Challenges That Change Us

A lot of people have at some point jokingly said “Oh that’s my OCD acting up” when it comes to being a bit specific about details and for a lot of us that is the extent of our experience with Obsessive Compulsive Disorder.But for many this can be a debilitating and difficult mental health condition to live with.In today’s episode I have the honour of speaking with Simon Rinne. Simon is a qualified Social Worker, and has 15 years experience in the Australian Public Service, has lived with Mental Illness for over 30 years and is the host of the Mindful Men podcast.In this episode Simon Rinne shares:The many ways OCD compulsions presented themselves for him during childhoodHow it took him around 20 years from experiencing the first symptom to finally getting a diagnosis for OCD.How accepting your mental health challenges, people are able to seek help and embark on the path to healing.His experience with burnout and it’s connection to OCDThe different ways you can seek professional helpWhy it is so important to change the discourse around mental health and end the stigmaWhy trivialising OCD can be damaging Key Quotes“Acceptance is the key thing in every single situation.”“If you hold a knife there’s this overwhelming fear that you’re going to stab someone. You don’t want to but it’s just an intrusive thought that you can’t get rid of.”“Having this really high bar of perfectionism. A lot of that was to control the anxiety that comes with obsessive thoughts if I didn’t do something in a certain way.”More about SimonCheck out his website at www.mindful-men.com.auListen to the podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/the-mindful-men-podcast/id1604992311  Follow him on social mediaFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/mindful.men.ausInstagram: @mindful.men.ausLinkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/simon-rinne-246207247/Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@mindful.men.ausYoutube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCbXBNQmbj4ZQj3rzFAZALTAYou can get involved with the podcast onlineOur facebook community: https://www.facebook.com/groups/challengesthatchangeusOn Instagram: @challengesthatchangeus To find out more about what Ali does, check out her business via the website:http://www.trialtitudeperformance.com.auFor her other business go here:www.altitudefitnessarmidale.com.auOr you can follow them on Instagram:@Altitudefitnessarmidale@trialtitudeperformance

Today we are talking to an incredible man who, together with his with Phoebe, went through the horrendous experience of losing their daughter Josie to Diffuse Intrinsic Pontine Glioma (DIPG).Matt Dun is Professor of Paediatric Haematology/Oncology Research at the University of Newcastle and Deputy Director of the Precision Medicine Research Program at Hunter Medical Research Institute, Matt is currently a National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) Investigator. He has many more titles and awards that would honestly make us go over our word limit just to post them all.The research of Matt’s lab underpins the international clinical trial for patients diagnosed with DIPG, a combination therapy strategy targeting the unique and emerging features of DIPG, with each drug targeting critical hallmarks discovered by the research of his laboratory.In this episode Matt shares:-      His military experience and transition to civilian Life-      The experience of having his daughter diagnosed with DIPG-      How he started running as a way to cope with internal sorrow-      Why he decided to run a marathon to raise awareness and funds for research-      The way he and his partner started a charity called Run DMC Run to raise awareness-      What is DIPG and its treatment challenges-      How there is a need for increased funding and research for childhood cancer treatment Key Quotes “What we need to do is attract the world’s greatest minds to take on the world’s biggest medical challenge.”“I just started to run…and for that time I was feeling physical pain instead of emotional pain and it just felt great.”“Families just disintegrate. Because what they watch their kid go through, it’s hard to disentangle what you’ve experienced when you look at your partner again.”About Matt For more about Run DIPG through their website: https://rundipg.org/run-for-run-dipg/Donate to Matt’s upcoming run here: https://rundipg-org.grassrootz.com/run-for-run-dipg-23-sunday-24-09-23/matthew-dun#claimFollow Run DIPG on social media:Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/RUNDIPGInstagram - https://www.instagram.com/rundipg/Get involved with the podcast onlineOn facebook in our community: https://www.facebook.com/groups/challengesthatchangeusOr on Instagram: @challengesthatchangeus To find out more about what Ali does, check out her business via the website:http://www.trialtitudeperformance.com.auFor her other business you can find it through the website:www.altitudefitnessarmidale.com.auOr you can follow them on Instagram:@Altitudefitnessarmidale@trialtitudeperformance

Trigger warning: anxiety, imposter syndromeThe term imposter syndrome gets used more and more commonly these days and many of us have probably experienced it at some point. But just how closely is it connected to anxiety? And just how devastating can its effects be?To share her personal experiences with anxiety and imposter syndrome we have Alison Shamir joining on us the podcast.Alison is an Imposter Syndrome Expert, International Speaker, Certified Coach and Media Contributor. Through her work, Alison empowers global organisations, teams & individuals with the knowledge, tools and methods grounded in science they need to overcome Imposter Syndrome and present and perform as their most confident selves. Alison is also a proud member of the LGBTQIA+ community, passionate about Diversity, Equity and Inclusion and has held Leadership roles across the Technology and Media sectors. She combines both lived experience and professional expertise to help her clients make transformative change. In this episode Alison Shamir shares: -      Overcoming imposter syndrome and navigating the lasting effects of a difficult childhood.-      The panic attack that led her to confront her deepest fears,-      How she has used her experiences to become an advocate for domestic and family violence-      The importance of finding someone who offers psychological safety when sharing personal stories or seeking support.Key Quotes “Everything from the exterior, looking in, looked good. But on the inside I was really, really suffering.” “You can’t outrun imposter syndrome. Unless you address it at its core, it just keeps a hold on you.” “One conversation can make a profound impact. Just one conversation flicks that first domino.”More about AlisonYou can find out more about Alison on her website: Find me at www.alisonshamir.com  Follow her on social media:Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alison-shamir-67440b17/Instagram: @alisonshamirFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/alisonshamirYou can get involved with the podcast onlineOn facebook in our community: https://www.facebook.com/groups/challengesthatchangeusOr on Instagram: @challengesthatchangeus If you want to find out more about what Ali does, check out her business via the website:http://www.trialtitudeperformance.com.auFor her other business you can find it through the websites:www.altitudefitnessarmidale.com.auOr you can follow them on Instagram:@Altitudefitnessarmidale@trialtitudeperformance

Trigger warning: eating disorders and depressionEating disorders are a mental disorder that is gaining a lot more awareness, but there is still so much we do not know.That is why I am so honoured to have Hannah Campbell share her journey of recovering from Anorexia Nervosa in such a raw, detailed and personal way.Hannah is 32 years old and currently lives in the United Kingdom. She completed her PhD in Clinical Exercise Physiology and is one of the first Registered Clinical Exercise Physiologists in the UK. She's now the Programme Lead for the Bachelor in Human Physiology at the University of Leeds.In this episode Hannah shares:- Her experience of a friend's death and subsequent rumours and bullying at school- How she felt isolated and lost trust in people- The early warning signs she was developing a disorder- What support could have looked like for people with an eating disorder- The experience of refeeding in a hospital setting- How the struggle with eating disorder compares to alcoholism or drug addiction- The lasting impact of bullying and why she urges bullies to consider the consequences- There is always hope. Key Quotes "I was so exhausted. I just started eating, and I'd eat, eat, eat, eat, eat, eat, eat until I was so full, and then I'd feel disgusting."“I wasn’t just losing a couple of kilos a week, I was losing a kilo a day”“I had a GP who told me my BMI wasn’t low enough to have an eating disorder”More about HannahHannah suggested these resources and books around eating disorders:https://butterfly.org.au/https://emilyprogram.com/resources/books/https://www.beateatingdisorders.org.uk/get-information-and-support/about-eating-disorders/downloads-resources/helpful-books/The book: Goodbye Ed, Hello Me: Recover from Your Eating Disorder and Fall in Love with Life by Jenni Schaefer.Follow her on X: @HannahCampLinkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/hannah-campbell-clark-b126a2223/Her professional achievements: https://biologicalsciences.leeds.ac.uk/biological-sciences/staff/2618/hannah-campbell-You can get involved with the podcast onlineOn facebook in our community: https://www.facebook.com/groups/challengesthatchangeusOr on Instagram: @challengesthatchangeus If you want to find out more about what Ali does, check out her business via the website:http://www.trialtitudeperformance.com.auFor her other business you can find it through the websites:www.altitudefitnessarmidale.com.auOr you can follow them on Instagram:@Altitudefitnessarmidale@trialtitudeperformance

Cancer is a topic that has come up a bit on Challenges That Change Us, but my good friend Col Secomb has an incredible story to share about not only overcoming a brain tumour the size of a plum, but also overcoming a challenge he describes as being even harder than going through brain surgery.Col was born, raised and educated on the east coast of Australia and moved to England in 2010 after travelling extensively. Since then he has gone through brain surgery, founded a law firm and founded a legal tech company.Cole opens up about his own experience with a brain tumour and the shocking death of his father that changed his world.. We'll explore their unique perspective on life and how it shaped his approach to challenges, as well as the contrasting viewpoints within their relationship. Cole also navigates the complexities of parenting, the importance of treating people equally in business and living your live with no regrets as life is short, Just crack on with life.In this episode Cole Shares-      His discovery of a plum-sized brain tumour that caused him to lose his ability to speak-      How his biggest fear was if his tumour affecting him in communicating with children-      Reflection on why he needed to be selfish during difficult experiences-      Why the loss of his father was his real challenge that changed him-      Navigating differing perspectives on the same issue-      His parenting dynamics in guiding children and how it has shifted as they grow older-      How he gets clarity and relaxation through walks and thinking through thingsKey Quotes“Without physically holding my hand, She held my hand, and allowed me to guide myself through the way that I thought I needed to do it.”“You know, the only thing you take your grave is memories”“As soon as you start to realise that people are just people, it's makes all the relationships easier.More about Col If you want to connect with Col personally you can do so via linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/col-secomb-4072326b/You can find his law firm here: (www.lewisdenley.com)And you can find his legal-tech company here: (www.yaotechnology.com)You can get involved with the podcast onlineOn facebook in our community: https://www.facebook.com/groups/challengesthatchangeusOr on Instagram: @challengesthatchangeus If you want to find out more about what Ali does, check out her business via the website:http://www.trialtitudeperformance.com.auFor her other business you can find it through the websites:www.altitudefitnessarmidale.com.auOr you can follow them on Instagram:@Altitudefitnessarmidale@trialtitudeperformance

Trigger warning – depression and suicideWe have been honoured to have a few guests share their stories of mental health battles, this week’s episode is a truly detailed and immersive story of what it’s like to live with a parent who is battling depression.Meg Southcombe is currently the Where There’s A Will There’s A Way Ambassador and it is her story of coming to terms with her father’s depression that has allowed her to have such an impact with the organisation.She attended St Joseph’s High School Aberdeen and was a WTAW student leader and takes every opportunity afforded to her to promote WTAW’s approach to community wellbeing and lobbies for every Australian school to adopt an evidenced based approach towellbeing education.Meg is the Recipient of the National Council of Women, Dame Marie Bashir Peace Award for work on international women’s day , mental health, and homelessness advocation.She is also a panellist for The Australian Broadcasting Commission – ‘The Drum.In this episode Meg shares:-      Her Father's illness and the impact it had on her-      Feeling trapped and unable to escape the situation-      Embracing vulnerability and honesty-      Sharing their experiences to help others relate and understand their struggles-      Emphasising the importance of reaching out for support-      Working with the organisation "Where There's a Will"Key Quotes“You see, I was so caught up in presenting a picture-perfect life because I was embarrassed and didn't want to be associated with anything negative. I felt trapped, unable to escape the situation at home.”“It wasn't until I started working closely with a program that teaches coping methods to kids that I truly began to understand the importance of opening up and talking about our struggles.”“It was important for me to be seen as positive and a go-getter, but deep down, I was struggling. I would cope with stress on my own, not reaching out for support when I desperately needed it.”More about MegYou can follow her on social mediaInstagram: @meg_southcombeLinkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/meg-southcombe-538663269?originalSubdomain=auYou can check out the charity, Where There’s A Will” here: https://uhwheretheresawill.com.au/You can get involved with the podcast onlineOn facebook in our community: https://www.facebook.com/groups/challengesthatchangeusOr on Instagram: @challengesthatchangeus If you want to find out more about what Ali does, check out her business via the website:http://www.trialtitudeperformance.com.auFor her other business you can find it through the websites:www.altitudefitnessarmidale.com.auOr you can follow them on Instagram:@Altitudefitnessarmidale@trialtitudeperformance

Time is almost out to sign up for our Resilience course. To subscribe to the course, use this link: https://altitudefitnessarmidale.clickfunnels.com/from-surviving-2-thrivingTrigger warning – difficult birthsCombining long term health issues like diabetes and birth complications is enough of a challenge for anyone to overcome, but Katie Godden has gone through it all.She has experienced the negative self talk, the struggles of not having a system that works for you and has come out the other end.Now Katie is a committed and purpose driven holistic health practitioner, qualified with a bachelor of education, a Master in Hypnotherapy and Timeline Therapy and is and NLP trainer.In this episode Katie shares: -      What it’s like living with type 1 diabetes-      How her relationship with diabetes has changed over the years-      The moment that she realised she was done with the way she was living and that things needed to change-      How the thoughts were all consuming for such a long time and the excuses and self talk she had in her mind-      The power of timeline therapy and neuro linguistic therapyKey Quotes“Experiencing Type 1 Diabetes is not a straight line.”“Knowing what felt good for me was the key.”“There were moments that I thought oh gosh I can’t do this, this is too hard.”More about KatieYou can find out more about what Katie does via her website: http://katiegodden.com/You can also follow her on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/katie.godden/You can get involved with the podcast onlineOn facebook in our community: https://www.facebook.com/groups/challengesthatchangeusOr on Instagram: @challengesthatchangeus If you want to find out more about what Ali does, check out her business via the website:http://www.trialtitudeperformance.com.auFor her other business you can find it through the websites:www.altitudefitnessarmidale.com.auOr you can follow them on Instagram:@Altitudefitnessarmidale@trialtitudeperformance

Resilience courseTo subscribe to our resilience course use this link: https://altitudefitnessarmidale.clickfunnels.com/from-surviving-2-thrivingA lot of the challenges we discuss on this podcast are about overcoming something unexpected, or something you were not prepared for, but this week’s episode is a different kind of challenge.Extreme sports like Ultra Marathon running, or swimming every day for over 8 years require an incredible amount of preparation and endurance and that is something Peter Hancock has in spades.This amazing friend of mine has pushed his body to the absolute limit with running and swimming and it was my absolute pleasure to talk with him about the impact that these incredibly challenging sports have had on him.In this episode Peter shares: -      What made him first get into ultra marathon running-      The powerful addiction of endurance sports-      The hardest run that really made things challenging for him-      How he uses fortune cookies to help get through hard and challenging runs-      How negative thoughts can derail a run-      What made him decide to keep swimming for over 3000 days-      The time his swimming caused him and his two children to have a run in with a sharkKey Quotes“I try to focus on the positive...Once you start doubting the negative thoughts cascade.”“It’s really inspiring to know that someone is waiting at 100km”“Before every event I will open a fortune cookie and I’ll carry the fortune with me throughout the event.”You can get involved with the podcast onlineOn facebook in our community: https://www.facebook.com/groups/challengesthatchangeusOr on Instagram: @challengesthatchangeus If you want to find out more about what Ali does, check out her business via the website:http://www.trialtitudeperformance.com.auFor her other business you can find it through the websites:www.altitudefitnessarmidale.com.auOr you can follow them on Instagram:@Altitudefitnessarmidale@trialtitudeperformance

Trigger warning: This episode covers the details of a genocide and discusses murder, rape, assault, slavery and more.This episode I have the privilege to be speaking to someone truly courageous and incredible.Living in Australia and the rest of Western society, our understanding of what can happen oppressed minority groups in other countries can be hazy at best.So it goes without saying that even our imagination cannot truly help us what it must have been like to have suffered through a genocide.That is exactly what happened to Salam Qaro and his Yazidi community in 2014.Abandoned by governments, Salam witnessed atrocities committed against his people when ISIS attacked. From there he began the long journey through refugee camps, seeking asylum and eventually travelling all the way to Armidale, Australia.Now we are truly honoured to have him talk to us about his story.In this episode Salam shares: -      What actually happened during the 2014 Yazidi Genocide-      The horrific war crimes committed by Isis against the Yazidi people-      How he worked to save and rescue people during the attacks-      The reality of what it is like in a refugee camp and why it’s not how we imagine-      The drawn out process of seeking asylum and why it took him years to have it granted-      What it has been like settling in Armidale  -      The strange challenge they are having with getting the Government to recognise the Yazidi language and why it is costing livesKey Quotes“I hate the term refugee, because we are not refugees, and we feel we are a part of this beautiful country and community.”“Be kind to yourself, treat yourself with the same compassion you would offer to the others.”“That’s the only thing we want. We just wanted to be safe and in a life and to support the community around us.”More about Salam If you want to show your support you can attend the Yazidi Genocide commemoration on 3rd August 2-4pm at the Armidale Town Hall. Resilience courseTo subscribe to our resilience course use this link: https://altitudefitnessarmidale.clickfunnels.com/from-surviving-2-thrivingYou can get involved with the podcast onlineOn facebook in our community: https://www.facebook.com/groups/challengesthatchangeusOr on Instagram: @challengesthatchangeus If you want to find out more about what Ali does, check out her business via the website:http://www.trialtitudeperformance.com.auFor her other business you can find it through the websites:www.altitudefitnessarmidale.com.auOr you can follow them on Instagram:@Altitudefitnessarmidale@trialtitudeperformance