Paralympic silver medallist Lynda Holt shares her journey from athletics to para ice hockey at 53. Learn about midlife reinvention, overcoming disability barriers, resilience after setbacks, and why saying yes before you're ready might be the bravest thing you can do.

In this episode of Midlife Unfiltered, Lynda discusses her path to the Sydney 2000 Paralympics, working two jobs for free to prove herself, spending four months in hospital during COVID, and her goal to compete in the 2030 Winter Paralympics.

Perfect for women in midlife seeking inspiration, disability advocates, and anyone interested in Paralympic sports, adaptive athletics, and stories of perseverance.

In this episode we explore:

• What it means to be seen as an athlete, not just a disabled person "having a go"
• The art of reframing and how it's different from pretending everything's fine
• Why comparison steals your race (and how to run your own)
• The barriers that still exist and which ones are worth fighting
• What happens when you lie in a hospital bed for four months and decide you're one day closer to getting out
• The difference between giving up and reassessing—and why both take courage
• What it takes to say yes before you know how it will work out

06:09 – Being seen as athletes
12:29 – Moving out of home at 14 (and why her mum said yes)
17:08 – Picking your battles
20:02 – The airline that listened and why advocacy isn't always loud
24:57 – Burnout, reinvention, and the itch to compete again
27:06 – Falling in love with para ice hockey
46:33 – Four months in hospital during COVID, lying flat, working sideways
50:20 – The power of reframing

Lynda Holt is an Australian Paralympian, para ice hockey pioneer, entrepreneur, and advocate who's spent her life refusing to accept other people's limitations. A silver medallist from the Sydney 2000 Paralympics in shot put, she's now chasing a Winter Paralympic dream in her 50s while growing Australia's presence in women's para ice hockey. Lynda's work spans disability advocacy, travel accessibility, and proving that reinvention is not age bound.

Websites

www.lyndaholt.com.au

www.wheelieessential.com.au

Socials

https://www.instagram.com/lyndaholt_paralympian/

Management Teams

Inner Sanctum Sports Management

https://www.innersanctumsportsmgt.com.au/

ZBD (Modelling)
https://www.zbdtalent.com/aus/

https://www.zbdtalent.com/aus/mainboard/women/4323-lynda-h/

#Paralympics #Disability #MidlifeReinvention #WomenInMidlife #AdaptiveSports #Resilience #ParaIceHockey #DisabilityAdvocate #InspiringWomen #AustralianPodcast

Have you ever felt impatient to arrive — only to realise life is happening while you’re waiting?
This is a gentle pause in the middle of midlife’s big question

In this Thinking Out Loud conversation, Margit is joined by her partner, Clarkie, for a spacious reflection on one of those ideas that sounds simple but deepens with age: journey versus destination.

Together, they wander through midlife experiences of career, purpose, responsibility and reinvention — noticing how easy it is to fixate on goals, timelines and comparisons, and how quietly we can miss the life unfolding right in front of us.

Rather than offering answers, this episode lingers in the in-between. It honours detours, potholes, false starts and unexpected turns — and invites a kinder, more curious relationship with where you are now, and where you might be heading next.

In this episode we explore:

• The quiet pressure to “arrive” in midlife
• How comparison can steal joy without us noticing
• Careers built through detours, not straight lines
• Why fulfilment often changes shape over time
• The tension between security and soul
• What it really means to enjoy the journey
• Letting go of rigid timelines and fixed plans
• Staying open to surprise, even later in life

02:40 – Choosing a path in life
05:03 – Happiness, fulfilment and the goals we choose
08:10 – Journey, destination and what’s most important
09:40 – Comparison and the impact of society on our goals

12:54 – Travelling with an open mind and open heart
13:40 – The travel metaphor for a life well lived
16:10 – Midlife as a time to re-evaluate, not retreat
17:50 – Choosing presence over arrival

Margit Cruice is a midlife and leadership coach who believes this chapter of life can be one of the most expansive and liberating we’ll ever live. Drawing on decades of experience, sport, travel and deep personal inquiry, she creates spaces for honest conversations about identity, ageing and becoming.

Clarkie is Margit’s partner and a regular voice in the Thinking Out Loud episodes. He brings a grounded, practical lens shaped by life experience, work and reflection. Together, he and Margit explore ideas in real time, without rushing to conclusions.

Connect with Margit:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/margitcruice/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/margitcruice

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/margitcruice/

Website: https://www.margitcruice.com/

For all enquiries:

Email: [email protected]

Join The Joy Rebellion: https://ecc3-margit.systeme.io/joyrebel

What happens when the life you planned falls apart — and you’re asked to meet yourself without the roles, the certainty, or the script? This is a conversation about fear, presence, and the quiet work of remembering who you are and your purpose.

Some of the most important work shaping our future isn’t loud, urgent or reactive. It happens quietly — in the way young people are seen, listened to, and supported as they form their sense of self.

Margit sits down with Emer to explore her story and how it’s led to a deep commitment to teen wellbeing and identity formation. Emer shares what she believes young people need most right now, why identity matters long before adulthood, and how the way we show up for teenagers today has ripple effects far beyond the family home.

This is a conversation for parents, adults, educators — and anyone who cares about the emotional health of the next generation. It’s not about fixing teens, but about shaping the environments that allow them to become who they truly are.

In this episode we explore:

• How identity quietly forms — and quietly erodes
• Why fear often disguises itself as responsibility
• The power of presence in moments of upheaval
• Autonomy as a foundation for confidence
• The stories we unknowingly hand down
• Feedback, fear, and the cost of over-correcting
• Why awareness changes everything — once you have it
• The quiet, preventative work Emer believes can change outcomes for young people worldwide

02:30 – Motherhood, identity, and life unravelling
04:09 – Learning presence from racing drivers
07:10 – Values, courage, and asking for what you need
11:30 – A child’s wisdom that stops everything
14:56 – Our second greatest need (it’s not what you think!)
18:06 – Coaching, questions and letting people think
28:41 – Mental resistance and the comfort of staying stuck
33:30 – What happens when you finally understand yourself
41:40 – Trust, freedom and learning to navigate life

Emer O’Donnell is the founder of Teen ReConnect and the creator of Q Pathfinder, a tool designed to help young people understand who they are and navigate life with confidence. With a background in psychology, over 20 years in global business, and a Master’s in Coaching and Behavioural Change from Henley Business School, her work blends science with lived experience. Emer is also a mother of three, bringing depth, realism and heart to every conversation about identity and growth.

Emer’s Book: Understanding Teen Stress & Anxiety. A Parent's Guide To Building Love & Connection.

A resource for parents and professionals with young people in their lives who want to upgrade their skills to better navigate these challenging years.
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Understanding-Stress-Anxiety-Step-Step/dp/1738422305

Emer’s Free Difficult Conversation Guide: https://www.teenreconnect.com/difficultconversationguide

Connect with Emer: https://www.linkedin.com/in/emerodonnell/

Website: https://www.teenreconnect.com/EmerODonnell

Enquiries: [email protected]

What if the life you’re living isn’t wrong — just a little too familiar? Midlife has a way of quietly asking whether comfort is still serving you… or slowly shrinking you.

In this Thinking Out Loud episode, Margit is joined by Brett for an honest, meandering and very real conversation about comfort zones — the obvious ones, and the ones we barely notice we’re living inside.

They reflect on routine, habit and how easily life in midlife can become predictable, even when it looks perfectly fine from the outside. Not all comfort zones are bad, but some quietly drain our energy, dull our curiosity, or leave us wondering why something feels off.

The conversation moves gently between everyday examples — relationships, health, friendships, routines — and the deeper questions midlife tends to surface. There’s no pressure to overhaul your life here, just an invitation to notice where small changes might open new doors.

It’s a spacious, reflective conversation about awareness, choice, and remembering that midlife isn’t the ending — it’s a beginning we get to shape.

In this episode we explore:

• When comfort quietly turns into stagnation
• The difference between supportive routines and soul-numbing habits
• Why boredom can be a signal, not a problem
• How midlife invites reflection rather than reinvention
• Stepping outside comfort zones without blowing up your life
• Loneliness, friendship and outgrowing old patterns
• Fear, familiarity and the stories we tell ourselves about change
• Seeing midlife as possibility, not decline

01:10 – Routines, predictability and decision-making fatigue
03:32 – The invisible roles we carry in midlife
05:03 – Wanting something different means doing something different
06:15 – The moment comfort starts to feel constricting
07:13 – Health, effort and stepping outside what’s familiar
09:46 – Why discomfort sometimes opens unexpected doors
12:12 – Midlife isn’t the ending — it’s the beginning
13:16 – Small, steady steps and what they make possible

Margit Cruice is a midlife and leadership coach who believes this chapter of life can be one of the most expansive and liberating we’ll ever live. Drawing on decades of experience, sport, travel and deep personal inquiry, she creates spaces for honest conversations about identity, ageing and becoming.

Connect with Margit:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/margitcruice/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/margitcruice

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/margitcruice/

Website: https://www.margitcruice.com/

For all enquiries:

Email: [email protected]

Join The Joy Rebellion: https://ecc3-margit.systeme.io/joyrebel

What happens when your body delivers news you never wanted — and you decide not to let it define you?

This conversation invites a different way of meeting challenge in midlife. In this episode of Midlife Unfiltered, Margit is joined by Sue Moore for a deeply honest conversation about body trust, identity and choosing how we respond when life shifts unexpectedly.

Sue shares what unfolded after a health diagnosis threatened to narrow her world — and how it instead became an invitation to listen more closely, move differently and relate to her body with curiosity rather than fear. Rather than collapsing into limitation, she began asking new questions and exploring what ageing well might really look like.

This is not a story about fixing or conquering the body. It’s about rebuilding confidence slowly, finding joy in movement, and discovering how community, mindset and small choices can quietly reshape what’s possible in midlife.

In this episode we explore

• When a diagnosis becomes a turning point rather than a full stop
• Relearning how to trust your body after fear sets in
• Why movement doesn’t have to be extreme to be powerful
• How joy and playfulness can return through the body
• The role of community in feeling safe enough to try again
• Letting go of labels

03:25 – Finding movement that feels safe, accessible and joyful
06:37 – Confidence, anxiety and the power of showing up
11:43 – When life delivers news you a diagnosis you didn’t plan for

12.24 – The role of identity in healing
26:19 – Making choices that align with what you want

32:06 – Retraining the brain to run again
39:48 – Visualising the outcome she wanted

43:27 – Diagnosis does not equal prognosis

50:22 – Becoming in tune with the body

Sue Moore is a movement facilitator and teacher who supports women in midlife and beyond to rediscover confidence, calm and joy in their bodies. Drawing on lived experience and years of working with older women, she specialises in gentle movement, chair yoga and mindfulness-based practices. Sue is known for her grounded presence, inclusive approach and deep belief that it’s never too late to feel at home in your body.

Connect with Sue at https://suemooreonline.com/

Follow Sue: https://www.facebook.com/suemooreonline

Yoga classes & inspiration: https://www.youtube.com/@suemooreonline

Connect with Margit:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/margitcruice/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/margitcruice

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/margitcruice/

Website: https://www.margitcruice.com/

Enquiries: [email protected]

Join The Joy Rebellion: https://ecc3-margit.systeme.io/joyrebel

What if midlife isn’t about fixing yourself — but remembering who you already are?
And what changes when you stop seeing your life as an accident and start seeing it as a miracle?

In this first Thinking Out Loud episode of Midlife Unfiltered, host Margit Cruice is joined by her partner Brett Clarke for an unpolished, spacious conversation about what it means to see yourself — and your life — differently in midlife.

Sparked by a poem and shaped by lived experience, the conversation gently explores the idea of being a miracle rather than a mistake, especially when life hasn’t unfolded the way you once imagined. Together, Margit and Brett reflect on ageing, self-worth, overthinking, stress, and the quiet pressure many women carry to have done “enough” by now.

Woven throughout is a deeper invitation: to soften, to be kinder to yourself, and to recognise the wisdom it has taken simply to arrive here. Nothing is resolved. Nothing is packaged. Just an honest remembering — and space for your own.

In this episode we explore:

• Seeing yourself as a miracle instead of an accident
• The midlife tension between striving and self-acceptance
• Why being “good enough” can feel radical at this stage of life
• Letting go of who you thought you’d be
• Stress, overthinking, and the cost of constant self-pressure
• Living more gently without giving up on life
• The quiet wisdom that comes from simply being here

01:00 – Dedication, ageing well, and what it means to enjoy life
01:30 – A poem about midlife reflection and missed truth
02:27 – Accident or miracle: how identity quietly forms
05:39 – Being worthy without earning it
06:39 – Overthinking, pressure, and remembering your nature
08:59 – Stress, ageing, and the cost of “not enough”
10:55 – Gentleness as a midlife practice
13:40 – The second half of the poem — and a softer truth

Margit Cruice is a midlife and leadership coach who believes this chapter of life can be one of the most expansive and liberating we’ll ever live. Drawing on decades of experience, sport, travel and deep personal inquiry, she creates spaces for honest conversations about identity, ageing and becoming.

Connect with Margit:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/margitcruice/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/margitcruice

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/margitcruice/

Website: https://www.margitcruice.com/

For all enquiries:

Email: [email protected]

Join The Joy Rebellion: https://ecc3-margit.systeme.io/joyrebel

What happens when the life you planned doesn’t unfold the way you expected — and something even richer takes its place?

In this first-ever guest episode of Midlife Unfiltered, Margit is joined by her soul sister, occupational therapist and mentor Mary Beth Bezzina, for a deep and honest conversation about midlife awakening, surrender, and trusting life beyond effort and striving.

Together, they explore the shift many women experience in midlife — moving from manifesting and control into surrender, ease and grace. Mary Beth shares her personal journey of letting go of expectations around career and purpose, and how saying yes to unexpected opportunities led her into deeply meaningful work in Rwanda and a renewed sense of service, connection and joy.

This episode is about wisdom earned, not learned. About relationships over results. And about discovering that midlife is not a decline — it’s a powerful expansion into who you really are.

In this episode, we explore:

• Why manifesting can feel exhausting in midlife — and what comes after it
• The difference between striving and surrender
• How trust, ease and playfulness change the way life unfolds
• Letting go of the career you thought you were meant to have
• The quiet power of relationships and soul sisters
• Lessons from Rwanda about reciprocity, community and humanity

04:06 – From manifesting to surrender
05:00 – Ease, grace and letting go of effort
09:13 – Trusting life (when it hasn’t always felt safe)
11:28 – Surrendering to a different path and finding fulfilment
17:36 – The unseen impact we have on others
23:00 – “I want to be an interesting person”: a midlife awakening
26:04 – Rwanda, service and community
34:55 – Reciprocity, dignity and everyone having something to offer
40:20 – Soul sisters and evolving friendships in midlife
51:05 – How EFT tapping helps me shift

Mary Beth Bezzina is an occupational therapist, educator and mentor with decades of experience supporting people through periods of transition and change. She currently serves as Academic Lead in Clinical Education at Western University in Canada and has been involved in maternal and child health work in Rwanda. Mary Beth is known for her calm wisdom, relational leadership and her ability to create space for others to recognise their own gifts.

Connect with Mary Beth: https://www.linkedin.com/in/marybethbezzina/

Connect with Margit:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/margitcruice/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/margitcruice

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/margitcruice/

Website: https://www.margitcruice.com/

Enquiries: [email protected]

Join The Joy Rebellion: https://ecc3-margit.systeme.io/joyrebel

Midlife Unfiltered is a podcast that challenges the outdated stories we’ve been told about ageing, identity and what midlife is supposed to look like.

Hosted by leadership and midlife coach Margit Cruice, this podcast offers grounded wisdom, honest conversations and a touch of cheekiness for women — and those curious about midlife — who sense there is more available to them than shrinking or playing small.

This is a space for questioning old narratives, reconnecting with inner fire and exploring midlife as a powerful, expansive and deeply human chapter of life.

If you’re navigating change, asking bigger questions, or quietly feeling the pull toward something more, Midlife Unfiltered invites you to meet this season with curiosity, courage and truth.

Welcome to Midlife Unfiltered.

Learn more about Margit at www.margitcruice.com