💥 Final Episode of Season 3!!!! 💥

For my final episode of 2022 and indeed Season 3, I'd like you to meet Katya Virshilas!!

Katya is a highly experienced dancer and actress and has been since a very young age. She became Canadian ballroom champion at the age of 16 and went on to find a passion for and calling in the entertainment industry. As you’ll hear in this episode, throughout her career she has danced with and taught, many many famous actors, singers, and dancers including the one and only Jennifer Lopez. I had to remind myself when Katya was talking about Jennifer, that it was in fact the Jennifer Lopez! Katya was also part of the cast  BBC's Strictly Come Dancing for three years, before going on to produce and star in her own tour production performing in over 80 theatres across The UK. 

After the birth of her first son and moving with her family to Hong Kong, Katya, in her own words, truly found her calling. While looking for dance classes for her son, she came up with the idea of BallroomBees - a fun and friendly way for kids to connect through dance, music, and play. BallroomBees’ mission is to empower, enrich and educate children through the world of ballroom dancing. They aim to provide a safe environment for children to develop motor skills, a sense of self and social skills - all things that are essential in building confidence and fostering a deep sense of respect for their peers. 

Katya has seen for herself the incredible influence that dancing can have on young children, and has developed the BallroomBees program especially to help introduce children to the wonderful world of Ballroom Dancing. 

Katya and I had such fun recording this episode together talking about her incredible career, dancing and acting, and of course Ballroom Bees. 

Thank you so much, Katya! ❤️❤️

Katya -
IG: https://www.instagram.com/katyavirshilas/

Ballroom Bees -
Website: https://www.ballroombees.com/
IG: https://www.instagram.com/ballroombees/

My Social Media -
Cissy:  https://www.instagram.com/cissrad/
In The Changing Room: https://www.instagram.com/inthechangingroompod

My guest for episode 13  is Ziggy Makant, and we are talking all things pregnancies, babies and motherhood! Ziggy is a Personal Trainer and Group Fitness Instructor with a background in psychology and life coaching. Ziggy is a mother to two boys, and prior to her first pregnancy, her fitness focus was mainly on strength & conditioning, body composition, and body transformations. After the birth of her first son in 2016, Ziggy's passion turned towards true Women's Wellness and Pre- and Post-Natal Fitness. She went on to become a Certified Pre and Post Natal Coach in 2018. 

Ziggy’s work helps to prepare women for labour, childbirth and the postpartum period. A comparison she uses is: you wouldn’t just rock up to a marathon or even a 100m sprint without any prior training, and labour and childbirth are also physical, emotional and mental events. 

 In this episode, Ziggy shares her personal pregnancy journeys and focuses quite a bit on the early postpartum period which Ziggy states is much more demanding than childbirth. We also talk about the myth of ‘bouncing back’ after you give birth, when is the right time to get active again, how do you know what’s right for you. Ziggy explains how bodies are much more than what they ever were because they have brought a new life into the world! 

Thank you, Ziggy for sharing so candidly! 

Ziggy -
IG: https://www.instagram.com/zig.fitmama/
Website - https://www.zigfitmama.com/
Mom Body Soul Podcast - https://podcasts.apple.com/hk/podcast/mom-body-soul-podcast/id1519962345?l=en

My Social Media -
Cissy:  https://www.instagram.com/cissrad/
In The Changing Room: https://www.instagram.com/inthechangingroompod

Meet Sarah, also known as "Sarah the Pivoter". Sarah is a Careers & Lifestyle coach providing Mindset Coaching & Success Strategies for Ambitious Humans. She teaches The Power of the Pivot and helps others re-define success and then ACE life in 3 easy steps. Sarah wants everyone to know that we are all capable of navigating life’s big U-turns to achieve new levels of success, happiness, and satisfaction. In this episode, we talk all about sustainable success,  connecting with others, and the real meaning of being kind. We also discuss how Sarah's early and competitive involvement in figure skating affects her work as a mindset coach:  shifting old patterns, being ambitious, focusing, and committing.

This was one of my favourite episodes yet, and I really hope you love it too! Let both Sarah and I know over on our socials!
 
Sarah -
IG: https://www.instagram.com/sarahthepivoter/
Linktree - https://linktr.ee/sarahkalmeta

My Social Media -
Cissy:  https://www.instagram.com/cissrad/
In The Changing Room: https://www.instagram.com/inthechangingroompod

Welcome to In The Changing Room Love 21!

Love 21 is a charity that empowers the down syndrome, autistic and neurodiverse community in Hong Kong through sport, nutrition, and holistic support programmes. They aim to give their participants the greatest opportunity to reach their full potential by offering a comprehensive range of activities while also striving for excellence in each one. Love 21 prove that this community have so much to offer Hong Kong. 

For this interview, I was joined by Carmel Armstrong, Chief Operating Officer, and Jeff Rotmeyer, Chief Executive Officer. They share with me the current landscape for those with down syndrome and autism in HK, the launch of their comprehensive nutrition programme, in which they provide one-on-one nutritional support on top of the sports classes that they already offered, and we also talk about how they have recently expanded into providing counselling support for the parents of our community - an area so important and often overlooked. 

Have a look at the work they do and see how you can get involved!

Thank you so much to Carmel and Jeff for their time!

Love 21 -
IG: https://www.instagram.com/love21foundation/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Love21foundation/
Website: https://love21foundation.com/

My Social Media -
Cissy:  https://www.instagram.com/cissrad/
In The Changing Room: https://www.instagram.com/inthechangingroompod

This week's guest isn't afraid to do things a little differently! 

Meet Danielle Evans. Danielle is smashing stereotypes in the world of both pageantry and rugby. She was crowned Miss Brighton 2021 earlier this year, and NEXT WEEK she will compete for the title of Miss Great Britain! 👑🇬🇧👑🇬🇧👑🇬🇧👑 

All of this while maintaining her love for playing rugby. 

Being a beauty pageant contestant and rugby player, Danielle found that nobody put the two hobbies together. It was quickly discovered that there was a huge stereotype surrounding the female rugby community and that needed to be broken. Combining her two wildly differing passions has meant that she has discovered a passion for promoting inclusivity in sport –  especially rugby. 

One thing I didn't mention in the introduction is that Danielle was born 14 weeks prematurely, and she was given just a 5% chance of survival by doctors. The three months she spent in an incubator as a newborn left her with a few long-term lung conditions that have persisted into her adulthood. Danielle references these occasionally throughout the interview. 

I am cheering Danielle on in her bid to become Miss GB!!! 🇬🇧🇬🇧🇬🇧
How amazing would it be to have a rugby-playing Miss GB?!


Danielle -
IG: https://www.instagram.com/danielle3vans/
#TryMe: https://www.facebook.com/TryMeCampaign


My Social Media -
Cissy:  https://www.instagram.com/cissrad/
In The Changing Room: https://www.instagram.com/inthechangingroompod

Episode 9 of Season 3 is Emery Fung!

Emery has a strong passion for sport. From a young age, he developed a strong sense of community and belonging through sport, and saw the power of teamwork from day one. Being a transgender man, sport was and is a safe space for Emery. It allows him to be in touch with his masculine side and fully express himself. In this episode, we talk all about the role of gender in sport, masculinity, binaries, and more.

Emery also has his podcast ‘Awkward Turtle’. A comedy standup-like podcast that tackles the difficult conversation with a lighter spin. He also talked a lot about his transition process on this show. Now, for Season 2 . he has created ‘Awkward Turtle At Work’ - an interview-style podcast that talks to people who choose to pursue a passion career rather than a ‘conventional job’. The aim is to use these stories to celebrate differences and diversity in the workplace.

I have SO much time for Emery, and am so grateful that he came on the podcast to talk all things gender.


Emery -
IG: https://www.instagram.com/efung94/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/emeryfung
Website: https://www.awkwardturtlepod.page
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/10gEJ3BvFLx9cVcETmMjcN?si=U_xCLJdaTlGkoInfMGWXUg&dl_branch=1


My Social Media -
Cissy:  https://www.instagram.com/cissrad/
In The Changing Room: https://www.instagram.com/inthechangingroompod

Meet Jill! Jill is a  dynamic movement specialist with over 16 years experience as a Pilates, Yoga, and Nia instructor. She has built a reputation for being one of the most effective, life-changing, holistic fitness trainers in Hong Kong. Her expertise in one-on-one sessions and group classes has attracted clients from around the world with Jill teaching private and customised classes across Asia as well as leading hundreds of students at Iris, Hong Kong’s premium Yoga Festival. 

Jill is passionate about supporting her clients through ‘life’s moments’ in pregnancy, menopause, and most importantly, through grief and crisis.  In this episode, we talk all about the MENOPAUSE!

I've been wanting to talk about menopause on the podcast for ages because I don't feel like it gets enough attention to be honest! I think we are encouraged to dread it and fear it, and I really want this episode to just be a chance to hear someone talking openly about it. The more we talk about things, the more we reduce the stigma!

Thanks a lot Jill for your openness and your honesty.


Jill -
Website: https://www.pause.hk/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/pause.hk/
Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/pausehk/

How menopause affects the brain: https://www.youtube.com/watch?app=desktop&v=JJZ8z_nTCZQ

Talking menopause with Davina McCall: https://www.youtube.com/watch?app=desktop&v=lYJrD3dKcEc

Book: Dr. Christiana Northrup - The Wisdom of Menopause

My Social Media -
Cissy:  https://www.instagram.com/cissrad/
In The Changing Room: https://www.instagram.com/inthechangingroompod

Welcome to In The Changing Room Ramona Pascual! This episode is up there with one of my favs, and I'm sure you'll hear why! Ramona is so inspiring and full of wisdom. There were so many takeaways from this episode for me and so many things that I needed to hear. I really hope the episode has a similar impact on you! 

Ramona is a professional MMA fighter! Earlier this year, in order to progress in the MMA world and push herself to be the best she can be, Ramona moved to Las Vegas to train with Syndicate MMA - a decision she says she made in just 3 days.  As a female athlete in a traditionally male-dominated industry, she was and continues to set precedents for other Asian women venturing into MMA, opening up the sport to a wider demographic. Ramona’s since proven that success comes in more forms than one!

In this episode, we discuss fear, pressure, adversity, and chasing your goals. As someone who lacked confidence growing up, Ramona believes fear dictates every decision we make, no matter how big or small, and in this episode she tells us that managing fear can help us overcome adversity and lead us to our goals. 

Thank you Ramona for such a wonderful interview, and for sharing your wisdom and experience with us. 

Ramona -
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ramonacarla/
TEDx Talk - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b60uyCBm7eY

My Social Media -
Cissy:  https://www.instagram.com/cissrad/
In The Changing Room: https://www.instagram.com/inthechangingroompod

For this week's episode, I sat down with Splash! Splash is an organisation that teaches people from under-resourced communities how to swim. By connecting those who can swim with those who want to learn, they offer an opportunity that empowers people and delivers results. Splash believes that everyone should have the chance to learn to swim. It's more than just a sport - it can save your life after all! With this in mind, they run free adult swimming programmes for migrant domestic workers and refugees and programmes for kids from low-income communities.

I met Libby Alexander, CEO and co-founder of Splash, Mark Stamper, Board Director and Splash Senior Coach, and Daisy Luscaw - Splash graduate and now Splash Coach.  The four of us discussed Splash's vision and mission, programs, and impact. We talked about the community they're building and how Splash is about so much more than just swimming.  At their core, they believe there should be no economic or cultural barriers to learning this important life skill.

Check out their links below for ways you can help them. Thanks a lot to Splash! 

Splash -
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/splashfoundation
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/splashfoundationltd/
Website: http://www.splashfoundation.org/en/
Email: [email protected]


My Social Media -
Cissy:  https://www.instagram.com/cissrad/
In The Changing Room: https://www.instagram.com/inthechangingroompod

Meet Ceylon! Ceylon and I recorded this interview together on zoom almost 2 months ago now! I could relate to SO much of what Ceylon said about the power of football to create change. I really loved this chat, and hope you do too! 

Ceylon has been described as an underdog who works to advocate for other underdogs. She is the head of Impact and Girls Participation at Football Beyond Borders - an organisation that uses football to create change in the lives of young people. Within this role, Ceylon has designed a specific program for girls that provides disadvantaged, ‘at risk’ girls with a safe space to explore their emotions, build trusted relationships, engage in their education and develop a love for football. When Ceylon started, there were only 16 girls in the program. Today, there are hundreds.

As well as this, Ceylon is a contributor for the Guardian’s football weekly, plays for Dulwich Hamlet FC, and is a lifelong Liverpool fan. 

Enjoy! 

Ceylon -
Twitter: https://twitter.com/ceylonandi


My Social Media -
Cissy:  https://www.instagram.com/cissrad/
In The Changing Room: https://www.instagram.com/inthechangingroompod