F-words: FUTURE.

All the F-words lead up to Future - and this week it's a special video-cast look into the Future. And a sneak peak of the Healthy Strides Community Hub!

"I am growing up every day, so please find ways for me to participate and be included in my community"

This week on TheraBytes! We catch up with Edward's mum Genevieve!

It's all about Fitness - a parents perspective!

Edward is incredibly funny, loving and very motivated to move! Genevieve joins us on the podcast this week to talk about how fitness works in their family. It's a beautiful and honest reflection of the joys and challenges of keeping our kids active. It is these shared experiences that build our wonderfully supportive community.

A milestone episode with a trio of wonderful clinician's - adding their perspective on the latest F-word: Fitness!

This week we catch up with Nate! 

An incredible eight-year-old boy who talks about his day, including his experiences at school....from recess being too short to playing with friends on the playground, (note, he's too cool for games like chasey! 😉)

From being a Telethon 2024 star to all his extra curricular activities, Nate is a busy boy - focused on high performance sports cars, he has a hard time choosing between Bugatti's and Ferrari's, his love for running and running ever faster and his dream of being richer than Elon! 

Fitness is a big part of Nate's life - right now, he's made his own goal to learn how to trap and kick a ball! The best thing is that Nate just has a lot of fun playing, being active and spending time with his friends, family and loved ones!

We're joined this week by special guest, Taj and his mother, Danica!

The conversation focuses on Taj's life, particularly his passion for footy (AFL) and whilst he is a big fan of the Geelong Cats, he is happy to support the West Coast Eagles if they're playing of course! 😉 

Taj shares a recent highlight when he got the opportunity to play during halftime at Optus Stadium when the Dockers recently took on Collingwood. Whilst the result wasn't what the home team had hoped for, it was an outstanding game for Taj who kicked two goals! It is just so wonderful to hear from both Taj and Danica about what this moment meant for them.

Beyond footy, Taj and Danica talk share their perspective on fitness - what it means to them and why they prioritise it. Between Taj and Danica, they describe benefits that include improved strength, mental health, enjoyment and sleep.

This episode is for everyone. For researchers - Taj's insights tell us what is important. For clinicians, this episode is about how we can support children like Taj. For parents, it is the encouragement to find community activities to get involved. For kids, it's about the shared experience and for the wider community, it is a call to action for inclusivity because as Taj puts it, inclusion is the best feeling, the feeling of being part of a team.

This week's F word is Fitness!

Mobility is medicine and this week, we talk about what movement means for our bodies. This is relevant to all of us because long, uninterrupted sitting is not great for our health. Our goal is to break up long periods of sitting to move more and be physically active. Movement is great for our lungs, digestive system, bones, muscles with social, emotional and cognitive benefits! It certainly makes us feel better too thanks to the lovely release of endorphins.

Join us as we talk about what Fitness means for our kids as well as how Healthy Strides got it's name!

This week we continues the discussion on the topic of family, reflecting on our previous conversation with Jen Prior!

It's important to emphasise that family isn't limited to blood relatives but includes the people you trust and do life with. It is integral to the "f-words" because it provides the why, how, and when for decisions, including pursuing therapy. 

Key takeaways from Jen's conversation and our own reflections include the crucial role of parents as experts on their children and the importance of advocacy. A significant part of the discussion focuses on the timing of therapy, suggesting that while intensive therapy is valuable for achieving lasting results, it should be carefully planned around family needs, school, and holidays rather than being continuous. 

Prioritising family time and choosing evidence-based therapy are real ways to achieve balance, reduce potential feelings of guilt or comparison, and to ensure that therapy aligns with the goal of enabling the child and the family to live their very best life. 

We catch up with Jen Prior - an incredible mother (to the one and only Emily Prior), an advocate and a founding member of the Healthy Strides Foundation!

We get to speak with her about all things F-Words and FAMILY in particular!

We're back with a 2nd episode with the incredible Emily Prior! This time we discuss FUN - one of the very best F-words! 🥳

This week we catch up with Emma! An incredible advocate and parent, she describes herself as a big kid and a perfect example of this week's F-word, F.U.N, in action!

Emma's thoughts on the importance of fun really hit home for me. It's so easy to get bogged down in appointments and therapies, especially in the beginning, and forget that the simple act of enjoying time together is crucial. Emma reminded us that happiness isn't a luxury, it's a fundamental need for our kids to thrive and reach their full potential. 

It made me think about how much pressure we can put on ourselves to constantly "do all the things" and how important it is to prioritise our children's joy and what truly makes them light up.

Emma's journey really highlighted the shift from the purely medical model of disability towards a more holistic and social perspective. 

What I found particularly inspiring were Emma's practical ideas for weaving fun into therapy and everyday life. From creating songs for daily routines to transforming activities into games and incorporating her son's love for loud music, it's clear that tapping into your child's passions is key. 

Emma emphasised the importance of giving him choices and control, something that is so incredibly beneficial. Her reminder that therapy doesn't have to be traditional clinic-based exercises – whether it's exploring the neighbourhood or playing in a walker – was so freeing. 

Ultimately, Emma's powerful message resonated deeply: if our children's goals aren't tied to happiness and fun, perhaps they aren't the right goals. It’s about truly listening to our kids, letting their interests guide us, and remembering that play is their way of learning and where so much meaningful progress and joy can blossom.