Sparta Chicks Radio: Mindset | Confidence | Sport | Women

Jo Lum is a Sydney-based triathlete and busy mum who has been a regular on the triathlon scene in Sydney for years.

Jo and her friend Katie were originally training for Ironman Australia in 2020.

That race was postponed 4 times - twice in 2020 and then twice in 2021 - before it was eventually cancelled.

So Jo and Katie decided not to let their fitness go to waste and designed and completed a DIY Ironman distance event in May 2021.

They swam 3.8km in a pool, then hopped on their bikes and rode 180km primarily along bike paths, before heading to their respective homes to finish their ‘race’ by running 42km around their neighbourhoods.

There were even race bibs, finisher’s t-shirts and (to their surprise) finishers medals!

I’ve shared this story multiple times over the last few months because it’s a powerful example of two important things: focusing on what you can control and asking for help (and being willing to accept it when offered). 

Get the full show notes for the episode here.

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I’m delighted to welcome Dr Anita Heiss to Sparta Chicks Radio this week

Anita is a proud member of the Wiradjuri Nation of central New South Wales and one of Australia’s most prolific and well-known authors. 

She has written 18 books including her latest novel, an epic tale called Bila Yarrudhanggalangdhuray (or River of Dreams).

It’s also the first time in Australia a commercially published book has used a First Nations language for the title.

Anita enjoys eating chocolate, running and being a 'creative disruptor'.

Initially, I wanted to talk to Anita to explore her running career and how she uses running as a tool to support herself and her work. 

Yet the more research I did, the more I realised I wanted to speak to her about:

-  awareness, history and truth-telling, 

- the importance of getting comfortable with being uncomfortable and 

- the power of using your voice, sharing your story and telling your truth.

Get the full show notes for the episode here.

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Follow Anita on Instagram: @dranitaheiss

I’m delighted to welcome Dr Erin Ayala to the podcast this week.

Erin is a Licensed Psychologist, a certified Mental Performance Consultant and is listed as a licensed mental health provider on the US Olympic and Paralympic Committee’s Mental Health Register. 

What I love about Erin’s perspective is that it’s holistic: she recognises that daily life, health and athletic performance are intertwined and inseparable from one another.

When she’s not at work, Erin is also an endurance athlete (having completed 9 marathons and 1 Ironman) and these days is focused on life as an elite cyclist. 

On top of that, she recently co-founded a cycling team called Stamina Racing Collective which prioritises people who would traditionally struggle to find a home in cycling (especially, black, indigenous, people of colour and non-binary and trans athletes)

In this conversation, we discuss the power of values, the difficult decisions she had made based on those values and her surprising definition of self-care.

Get the full show notes for the episode here.

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Follow Erin on Instagram: @erineayala

You’ll meet Lauren Tischendorf on Sparta Chicks Radio this week.

In 2021, Lauren because the first woman to swim around Lord Howe Island - a distance of 32.2km that she completed in 13 hours and 50 minutes. Lauren’s story is captured in an award-winning documentary called "I Just Went For a Swim”.

Lauren is a school teacher by day and an endurance athlete outside school hours.

An ultra-marathon runner, she started focusing on her ocean swimming about 5 years ago.

In that time, she’s become an accomplished ocean swimmer and is the reigning 5km ocean swimming champion of NSW.

And yet, an off-handed comment by another swimmer about the fact she couldn’t keep up with them prompted her to ask herself what she was capable of.

The result: a 32km swim around the shark-infested waters of Lord Howe Island.

Get the full show notes for the episode here.

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Follow Lauren on Instagram: @nextepicadventure_lt21

Lucy Bloom is an award-winning leader, international keynote speaker, consultant and author. 

Her website says that “she uses her superpowers for writing and speaking about courage, trust, failure, change, maverick thinking, generosity and fun” -- all of which makes her the perfect guest for Sparta Chicks Radio!

Lucy went from being a volunteer to the CEO and founding director of Hamlin Fistula Ethiopia (Australia) that raised funds to support the extraordinary work of Dr Catherine Hamlin to treat and prevent terrible childbirth injuries in Africa.

So she has a heart as big as the hot pink mohawk that she proudly rocks. 

She is honest, funny and open and I knew she’d be the perfect guest, even before I read her brilliant memoir ‘Get The Girls Out’ (which I highly recommend).

In this conversation, we discuss confidence, change, scars, bouncing back from setbacks and why she doesn’t worry about what other people think.

Get the full show notes for the episode here.

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Follow Lucy on Instagram: @thelucybloom

This week on Sparta Chicks Radio, I’m delighted to welcome data scientist, athlete and the Founder and CEO of Wild.ai, Helene Guillaume.

Helene has combined her vast experience to found Wild.ai, an organisation dedicated to supporting active women through every phase of life.

There are two things I love and admire about Helene’s work. 

First, the brilliant Wild.ai app gives you personalised training, nutrition and sleep recommendations based on your specific physiology. 

And secondly, Helene has also established a research department within Wild.ai that carries out groundbreaking research on women’s health (including a study currently underway about the impact of the Covid vaccines on women).

Helene is a talented athlete in her own right - she has done everything from trail ultras to triathlons to ice swimming to rugby and surfing. 

And she’s a data scientist who studied mathematics, her background was in using algorithms and AI to make smart investment decisions. 

She now brings her vast experience to help you understand your body and to maximise your potential.

Get the full show notes for the episode here.

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Follow Helene on Instagram: @helene_wild_ai

Follow Wild.ai on Instagram: @wild_ai

Sarah Davis is a professional risk manager with a passion for risk-taking.

And she’s back for her 4th visit to Sparta Chicks Radio!

In 2019, Sarah became the first woman to lead an expedition along the length of the Nile (and joined me on episodes 34 and 134 to share that story).

Then in February, 2021 (episode 155) she returned to share details of her next epic adventure, in which she planned to swap her paddles for pedals and ride (with her friend Tara Lal) 5,000km unsupported across Australia for charity.

She’s back today to share how the epic adventure unfolded!

Get the full show notes for the episode here.

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Follow Sarah on Instagram: @sarahpaddles

This week on the podcast I am joined by Strongwoman competitor, Leigh Holland-Keen. 

As the name suggests, Leigh competes in what traditionally would be called Strongman competitions. 

How strong is Leigh? 

Well, in 2018 Leigh became the first woman in history to be awarded a clean lift of the Dinnie Stones.

They are two legendary stones located in Scotland that less than 100 men have lifted in history.

They weigh a combined total of (are you sitting down?) 332kg. That’s 733lbs!

Yes, you read that correctly —332kg 

Leigh was introduced to Strongman competitions by her step-father and was encouraged and inspired to compete by her mum. 

Leigh’s mum - who we talk about in this episode - was a pioneer of the sport of Strongwoman in Australia and found her strength through the sport after an abusive relationship in her younger years left her with profound PTSD.

Leigh is one of four women featured in a new documentary recently released on ABC iView appropriately called “Strong Women”. You can find that series here. 

Get the full show notes for the episode here.

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Kelli Jackson was first on the podcast in 2019. In that conversation, she shared how she transformed herself from (and I quote) an “unassuming middle age, overweight, unfit accountant who smoked” and who couldn’t ride a unicycle into an athlete and adventurer who planned to ride a unicycle around the world! 

This time, Kelli returned to share her most recent adventure - becoming the first Westerner to ride a unicycle inside North Korea!

I have never met or spoken with someone who has been to North Korea so I was very excited to hear about it. 

Get the full show notes for the episode here.

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Follow Jen on Instagram: @SpartaJen

Follow Kelli on Instagram: @1wheelonly

This week on Sparta Chicks Radio you’ll meet Ally Orr.

Ally brings a unique perspective to the podcast; she is both a competitive Jiu-Jitsu player and an Exercise and Sports Scientist.

A talented musician growing up in regional NSW, Ally moved to Sydney at 16 to attend music school. 

Not long after, her then-boyfriend introduced her to strength training and weight lifting - and the rest, as they say, is history.

She then found the sport of Judo before moving onto Jiu-Jitsu and has won (amongst other things) the lightweight Pan Pacific Championship and earlier this year, she became  Australian Champion in the 60kg division. 

At about the same time she discovered her love of combat sports, Ally transferred her studies from music to Exercise and Sports Science. She now lives in Newcastle and works at Better Being as a PT and Exercise Scientist.

Get the full show notes for the episode here.

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Follow Ally on Instagram: @allyally_ally