What happens when something you love becomes your identity and then you lose it?For Lachie, he grew up training to play cricket for Australia, until an injury completely changed his trajectory.

This conversation made me think about the things we hold close to us, how we allow them to become our whole identity, and what happens when itis suddenly taken away. He thought at 18, he would be at his peak, playing cricket and enjoying these years, but he was struggling through an ACL recovery and then found out his Dad had died by suicide. The years that followed were hard and led him to his own dark place. Struggling with his own suicidal thoughts, he realised something- you need to seek support, that you can’t expect someone to save you. After years of counselling and working through the trauma, he got into the police academy, later moving into fire management and reppel, discovering his love for the mountains and adventure. After completing his first ultra in Bright, he then signed up and completed the 231 km West Macs Monster last year. We spoke about the journey and the realisation that a lot of what you go through in ultras is what you go through in life.

“Just like training for an event, you can look back at the training you’ve done and have confidence in that; it’s the same with life: if you reach out to friends and do the things that help you, you can have confidence in those processes you have put in place too ”

Lachie has navigated himself out of dark places in life and the lows on the trails and isn’t afraid to show up. This conversation is a testament to how capable we are of getting through hard things and how much those times teach us and shape us.

“Put yourself in the arena and give it a red hot crack because you never know what is on the other side.”

This episode is real, raw and full of insight. Come along on the Explore Your Core journey as we explore the depth of human experience and find new ways to lean in and navigate unknown paths. If you want to keep showing up and seeing what’s on the other side, pave your own path and keep exploring; you’ve found the right place.

Thanks for being a part of Explore Your Core!

Until next episode, Explore Your Core

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