Challenges That Change Us

The sudden impact of an unexpected injury can have instant, life changing consequences, and that was the case for Richard Tombs when a freak accident left him wondering if he would ever walk again.During his time whilst juggling his career Richard also represented the Wallabies from 1988 thru 1996, which included 5 test matches and a part of the 1991 World Cup winning squad and 1992 Bledisloe victory.Now he uses his 30 years experience from the medical device industry to help as the general manager of Hearts in Rugby Union. In this episode he shares: -      What first got him into rugby-      How a coach’s death had a big influence on him-      The difference between believing you can vs believing you can’t-      How he got into working with medical devices-      How his career in sport was transferrable to the corporate world-      The accident that changed his life-      How one doctors diagnosis caused him unnecessary mental anguish-      His journey to being able to walk again-      The tools he had in his toolkit that he pulled on to make it through this latest chapter-      What he misses the most from his past life-      What he has learnt about listening-      How he got involved with Hearts In Rugby Union. Key Quotes “You don’t have a choice when you're a quadriplegic in a wheelchair, you have to be patient.” “Integrity is key.” More about Follow him on linkedin and find out more about Hearts In Rugby Union here.  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

One experience that all parents hope they never have to go through is losing their child. The grief and loss can be overwhelming and figuring out how to navigate that can be incredibly hard.Sadly that was an experience Barbra Schulte had to go through when she lost her son Zane to bone cancer.Since working her way through how to process her grief she is now a High-Performance Coach, Cutting Horse Trainer, the Author of six books, the Publisher of video blogs and Online Programs, a Clinician, a Speaker, and an Honoree in the National Cowgirl Hall of Fame.She was awarded the National Female Equestrian of the Year Award by the AQHA and the Women's Sports Foundation. In 2020, she received the American Horse Publications Equine Industry Vision Award for her positive impact on the horse industry. In 2021, she received The Western Horseman & The Art of the Cowgirl's Women of the West Award. In this episode she shares: -      What her sone Zane was like-      How things started to go wrong when a tumour was found in Zane’s knee-      What happened when Zane was misdiagnosed-      The fun, creative things Zane would do while in hospital-      What she learnt from Zane-      What it was like when he first passed-      What happened in her marriage after Zane’s death-      Her spiritual discovery and how it helped her-      Why she now sees life as before Zane, with Zane, and after Zane-      How her grief has changed her Key Quotes“I had never known grief like I had experienced with him.” “They gave him a 65% chance of survival. Well of course Zane and I took it for granted that he was in the 65th percentile.” More about BarbraFollow her on Facebook, listen to her podcast on Apple or Spotify or see her free weekly videos.You can find her books via her website. 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

If you’d like to do more work on resilience check out our course here. Can you believe we have made it to the end of 2024?I know the past year has been a big one for many of us, myself included, so before we hit 2025 I thought I’d jump on here to give a few tools, strategies and tips for how to can approach adversity and nurture resilience. In this episode I share: -      Keyy strategies that I use when adversity hits-      Why you should ‘clear the deck’ when adversity hits-      The importance of figuring out what you can and cannot control-      How to work out how to measure what's happening in this moment of adversity-      Why number scaling your adversity can help-      The negative narrative in your head and how to combat it-      The importance of being compassionate with yourself-      The storm analogy I use for understanding adversity-      An activity you can do with me to help Key Quotes “I choose to let go of what I can’t control.”“When you can measure it you can manage it.”  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   

One person whose journey to success could be described as a struggled laced with tragedy is Beau Robinson.Having experienced multiple attempts and hurdles before finally making and playing in the Super Rugby Final with the NSW Waratahs and then in 2011 he found himself at the Queensland Reds and became a Super Rugby Champion winning the Super Rugby title. He also went on to play for the Australian National Team, the Wallabies. He completed a Business degree and now transfers and applies his experience and knowledge as a Leadership and Culture Coach and consultant.  In this episode he shares: -      How he went straight into pro rugby league-      The loneliness he experienced when he moved from the country to the city-      Why he switched codes-      The struggles he had whilst living overseas-      The heart breaking loss he experienced while living away from home-      How hard it was when he decided he only wanted to do pro rugby in Australia-      What he’s learnt from his coaches-      What he has learnt from sport that he has applied to the business world Key Quotes “I kept asking myself why am I doing this?” “I was like how has it got to this at 23 years of age that I’m driving the garbage truck, I don’t have a professional contract, I’ve lost my brother.” “I’d cry myself to sleep being so lonely.” More about Beau Follow him on Instagram and linkedin, and his book is here.  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     

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