1 00:00:05,280 --> 00:00:08,200 Speaker 1: From age twelve, el Steele knew she wanted to become 2 00:00:08,240 --> 00:00:12,000 Speaker 1: a Paralympic. Even better, she knew she wanted to become 3 00:00:12,080 --> 00:00:16,079 Speaker 1: a Paralympic gold medalist. At just seventeen years old. She 4 00:00:16,239 --> 00:00:20,120 Speaker 1: achieved that dream, representing Australia at the Sydney two thousand 5 00:00:20,200 --> 00:00:23,960 Speaker 1: Games and breaking the four hundred meter freestyle record along 6 00:00:24,000 --> 00:00:27,800 Speaker 1: the way. After retiring from swimming, she made the switch 7 00:00:27,840 --> 00:00:31,360 Speaker 1: to wheelchair rugby and became the first female to represent 8 00:00:31,440 --> 00:00:35,560 Speaker 1: Victoria in the sport, but when injury stopped her competing altogether. 9 00:00:36,360 --> 00:00:40,839 Speaker 1: Neurolinguistics gave her a newlysea life. Elle quickly learnt the 10 00:00:40,880 --> 00:00:44,280 Speaker 1: power that language can have on one's perception of disability, 11 00:00:44,800 --> 00:00:48,760 Speaker 1: but also one's sense of self. Now she works as 12 00:00:48,760 --> 00:00:52,960 Speaker 1: the aptly titled self belief Agent, helping others to unlock 13 00:00:53,000 --> 00:00:53,639 Speaker 1: their potential. 14 00:00:54,440 --> 00:00:54,880 Speaker 2: My name is. 15 00:00:54,880 --> 00:00:57,760 Speaker 1: Sophie and I'm the producer here at the Female Athlete Project. 16 00:00:58,440 --> 00:01:00,960 Speaker 1: Chloe caught up with Elle amid the buzz and lead 17 00:01:01,040 --> 00:01:04,840 Speaker 1: up to the twenty twenty four Paris Paralympic Games. This 18 00:01:04,959 --> 00:01:09,240 Speaker 1: chat demonstrates the power of positivity and self belief. Elle 19 00:01:09,280 --> 00:01:12,080 Speaker 1: shows that if you can first believe in yourself, then 20 00:01:12,160 --> 00:01:13,800 Speaker 1: anything is truly possible. 21 00:01:14,280 --> 00:01:17,480 Speaker 2: We hope you enjoy it. Elle, Welcome to the Female 22 00:01:17,520 --> 00:01:20,800 Speaker 2: Athlete Project. Thanks for having me. I'm so excited we 23 00:01:21,040 --> 00:01:23,839 Speaker 2: finally got to do this. It's been a long time 24 00:01:23,959 --> 00:01:26,600 Speaker 2: coming and this is going to be a great chat. 25 00:01:26,640 --> 00:01:29,640 Speaker 2: But we were chatting off air about your little podcast series. 26 00:01:29,640 --> 00:01:32,240 Speaker 2: You're a pro in all areas of life, but I 27 00:01:32,319 --> 00:01:34,199 Speaker 2: want to hear about this podcast. 28 00:01:33,760 --> 00:01:36,800 Speaker 3: Series that you did last Christmas. 29 00:01:37,680 --> 00:01:39,959 Speaker 2: Me and my best friend Rose, so we've got a 30 00:01:40,000 --> 00:01:42,600 Speaker 2: thirty seven year friendship. We met at three year old 31 00:01:42,640 --> 00:01:46,399 Speaker 2: kinder and we're obsessed with Christmas movies. So we've been 32 00:01:46,840 --> 00:01:50,000 Speaker 2: rating them for probably maybe five years just on Instagram, 33 00:01:50,000 --> 00:01:51,880 Speaker 2: and then last year we decided to do a podcast 34 00:01:51,880 --> 00:01:57,840 Speaker 2: called Merry Movie Myth and we rated the high end 35 00:01:58,280 --> 00:02:03,760 Speaker 2: Netflix Christmas movies. Yeah, so it's only good. I think 36 00:02:03,760 --> 00:02:05,320 Speaker 2: three or four episodes. We're going to do it again 37 00:02:05,360 --> 00:02:09,600 Speaker 2: this year. It's essentially this unhinged conversation between two best 38 00:02:09,639 --> 00:02:12,560 Speaker 2: friends and then we give you a rating for the movies. 39 00:02:13,320 --> 00:02:15,080 Speaker 2: It's so good, it was really fun. 40 00:02:15,880 --> 00:02:17,800 Speaker 3: I love it. I'm I didn't know you've done it, 41 00:02:17,800 --> 00:02:19,639 Speaker 3: so I'm definitely going to get onto it. I love 42 00:02:19,639 --> 00:02:22,640 Speaker 3: a Netflix Christmas movie. They're so they're so trashy, but 43 00:02:22,680 --> 00:02:23,480 Speaker 3: they're so good. 44 00:02:23,720 --> 00:02:28,920 Speaker 2: It's so good, And like there's particular ones that I 45 00:02:28,960 --> 00:02:34,560 Speaker 2: love where it's the same character playing two people and 46 00:02:34,600 --> 00:02:36,840 Speaker 2: then but she puts an English accent or some kind 47 00:02:36,840 --> 00:02:38,519 Speaker 2: of weird accent on for one of them. I can't 48 00:02:38,560 --> 00:02:41,320 Speaker 2: even think of what that one's called. Lindsay Lohan made 49 00:02:41,320 --> 00:02:46,079 Speaker 2: a comeback, like it was just yeah, so so yeah, 50 00:02:46,080 --> 00:02:48,120 Speaker 2: it was great and we and as I mentioned before, 51 00:02:48,520 --> 00:02:51,280 Speaker 2: Chad Michael Murray, anything to relate it to him from 52 00:02:51,440 --> 00:02:53,760 Speaker 2: you know, One Tree Heill from our childhood. 53 00:02:54,080 --> 00:02:56,679 Speaker 3: Oh yeah, are you an o G One Tree Hill fan? 54 00:02:56,919 --> 00:02:58,440 Speaker 3: I used to love it. 55 00:02:59,240 --> 00:03:05,320 Speaker 2: I'm not. I'm more like an oc Like, okay, that's 56 00:03:05,360 --> 00:03:08,280 Speaker 2: when I kind of got into those shows, But yeah, 57 00:03:08,320 --> 00:03:11,160 Speaker 2: I love it. We'll actually start talking about proper sport 58 00:03:11,240 --> 00:03:13,480 Speaker 2: things now, but I cannot wait for the next edition 59 00:03:13,560 --> 00:03:17,240 Speaker 2: of that podcast series. Can you take us back to 60 00:03:17,440 --> 00:03:19,880 Speaker 2: l as a little kid and describe what you were 61 00:03:20,080 --> 00:03:24,800 Speaker 2: like and how you found a love for sport. I 62 00:03:24,919 --> 00:03:31,760 Speaker 2: was a pretty angry kid. I didn't really understand why 63 00:03:32,040 --> 00:03:34,840 Speaker 2: I was in a body that was different to other people. 64 00:03:35,960 --> 00:03:38,160 Speaker 2: I was the only kid with a disability in my school. 65 00:03:38,280 --> 00:03:41,720 Speaker 2: I've got two able bodied sisters and my parents are 66 00:03:41,720 --> 00:03:44,840 Speaker 2: both everre bodied or I like to call you muggles, 67 00:03:46,320 --> 00:03:50,760 Speaker 2: and I yeah, I was. I was a kid that 68 00:03:50,880 --> 00:03:54,320 Speaker 2: would I didn't know how to express her emotions, so 69 00:03:54,520 --> 00:04:00,600 Speaker 2: occasionally would just absolutely erupt into anger and frustrate and 70 00:04:00,640 --> 00:04:06,000 Speaker 2: emotion and couldn't like regulate. And then my mum and 71 00:04:06,080 --> 00:04:10,040 Speaker 2: dad found a club called organization called Wheelchair Sports Uctoria, 72 00:04:10,080 --> 00:04:13,080 Speaker 2: which is now Disability Export and Recreation, and I joined 73 00:04:13,120 --> 00:04:16,400 Speaker 2: that as an eleven year old and started swimming on 74 00:04:16,440 --> 00:04:19,239 Speaker 2: Sunday mornings with a group for probably five other kids abound, 75 00:04:19,279 --> 00:04:22,840 Speaker 2: five other kids with just lots of different types of disabilities. 76 00:04:22,880 --> 00:04:26,839 Speaker 2: And it was this beautiful moment where I could see 77 00:04:26,839 --> 00:04:30,440 Speaker 2: that there was a community for me. And I just 78 00:04:30,520 --> 00:04:34,080 Speaker 2: happened to also be good at swimming, and I'd done 79 00:04:34,200 --> 00:04:37,520 Speaker 2: lessons and stuff, so it was a very comfortable place 80 00:04:37,520 --> 00:04:39,080 Speaker 2: for me to be in and I had something of 81 00:04:39,160 --> 00:04:41,160 Speaker 2: my own which was really special too. 82 00:04:42,120 --> 00:04:44,040 Speaker 3: Did you from a young age know that you then 83 00:04:44,120 --> 00:04:45,760 Speaker 3: wanted to become a Paralympian? 84 00:04:46,520 --> 00:04:50,440 Speaker 2: I decided. I remember the moment I was about twelve 85 00:04:50,560 --> 00:04:55,280 Speaker 2: years old. It was after my first national competition, when 86 00:04:55,279 --> 00:04:58,400 Speaker 2: I was eleven that was really successful. And I was 87 00:04:58,440 --> 00:05:00,760 Speaker 2: standing on our We've got a whole house e skips 88 00:05:00,839 --> 00:05:02,640 Speaker 2: Land that's really remote, and I was standing on the 89 00:05:02,720 --> 00:05:06,600 Speaker 2: verandah and I don't really remember what I was doing. 90 00:05:06,640 --> 00:05:09,240 Speaker 2: Probably I love as a kid, and it's still too. 91 00:05:09,279 --> 00:05:11,520 Speaker 2: I'm quite artistic and I do a lot of drawing 92 00:05:11,560 --> 00:05:14,000 Speaker 2: and painting and that kind of stuff and imaginary things. 93 00:05:14,080 --> 00:05:18,040 Speaker 2: And I was standing there and I was like, I 94 00:05:18,080 --> 00:05:20,920 Speaker 2: am going to go to the Paralympics and I'm going 95 00:05:20,960 --> 00:05:25,560 Speaker 2: to win a gold medal for Australia. And it's interesting 96 00:05:25,560 --> 00:05:28,080 Speaker 2: because my story is yes, I want a gold medal 97 00:05:28,120 --> 00:05:31,320 Speaker 2: for Australia, but not at the Paralympics. And it took 98 00:05:31,360 --> 00:05:36,120 Speaker 2: me a long time to kind of be okay with 99 00:05:36,200 --> 00:05:39,839 Speaker 2: that because we're such and you'll be watching the Olympics 100 00:05:39,839 --> 00:05:43,120 Speaker 2: and the Paralympics at the moment, like it's so the 101 00:05:43,480 --> 00:05:46,440 Speaker 2: emotion behind when someone wears a gold medal, because it's 102 00:05:46,440 --> 00:05:50,880 Speaker 2: the dream that you always had for yourself. It took 103 00:05:50,880 --> 00:05:54,039 Speaker 2: me a long time to kind of be okay with 104 00:05:54,080 --> 00:05:57,080 Speaker 2: the fact that it was my God, my big dream 105 00:05:57,120 --> 00:06:00,479 Speaker 2: was different to what I had first said it would 106 00:06:00,520 --> 00:06:03,600 Speaker 2: be in my head, but yeah, twelve years old, I 107 00:06:03,680 --> 00:06:09,120 Speaker 2: decided I was going and then everything kind of fell 108 00:06:09,160 --> 00:06:12,200 Speaker 2: into place and I had an amazing support team that 109 00:06:12,320 --> 00:06:14,719 Speaker 2: helped me get there, but I had no like, you 110 00:06:14,760 --> 00:06:17,719 Speaker 2: can't even conceptualize what the effort you put in to go. 111 00:06:19,080 --> 00:06:21,120 Speaker 2: I love watching all the stuff on social media where 112 00:06:21,120 --> 00:06:25,720 Speaker 2: people make comment about the Olympics and Paralympics and oh, 113 00:06:25,760 --> 00:06:27,359 Speaker 2: I could do that, or I could do that. I'm like, 114 00:06:27,480 --> 00:06:31,760 Speaker 2: you could you could do that? I think have to 115 00:06:31,800 --> 00:06:33,560 Speaker 2: be a different type of human. And that's not to 116 00:06:33,600 --> 00:06:35,320 Speaker 2: say that like one is better than the other, right, 117 00:06:35,360 --> 00:06:37,599 Speaker 2: nothing like that. It just is like, if you really 118 00:06:37,640 --> 00:06:40,440 Speaker 2: want to do it, it's a lifestyle change. 119 00:06:41,880 --> 00:06:45,120 Speaker 3: Yeah, how did you come to terms with the fact 120 00:06:45,160 --> 00:06:47,479 Speaker 3: that you got your gold medal? But not in the 121 00:06:47,480 --> 00:06:50,440 Speaker 3: way that you anticipated it as a little kid, Because 122 00:06:50,440 --> 00:06:54,240 Speaker 3: I think sometimes even as athletes, you can watch it 123 00:06:54,320 --> 00:06:55,760 Speaker 3: like I don't know if you feel the same as 124 00:06:55,760 --> 00:06:59,360 Speaker 3: an athlete when I watch, say, like the Olympics are on, 125 00:06:59,400 --> 00:07:02,640 Speaker 3: We're about to put for the Paralympics. When I see 126 00:07:02,680 --> 00:07:05,400 Speaker 3: these athletes winning gold medals, like the women in the 127 00:07:05,400 --> 00:07:07,400 Speaker 3: relay and things like that in the swimming, there's a 128 00:07:07,480 --> 00:07:10,640 Speaker 3: sense of like it makes all those early mornings, all 129 00:07:10,640 --> 00:07:14,360 Speaker 3: the hard work worth it. But how is it that 130 00:07:14,400 --> 00:07:17,240 Speaker 3: you reconcile as an athlete when it's not the exact dream, 131 00:07:17,800 --> 00:07:19,840 Speaker 3: but you still put in all the hard work to 132 00:07:19,880 --> 00:07:20,240 Speaker 3: get there. 133 00:07:21,240 --> 00:07:27,240 Speaker 2: I feel like I maybe like eighty percent there. I 134 00:07:27,240 --> 00:07:34,920 Speaker 2: don't know whether I'll ever fully be okay with the 135 00:07:35,400 --> 00:07:41,880 Speaker 2: outcome of my story. It took me. I still like 136 00:07:41,960 --> 00:07:44,560 Speaker 2: I still cry a lot when I watched the Olympics, 137 00:07:44,640 --> 00:07:46,920 Speaker 2: is the Paralympics. It took me a long time to 138 00:07:46,920 --> 00:07:50,400 Speaker 2: be able to watch the swimming, like years and years 139 00:07:50,400 --> 00:07:51,960 Speaker 2: and years to be able to watch any kind of 140 00:07:52,040 --> 00:07:56,560 Speaker 2: nationals or even the Olympics or Paralympics. And that's also 141 00:07:56,600 --> 00:07:59,720 Speaker 2: because of other things that happened in my career too. 142 00:08:00,000 --> 00:08:06,960 Speaker 2: But I know that what happened in my career was 143 00:08:07,080 --> 00:08:11,160 Speaker 2: meant to happen for my soul. And so I think 144 00:08:11,240 --> 00:08:14,840 Speaker 2: because I've done the other extra kind of healing work 145 00:08:15,440 --> 00:08:17,920 Speaker 2: on how I feel about myself and self acceptance and 146 00:08:17,920 --> 00:08:23,320 Speaker 2: self belief and all that kind of stuff, that I 147 00:08:22,840 --> 00:08:27,560 Speaker 2: I'm okay with it. But I definitely feel in moments 148 00:08:27,560 --> 00:08:29,840 Speaker 2: of vulnerability or moments of like when I'm a bit 149 00:08:29,880 --> 00:08:35,000 Speaker 2: tired or my body's hurting a bit that I and 150 00:08:35,040 --> 00:08:37,520 Speaker 2: I even like last night, I was watching some stuff 151 00:08:37,520 --> 00:08:41,120 Speaker 2: on my phone before I went to sleep, as we 152 00:08:41,160 --> 00:08:46,120 Speaker 2: all do. Don't tell me that you don't. And I 153 00:08:46,160 --> 00:08:50,240 Speaker 2: said to myself, people just don't understand, like the emotion 154 00:08:50,360 --> 00:08:52,480 Speaker 2: behind when you got better for your country, if that 155 00:08:52,520 --> 00:08:57,480 Speaker 2: has been your goal since you were a kid. And yeah, 156 00:08:57,559 --> 00:09:00,320 Speaker 2: I just I knew that there were elements of my 157 00:09:00,400 --> 00:09:03,360 Speaker 2: career when I made the sha A team or the 158 00:09:03,440 --> 00:09:06,160 Speaker 2: you know, the Paralympic team, that I was not as 159 00:09:06,200 --> 00:09:09,280 Speaker 2: fast as the other swimmers. But the things that kind 160 00:09:09,280 --> 00:09:14,720 Speaker 2: of happened in my career after that to get in 161 00:09:14,760 --> 00:09:16,920 Speaker 2: the way in some kind of way never allowed me 162 00:09:16,960 --> 00:09:20,640 Speaker 2: to really, I wonder, get to my peak. You know, 163 00:09:20,880 --> 00:09:22,959 Speaker 2: I had to retire yet injury and stuff like that. 164 00:09:23,000 --> 00:09:24,920 Speaker 2: So I don't know whether I really ever got to 165 00:09:25,000 --> 00:09:27,480 Speaker 2: really kind of give it all by all just because 166 00:09:27,520 --> 00:09:32,079 Speaker 2: of how my body is, which is a bit frustrating. 167 00:09:32,120 --> 00:09:35,640 Speaker 2: But then also like you can, well you can worry 168 00:09:35,640 --> 00:09:37,679 Speaker 2: about it or wallow in it, or you can just 169 00:09:39,000 --> 00:09:41,520 Speaker 2: take a deep breath and love yourself anyway. 170 00:09:42,679 --> 00:09:45,880 Speaker 3: Yeah, I love that. How do you reflect on the 171 00:09:45,960 --> 00:09:49,040 Speaker 3: Sydney two thousand Olympics at seventeen years old. 172 00:09:51,400 --> 00:09:53,440 Speaker 2: It's so funny. I had a massage with my mate 173 00:09:53,480 --> 00:09:56,000 Speaker 2: the other day and she actually, you know, we were 174 00:09:56,000 --> 00:09:57,920 Speaker 2: talking about the Olympics and the Paralympics and she said 175 00:09:57,960 --> 00:10:02,320 Speaker 2: to me, how how was And my first reaction was 176 00:10:02,600 --> 00:10:09,719 Speaker 2: it was not good. But I don't think that it 177 00:10:09,800 --> 00:10:11,880 Speaker 2: was not good. I think that I was seventeen. I 178 00:10:11,920 --> 00:10:15,600 Speaker 2: couldn't conceptualize part of it. There was also a lot 179 00:10:15,640 --> 00:10:21,320 Speaker 2: of angst and there was uncomfortability on the team. There 180 00:10:21,360 --> 00:10:23,240 Speaker 2: was a lot of hierarchy and stuff like that, and 181 00:10:23,320 --> 00:10:25,120 Speaker 2: as a seventeen year old, I didn't really know how 182 00:10:25,120 --> 00:10:28,280 Speaker 2: to kind of manage that and the pressure, and I 183 00:10:28,360 --> 00:10:31,480 Speaker 2: wonder if the pressure was maybe it's like this at 184 00:10:31,520 --> 00:10:34,360 Speaker 2: all Olympics were Paralympics or world stage stuff. But the 185 00:10:34,360 --> 00:10:37,280 Speaker 2: pressure felt even more because it was a home games 186 00:10:37,640 --> 00:10:41,280 Speaker 2: and it was also a games when the Paralympics were 187 00:10:41,280 --> 00:10:44,000 Speaker 2: finally being seen as worthy to watch and people coming 188 00:10:44,000 --> 00:10:45,560 Speaker 2: to see it, and so there was a lot of 189 00:10:45,600 --> 00:10:48,840 Speaker 2: that kind of the element of where you better step 190 00:10:48,920 --> 00:10:54,080 Speaker 2: up or you know. But I'm really grateful for a 191 00:10:54,120 --> 00:10:57,000 Speaker 2: lot of the things that happened within that team because 192 00:10:59,600 --> 00:11:03,480 Speaker 2: I learned it's about the power of judgment on other people. 193 00:11:03,720 --> 00:11:05,920 Speaker 2: So the judgment that was on me as an athlete 194 00:11:05,960 --> 00:11:09,080 Speaker 2: and as a seventeen year old girl based on me 195 00:11:09,200 --> 00:11:13,199 Speaker 2: by other people was and you know, I've probably never 196 00:11:13,240 --> 00:11:16,439 Speaker 2: talked about this was not fair and was pretty gross 197 00:11:16,480 --> 00:11:20,840 Speaker 2: and disgusting. But I grew from that, Like I became 198 00:11:20,880 --> 00:11:22,480 Speaker 2: a more powerful woman because of that. 199 00:11:22,600 --> 00:11:25,200 Speaker 3: Did it take you a long time to, like, as 200 00:11:25,240 --> 00:11:28,760 Speaker 3: your career continued off the back of that, to adapt 201 00:11:30,200 --> 00:11:34,319 Speaker 3: to pressure? Obviously it was not appropriate the level that 202 00:11:34,440 --> 00:11:35,760 Speaker 3: was put on you, But how did you kind of 203 00:11:35,800 --> 00:11:37,839 Speaker 3: adapt as you moved on throughout your career. 204 00:11:38,440 --> 00:11:45,080 Speaker 2: Probably with a bit of disassociation. But you know, I 205 00:11:45,120 --> 00:11:47,719 Speaker 2: think I'm just I'm a really resilient person, and my 206 00:11:48,360 --> 00:11:54,200 Speaker 2: body and my life has been you know, interesting in 207 00:11:54,200 --> 00:11:56,400 Speaker 2: the sense of just living with a disability that is 208 00:11:56,440 --> 00:11:58,600 Speaker 2: not meant to be degenerative but kind of ends up 209 00:11:58,600 --> 00:12:05,120 Speaker 2: being degenerative. And so I just learned that I can 210 00:12:05,200 --> 00:12:07,480 Speaker 2: choose how I want to feel and react to things. 211 00:12:07,679 --> 00:12:10,960 Speaker 2: And I learned that I learned that my mind is 212 00:12:11,000 --> 00:12:13,400 Speaker 2: so much more powerful than so much of the people 213 00:12:13,440 --> 00:12:15,200 Speaker 2: give it. You know, your mind is so much more 214 00:12:15,200 --> 00:12:18,440 Speaker 2: powerful that people give it credit for. And so I 215 00:12:18,520 --> 00:12:21,160 Speaker 2: just decided that I didn't believe any of that stuff, 216 00:12:21,160 --> 00:12:26,319 Speaker 2: that what other people had believed about me, and they 217 00:12:26,360 --> 00:12:28,760 Speaker 2: didn't even really know me. So I could walk through 218 00:12:28,760 --> 00:12:31,400 Speaker 2: the world worrying about what people thought of me, or 219 00:12:31,440 --> 00:12:33,320 Speaker 2: I could just take a deep breath and keep on 220 00:12:33,400 --> 00:12:35,600 Speaker 2: trying to be the best version of myself and the 221 00:12:35,640 --> 00:12:39,920 Speaker 2: best athlete. And I retired from aswiming to go to rugby, 222 00:12:39,960 --> 00:12:42,319 Speaker 2: to wheelchair rugby, and I think that was a really 223 00:12:42,360 --> 00:12:45,079 Speaker 2: cathartic and like he really experience for me because I 224 00:12:45,240 --> 00:12:47,160 Speaker 2: was the only female. I was the first female to 225 00:12:47,200 --> 00:12:50,560 Speaker 2: play in the state for my state and then around nationally, 226 00:12:50,679 --> 00:12:54,800 Speaker 2: and that was a really beautiful experience for me to 227 00:12:55,080 --> 00:12:57,920 Speaker 2: go back into a sport and you know, to be 228 00:12:57,920 --> 00:13:05,439 Speaker 2: an elite athlete again and within a community that really 229 00:13:07,840 --> 00:13:11,320 Speaker 2: that I felt really loved and supported. Yeah, And not 230 00:13:11,360 --> 00:13:12,840 Speaker 2: that I didn't feel that in my assuming. It was 231 00:13:12,880 --> 00:13:15,400 Speaker 2: just different, like individual sport and team sport's so different. 232 00:13:15,679 --> 00:13:19,240 Speaker 3: How did you see the Tokyo Paralympics. I think there 233 00:13:19,280 --> 00:13:21,400 Speaker 3: was a real you talked about the Sydney two thousand 234 00:13:21,400 --> 00:13:24,760 Speaker 3: shift in perception, but I think the Tokyo Paralympics was 235 00:13:24,800 --> 00:13:28,080 Speaker 3: a really big moment for people to even from like 236 00:13:28,080 --> 00:13:30,840 Speaker 3: a broadcast perspective, it felt like there was a real shift. 237 00:13:31,320 --> 00:13:35,440 Speaker 2: Yeah, I think that people are finally realizing that we're 238 00:13:35,640 --> 00:13:40,760 Speaker 2: just as elite and it's just as exciting. And there 239 00:13:40,800 --> 00:13:42,720 Speaker 2: are things that would make a little bit more complicated, 240 00:13:42,760 --> 00:13:46,600 Speaker 2: like classification that you may not understand, but the commentary 241 00:13:46,800 --> 00:13:50,440 Speaker 2: by people like Alie Cole and Dylan or Cott and 242 00:13:50,520 --> 00:13:54,280 Speaker 2: Kurt Firley is just like they're so knowledgeable, even Thouis Savage. 243 00:13:54,280 --> 00:14:02,040 Speaker 2: They're so knowledgeable in that space that it's just about 244 00:14:02,120 --> 00:14:05,959 Speaker 2: learning kind of another language. But also the classification often 245 00:14:06,000 --> 00:14:08,760 Speaker 2: doesn't really it comes into it for the athlete. They 246 00:14:08,840 --> 00:14:10,880 Speaker 2: need to know, you know, in terms of winning and 247 00:14:10,880 --> 00:14:12,400 Speaker 2: getting close to the world record and stuff, but it 248 00:14:12,400 --> 00:14:14,480 Speaker 2: doesn't mean that you can't watch and be excited by 249 00:14:15,240 --> 00:14:19,680 Speaker 2: someone from your country achieving a beautiful dream that they've 250 00:14:19,680 --> 00:14:23,600 Speaker 2: always wanted to achieve. So yeah, I think that I 251 00:14:24,640 --> 00:14:27,280 Speaker 2: used to think, oh, God, like thing is not going 252 00:14:27,320 --> 00:14:31,080 Speaker 2: to change in my lifetime, but they're starting to change. 253 00:14:31,120 --> 00:14:36,080 Speaker 2: And the conversation, even the different conversations we're now having 254 00:14:36,120 --> 00:14:40,480 Speaker 2: in disability sport around access and inclusion being a real 255 00:14:41,120 --> 00:14:44,160 Speaker 2: actually being more of a mindset shift than a compliance 256 00:14:44,480 --> 00:14:50,680 Speaker 2: conversation is so powerful and so validating for my community 257 00:14:50,760 --> 00:14:53,680 Speaker 2: because so much of it has been oh, we better 258 00:14:53,720 --> 00:14:56,600 Speaker 2: tick this box and this box to be accessible or 259 00:14:56,640 --> 00:15:01,000 Speaker 2: to show that we care. But so much there's so 260 00:15:01,120 --> 00:15:04,080 Speaker 2: much work that happens before you tick the box. It's 261 00:15:04,120 --> 00:15:07,800 Speaker 2: actually about cultural and systemic change of what you believe 262 00:15:07,840 --> 00:15:10,400 Speaker 2: a person with a disability can bring to your organization 263 00:15:10,440 --> 00:15:13,840 Speaker 2: of sporting club or bring to your community, rather than 264 00:15:13,920 --> 00:15:16,360 Speaker 2: like just putting a ramp in. The ramp comes like 265 00:15:16,400 --> 00:15:16,960 Speaker 2: way later. 266 00:15:17,160 --> 00:15:20,800 Speaker 3: It's such an important discussion. What impact does that have 267 00:15:20,880 --> 00:15:24,520 Speaker 3: when it's a shift to it being a mindset and 268 00:15:24,560 --> 00:15:27,240 Speaker 3: empowerment thing rather than ticking a box. 269 00:15:27,920 --> 00:15:30,920 Speaker 2: I know, for me as a person with a disability, 270 00:15:31,000 --> 00:15:36,400 Speaker 2: I finally feel like someone like I feel that people 271 00:15:36,480 --> 00:15:40,720 Speaker 2: actually can I swear go for it. Yeah, I feel 272 00:15:40,760 --> 00:15:43,600 Speaker 2: like people give a shit. Like I feel like people 273 00:15:43,680 --> 00:15:49,840 Speaker 2: actually are trying to, you know, make a make a 274 00:15:49,920 --> 00:15:53,240 Speaker 2: difference because they see me as a whole person, not 275 00:15:53,400 --> 00:15:59,520 Speaker 2: as as the problem that society still sometimes sees disability as. 276 00:16:00,280 --> 00:16:02,320 Speaker 2: I don't know whether you've heard of the medical model 277 00:16:02,400 --> 00:16:05,360 Speaker 2: or the social model of disability, but there's two different 278 00:16:05,360 --> 00:16:08,960 Speaker 2: ways that we look at disability. And you know, there's 279 00:16:09,040 --> 00:16:11,480 Speaker 2: the kind of archaic way, which is the medical model 280 00:16:11,520 --> 00:16:13,800 Speaker 2: that the person with the disability is the problem and 281 00:16:13,840 --> 00:16:16,720 Speaker 2: they're the problem. That's why they can't access what they 282 00:16:16,760 --> 00:16:19,400 Speaker 2: need to be able to access, and it's because their 283 00:16:19,440 --> 00:16:24,400 Speaker 2: body doesn't fit what society as deemed as appropriate. Whereas 284 00:16:24,400 --> 00:16:27,680 Speaker 2: the social model of disability tells us that the reason 285 00:16:27,720 --> 00:16:30,040 Speaker 2: that I'm disabled is because the world is not built 286 00:16:30,040 --> 00:16:33,480 Speaker 2: for me, and that there's opportunities for me, or whether 287 00:16:33,600 --> 00:16:40,920 Speaker 2: people view me is because of what we've always been 288 00:16:40,960 --> 00:16:45,080 Speaker 2: told about disability. And so as we move more into 289 00:16:45,200 --> 00:16:47,240 Speaker 2: like this is what's been so great about social media 290 00:16:47,320 --> 00:16:49,840 Speaker 2: and the conversations that we're having online because it means 291 00:16:49,880 --> 00:16:52,280 Speaker 2: it's more accessible for us, you know, we don't have 292 00:16:52,400 --> 00:16:56,080 Speaker 2: to try and get somewhere that we can't get. That 293 00:16:56,160 --> 00:16:59,200 Speaker 2: the conversation is changing from the medical model to the 294 00:16:59,200 --> 00:17:01,840 Speaker 2: social model, which really cool and exciting it and that's 295 00:17:01,920 --> 00:17:05,000 Speaker 2: really empowering because it means that we are leading the 296 00:17:05,040 --> 00:17:08,960 Speaker 2: conversations rather than the people that have thought they had 297 00:17:08,960 --> 00:17:11,280 Speaker 2: to rescue us. We don't need rescuing, We just need 298 00:17:11,280 --> 00:17:12,400 Speaker 2: people to listen to us. 299 00:17:14,040 --> 00:17:18,280 Speaker 3: I've also seen you talk about this idea of needing 300 00:17:18,320 --> 00:17:20,760 Speaker 3: to shift away from an athlete with a disability or 301 00:17:20,760 --> 00:17:25,240 Speaker 3: a paralympian being described as inspiring. Do you think that's 302 00:17:25,280 --> 00:17:28,040 Speaker 3: happened enough, Like, do you think that's still something you're seeing? 303 00:17:28,800 --> 00:17:31,560 Speaker 2: Oh? Absolutely, They love a little bit of inspiration pawn, 304 00:17:31,640 --> 00:17:35,320 Speaker 2: which was that's coined by Sally Young, the late Stally Young. 305 00:17:35,440 --> 00:17:39,359 Speaker 2: She was an amazing disability advocate. You know, I think 306 00:17:40,840 --> 00:17:42,439 Speaker 2: I remember a guy I said to me when I 307 00:17:42,480 --> 00:17:45,439 Speaker 2: was working in corporate. He was like, I went to 308 00:17:45,480 --> 00:17:48,640 Speaker 2: the gym this morning because I thought, if Elle gets 309 00:17:48,720 --> 00:17:50,679 Speaker 2: up and comes to work, then I can go to 310 00:17:50,760 --> 00:17:56,719 Speaker 2: the gym. And this was like the peak of my retirement, 311 00:17:56,800 --> 00:17:59,520 Speaker 2: like I realized was in a bit of a black 312 00:17:59,520 --> 00:18:03,560 Speaker 2: hole with you know, doctors saying don't do this because 313 00:18:03,560 --> 00:18:05,119 Speaker 2: you'll hurt your ankle, and don't do that because you'll 314 00:18:05,160 --> 00:18:06,680 Speaker 2: hurt your back and you're got to be carefully to 315 00:18:06,680 --> 00:18:09,440 Speaker 2: be shoulder edit it like I basically couldn't do any 316 00:18:09,520 --> 00:18:12,800 Speaker 2: kind of real physical movement and for a long time, 317 00:18:12,920 --> 00:18:15,520 Speaker 2: and it was that was not a helpful comment for 318 00:18:15,560 --> 00:18:17,880 Speaker 2: that person to make for me. And I'm like, well, 319 00:18:18,280 --> 00:18:21,840 Speaker 2: why is it that I'm inspiring just forgetting out of bed? 320 00:18:23,160 --> 00:18:29,879 Speaker 2: There's nothing inspirational about me getting up and doing what 321 00:18:30,720 --> 00:18:33,080 Speaker 2: I need to do to go to my employment to 322 00:18:33,119 --> 00:18:36,960 Speaker 2: make money to live, you know, And there's a little 323 00:18:36,960 --> 00:18:42,159 Speaker 2: bit of that still kind of floating around. I hope 324 00:18:42,200 --> 00:18:47,920 Speaker 2: that people realize that we're not inspiring because of our disabilities. 325 00:18:47,960 --> 00:18:50,600 Speaker 2: And maybe sometimes we are, but for the most part, 326 00:18:50,680 --> 00:18:54,000 Speaker 2: I think where everyone's inspiring because of the way they 327 00:18:54,000 --> 00:18:57,520 Speaker 2: look at the world or the way they handle, you know, 328 00:18:57,600 --> 00:19:01,399 Speaker 2: when something confronting comes their way. That doesn't necessarily just 329 00:19:01,880 --> 00:19:04,560 Speaker 2: happen to people with disabilities, it happens across the board. 330 00:19:04,800 --> 00:19:08,160 Speaker 3: I'd love to look at your transition away from sport 331 00:19:08,359 --> 00:19:15,560 Speaker 3: and particularly your work around. Is it neural linguistics? Yes, yeah, yes, 332 00:19:15,720 --> 00:19:19,360 Speaker 3: Can you share about what is neural linguistics and how 333 00:19:19,359 --> 00:19:20,159 Speaker 3: do you apply it? 334 00:19:23,240 --> 00:19:26,960 Speaker 2: So NLP or neuralinguistics. You can apply it in an 335 00:19:27,040 --> 00:19:30,280 Speaker 2: evil way if you want to manipulate someone, which you 336 00:19:30,320 --> 00:19:34,280 Speaker 2: can watch plenty of Netflix docos on that, or you 337 00:19:34,320 --> 00:19:37,560 Speaker 2: can be a good person and use it to heal 338 00:19:37,680 --> 00:19:41,679 Speaker 2: the way you believe what you believe and assist people 339 00:19:41,680 --> 00:19:44,159 Speaker 2: to do the same. So the work that I do 340 00:19:44,280 --> 00:19:47,919 Speaker 2: now with NLP and in like the kind of spiritual 341 00:19:48,200 --> 00:19:52,320 Speaker 2: healing energety. I call it integrated energy therapy. Space is 342 00:19:53,080 --> 00:19:58,359 Speaker 2: to assist people to shift their minds and their body 343 00:19:58,440 --> 00:20:01,080 Speaker 2: energetics or to embody person that they want to be 344 00:20:01,200 --> 00:20:03,600 Speaker 2: in their life. And the reason I went into NLP 345 00:20:04,000 --> 00:20:06,560 Speaker 2: was and like life coaching and that kind of stuff, 346 00:20:06,640 --> 00:20:10,639 Speaker 2: was because I wanted to learn how to articulate the 347 00:20:10,680 --> 00:20:13,960 Speaker 2: message that I was trying to tell the world. And 348 00:20:14,000 --> 00:20:16,560 Speaker 2: it's really funny because I don't know whether I really 349 00:20:16,600 --> 00:20:20,640 Speaker 2: learned how to do that through that. I learned how 350 00:20:20,640 --> 00:20:23,119 Speaker 2: to do that from actually just going out and telling 351 00:20:23,119 --> 00:20:26,159 Speaker 2: my story and realizing that so much of it was 352 00:20:27,880 --> 00:20:30,240 Speaker 2: so much of the stuff that I needed to learn 353 00:20:30,280 --> 00:20:32,480 Speaker 2: for myself was actually what I was meant to teach 354 00:20:32,520 --> 00:20:34,560 Speaker 2: the world. And it was about self belief and radical 355 00:20:34,560 --> 00:20:41,000 Speaker 2: self acceptance and realizing that you know you, there is 356 00:20:41,040 --> 00:20:46,200 Speaker 2: no you're not losing the game if you're taking a 357 00:20:46,240 --> 00:20:48,800 Speaker 2: little bit longer than someone else to achieve a gene 358 00:20:48,800 --> 00:20:53,879 Speaker 2: that you want to achieve or that and trusting in 359 00:20:54,440 --> 00:20:56,919 Speaker 2: that there was some kind of bigger purpose for me. 360 00:20:58,680 --> 00:21:04,800 Speaker 2: And I don't know whether it really I know that 361 00:21:04,840 --> 00:21:09,879 Speaker 2: some people don't kind of really get it or resonate 362 00:21:09,920 --> 00:21:12,040 Speaker 2: with it, but It was something that was really powerful 363 00:21:12,080 --> 00:21:16,480 Speaker 2: for me to look at what I believe in, particularly 364 00:21:16,480 --> 00:21:19,879 Speaker 2: in the sense of, well, we're in my kind of 365 00:21:19,920 --> 00:21:23,040 Speaker 2: mid to late twenties. I felt like I was so disabled, 366 00:21:23,080 --> 00:21:26,320 Speaker 2: and I felt like I was unlovable and not worthy 367 00:21:26,359 --> 00:21:30,200 Speaker 2: of any of the achievements that I had achieved really young, 368 00:21:30,400 --> 00:21:33,520 Speaker 2: and not worthy of really achieving anything else. I was 369 00:21:33,600 --> 00:21:35,600 Speaker 2: just kind of like a bit of a blob, like 370 00:21:36,880 --> 00:21:41,480 Speaker 2: moving through life without any real direction. And what new 371 00:21:41,720 --> 00:21:46,040 Speaker 2: linguistics gave me was the realization that if I think 372 00:21:46,119 --> 00:21:49,600 Speaker 2: a particular thought, then that often will pop up in 373 00:21:49,640 --> 00:21:51,679 Speaker 2: my life, Like people are a mirror to me. So 374 00:21:51,760 --> 00:21:53,520 Speaker 2: what you've see in other people is in you, and 375 00:21:53,920 --> 00:21:56,840 Speaker 2: that kind of stuff. And so what began to what 376 00:21:57,200 --> 00:21:59,880 Speaker 2: had been happening was that I would go out like dancing, 377 00:22:00,080 --> 00:22:01,800 Speaker 2: I would just with my mates on a Friday night, 378 00:22:01,880 --> 00:22:05,679 Speaker 2: or I would go out to just generally to the 379 00:22:05,680 --> 00:22:08,960 Speaker 2: shops or the supermarket, and people would say weird things 380 00:22:09,000 --> 00:22:12,240 Speaker 2: to me. Can I pray for you if I was 381 00:22:12,320 --> 00:22:14,320 Speaker 2: like you, if I was in your situation, I would 382 00:22:14,320 --> 00:22:18,680 Speaker 2: have already killed myself. All this like awful, awful stuff. 383 00:22:18,960 --> 00:22:24,840 Speaker 2: And I realized that I, in some aspect of my 384 00:22:25,040 --> 00:22:29,639 Speaker 2: own belief around who lle was that I believed I 385 00:22:29,680 --> 00:22:31,879 Speaker 2: needed I was broken, I needed to be fixed, or 386 00:22:31,920 --> 00:22:35,359 Speaker 2: that I wasn't worthy of living, or I was unhappy. 387 00:22:35,400 --> 00:22:37,280 Speaker 2: And this kind of came after the end of my 388 00:22:37,280 --> 00:22:43,679 Speaker 2: swimming career, and so with NLP it was like a 389 00:22:43,920 --> 00:22:46,359 Speaker 2: blick of a switch. I was like, actually, I'm going 390 00:22:46,440 --> 00:22:47,879 Speaker 2: to go out into the world and I do this 391 00:22:47,960 --> 00:22:49,520 Speaker 2: now with my talks and I talk a lot about 392 00:22:49,560 --> 00:22:52,560 Speaker 2: this that when I go out and do a presentation, 393 00:22:53,200 --> 00:22:57,120 Speaker 2: I walk into the room believing that everyone is obsessed 394 00:22:57,160 --> 00:23:00,639 Speaker 2: with me and that I'm a with me and that 395 00:23:00,720 --> 00:23:02,760 Speaker 2: my story is amazing, and that I'm going to change 396 00:23:03,280 --> 00:23:06,919 Speaker 2: people's mindsets and that I am like this embodiment of 397 00:23:07,080 --> 00:23:10,639 Speaker 2: light and you know, happiness and you know, whatever I 398 00:23:10,680 --> 00:23:13,560 Speaker 2: want to believe of the day like And it was 399 00:23:13,600 --> 00:23:15,919 Speaker 2: this moment where I went, Oh, my god, if the 400 00:23:16,040 --> 00:23:20,560 Speaker 2: reason that I feel, the reason people are showing me 401 00:23:20,640 --> 00:23:23,400 Speaker 2: this in the world is because I believe that about myself. 402 00:23:24,000 --> 00:23:28,760 Speaker 2: And as soon as I stopped that belief, literally people 403 00:23:28,800 --> 00:23:31,000 Speaker 2: stop staying awful weird things. 404 00:23:31,040 --> 00:23:34,680 Speaker 3: To me. It's incredibly powerful. 405 00:23:35,119 --> 00:23:38,960 Speaker 2: Yeah, it was. It changed my life because it set 406 00:23:39,000 --> 00:23:42,800 Speaker 2: me free from the story from the story that society 407 00:23:43,280 --> 00:23:46,800 Speaker 2: still plays out with disability that you are you know, 408 00:23:47,000 --> 00:23:49,840 Speaker 2: you won't amount to much you you And this is 409 00:23:49,880 --> 00:23:52,440 Speaker 2: not every story we have. We you know, our strainen 410 00:23:52,480 --> 00:23:55,000 Speaker 2: of the year, we had Dylan Orcott, which was incredible 411 00:23:55,040 --> 00:23:59,520 Speaker 2: for us, But there is still underpinning stories within our 412 00:23:59,560 --> 00:24:03,000 Speaker 2: society that believes that people with disabilities will not contribute. 413 00:24:03,640 --> 00:24:06,320 Speaker 2: And the reason that we it's harder for us to 414 00:24:06,400 --> 00:24:10,719 Speaker 2: contribute is because the world is not built for us 415 00:24:10,760 --> 00:24:13,720 Speaker 2: to be able to do it with ease and support. 416 00:24:13,960 --> 00:24:18,800 Speaker 2: And so it was it was incredible for me because 417 00:24:18,880 --> 00:24:25,120 Speaker 2: I believe that I turned my life around by doing that, 418 00:24:25,160 --> 00:24:28,679 Speaker 2: and it just became part of my everyday language. And 419 00:24:29,000 --> 00:24:31,119 Speaker 2: I learned to check on myself and you know, when 420 00:24:31,160 --> 00:24:33,960 Speaker 2: I'm saying something that has a negative connotation, I'm questioning 421 00:24:34,000 --> 00:24:40,800 Speaker 2: why I believe that, And it's been it's been really powerful. 422 00:24:41,000 --> 00:24:44,600 Speaker 3: Yeah, can we tap into the everyone in the room 423 00:24:44,720 --> 00:24:49,919 Speaker 3: is obsessed with me? How does that work in practice? So, 424 00:24:51,680 --> 00:24:54,399 Speaker 3: because I try this before I do my talks, I 425 00:24:54,440 --> 00:24:54,679 Speaker 3: want to. 426 00:24:54,680 --> 00:24:58,480 Speaker 2: See So I don't know, did you watch ted Lasso? 427 00:24:58,720 --> 00:25:02,639 Speaker 2: This is a good yes speak Yeah, so freaking I 428 00:25:02,680 --> 00:25:06,040 Speaker 2: love that show so much. So and a good way 429 00:25:06,240 --> 00:25:10,000 Speaker 2: to give an example of that is Rebecca when she 430 00:25:10,080 --> 00:25:12,600 Speaker 2: makes herself bigger and you know, power posing and all 431 00:25:12,600 --> 00:25:15,320 Speaker 2: that kind of stuff. So I will sit in the 432 00:25:15,359 --> 00:25:22,200 Speaker 2: car beforehand, or I will put on like a ridiculously 433 00:25:22,400 --> 00:25:25,880 Speaker 2: nineties pop playlist in the car on my way to there, 434 00:25:26,080 --> 00:25:30,879 Speaker 2: and something to the tone of Pussycat Dolls or you know, 435 00:25:32,600 --> 00:25:37,119 Speaker 2: or something like that. The music that comes out of 436 00:25:37,119 --> 00:25:41,800 Speaker 2: my car. My poor support care worker. But yeah, I'll 437 00:25:41,840 --> 00:25:43,960 Speaker 2: listen to something like that that will kind of hype 438 00:25:44,000 --> 00:25:48,040 Speaker 2: me up, and I just I just say to myself, 439 00:25:48,920 --> 00:25:51,679 Speaker 2: everyone is upset. I just everyone's obsessed with me. Everyone 440 00:25:51,680 --> 00:25:53,600 Speaker 2: wants to know my story. This is going to be 441 00:25:53,680 --> 00:25:56,320 Speaker 2: the most incredible chalk that I've ever done. And I'm 442 00:25:56,320 --> 00:25:58,399 Speaker 2: going to feel really good. My voice is going to 443 00:25:58,440 --> 00:26:00,399 Speaker 2: be really strong, and the projection and I'm going to 444 00:26:00,440 --> 00:26:03,800 Speaker 2: feel really light when I'm there, of the temperature of 445 00:26:03,840 --> 00:26:05,919 Speaker 2: the room is going to be perfect. I basically just 446 00:26:06,000 --> 00:26:11,480 Speaker 2: describe the perfect situation for myself, and it's you know, 447 00:26:11,480 --> 00:26:14,400 Speaker 2: I'll even say things like people believe I'm a celebrity. 448 00:26:14,600 --> 00:26:16,320 Speaker 2: They think they put me on, you know, they think 449 00:26:16,359 --> 00:26:18,840 Speaker 2: that I am the top of the top, like I'm 450 00:26:18,880 --> 00:26:23,840 Speaker 2: the best speaker in Australia. Everyone's obsessed with me, and yeah, 451 00:26:23,880 --> 00:26:25,800 Speaker 2: I just keep on saying it to myself while that 452 00:26:25,880 --> 00:26:30,800 Speaker 2: kind of music is playing, and it just switches me 453 00:26:30,920 --> 00:26:38,879 Speaker 2: into believing that that is the truth. I used to 454 00:26:38,880 --> 00:26:41,320 Speaker 2: do it. This is like I don't think of everyone. 455 00:26:41,640 --> 00:26:43,399 Speaker 2: I mean, if any of the Rebiways listen to this, 456 00:26:43,480 --> 00:26:46,120 Speaker 2: so I think it's hilarious. But on Friday nights, when 457 00:26:46,119 --> 00:26:50,960 Speaker 2: I had to drive from Brunswick to where was it 458 00:26:51,040 --> 00:26:53,479 Speaker 2: like Surrey Hills to play rugby and it was like 459 00:26:53,680 --> 00:26:58,720 Speaker 2: going against the traffic, I would listen to songs that 460 00:26:58,800 --> 00:27:01,439 Speaker 2: made me feel really hot, and so that when I 461 00:27:01,480 --> 00:27:04,400 Speaker 2: got to the court, I felt really sexy and like powerful, 462 00:27:04,480 --> 00:27:06,840 Speaker 2: like hot babe, and like the boys would always be 463 00:27:06,880 --> 00:27:08,560 Speaker 2: like you look so good tonight. I'm like, oh yeah 464 00:27:08,600 --> 00:27:11,480 Speaker 2: I do, And always just changed the energetics and the 465 00:27:11,640 --> 00:27:14,080 Speaker 2: feeling I felt at myself and I felt really powerful 466 00:27:14,119 --> 00:27:17,119 Speaker 2: on court, and I noticed every want to do this 467 00:27:17,200 --> 00:27:21,760 Speaker 2: behind the blocks, you know. I noticed that when I 468 00:27:21,800 --> 00:27:25,199 Speaker 2: gave I allowed myself to do that practice, as silly 469 00:27:25,200 --> 00:27:30,359 Speaker 2: as it was, and I always played more powerfully and 470 00:27:30,440 --> 00:27:32,960 Speaker 2: I like it was like I was like I had more, 471 00:27:33,119 --> 00:27:35,560 Speaker 2: I had more muscles, and I was just stronger in 472 00:27:35,600 --> 00:27:38,440 Speaker 2: myself compared to the days that I was worried about 473 00:27:38,440 --> 00:27:40,080 Speaker 2: Oh my god, I'm rushing and I'm trying to get there, 474 00:27:40,119 --> 00:27:43,440 Speaker 2: and I wasn't listening to something that made me feel powerful. 475 00:27:44,359 --> 00:27:49,040 Speaker 2: And so yeah, I just I've just kept on doing 476 00:27:49,119 --> 00:27:51,560 Speaker 2: that in different areas of my life. 477 00:27:51,800 --> 00:27:54,439 Speaker 3: I love that, and you now carried that across to 478 00:27:54,440 --> 00:27:57,080 Speaker 3: be able to empower other people to do the same, right. 479 00:27:57,440 --> 00:27:59,880 Speaker 2: Yeah, So I do that in different programs. So I've 480 00:27:59,880 --> 00:28:03,439 Speaker 2: got the Self Belief Club, which is for athletes, and 481 00:28:03,480 --> 00:28:07,240 Speaker 2: then I've got my integrated energy healing work that I 482 00:28:07,320 --> 00:28:09,520 Speaker 2: do in a program called Star School, and we work 483 00:28:09,560 --> 00:28:12,879 Speaker 2: on emotional intelligence as well as like the energetics that 484 00:28:12,920 --> 00:28:16,439 Speaker 2: you have within your body, because we're all made of 485 00:28:16,480 --> 00:28:21,760 Speaker 2: molecules and we can move and shift and you know, 486 00:28:21,960 --> 00:28:26,320 Speaker 2: heal different parts of ourselves that may not be working 487 00:28:27,160 --> 00:28:29,920 Speaker 2: for the best. You know, in our different areas of life, 488 00:28:29,920 --> 00:28:31,680 Speaker 2: we store a lot of emotions that we you know, 489 00:28:31,880 --> 00:28:34,520 Speaker 2: we stare trauma in our thoughts, in our bodies and 490 00:28:34,520 --> 00:28:36,680 Speaker 2: our thighs. And that's why when you have a massage, 491 00:28:36,680 --> 00:28:38,680 Speaker 2: it often hurts a lot and you feel emotional and 492 00:28:39,120 --> 00:28:41,360 Speaker 2: those types of stuff, So we work a lot through 493 00:28:42,400 --> 00:28:45,360 Speaker 2: that those areas because that was such a powerful thing 494 00:28:45,400 --> 00:28:47,440 Speaker 2: for me when I when I retired from swimming, it 495 00:28:47,480 --> 00:28:49,680 Speaker 2: was one of the ways that I healed my heart. 496 00:28:51,480 --> 00:28:55,400 Speaker 3: How much purpose have you got from that feeling of 497 00:28:55,440 --> 00:28:58,600 Speaker 3: being able to pass it on to other people? Because 498 00:28:58,640 --> 00:29:02,360 Speaker 3: I think sport as an ath it's it takes so 499 00:29:02,440 --> 00:29:03,960 Speaker 3: much to get there. You touch on how much it 500 00:29:04,000 --> 00:29:07,160 Speaker 3: takes to even get to the Paralympics, And in a sense, 501 00:29:07,200 --> 00:29:09,560 Speaker 3: being an athlete is quite a selfish pursuit. You have 502 00:29:09,640 --> 00:29:11,320 Speaker 3: team around you and you want to bring other people 503 00:29:11,400 --> 00:29:14,479 Speaker 3: joy and things like that. But how different is that 504 00:29:14,520 --> 00:29:17,520 Speaker 3: feeling of like stepping out and making a broader impact 505 00:29:17,600 --> 00:29:19,000 Speaker 3: than just being an athlete. 506 00:29:20,040 --> 00:29:26,880 Speaker 2: The purpose that I gather from giving back is well, 507 00:29:26,880 --> 00:29:30,080 Speaker 2: I feel like it's what I feel like, it's why 508 00:29:30,080 --> 00:29:34,840 Speaker 2: I got into sport. I feel like maybe my story 509 00:29:35,960 --> 00:29:39,160 Speaker 2: and what happened to me I wasn't meant to be 510 00:29:39,680 --> 00:29:43,560 Speaker 2: the best of the best because it gave me like 511 00:29:43,680 --> 00:29:49,160 Speaker 2: really good stories, but it gave me the opportunity to 512 00:29:49,560 --> 00:29:58,520 Speaker 2: work out ways to move through moments of deep pain. 513 00:29:59,080 --> 00:30:02,680 Speaker 2: So you know, like the end of my close to 514 00:30:02,680 --> 00:30:04,760 Speaker 2: the end of my swimming career. I missed that on 515 00:30:04,800 --> 00:30:08,760 Speaker 2: Athens five point zero three of a second and that 516 00:30:08,880 --> 00:30:13,440 Speaker 2: my bay is split in the race, and it was 517 00:30:13,680 --> 00:30:15,880 Speaker 2: like really really traumatizing. It will be a long time 518 00:30:15,880 --> 00:30:18,160 Speaker 2: to kind of overcome it and get and work through it. 519 00:30:18,200 --> 00:30:20,840 Speaker 2: But I look at that moment as a catalyst in 520 00:30:20,880 --> 00:30:23,280 Speaker 2: my career and my life because it maybe I could 521 00:30:23,280 --> 00:30:25,040 Speaker 2: it was like a bit of a sliding doors moment. 522 00:30:25,080 --> 00:30:29,360 Speaker 2: I could have decided that this is has been really 523 00:30:29,400 --> 00:30:31,480 Speaker 2: traumatic and horrific and I'm not going to make the team, 524 00:30:31,480 --> 00:30:33,120 Speaker 2: but I'm going to let this define who I am 525 00:30:34,040 --> 00:30:37,960 Speaker 2: or I'm going to be a bit of a detective 526 00:30:38,760 --> 00:30:43,000 Speaker 2: and go all right, well that happened to me, But 527 00:30:45,440 --> 00:30:47,640 Speaker 2: how can I move through and let that just be 528 00:30:47,720 --> 00:30:51,840 Speaker 2: a blip in my life? And it could never be 529 00:30:51,920 --> 00:30:54,680 Speaker 2: a blip, I guess, because it was. It's like changed 530 00:30:54,720 --> 00:30:58,280 Speaker 2: me as a human, but it was. It no longer 531 00:30:58,320 --> 00:31:03,719 Speaker 2: has an emotional charge, and I just you know, I 532 00:31:03,760 --> 00:31:05,560 Speaker 2: was a swimming teacher for a really long time, and 533 00:31:05,600 --> 00:31:08,040 Speaker 2: I would love when the little kids would dive down 534 00:31:08,040 --> 00:31:10,160 Speaker 2: into the water and you know, or cover themselves in 535 00:31:10,200 --> 00:31:12,000 Speaker 2: water and blow bubbles and jump up and be like 536 00:31:12,200 --> 00:31:14,120 Speaker 2: see teacher, look what I did, because they never know 537 00:31:14,200 --> 00:31:19,760 Speaker 2: your name. And that's I get that face from adults 538 00:31:19,760 --> 00:31:22,440 Speaker 2: and kids when I talk about like the three elements 539 00:31:22,440 --> 00:31:26,480 Speaker 2: of self belief or that you you know. I did 540 00:31:26,480 --> 00:31:28,560 Speaker 2: a talk for some Victoria a couple of weeks ago, 541 00:31:28,640 --> 00:31:32,440 Speaker 2: and they were like, how do you how do you 542 00:31:32,560 --> 00:31:37,120 Speaker 2: visualize like your your race and stuff? And we all 543 00:31:37,240 --> 00:31:38,840 Speaker 2: everyone threw up in the room and I was like, 544 00:31:38,880 --> 00:31:41,520 Speaker 2: imagine behind the blocks. And because people know how to 545 00:31:42,000 --> 00:31:46,120 Speaker 2: feel that, that visceral experience, they can take themselves there. 546 00:31:46,280 --> 00:31:49,400 Speaker 2: And so much of the work that I did as 547 00:31:49,400 --> 00:31:52,600 Speaker 2: an athlete was completely transferable into the work that I 548 00:31:52,640 --> 00:31:55,760 Speaker 2: do now. So we do heaps of visualization, heaps of 549 00:31:56,520 --> 00:31:58,640 Speaker 2: you know. When I was an athlete, my room was 550 00:31:58,720 --> 00:32:01,480 Speaker 2: covered in motivational and the times that I had to swim, 551 00:32:01,520 --> 00:32:03,360 Speaker 2: I would write a big black texture or like a 552 00:32:03,520 --> 00:32:07,720 Speaker 2: three pieces of paper and I would go and swim 553 00:32:07,760 --> 00:32:10,320 Speaker 2: those exact times down to the milling second. Because I 554 00:32:10,360 --> 00:32:12,480 Speaker 2: was looking at the times all the time, you know, 555 00:32:12,600 --> 00:32:15,880 Speaker 2: and I was making it my reality. And I think 556 00:32:15,960 --> 00:32:17,920 Speaker 2: I didn't I didn't know that I was doing that 557 00:32:18,000 --> 00:32:23,280 Speaker 2: until I learned about how the brain works. And the 558 00:32:23,480 --> 00:32:25,920 Speaker 2: athletes are probably doing that now. But they don't realize 559 00:32:25,920 --> 00:32:29,240 Speaker 2: they're doing it. Like I think, there's so much more comments, 560 00:32:29,280 --> 00:32:35,520 Speaker 2: so many deeper conversations we could have around the how 561 00:32:35,600 --> 00:32:39,320 Speaker 2: you can make your dreams your reality through your mind 562 00:32:39,440 --> 00:32:42,520 Speaker 2: as well as the embodiment while you're actually in the 563 00:32:42,560 --> 00:32:44,200 Speaker 2: practice of doing the sport that you love. 564 00:32:45,920 --> 00:32:48,360 Speaker 3: I wonder if that Athen's moment that you touched on 565 00:32:48,600 --> 00:32:50,959 Speaker 3: might have already answered this question. But when I'm asking 566 00:32:50,960 --> 00:32:53,760 Speaker 3: everyone that I love is what is your favorite failure? 567 00:32:55,720 --> 00:32:59,640 Speaker 2: Yeah, that's probably my favorite. It was pretty bad. I 568 00:32:59,680 --> 00:33:03,200 Speaker 2: remember because I was a paralympian too, that I the 569 00:33:03,200 --> 00:33:07,400 Speaker 2: bathers that I split. I wasn't allowed to get a 570 00:33:07,400 --> 00:33:11,680 Speaker 2: new pair because we weren't sponsored by the leadings company 571 00:33:11,680 --> 00:33:15,400 Speaker 2: that sponsors I won't say. And I'm just very very 572 00:33:15,440 --> 00:33:18,040 Speaker 2: grateful to the two women that well, there was three 573 00:33:18,080 --> 00:33:21,240 Speaker 2: women particularly that got me through that moment. Was my 574 00:33:21,360 --> 00:33:24,479 Speaker 2: mum and one of my closest friends, Ali and her 575 00:33:24,560 --> 00:33:27,200 Speaker 2: mum was the mass on the team and she knew 576 00:33:27,200 --> 00:33:28,880 Speaker 2: the rep and so she got me a new pair 577 00:33:30,880 --> 00:33:33,200 Speaker 2: because that shouldn't have happened, Like the day was a 578 00:33:33,280 --> 00:33:37,040 Speaker 2: fault in those in that pair of dogs. But yeah, 579 00:33:37,040 --> 00:33:39,440 Speaker 2: I did a personal best so I mean, that's good. 580 00:33:39,440 --> 00:33:41,160 Speaker 2: I got out of six minutes for the first time 581 00:33:41,200 --> 00:33:43,440 Speaker 2: in the four hundred, but I didn't make the team, 582 00:33:43,480 --> 00:33:46,840 Speaker 2: so it was a bit of a bittersweet kind of situation. 583 00:33:47,320 --> 00:33:51,920 Speaker 3: Yeah, what has been the highlight of your career today? 584 00:33:54,720 --> 00:34:00,600 Speaker 2: You know, it's funny. I think probably winning the goal. 585 00:34:00,640 --> 00:34:02,520 Speaker 2: I want to say, winning the gold medal for Australia 586 00:34:02,640 --> 00:34:08,279 Speaker 2: was pretty amazing. But I also think back to the 587 00:34:08,320 --> 00:34:15,279 Speaker 2: moment that the little girl who believe that disability was 588 00:34:15,320 --> 00:34:20,040 Speaker 2: bad and went to her first Union Nationals and you know, 589 00:34:20,120 --> 00:34:23,680 Speaker 2: won five gold medals, and you know, in my second 590 00:34:23,719 --> 00:34:27,000 Speaker 2: June Nationals, I won twelve gold medals and you know, 591 00:34:27,239 --> 00:34:31,960 Speaker 2: like I was forced to be reckoned with But you know, 592 00:34:32,040 --> 00:34:38,480 Speaker 2: I think those moments are more special than any of 593 00:34:38,520 --> 00:34:43,680 Speaker 2: the other stuff because it sent me on a path 594 00:34:43,760 --> 00:34:47,400 Speaker 2: that I didn't know I was capable of, and that 595 00:34:47,560 --> 00:34:48,960 Speaker 2: was that's powerful for me. 596 00:34:49,520 --> 00:34:54,520 Speaker 3: Yeah, it's quite beautiful. Like sport can obviously cause a 597 00:34:54,520 --> 00:34:57,719 Speaker 3: lot of heartache and trauma and things, but it can 598 00:34:57,760 --> 00:35:00,000 Speaker 3: also be quite a beautiful healing thing. And it sounds 599 00:35:00,120 --> 00:35:02,080 Speaker 3: like that even as a young person, was quite a 600 00:35:02,160 --> 00:35:05,080 Speaker 3: healing thing. For those achievements, it was. 601 00:35:05,200 --> 00:35:08,680 Speaker 2: Yeah, absolutely and I talk a lot about. You know, 602 00:35:08,920 --> 00:35:12,000 Speaker 2: one of the most powerful parts of that first competition 603 00:35:12,040 --> 00:35:14,320 Speaker 2: away from home from my parents was I learned to 604 00:35:14,360 --> 00:35:17,759 Speaker 2: tie my shoelaces myself at eleven, you know, because it 605 00:35:17,800 --> 00:35:19,399 Speaker 2: was hard for me to put shoes on and off. 606 00:35:19,440 --> 00:35:23,960 Speaker 2: And you know when I when I first started rugby, 607 00:35:24,040 --> 00:35:26,840 Speaker 2: my body had deteriorated a lot, so I wasn't really 608 00:35:26,880 --> 00:35:31,400 Speaker 2: able to walk much anymore. And the boys taught me 609 00:35:31,440 --> 00:35:33,640 Speaker 2: how to transfer in and out of my car without 610 00:35:33,680 --> 00:35:38,200 Speaker 2: having to walk much. And so I because when you're 611 00:35:38,200 --> 00:35:40,200 Speaker 2: born with a disability, you don't go through any of 612 00:35:40,239 --> 00:35:42,440 Speaker 2: those lessons. You have to work it out yourself. Like 613 00:35:42,480 --> 00:35:44,520 Speaker 2: if you have an accident, you go through rehabit, they 614 00:35:44,600 --> 00:35:46,879 Speaker 2: teach you how to do those things. But yeah, when 615 00:35:46,920 --> 00:35:48,480 Speaker 2: you're born it it's kind of like you're on your 616 00:35:48,640 --> 00:35:49,960 Speaker 2: you know, not on your own, because you have therapy 617 00:35:50,000 --> 00:35:52,000 Speaker 2: and stuff, but you don't really learn that kind of thing, 618 00:35:52,200 --> 00:35:57,120 Speaker 2: those things. So I think those connections that I made 619 00:35:57,320 --> 00:36:01,720 Speaker 2: with people that will be part of my life ever. Ah, 620 00:36:02,200 --> 00:36:06,920 Speaker 2: what I take away more from anything than you know, 621 00:36:07,160 --> 00:36:09,279 Speaker 2: the sessions where my coach will be like do eight 622 00:36:09,280 --> 00:36:12,400 Speaker 2: four hundreds in a row, and you know, one hundred 623 00:36:12,400 --> 00:36:14,040 Speaker 2: and hundreds on the one thirty and all that kind 624 00:36:14,040 --> 00:36:19,920 Speaker 2: of stuff, like you know, that's that was a moment 625 00:36:19,960 --> 00:36:22,960 Speaker 2: of true athleticism and stuff like that. But that's that 626 00:36:23,120 --> 00:36:27,240 Speaker 2: kind of was nothing compared to who I became from 627 00:36:27,520 --> 00:36:28,560 Speaker 2: the whole experience. 628 00:36:28,960 --> 00:36:32,719 Speaker 3: Looking ahead to the Paris Paralympics, do you have an 629 00:36:32,760 --> 00:36:35,720 Speaker 3: athlete or athletes that you're excited to watch? 630 00:36:36,560 --> 00:36:39,120 Speaker 2: I always just want to watch them Steelers, like I 631 00:36:39,160 --> 00:36:41,839 Speaker 2: am so I'm so impressed with them, and I love 632 00:36:41,920 --> 00:36:44,440 Speaker 2: that there's three females on the team now, like that 633 00:36:44,640 --> 00:36:50,839 Speaker 2: just makes my heart burst with joy. The swimmers, I 634 00:36:50,960 --> 00:36:52,839 Speaker 2: really I've got a couple of swimmers that I kind 635 00:36:52,840 --> 00:36:54,880 Speaker 2: of know a little bit about, but I'm not really 636 00:36:55,080 --> 00:36:57,560 Speaker 2: kind of up with who's in the team because I'm 637 00:36:57,600 --> 00:37:01,960 Speaker 2: such an old old lady now, Like away it's so 638 00:37:02,080 --> 00:37:04,239 Speaker 2: funny and people are like, oh, it's so weird when 639 00:37:04,239 --> 00:37:05,839 Speaker 2: people are like, you're apparently Pin. I was like, yeah, 640 00:37:05,960 --> 00:37:08,040 Speaker 2: like twenty four years ago. I mean, I know, you're 641 00:37:08,160 --> 00:37:10,400 Speaker 2: never not apparently pin. Once your apparently been, but I 642 00:37:10,440 --> 00:37:14,080 Speaker 2: feel there was. It was another lifetime. But yeah, I'll 643 00:37:14,120 --> 00:37:17,359 Speaker 2: definitely watching the Steelers. I just I would if I 644 00:37:17,440 --> 00:37:19,560 Speaker 2: was still able to play rugby. I would still be 645 00:37:19,560 --> 00:37:22,640 Speaker 2: playing rugby because yeah, but now I've got two beautiful 646 00:37:22,680 --> 00:37:26,240 Speaker 2: titanium knees that you know, allowed to play high impact 647 00:37:26,239 --> 00:37:29,319 Speaker 2: sports with, so not allowed to play. But yeah, the 648 00:37:29,400 --> 00:37:33,760 Speaker 2: rugby is like always great to watch. And I actually 649 00:37:33,800 --> 00:37:36,120 Speaker 2: caught up with a friend this week who didn't make 650 00:37:36,160 --> 00:37:40,960 Speaker 2: the team and I and I think one of the 651 00:37:41,480 --> 00:37:43,640 Speaker 2: one of the parts, or one of the kind of 652 00:37:43,920 --> 00:37:46,840 Speaker 2: things that I'll be thinking about this time is for 653 00:37:46,840 --> 00:37:49,480 Speaker 2: all the athletes that really tried their their hardest and 654 00:37:49,520 --> 00:37:51,919 Speaker 2: didn't make it. You know, I send lots of love 655 00:37:51,960 --> 00:37:56,719 Speaker 2: to them because it can be really difficult headspace to 656 00:37:56,760 --> 00:38:00,319 Speaker 2: be in. But yeah, I'll definitely be watching the boys, hopefully, boy, 657 00:38:00,320 --> 00:38:03,160 Speaker 2: I can't say the boys anymore. I'll be watching the gang, 658 00:38:03,480 --> 00:38:04,560 Speaker 2: the Steelers Gang. 659 00:38:04,880 --> 00:38:06,839 Speaker 3: How good is that the three women in there. 660 00:38:06,840 --> 00:38:08,480 Speaker 2: It's awesome, It's amazing. 661 00:38:08,920 --> 00:38:11,160 Speaker 3: Oh good. Thank you so much Elle for your time 662 00:38:11,200 --> 00:38:15,080 Speaker 3: today and for your vulnerability. It's been a real pleasure 663 00:38:15,120 --> 00:38:17,760 Speaker 3: to sit down and chat and hear more about your story. 664 00:38:18,160 --> 00:38:20,000 Speaker 3: I've really enjoyed it, so thank you so much. 665 00:38:20,320 --> 00:38:22,400 Speaker 2: Oh my pleasure. Thanks so much for having. 666 00:38:22,160 --> 00:38:25,799 Speaker 3: Me, Thanks so much for listening. If you got something 667 00:38:25,840 --> 00:38:28,399 Speaker 3: out of this episode. I would absolutely love it if 668 00:38:28,400 --> 00:38:30,279 Speaker 3: you could send it on to one person who you 669 00:38:30,320 --> 00:38:34,280 Speaker 3: think might enjoy it. Otherwise, subscribe, give us a review, 670 00:38:34,400 --> 00:38:36,520 Speaker 3: and make sure you follow us on Instagram at the 671 00:38:36,560 --> 00:38:40,000 Speaker 3: Female Athlete Project to stay up to date with podcast episodes, 672 00:38:40,040 --> 00:38:43,520 Speaker 3: merch drops, and of course, news and stories about epic 673 00:38:43,600 --> 00:38:44,600 Speaker 3: female athletes