Sparta Chicks Radio: Mindset | Confidence | Sport | Women

[TW/CN: this post and episode discuss suicide] One of our most popular guests, Katee Pedicini, returns to Sparta Chicks Radio this week. Yet this is a very different conversation from our previous episodes. This time, Katee shares the story of her mental health journey over the last 20 years. In her 20s, Katee was (finally) diagnosed with a condition called Pre-Menstrual Dysphoric Disorder (or PMDD). Katee describes PMDD as extreme PMS “wrapped up with anxiety, depression, sometimes psychosis and suicidality or suicidal tendencies” We begin this conversation with Katee’s story. Her experience of the symptoms of PMDD, including suicidal ideation. Then we transition into a broader conversation about suicide and mental health; why suicide is often still seen as a ‘taboo’ and what Katee believes needs to change to enable it to be discussed more openly, and with less shame. Finally, we step back and discuss the intersection between mental health and endurance sports. This was an extremely difficult conversation, f

The #1 most popular episode of Sparta Chicks Radio in 2019 was Dr Stacy Sims on How to Work With Your Body, Not Fight Against It Dr Stacy Sims is an environmental exercise physiologist and nutrition scientist at the University of Waikato in NZ. She’s an incredible athlete in her own right too, having competed at the Hawaii Ironman in Kona as well as the Xterra (Off-Road Triathlon) World Championships in Maui. Plus she’s the author of an important book called “Roar: How to Match Your Food and Fitness to Your Female Physiology for Optimum Performance, Great Health and a Strong, Lean Body for Life” At the core of Stacy’s work is the concept that women are not small men. It seems obvious, I know! Yet the majority of sports science research - and a result, the majority of what we understand about the best way to train, eat, drink, race and recover - has been done on men. Even the common training program structure of 3 weeks of training followed by 1 week of recovery is - you guessed it! - based on research done on

The #2 most popular episode of Sparta Chicks Radio in 2019 was Samantha Gash on Inspiration, Impact & ‘Run India’ It’s easy in this day and age to think that one person - that you - can’t make a difference. But Sam has proved that wrong, time and time again. In her first ultramarathon in 2010, 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. Fast forward a few years and 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 conver

The 3rd most popular episode of Sparta Chicks Radio in 2019 was Renee Kiley on Inspiration, Goal Setting & the Fear of Failure In November 2013, Renee joined friends to watch the Noosa Triathlon. And life hasn’t been the same since. At the time Renee was an overweight, unhealthy, pack-a-day smoker. Yet despite not having ridden a bike or swum laps since she was a kid, Renee set a goal to compete in the Noosa Triathlon the following year. She did that, and more: less than 3 1/2 years later, Renee raced for the first time as a professional triathlete.  Many people involved in endurance sports have undergone dramatic transformations; from losing weight, quitting smoking and overcoming major health issues. But I was curious how Renee was able to take her performance and achievements to the next level and became a professional athlete in a sport she didn’t know even existed only a few years ago. So I asked :) Get the full show notes for the episode here. — Visit the Sparta Chicks Radio website here  Follow Spa

The #4 most popular episode of Sparta Chicks Radio in 2019 was Jess Fox on Resilience, Goal Setting & Proving Yourself Jess Fox was just 18 (and 3 months out of High School) when she qualified for the 2012 London Olympics. She left those Games with a Silver medal and, in hindsight, admits she felt the need to prove herself and to show that her result in London wasn’t a fluke. Of course, it wasn’t a fluke - in fact, it was just the start of an incredible career! A 2 x Olympic medalist (Jess also won Bronze at the 2016 Rio Olympics), Jess is now the most successful canoe slalom paddler - male or female - in the history of the sport! In this fun conversation, we discussed: - the power of writing down your goals and seeing them on a daily basis, - how she deals with her own internal expectations as opposed to the external expectations placed on her by the media and the public, and - why you should welcome conditions that aren’t ideal in training. Get the full show notes for the episode here. — Visit the Spart

The 5th popular episode of Sparta Chicks Radio in 2019 was Tiffany Winchester on Donuts, the Imposter & Ultra-Endurance Cycling. Tiffany is an ultra-endurance cyclist, with a love of doughnuts, who was at the time we recorded this conversation, preparing to ride the Paris-Brest-Paris; an iconic 1,200km endurance cycling event in France later in 2019. 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 hiking (“procrasta-hiking” as she calls it) as a way to clear her head and clarify your thoughts while working on her PhD. After a brief with trail running, Tiff was introduced to the world of cycling 3 years ago - and hated it at first! Her relationship with cycling has been bumpy; so much so, she decided to stop racing for mental health reasons. However, she has since found her ‘happy place’ in the incredibly gruelling world of ultra-endurance cycling (all while balancing a family and full-t

In October 2019, Melissa Urie became the first woman to line up at the start of Uberman. Described as the world’s most challenging ultra triathlon, it consists of a 34km swim, 644km ride and 217km run which Mel finished - becoming the first woman to do so - in a total of 135hr 15min - that's over 5 1/2 days!  In the process, she also set a new swim course record for the event, finished second overall and smashed the previous course record by 31 hours.  A long race requires a long conversation; Mel and I spoke for 2 hours about all-things Uberman so I have divided this conversation into two parts. You can find Part 1 of that conversation here. In it, we covered her preparation and training, the logistics of the event and how the swim leg unfolded - here. This is the second half of our conversation, in which Mel and I cover how the 644km bike, the 217km run leg and her recovery. Get the full show notes for the episode here. — Visit the Sparta Chicks Radio website here  Follow Sparta Chicks Radio on Facebook: fa

Uberman is described as the world’s most challenging triathlon. Consisting of 34km swim, 644km ride and 217km run, the race takes competitors from the Catalina Islands off the California coast to the trailhead at the top of Mount Whitney, the highest peak in Continental USA. Until 2019 when Melissa Urie lined up at the start, no woman had ever attempted the event. But 135 hours, 15 minutes and 55 seconds after she started, Mel became the first woman to finish the race! In the process, she also set a new swim course record, finished second overall and smashed the previous course record by 31 hours. And she returns to Sparta Chicks Radio this week to share the story! A long race requires a long conversation; Mel and I spoke for 2 hours about all-things Uberman - her preparation and training, the race itself and the aftermath. And my thanks to those in the Sparta Chicks community who offered their own questions for Mel! So I have divided this episode into two instalments. This is part 1 and part 2 will be publis

One of the main themes that run through many of my conversations on Sparta Chicks Radio is around the concept that “you can’t be what you can’t see”. This week’s guest is on a mission to change what you can see - and by extension, be. Mary Konstantopoulos is a lawyer who, in her “spare time”, is the force behind the “Ladies Who” media company - or dare I say growing empire - that advocates for, and shares stories of, women in sport here in Australia. She hosts two podcasts on the ABC Grandstand radio network; Ladies Who League  (about rugby league) and Ladies Who Legspin (about cricket). Mary’s passion for sport developed as a result of her desire to spend more time with her Dad who was (and remains) a passionate Parramatta Eels supporter in the National Rugby League (NRL) competition. Yet she describes in this conversation a sense of shame she sometimes feels because it never occurred to her to ask if women also played the sport. In this conversation, we discuss: - how her life has revolved around sport sinc

Stacey De Bono grew up in country Victoria and, by her own admission, hated riding bikes as a kid and used to wag the school cross country carnival. Fast forward a few years and she discovered triathlon quite by accident. A friend convinced her to sign up for a race. She did, but without checking the details and couldn’t work out why the race was so expensive. It turns out the first triathlon she signed up for was Ironman Melbourne, just 10 months later. A few years (and several triathlon seasons) later, a broken finger from a bike accident forced Stacey to step back from her training and work. This gave her time to reflect on her lifestyle, her health and her goals - and it was during this difficult period she heard about Epic 5, an iconic race consisting of 5 Ironman-distance triathlons over 5 days on 5 different Hawaiian islands. The seed was planted, Stacey eventually voiced the idea out loud to her coach and the goal was set to participate in Epic 5 in 2020, some 3 years later. That race date has been pu

Lou discovered trail running at 43 and went onto win both her 1st 100km race and her 1st 100mi/160km race. Then earlier this year, Lou finished 2nd at the prestigious Ultra Trail Mt Fuji; the largest 100mi/160km race in the world! In this conversation, Lou and I discuss: - how she developed a passion for rock climbing in her early 30s and what prompted her to focus on running in her early 40s, - why she thinks she was able to develop relatively quickly in the sport, - why she doesn’t always look forward to training. - why she prioritises sleep and will do a shorter session or even miss a training session if she thinks she hasn’t had enough sleep, - how she mentally prepares for a major race, including turning pre-race nerves into positive energy, - her experience with the Imposter Complex (and why she doesn’t like the word ‘imposter’), and - her experience at Ultra-Trail Mt Fuji and why she describes the result as “bewildering”. Get the full show notes for the episode here. — Visit the Sparta Chicks Radio web

Mel Nicholls was a healthy, fit and active 22 year old when, in 2001, she was struck down by a stroke. 7 years later, her 3rd stroke left her with permanent paralysis and limited function primarily in her left side. 4 years later - and just 15 months after taking up wheelchair racing - Mel was selected to represent Great Britain at the 2012 London Paralympic Games in the 100m and 200m. After representing Great Britain for the second time at the Rio Paralympics in 2016, Mel moved away from track cycling and back into endurance events, including the New York and London marathons. Looking for a new challenge to feed her adventurous spirit, Mel combined her love of adventure and her competitive streak and set the goal to break the World Record for handcycling the length of Britain - from the south to the north along a route known as Lands End to John o’Groats (or LEJOG). It’s a journey of 874mi/1,400km. Not only did Mel break the record, but she also smashed it! Get the full show notes for the episode here. — Vis

Sarah Davis joined me on the podcast almost two years ago to share her plans to become the first woman to paddle the length of the Nile river. A journey of 6,853km / 4,200mi from the source of the Nile in Rwanda, all the way to Alexandria on the Mediterranean coast in Egypt, at the time we first spoke Sarah had anticipated the expedition would start in January 2018 and take 7 months. (You can find the show notes for that episode here) So Sarah returns to the podcast this week to share how it unfolded! Spoiler alert! Things didn’t all go according to plan and two key decisions meant that Sarah wasn’t able to achieve her original goal to paddle the length of the Nile. However, she has become the first woman to lead an expedition along the Nile. In this conversation, we discuss: - how she made the decision where to start her expedition; a harder decision with more options than you might think, - what she felt visiting the source of the Nile in Rwanda after 3+ years of planning, - the very angry hippo tried to fl

Madhu Tamilarasan is a GP (general practitioner doctor) now living in a regional country town in New South Wales who discovered triathlons in her mid-30s and has since fallen in love with cross (or off-road) triathlons and mountain biking. She’s competed in (amongst many other races) both the Australian Cross Triathlon Championships as well as the ITU World Cross Tri Championships. A proudly gay woman, born in England of Indian descent, she brings a unique and insightful perspective to the podcast. This is a fun and broad-ranging conversation. We discuss everything from coming out to her parents through to why she never let the fact she swam breaststroke in triathlon races for years stop her from competing. Get the full show notes for the episode here. — Visit the Sparta Chicks Radio website here  Follow Sparta Chicks Radio on Facebook: facebook.com/SpartaChicks  Follow Madhu on Instagram: instagram.com/mvt550/

How do you achieve the seemingly ‘impossible’? That’s the core of my conversation with return guests Sarah Anne Evans and Pippa Lyon from the InternationElles this week on Sparta Chicks Radio. On a mission to raise the profile of women in cycling and to fight for equality in the sport, the InternationElles (alongside a French women’s cycling team) rode every stage of the 2019 Tour de France - one day ahead of the men’s professional race. A journey of 3,640km over 21 days with 53,000m of climbing (with just 2 rest days). Sarah Anne and Pippa joined me a few months ago on the podcast to discuss the project - including how on earth they were preparing to ride the “most mountainous route” in the 106 year history of the Tour de France! 5 weeks after the ladies rode into Paris, Sarah Anne and Pippa return to Sparta Chicks Radio to share how the experience unfolded. Get the full show notes for the episode here. — Visit the Sparta Chicks Radio website here  Follow Sparta Chicks Radio on Facebook: facebook.com/SpartaC

Michael Scragg is an experienced endurance athlete in his own right. After breaking his neck in a downhill mountain biking accident in the early 2000s, Michael made the switch to road cycling and ultimately into triathlons. Since finishing ‘dead last’ in his first Half Ironman, Michael has gone onto finish 9 Ironman triathlons as well as multiple 24-hour mountain bike races and ultra-marathons. He is also married to 2x Sparta Chicks Radio guest and ultra-endurance athlete, Melissa Urie! (Mel was on the podcast in 2017 to share her experience at the Epic 5 LINK and again early in 2019 to discuss competing at the Ultraman World Championships). Over the last few years, Michael’s racing career has taken a backseat while Mel pursued her ultra-endurance goals, which have included Ultraman races in Canada, Australia and at the World Championships in Hawaii, the Epic 5 as well as her upcoming race at Uberman. So in this episode, Michael and I discuss what it’s like to be on the flip side; how to crew for, live with,

A 2x Ironman finisher, Ashley Wiles’ struggles with mental health and body image over the years inspired her to launch Sole Girls, an innovative empowerment program that shares, with girls aged 5 to 12, the tools they need for a confident, happy and healthy life. And she joins me on Sparta Chicks Radio this week. In this conversation, we dive into Ashley’s story including: - the ‘kilometre club’ at her elementary / primary school that laid the foundation for her love of being running, - how she manages her mental state if she can’t run due to injury, - how she discovered triathlons (and more recently, boxing and parkour), and - why she says running saved her life. Plus we dive into broader issues, including: - the importance of role models, - the impact a lack of role models has on the number of girls who drop out of sport, - the role of sports as “playtime” for kids and adults alike, - why running (and the body awareness it creates) is fantastic for dealing with anxiety or an overactive brain (how do you get

Nicole Bradley joined the Australian Army at 20 and served for 22 years. And admits she ‘lost’ herself in the process. However after leaving the Army, and at the age of 42, Nicole discovered the sport of powerlifting - and life hasn’t been the same since. Nicole progressed quickly and set her 1st Australian Masters Record for the bench press (she now has 3 records) in her first competition! Injuries acquired during her service in the Army meant Nicole was eligible to compete (and was selected) to represent Australia at the Warrior Games in the United States and in the 2018 Invictus Games held in Sydney. And the honour didn’t stop there; much to her surprise, Nicole was appointed the co-captain of the 2018 Australian Invictus Games team!  In this conversation, Nicole and I discuss: - why children need to see adults participating in sport, - why she turned down the first invitation she received to attend an Invictus Games training and selection camp, - the challenge associated with shifting identity from ‘Army

Meredith Quinlan and Jess Baker are two of Australia’s best ultramarathon runners with a string of victories and records to their name. In recent years, they have begun exploring what lies beyond organised races. In 2018, their love of travel and running took them to Iceland where they ran the length of Iceland - from the northern tip to the southern tip - and set a Fastest Known Time (FKT) in the process. The ‘Iceland Traverse’ was a self-supported journey of around 580km which took them 7 days and 13 hours to complete. In this (laughter-filled) conversation, we discuss: - how they each discovered running, - whether there was any sense of rivalry between them, - why Meredith doesn’t fear failure, - Jess’ experience with the Imposter Complex and why she says it can be helpful at times, - where the idea to traverse Iceland came from, - how Iceland’s rich history of strong women inspired them, and - the logistics involved in a self-supported crossing of Iceland, which included being powered by chocolate biscuit

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 stud