Back On Track

On today's episode is one of the last great remaining explorers of our generation, Robin Hanbury-Tenison, OBE. On the show we discuss Robin's remarkable story of surviving coronavirus, his incredible explorations and the healing power of nature.  Back in March 2020, Robin was one of the very first patients in the UK to become seriously ill and hospitalised with COVID, and spent five weeks in a coma in intensive care.  Needing a ventilator and other equipment just to keep him alive, doctors gave Robin just a 5% chance of survival. Hospital staff even made the phone call to Robin's wife on a number of occasions suggesting that the end could be near.  However, in a miraculous turn of events, Robin was wheeled in his hospital bed outside to the healing garden of Derriford Hospital in Plymouth where he finally regained conscious and knew he was going to survive. Robin cites the healing power of nature as being the thing that saved him, and talks at length in the podcast episode about how we can all benefit from nature's healing properties.  A mere 5 months later Robin climbed Cornwall's highest peak, Brown Willy, during some of the worst weather the area has ever seen, in order to raise money for a new healing garden at the Royal Cornwall Hospital. Robin raised over £100,000 for the cause and the garden is now in use at the hospital.  Robin is a fantastic example of defying the odds in the harshest of circumstances, and I think we can all take some inspiration from his grit and determination to survive.  ---  Visit Robin's website: https://www.robinsbooks.co.uk/ Follow Robin on Twitter: https://twitter.com/robinhanburyt Check out Cabilla Cornwall, Robin's family's nature retreat: https://www.cabillacornwall.com/ ---  Follow me on social media! Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/backontrackpodcast Twitter: https://twitter.com/BackOnTrackPod Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/backontrackpod --- Get in touch with me via backontrackpod@gmail.com

On today's episode is leading psychologist and anxiety expert Dr. Jill Stoddard. In this episode Jill explains to us what causes anxiety, what the most common symptoms are and most importantly how we can manage it when these feelings arise.  We also talk in-depth about panic attacks and approaches you can try and take to calm yourself down in those moments. As a sufferer of anxiety myself, I found talking to Jill on this podcast really useful, and feel as though I now have some tricks and techniques to help me feel less anxious in times of need.  Above all I hope you enjoy the episode, and don't forget to hit subscribe!  --- Visit Jill's website: https://jillstoddard.com/  Follow Jill on Twitter: https://twitter.com/jill_stoddard  Check out Jill's podcast: https://offtheclockpsych.com/ ---  Follow me on social media! Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/backontrackpodcast/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/BackOnTrackPod Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/backontrackpod --- Get in touch with me via backontrackpod@gmail.com

After a short break, the podcast is back and I’ve decided to share my own story on the channel with the help of my good friend Alfie taking the interviewer role. Hopefully, by sharing my story, it becomes clearer why some of the subjects discussed on the show are so close to my heart.  From a young age I felt a void within me, and tried to fill that space initially by misbehaving in school as it provided me with a stimulus which made me feel whole. After being kicked out of school and progressing into my teens, I soon discovered that alcohol and recreational drugs had a similar effect in filling that void. This led me down a slippery slope, and eventually led to feelings of anxiety and depression that became severe during my time at university. These feelings plagued me for years, even making me become suicidal.  However, I’m pleased to say that with the help from others, and after finding a purpose from doing this podcast, I’m now in a much better place. I hope that someone out there may be able to find some hope or inspiration in my journey, and I hope you enjoy the episode.  --- Follow me on social media! Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/backontrackpodcast/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/BackOnTrackPod Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/backontrackpod --- Get in touch with me via backontrackpod@gmail.com

On today’s episode is former armed robber and war-zone photographer Tam Carrigan. Crime was normalised from a young age for Tam, with childhood memories of visiting his father in prison and it being a common occurrence in the area he grew up in. Things gradually got more serious as he got older, graduating from car theft to armed robberies.  Despite this, from a young age Tam was looking for a way to escape all of this, even trying to join the British army and later spending a year with the French Foreign Legion. He also spent a number of years abroad in the Middle East, and had dreams of leaving a life of crime to become a photographer in various war-zone areas there.  However, the lure of crime and the need to earn a living eventually led Tam astray again, and he would end up being sentenced to a long stint in prison for his part in a large-scale bank robbery in Torquay in the south of England.  It was in prison where Tam finally decided to turn his life around for good, opting to go to Grendon which is a therapeutic prison focussing more on reforming criminals rather than simply punishment. Since leaving prison Tam has become involved in a number of incredible projects both in the UK and in the Middle East, helping to create safe spaces which allow disadvantaged children to play and enjoy themselves.  It truly is an inspirational story of change that just goes to show, no matter how far you think you’ve gone, there is always a way back. I hope you enjoy the episode and don’t forget to hit follow/subscribe!  ---  Follow me on social media!  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/backontrackpodcast/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/BackOnTrackPod Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/backontrackpod --- Get in touch with me via backontrackpod@gmail.com

On today’s episode is Doctor Guy Leschziner, who’s a world-renowned sleep expert, neurologist and author working at Guys’ and St Thomas’ hospitals in London.  There, Doctor Leschziner treats a number of different sleep disorders, and has come on the podcast today to share some of his expert knowledge, telling us how we can create a lifestyle which is conducive towards sleeping better and feeling more energised.  What habits do we need to create in order to sleep better? How long should we stop using screens for before going to bed? What can we do in those moments where we can’t get to sleep? Are power naps actually good for us? All of these questions and more are answered in this episode, so you can sit back, relax and I hope you enjoy the show! ---  Follow Doctor Leschziner on Twitter: https://twitter.com/guy_lesch  Visit his website: https://guyleschziner.com/  Buy his book, "The Nocturnal Brain: Nightmares, Neuroscience and the Secret World of Sleep": https://www.amazon.co.uk/Nocturnal-Brain-Tales-Nightmares-Neuroscience/dp/1471176355  ---  Follow me on social media! Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/backontrackpodcast/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/BackOnTrackPod Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/backontrackpod --- Get in touch with me via backontrackpod@gmail.com

Firstly I just wanted to say a massive thanks to everyone who’s supported the show so far - it really gives me the motivation needed to keep putting content out there! I’m pleased to say that a new and improved direction for the show is coming in Season Two, where I’ll be including interviews with various experts as well as the inspirational life stories from Season One. I wanted to make the show even more useful for listeners, and give them the tools they may need to improve their lives as well as providing inspirational content. So that means I’ll be speaking to experts from various fields such as sleep, mental health, diet, productivity and so much more. The idea is to alternate each week between the episode types, with the first podcast of the new season coming on Monday! You can also watch the podcast in video format on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCO5fM7d9d-lbSWzokO2EWrA  Don't forget to hit follow/subscribe, and if you'd like to feature on the podcast get in touch with me via backontrackpod@gmail.com

On today’s episode is Liana Smith who’s an elite level swimmer that even held a number of New Zealand national titles. However, at the age of just 17 Liana’s competitive swimming career was thrown into doubt when she suffered stress fractures in her back, was unable to walk and even had to learn basic motor skills again.  During this period Liana was obviously unable to compete and do what she loved, and so lost her sense of identity and this took a serious toll on her mental health causing her to feel depressed.  It took Liana a number of years to recover both physically and mentally from this ordeal, and she is now trying to become only the 8th person in history to complete a marathon swimming challenge called the Triple Crown, which involves three different swims of mammoth distances across lakes and the sea (where there's the added factor of sharks being present!). What’s more, she’s doing this to raise money for mental health charity I am Hope.  I hope you enjoy the episode and don't forget to hit follow/subscribe!  ---  Donate to Liana's cause: https://givealittle.co.nz/fundraiser/marathon-swimming-for-i-am-hope  Follow Liana on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/p/CTWEwrghllV/  Follow Liana on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Swim-For-Something-101363052023119  ---  Follow me on social media!  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/backontrackpodcast/  Twitter: https://twitter.com/BackOnTrackPod  Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/backontrackpod  ---  Get in touch with me via backontrackpod@gmail.com

Hey everyone! So after a little break from releasing episodes we're back and there will be new content being released regularly from here on out. There's also just one more episode left of season one before a new an improved direction for the show in season two! On today’s episode is mental health advocate and author Claire Eastham. Claire began suffering with social anxiety from a young age, but unfortunately these feelings went undiagnosed. That was until she suffered a severe panic attack during a job interview which caused her to really look into what was going on.  It took Claire a whole year to recover from this breakdown, and it was a process that involved therapy, medication and writing a blog to express some of her feelings. The blog called we’re all mad here was so successful that it was turned into a book by the same name, and since then Claire has gone from strength to strength writing another book and doing other great work as a mental health ambassador.  In this episode Claire talks us through what it's like to live with social anxiety and panic, and gives some great bits of advice that could help someone else experiencing similar feelings.  I hope you enjoy the episode and don't forget to hit follow or subscribe!  ---  Buy Claire's latest book "F**k, I think I'm Dying - How I Learned to Live with Panic": https://www.penguin.co.uk/authors/1085277/claire-eastham.html  Buy Claire's previous book "We're All Mad Here: The No-Nonsense Guide to Living with Social Anxiety": https://www.amazon.co.uk/Were-All-Mad-Here-No-Nonsense/dp/1785920820  Follow Claire on Twitter: https://twitter.com/ClaireyLove  ---  Follow me on social media!  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/backontrackpodcast/  Twitter: https://twitter.com/BackOnTrackPod  Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/backontrackpod 

On today’s episode is mental health advocate Ryan Mairs, who started up his own awareness platform called "Mairsy Let’s Talk" whilst at university.  Life was really tough for Ryan almost from the outset, with his dad passing away when he was barely in his early teens and to make matters worse he was also being bullied in school. Understandably, this took Ryan to a really dark place, but he found solace in mixed martial arts and went on to compete at a semi-professional level.  However, Ryan’s story is also one of many ups and downs, having suffered since with bouts of depression and anxiety. I’m really pleased to say though that he’s managed to work his way through those tough moments, and is now in a much better place.  In this episode we talk about how Ryan overcame feelings of depression and anxiety, and I hope some of the things talked about might be helpful for listeners.  Above all, I hope you enjoy the episode and don't forget to hit follow/subscribe!  ---  Ryan's social media links:  Mairsy Let's Talk: https://www.instagram.com/mairsy.lets.talk/  Your Little Lift: https://www.instagram.com/yourlittlelift/  ---  Follow me on social media!  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/backontrackpodcast/  Twitter: https://twitter.com/BackOnTrackPod  Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/backontrackpod 

On today’s episode is ex-drug dealer now turned model, Maiya Kati. Maiya first became involved in selling drugs at the age of just 13, starting with weed and progressing onto class A drugs as he got older. However, throughout this time, he was always looking for a legitimate exit, and gained a bachelor's degree in business and management and a master’s in international relations. After sending 1000’s of applications after the masters and receiving no luck, Maiya went back to the streets and ended up being caught with 194 wraps of crack cocaine and heroin and was sentenced to 30 months in prison. Since then, Maiya has totally turned his life around leaving the drug dealing behind and has even become the face of fashion brand SL Man.  I hope you enjoy the episode and don't forget to hit follow/subscribe!  ---  Follow Maiya on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/preachfiasco/  ---  Follow me on social media!  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/backontrackpodcast/  Twitter: https://twitter.com/BackOnTrackPod  Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/backontrackpod 

On today’s episode is the brilliant sports journalist and author Ian Ridley. In February of 2019 Ian’s wife, Vikki Orvice, who was also a brilliant and renowned journalist, sadly died of cancer at the age of just 56.  After experiencing the unbearable feelings that grief can bring with it, Ian decided to write a book called The Breath of Sadness: On Love Grief and Cricket, which explains his own grieving process and how the varying emotions changed over time.  For Ian, deciding to watch a summer of county cricket helped him through the darkest moments, and he encourages others that are suffering after the loss of a loved one to find their own activity that might be able to provide some respite from the sadness.  I really admire Ian’s bravery in coming on the podcast to talk all about all of this, in the hope that it might be able to help others.  I hope you enjoy the episode and don't forget to hit follow/subscribe!  ---  Buy Ian's book, The Breath of Sadness: On Love Grief and Cricket: https://www.floodlitdreams.com/product/the-breath-of-sadness-on-love-grief-and-cricket/  Follow Ian on Twitter: https://twitter.com/IanRidley1  ---  Follow me on social media!  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/backontrackpodcast/  Twitter: https://twitter.com/BackOnTrackPod  Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/backontrackpod 

On today’s episode is best selling author and addict in recovery Jordan Barnes. It became apparent from a young age that Jordan was susceptible to addiction, first beginning with alcohol and then eventually moving onto heroin during college. After trying the powerful and destructive drug Jordan soon found himself using daily and living on the streets of Portland having to shoplift to sustain himself.  After waking up next to his friend who had tragically overdosed and passed away, Jordan knew he had to try and change his life. What followed were a number of tough years as he returned home to Hawaii and checked himself into a treatment centre for an intense two-year programme of recovery. I’m really pleased to say that since then, Jordan has never looked back and has even become a best selling author with his debut memoir book, One Hit Away, which details his full journey of addiction and recovery.  I hope you enjoy the episode and don't forget to hit follow/subscribe!  ---  Buy Jordan's book: https://www.amazon.co.uk/One-Hit-Away-Memoir-Recovery-ebook/dp/B085M78JWT  Follow Jordan on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jordan_p_barnes/  Follow Jordan on Twitter: https://twitter.com/Jordan_P_Barnes  ---  Follow me on social media!  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/backontrackpodcast/  Twitter: https://twitter.com/BackOnTrackPod  Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/backontrackpod 

On today’s episode is former Britain’s Most Wanted Man, Paul Walmsley. Paul tragically lost his father at the age of just 15, and his life began to spiral out of control as he became involved in selling drugs.  Things continued to get more serious as Paul got older, even resulting in an international operation that caught the eye of the authorities. As a result, Paul went on the run across Europe for five years, but eventually handed himself in to police and was handed a ten year sentence for his part in a £3.5m conspiracy to import drugs into the UK. I’m really pleased to say that since then Paul has renounced his criminal past and has drastically turned his life around. He now gives back to the community working in various youth crime intervention projects, as well as being a qualified life coach and counsellor and working as a research fellow for the University of Liverpool.  I hope you enjoy the episode and don't forget to follow/subscribe!  ---  Buy Paul's book on Amazon: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Just-Ordinary-Decent-Criminal-Walmsley/dp/1973476932  Follow Paul on Twitter: https://twitter.com/PaulWalmsley23  Head to Paul's website: https://county-lines.co.uk/  ---  Follow me on social media!  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/backontrackpodcast/  Twitter: https://twitter.com/BackOnTrackPod  Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/backontrackpod 

On today’s episode is a good friend of mine called Lucy, who sadly began suffering with anorexia at the age of just 15.  What followed were a number of torturous years as Lucy battled with the condition, even reaching a weight as low as 34kgs. I’m really pleased to say that Lucy finally managed to get the help she needed and is now living a much happier life which isn’t dictated by the condition.  Lucy has now decided to share her story in the hope that it might be able to help others. Everyone’s experience of eating disorders can be different, but if you feel you need support in relation to any of the topics mentioned in the podcast, I’ve listed some support groups and helplines below.  ---  Support groups and helplines (phone numbers can be found by clicking the links):  Beat Eating Disorders: https://www.beateatingdisorders.org.uk/support-services  Samaritans: https://www.samaritans.org/  Mind: https://www.mind.org.uk/need-urgent-help/using-this-tool  ---  For information on anorexia symptoms, you can visit the NHS website: https://www.nhs.uk/mental-health/conditions/anorexia/symptoms/  ---  Follow Lucy on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lucyloves_xo/  ---  Follow me on social media!  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/backontrackpodcast/  Twitter: https://twitter.com/BackOnTrackPod  Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/backontrackpod 

On today’s episode is Josephine Bridges, who was diagnosed with terminal bone cancer at the age of just 17. Miraculously, after exploring different treatment options Josephine managed to overcome the cancer, but still had to endure bone recovery surgeries on her leg every two years. After 11 years of being in and out of hospital with these surgeries, Josephine finally decided to opt for the amputation. What followed was a gruelling period trying to adjust both physically and mentally to life as an amputee as Josephine struggled with phantom pain and mental illness.  As a result of her struggles, Josephine decided to start the charity Positive Bones, which aims to empower people with limb difference to live a life without limits.  I hope you enjoy the episode and don't forget to follow/subscribe!  ---  Follow Positive Bones on social media!  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/positivebones/  Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/positivebones  Website: https://www.positivebones.co.uk/  ---  Follow me on social media!  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/backontrackpodcast/  Twitter: https://twitter.com/BackOnTrackPod  Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/backontrackpod 

On today’s episode is a good friend of mine called Max Anglin, who’s suffered on and off for years as a result of problems with drinking, gambling and mental illness.  However, Max managed to channel his addictive personality into the world of business and actually runs two successful companies.  Unfortunately, like many others, Max had to pause the running of both businesses when the pandemic hit and with too much time on his hands and a lack of purpose, he became depressed and turned to alcohol to numb the pain. After going through 9 months of sheer hell, I’m really pleased to say that Max has managed to overcome his problems with alcohol and mental illness, and is now running 300km in 30 days to raise money for the mental health charity Young Minds. You can donate to Max's challenge here: https://www.gofundme.com/f/9dahd6-300km-in-30-days?utm_medium=copy_link&utm_source=customer&utm_campaign=p_lico+share-sheet  ---  Follow Max on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/maxanglin/  ---  Follow me on social media!  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/backontrackpodcast/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/BackOnTrackPod Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/backontrackpod 

On today’s episode is Maxine Luckhurst, who battled for years with a cocaine addiction which even resulted in social services becoming involved and taking custody of her children. After the trauma of having her children taken away, Maxine finally managed to beat her addiction and fought hard for a period of two years to regain full custody.  Since then, Maxine has never looked back and is now working as a peer mentor helping other people who are suffering from addiction too.  I hope you enjoy the episode and don't forget to follow/subscribe!  ---  Follow Maxine on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/maxinejade33/  ---  Follow me on social media!  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/backontrackpodcast/  Twitter: https://twitter.com/BackOnTrackPod  Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/backontrackpod 

On today’s episode is Libby Clegg MBE, who’s a 2x Paralympic gold medallist and world record holder for both the T11 100 and 200m. At the age of just nine years old, Libby was diagnosed with Stargardt disease which is a degenerative eye condition causing people to gradually lose their sight over time. Despite this, Libby soon found her passion in the form of athletics, and has gone on to create an incredibly successful sprinting career, winning a whole host of gold and silver medals at Paralympic Games in Beijing, London and Rio. However, after winning two golds and setting two world records at Rio, Libby actually had a mental breakdown as she struggled to find out who she was beyond athletics and the success she’d created. I’m really pleased to say that Libby managed to work through that and now, she is fully focussed on the Tokyo Paralympic Games, and hopes to be standing on the podium yet again. Aside from athletics Libby also competed last year in the hit TV show Dancing On Ice, where not only was she the first blind contestant to take part, but she also managed to reach the finals and come in third place. I really enjoyed this interview with Libby and I hope you do too - she is a real inspiration. Make sure you hit follow/subscribe and remember that you can also catch all the podcast episodes on YouTube!  --- Follow Libby on social media!  Twitter: https://twitter.com/LibbyClegg  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/libby.clegg/  Follow me on social media!  --- Twitter: https://twitter.com/BackOnTrackPod  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/backontrackpodcast/  Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/backontrackpod 

On today’s episode is co-founder of One Year No Beer Ruari Fairbairns, who set up the company to help people take a break from alcohol and see the benefits it can bring to your life. But Ruari’s journey to setting up One Year No Beer wasn’t an easy one - he had quite bad ADHD as a child and struggled mentally, which even led to a number of suicide attempts by the age of just 13. Ruari has also always been a motivated entrepreneur - by his early 20’s he’d already set up a number of companies, and was even close to appearing on The Apprentice, but his first real success came when he was working as an oil broker in London. However, it was a job that involved a lot of drinking and entertaining, and this began to take a serious toll on the relationship with his wife. After doing 90 days alcohol free, Ruari was amazed at the benefits he felt, and left his job as an oil broker earning high six figures to start One Year No Beer and help other people reevaluate their relationship with alcohol too. I hope you enjoy the episode and don't forget to hit follow/subscribe!  ---  Visit the One Year No Beer website: https://www.oneyearnobeer.com/  ---  Follow me on social media!  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/backontrackpodcast/  Twitter: https://twitter.com/BackOnTrackPod  Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/backontrackpod 

On today’s episode is Jules Schroeder, who’s a serial entrepreneur, musician, podcast host and near death experience survivor. By Jules’ mid twenties she had already set up a number of profitable enterprises, the largest of which being a seven-figure publishing company. However, Jules returned one day from a skiing trip to find that one of her business partners had been embezzling money from the company, and overnight she found herself in $200k debt through no fault of her own. Not only that, but Jules also had an accident whilst wakeboarding soon after in which she almost died. Jules reports similar things to a lot of near death experience survivors, such as having a vision and experiencing feelings she’d never felt before whilst technically being unconscious. As a result, she found it difficult to adjust to normal life afterwards.  However, it was these two key events in the form of the embezzlement and near death experience that caused Jules to reprioritise things in her life and change direction.  Incredibly, since then she’s become an ambassador for education at the UN, joined Forbes under 30 and started her new successful brand Unconventional Life, which you’ll hear all about in the podcast. I hope you enjoy the episode and don’t forget to hit follow/subscribe!  --- Find more information about Jules and all of her social media channels by visiting her website!  https://www.julesschroeder.com/  --- Follow me on social media!  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/backontrackpodcast/  Twitter: https://twitter.com/BackOnTrackPod  Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/backontrackpod