When Life Gives You Lemons with Emma Levy: Recent Episodes
Emma Levy
The intention of this podcast is to explore this phenomenon and to interview high performing individuals in all walks of life, from the sporting, corporate, cultural settings and beyond, who have been faced with adversity but who then come back stronger. These are the individuals who do not see adversity as an obstacle but as an opportunity. Hopefully by sharing and exploring their stories we can help others deal with adversity and inspire them to do great things.
Five-time Paralympian Charlotte Henshaw has made an incredible journey from swimming to paracanoeing. In this episode, Charlotte shares her experiences of overcoming adversity, including the amputation of both of her legs at a very young age.
Join us as we delve into Charlotte's amazing athletic career, including her swimming silver medal at the London 2012 Paralympics, her transition to canoeing, and her recent triumphs at the Tokyo 2021 and Paris 2024 Games, where she made history by winning double gold.
Charlotte discusses the importance of mindset in sports, the role of sports psychology, and how focusing on the process rather than the outcome has transformed her approach to competition. She also opens up about her struggles with endometriosis and advocates for better representation and understanding of women's health issues in sports.
Whether you're an athlete, a coach, or someone looking for inspiration, this episode is packed with valuable insights on resilience, mental health, and the power of pursuing your passion.
This episode is sponsored by Recovery from Joint Operations. Check out the website for more information: http://recovery.jointoperations.co.uk
Grace Reid is one of Scotland’s and Great Britain’s most decorated divers, having many World, European and Commonwealth medals to her name. In fact she attended the Commonwealth games when she was just 14 years old. I sat down with Grace a few weeks ago as she was preparing for her third Olympic Games in Paris. Grace shared her journey from starting diving at a young age to overcoming challenges at the Tokyo Olympics and how she re-found her love for the sport.
In this insightful conversation, Grace discusses the importance of mindset, resilience, and the balance between diving and life outside the pool. She also touches on her passion for empowering females in sports and the unique experiences of competing at an Olympic Games.
Tune in to hear Grace's inspiring story and gain valuable insights into the world of elite diving and the Paris Olympics. Don't miss out on this engaging episode filled with wisdom and motivation for high-performing individuals facing adversity.
This episode is sponsored by Recovery from Joint Operations. Check out the website for more information: http://recovery.jointoperations.co.uk
Freya Anderson is a British swimmer and Olympic medallist. Freya's journey to the Paris 2024 Olympic Games was anything but smooth, as she faced significant challenges, including a battle with glandular fever that threatened her training and competition schedule.
As well as delving into Freya’s experiences as a swimmer at the Olympic Games, a significant part of our discussion focused on Freya's mental health journey, particularly her experiences with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). She explained the nature of OCD, how it manifests in her life, and the steps she has taken to manage it. Freya's openness about her struggles and the misconceptions surrounding OCD highlight the importance of raising awareness and understanding mental health issues.
Throughout the episode, Freya's resilience and determination shone through, as she shared how setbacks have fuelled her desire to come back stronger. She emphasised the value of support from her team and the importance of self-care and mental well-being in the high-pressure world of elite sports.
I left the episode feeling inspired by Freya's strength and commitment to her sport, and I am excited to see what the future holds for her as she prepares for the next Olympic Games in Los Angeles 2028.
You can listen to the full episode wherever you find your podcasts or watch on YouTube. The links are in the bio above.
Please remember to rate, review and subscribe – it really does make a difference to the podcast.
This episode is sponsored by Recovery from Joint Operations. Check out the website for more information:
https://recovery.jointoperations.co.uk
Zak Skinner is a a remarkable athlete who represented Team GB in the long jump and 100m at the Paralympic Games in Paris. Zak's journey is one of resilience and determination, shaped by his experiences growing up with a genetic condition that affects his vision, placing him in the T13 classification.
In this episode, Zak shares his story, beginning with his diagnosis of ocular albinism, which left him with severely underdeveloped eyesight. Despite these challenges, he has achieved incredible success in athletics, including being a para world bronze medallist and a double European gold medallist. This chat took place in the build up to the Paralympics and Zak expressed his excitement into the approach, noting that he is now in the "business end" of his preparation, having overcome various injuries along the way.
We delve into the unique challenges Zak faces as a visually impaired athlete and how it has shaped his perspective on competition and life. Zak's ability to adapt and find ways to excel in his sport is truly inspiring.
This episode is a testament to the power of resilience and the human spirit. Zak's journey is not just about athletic achievement; it's about overcoming adversity and finding joy in the process.. Thank you for joining us, and I hope you find inspiration in Zak's story as much as I did.
This episode is sponsored by Recovery from Joint Operations. Check out the website for more information:
http://recovery.jointoperations.co.uk
Andrea Spendolini-Sirieix is Britain's most successful female diver of all time recently winning a bronze Olympic medal in Paris in the 10m Synchro competition.
At just 19 years old, Andrea has already achieved remarkable success as a Commonwealth, European, world and now Olympic medallist. I was lucky to speak to Andrea at The London Aquatic Centre as she was gearing up for her second Olympic Games in Paris.
During our conversation, Andrea shared insights into her diving journey, her struggles she has faced with body image and confidence, revealing how she has overcome these challenges through faith and self-discovery. She emphasises the importance of fuelling her body properly and the positive impact it has had on her performance and mental well-being.
As we saw over the Olympic Games coverage, Andrea expressed gratitude for her family's unwavering support and the pivotal role they play in her success.
Throughout the episode, Andrea's resilience, faith, and dedication shone through, leaving a lasting impression of a young athlete with a champion mindset and a bright future ahead. Tune in to this episode to be inspired by Andrea's journey and her unwavering determination to succeed in the face of adversity.
This episode is sponsored by Recovery from Joint Operations. Check out the website for more information:
https://recovery.jointoperations.co.uk
In the final episode of this season, I reflect on the lessons learned and insights gained over the past year since the podcast's inception. Drawing from conversations with inspiring individuals who have overcome adversity, I share some key themes such as gratitude, mindset, goal setting, and human connection.
From the importance of embracing vulnerability to the power of reframing negative experiences, I delve into the transformative journey of post-traumatic growth. Join me as I explore the profound impact of gratitude, the significance of setting small achievable goals, and the value of human connection in fostering happiness. Discover how embracing life's challenges can lead to personal growth and empowerment, ultimately allowing individuals to thrive in the face of adversity.
If you enjoy this content, subscribe to ‘When Life Gives You Lemons’ for more empowering stories and valuable insights on navigating life's obstacles with grace and resilience. Follow us on Instagram, TikTok and YouTube @LifeLemonsPodcast for updates and engaging content.
Ricky is a former firefighter, mental health advocate, motivational speaker and poet. In 2017 Ricky was one of the first responders called to the fire at Grenfell Tower in London which tragically claimed the lives of 72 residents and injured many more. Following the Grenfell tragedy and as a result of the life changing decisions that Ricky made that night, his mental health suffered - leading to PTSD and depression. He now tells his story to give hope by demonstrating that if he could drag himself out of that darkness, others can to.
https://www.justrick.co.uk/
Dan is a serial entrepreneur, co-founder of Heights, a brain-care supplements company and host of leading business podcast ‘Secret Leaders.’
In this episode Dan discusses his experience with mental health issues, including depression, anxiety, and insomnia, and how he found relief through alternative methods like ayahuasca and focusing on brain care supplements. He emphasised the importance of spirituality and connection in finding happiness and his story highlights the power of vulnerability, honesty and learning from failure.
In this conversation we delve into the complexities of entrepreneurship, the impact of life-changing events, and the significance of finding balance between solitude and social connection for mental well-being.
https://www.yourheights.com
Catherine Capon is a British naturalist and environmentalist. In this episode we discuss her journey through postnatal struggles and the creation of her wellness hub, Wild Up Slow Down. Catherine shares her experiences of overcoming adversity, finding balance as a mother, and redefining her identity. Join us as we delve into the importance of self-care, connecting with nature, and the power of slowing down in a fast-paced world. Tune in to gain insights on navigating the challenges of modern motherhood, finding support, and embracing a more conscious way of living. Don't miss this inspiring conversation on resilience, self-discovery, and the transformative impact of wild adventures.
When Henry Fraser endured a life changing spinal injury, he demonstrated immense courage and rather than give into his injuries – henry has grasped life with both hands achieving things beyond his wildest dreams.
At age 17, whilst on holiday with his friends in Portugal – Henry dived into the sea and had a disastrous accident. In that moment his life changed forever and he became a tetraplegic – paralysed fully below his shoulders.
Henry Fraser is now a mouth artist, motivational speaker, best-selling author and all-round inspirational guy. On top of those accomplishments, he recently had his life story made into a west end musical ‘The Little Big Things’.
In this episode Steph Peltier, known as The Happiness Activator shares her journey from heartbreak and depression to finding signs of happiness that changed the trajectory of her life. We discuss the definition of happiness, the importance of mindset, and practical techniques to cultivate happiness in daily life.
Steph explains the concept of happiness as a mindset, influenced by how we perceive and respond to life events. She emphasises the significance of human connections, experiencing positive emotions, and practicing gratitude as essential steps to build happiness. The episode also explores the role of meditation in reshaping the brain's structure and reducing stress.
Moreover, Steph touches on the subconscious mind's impact on mental health and the use of rapid transformational therapy to address deep-rooted traumas. The conversation highlights the possibility of controlling one's mindset and choosing happiness as a skill that can be cultivated and grown over time.
Tune in to gain insights into reshaping your mindset, overcoming adversity, and finding happiness in the midst of life's challenges.
Mollie Pearce won the nation’s hearts on the BBC One reality show Traitors where she bravely talked about her disabilities which include limb difference and living with a stoma.
During the podcast, Mollie shares her journey of being diagnosed with ulcerative colitis at a young age and eventually undergoing surgery to have a stoma bag. She discusses how the stoma bag significantly improved her quality of life and how she has learned to embrace her disabilities. Mollie also talks about her involvement in a new #GetReadyWithMe TikTok and Instagram campaign with Marie Curie, aiming to raise awareness for end-of-life care and the importance of normalizing conversations about death and dying.
Throughout the episode, Mollie reflects on her experiences, resilience, and the importance of staying positive during tough times. She emphasises the significance of allowing oneself to feel emotions but also moving forward with strength and determination. Molly's inspiring journey, from facing health challenges to becoming a disability advocate, serves as a beacon of hope for listeners, encouraging them to embrace their own adversities and find strength in their vulnerabilities.
Follow us on @lifelemonspodcast on Instagram and Tik Tok to join our community!
Do you know 20% of the population are neurodiverse? That is why Ben Branson has made It his mission to educate the 80%. ‘The Hidden 20%’ – podcast and charity was developed following Ben’s recent diagnosis of Autism and ADHD.
Ben is an inventor and entrepreneur, founding Seedlip; the world’s first distilled non-alcoholic spirit.
In this episode we discuss the impact that Ben’s neurodiversity has had on his life, the success of his business and how 4 years after inception, Seedlip saw such remarkable growth that he sold a majority stake to the worlds biggest premium spirits company Diagio and how Seedlip is now available in most bars, restaurants and retailers worldwide.
All Ben ever wanted to do was express himself and he would have felt content with just a few bottles on the shelf……
Tom Daley is the most successful British diver ever – winning 4 Olympic medals throughout the course of his career – finally winning that elusive gold in Tokyo in 2021.
This is Tom’s first podcast interview since returning to diving and in it he talks about what drove him to return to the sport after a two year break.
We also discuss how alongside Tom’s huge successes, Tom has navigated numerous adversities throughout his life including the tragic death of his father from cancer when Tom was just 17 years old, facing bullying at school and challenges with his sexuality. Tom explains how he feels these difficulties have helped shape him into the resilient and high performing individual he is today, how becoming a father changed his perspective, as well as the importance of self-belief and mindfulness.
Outside of the pool, Tom has achieved national treasure status - he is a TV personality, has his own podcast ‘Made with Love’, is famous for his knitting – which apparently was responsible for a surge in popularity of the hobby, he is a powerful LGBTQ+ advocate, fashion icon, Husband and father of two.
Vicky is a Professional Organiser – helping people to de-clutter and organise their homes. She is also a solo adoptive mum, passionate about sharing her story of adoption as a single parent. In this episode we discuss how Vicky manages her work-life balance as a single mum alongside running a busy, successful business ‘You need a Vicky’.
We discuss loads of other things including how Vicky found the UK adoption process, her recent diagnosis of ADHD as an adult, her amazon bestselling book ‘ Start With Your Sock Drawer’ and so much more.
When Taylor's mum nearly died after a routine back surgery, his world came crashing down around him. He found that talking about how he felt significantly helped his mental health. So he started a podcast in his bedroom. Now, four years later and ‘The Waffle Shop Podcast’ is award winning, chart topping and truly a safe space for others to open up.
Have a listen and see if you agree that Taylor James is another fabulous example of someone thriving beyond their adversity.
If you enjoy this episode please share it with your friends, please rate and review and please subscribe to the podcast – it really does make a difference.
Lucy is not only an Oncologist working in a busy NHS hospital, but she is also a super athlete – being a fourteen times Ironman champion. On retirement in 2018 she didn’t hang up her running shoes like most people, but instead continued racing in Ultra, Extreme events. She is also the co-found of charity / community based initiative ‘5k your way, Move Against Cancer’.
In this chat we cover a range of topics including how Lucy’s career as an Oncologist has helped to drive her athletic career, what motivates her to embark on extreme challenges (including the most recent ‘The Spine Race’ – which is a non-stop 268mile ultra race along the Pennine Way with 13,300m climbing in extreme conditions of snow and blizzards) and her passion regarding the importance of exercise in cancer.
To learn more about ‘5k your way, Move Against Cancer’, which Lucy co-founded, check out the link below:
https://5kyourway.org/
Sara Davison is best known as ‘The Divorce Coach’. She is a multi-award winning Coach, twice best-selling author and podcast host of Heartbreak to Happiness.
Sara’s interest and expertise in this area was born out of her own marriage breakdown and the trauma that that life event bought with it.
In this episode we talk about how Sara managed the trauma of her own breakup and divorce, how she set up her own coaching business after being inspired by Tony Robbins, coping strategies, how we are all in control of how we react to situations that life throws at us and so many more gems.
You can learn more about Sara here: https://www.saradavison.com/
Mark Ormrod MBE is a former Royal Marine, triple amputee, motivational speaker and athlete. Whilst serving in Afghanistan in 2007 he had a devastating injury after he knelt onto an Improvised Explosive Device, which resulted in the loss of both of his legs and his right arm.
Mark joins us to tell us his moving story of not only becoming the first triple amputee to survive on the battlefield but also how he has shown remarkable strength physically and emotionally in his recovery to become a multiple Invictus Games medallist, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu competitor and how he regularly partakes in physical challenges.
Mark is also an author, motivational speaker and has his own podcast, 'Beyond Limits' where he shares his thoughts on mindset and how he uses his drive, positivity and determination to achieve his goals.
WOMEN SHOULD NOT DO INTERMITTENT FASTING; says Dr Stacy Sims - a world renowned physiologist, Nutrition scientist and applied researcher. In this episode Stacy discusses how Intermittent Fasting is NOT advisable for women, carbohydrates are NOT bad for women and that often women trying to lose body fat should consume MORE calories.
As well as discussing nutrition, we also talk about recommended exercise strategies for women at different life stages when our hormonal levels change – including the importance of lifting heavy weights.
Stacy’s research specialises specifically in sex differences in training and nutrition. She is an author of the popular books ‘Roar’ & ‘Next Level’, researcher and all round Women’s Health expert. In 2019 Stacy delivered a Ted Talk entitled Women are Not Small Men. This now has nearly half a million views and is still growing.
This is an episode not to be missed.
You can find more information on Stacy on her website - https://www.drstacysims.com/
Sir Trevor Phillips discusses the complexities of mental health, which he feels passionate about following the tragic death of his daughter Sushila in 2021, after a long battle with anorexia.
Trevor is currently the presenter of Sky New’s flagship weekend program ‘Sunday Morning’.
He is a businessman and journalist winning multiple awards over the years and previously was the twice serving chair of the London Assembly and the founding chair of the Equality and Human Rights Commission.
He was knighted in 2022 for services to equality and human rights.
JJ Chalmers is a television presenter, former Royal Marine and Invictus Games medallist. In 2011 JJ suffered life changing injuries whilst on duty in Afghanistan. Despite the challenges he endures on a daily basis, due to his acquired disabilities, he has defied the odds and is now a successful broadcaster having presented on the Paralympic Games, Olympic Games and even The Coronation of King Charles 3rd. You may also remember him from Strictly Come Dancing where he unbelievably reached the quarter finals.
Sharmeen is a double Oscar award winning film director and journalist. She is also the the only female director to have been awarded two Academy Awards by the age of 37 and the first Pakistani to win an Oscar.
Sharmeen has now been appointed as the Director of the new Star Wars film – making her the first female and person of colour to be given that role.
As a film maker, she is not only acclaimed for her work in documentaries, which often centre on human rights and gender equality, but she has directed 2 episodes of the Marvel’s superhero TV series Ms Marvel.
In today's episode, I ask Sharmeen about her life and incredible work and how she found the determination, strength and power to forge such a successful career in the film industry as a Pakistani Female.
This is the 3rd and final instalment of this special Battle Cancer mini-series where for 3 episodes, you have heard from some incredible people involved in BC, including some inspirational cancer survivors who have benefited from the work that BC do.
Today you are going to hear 3 different stories – first off is the incredible 19 year old Rob, who is living with an inoperable brain tumour, We then chat to program coach James (26 mins) and the episode ends with speaking to Mel Spooner (42 mins) who is the MD of CAWS (which is an online fitness education company). This chat with Mel really helps to put these conversations from the BC gang into context as it is her company CAWS who are responsible for co-creating the BC program accreditation.
**Just a reminder again that these were recorded live at the Battle Cancer fitness event in London so please excuse the less than perfect sound quality.
In this 2nd instalment of the special Battle Cancer mini-series you will hear from the amazing BC program coach Sam alongside his client Holly who he has been training on one of the BC programs following her breast cancer diagnosis. It is a real moving listen where you can hear Sam’s motivation and drive that comes from the losses his family has endured due to cancer and how he is channelling that into a positive to be able to assist Holly and others to regain the confidence in their bodies and emerge stronger physically and emotionally after their cancer diagnoses.
We then chat to one of the co-founders of Battle Cancer – Pete Williams, whose energy, drive and determination is palpable.
If you have listened to When Life Gives You Lemons before, you will already know that this is a topic that means a lot to me as a cancer survivor myself. Following my own cancer journey, exercise and movement saved me both physically and emotionally. So it was a honour to speak to these guys with amazing stories of survival and I hope you can take as much inspiration out of it as I have.
**Just a reminder that these were recorded live at the Battle Cancer fitness event in London so please excuse the less than perfect sound quality.
This is a special Battle Cancer mini-series where for the next 3 episodes, you will hear from some incredible people involved in Battle Cancer including some inspirational cancer survivors who have benefited from the work that Battle Cancer do.
As a cancer survivor myself this is a topic that means a lot to me. Following my own cancer journey, exercise and movement saved me both physically and emotionally. So it was a honour to speak to these guys with amazing stories of survival and I hope you take as much inspiration out of it as I have.
**Just a note that these were recorded live at the Battle Cancer fitness event in London so please excuse the less than perfect sound quality.
First off in today’s episode you are going to hear from 2 inspirational cancer survivors who share their journey’s and how exercise through Battle Cancer has helped them come back stronger than ever before. I then chat to Abby who is the BC program co-ordinator and we chat about many things including the importance of mindset, how she managed to run 7 marathons in 7 days and how she got back those amazing abs after having her first baby.
Sarah de Lagarde's life changed in September 2022 when she had an accident at a tube station where she fell through the gap and and was hit by two tube trains. This resulted in the loss of her right arm and leg. Despite this, Sarah’s mindset remains positive and her message is one of optimism and strength. She is committed to inspiring others and raising awareness of diversity, equality and inclusion.
In this chat Sarah tells us her remarkable story of survival when she was ran over by not one but two tube trains. Hearing how she was able to focus and control her breathing and emotions in order to keep herself alive despite massive traumatic injuries is utterly inspirational.
Oritse Williams is a musician and the creator and founding member of JLS – one of the biggest boybands of recent times. After becoming the runners up on 2008’s X Factor, JLS went on to become a multi-platinum award winning band selling over 6 million records worldwide, winning 5 brit awards and 2 MOBO awards.
Oritse is also well known for his charitable work and has recently been made a celebratory ambassador of The Multiple Sclerosis Trust. He is particularly passionate about advocating for young carers, having been a carer for his mum, who was diagnosed with MS, from a very young age.
In this episode Oritse recounts the story of how he discovered the other 3 members of JLS, their creation and journey to stardom. We additionally discuss the challenges of growing up as a young carer when his mum was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis when he was 12 years old and why he is now such a strong advocate for young carers.
On 7th July 2005 Martine Wright found herself on the circle line tube travelling to Aldgate station. That morning she was late to work and so sat in a different carriage to normal – as she sat and read the paper, she was unaware she was sitting just 3 feet away from a suicide bomber. Martine was one of the worst injured survivors following the 7/7 terrorist attack in London. She lost both her legs, 80 % of her blood and waited 1 ½ hours to be extrapolated from the chaos by the rescue workers that day.
With life changing injuries, some individuals may have given up. Not Martine – following a one year stay in hospital, intensive rehabilitation and multiple surgeries, she went on to become a sitting volleyball player – representing Team GB in the London 2012 Paralympic games.
Martine is now a wife, mother, motivational speaker, charity ambassador and has even gained a pilots licence.
Sam Jalloh has a remarkable story - He grew up in war torn Sierra Leone, where he faced unimaginable adversities and sorrow as a young child. He survived the brutal civil war and despite what he had been through he managed to find a path forward through his love for tennis. Regardless of the fact that he learnt to play barefoot and initially with only his hands and then a tennis racquet made from plywood, he was able to make the Sierra Leone National Team and tennis eventually saved his life.
Sam is now a professional tennis coach, Tedx speaker, author and winner of the BBC Inspirations Awards 2020.
If you are looking for a massive dose if inspiration, listen to this episode with Sam.
Michael is an international swimmer having represented team GB and Jamaica in his career. Michael is not only known for his skills in the water – but he is a passionate advocate for equality, diversity and inclusion in sport. Since retiring from swimming last year he has been busy trying to change the world through his LGBTQ+ campaigning.
Will is a British swimmer who represented Team GB at the Paralympic Games in Tokyo 2021. Will was born with Achondroplasia, a form of dwarfism, and following his return from Tokyo he started to speak up about the verbal abuse he often received due to his condition. He was fed up with the bullying behaviours which he is often subjected to and he put a call out on social media asking for change.
Since then, he continues to swim train with the aim of being selected for the Paris 2024 Paralympic games, but he has also now met with politicians, been asked to present a TEDx talk and is even involved in creating a specific fashion brand for people with dwarfism.
As a broadcaster and counselling psychologist, Sian holds a unique perspective on trauma. Initially, as a broadcaster Sian was an eyewitness to some horrific events, which drove her to train as a trauma assessor, she then experienced significant adversity herself when she went through her own breast cancer, and she has since qualified to be a psychologist specialising in post-traumatic growth.
Sian joined me to chat all things trauma related, including how to deal emotionally with a diagnosis, such as cancer, how she reacted when faced with adversity, the human capacity for growth and strategies such as journaling and mindfulness, which she so highly recommends.
This episode is just me telling my story. Who I am, what I have been through throughout the past few years following my breast cancer diagnosis and also what I’ve learnt from my guests since starting the podcast.
I conclude the final episode of the season by answering some questions which previous guests have asked me.
Erin Kennedy MBE is the Coxswain with the GB rowing team currently steering the Mix 4 of the Paralympic rowing squad. Erin is the Paralympic gold champion, two time world champion, three time European champion and world cup winner and she is the first Cox to ever hold these 4 titles at any one time.
What is remarkable about this list is that Erin achieved some of these victories with breast cancer. In May 2022 Erin was diagnosed with triple negative breast cancer. Four days after her cancer diagnosis she won a gold medal at the World Cup and then a few months later she coxed the crew to victory in the 2022 European Championships – part way through chemotherapy.
She showed true strength of mind and body by continuing to train and compete for the GB rowing team despite her diagnosis and during her treatment. Throughout her treatment Erin bravely shared her cancer journey online to raise awareness of breast cancer, the importance of early detection and the importance of living life joyfully with a diagnosis.
In 2018 Marcus faced a near death experience when he was hit by a truck whilst out on his bike. This traumatic experience allowed Marcus to gain a new perspective on life and 9 months following that incident, he completed an epic challenge of completing 30 marathons in 30 days.
He now shares his passion for life and his positive mindset with others through coaching, motivational speaking and podcasting.
Ellie Simmonds OBE is a former Paralympic British swimmer. In 2008, at the young age of only 13, she won 2 gold medals at the Beijing Paralympic Games.Four years later, in her home games in London she won another 2 gold medals and set a world record time. She wasn’t finished though…because then in 2016 at the Rio Paralympic games she won another gold medal, setting her second world record in the pool.Not only is Ellie a swimming legend but since retiring from sport last year, she has forged a successful career in the media, making documentaries, broadcasting on major sporting events, dancing on BBC’s strictly come dancing and she is also an advocate for representation across disability.
In this chat, Ellie demonstrates how from a young age, despite the fact that she was born with Achondroplasia, she has displayed a true champion mindset, which has enabled her to break down barriers and achieve her goals. We discuss the challenges she has faced retiring from her sport and how she has found the motivation to strive forwards into the next chapter of her life.
LIVE recording from The Mind, Body, Spirit Festival, London
Katie Taylor is the founder and CEO of The Latte Lounge, an online platform for women over 40, which exists to help women in midlife thrive at home and in the workplace. Katie founded The Latte lounge in 2016 after suffering for 4 years with misdiagnosed symptoms of perimenopause. Her community now supports more than 50,000 women with evidence-based information about women’s health.
In this chat, Katie tells us her story of her misdiagnosis of the peri-menopause and how that lead her to create The Latte Lounge.
Becky Downie is a British Gymnast who has been instrumental in the change and development within the culture of the sport. Her story is one of sheer grit and resilience despite significant trauma, tragedy and challenges.
Becky is a double Olympian, multiple World, European and Commonwealth medallist. Her long and illustrious gymnastics career has had many highs and lows and she has most recently peeked with an amazingly successful European championships just this year - where she won a gold medal in the Team event and an individual silver medal on Bars. As you will hear - this was truly a remarkable come back from a few years filled with significant turmoil and unimaginable emotional and physical challenges.
Becky is a ambassador of The British Heart Foundation www.bhf.org.uk
As a young, fit 20 year old, Eddie was diagnosed with Acute Myeloid Leukemia and suddenly found himself questioning his own mortality. Eddie has said that by the time he was cancer free, he was mentally and physically broken. Once reaching remission, Eddy started writing a blog ‘Chemo2Cardio’ documenting his return to fitness.
He has since ran multiple marathons, ultra marathons and ironman triathlons, raising thousands of pounds for charity along the way.
I’m this chat I talk to Eddy about his journey over the past 8 years and where he found his drive and determination to embark on these challenges.
Eve is one of Great Britain’s most successful Winter Olympians, having represented the British Woman’s curling team at 4 Olympic Games. In Beijing 2022, she achieved the ultimate goal, captaining the team to Olympic gold, despite several challenges in the lead up to the games. Later that year, she was voted 3rd by the public in the BBC Sports Personality of the Year, the first winter sports person to finish in the top 3 in almost forty years.
Eve has now retired from Curling and is busying herself by commentating for Eurosport, running marathons, and doing fitness challenges.
Dr Philippa has a particular interest in children's, women's and sexual health, having written multiple books on these topics including ‘Breasts; an owners guide’, 'The ‘M’ Word – everything you need to know about the Menopause', and ‘Doctors Get Cancer Too’. This is her honest memoir where she shares her journey of being diagnosed with bowel cancer revealing how it actually feels to be sat on the other side of the desk and to be the cancer patient rather than to take on her normal role as doctor.
Philippa is often seen on ITV’s This Morning, and various other TV and radio programs sharing her medical wisdom in a straightforward and easy to understand manner, whilst often dispelling medical myths.
Matty is a team GB diver and Olympic champion, winning an Olympic gold medal alongside Tom Daly in the 10m Synchro in the Tokyo 2020 Olympics.
In this chat, we speak about the mindset that it takes to become the best in the world and how life hasn’t always been easy for him.
Since becoming Olympic champion, opportunities have opened up for Matty and he was in the 2021 series of I’m A Celebrity Get Me Out Of Here –where he finished in 5th place, along the way winning the hearts of the nation with his kind, calm and friendly manner.
He now partners Noah Williams in the 10m Synchro event, together winning a silver medal in the World Championships in 2022 and a gold medal in the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham – so his diving success in continuing towards the next Olympics in Paris 2024.
Ruth has a fascinating story of survival from the holocaust.
Her story is a sequence of extraordinary co-incidences and luck which saw her eventually fleeing nazi Germany and being sent to England on the Kindertransport.
She arrived in England totally alone, speaking no English and with the knowledge that all of her immediate family had perished at the hands of the Nazi’s. Unbelievabely and despite experiencing unimaginable trauma, Ruth somehow found the strength and determination to forge a new life in England. She went on to have an extremely successful career as a dancer and actor and in recent years has dedicated her time to Holocaust education & awareness culminating in being honoured with a British Empire Medal.
https://www.het.org.uk/
Although you may recognise Brookes name from her days as an actress, she is more recently well known and respected for her work campaigning against knife crime following the brutal murder of her brother Ben when he was stabbed in an unprovoked attack on the streets of London in 2008 aged just 16. Ben had just been out with some friends celebrating the end of his GCSE’s and he never got the chance to go home.
Brooke has now been awarded an MBE for her work to prevent knife crime and has set up a charity The Ben Kinsella Trust. Alongside her campaigning, she works as a talent agent and I am so pleased Brooke gave up some time to come and have such an honest and inspiring conversation with us.
https://benkinsella.org.uk/
In this episode we discussed how the loss of Alice's first-born son who was stillborn at 40 weeks continues to influence her life and the person she is today.Alice is an entrepreneur, coach, media expert, journalist, author, public speaker and a mother of three. After the publication of her first book, she founded The Step Up Club, which helps women to thrive in their careers.
Highlights of our conversation include an in-depth discussion surrounding self-development, resilience and how to build it, and how to deal with our inner-critic.
Books mentioned are:
The Chimp Paradox - Prof Steve Peters
Chatter: The voice in our head and how to harness it - Ethan Kross
Atomic Habits - James Clear
Playing big - Tara Mohr
You can find Alice at:
Website: www.stepupclub.co
Instagram @thestepupclub
Linked In - Alice Olins
Today I’m welcoming GB alpine ski racer Charlie Raposo to the podcast. Charlie is a professional Ski racer, competing in giant slalom. He is sponsored by Van Deer Red Bull and has been on the Team GB ski team for the previous 14 years. Charlie is a 5 time British champion and had a great 2022 season, being the 1st British male to score world cup points in giant slalom (top 30) since 1968 and ultimately finishing the season ranked 7th in the European cup giant slalom standings and 37th in the world cup giant slalom standings, which is no mean feat. Charlie is currently in Austria where he is training and competing in the world cup races so I am super thankful for him for giving me some of his time to come and chat today.
Carly has always been a breast cancer advocate, having lost her mum and grandmother to the disease. Then in her mid thirties, she received her own diagnosis, when she found a lump under her arm whilst accompanying her sister to chemotherapy. Since then, she has shared her breast cancer journey on social media from diagnosis, throughout her treatment and into her remission and she continues to share hope and positivity today.
Following her cancer diagnosis, like is similar to a lot of us, her perspective of life changed and she has recently re-trained to be a wellness coach. As well as being a keen writer, she is a mum of 2 small children and runs a business, Keep ‘em Quiet with her husband.
I have personally met Carly at a few breast cancer charity events over the past couple of years and I have always found her warmth and positivity a joy to be around.
Books we discussed are:
Tuesdays with Morrie - Mitch Albom
David and Goliath - Malcolm Gladwell
The Gift - Edith Egar
You can find Carly on instagram @carlymoosah
Today I’m welcoming Nick Conn to the podcast. Nick has a remarkably unique story. In his early twenties, he was a police officer, who became addicted to cocaine and ended up homeless in Berlin and on the run from the Albanian Mafia. Unbelievably, Nick managed to turn his life around and has been clean for 14 years. He is now the founder and CEO of the UK's largest addiction advisory service Help4Addiction, and I’m thrilled he’s here today to talk to us.
https://www.help4addiction.co.uk/
In June 2019 Claire Danson was a successful triathlete, winning 1st place in her age group at the European triathlon championships.
2 months later, her life changed forever, when whilst out on a training bike ride, she was involved in a horrific collision with a tractor. She was left with multiple significant injuries, but most notably of her spinal cord which left her paralysed with no movement or sensation below her belly button.
Unable to speak from her hospital bed but as soon as she was able to communicate via touch pad, Claire spelt out the word ‘Para athlete’.
I personally came across Claire on Instagram where 2 months following her injury she started to share her story through honest and inspiring posts. Her first post included the words ‘the incident that changed my life forever, a story of going from triathlon champion to life in a wheelchair’.
In the 3 years since the accident, Claire has been working hard on her rehab and training including achieving accomplishments such as cycling from London to Paris for charity, learning to sit ski in Colarodo and just last month she took part in an ironman in Turkey.
Amazingly, she has now been selected to represent Great Britain on the British Cycling team as a hand cyclist and I am so thrilled that she is here to share her story with us today.
Today I'm welcoming Louisa Clein to the podcast. Louisa is an actress who has made, who made her television debut in 2001 in the popular program, judge John Deed.
Over the subsequent years, she's graced our television screens in a number of well known shows, including Casualty, Holby City, Doctors, and Midsummer. In 2018, she accepted the role of the controversial character of Maya in Emmerdale, which won her much acclaim and even an award for Best Bad Girl at the Inside Soap Awards.
Louisa is also a very well respected theta actor, having starred in a number of critically acclaimed plays, including the railway children, which I remember thoroughly enjoying. She has just finished a run of Jews in their own words at the Royal Court Theatre, A play which used verbatim interviews to portray antisemitism in the uk, which as we will explore in this podcast, was particularly relevant to her as the daughter of a Holocaust survivor.
Today I'm welcoming Will Bayley to the podcast. Will is a Paralympic table tennis player. He has attended four Paralympic games winning a gold medal in 2016, and a silver medal in both London 2012 and Tokyo 2020. He has Double World Champion in 2014 and then most recently winning the World Championships last month. Apart from table tennis, you may recognise Will from Strictly Come Dancing where he was a contestant in 2019. Where he stayed in until week six when he unfortunately had had to withdraw following a knee injury, will didn't have an an easy start to life and was born with arthrogryposis, whereby the tendons and joints in all of his four limbs are affected. As a young child, he had to endure multiple op operations, which has helped him achieve the high function he has today. If that wasn't enough to deal with as a small boy, he was then diagnosed with non-Hodgkin's lymph. A type of blood cancer at age seven, and he went through multiple rounds of chemotherapy and radiotherapy throughout this period of time. He started playing table tennis as a coping mechanism, and the rest is history.
Today I'm welcoming Daniel Geey to the podcast. Daniel is one of the UK's most highly respected sports lawyers who has worked on a number of high profile deals over the years. He is often called upon by the likes of Sky and BBC to dissect complex legal issues. As well as this, he’s a published author of Done Deal and his second book, Build the Invisible has just been released (https://www.danielgeey.com/build-the-invisible).
Daniel also presents a couple of podcasts; The Daniel Geey Podcast, which is Football Focused and the other; Build The Invisible, which is a series of interviews with which he built the premise of his second book on. On top of all this, Daniel somehow finds time to run a charity fashion brand called Thirteen, In which all profits go towards funding research into cancer.
So Daniel is a multi-talented, super busy guy, and I couldn't be more grateful that he has agreed to come and chat to us today.
To find out more about Dan go to https://bio.site/danielgeey.
So today I'm welcoming Vicki Anstey to the podcast. Vicki is a truly motivational woman on her website. She's described as a world record holder, adventurer, award-winning entrepreneur, Ted TEDx, speaker mentor, mental skills coach and athlete. She got to the final stages of Channel Four's, hip programs, SAS, who dares wins. She then went on to row the Pacific in a world record time, and then took on an Arctic ultramarathon running 230 kilometers in freezing conditions.
I first heard David's speak at a conference a few years ago, and I found his story incredibly powerful. David is a Paralympic gold medalist, double world champion, a highly accomplished Nike sponsored athlete, as well as being a writer, speaker, and coach. David started his sporting life representing, representing Great Britain and Karate and Bob Sleigh, overcoming the fact that he was born with Club Feet. He then took up rowing, making the British Paralympic team. But in 2010, he was diagnosed with a rare tumor growing into his spinal cord in his neck. He had the tumor surgically removed and built back from scratch, literally teaching himself how to walk again. Remarkably less than two years later, he won a gold medal in the London 2012 Paralympics in the mixed Cox four. Following London 2012, he switched sports and joined the British para cycling team with aspirations to go to the Rio Paralympics in 20. Sadly, he never made it there because a few months prior to competition, he was told that his tumor had returned six years on from that, and he has now had in total six surgeries to remove the tumor with each further surgery, bringing new life-changing challenges. Following his most recent surgery in 2017, he became paralysed on one side of his body and now lives his life with a spinal cord. Despite this, David continues to defy the odds and is still passionate about sports choosing to spend his time offering cycling up crazy high mountains . I'm continuously inspired by David's story and I'm sure after listening to this you'll be too.
Just before episode 1, this is an introduction about the who and the why of this podcast, host Emma Levy introduces us to how the show came to be and how her own brush with adversity has inspired her to look deeper into how, when people are faced with such adversity, they are able to come back. Stronger.
Hello! I am so excited to announce the launch of my new podcast ‘ When Life Gives you Lemons’
Having worked with elite athletes for most of my career, it’s always intrigued me that a significant number of high performing individuals have encountered some form of adversity earlier in their lifetime. My fascination into this grew when I had my own brush with adversity when I was diagnosed with breast cancer in May 2020, in the midst of the global pandemic, at the age of only36.
I underwent a double mastectomy with reconstruction, 3 gruelling months of chemotherapy, 15 sessions of radiotherapy and a further 6 months of antibody infusions. In just my mid-thirties, life had truly thrown me one giant lemon. But I have always been a positive person, and a passionate advocate of exercise, being hugely beneficial to my mental as well as physical health. So, in my very first session of chemotherapy, I set myself a goal of completing my first Olympic-distance Triathlon as soon as I was physically able to do so.
Once I had approval from my doctors, I started training, and 11 months following major surgery and only 1 month following completion of all active treatment, I completed the London Triathlon. It was throughout this process that I began to truly discover myself and how we can use adversity to our advantage.
During this period, I questioned whether it was my positive mindset or maybe something deeper, which enabled me to bounce back and to train and compete for the triathlon.
The goal of this podcast is to explore this concept further by meeting a variety of high performing individuals who have also experienced adversity but who have come back stronger.
So each week I will be interviewing a new guest from the sporting, cultural and corporate world and beyond. Some, you may have heard of, others maybe not, but each have an inspirational story to tell.
I aim to delve into their stories from trauma to growth and attempt to understand how some individuals are able to use adversity to their advantage.
My Hope is that by sharing and exploring these stories we can help others deal with adversity and inspire them to do great things.