In this episode, Chris Martin shares his inspiring journey from being a paramedic and avid runner to facing a life-altering cancer diagnosis. He discusses the importance of sports in shaping his resilience and teamwork mentality, the unexpected birth of his YouTube channel, and the emotional challenges of navigating cancer treatment while supporting his family. 

Chris emphasizes the significance of mental health, open communication, and the power of community support during difficult times. As he prepares for the London Marathon, he reflects on the lessons learned and the importance of pursuing happiness in life.

Chris will be running for Cancer Research UK and you can support his journey here: https://www.justgiving.com/page/chris-martin-ems?utm_medium=FR&utm_source=CL&utm_campaign=015

You can connect with Chris’s Youtube channel here: https://www.youtube.com/@ChrisMartinEMS

In this episode, we sit down with 2x World Record Holder, cyclist, speaker and author Leigh Timmis. Leigh’s book, The Race of Truth, will go down for me as one of the fastest books we have ever consumed, devouring all 368 pages in under 24 hours! His story is absolutely captivating!

We are excited to share this conversation with you as we speak to Jake Osborn (sibling of one of our former guests, Lauren Osborn - episode 77).

Our latest guest is Rich Christiansen. He is a globally-recognized thought leader, educator, mentor, parallel entrepreneur, and humanitarian. He assists people in fearlessly facing their dragons, making peace with them, and navigating the intricate mazes of their lives.

Rich’s story, both personally and professionally is incredible and there is so much to take from this conversation about navigating life’s curveballs!

Connect with Rich and find out more about his books and other work via his website here: https://richchristiansen.com/

You can also connect with him on instagram and linkedin:

https://www.instagram.com/richristiansen_/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/richristiansen/

On 3rd February 2022, a major international scientific expedition set sail from Cape Town to explore the Antarctic – one of the coldest, harshest and most remote locations in the world. Their mission was to find the ship called Endurance, which hadn’t been seen for more than 100 years. Using underwater robots, helicopters and other state-of-the-art technology, the Endurance22 expedition was the first to locate and survey Sir Ernest Shackleton’s lost ship which sank in the Weddell Sea in Antarctica in 1915.

As the saying goes, if you didn’t photograph it, it didn’t happen. That task of capturing the entire Endurance22 expedition fell on the shoulders of Nat Hewitt and her camera team. Filming in one of the most inhospitable places on earth came with a lot of challenges, and Nat alluded to this when we first spoke to her about her career journey in episode 95, but this time round, Nat takes us on the full expedition, from concept through to the discovery itself.

It is a wonderful story and we cannot recommend enough watching the Endurance film which is LIVE on National Geographic / Disney +

Connect with Nat here:

https://www.instagram.com/natalie.hewit/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/natalie-hewit-99405724/

In this episode we dive into a very sensitive topic and one that does not get much of a spotlight. It can make people uncomfortable, and in some cases it feels easier to simply not talk about it. For episode 105 we’re exploring the mental health and suicide prevention space. 

Our host and two guests Alex and Justine, all wear different hats in the space, but it's a very rich and engaging discussion. Alex works for Papyrus, a UK charity dedicated to the prevention of suicide and the promotion of positive mental health and emotional wellbeing in young people.

Our other guest Justine is a sporting parent, who supports the work of papyrus, but has also experienced the challenges sporting parents face when supporting a young person's mental health. 

Our hosts own experiences range from company support when managing grief through to speaking to former soldiers, fighter pilots and emergency service staff who have all navigated this mental health journey with support from those around them.

Between us, we have a candid discussion, shining light on an area that many people struggle to verbalise, or feel surrounded by stigmas when they want to say something. Today we quash some of those myths and taboos, emphasising that there are resources and support available for those in need. 

If you personally are affected by any of the topics today and need to speak to someone, the details you need can be found below:

https://www.papyrus-uk.org/places-to-turn-for-help/

Papyrus have a 24/7 hopeline available if you would like to speak to someone immediately: https://www.papyrus-uk.org/papyrus-hopeline247/

Be sure to subscribe to our Youtube Channel, with lots more content dropping soon…

https://www.youtube.com/@TheRogueMonkeyPodcast/videos

Find out more about The Podcast and all our activities here:

https://linktr.ee/roguemonkeypod

Head to our Etsy store to support the podcast here:

https://roguemonkeypod.etsy.com

Our guest for this episode is someone who is an incredible inspiration as well as a truly wonderful person! Tom Leonard is a Horticulturist, Activist, TV Presenter and Rugby Player. He is known also as the Drag Queen Gardener.

We explore the therapeutic nature of gardening, as an activity filled with hope and positivity in a world far too often full of doom and gloom. Taking up gardening with the ‘have a go’ method, despite a few hiccups along the way, he’s learned to embrace the process of learning and has created an incredible following on his instagram @ dragqueen_gardener - which would hugely advocate following!

Dovetailed with his passion for being a drag queen, our conversation today is a wonderful blend of wellbeing, happiness, finding a path in life, not worrying about what other people think of you and we even explore the mad situation of what it's like being told you’re on the right track by none other than Dame Judy Dench.

You can connect with Tom here: https://www.instagram.com/dragqueen_gardener/

Be sure to subscribe to our Youtube Channel, with lots more content dropping soon: https://www.youtube.com/@TheRogueMonkeyPodcast/videos

Find out more about The Podcast and all our activities here: https://linktr.ee/roguemonkeypod

Head to our Etsy store to support the podcast here: https://roguemonkeypod.etsy.com

Our guest for this episode is Mark Covenden. He is the founder of the incredible Snap Sponsorship. Spending many years in the rugby space, Mark’s belief in community sport was embedded into his DNA and his passion morphed into something that now benefits hundreds of clubs across the country. His purpose is to deliver more support for grassroots sports teams, and in our conversation we discuss the importance of sponsorship in grassroots sports and the journey of building a successful sponsorship platform. 

He shares insights on leveraging digital tools to streamline the sponsorship process and create a supportive community for volunteer-run clubs. The conversation covers the onboarding process for clubs using the platform, the impact of sponsorship on club growth, and the balance between personal passion and professional sustainability. We also touch on the importance of starting sponsorship initiatives early and the potential for increased participation in sports during Olympic and World Cup years.

You can find out more about SNAP Sponsorship here: https://partners.snapsponsorship.com/theroguemonkey

You can connect with Mark here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/markcovington/

Save 20% on using the platform through our exclusive promo code: “SNAP-PODCAST”

Be sure to subscribe to our Youtube Channel, with lots more content dropping soon…

https://www.youtube.com/@TheRogueMonkeyPodcast/videos

Find out more about The Podcast and all our activities here:

https://linktr.ee/roguemonkeypod

Head to our Etsy store to support the podcast here:

https://roguemonkeypod.etsy.com

Our latest guest is Mike Mongo, an astronaut teacher, Ted-x speaker, and author. 

Mike shares his journey and passion for space exploration. From a young age, Mike was fascinated by superheroes and space, which led him to pursue a career as an astronaut. He emphasises the importance of giving children permission to dream and explore their interests without limitations. 

Mike also discusses the value of embracing one's past selves and the joy of experiencing zero gravity in his training to become a commercial astronaut. Overall, his story highlights the power of imagination and the impact it can have on shaping our future. 

Watch his Ted Talk here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6RWL1UzHUx4&t=586sHead to Mike's website and find out more about the amazing work he does here: https://www.mikemongo.com/

In this conversation, we speak to Jordan Wright, a graphic designer and climate activist, Jordan shares her journey and experiences in the fields of sustainability and environmental activism.

We discuss the influence of nature and risk-taking in shaping her passion for climate activism. We dive into the importance of resilience, community, and vulnerability in navigating personal and professional challenges.

Jordan highlights the significance of communication and asking for help, as well as the value of living life to the fullest. It is a beautiful conversation and one we hope you take a lot from.

Photo credits @Kateland and @Dan Rubin