Alan shares his journey towards discovering the importance of presence and how that collates with life, work and living in a pandemic, and discover the depth of connection we can feel through everything around us that allows for a more fulfilling and enriched life.
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We explore the inspiring lifestyle and mindset of an Australian Football League Women’s player, Kate Surman (nicknamed Spud), who is also a physiotherapist. Kate walks us through how she balances the demanding aspects of her life and gives us insights into what it’s like to be a competitive sports team player at AFLW.
In this light-hearted conversation, Kate shows us the possibility of achieving greatness whilst enjoying simple things in life. By having core values, consistency in routines and an optimistic outlook, Kate is kicking her goals and showing up strong for her team as her zesty self, while under high pressure to be in her best shape and performance all year round.
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Australia’s leading facilitators in wellness and pioneers in the fitness industry, Donna and Marcello Abbate share with us how their self-discovery experiences have led them into helping others achieve their health goals. After so many years within the industry, changing thousands of lives, they have realised that good health is not only about physicality but rather the connection individuals have with themselves. As part of their personal journey, the couple cultivates an all-around holistic health foundation into practice for themselves and deliver that to those around them.
In this episode, we will get an insight into the root of what it means to have a healthy, well-lived life. With the upcoming Wellness Warriors Retreat, Donna and Marcello are excited to inspire, motivate and enhance a new dimension of experience that leverages your well-being journey. They are ready to empower us to come back to our true nature and make a difference in our daily lives after experiencing the retreat together as a community. Donna promises that this will leave you feeling grounded, whole, and inspired. As Marcello mentions, with a clear state of mind, there’s no door that’s closed.
Are you ready to walk through the door of new possibilities to reach another level of wellness? Join Donna and Marcello at our Wellness Warriors Retreat. The door is open for you: https://www.wellnesswarriorsretreats.com.au/
Show Notes:
1:17 – Felicity: Donna, what was your first exposure to the wellness industry and what took you down that pathway originally?
Donna shares her personal health struggle from a very young age and her determination to cure herself which got her into studying naturopathy.
2:40 – Felicity: What do you believe are the most important learnings from naturopathy for you?
The wide range of what is covered in naturopathy has made her foundation very holistic. For Donna, it was a journey of self-discovery. Going from working as a personal trainer, she moved her interests into yoga to optimise her own physical health. That led her to integrated more offerings for her client in her company, Fit For Life.
4:56 – Felicity: What are some of the benefits that you see from Iyengar yoga?
Donna explains how Iyengar yoga enables her clients to feel safe, comfortable and supported to get the postures right. It is what allows people to let go and be more inflow – to experience yoga fully.
7:54 – Felicity: Now Marcello, can you give us a little bit of an insight into your background?
Marcello’s personal experience witnessing his mum’s health deteriorating drove him into the fitness industry. He first thought that it was all physicality factors, but as he looks after more and more clients, he realised that it all comes down to mindset. His interests in martial arts and further knowledge he gained along the way helped him discover Tai Chi and Buddhist philosophy. Not only it accelerates the growth of his coaching business, but it also improves Marcello’s wellbeing and relationships personally.
13:10 – Felicity: I think it’s so beautiful that you were so focused on supporting and helping your mum and that drove you in that direction. How did she end up?
“You meet people where they’re at”, says Marcello. He helped her incorporate healthy habits to make up for the unhealthy ones as much as he could. From his personal journey, he realises it’s about all levels of health, not just physical, mental, but also spiritual health that ties to the meaning we give to our purpose and passions.
16:42 Felicity: What do you think are some of the most powerful stories or journeys of change that you’ve been able to share with some of your clients over the years?
Marcello humbly expresses the most powerful thing he gained working with clients is being welcomed as part of their families. The well-trusted connections he built that has enabled him to witness growth in their lives.
Here Felicity and Marcello discuss the importance of mindful practices that supports your choice towards growth and self-fulfilment through all stages of life.
21:36 Felicity: You’re a very experienced facilitator in health retreat programs. Tell me about sort of the changes that you’ve seen in how people perceive health retreats now.
From her experience as a retreat facilitator, Donna notices that it’s about the reset for people. Most joined the retreat with the goal to feel connected and be a better person.
22:13 Felicity: What do you think is the most significant part of a health retreat for someone who’s never been before? They’re stepping into those doors for the first time. What does that experience look like? And what are some of the most powerful takeaways that that person might experience from that first-time opportunity?
A holistic experience that people will be engulfed in complete wellness. As a naturopath, Donna explains that those who have never experienced a health retreat may not right away understand what all layers of health feel like. It’s something that needs to be experienced personally to comprehend the life-changing effects.
25:21 Felicity: There’s going to be so many amazing things on the Wellness Warriors retreat in the program. Can we start by running through just some of those elements and what that might look like and what people can expect when they come along to our Wellness Warriors retreat?
Donna explains to be coming into nature and having a sense of connection and community, people will be feeling inspired and whole on every level. Marcello also adds that people will gain the empowerment to cultivate and apply a healthy environment for themselves in their home structure through many tips they will gain from the retreat. Their goal isn’t only to provide these benefits for retreat participants but for their kids and the people in their lives who will receive the flow-on effect.
31:35 Felicity: What does wellness mean to you?
Donna: I guess without thinking about it, just in touch with what it means to be your authentic self. And for me, exercise helps me to feel who I am. So then I’m not frazzled in any way. My mind is clear. Yoga helps me to stay grounded and feel capable of anything. The breath makes you feel so relaxed and clear. There are so many pathways into accessing your true nature and your authentic self.
When you’re in touch with that, you feel more joy, you feel more connection, to your partner, to your kids, to everyone. So for me, wellness is leading with the heart and getting back into your body and feeling really comfortable with that.
Marcello: Choice and possibly. To get a good education, you know, your parents always say, get a good education and lots of doors open up for you. Have the perfect state of mind and there’s not one door that’s closed, ever. So choice, then the possibilities for you to enter any door that you want. That’s what wellness means to me.
Former NRL rugby league player Chris Walker completed his 2.5million step expedition in July 2021, he walked from Cairns to the Gold Coast to raise money for charity and raised an amazing $200k in total. Chris covered a brutal 1900 kilometres over 71 days to raise awareness for charities: Beyond Blue, RizeUp Australia and the Alcohol and Drug Foundation. Demand for specialist services offered by all three charities has been at record levels over the past 18 months, due to the mental health challenges associated with the COVID-19 pandemic. Walker has partnered with the new charity fundraising platform Fund My Challenge, a challenge-based charity app that has been created to revolutionise the giving process.
Get to know the life of this incredible man, from his upbringing as one of four very competitive boys (they are all professional athletes), his journey as an NRL rugby player, what inspired his epic trek and where he plans to go next as continues to give back to the community.
For more inspiration, follow Chris Walker’s journey on Instagram @iamchriswalker
Show Notes:
00:50 – Growing up into a professional rugby family
Along with his three brothers, Chris followed in their family’s footsteps in pursuing professional rugby. Chris reminisces his childhood and how they were brought up, which have built a strong bond for the brothers.
11:07 – Retiring from Rugby to building a family
Since his retirement as a professional rugby player in 2011 to be with his family, Chris found himself advancing through many challenges using what he’d learned.
17:36: – Recipe for success from NRL field to all areas of life
After many years as a professional rugby player, Chris shares the key characteristics he believes will get us far, not only on the field but in all areas of life.
19:15 – Chris Walker’s Fund My Challenge making a real difference
Wanting to give back to Australian communities, Chris started Fund My Challenge, which connects people with charities and causes they are interested in raising funds for. Their goal is to ensure that every dollar raised is distributed effectively to the causes and make a real difference in people’s lives.
24:39 – The Cairns to Brisbane Walking Challenge, 1900km in 71 days
Chris finished his walk from Cairns to Brisbane as part of his Fund My Challenge initiative. He shares incredible stories through his course, the heartfelt moments, inspirations, the work of the team and the challenges he was facing to make to the finish line.
38:16 – The domino effects of kindness and encouragement
Passionately walking through his challenge to help the causes, Chris still felt depleted at times, wanted to give up. However, Chris shares felt uplifted seeing the words of encouragement he received from the community online and offline. Even those beeps from random cars passing by had helped him power through the journey.
48:33 – What wellness means to Chris Walker
Wellness means happiness for Chris. It’s about being infectious with your attitude and being upbeat and happy.
Prosperity effects all aspects of life and not just money. Father, grandfather, best selling author and speaker Pat Mesiti shares his sought after advice on how to achieve overall prosperity. In this episode, Pat covers everything from self-love and self-worth, the art of giving, making the most of your failures and how to pivot in a post COVID-19 world.
Most inspiring, Pat gives some very useful advice on how we can help the youth, not just as parents but as leaders. We need to give the youth hope and inspiration by having some absolutes in their life and creating traditions, which helps them stay connected with us and disconnected to what’s happening out there.
A gift for our listening, Pat has graciously given an audio copy of his book “Unbreakable” here: https://mesiti.com/ub/.
Show Notes:
02:46 – The process of wealth: “Generosity breeds abundance.”
Pat elaborates his worldview, deriving from the universal law that something has to leave from your hand to return to your life. He also stresses that the reality of your wealth comes from your mindset.
07:58 – Pat Mesiti’s journey of rebuilding through failures.
A boy from Bankstown, Pat has faith in his study in prosperity to help others get back on track. He shares how he also applied the principles of life which he had learned to rebuild himself from his failures. Pat believes everyone has to experience failures, but how we deal with them will make a difference. He shares encouraging tips on how to move forward and learn from them.
14:11 – Turn fears into opportunities to drive forward through COVID.
To Pat, fear is a disempowering entity that deprives people. He empowers us with stories of his students to turn things around, create opportunities for financial freedom for ourselves in this information age.
19:07 – How to have a prosperous mentality in everything you do.
Pat expresses that it’s important to have free thinking and self-beliefs to create the life you want. Here, Felicity and Pat share their thoughts on the correlation between people’s health and their wealth’s health.
22:59 – Everything starts from your mind.
Pat wants people to realise that their mind is their greatest asset. He stresses that it has nothing to do with your education through his personal story, how his mindset helped him write his books.
29:21 – Creating the vision of compass for our youths.
As a grandfather and someone who has a strong connection with youth in his work, Pat outlines the struggles of the younger generations with encouragement on how we can help them create the vision for their future and restore hope.
39:00 – How can we restore faith for the future?
Pat shares that he found faith through a divine encounter that powerfully changed his life. He encourages people that whatever they believe in, just believe it, because faith is not just a moment, but also a process through life.
41:42 – What wellness means to Pat Mesiti.
To him, wellness means wholeness in his soul first, then in his mind and body, and in his relationships.
Olivia Scott is a well known morning radio presenter at Hot Tomato, a radio station on the Gold Coast, Australia. In this open and honest interview, Olivia shares how she doesn’t hold back on life being a mother of two as well as a morning radio presenter. We delve into how her career started, her history of travelling and working in regional areas, then starting a family and making her way back to living on the beautiful Gold Coast.
We all love radio as it’s instant coverage from headline news to celebrity gossips, which makes for a great medium. Olivia shares how she stay connected with the community through events and fundraising but most importantly how she manages a healthy work life balance during a pandemic and Queensland lockdowns.
Tune in to Olivia Scott on Hot Tomato 102.9fm between 9am to 12pm.
https://www.mygc.com.au/1029-hot-tomato/
Show Notes:
01:06 – Tell me all about what was it that first took you into radio?
Olivia had close connections and involvement within the radio station community from a very young age, which sparked her keen interest in joining the industry. Her profession took her around the Australian regions before she would be where she is today.
05:19 – Do you find that you need to change your approach in terms of where you’ve lived and worked in the different regional radio stations?
As a communicator, Olivia finds it exciting to get to know people from different places and learn to be relatable to them.
12:18 – How have you coped with juggling a life of being a radio career person and managing, raising two children, a home, a family, a husband, how’s that juggle looked for you?
For Olivia personally, she has been handling it quite well. Through flexibility at work and her support system at home, have helped her navigate through her busy schedule.
17:35 – So tell me a little bit about your health and wellbeing and your own personal philosophy on wellness. And what do you do to look after yourself?
Olivia shares her experience trying to quit smoking for a very long time and her experience in hypnotising with Felicity and Dr Drew had changed her life. One of the main reasons for her to quit was for her kids.
21:36 – So tell me about your approach to wellness and what does it mean to you and what do you do on a daily basis?
Olivia aims to have an active lifestyle as well as having a balanced diet that still allows her to enjoy everything else in life.
23:09 – What’s next for you? What are you most looking forward to over the next five years? What’s your plan?
Olivia loves to travel. She would love to travel overseas more in the future but now to keep rediscovering Queensland and places in Australia.
25:12 – Working 6 days a week is a lot. What’s your favourite thing to do on that one day a week that you don’t work?
Having quality time with family is important for Olivia to keep her going through the long work week.
26:35 – What does wellness mean to you?
For Olivia, health and wellness is everything.
Dr Gina Cleo has a PhD in habit change and is a Senior Postdoctoral Research Fellow at Bond University. She also holds a Bachelor in Health Sciences with a double major in Biomedical & Sport Science & a Masters of Nutrition and Dietetics. As a dietitian, and having worked in clinics and hospitals, Gina’s passion for wellbeing extends…
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