Sparta Chicks Radio: Mindset | Confidence | Sport | Women

Rebecca Stone is a busy woman. She’s a midwife, a mum, and someone who loves racing her mountain bike for 24 hours - all while living with fibromyalgia.

In 2010, after 9 months of severe pain which ultimately left her unable to work, drive or walk for more than 5m, Rebecca was diagnosed with fibromyalgia,

A chronic condition, fibromyalgia causes widespread pain and sensitivity throughout the body. There’s no cure and it is difficult to treat.

Getting back on her beloved mountain bike plan was part of Rebecca’s initial treatment plan primarily for the mental health benefits.

In 2017, she finished 2nd at the Australian 24 Hour Solo Mountain Bike Championships. This conversation was recorded in early 2018 - later that year she was going on to line up at the Australian Championships in September before going onto contest the World 24 Hour Solo Mountain Bike Championships in Scotland in October where she finished 6th!

In this conversation, we discuss motherhood as well as living, training and racing with chronic pain. Plus she shares why she thinks she’s a better athlete because of it.

Katee Pedicini is a triathlon coach based in Melbourne, Australia and has a degree in Exercise Science who specialises in managing fatigue, stress and hormones in endurance athletes to achieve not only athletic performance but optimal health and happiness.

Kate first appeared in episode 21 (our most popular episode in 2017!). 

This time, we dive deeper into two specific issues concerning women’s hormones and health; peri-menopause and menopause (and how they impact on your athletic ability, strength, training and racing) and why you should take advantage of your natural cycle by structuring your training program around it.

The more I speak with Katee, the more I learn and the more I wish I’d been exposed to this knowledge in my 20s and 30s.

Sarah is an accomplished rower, rock climber, multi-day cyclist and triathlete. She’s completed the Race Across America twice, including as part of the winning Velouoos squad.

And when we recorded this episode in 2018, she was returning to competition after a terrible accident left her in a coma for a month.

How do you pick up the pieces, rebuild your confidence and get back on the bike? Let's find out...

Jo Sorrenson is an age group triathlete, busy mum of 3 and lives with PTSD after a career in the police force.

In this interview, we dive deep into Jo’s career - both as an officer and as a triathlete.

We talk about mental illness and the shame associated with it and how Jo discovered cycling as a powerful form of therapy for her.

8 x Ironman 70.3 races later - including the 70.3 World Championships - Jo has discovered how to manage her condition with the support of family and friends, as well as the sport she loves.

Caroline Pemberton was crowned Miss Australia in 2007 at the age of 21.

You might assume she grew up dancing, modelling and competing in pageants, only to discover outdoor adventure later in life — but nothing could be further from the truth.

A self-proclaimed “goofy tomboy girl with messy hair”, Caroline grew up with two older, outdoorsy brothers and spent most of her childhood chasing them around and trying to keep up.

At 19, Caroline accompanied her brother to Everest Base Camp which changed the trajectory of her life.

When we recorded this episode in 2018, Caroline ran an organisation called 'Miss Adventure' which was on a mission to empower young girls to realise how strong and brave they are, and what their bodies are capable of doing, before the storm of adolescence kicks in (and the pressure on what you look like, more than what you can do, intensifies).

Sam Lane is an award-winning journalist who specialises in covering the Australian Football League (AFL) and cycling. 

She has also covered 2 Olympic Games and the Tour de France twice.

Sam has been a member of Channel 7’s AFL broadcast team since 2013 and has spent the last 15 years writing and talking about footy.

In 2017, she published “Roar”, a book about the history and launch of the Women’s Australian Football League (AFLW) in Australia.

You might think Sam loved sports as a child. But nothing could be further than the truth; she describes herself as “nothing short of indifferent” to sport.

So how do you go on to become an award-winning sports journalist? Let’s find out!

Lucy Barnard set off in February 2017 to walk the length of the world.

From Ushuaia, Tierra Del Fuego in Argentina all the way to  Barrow, Alaska; a journey of 30,000km /20,000mi across 15 countries that will take her about 5 years. Yes, years.

My first question to Lucy is probably the same one you’re thinking right now too; why?

In this conversation, we talk about the logistics as well as the lessons she’s learnt about asking and accepting help, how she manages her fear and self-doubt and especially the fear and doubts of her friends and loved ones, how she’s learning to deal with her self-talk, why she’s already accepted the fact she might ‘fail’ (air quotes) to complete the expedition and why it’s ok to quit.

Pamela Jabbour is an amazing woman.

She founded Total Image Group at the age of just 21 with no previous business experience.

In fact, Pam’s story of establishing the business is such a rare and incredible example of pure grit - she made 100 cold phone calls, every day, for 12 months before the company won their first client.

Fast forward and in 2017, Total Image Group was selected as the official formal uniform supplier for the 2018 Australian Winter Olympic team. And over 250,000 Australians each and every day wear a uniform designed and made by her company. Maybe even someone you know — or perhaps even you!

In this conversation we discuss everything from not conforming to the expectations and stereotypes others have of us, how Pam felt the need to prove herself so much so that for the first 10 years in business, she didn’t change her official title to CEO, the importance of habit and routine, where Pam experiences the Imposter Complex in her life and how she deals with public or personal criticism.

Heather Swan was a very normal, everyday woman with no experience in adventure or even camping until her 30s.

A single mum with a distinguished corporate career, her life probably would have continued on that track until she met the man who is now her husband, Glenn.

Glenn was a base jumper - and the rest, as they say, is history. 

After doing her first base jump at the age of 40, Heather has gone on to become a wingsuit pilot.

She has set a World Record for the world’s highest wingsuit base jump and has flown her wingsuit over Sydney Harbour, the Grand Canyon and, most recently, a mountain in Antarctica.

We discuss fear, risk, self-doubt and the inner critic in this fun conversation. 

These days, a Fitness and Sports Counsellor and Body Positivity Advocate, Leah Gilbert's relationship with food and her body wasn't always so, well, positive.

A child who loved sport but who, because she was bigger than the other kids, was very self-conscious of her body.

Leah openly admits that, as a result, she always limited the amount of effort she put into her sport (and therefore limited her potential).

It was only with the birth of her daughter in 2012 that Leah's relationship with food, exercise and her body began to shift.

In this conversation, we discuss her relationship with sports and her weight as a child, why she started running and how she then got into triathlons, how motherhood was a catalyst for her to change her relationship with food, exercise and her body, the surprising way her public role and advocacy work impacted on her running and why she stepped away from social media as a result.

Plus we talk about why it's important to recognise that you are an athlete.