Challenges That Change Us

It’s shown time and time again that family abuse and violence is rife in our communities, and it’s often the other family members who keep things quiet.Caroline Brunne’s story shows just how far families can go to hide abuse, and the impact it can have when the secret does finally come out. Caroline Brunne is a survivor coach, breath work facilitator, author, professional speaker and Founder of INSupport Community. From her lived experience of incest, child sexual abuse, family and domestic violence Caroline has shifted her trauma into transformation. Caroline shares her healing journey and guides both survivors and supporters by teaching them the power of being allies whilst walking beside survivors as they face the complexities of their journey of healing. In this episode she shares: -      How writing became a tool for healing, with the completion of her memoir during the 2020 lockdown helping her process trauma and share her story;-      Why she decided to self-publish her memoir to share her lived experience as a survivor publicly-      The journey of navigating family relationships involves balancing love, grief, and boundaries while addressing trauma-      Why she chose to disclose her story to her sister and the subsequent impact on her family dynamics.-      The ways that speaking out publicly has led to ripple effects in her personal and family life-      Why she chose not to pursue criminal justice and explored alternatives like restorative justice.-      The process of finding her voice, from private conversations to public advocacy Key Quotes “I was abused by my father at the age of 10 for about four years” "I think my parents just want to live their lives as adults... as retired people who just want to forget whatever may have happened in their life and whatever they may have caused." “I know that she knew that she wasn't safe before she was actually not safe” More about CarolineFollow her on Instagram, facebook and linkedin. You can get involved with the podcast online On facebook in our community: https://www.facebook.com/groups/challengesthatchangeusOr on Instagram: @challengesthatchangeusIf you want to contact the podcast, email us here: support@challengesthatchangeus.comOr check out our website: www.Challengesthatchangeus.com If you want to find out more about what Ali does, check out her business via the website:http://www.trialtitudeperformance.com.au For her other business you can find it through the websites:www.altitudefitnessarmidale.com.au

In this episode of 'Challenges That Change Us,' we are joined by 18-year-old cyclist Toby Inglis, who details his extraordinary journey in the sport. Toby shares his experiences growing up in a small farming community and his rapid rise in the world of cycling despite significant challenges like the COVID-19 pandemic, unexpected health issues, and living arrangement problems. Toby has developed a raft of coping strategies, and has learnt the importance of having a strong support network, and his approach to maintaining resilience and focus in the face of adversity is one we can all learn from.Despite setbacks, including health issues, team challenges in Europe, and personal struggles, Toby is determined to continue pursuing his dreams. He believes that overcoming challenges reveals true character, driving fulfillment and growth as both an athlete and a person. In this episode he shares: -      The impact of COVID-19 and rowing-      His challenges and triumphs in Europe-      His struggles and how it helped develop his resilience-      The importance of finding your own path in elite sports-      Support system and key changes-      How he overcame setbacks and injuries-      The mental shifts and confidence building he went through-      Lessons from coaches-      How he now looks at balancing life and cycling-      His final thoughts and reflections Key Quotes "For me, it got into the point where I believed for a lot of this year that I wasn't good enough." "It was recognizing that I’d gone from having my old group of people... to sort of in no man’s land.” More about Toby Follow him on Instagram  You can get involved with the podcast online On facebook in our community: https://www.facebook.com/groups/challengesthatchangeusOr on Instagram: @challengesthatchangeusIf you want to contact the podcast, email us here: support@challengesthatchangeus.comOr check out our website: www.Challengesthatchangeus.com If you want to find out more about what Ali does, check out her business via the website:http://www.trialtitudeperformance.com.au For her other business you can find it through the websites:www.altitudefitnessarmidale.com.au@trialtitudeperformance

We’ve had guests speak about growing up in a controlling religious sect before, but for this episode we are getting a close up look at what it was like to grow up in one of these groups, while also being gay.Craig Hoyle grew up in Invercargill, NZ in the restrictive Exclusive Brethren Christian sect, which banned television, radio, pets, and social contact with outsiders. He was excommunicated from the Brethren in 2009 after coming out as gay as a teenager. Today he is chief news director for the Sunday Star-Times, one of New Zealand’s national newspapers. His book Excommunicated is a multigenerational memoir telling the story of his family's journey with the Exclusive Brethren sect over 200 years. In this episode he shares: -      HIs early experience with the exclusive brethren-      What he wasn’t allowed to do as a kid-      How the brethren tried to change his sexuality-      What it was like being gay in the brethren-      What made him first want to run away from the brethren-      What it was like being kicked out of the brethren-      How his family reacting to him being gay-      The people who helped him and how the world helped him Key Quotes “The brethren were very, very good at keeping tabs on you and very good at finding out where you were” “I was going round to a local priests house and we would spend hours while I tried to confess.” More about Craig Find him on linkedin and find his book on amazon.  You can get involved with the podcast online On facebook in our community: https://www.facebook.com/groups/challengesthatchangeusOr on Instagram: @challengesthatchangeusIf you want to contact the podcast, email us here: support@challengesthatchangeus.comOr check out our website: www.Challengesthatchangeus.com If you want to find out more about what Ali does, check out her business via the website:http://www.trialtitudeperformance.com.au For her other business you can find it through the websites:www.altitudefitnessarmidale.com.au@trialtitudeperformance

The impacts that body image beliefs can have on limiting our ability to grow and succeed are honestly hard to quantify, but make no mistake, they can be absolutely crushing. During her 15+ years of experience in corporate leadership roles at Fortune 500 companies, Nma Emeh encountered countless women, including herself, who struggled with their body image.This experience inspired her to embark on a mission to develop a practical and effective approach to help women leaders overcome body image challenges so they can advance in their careers, earn their true worth, and bridge the gender equality gap with confidence.Now she works as a body image consultant, stylist, speaker and strong advocate for body diversity in the workplace. In this episode she shares: -      The early factors that influenced her body image issues-      Her Journey to body image confidence coaching-      Impact of body Image on daily life-      The impact that body image has on women and young girls today-      The cycle of body image insecurity-      How she is empowering young girls to find their voice-      The importance of advocacy and self-expression Key Quotes “I felt like I was constantly being compared to them (siblings) physically.” “Society taught me that beauty comes only in the physical.” More about Nma Follow her on her website, linkedin, Instagram or Facebook.  You can get involved with the podcast online On facebook in our community: https://www.facebook.com/groups/challengesthatchangeusOr on Instagram: @challengesthatchangeusIf you want to contact the podcast, email us here: support@challengesthatchangeus.comOr check out our website: www.Challengesthatchangeus.com If you want to find out more about what Ali does, check out her business via the website:http://www.trialtitudeperformance.com.au For her other business you can find it through the websites:www.altitudefitnessarmidale.com.au@trialtitudeperformance

Trigger warning: Child sexual abuse We’ve said before that survivors of child sexual abuse often end up more resilient than others, purely because of what they have had to live through.Well Malika Reese is possibly the purest example of that, because not only did she survive abuse as a child, she also went on to face her perpetrator and see him charged, survive a robbery and survive having a car run her and her baby down. Malika Reese was born in California in the 70’s, to a White writer and a Black writer.As an emcee, speaker, writer, musician and storyteller, Malika has been performing for over 30 years. She is Artist in Residence and celebrant at Tender Funerals. She has taught music, produced dozens of community events, co-written multiple shows and performed at many places, including Sydney Opera House, TEDx, Woodford Folk Festival and Sydney, Adelaide, Darwin and Melbourne Fringe Festivals. She is a founding member of The Church of the Clitori. Malika has also written an educational play called ”A Gentle Talk About Death for Little Ones”. She will follow this up with "A Gentle Talk About Bodies for Little Ones”. She is an outspoken advocate to bring awareness about CSA and works closely with Women’s groups to speak out against DV In this episode she shares:What life looked like growing up and how she moved aroundHer experience being groomed by her step fatherHow her grandmother gave up everything to try and protect herWhat happened at 14 that caused her abuse to stopHer realisation about her shame and its effect on herWhat her journey to recovery looked likeHow her abuser children and getting recognition lead her to having him chargedWhat the process of having her abuser charged was likeThe moment she and her son were run down by a car and reversed overHow insurance for the car accident was as traumatising as court for her assault caseHer perspective on the healing journey Key Quotes “I was alone in Australia, at 13, without any family, and living with a paedophile.”“The car came through in an arc and it hit me, with my son in my arms and we flew through the air.” More about MalikaFollow her on Instagram, Facebook and LinkedIn. You can get involved with the podcast onlineOn facebook in our community: https://www.facebook.com/groups/challengesthatchangeusOr on Instagram: @challengesthatchangeusIf you want to contact the podcast, email us here: support@challengesthatchangeus.comOr check out our website: www.Challengesthatchangeus.comIf 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.au

Welcome to part 2 of our chat with the incredible Nathan Stapleton.In our last episode Nathan shared the highs and lows of life in elite sport, and immediately afterwards, as well as the mindset he needed in order to thrive in that sporting space.For this episode we are discussing the serious topic of his sudden accident that left him a quadriplegic and what life has been like since.In this episode he shares:-      The moments that led him to participate I nthe game that caused his accident-      How his accident occurred and what happened-      What it was like in the early stages when he discovered he couldn’t move-      The bad times he had ithe early days-      How he communicated via lip reading in the early stages of recovery-      How he got to the stage he has now with his mindset-      How his perspective on mental health has changed-      How his family gave him the strength to manage through hardship-      What he had to do to navigate fatherhood after his accident-      How he has found peace after his trauma-      How he started the Standing Strong InitiativeKey Quotes "Time felt like it stood still...an hour felt like a day, a day felt like a month, a month felt like a year."More about NathanFollow him on Instagram.You can get involved with the podcast online On facebook in our community: https://www.facebook.com/groups/challengesthatchangeusOr on Instagram: @challengesthatchangeusIf you want to contact the podcast, email us here: support@challengesthatchangeus.comOr check out our website: www.Challengesthatchangeus.com If you want to find out more about what Ali does, check out her business via the website:http://www.trialtitudeperformance.com.au For her other business you can find it through the websites:www.altitudefitnessarmidale.com.au@trialtitudeperformance

Few people know what is required mentally to achieve at the highest level of elite sport, and fewer still know what it’s like to have to apply that mindset to a life changing injury.Nathan Stapleton is an Australian professional rugby league player who most recently played for the London Broncos in the Kingstone Press Championship. He previously represented the Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks in the National Rugby League, primarily playing as a wing, fullback, and center.In this episode he shares:-      His early life in rural AustraliaHow he ended up in elite level rugby-      The pressure and expectations he was under as an athlete-      The emotional lows he experienced in football-      The mindsets he leaned on when things got tough-      What the cost of his drive and discipline was-      The experience of losing his mum at 23-      The moves he made after the sharks-      His experience with his wife having a miscarriage-      Why he wasn’t prepared to deal with the miscarriage.Key Quotes “Because I always buried myself in physical work I didn’t know how to handle it mentally "It was a lot harder than I was anticipating."More about NathanFollow him on Instagram.You can get involved with the podcast online On facebook in our community: https://www.facebook.com/groups/challengesthatchangeusOr on Instagram: @challengesthatchangeusIf you want to contact the podcast, email us here: support@challengesthatchangeus.comOr check out our website: www.Challengesthatchangeus.com If you want to find out more about what Ali does, check out her business via the website:http://www.trialtitudeperformance.com.au For her other business you can find it through the websites:www.altitudefitnessarmidale.com.au@trialtitudeperformance

Trigger warning: AnxietyWelcome to part two of our chat with Stephanie Burns.In part one Stephanie shared her remarkable life and some of the huge challenges she has faced, including having to navigate violence in the home and abandonment in her teenage years.In part two she shares with us the impact those experiences have had on her and how they influenced her social anxiety.This episode is not just about her social anxiety but also about the many tools she has used to overcome it, while also learning to live with it.In this episode she shares: -      The influence of her early experiences on her social skills-      How she developed a fear and discomfort with social situations-      How bad her social anxiety got-      The connection between her abandonment and her difficulties with trusting-      How it helped her to create a safe space for social interactions-      The importance of knowing oneself and setting boundaries-      Why it can be nice to thrive in your area of interest-      The advantage of taking small steps when navigating new experiencesKey Quotes“In the old days I couldn’t go in a grocery store because I didn't know how to navigate people in a grocery store.”“When you’re having a panic attack and people go, what do you need? You don't know what you need."More about Stephanie BurnsFind her books and email info via her website or go to her facebook or linkedin.You can get involved with the podcast online On facebook in our community: https://www.facebook.com/groups/challengesthatchangeusOr on Instagram: @challengesthatchangeusIf you want to contact the podcast, email us here: support@challengesthatchangeus.comOr check out our website: www.Challengesthatchangeus.com If you want to find out more about what Ali does, check out her business via the website:http://www.trialtitudeperformance.com.au For her other business you can find it through the websites:www.altitudefitnessarmidale.com.au@trialtitudeperformance