Mel is an inventor and adventurer who has tried it all: kayaking, climbing, caving, mountain biking and, her favourite, skiing. Mel also has a rare form of Dwarfism and so most commercially available sporting and outdoor adventure equipment doesn’t fit or suit her. Luckily Mel grew up with an interest in fixing things (initially with sticky tape) and parents who taught Mel and her two sisters - who also have Dwarfism - from an early age to adapt and find ingenious ways to get around the challenges their height presented them. That interest not only led Mel to get a Masters Degree in Mechanical Engineering but develop the skills to adapt or make from scratch her sporting and adventure equipment including kayaks, paddles and wetsuits. Mel starred in a fantastic documentary called (you guessed it) ‘Mel’ which aired at the Gutsy Girls Adventure Film Tour in 2019. 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

#136: Mel Stamell on Innovation, Adrenaline & Resilience

Sparta Chicks Radio shares inspiring stories coupled with practical, tried-and-tested-in-the-real-world advice from successful women in all walks of life about the realities of fear, self-doubt, courage, bravery, success and living life on your terms. From world class athletes, brilliant business minds to everyday women undertaking epic adventures, Sparta Chicks Radio will help you tap into your inner strength, courage, bravery and determination so you can chase your dreams and live a more fulfilling life on your terms.
Find out more at www.spartachicks.com

Sports

Health & Fitness

A few weeks ago, Sparta Chicks Radio celebrated its 5th birthday.  And there is no one I’d rather share that celebration with than this week’s return guest, Lucy Barnard!  Lucy is attempting to become the 1st woman to walk the length of the world. She set off in February 2017 from Tierra Del Fuego in Argentina to walk to Barrow, Alaska; a journey of 30,000km /20,000mi across 15 countries that she anticipated would take about 5 years.  When Lucy first joined me on the podcast in March 2018, I realised we share a unique connection; we both started our respective journeys - Lucy started walking and I published the first podcast - on the very same day in 2017. That conversation turned into our first anniversary / birthday celebration and we agreed to catch up each year for an update on her progress!  Needless, the pandemic has interrupted her plans again in 2021.  But that wasn’t going to stop us from talking - and in fact, this could be my favourite of all our conversations! It’s very different from our previous conversations.  In this wide-ranging conversation, we discuss everything from what happens when you’re derailed or blindsided by things outside your control to identity, goal setting, values, fear, comparison, self-reflection and the power of community. 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: @tanglesandtail

#178: Lucy Barnard on Walking the Length of the World

Today you’re going to meet the awesome Gill Castle (you’ll understand the significance of the ‘awesome’ once you listen to this conversation! Gill describes herself as a very ordinary person and Police Officer before the birth of her son in 2011 changed her life.  His premature birth left her with traumatic injuries, the full extent of which weren’t identified by doctors for 5 days. Those injuries included a fistula, a hole in the wall between her rectum and vagina that left her with faecal incontinence and needing to use a stoma bag (a colostomy bag) for the rest of her life. A very long physical and mental recovery followed. Then one day she read an article - she’ll tell you about it in this conversation - that changed the trajectory of her life. And the rest, as they say, is history. Since then, she’s done triathlons, scuba dived, skydived, sea kayaked and taken up ocean swimming. And now she’s training for her next challenge: 5 years ago Gill couldn’t swim in the ocean without opening her eyes and now she’s training to swim across the English Channel! You might be tempted to call her an inspiration, but she actually hates that term. She describes herself as the most ordinary person who just had a life-changing experience that has made her appreciate everything and want to try everything.  And she will leave you wanting to do the same. 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 Gill on Instagram: @stoma_chameleon

#177: Gill Castle on Birth Trauma, Stoma Bags & Swimming the Channel [Podcast]

Kate Bevilaqua returns to Sparta Chicks Radio this week! Kate is an endurance coach, triathlete, an Ultraman Triathlon World Champion and the first woman in history to win an Ultraman triathlon event overall.  She shared her story in episode 3 of the podcast. This time, Kate returns to discuss her experience as a coach and to share her advice for athletes preparing for ultra events. Even if you aren’t training for an ultra-distance event, I have no doubt you’ll benefit from Kate’s wisdom regardless of what distance, or what event, you are training for.   Given it’s January and most of us are thinking about or setting our goals, I thought it would be the perfect time to have this discussion. 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 Kate on Instagram: @katebevilaqua

#176: Kate Bevilaqua on Coaching Endurance Athletes

Welcome to this special edition of Sparta Chicks Radio as we count down the 5 most popular episodes of 2021. The #1 most popular episode of Sparta Chicks Radio in 2021 was Selene Yeager on the Power of Cycling & Why Balance is Bullshit Selene is a professional health and fitness writer who is also the author or co-author of 6 books including ‘Rusch to Glory’ about MTB champion Rebecca Rusch and the incredibly popular ‘Roar’ with Dr Stacy Sims. Selene is also an extraordinary athlete in her own right. She’s been a semi-professional athlete since her late 30s and has competed in everything from Hawaii Ironman to 7 day mountain bike stage races and 200 mile (that’s 320km) gravel classics. And she hosts the popular podcast ‘Hit Play Not Pause” for active performance-minded women in their 40s and beyond. In this conversation, we discuss the power of cycling, the importance of storytelling and why balance is bullshit. 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 Selene on Instagram: @fitchick3

#1 Most Popular Episode of 2021 - Selene Yeager

Welcome to this special edition of Sparta Chicks Radio as we count down the 5 most popular episodes of 2021. The #2 most popular episode of Sparta Chicks Radio in 2021 was Erin Carson on Strength, Personal Power & Writing Your Own Story Erin Carson is the strength coach to the stars of the endurance sports world. Based in Boulder, Colorado she is the co-owner & operator of Rally Sports and is the head coach for EC Fit. Her clients include the dynamic duo of Mirinda Carfrae (3 x Ironman World Champion) and  Tim O’Donnell (fastest American ever at Kona). Aside from the World Champions she coaches, Erin also coaches everyday people - like me!  I use Erin’s ECFit on Demand app for my strength and conditioning program.  She’s a visionary who is changing what it means to be a strong athlete and what is considered to be the best form of strength training for endurance athletes.  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 Erin on Instagram: @ecfit_strength

#136: Mel Stamell on Innovation, Adrenaline & Resilience

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