179.6K
Downloads
74
Episodes
The RMA Podcast explores the lives of everyday women with an inspiring story to tell. We cover the highs and lows of their journey, the impact motherhood has had on their lives, and how running has inspired them to live wilder, dream bigger and change the world around them.
Episodes
Monday Jul 11, 2022
Monday Jul 11, 2022
On Episode 24 of the RMA podcast we chat with Sydney Runner, Angela Caithness. Now at age 51, Angela shares with us how she has found her strength through running.
In this episode we discuss Angela's background. Born in 1970, Angela grew up on a farm just outside of Devonport Tasmania. She shared an Idyllic childhood in a beautiful location with her sister Caroline and her parents, with views of the snow capped mountains in one direction and over the paddocks in the other direction to the blue sea of Bass Strait.
We discuss the many trauma's that Angela has endured in her life. In January 1990 her dad got hit by a falling tree in a freak accident on their farm, rendering him a quadriplegic. We talk about how this impacted her family, and Angela as a teenager. Tragically, in August 2005 her sister was diagnosed with lung cancer (non smoker) which led to brain cancer. She passed away December 2007, 2 months after her 40th birthday. Her children were 7 and 5. Shortly after that, her father battled bad health and passed away in March 2009, and her mother in the December of the same year. So in 2009 Angela had lost her whole family before she had even turned 40.
Angela's running Story didn't start until just before she turned 48 when her kids were all grown up and she could finally do something for herself. Angela used to love to walk her dog at the local oval, but her dog passed away. After that Angela kept walking, and thought she would see if she could run from one light pole to the next. Then she challenged herself to run one or two laps of the oval. Then that Christmas her sister-in-law encouraged her to run around Lake Tuggeranong with her - about 7km's, so she trained herself for that distance and they ended up running 2 laps which was 14km's and her longest run. Then the rest was history. Angela was training and running events. She was training hard for the upcoming Canberra half when the world went into lockdown in March 2020. Lockdown for her meant that she had nothing to do but run. A local friend suggested she join strava and invited her to join RMA. It was here that she learnt so much about running and made an amazing friend, Claire McCleary. In 2021 she finally overcame injury and was feeling fit and strong, and because Angela had turned 50 she got sent a reminder to go for a mammogram as the Breastscreen van was nearby. During this routine scan she discovered she had DCIS - Ductal carcinoma in situ - early stage breast cancer. The following morning she was meeting the breast surgeon, breast doctor and breast care nurse. Angela made the decision to have a lumpectomy and radiation and she kept running when she could as it made her feel normal. She even did the Virtual Dubbo Stampede in between surgery and radiation- a PB OF 1:34:47!
Not only that, at the Canberra half marathon this year Angela came first in the 50-59 age group! and 1st Place female at the Western Sydney Marathon half marathon this June! She is showing other women that age and experiences are no barrier to your goals, and that you should chase them and live life to the full!
Angela has learnt that she is stronger than the traumas of her past, and that she has a bright future ahead full of possibility. All you need to do is believe.
You can follow Angela's journey on instagram at @angelacaithness
This episode is brought to you by fisiocrem Australia
Monday Jun 27, 2022
Monday Jun 27, 2022
On Episode 53 you will meet a vibrant, energetic and fun person, Michelle Dziego. I am not sure that you would ever meet someone so community-minded and passionate about connecting people.
Michelle came to running later in life when she was introduced to parkrun, then RMA. Since then she has found a community of like-minded women to network with and support their running adventures.
As you will hear in this episode, running isn't always about times and pace, but more about the places, people and experiences that it connects us to; something that Michelle has discovered along the way.
Michelle lives in South Australia, and is an integral part of the RMA network there, and volunteers her time as a parkrun Event Ambassador, and an RMA Community Ambassador, regularly gathering the RMA tribe in SA each week for local runs, or volunteering at events around her state with other RMA ladies! You may meet her on the finish line, either dressed up in theme or with her bright friendly smile. She is also studying her Certificate 3 & 4 in Fitness so that she can help and encourage other women to be fit and active!
We chat to Michelle about what running was like for her when she started to now, and what it feels like to be at the back of the pack. You might just discover, that this is the place where most of the magic happens, and the fun begins.
You can follow on Michelle's running adventures on instagram at @mad_about_running or join her in the RMA South Australian network!
This podcast episode is brought to you by fisiocrem Australia
Monday Jun 13, 2022
Monday Jun 13, 2022
Imagine you are out on a beautiful summers day for a run. You are about to embark on an open water swim, the sun is shining, and you are looking around at the breathtaking view around you thinking how lucky you are at this time in your life. Then your phone rings. It's your partner telling you that they have had a serious mountain bike accident on the trails. They then tell you that they can't feel anything... How would you feel? What would you do? Is this the moment that your lives change forever? This is exactly what happened to New Zealand running coach and mentor, Ali Pottinger on the 26th February 2022.
Ali Pottinger and Kerry Suter, both running coaches and founders of Squadrun, a running platform from New Zealand, have helped people achieve their running goals, especially in the trail and ultra space for years. Inseparable, the pair can be found bantering on the finish line of many races, climbing mountains together, or cheering on their runners, and now, side by side learning to live their new normal - a life challenged by disability.
On the morning of the 26th February 2022, Kerry suffered a catastrophic injury while biking in the trails surrounding their home in Rotorua, causing his neck to dislocate and break, impacting his spinal cord and leaving him a Tetraplegic. This resulted in the loss of the use of all four of Kerrys' limbs and torso and catapulted him, and Ali into an unknown life of disability.
So much is shared about someone when they suffer such a traumatic loss, such as what has happened to Kerry, but I wanted to sit down with Ali and get her perspective as a loved one, who has had to go through such a trauma, seeing her partner, once strong and athletic, now broken and scared, and what it feels like to live the reality that life would never be the same as it was before that summers day. Not only that, how she has navigated advocating for Kerry, now as his carer to get the most for him, so that they can live a rich, fulfilling and adventurous life once outside the confines of hospital and rehabilitation.
Not only this, I wanted Ali's perspective on how she has navigated this trauma, along with the excitement, and at times uncertainty, of the future ahead for their growing family, as Ali and Kerry share the journey to parenthood, expecting their first baby together; a pregnancy which they discovered only weeks before the accident.
As you will hear in this episode, this couple don't give up easily, and just like any good ultra, hard work and dedication can lead to some pretty amazing outcomes, and although the journey to the finish line is traversed along high mountains and low valleys, the community that we share the trail with is valued most of all. This community; the Global running community, has rallied along-side our friends Ali and Kerry to help them financially navigate their road ahead. You can also donate at the links below, to show your support.
Australia: https://www.gofundme.com/f/help-kerry-ali-when-they-need-us-squadrun
New Zealand: https://givealittle.co.nz/cause/kerry-and-alis-toughest-trail-run
You can find out more about Ali on Instagram at @ali.pottinger and check out more about Squadrun at squad.run.
This podcast was brought to you by fisiocrem Australia
Monday May 30, 2022
Monday May 30, 2022
In Episode 51 we speak with RMA Sydney Community Ambassador and mum of three, Natasha Hammond!
We chat to Natasha about her journey to running, running through pregnancy, life as a busy mum, business owner and philanthropist, and how running has connected her with community. We discuss her humanitarian work, and how this has stemmed from the legacy that her father instilled in her from his humble beginnings in Australia as a refugee from Russia.
We discuss what running challenges were sparked in Natasha's life, and the joy that it brings when she accomplishes the goals that she sets for herself, such as her recent completion of the Larapinta Stage Race in Alice Springs.
Running brings so much joy and connection, and on this episode, we learn how this connection through not only the running community, but with discovering one's self brings passion to our lives.
You can find more information about helping the Ukrainian appeals as discussed in this episode at https://ukrainians.org.au/welcome/
This episode is brought to you by fisiocrem Australia.
Monday May 16, 2022
Monday May 16, 2022
On Episode 50 of the RMA Podcast we have a very special guest, RMA Community Ambassador for Brisbane, Nicole Jukes.
Nicole is a single mum of three kids, Amity 10, Jack 8, and Max who is in Heaven. In 2010 Nicole was a first time parent, and then she wasn't. You see, Nicole and her then partner were preparing to be parents of their first baby. It was then at her 20 week scan they were told that there was something wrong with their little son's heart. It was too small for a diagnosis at that point, so they had to wait a further 6 weeks to have a better look, and after an agonising wait, at 26 weeks whilst still in the womb their little baby Max was diagnosed with Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome. This is a condition where the left side of the heart is grossly undergrown and cannot pump blood correctly. It is a fatal diagnosis.
They were given three choices that day. They could terminate their son, however they would need a special court order due to the term of their pregnancy. They could choose to carry him full term and when Max was born they could take an emergency helicopter to Melbourne and Max would have three open heart surgeries in the first year of his life, however this would only be enough to keep him palliative, and after that he would need a heart transplant that they were told would likely never come. The third option was to let Max continue to grow in Nicole's belly until he was ready to be born and he could live out his natural life with no interventions, and spend the time they could with him, possibly a few weeks. To make this choice as a parent, of how your child will die is something no one would ever wish on anyone, but that was the choice they were making, and whatever option they chose would mean they would be saying goodbye to Max.
They chose to let Max continue to grow inside Nicole, knowing that while he was in utero, he was still with them. As you can imagine, enduring a pregnancy when you know the child inside you is inevitably going to die is something that would be unimaginable. People would ask Nicole about her unborn baby, and she would have to apologise to them and explain to them that when he is born, he is going to die.
Max decided to meet them at 33 weeks and was a natural birth. They didn't get to hold him as he was taken away immediately and put on life-support in the neonatal ICU. On day two he was taken off life support, and it was then that Nicole and her partner got to hold Max as he took his final breaths.
When Nicole left the hospital without her baby, she wanted to scream to every single person she passed, "Do you know what just happened to me? Do you know my baby died?!".
You never really recover from a loss so great, but what Nicole did is something even greater. At one point she decided to make a choice. She could define herself as the woman who lost her child, or she could get up. She chose to get up. She decided it would be selfish of her to not go out and live her best life, because Max didn't get the chance to.
Since then, and after 2015 when Nicole's sister coaxed her into her first 5k at parkrun, Nicole has run countless kilometres in living out her why. Her why has become ultra running, particularly the 'backyard ultra format', and she believes the whole reason she chose that is because you have to 'get up'. You need to get up out of the chair every hour and start the next lap. If you choose not to you are out. She chooses to endure the suffering and the pain because Max gave her the gift of unbreakability. She suffered through the worst pain imaginable and she didn't break. She wants to know "if that didn't break her, then what will?". How far can she go until she breaks?
Nicole has had great success as an ultra runner, having recently broken the female record at the Dead Cow Gully in 2022 of 201kms and 30 laps! It is her passion and purpose to share her love of this ultra format with those that will listen, while supporting and encouraging women into the ultra running space! Nicole manages her time well, while being a full time mum, she also works full time as a paralegal and is almost finished her law degree! She certainly knows how to juggle all the balls and get results! We are just thrilled to have her share her story, and we know there is so much more to come for Nicole!
You can follow her on instagram at @nicolejukes or over in our RMA community page!
This episode is brought to you by fisiocrem Australia
Monday May 02, 2022
Monday May 02, 2022
On Episode 49 of The RMA podcast I chat to 59 year old runner and mum, Jill McClintock! We chat about all things running, how this entered Jills life and how running led her to a deep bond with her dog Harry!
We discuss the companionship that Harry gives to Jill and how this lasting relationship has kept Jill running for many years and the bond that they share!
For any canine lovers out there, this is a great story about how running creates connection and motivation and how our adventures can be shared with those we love, even the animal kind!
You can find out more about the adventures of Harry the Hoverdog and his owner Jill over at instagram @harryhoverdog
This episode is brought to you by fisiocrem Australia
Monday Apr 18, 2022
Monday Apr 18, 2022
On Episode 48 of the RMA Podcast we speak with mum and ultra runner, Isobel Ross. Isobel came to running from mountain biking, where she was after a new adventure that wouldn't leave her broken, yet would still provide her with a challenge. Soon after she ran her first few races she was hooked, and she quickly learnt that she not only had talent for racing in mountains (she won her first ultra at 6 foot track in 4hrs 11 minutes), but she fell in love with running in them, and running a long way.
Isobel is no stranger to long distances, having competed as a 3-time Australian long distance mountain running representative at the World Championships with a best finishing place of 10th female, and first Australian female, and has competed and won some of the worlds toughest ultra mountain marathons, including a Fastest Known Time on the 7 highest peaks in Victoria. Isobel is an incredible, yet humble athlete who has raced all over the globe, including participating in the notorious Barkley Marathons.
In this episode we specifically wanted to chat to Isobel about how she came to running from mountain biking, and what she loved about it, and especially what she loved and learned about herself through the experience of ultra running.
We also chat to her at length about her experience at the coveted Barkley Marathons, where she has not only competed once, but twice! We wanted to know why she chose the Barkley, how she gained her spot on the start line, what her training entailed for such a feat, and what lessons it taught her, along with the interesting characters she met, and we wanted to learn more about the challenging nature of this race - one of the toughest races in the world.
This episode is fun and insightful, and Isobel is so easy to talk to, and makes you want to lace up and run out the door into the mountains! She makes it sounds so easy! Not only does she exude a positive, motivational attitude, she is humble in her approach, allowing herself to learn from others along the way, and share her knowledge and experience as a coach and mentor to many.
You can find out more about Isobel at her website www.peakendurancecoaching.com.au, or on instagram at @isobel.r
This episode is brought to you by fisiocrem Australia.
Monday Apr 04, 2022
Monday Apr 04, 2022
On episode 47 of the RMA podcast we speak with an incredible woman, Heather Hawkins. Heather is just like you and I. She is an everyday mum of two children, but she has been on some incredible adventures after finding herself diagnosed with Ovarian Cancer at the age of 41 in 2007.
Five years post diagnosis, after the shock and subsequent treatment for her cancer, Heather took up running by training for her first fun run, the 4k Mothers Day Classic in 2012. After finishing the race, Heather knew that her love of running had only just begun, and she started to seek out her next adventure.
Since that day, Heather has run all over the world. She has completed 6 Half marathons, over 20 marathons and 6 ultramarathons, including her first marathon in 2015 at the North Pole Marathon, where she placed 1st Female! She has run the World Marathon Challenge, which is 7 marathons in 7 continents in 7 days, she has trekked 1700kms in 5 months across Nepal, Run the Volcano marathon in Chile, competed in the toughest foot race on earth; the Marathon De Sables (a 250km ultramarathon in the Sahara Desert in Morocco), and run The Track, a 520km race from Alice Springs to Uluru.
As you have guessed by now, Heather likes a good challenge!
Not only does Heather do these things to challenge herself, she does them with immense gratitude for a second chance at life, and to fully immerse herself in adventure and joyful moments.
On top of this, Heather is an Ambassador for Ovarian Cancer Australia, The Can Too Foundation, ANZGOG and the Indigenous Marathon Foundation, and through her adventurous pursuits she tirelessly raises much needed awareness and funds for cancer research.
Heather has also published a memoir, "Adventurous Spirit", by Murdoch Books documenting much of her life and some of her incredible adventures.
You can follow Heather over at Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/HeatherHawkinsAdventurousSpirit
Instagram: @heather_adventurousspirit
or follow her North Pole Marathon experience:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ifFm6sreznY
or her Adventurous Spirit YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCAS6C6soR8kVLdT3WBMoL9w/videos
Follow the below link Link to Ovarian Cancer Australia for signs and symptoms and support for Ovarian Cancer: https://www.ovariancancer.net.au/
And for her memoir "Adventurous Sprirt" click the link below:
Paperback:
https://www.booktopia.com.au/adventurous-spirit-heather-hawkins/prod9781760522803.html
Ebook: https://www.booktopia.com.au/adventurous-spirit-heather-hawkins/ebook/9781760639105.html
Audiobook:
This episode was brought to you by fisiocrem Australia.
Monday Mar 21, 2022
Monday Mar 21, 2022
On Episode 46 of the RMA podcast we discuss all things trail running safety. With so many RMA being in love with the outdoors and trail running, we thought it would be a great idea to bring to light the things you need to consider when heading out on the trails in order to keep yourself and others safe.
Our guest on this episode is Tova Gallagher, a mum, runner, explorer and qualified Aviation Officer with the NSW Rural Fire Service. We discuss how Tova's early years in endurance horse riding led her to her adventures to date with trail and ultra running, orienteering and rogaining, and how the love of the sport helped her pursue her passion in the Rural Fire Service, working her way up to her dream job as part of the Aviation Rescue Crew.
Tova started her years as a viriologist, and has worked as a PT, life coach and now you will see her flying around the country in helicopters and making a difference to people's lives in their most vulnerable moments.
Tova shares with us valuable lessons in trail safety. We discuss the risks that we need to consider when we are planning any adventure long or short on the trails, what gear we should always carry with us, and the best protocols to follow should we need emergency assistance due to injury or getting lost or caught in an unforeseen situation.
This is an important conversation for any trail runner, hiker or adventure lover, and we are so thankful that we get to share this important information which could save yours or someone else's life.
This episode is brought to you by Fisiocrem Australia.
Monday Mar 07, 2022
Monday Mar 07, 2022
On Episode 45, on the week of International women's day 2022 we interview one of our favourite RMA ladies, Katie Wood. Katie is an RMA volunteer admin for South Australia and has been on the RMA journey for quite a few years now.
Having begun her running journey to get fit and challenge herself, running has taken Katie all over, and to some amazing places around the world, where she has met the challenges set before her, shared in some incredible running moments and formed bonds with some beautiful people she now considers her closest friends.
In this episode we discuss the challenge of starting out, and how consistency and commitment were her drivers in her passionate pursuit of her running goals, and that with a little bit of patience, hard work and of course fun on the side, you can achieve things you never thought possible, and grow in ways you never imagined.
This is one everyday woman's story, just like you and I, and Katie represents just one woman like so many in our network who stumbled upon running, and it changed her life!
You can follow on Katies journey on instagram at @katie.wood.runs.
This episode is brought to you by fisiocrem Australia.