, and bring an idea to life. She's not scared of failing and respects moments when you just have to surrender to the environment. Along with that humble attitude, she also respects her physical limitations and trains hard to be at the top of her ability, while enjoying what she does. 

Where to find Perrine

https://www.instagram.com/perrinefage/

Know anyone who would be a great addition to this podcast, please get in touch over at [email protected]

Stay awesome.

🏊🚵🏻🏃