The Brain Game Changer: Recent Episodes
Melissa Gough
Educator and curious human about people’s stories, Melissa faces the deep stuff and creates a space for all walks of life, who put their significant experienced adversities, and game changing moments right there on the table. These wonderful humans come in all shapes and sizes, professional athletes, Paralympians, lawyers, medical practitioners, advocates in wonderful organisations, Auntie Betty’s neighbour’s cousin, you name it, we have them! There are amazing interviews of hope after diversity, the triumphs, the tragedies, winning the little and big victories, and achieving those milestones. Just to add some more seasoning, there are also some musings, facts, brain stuff and information thrown in for good measure that you may actually find very useful to share! Follow Melissa on Instagram at - @thebraingamechanger Email: thebraingamechanger@gmail.com
Welcome to Season 2 of The Brain Game Changer podcast. I am your host, Melissa Gough. As we conclude the final episode for season 2, it is just me in front of the mic that probably also has a dash of vulnerability with a spoonful of feelings and honesty as I share some aspects of my journey in getting to the 18 month milestone post brain haemorrhage.
I discuss experiencing a subarachnoid brain haemorrhage, where that took place in the brain and how it impacted every aspect of my life, especially physically and emotionally. The discussions were not easy as I was learning to navigate my new world, especially with those around me. I give some tools that have helped support my recovery and the continual journey of living a new way with a brain injury, that may be useful for yourself or someone you know going through their own adversity.
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Welcome to Season 2 of The Brain Game Changer podcast. I am your host, Melissa Gough. In this week's episode we head to New York where I had the wonderful online pleasure of speaking with actor, singer and amputee Rachel Handler.
Rachel shares how her passion for music, singing and theatre was ignited from a young age and the journey of pursuing it as a career. We lean into a day when driving to an audition changed the course of her life and the recovery involved. Rachel highlights the significance of her family’s support, meeting a new love and entering back into the auditioning arena and acting world again as an amputee.
Strength training has been a major focus for Rachel over recent years and she shares supportive training videos on social media to educate fellow amputees. Her positivity and optimism for her future really shone through when speaking with her and it was incredibly inspiring to witness. Let’s get into the interview.
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Email: info@thebraingamechanger.com
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Welcome to Season 2 of The Brain Game Changer podcast. I am your host, Melissa Gough. In this week's episode I had the wonderful opportunity to speak with Bronwyn Leeks, who is supporting people with a disability at home, in the water and with global wheelchair travel.
Bronwyn discusses the opportunities of her childhood travels and how she wanted to pay forward these unique experiences with her own children. Fast forward she talks about her oldest child Cooper who was born with Cerebral Palsy, advocating for him and wheelchair accessibility, navigating family life and how, at the moment, has conquered 32 countries and counting.
Brownyn gets candid about how being in fight or flight mode for 16 years led to a breakdown and how everyone should go through one to find out who you really are and what you want in your life. Let’s get into the interview.
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Email: thebraingamechanger@gmail.com
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Welcome to Season 2 of The Brain Game Changer podcast. I am your host, Melissa Gough. In this week's episode I had the humbling and heartfelt opportunity to speak with Actor, Film Maker and Mental Health Advocate Berlin Lu.
Berlin shares with us the journey of being a carer to his parents, both with a diagnosis of individual neurological disorders, schizophrenia and dementia. He guides us through growing up as a child into adulthood, and the experiences he encountered.
Berlin discusses losing his father as a teenager and his coping strategies during that time. Acting has provided a creative outlet for Berlin and we talk about those opportunities, his journey of healing and his purpose to create more awareness and education about mental health for many people so they do not feel alone.
I have so much respect and admiration for Berlin in sharing this journey. An amazing human being!
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Email: thebraingamechanger@gmail.com
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Welcome to Season 2 of The Brain Game Changer podcast. I am your host, Melissa Gough. In this week's episode I had the heartfelt pleasure of speaking with Australian MasterChef Contestant Max Krapivsky. We discuss Max’s culinary adventures and delights growing up, his wife’s terrible cooking and how that encouraging nudge started his journey of applying to be a contestant.
Whilst on Masterchef Max also shares the with us the journey of going through an ectopic pregnancy during the COVID lockdowns with his wife Simmone. Let’s get into the interview.
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Email: thebraingamechanger@gmail.com
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Welcome to Season 2 of The Brain Game Changer podcast. I am your host, Melissa Gough. In this week's episode I had the wonderful pleasure of speaking with award winning author, renowned rock climber and mountaineer Paul Pritchard.
Winner of the 2018 Australian Geographic Spirit of Adventure Award, Paul talks about growing up in the UK and how the opportunity a teacher gave him to try rock climbing led him on a global adventure. A near fatal accident, extensive rehabilitation, Paul has defied all the odds and his story of human determination and survival is an exceptional one. He has also become a keen speaker and advocate about disability. Let’s get into the interview.
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Email: thebraingamechanger@gmail.com
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Paul Pritchard www.paulpritchard.com.au
Welcome to Season 2 of The Brain Game Changer podcast. I am your host, Melissa Gough. In this week's episode we head to Utah in America, where I had the wonderful online opportunity to speak with Life Coach Julie Kuch. Through personal experiences with stroke and concussion, Julie’s mission is to empower brain injury heroes into a story of strength and acceptance and looking forward to a future with excitement and abundance.
Julie lays it all out on the table with gumption, passion and that light seasoning of humour. Her coaching, advice and supportive tools are helping many people around the world, myself included. Let's get into the interview.
Links:
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Email: thebraingamechanger@gmail.com
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Julie Kuch Coaching
In this week's episode, I had the humbling pleasure of speaking with dancer and performer Elvin Lam. We have an interpreter for our interview with Elvin as he is profoundly deaf and uses Auslan for communication.
We discuss growing up in Hong Kong and how he did his best navigating through the mainstream education system. We highlight Elvin’s passion for movement and performing arts, which has seen him train in figure skating and various forms of dance both traditional and contemporary. His meeting with Emma from The Wiggles, has led him to feature in their stage shows and DVD’s. Elvin also shares finding love and his hopes for having his own photography business. However, since this interview, Elvin has now been working alongside Emma in singing, dance and sign videos and national tours.
Let’s get into this truly inspiring interview.
Links:
Follow @thebraingamechanger on Instagram
Email: thebraingamechanger@gmail.com
Follow Elvin Lam @elvinlam12 and @elvinmelvinofficial
Welcome to Season 2 of The Brain Game Changer podcast. I am your host, Melissa Gough. We kick the season off by speaking with Professor Julie Bernhardt from The Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health here in Melbourne, Australia. Julie is co-leader of The Florey’s Stroke division and one of Australia’s top stroke rehabilitation clinical trialists, continually pioneering the way in developing more effective treatments and post-recovery resources and support for stroke patients.
We discuss Julie’s journey into the medical field, the AVERT Early Intervention Research Program and receiving funding for the upcoming Young Stroke Service Project.
She has also been awarded the Member of The Order of Australia, "for significant service to medical research, and as an advocate for women in science."
Links:
Follow @thebraingamechanger on Instagram
Email: thebraingamechanger@gmail.com
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The Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health.
https://florey.edu.au
Welcome to the tenth episode of The Brain Game Changer podcast. I am your host Melissa Gough. In this week’s final episode of Season One, we had the wonderful opportunity of speaking with the Creative Director of The Focus on Ability Film Festival Ryan Goodwin.
As it enters its 14th consecutive year, Nova Employment presents this festival, asking filmmakers to “Focus on the Ability” of people with a disability and tell a story on film for the world to see. In this interview, Ryan shares how the opportunity presented itself to work for Nova Employment and how CEO Martin Wren birthed the idea of the festival which has grown tremendously. He talks us through its first years and how it is now globally recognised as one of the largest short film festivals. We discuss some examples of previous films and winners, both here in Australia and overseas, and how you can play your part in creating awareness about such a worthy and wonderful event.
Throughout this interview, it was evident that Ryan is passionate about such an amazing concept that has changed so many lives and created such heartfelt and positive awareness.
Links:
Follow @thebraingamechanger on Instagram
Email: thebraingamechanger@gmail.com
Follow @focusonability on Instagram
Focus on Ability Short Film Festival
The Brain Game Changer Podcast is produced in collaboration with Pretty Podcasts
Welcome to the ninth episode of The Brain Game Changer Podcast. I am your host, Melissa Gough. In this week’s episode, we speak with Podcast Producer Amelia Rees, who shares the long journey of dealing with a very unexpected diagnosis of Osteoblastoma.
Amelia walks us through growing up as a pastor’s child, receiving news about an Osteoblastoma diagnosis at the young age of 21, two weeks after announcing her engagement. This resulted in numerous surgeries that eventually led to the decision of removing her left collarbone seven years later. She is the only person in Australia to have experienced such a procedure. She bravely addresses her continued journey with mental health and how now, on the other side of her 20's, is starting to make decisions about what she wants to do in her future that brings her purpose and joy.
Throughout the interview, Amelia presents as upbeat and full of zest, however, it is very clear, that life was not always experienced this way.
Links:
Follow @thebraingamechanger on Instagram
Email: thebraingamechanger@gmail.com
The Brain Game Changer Podcast is produced in collaboration with Pretty Podcasts
Welcome to episode eight of The Brain Game Changer podcast. I am your host, Melissa Gough. In this week's episode, I sat on the other side of the mic and enlisted the wonderful support of amazing friend and confidante Amy Voss to lead the interview so I could share my story. Amy provided the space where I could discuss the events surrounding a significant life changing day, when out of nowhere I suffered a subarachnoid brain haemorrhage.
We discuss the events that took place, my time in hospital and the slow and gradual process of life going forward and how I am learning and discovering who the new me is! All this occurred during a pandemic lockdown! It is these extraordinary circumstances that lead to the birthing of this podcast The Brain Game Changer.
Links:
Follow @thebraingamechanger on Instagram
Email: thebraingamechanger@gmail.com
The Brain Game Changer is produced in collaboration with Pretty Podcasts.
Welcome to episode seven of The Brain Game Changer podcast. I am your host, Melissa Gough. In this week's episode, we headed to the Netherlands where I had the online pleasure of speaking with Founder of The Concussion Community Silvie van de Ree.
Silvie shares how a ride home on a scooter one evening changed her life journey and the continual actions to get the proper and informed diagnosis of concussion and whiplash. We discuss her rehabilitation at Cognitive FX in Utah, one of the world's leading centres for concussion treatment and how this process steered her in the direction of creating an online platform called The Concussion Community.
In speaking with Silvie, it was obvious that she wants to provide as many resources and support to as many people as possible who have experienced concussion, or a similar adversity to make sure they do not feel alone.
Links:
Follow @thebraingamechanger on Instagram
https://www.instagram.com/thebraingamechanger/
Email: thebraingamechanger@gmail.com
Follow @theconcussioncommunity on Instagram
The Concussion Community
The Free E-Book from the Concussion Community
Cognitive FX
The Brain Game Changer is produced in collaboration with Pretty Podcasts.
Welcome to the sixth episode of The Brain Game Changer podcast. I am your host, Melissa Gough. In this week’s episode, we have the wonderful opportunity of speaking with Victorian University Educator in Osteopathy, and renowned Osteopath, Brooke Stevenson.
Brooke is highly regarded in her field, especially being a passionate practitioner in neurological disorders, and in speaking with her now on a few occasions I can see why. Brooke was approached by my Osteopath Max to come and talk on the podcast, and we are so grateful she did.
We discuss her journey on hearing the life-changing news about her mum when she was a teenager, and her further quest entering the medical field and becoming an Osteopath. Brooke also shares examples of the patients she treats, as well as shining a light on what she hopes Osteopaths of the next generation will take with them into their own careers.
Links:
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Email: thebraingamechanger@gmail.com
Finders Osteo Clinic
Victoria University (City Campus)
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The Brain Game Changer is produced in collaboration with Pretty Podcasts.
In this week’s episode, I had the wonderful opportunity of speaking with 5-time Paralympian and gold medallist Greg Smith. This is a truly EPIC conversation where Greg discusses growing up in Ballarat, enlisting into the Australian Army and his goals and aspirations in being a part of the Australian Defence Force. However, a long drive home one evening changed the course of his life!
Greg does not leave any stone unturned as he discusses his accident, the long and rigorous rehabilitation and his state of mind during this time. A conversation and the lending of a racing wheelchair spurs his active internal competitive streak which then leads him on the new journey of becoming a Paralympian in wheelchair athletics and then wheelchair rugby.
We discuss the milestones, trials, and tribulations in both his sporting career and personal life. Greg discusses the preparations surrounding his participation in the 2000 Sydney Paralympics and the 2012 London Paralympics where he had the honour of being flag bearer for Australia.
One thing that shines through in this interview is Greg’s perseverance, zest for life, to make the most out of every opportunity, his humour, yet his openness, rawness, and honesty.
It truly was a gift, a real honour to be a part of this interview! I know you will enjoy it and get so much out of it, as did I!
Links:
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Email: thebraingamechanger@gmail.com
Follow @ausparalympics on Instagram
Follow @wheelchairrugbyau on Instagram
Follow @paralympics on Instagram
The Brain Game Changer is produced in collaboration with Pretty Podcasts.
Welcome to the fourth episode of The Brain Game Changer podcast. I am your host, Melissa Gough. In this week’s episode we headed to London in the UK, where I had the pleasure of speaking with Criminal Defence Solicitor, Claire McGrath. Around 15 years ago I participated in some work experience with the firm Claire was employed at, whilst I was considering moving into law after completing my education degree.
Time has passed, and I veered off in a different direction, however, it has been wonderful connecting over recent times. In this episode, Claire, also a partner to Oliver and mother to two boys, shares the experiences surrounding the birth of her boys, motherhood and her journey as a family when Finn was diagnosed with Down Syndrome post birth. We discuss recent UK law changes, public figures who are shining a light on raising awareness about Down Syndrome and Claire’s purpose to also spread up to date, accurate and educated information to the mothers and families who need it.
This is a very heartfelt, honest and sincere conversation.
Links:
Positive About Down Syndrome
21&Co
Downs Syndrome Australia
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The Brain Game Changer is produced in collaboration with Pretty Podcasts.
Welcome to the third episode of The Brain Game Changer podcast. I am your host, Melissa Gough. In this week's episode we headed to Northern California where I had the wonderful online pleasure of speaking with Khushboo Chabria. Khushboo is currently a Program Manager, Job Coach and Facilitator at Neurodiversity Pathways - a social impact program powered by the Goodwill of Silicon Valley. She is passionate about diversity and inclusion and in the conversations I was fortunate to experience with her, presented as one of the most optimistic people I have ever met!
This wonderful human wears many hats and we talk about her journey in discovering her own neurodiverse diagnoses, the challenges it presented and then how a conversation, which highlighted her unique skill set led her to discovering Neurodiversity Pathways. We also shine a light on the Peaces Of Me Foundation where Khushboo is a Board Member.
Links:
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Email: thebraingamechanger@gmail.com
Khushboo Chabria
Follow @ndpathways on Instagram
Follow @peacesofmefoundation on Instagram
The Brain Game Changer is produced in collaboration with Pretty Podcasts.
Welcome to the second episode of The Brain Game Changer podcast. I am your host, Melissa Gough. In this week’s episode, I have the humbled pleasure of speaking with Ambulance Victoria paramedic Waseem Siddiqui. For nearly fourteen years, Waseem has been impacting many lives in our community through his dedicated service.
We shine a light on the wonderful and specialised Mobile Stroke Unit (MSU), the first custom built stroke ambulance in the Southern Hemisphere, which rolled out in November 2017. Waseem also gives us a taster into his journey of becoming a paramedic, whilst also reflecting on some personal experiences, and sharing through his lens what his role can entail from day to day.
I feel the need to share that Waseem did this interview in the afternoon after finishing a night shift and in between picking up his children from school. I truly believe not all superheroes wear capes!!
Links:
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Email: thebraingamechanger@gmail.com
Ambulance Victoria
Follow @ambulancevic on Instagram
The Brain Game Changer is produced in collaboration with Pretty Podcasts.
Welcome to the first episode of The Brain Game Changer podcast. I am your host, Melissa Gough. If I was to describe myself on paper, I would have to say an avid traveller, a foodie (although would you believe it, I am allergic to coffee) and an educator of young minds. I consider myself a quirky, passionate and authentic individual who wears my heart on my sleeve and has witnessed countless, beautiful and significant moments in my life.
However, it seemed that the Universe had different plans for me and out of nowhere one sunny afternoon on a Sunday in May 2021, I suffered a Subarachnoid Brain Hemorrhage. If there was ever a Brain Game Changing moment, this was it!
I am incredibly fortunate to have received this second chance at life and, this is why I felt called to start The Brain Game Changer podcast. My purpose is to bring resources, awareness and stories to you so you can be reassured that you are not alone or may provide support for someone you know. As I continue to learn and grow, I will share this knowledge with you too. Once we discover how to become Brain Game Changers we can cope and adapt to almost any situation that presents itself to us.
I look forward to walking the journey together.
In unity,
Melissa xxx
Links:
Follow @thebraingamechanger on Instagram
Email: thebraingamechanger@gmail.com
The Brain Game Changer Podcast is produced in collaboration with Pretty Podcasts