The Pepetoe Podcast

Her body, her choice… but does that mean we can't criticise the choice?

This week, I'm talking about the Sydney Sweeney x Novig campaign — an advert that uses Sweeney's nearly naked body alongside sporting equipment to promote a sports prediction platform, and one that has sparked a huge backlash from women in sport.

But this episode isn't really about Sydney Sweeney.

It's about something much bigger.

We're talking about the sexualisation of women's bodies, the resurgence of thinness culture and SkinnyTok, girls dropping out of sport, the male gaze, gambling advertising, female empowerment and an uncomfortable question I've been thinking about for a while: are beauty standards still being imposed on women primarily by men, or are women increasingly creating and reinforcing them ourselves?

I also wrestle with the contradiction at the heart of my reaction to this campaign. I believe wholeheartedly in "her body, her choice." I believe women should be able to feel sexy, show their bodies and profit from them if they choose. So why does this particular advert make me so angry?

Because perhaps the problem isn't that Sydney Sweeney took her clothes off. Perhaps it's that, yet again, when a woman's body entered the world of sport, we were encouraged to look at what it looks like rather than what it can do.

And when teenage girls are already leaving sport because they feel watched, judged and uncomfortable in their bodies, I think that's a conversation worth having.

🎧 Listen to the full episode and join the conversation.

Read more from me: www.elenaoverfield.com
TikTok: www.tiktok.com/@elenaoverfield

It's been a shit 12 months.

There. I said it.

But somehow, amongst the heartbreak, mistakes, relapses, anxiety, overthinking and moments where I've felt completely underwater, I've also made some of the best memories of my life. I've met people I hope I'll know forever. I've laughed until I've cried. I've loved, a lot. And I've started to realise that maybe the grass isn't always greener on the other side... but there is another side.

Sometimes you just have to learn how to come out from underneath the waves and float on top of them for a while.

In this episode, I'm reflecting on the last year, the people who've stayed beside me through it, and why I've finally stopped trying so desperately to become the version of myself I thought everyone wanted to see.

Because for a long time, that's exactly what Pepetoe was.

She was polished. Filtered. Strong. She had answers. She posted the pretty bits and quietly dealt with the ugly ones behind closed doors.

But life isn't like that.

Life is messy. People fuck up. We hurt people and get hurt ourselves. We cry. We catastrophise. We make terrible decisions. We have incredible weekends immediately after horrific weeks. We can be incredibly grateful for our lives and still struggle to live them sometimes.

And since I stopped pretending otherwise, I feel like I can finally breathe.

I'm also talking about something I've been learning to accept about myself: I feel everything at full volume.

I over-love. I overthink. I over-give. I over-trust. I notice tiny changes in people's voices. I remember how people make me feel. I'll probably know something's wrong before you've even admitted it to yourself. My gut instinct and my overthinking brain are unfortunately very close colleagues.

Sometimes, those qualities hurt me.

Maybe pouring my entire heart into everything is my fatal flaw.

But you know what?

I'd hate to be the opposite.

I'd rather love too deeply than make somebody question whether I care. I'd rather give too much than spend my life emotionally unavailable. I'd rather risk getting hurt than become so frightened of life that I stop allowing myself to experience it properly.

So maybe this episode is really about authenticity.

About letting go of the imaginary version of yourself you're constantly chasing.

About accepting that you can be sensitive, complicated, emotional, chaotic, loving, anxious, ambitious, flawed and still be worthy of taking up space exactly as you are.

You can spend your entire life chasing the dream body, dream relationship, dream career, dream personality and dream version of yourself.

Or you can simply fucking get on with living.

Embrace the shit days.

Embrace the incredible ones.

Embrace the people who stay.

Embrace the people you haven't even met yet.

Embrace the mistakes.

Embrace the memories that somehow emerge from weeks you thought would break you.

And above everything else, never stop being unapologetically, imperfectly you.

Because perhaps the goal was never to become somebody better.

Maybe it was finally allowing yourself to become somebody real.

There's more to see!

Find my blog: www.elenaoverfield.com (formerly Pepetoe)

My TikTok: www.tiktok.com/@elenaoverfield

There's nothing wrong with wanting love. Humans are wired for connection. But what happens when being chosen becomes tangled up with your sense of self-worth? In this deeply personal reflection, I explore the link between my eating disorder, anxiety, uncertainty after breakups, and why I've started to wonder whether I've never really been searching for a boyfriend at all; I've been searching for proof that I'm enough.

In this episode, we'll dive into some of the deeper corners of my brain, and how I genuinely see life. From setting super high expectations (on myself and on life), to losing control when plans change, and a lot more deeper science of my brain!

Us high-achievers do find it more difficult when mistakes are mad, when things don't go our way... but we make it out the other side each and every time!

I look forward to sharing more things like this on the next episode. Stay tuned.

Blog: ⁠www.elenaoverfield.com⁠

Hockey Content: ⁠@elenaoverfield⁠

Instagram: ⁠@ellieoverfield_⁠

Lately, I've found myself in a situation with someone I know pretty well who has been actively rude towards me. And honestly? My first instinct was to overthink it. What did I do? Why are they acting like this? Do they suddenly hate me?

But the more I sat with it, the more I realised something: being that angry, bitter, or rude towards someone must be exhausting.

In this episode, I'm talking about why other people's behaviour says far more about them than it does about you. We've all held grudges before. We've all disliked people. That's human. But constantly carrying around resentment takes so much energy, and I don't want to spend my life doing that.

So, we're diving into what it means to rise above it, stop taking other people's negativity personally, and focus on putting out the energy we actually want to receive. Whether you're dealing with someone who's ignoring you, being cold towards you, or just making you question yourself, this episode is your reminder that their behaviour is not your responsibility.

Let's talk about choosing kindness, protecting our peace, and why being the bigger person isn't weakness—it's freedom.

Welcome to The Pepetoe Podcast: The Hockey Journal.

I'm so glad that you're here :)

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This new series is all about my hockey life - when I started playing, the different teams I've played for, injuries, setbacks, captaining, being on the bench, and everythingggg in between! There's going to be a lot of juicy content here, so sit back and get ready for me to spill.

P.s. if you're from Tiktok, thank you for finally finding the Pepetoe corner of the internet... now with the extra addition of my hockey content!

Notes:

TikTok: @elenaoverfield

Insta: @pepetoebyelena

Website/blog: elenaoverfield.com

Hockey sponsor(!): crowhockey.com (use code EO20 for 20% sticks and equipment). (cannot tell you HOW GOOD their sticks are!)

Enjoy this little corner of Pepetoe :)

Today I'm reading through some quotes from an amazing book by Charles Mackesy, "The Boy, The Mole, The Fox and The Horse" (Amazon book link here). The topics today are centered around forgiveness, asking for help, and discovering what a "perfect life" really looks like.

There's something in this episode for everyone so get listening, get sharing, and get reviewing!!

xox

Pepetoe by Elena

I'm backkkk! And I mean it this time!

This episode covers a whole lot of my life and happenings over the last month or so. A truly crazy time. From having time off training for my half marathon (ouch... this will hurt!!), to a full REBRAND of what is known as Pepetoe (this hurt too!). There's something for everyone in this episode :)

My blog and pod are still under the name "Pepetoe" so don't worry! The content will still be similar, but with more of a personal touch, and introducing all that hockey content so many of you are wanting! The only thing that's changed is the domain name... but with some exciting things to come.

I really want to thank all of you have been with Pepetoe from the start, or from recent times. It's been one hell of a journey, and I wouldn't be here without any of you, so THANK YOU <3

New website (eek) - www.elenaoverfield.com

Insta - @pepetoebyelena

Tiktok - @elenaoverfield

It's been a while since I chatted to you guys... but I am back! And wow there is a lot I need to tell you all. Join me today for a more relaxed episode, kinda like a page from my diary, where I give you all the hot tea on what's been going in my life, followed by a pure rant about all the myths and stereotypes people assign to eating disorders and those people suffering from them, as I discuss what Eating Disorder Awareness Week means to me, and what stage of recovery I am now at.

Blog: www.pepetoe.net

TikTok: @elenaoverfield

IG: @pepetoebyelena

January can feel heavy, confusing, and strangely unfinished, and there’s a reason for that.
Although the calendar has turned, the Year of the Snake doesn’t officially end until Chinese New Year on 18th February, meaning many of us are still in a powerful period of shedding, healing, and transition.

In this episode, I talk about why it can feel like momentum hasn’t returned yet, why clarity comes slowly, and why so many people struggled in 2025 without fully understanding why. This is a heavy episode, but it’s a necessary one. If this year left you emotionally tired, disconnected, or quietly grieving old versions of yourself, this conversation is here to help you make sense of it.

We explore the in-between space between the Snake and the Horse, the pause before movement, the letting go before confidence returns, and why you’re not behind, broken, or failing for feeling the way you do right now.

This episode is for anyone who needs permission to move gently, finish shedding, and trust that what remains will be real.

Blog: Pepetoe

IG: @pepetoebyelena

TikTok: @elenaoverfield