I think I reached a point where.. the unthinkable has happened in terms of losing a parent and being in a place that I didn’t think I would be. So I may as well go for what I really want to do and have a good time doing it.
My guest this week on Sparta Chicks Radio is Jamie Mittelman.
She’s the host of my new favourite podcast - Flame Bearers: The Women Athletes Carrying Tokyo's Torch.
The podcast celebrates the journeys of unsung women Olympians & Paralympians. Many have names you probably won’t recognise but each has a remarkable story that needs to be told.
Aside from discussing their athletic career, Jamie also explores the issues that matter most to the athletes, including everything from equal-pay to disability policy and the refugee experience.
Plus she interviews their friends and family, their coaches and even subject matter experts so you get a holistic perspective of who they are and what’s important to them.
We start this conversation with Jamie’s story including:
* the important role sport and outdoor activities played in her family growing up,
* sport as a mental health tool, and
* her struggle with Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) particularly during College and how it transformed the sport she loved (soccer) into a source of anxiety and fear, and what she learnt from the experience.
Then we discuss the podcast, including:
* where the idea came from and why it’s so important,
* the episodes that have left a lasting impression on her,
* some of the common lessons or themes her guests have shared, and
* whether she has struggled with putting herself out into the world, why she feels “athletically unqualified” to host the podcast and her experience with the Imposter Complex.
Click here to listen on iTunes.
Notes and resources:
You can find the Flame Bearers podcast here on iTunes / Apple Podcasts as well as on Instagram and Facebook or via the website.