How they found a way: Recent Episodes
Tim Hunter
How they found a way is a 100% mission driven business that helps people recovering from injuries or persistent pain pursue work and/or hobbies that they were always destined to do.
The injuries may be different, but the need for some inspiration and support with the rehabilitation journey can help everyone.
On today’s podcast we have Brian Webb. Brian had a brain injury a number of years ago which totally changed the course of his life. On his journey of discovery he found running which has since become a powerful, positive force in his life - I hope you enjoy today’s episode of how they found a way.
Today on the podcast, we were lucky enough to talk to Elizabeth Nightingale from Chiltern music therapy, who are at the forefront of using music to help people manage and range of different conditions and injuries.
https://www.chilternmusictherapy.co.uk/
Today on the podcast we are really pleased to have Katie Elliot, who has built a company called Little Challenges. Katie is really open and honest in this interview about how she has battled with perfectionism, overwhelm and a series of debilitating mental health issues for many years. Katie found an approach which she calls Little Challenges that had a life changing impact on her own journey and she is going to share this with us on today's episode. To learn more about little challenges please visit Little Challenges
Today on the podcast we have Josh Paul. Josh is an incredibly motivating individual who after have both legs amputated above his knees at a young age has gone after his dreams. At 10 he discovered sled hockey and after progressing through the ranks became one of only a few players to win three Paralympic gold medals for a national sled hockey team. Josh is now forging a career as an entrepreneur, writer and motivational speaker. To learn more about Josh please visit: Josh Pauls – Motivational Speaker
If you have an injury or persistent pain and have recently lost your job, I think you are going to get a huge amount from today’s episode of how they found a way. Our guest Eleanor Tweddell from Another Door, works with organisations and individuals going through redundancy.
Whilst acknowledging the huge challenges that go with a redundancy. Eleanor helps people find the new opportunities that can open up as one door closes.
I hope you enjoy today’s episode of how they found a way.
To learn more about Eleanor’s work please visit:
https://www.anotherdoor.co.uk
Today on the podcast we are really lucky to have Martin Yelling. Some of you may know Martin from his podcast Marathon Talk, which has been running for over 10 years now and has millions of downloads.
Having worked with a large number of runners and dealing with many injuries himself, Martin shares some really useful advice about dealing with injuries and some of the benefits of running after an injury or persistent pain
Apart from his coaching, Martin recently started an organisation called Stormbreak, which aims to improve children’s mental health and coping strategies through movement
For more information on Stormbreak, Martin’s Coaching and the Marathon Talk Podcast please see links below:
https://www.stormbreak.org.uk/
https://marathontalk.com/
http://yellingperformance.com/
If you are thinking about changing what you do and love the idea of teaching and coaching, I think you will really enjoy todays podcast with
Andria Zafirakou. Andria is an art teacher at the Alperton Community secondary school in Brent UK. Andrea’s love for teaching is so inspiring and her work was recognised in 2018 with winning the global teaching prize and a cheque for $1m. She used the prize fund to start a charity called Artists in Residence, which helps bring artists into schools to inspire and support the next generation of creatives. Andria has recently brought out her new book Those Who Can, Teach, which tells the story of her time in the classroom, through the experiences of some of her pupils.
We have links to Andria’s Work in the show notes and so if you want to find out more I highly recommend visiting her website: https://www.andriazafirakou.com/
If you have recently had an injury or your pain has led you to a crossroads in your life, then you are going to get so much from today’s episode with David Grant. After a cycling accident, David sustained a traumatic brain injury. Things did not look to bad from the outside, but inside David was a changed man and Doctors predicted a very limited outcome. David has a passion for proving people wrong and piece by piece he rebuilt his life and as part of this he has built out a global online brain injury support group - TBI Hope & Inspiration - Home | Facebook
Today on the podcast we have Liz Johnson. From a young age Liz had to work with her parents, friends and teachers to find ways to overcome physical challenges which faced her in order to do the things that other people took for granted.
Liz has taken this can do attitude to fill a huge amount in her career as a Paralympian, entrepreneur, athlete mentor and commentator, but the biggest thing that stands out for us is her work as director of the The Ability People (TAP) which is a unique consultancy on a mission to close the disability employment gap.
Liz does a lot of work with companies to help make hiring more incisive and recently the ability people have also created a platform called the Podium, where people who struggle to work in a conventional way can list themselves a freelancers.
If you have had an injury or have persistent pain or simply can’t work in a conventional way, I recommend visiting the website
https://www.theabilitypeople.com/
If you have had an injury, are feeling a bit fed up and wondering what you are going to do next, then I truly think you will take something with you from today’s episode with James Shone.
In 2012 James had just achieved his ambition of becoming a Head of School, he was moving with his family to a new house and life was looking great.
One year later, a life changing event meant James found himself out of a job, barely able to move out of his bed and with an uncertain future ahead.
Despite this turn in the road, James never let go of his passion, and whilst he still deals with the day to day challenges of his new life he is moving forwards with a charity called I can and I am which is all about inspiring confidence in children.
I have listened to some of these talks and apart from loving what the company stands for, they also inspire you to explore what lights you up.
To learn more about James work please visit
https://www.icanandiam.com/
If you have been listening to our podcasts you have probably realised that we love sharing sorties of people doing life affirming work and who are passionate about helping others who have been injured or have chronic pain. Today’s guest Danny Orchard eptitomizes these qualities.
Danny was working as the principal Osteopath for Goldman Sachs, when he decided to set up Core Clapton with the backing of one of the Goldman Sachs Partners. Together they shared a belief that Osteopathy should not just be for the wealthy and began a mission to make Osteopathy accessible to all.
To learn more about Core Clapton please visit https://www.coreclapton.org/
One thing we have come across as we talk to more and more people around the world about finding work or a hobby that lights them up after an injury or a long-term painful condition is this idea if the invisible injury/condition
It’s this idea that when you have no obvious physical changes and you look like you did before, people can’t really appreciate that you may be suffering and whilst they really care about you they don’t really know what to say or do to help you
Well this is what happened to Gail Waitkun
Before her injury Gail was a self described weekend warrior who would cycle, hike, swim and run. When she was 42 a car accident resulting in a traumatic brain injury changed all of this. Gail was left with cognitive difficulties and reduced balance as well as anxiety and depression. Overall, whilst she looked ok she felt she had been knocked out the game of life.
Like so many people Gale found herself going down a pretty dark path - but one day she managed to motivate herself to literally get on the computer and start searching for some help.
This shift in focus was a real turning point which ultimately lead Gale to new passions and writing a book on managing a TBI and coaching other people with a TBI -
Gale is a real example of someone who has found a new purpose after a difficult j jury and so I hope you enjoy today’s episode of how they found a way.
To learn more about Gail please visit : Gail Waitkun - Heal Your TBI
As a physio and researcher, I have always been a bit of a skeptic when it comes to expensive therapeutic treatments, which are so often overhyped and under deliver.
For me the antidote to this has been to become more drawn towards simple ideas that intuitively make sense and are accessible to more people.
Outdoor swimming has become more and more popular for both physical and mental health over the last few years and today I am really excited to share a conversation we had with Ella Foote about her own journey outdoor swimming.
Ella setup the dip advisor outdoor swim guiding company which offers swim experiences in wild, beautiful and open water locations.
What is particularly interesting about Ella’s approach, is that she has a real sensitivity to the reasons why people may not want to get in the water and through a really well planned accessible approach she helps people get past these barriers.
Not only has Ella found a really important niche that helps people, but to us she is yet another example of someone living life on her terms and going after a passion.
To learn more about the dip adviser please visit
https://thedipadvisor.co.uk/
If you’ve been injured and are inspired by people on a mission and relate to a story of fighting back against the odds, then you will really like today’s episode of how they found a way.
Andrew Slorance is a product inventor and entrepreneur who has spent a good portion of his career challenging the status quo in the accessible mobility market.
His latest product the Phoenix 1 is set to change the wheelchair as we know it. and will be the first ever lightweight wheelchair embedded with SMART technologies.
Andrew won a million dollars to develop the Phoenix 1 by Toyota mobility.
But don’t let me give you the impression this was easy. Andrew has been on a rollercoaster journey, but the thing that kept him going every day was the mission that was inspired by an injury he had as a teenager.
To learn more about Andrews work please visit Phoenix i Wheelchair embedded with SMART technologies (phoenix-i-wheelchair.com)
Today guest we have Michelle Munt
After a car accident Michelle was left with a brain injury and with that was the start of an incredibly challenging journey.
Quite understandably when you have had a life changing injury, it can rob you of so many things, not least your confidence. Just focusing on getting yourself better can feel like a mountain to climb and so just imagine then having to help someone else who you really cared about
Well this is what happened to Michelle.....
Michelle’s story took a turn when her father was unwell, and through trying to give him the best care possible she started making unexpected inroads in her own recovery.
If that wasn’t enough, Michelle has then taken all this learning and built a successful blog and coaching service helping people and their families who have had brain injuries
As someone who has lived through a life changing injury, Michelle offers so many valuable insights into finding valuable life affirming work and living a life on her terms
To learn more about Michelle please visit:
https://www.jumbledbrain.com/
If you have had an injury or have persistent pain and you are at a turning point in life then I guarantee you will love today’s episode with Ben Keene.
Ben Keene is an entrepreneur and community builder who has undoubtedly never compromised on following his passions and as a result has built some fantastic communities and businesses.
Whilst many of us were happy enough getting our first graduate jobs, in 2006 Ben started an audacious project called Tribewanted. Like many special projects, the concept was simple and well ahead of its time. The idea was to build an online tribe, who would ultimately have an opportunity to visit a beautiful Fijian island and build an in person community alongside the local indigenous tribe. Despite massive obstacles, that have been well documented on TV, the project was very successful, not only for its members but also for the local people.
Since then Ben has helped many entrepreneurs build businesses with the Escape the City, and now spends a lot of time working on Rebel Book Club. Rebel Book Club is now a growing community of paying subscribers who, every month, read one non-fiction book together, and meet over a book-inspired cocktail.
Ben has an infectious uplifting personality and
so please enjoy the episode.
To learn more about Ben’s projects please visit
http://www.benkeene.com/
https://www.rebelbook.club/
One of the things that really inspires me on our own journey with How they found a way is being privileged to share stories with people who simply aren’t willing to accept the status quo.
Today’s guest Lyn Delmastro-Thomson has had to face a chronic condition , misdiagnosis and all the mental health challenges that go with this. For many people it would be enough to just be able to learn to manage their own condition, but Lyn has taken this a step further, and turned the insights of her own adversity into a superpower that she uses to help mentor other people.
To learn more about Lynn please visit
Home: Heart Fire Healing - Holistic Wellness with Lyn Delmastro-Thomson (heartfirehealingllc.com)
Welcome to today’s podcast where we are talking to Joe Minihane who is a freelance travel journalist, editor and author and has written book called “Floating: a life regained”about wild swimming.
Joe is a really articulate, generous soul and in the interview and his book he talks openly
about how wild water swimming helped him with anxiety.
His journey and realisation about how he could use wild swimming to help his mental health not only is a really interesting story, but also makes you think of how sometimes pushing yourself outside of your comfort zone can have a profound effect on your life.
To learn more about Joe’s book please visit:
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Floating-Life-Regained-Joe-Minihane/dp/1468314920
To learn more about Joe please visit
http://jmtravels.org/
Episode 9 Introduces a new free service we are releasing called Stealing Time.
Has an injury or persistent pain stripped you of work or hobbies that you really want to do. If the answer is yes, let us try and help you steal some of that precious time back.
The idea of stealing time is incredibly simple:
- You send us your injury or condition and how it is stopping you doing the work or hobbies you want to do.
- Our physios, ergo team and community will assemble the best available information and then email you a short summary of the best tips, hacks and tech to help you steal back some more time doing what you love.
- If you feel we have helped you steal back some more time, we ask you to share what worked.
Welcome to a little project that we are going to be sharing with you from time to time called the light up series.
On this series we bring you everyday people who have been injured. We talk a little bit about their injury but we then focus on the things that have lit them up during their recovery which could range from a new hobby to a totally new career.
Our light up debutant is Zoe Smith. Zoe has a background in physical theatre and was also an aspiring rugby player.
Zoe is an incredible story teller who has had to navigate a really nasty sternum fracture. Through her journey she has found running and it has now become a bit of a thing - Zoe has a habit of drawing you into whatever she is doing and so get ready for a dose of inspiration.
As part of giving back Zoe is running to raise money for other people who have been injured and so to find out more please visit
https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/Zo-Smith2?utm_campaign=lc_frp_share_transaction_fundraiser_page_donation_received_-_nth_donation&utm_content=4e2d56fb-c052-49f4-a9e2-07fca1214e7d&utm_medium=email&utm_source=postoffice&utm_term=1613683371544
Today on the podcast we are really pleased to have Robert Mitchell who specialises in mindfulness based resilience.
Robert is an expert in mindfulness and has
taught mindfulness and meditation to tens of thousands of students online and in-person since 2014.
Having attended one of Robert’s courses personally, I can honestly say that he is a fantastic teacher and has changed many people’s lives and so if you are stressed, anxious or depressed after an injury or pain I really think this episode could help you on your recovery journey.
To learn more about Robert’s courses please visit https://bromleymindfulness.org.uk/
If you want regular uplifting content to help you on your recovery journey please take a moment to subscribe
https://www.howtheyfoundaway.com/sign-up
On today’s episode we are talking to Joe Sabien who is the founder of Sea Sanctuary. Sea sanctuary is a unique charity based charity in Cornwall that has been using activities on the sea to help improve people’s mental and emotional wellbeing since 2006.
If you want to learn more about the amazing mental health support from the sea sanctuary please visit: https://www.seasanctuary.org.uk/
In todays episode we talk with Katie Hoolahan about some of the latest developments in Virtual Reality for Rehab. Katie runs a new exciting company called Virtually Healthy . We are really excited about the potential of Virtually Healthy and so to learn more about what they are doing please visit her website www.virtuallyhealthy.co.uk
If you have had an injury and want weekly inspiration and support on your journey to work, hobbies or experiences please visit howtheyfoundaway.com and hit the subscribe button on hte home page.
This is a story about Holly. Holly is a really uplifting person, who is determined to work through repetitive strain injury to do something she loves. Listen to her journey of taking little steps as she works through what can be a really debilitating condition.
To subscribe to the podcast please visit https://www.howtheyfoundaway.com/
On todays episode you are going to learn about Mehret Hope. Mehret is a really inspirational person who has found her calling through trying to manage her own painful condition. To learn more about Mehret Hope and her work please visit
https://mehrethope.com/
https://mobile.twitter.com/hopepilates?lang=
This is our very first episode of how they found away and so on this very short preview I wanted to give you a quick heads up of what the podcast is and what to expect each week.
How they found a way is very simply a podcast designed to help people with injuries get back to work, a hobby, or experience that will help them during their recovery.
This could range from someone who has had a something like a back injury or broken leg, to someone with persistent pain all the way through to someone with a - think about this
The inspiration for how they found a way really comes from after working in rehabilitation having worked 20 years - what we noticed was that dealing with an injury can become a massive challenge - not only are people dealing with the physical aspects of injury but also the mental Heath aspects of the ups and downs of recovery, steer, financial hardship managing a family , dealing with stress are just a few major hues flee - and so it’s not surprising that many people loose touch with the activities in life that actually light them u