In this episode, I talk you through a mindfulness exercise.  In our modern-day world, as many find themselves ‘caught up in the mind,’ we often lack a full sense of being ‘grounded.’ When we are grounded, we are deeply present with the body, with the breath, and with the world around and within us. The mind is at greater ease and we move through our day with greater presence. The good news is that when we are feeling ungrounded, a simple grounding practice can bring us back into the earth and into our bodies. This simple exercise is an example of that. I hope you find this exercise helpful and you can play me over and over whenever you need it!

There is no intro or outro so you can just focus on the exercise!

Reflection questions:

1. How did it feel to ground yourself in this way? Which parts of it were the most settling for you (i.e. connecting with the earth, with the breath, or with your body)?

2. How did your sense of presence change from before the practice to the end of it? Reflect upon any shifts that occurred in both mind and body.

You can follow me on Instagram @reneeeeefox

To keep up to date with the podcast follow the Instagram page @perfectly_flawed_podcast

In this episode, I am joined by Hamish McDougall. Hamish has been swimming a long time and has been at Surrey Park Swim Club his whole life. Hamish is recently retired from competitive swimming, and it was a great opportunity to chat with him about his career. He talked about how he started out and then when it became more serious around his teenage years. He speaks to the lessons he’s learnt as well as the setbacks and highlights. Failure, risks, friendships, team trips, and defining success are just some of the insightful topics Hamish touches on. Hamish has had a great swimming career and is looking forward to his next chapter in life some of which involved sharing his wisdom with the next generation of swimmers. I could chat to Hamish for hours and a part 2 maybe something to keep your eye out for. I hope you enjoy this chat as much as I did!

You can follow him on Instagram @hamishmcdougall1

To keep up with the podcast follow the Instagram page @perfectly_flawed_podcast

In this episode, I am joined by Ryan Maskelyne. Ryan is originally from Papua New Guinea and represented his country in his first Olympics in Tokyo 2021. Ryan moved to Australia at the age of 14 to attend boarding school and went from training 3 times a week to 9 times a week in Brisbane. Ryan spoke about his transition to Australia and how his swimming career has grown and evolved. In 2018 after a passport wait his commonwealth games dream didn’t come to fruition. This then led him to quit swimming and getting caught up in the college lifestyle. After hitting what Ryan describes as undiagnosed depression, he made the decision that something needed to change and returned to swimming. Ryan had a mentally tough lead into Tokyo but worked tirelessly to ensure he could nail the perfect race. Ryan has many goals and aspirations to continue to make his country and himself proud. It was awesome to hear Ryan’s perspective on swimming and I hope you enjoy the episode!

You can follow him on Instagram @ryan_maskelyne

To keep up with the podcast follow the Instagram page @perfectly_flawed_podcast

Michael Phelps Under Armour ad: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mDQDTPWNcQ0 

Rise and Grind video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tzm6TEManmQ&t=15s 

In this episode, I am joined by Kiah Melverton. Kiah is a swimmer who competed in her first Olympics in Tokyo in 2021. Kiah grew up with both lifesaving and swimming. Swimming didn’t become her first priority until she was around 15. Kiah has always loved being in the water and as she has learnt a lot along the way in her career so far. Kiah opens up about her experiences with body image, comparison, and confidence particularly around the pool deck and in the presence of other female swimmers. We also chat about the importance of rest and how much of a learning curve that is and how we are both still trying to navigate through its many challenges including guilt. Kiah speaks about her self-talk, doubt, and the pressure she puts on herself and gives an insight into how this presented itself in one of her races. Kiah was awesome to chat to and I was able to learn and relate to so many things we discussed. I hope you enjoy the episode!

You can follow her on Instagram @melvertonkiah

To keep up with the podcast follow the Instagram page @perfectly_flawed_podcast

In this episode, it's all about me! I reflect on 2021 from an overview of the first year of my podcast, things I have learnt, challenges I've faced, highlights of 2021, and what I'm looking forward to in 2022! This is the last episode for 2021 BUT there is more in 2022 so stay tuned!

I would appreciate it if you could please spread the love by sharing, following, review and rating my podcast and any episodes that you have loved listening to!

You can follow my personal Instagram @reneeeeefox

To keep up with the podcast follow the Instagram page @perfectly_flawed_podcast

In this episode, I am joined by Lucy Single. Lucy is an AFLW player for the Gold Coast Suns. Lucy started out in rugby and played various other sports too before transitioning across to AFL. Lucy had a great first season with the Suns and is excited as to what’s to come. She talks about trying to find a balance between being a professional athlete, studying, and enjoying a social life. She is confident within herself and comfortable in sticking to her values although she mentions that it can be tricky at times. It was great to chat with Lucy to find out more about her career and to gain insight into the AFLW landscape. Lucy was super easy to chat to and I hope you enjoy our chat!

You can follow her on Instagram @lucyysinglee

To keep up with the podcast follow the Instagram page @perfectly_flawed_podcast

In this episode, I am joined by Cooper Chapman. Cooper is a professional surfer who is also the founder of The Good Human Factory. Cooper talks about how The Good Human Factory came about, what his aspirations are and how his good human podcast interlinks too. He is very passionate about mental health and raising awareness around it. Meditation is something that Cooper uses daily and encourages others as well. It’s from his mediation and practicing gratitude that he started the 1% club which now has 100’s of others involved too. His professional surfing career started at a young age and is still travelling around the world. Cooper is a wealth of knowledge and super easy to have a conversation with. I’m grateful for that I had the opportunity to chat with Cooper, and I hope that you enjoy listening!

You can follow her on Instagram @cooperchapman @thegoodhumanfactory

To keep up with the podcast follow the Instagram page @perfectly_flawed_podcast