Runbelievable

Is seems mad right?

In 2022 Robyn Bell was flying. A truly golden year... PBs, momentum, everything clicking. Then, just days into 2023, she found a lump.

Within weeks, she went from parkrun to chemotherapy.

In this powerful episode of Runbelievable, Joshie sits down with Robyn to talk about what happened next; and why, despite everything, she kept running.

Through chemotherapy, major surgeries, and ongoing fatigue, running became the one thing she could control. Whilst others questioned her life choices, Robyn quietly kept showing up, often squeezing in runs before school drop-off.

This is a story about resilience, perspective, and the role running can play when life is at its most uncertain.

In this episode:

• A golden year of running before everything changed
• Finding a lump and the shock of diagnosis
• From parkrun to chemotherapy in weeks
• Choosing to keep running during treatment
• Balancing parenting, fatigue, and recovery
• Major surgeries and long-term impacts
• The mental strength behind “staying in your own lane"

🌏 Episodes, community, and all things Runbelievable:

http://runbelievable.au

🎧 New episodes drop every Wednesday; hit follow so you don't miss a lap!

☕ Enjoying Runbelievable?

If the show has kept you company on a run, you can help keep the stories coming:

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About Runbelievable

Runbelievable is the podcast for every runner. From your first parkrun to your 100th marathon, from walk-run intervals to dabbling in trail running, every runner has a story worth telling. Through honest conversations with runners from all walks of life, Runbelievable explores the challenges, achievements, setbacks, and experiences that connect us through running and shape who we become.

Some running journeys are truly fraught!

Lauren Smith is truly in the thick of it.

A full-time teacher. A mum. Running on broken sleep. And trying to carve out something for herself in between everything else.

Lauren has faced pregnancy complications, gestational diabetes, and the heartbreak of loss... all whilst navigating the physical and emotional challenges of postpartum recovery. And yet, she kept showing up.

In this episode of Runbelievable, Joshie and Natty sit down with Lauren to talk about resilience, identity, and what it means to pursue something for yourself when life is already overflowing.

From signing up for a marathon she never got to run, to publicly committing to one after becoming a mum, to battling through a brutal half marathon that almost broke her (you can't make this shit up)... Lauren’s story is about doing hard things, even when you’re exhausted.

And now, she’s using her experience to help other mums realise they’re not alone.

Follow Lauren's inspirational journey:

https://linktr.ee/runninggfree

In this episode:

• The value of sport growing up in a rural environment
• Pregnancy challenges, navigating loss and dated medical advice
• The mental strategies that get her through runs
• Balancing teaching, motherhood, and running
• Building a platform to support other mums
• Why running became something just for her

🌏 Episodes, community, and all things Runbelievable:

http://runbelievable.au

🎧 New episodes drop every Wednesday; hit follow so you don't miss a lap!

☕ Enjoying Runbelievable?

If the show has kept you company on a run, you can help keep the stories coming:

https://buymeacoffee.com/runbelievable

About Runbelievable

Runbelievable is the podcast for every runner. From your first parkrun to your 100th marathon, from walk-run intervals to dabbling in trail running, every runner has a story worth telling. Through honest conversations with runners from all walks of life, Runbelievable explores the challenges, achievements, setbacks, and experiences that connect us through running and shape who we become.

Can parkrun really be a vehicle for rebuilding?

At 33 years old, Jen Dossetto found herself starting over.

Her marriage had ended, she had moved back in with her parents, and for the first time in years she was trying to rediscover who she was outside of a relationship that had slowly taken over her life.

Then her sister suggested something simple: parkrun.

Jen had never been a runner, but something about the idea sparked a curiosity... and it completely transformed her life.

In this episode of Runbelievable, Joshie and Natty sit down with Jen to talk about rebuilding confidence, finding independence, and how running can become the thing that helps you reclaim yourself.

From her first parkrun to half marathons, trail running, and the community events she now loves, Jen’s story is about how running doesn’t just improve fitness.. it can reshape identity.

In this episode

• Growing up sporty but never a runner
• The difficult years inside an unhealthy relationship
• Starting again at 33 and moving back home
• The first parkrun that changed everything
• Finding purpose through bootcamp and running
• Why running became something just for her

🌏 Episodes, community, and all things Runbelievable:

http://runbelievable.au

🎧 New episodes drop every Wednesday; hit follow so you don't miss a lap!

☕ Enjoying Runbelievable?

If the show has kept you company on a run, you can help keep the stories coming:

https://buymeacoffee.com/runbelievable

About Runbelievable

Runbelievable is the podcast for every runner. From your first parkrun to your 100th marathon, from walk-run intervals to dabbling in trail running, every runner has a story worth telling. Through honest conversations with runners from all walks of life, Runbelievable explores the challenges, achievements, setbacks, and experiences that connect us through running and shape who we become.

Is it possible for a runner to live without Strava? 

Brett Petersen has been logging every single exercise session since 1994. Yup, madness!

Long before Strava and smartwatches existed, Brett opened a spreadsheet and started tracking his runs. Three decades later, the streak continues.

In this episode of Runbelievable, Joshie and Natty (yes, you read correctly) sit down with Brett to unpack a lifetime shaped by running. From sprinting 2k home from kindergarten as a 5-year old (his poor Mum) to running a 16:24 5k in the Olympic Day Run, Brett’s story is one of quiet dedication rather than chasing headlines.

Along the way he’s battled glandular fever, bronchitis, cold-air asthma, and injuries that forced him to rethink how and when he runs. Through it all, running has remained a constant; especially during the toughest period of his life when his wife Nicole was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2020.

Now Brett 2.0 continues to challenge himself with charity events, ultra-distance relays, and new goals... including the Masters Games in 2027.

Brett's happy to connect via Instagram: 

https://www.instagram.com/everydaywarriorbrett/

In this episode

• How Chariots of Fire sparked a love for running
• Tracking every run since 1994
• Why a 50% deduction is applied to walking
• Illness setbacks including glandular fever and asthma
• Why winter running outdoors has become impossible
• Chasing a 120k ultra before turning 60

🌏 Episodes, community, and all things Runbelievable:

http://runbelievable.au

🎧 New episodes drop every Wednesday; hit follow so you don't miss a lap!

☕ Enjoying Runbelievable?

If the show has kept you company on a run, you can help keep the stories coming:

https://buymeacoffee.com/runbelievable

About Runbelievable

Runbelievable is the podcast for every runner. From your first parkrun to your 100th marathon, from walk-run intervals to dabbling in trail running, every runner has a story worth telling. Through honest conversations with runners from all walks of life, Runbelievable explores the challenges, achievements, setbacks, and experiences that connect us through running and shape who we become.

Was running really a saviour during COVID lockdowns?

Channa Marsh knows what it means to reset.

In 2020, she travelled from Perth to Queensland for a triathlon… and never went home. COVID border closures stripped away her house, job direction, and community overnight. What followed was months of rebuilding; and a shift from triathlon to running that would redefine her path.

Since then, Channa has podiumed in road races, won the SEQ Trail Series long course, endured her first DNF after tearing ankle ligaments at Kosci, and somehow still finished top-10 at Ultra Trail Australia despite a shuttle bus mishap.

Now, she’s taken on a new role at the ACT Academy of Sport, helping develop Paralympic athletes in the lead-up to Brisbane 2032.

In this episode of Runbelievable, Joshie and Matty sit down with Channa to unpack resilience, identity shifts, high performance from both sides of the stopwatch, and what it really means to chase excellence; personally and professionally.

Channa would like to acknowledge the incredible role her coach Andy Dey from RunCo. has played in shaping her running journey.

In this episode:

• The COVID border closure that changed everything
• Rebuilding life and community through running
• Winning the SEQ Trail Series
• Battling Relative Energy Deficiency in Sport (RED-S)
• Balancing athlete identity with a PhD in Sports Science
• Her new ACTAS role and the road to Brisbane 2032
• What success looks like now

🌏 Episodes, community, and all things Runbelievable:

http://runbelievable.au

🎧 New episodes drop every Wednesday; hit follow so you don't miss a lap!

☕ Enjoying Runbelievable?

If the show has kept you company on a run, you can help keep the stories coming:

https://buymeacoffee.com/runbelievable

About Runbelievable

Runbelievable is the podcast for every runner. From your first parkrun to your 100th marathon, from walk-run intervals to dabbling in trail running, every runner has a story worth telling. Through honest conversations with runners from all walks of life, Runbelievable explores the challenges, achievements, setbacks, and experiences that connect us through running and shape who we become.

Could a beginner runner really be that aspirational?

Jill Genereux never saw herself as “the runner type.”

When she started running in 2015, her first mile took 18 minutes.. and she nearly burnt herself out trying to improve too quickly. But what began as a weight-loss and mental-clarity experiment slowly evolved into something far deeper.

In this powerful episode of Runbelievable, Joshie and Matty sit down with Jill to unpack her transformation; from burnout and rebuilding, to winter trail miles in Montana, to running a 5K alongside her dad before he passed away in March 2025. Jill shares how running helped her process grief, inspired her husband to lace up, and fuelled an ambitious dream of qualifying for Boston.

It’s a story about identity, resilience, and why not being fast doesn’t make you any less of a runner.

Jill lost her father to Lewy Body Dementia; you can find more information on the condition here:

https://www.alzheimers.gov/alzheimers-dementias/lewy-body-dementia.

Jill's also happy to connect via Instagram: 

https://www.instagram.com/jillsroadtoboston/

In this episode:

• Starting from an 18-minute mile
• Burnout and learning sustainability
• Running through grief after losing her dad
• Racing every month in 2019 (yup you read correctly)
• Chasing a Boston Marathon qualifying time

🌏 Episodes, community, and all things Runbelievable:

http://runbelievable.au

🎧 New episodes drop every Wednesday; hit follow so you don't miss a lap!

☕ Enjoying Runbelievable?

If the show has kept you company on a run, you can help keep the stories coming:

https://buymeacoffee.com/runbelievable

About Runbelievable

Runbelievable is the podcast for every runner. From your first parkrun to your 100th marathon, from walk-run intervals to dabbling in trail running, every runner has a story worth telling. Through honest conversations with runners from all walks of life, Runbelievable explores the challenges, achievements, setbacks, and experiences that connect us through running and shape who we become.

Most runners ignore injury advice… until they can’t run.

Joe Keain is different. An endorsed podiatrist and director at Podfit Podiatry in Adelaide... and a runner himself... Joe understands both sides of the injury conversation. From shin splints and Achilles tendinopathy to load management, orthotics, and overuse, he’s lived the mistakes many runners repeat.

In this episode of Runbelievable, Joshie and Matty sit down with Joe to talk about running as an outlet, the fine line between pain and damage, and why managing load matters more than chasing perfect conditions. Joe also reflects on ultra running, early-morning miles, balancing family with self-employment, and what happens when the headphones die and you’re left alone with your thoughts.

Follow Joe's journey: https://www.instagram.com/joekeainpodiatrist/

In this episode:

• From footy player to marathoner and ultra runner
• How running inspired a career in podiatry
• Pain management vs load management
• Running as an outlet... even when the body isn’t perfect
• Ultra training, long solo miles, and self-reflection
• Balancing family, self-employment, and running goals

🌏 Episodes, community, and all things Runbelievable:

http://runbelievable.au

🎧 New episodes drop every Wednesday; hit follow so you don't miss a lap!

☕ Enjoying Runbelievable?

If the show has kept you company on a run, you can help keep the stories coming:

https://buymeacoffee.com/runbelievable

About Runbelievable

Runbelievable is the podcast for every runner. From your first parkrun to your 100th marathon, from walk-run intervals to dabbling in trail running, every runner has a story worth telling. Through honest conversations with runners from all walks of life, Runbelievable explores the challenges, achievements, setbacks, and experiences that connect us through running and shape who we become.

Can a former athlete learn to enjoy running post-partum (x3)?

Ari Ethel has always been active; but running didn’t become hers until life became proper full.

After competitive Division II soccer, three kids, and a schedule that never slowed down, running shifted from off-season conditioning to a non-negotiable outlet. What started as short, humbling runs.. became a steady practice that helped her manage anxiety, reclaim autonomy, and rebuild identity on her own terms.

In this episode of Runbelievable, Joshie and Matty talk with Ari about the mental reset of starting over after kids, running through snow and exhaustion, and why some runs still suck. It’s a grounded, honest conversation about consistency, self-competition, and choosing something just for you in the middle of a chaotic life.

Follow Ari's journey: https://www.instagram.com/arijogz/

In this episode:

• Growing up in competitive soccer and team environments
• Confronting post-partum fitness reality and ego resets
• Anxiety, doom-scrolling, and needing an outlet
• Balancing kids, work, and personal goals
• Snow runs, bad days, and showing up anyway

🌏 Episodes, community, and all things Runbelievable:

http://runbelievable.au

🎧 New episodes drop every Wednesday; hit follow so you don't miss a lap!

☕ Enjoying Runbelievable?

If the show has kept you company on a run, you can help keep the stories coming:

https://buymeacoffee.com/runbelievable

About Runbelievable

Runbelievable is the podcast for every runner. From your first parkrun to your 100th marathon, from walk-run intervals to dabbling in trail running, every runner has a story worth telling. Through honest conversations with runners from all walks of life, Runbelievable explores the challenges, achievements, setbacks, and experiences that connect us through running and shape who we become.

What does a humble, reslient, accident-prone runner look like?

Rodney Law might be the most recognisable face in the local running community... and not just because he’s routinely dressed as Santa.

Since being talked into a 500km relay back in 2014, Rodney’s running journey has been filled with highs, humour, and a truly impressive list of setbacks. Narcosis of the toes, a torn meniscus, bike crashes, and a near on-course collision with a car... yet he keeps coming back with the same grin and willingness to give back.

In this episode of Runbelievable, Joshie and Matty sit down with Rodney to talk about parkrun, volunteering, photography, and why staying connected to the community mattered just as much as staying fit. From six marathons and countless injuries to becoming Event Director at Chermside parkrun, Rodney’s story is a reminder that running isn’t just about performance... it’s about belonging.

In this episode:

• Being talked into a 500km relay and paying the price
• Narcosis of the toes and early injury lessons
• Discovering parkrun and falling in love with the community
• Volunteering, photography, and staying involved when injured
• Torn meniscus, bike crashes, scooter run-ins, and recovery
• Why parkrun became home

🌏 Episodes, community, and all things Runbelievable:

http://runbelievable.au

🎧 New episodes drop every Wednesday; hit follow so you don't miss a lap!

☕ Enjoying Runbelievable?

If the show has kept you company on a run, you can help keep the stories coming:

https://buymeacoffee.com/runbelievable

About Runbelievable

Runbelievable is the podcast for every runner. From your first parkrun to your 100th marathon, from walk-run intervals to dabbling in trail running, every runner has a story worth telling. Through honest conversations with runners from all walks of life, Runbelievable explores the challenges, achievements, setbacks, and experiences that connect us through running and shape who we become.

Runners are known to be persistent buggers but this is ridiculous!

Carly Barkle’s running journey isn’t a straight line... it’s a true masterclass in persistence.

From elite junior sport and state-level netball to months of illness with glandular fever, chronic fatigue, single parenting, and a staggering run of surgeries, Carly’s story is defined not by uninterrupted success, but by her refusal to stay down (as she says, get knocked down seven times. get up eight).

In this powerful episode of Runbelievable, Carly unpacks what it takes to keep coming back. From buying a treadmill “just in case she had to stop,” to parkrun breakthroughs, podium finishes, and marathons run through illness and injury, Carly opens up about her deep love for being active, the joy she finds in training, and why redemption still matters.

It’s a raw, honest conversation about resilience, patience, and loving the process even when the body keeps pushing back.

In this episode:

• Growing up in elite junior sport
• Glandular fever, chronic fatigue, and long recovery cycles
• Returning to running through uncertainty
• Training through injury and repeated surgeries
• Why endurance suits her more than speed
• The power of community and coaching
• Redemption races and redefining success

🌏 Episodes, community, and all things Runbelievable:

http://runbelievable.au

🎧 New episodes drop every Wednesday; hit follow so you don't miss a lap!

☕ Enjoying Runbelievable?

If the show has kept you company on a run, you can help keep the stories coming:

https://buymeacoffee.com/runbelievable

About Runbelievable

Runbelievable is the podcast for every runner. From your first parkrun to your 100th marathon, from walk-run intervals to dabbling in trail running, every runner has a story worth telling. Through honest conversations with runners from all walks of life, Runbelievable explores the challenges, achievements, setbacks, and experiences that connect us through running and shape who we become.