Sparta Chicks Radio: Mindset | Confidence | Sport | Women

An elite athlete in two sports and with a PhD in athlete wellbeing, Dr Hannah MacDougall has a unique perspective on emotional, mental and physical performance and wellbeing - so I knew she’d be the perfect guest for Sparta Chicks Radio.

Hannah was 9 when she set the goal to become a Paralympian.

She’s now a dual Paralympian, having competed in swimming at the 2004 Athens and the 2008 Beijng Paralympics.

Unfortunately, Hannah suffered from burnout, fell out of love with swimming and eventually quit the sport.

And that’s when she discovered cycling!

Since then, she’s won multiple medals including Gold at both the Australian Para Cycling Championships and, more recently, World Cup events in Europe.

She was also the first female amputee to compete in the “able bodied” women’s time trial race at the Cycling Australia National Championships.

And her next goal is to represent Australia at her 3rd Paralympics in Tokyo in 2020, this time in cycling.

On top of all that, she has a PhD in Athlete Well-Being and has studied, amongst other things, the use of meditation and mindfulness, in sport and life.

Get the full show notes for the episode here.

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“93% Harry Potter and 7% Bear Grylls”. That’s how Paul Watkins’ website describes him.

There are lots of other labels that could be applied too; Pharmacist, mountaineer, full-time dad, ultramarathon runner, motivational speaker and property developer.

However, the one label that doesn’t sit comfortably with Paul is “athlete”, which is difficult to appreciate when you consider his list of achievements.

Paul has climbed major peaks on all 7 continents and competed in some of toughest ultramarathon runners in Australia and the world.

Most recently, Paul competed in the 6633 Arctic Ultra; a 614km/380mi self-supported race in the Arctic Circle in temperatures ranging from -20˚ to -40˚ celsius (-4˚ to -4˚F) with an 80% drop-out rate.

And not only did he finish the race, he won!

There’s an interesting theme reoccurring through much of Paul’s story; he’s often “failed” on the first go.

He ‘failed’ on his first attempt to summit Denali (the highest mountain in North America).

I first met Paul in Argentina when we were on the same expedition to climb Aconcagua, the highest mountain in South America - and also his second attempt to do so.

And his victorious race at the 6633 Arctic Ultra in 2019 was his second attempt after he DNF’d 250km into this first attempt in 2017.

And we discuss how on earth a self-confessed nerd won one of the toughest, longest, windiest and coldest ultramarathons in the world.

Paul is a great storyteller and someone who has thought deeply about what it takes to bring the best out of yourself, and others.

Get the full show notes for the episode here.

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Tils’ (as she is generally known) grew up in country New South Wales chasing 3 older brothers around the paddock. So it’s hardly surprising her first foray into sport was on the rugby league field.

Sadly, she had to give up the sport in her early teens because once girls reached a certain age, they were no longer allowed to play against boys - and, of course - there was no girl’s league at the time.

Fast forward a few years and Tils discovered triathlons. And just 4 years later, she made the jump to the professional ranks - which, in hindsight, she now admits was too early.

These days, Tils is an “amateur professional” cyclist who rides at a National level here in Australia with the #1 ranked women’s cycling team in Australia - Specialised Women’s Racing - including at the Tour Down Under in January, 2019.

In this conversation, she shares:

- growing up with male athletes as her role models (because there weren’t any women with a profile in the sport),

- why she says she became a professional triathlete too quickly,

- how she 'hated' swimming yet deliberately set out to change her mindset,

- her struggle with body image, burnout and the Imposter Complex in her triathlon career,

- how she navigates her own "internal bullshit" these days,

- her experience of 'Everesting' on the road to Everest Base Camp in Tibet as well as riding parts of the Silk Road through Kyrgyzstan and Kazakhstan, and

- whether she's always been the type to 'say yes and figure it out later' (or whether that confidence has developed over time).

Get the full show notes for the episode here.

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Follow Tils on Instagram: instagram.com/matildaraynolds

Shelly Horton’s High School career guidance counsellor told her she was too opinionated and warned her to tone it down. Instead, she ignored him and turned it into a career!

Shelly is a journalist, TV presenter and producer and her opinions can be heard multiple times each week on Channel 9 in Australia.

Shelly is also not afraid of open and honest conversations about difficult topics. So I knew she’d be the perfect guest for Sparta Chicks Radio.

In this conversation, Shelly and I discuss:

- the early days of her career (which started in radio) including the very personal reason she didn’t explore a career in TV,

- the “soul-destroying” conversation with her boss about her weight that destroyed Shelly’s confidence and derailed her TV career for almost 2 years,

- the goal-setting course (and the exercise she learnt at that course) that fundamentally changed her life,

- the biggest myths around confidence,

- her experience with the Imposter Complex,

- how she deals with online trolling and public criticism, and

- her experience with Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS) and how she manages it

Get the full show notes for the episode here.

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Follow Shelly on Instagram: instagram.com/shellyhorton1

In 2007, Bonnie Tu was the CFO of Giant Bicycles and decided to join the former Chairman who was riding the Tour of Taiwan, a 900km ride that circumnavigates Taiwan.

At the time Bonnie was in her late 50s and had not ridden a bicycle since High School (and never a bike with gears!).

But when Bonnie walked into a Giant Bicycles retail outlet, she was shocked to realise she couldn’t find a bike or any apparel to suit her needs.

The ride proved to be a "very painful experience". 

And 12 months later, Liv Cycling - the first comprehensive cycling brand dedicated to female cyclists - was born.

Fast forward to 2019 and Bonnie is now the Chairperson of Giant Bicycles and is still incredibly driven to ensure women are empowered to participate in the sport of cycling, via everything from cutting edge components on Liv bikes through to exploring cycling clothes for Muslim women.

Bonnie is a joyous, passionate woman and I am excited to welcome her to Sparta Chicks Radio this week to discuss:

- her childhood growing up in Taiwan,

- her earliest memory of learning to ride a bike,

- how she became involved in the cycling industry in the 70s, yet only got back on the bike for herself in her late 50s (and learning to shift gears in the process),

- the origins of Liv Cycling and it’s commitment to build bicycles “for and by” women, and

- her first triathlon at the age of 68.

Get the full show notes for the episode here.

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Follow Liv Cycling Australia on Instagram: instagram.com/livcycling_aus/

The Body Image Movement can only be described as a revolution.

And it began in 2013 when Taryn Brumfitt posted a ‘non-traditional’ Before + After photo one night on Facebook.

On the left, the ‘before’ photo showed ‘ripped’ Taryn on stage at a bodybuilding competition.

On the right, the ‘after’ photo showed a ‘softer’ Taryn with visible rolls around her tummy looking content and happy.

The switching of the photos (not to mention Taryn’s obviously content and happy nature in the ‘after’ photo) clearly resonated.

Overnight the image went viral and within 12 months, it had been viewed by 100 million people!

That led Taryn to produce the ‘Embrace’ documentary which explored why so many people (and women in particular) hate their bodies.

She’s also founded the Body Image Movement (BMI) which is on a mission to help people love and embrace their body, regardless of shape, size, ethnicity or ability.

Get the full show notes for the episode here.

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Muay Thai may, on the surface, appear to have nothing in common with endurance sports, but you might be surprised…

I was certainly was when I spoke with Sylvie von Duuglas-Ittu for this week’s episode of Sparta Chicks Radio.

Sylvie is an American born woman living in Thailand who currently holds the record for the most number of Muay Thai fights by any Westerner - male or female - which (at the time of writing) stands at 242.

And, much to my surprise, she’s been a long-time listener of Sparta Chicks Radio too!

Since taking up what she describes as a “beautiful sport” in New York, Sylvie and Kevin have since moved to Thailand so Sylvie can pursue the sport on a full-time basis, and chase her next goal; the World Record for the most number of professional fights. This record of 471 fights has stood since the 1920s!

In the conversation, we discuss:

- what she gains from listening to the podcast (given she doesn't participate in any of the sports we traditionally cover),

- why she thinks Muay Thai and endurance sports have more in common than you might think,

- how she discovered Muay Thai and why she describes it as a 'beautiful sport’,

- why she (as a woman and feminist) struggles with some of the traditions of the sport (eg, men may enter the ring by climbing over the top rope, but women must go under the bottom rope),

- why it's important to "reduce the space" you give your self-doubt and focus instead on the process,

- how to reframe competition (even in the context of sport) as a collaboration that brings out the best in everyone and an opportunity to practice in gratitude, and

- the biggest life lesson she's learnt from her sport.

Get the full show notes for the episode here.

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Follow Sylvie on Instagram: instagram.com/sylviemuay

Karen Barrett has a remarkable story which reinforces for me of the power of choice and the power of self-belief.

A talented runner as a child, Karen had an offer to train at the Australian Institute of Sport. But was forced to turn it down due to her difficult family circumstances.

Fast forward a few years and she had become “virtually homeless” and had developed a 2-pack-a day (and more on the weekends) smoking habit.

Then in her early 40s, she decided it was time to quit. She started walking her dogs daily and built up to running 5km - in her steel capped work boots no less - before she discovered and bought her first pair of running shoes as an adult.

That transformation started in 2009, and she hasn’t looked back.

Since then she’s gone onto win and set the women’s course record for the Buffalo Stampede Grand Slam (a series of races in the Victorian Alps over 3 days) and this year, in 2019 she became the first woman ever to finish the Down Under 135, a 135mi/217km race described as Australia’s “gnarliest” foot race.

Oh and I should mention - she was 3rd overall too!

In this conversation Karen shares why trail running is so important to her, why she sets out to win any race she enters (and where that confidence comes from), the extensive mental preparation she puts into her races, and how much sleep she got during the 49 hours it took her to finish the Down Under 135 (you’ll be amazed!)

Get the full show notes for the episode here.

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Settle in and buckle up; this is a fun, deep, long and laughter filled episode of Sparta Chicks Radio.

Tiffany Winchester is an ultra-endurance cyclist, with a love of doughnuts, who is currently preparing to ride the Paris-Brest-Paris; an iconic 1,200km endurance cycling event in France later this year.

Tiff finished her first bike race as a child and then took a “25 year rest week” from almost all forms of exercise.

It wasn’t until her 30s that she started walking and “procrasta-hiking” (as she calls it) as a way to clear her head and clarify her thoughts while working on her PhD.

After a brief (yet deep) love affair with trail running, Tiff was introduced to the world of cycling 3 years ago - and hated it at first!

Ultimately, she has since found her ‘happy place’ in the incredibly gruelling world of ultra-endurance cycling.

In this conversation, Tiff and I discuss:

- why she had to stop racing for mental health reasons,

- why she didn’t consider herself a ‘cyclist’ until after her first 1,200km ride, and

- the impact social media had on her perception of herself as a cyclist and how it fed her sense of feeling like an Imposter.

Get the full show notes for the episode here.

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Follow Tiff on Instagram: Instagram.com/tiffo012

I could fill a page just listing Samantha Gash’s achievements.

In 2010, and in her first ultramarathon, Sam became the first female and youngest person to complete the Racing the Planet 4 Deserts Grand Slam, running 4 ultra marathons across the driest, windiest, hottest and coldest deserts on Earth.

That was followed in 2011 by a 222km non-stop race through the Indian Himalayas.

It was during that run across the Himalayas that Sam decided to use her running for a greater purpose.

Since then, she’s run 379km solo, non-stop across the Simpson Desert in Australia as well as the length of South Africa’s Freedom Trail (almost 2,000km) to raise funds and awareness for the work of Save the Children.

Then in 2016, as an ambassador for World Vision, Sam set out on her most ambitious project to date; running across India.

Over 76 days, she ran 3,253km from the west to the east of India and, in the process, raised close to $200,000 to fund 6 programs to improve access to education for children in India.

In this conversation, Sam and I discuss:

- the tipping point when Sam transitioned from running for herself to running for others,

- what inspired the ‘Run India’ project as well as the impact it had on her,

- why she cringes at the word 'inspiration’,

- her experience with the Imposter Complex,

- the power of (and what it means to be) truly committed to a goal.

Get the full show notes for the episode here.

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Follow Sam on Instagram: instagram.com/samanthagash/