Swimming...

 Its never to late to dream, its never to late to be the true you. The last day or so after watching a number of TED Talks and especially by Diana Nyad whom at 64 made her dream come true and not with her first attempt. She wanted to swim the area of ocean between Cuba and Florida,  103 miles (165km) in approximately 53 hours and to hear her speak and describe her previous attempt with dealing with box jellyfish, and having to stop, to come back a time later and conquer the distance and be such a massive role model to others either in the life of swimming or sport, to people who are in the corporate world, and even everyday people like myself. To see Diana's strong will and determination is energising.

Its a mind set we get into when we are older and think that we are unable to do what we wanted when we were younger. Even if that goal is so big, why not try and break it down into one that can be reached now.

Diana talks about her team, in such a way that makes her crossing that much more, she calls them the experts, courageous, and she says that they have all been on a journey. You see swimming is normally such an individuals sport, but when it comes to marathon swimming it most definitely becomes a team sport. Not in the sense of multiple swimmers, but yourself, coach, family, spotter, paddler, skipper, etc. For someone like Diana who took on such a huge swim and a massive dream all the people around her were so important to help her reach her dream and to be able to go on such a journey for everyone else I am sure they will never forget.


For my first attempt at swimming Rottnest Channel, even though the distance was substantially less, having my team around me during the months of training, my paddler for the times we got to go out before the event, an on the day the fact that we were both sick due to the carbon monoxide coming from the boat fumes and the fact that he could keep me going for as long as I did and get through his own issues. My
spotter, who is just so awesome to have and the awesome mothering person she is and strict when I needed it with my feeding. My Skipper well, for me as much as he skippered the boat we didn't many dealings with before hand. So when it comes to the next attempt we will be having someone who is a friend which I am sure will just add that little more excitement on the day next year. I was super lucky to have an awesome training partner that had my back through all the months of training and even though we got split up on the swim itself and that I didn't make it to the finish line, he did and to be there for him was great. As much as there was disappointment for me from everyone else there was the elation for my training partner. I guess he was lucky to have a training partner in me that helped with his coaching for the swim. You see having a team around you and not just the ones that are not actively participating on the day such as family which are there to deal with your tiredness, emotions and bitching from frustration, they are so important to the whole equation.

Swimming has taught me so much, not just in the way of being healthy, but to allow me to know that my dream as a child to swim competitively doesn't have to die. I just had to learn how to change it a little bit. As much as I am just a little to old to be a competitive swimmer in the Olympics, I am able to see that the swimming I do now is still competitive, but not against everyone else, but with myself. I have also come to learn that I have a love for coaching and am excited to be looking at taking on a coaching course later this year and to help others with their dreams for swimming to Rottnest, and also Triathlon. I am also excited as I would love to be able to help down syndrome kids to learn how to swim and enjoy the water as part of their therapy in any way.

The peace and tranquility that comes with swimming can't be put into words for me, which is strange as I usually can articulate what some is quite well, though I guess the fact that swimming just runs so deep in me that its apart of me, and this time of not being swimming has allowed me to see this for all the positives that comes with swimming.

 Have an awesome week everyone, and just know, that no matter how old or how young you are, you can still chase your dreams, they may need a bit of alteration, but you have it in your heart to make them come true.

Hayley xx

Do you live for your Resume or your Eulogy?

While being confined to my couch recuperating from foot surgery and to stop myself from going completely nuts, I have been spending time watching TED Talks on many different topics. I found one by David Brooks, called Should you live for your resume....or your eulogy?

So here is my question, which do you live for? your career or your life? I guess it can be looked at as both. People build their careers to provide for their families which is the norm, but do we ever get to a point where that becomes not enough and suddenly we wonder is there more to life than 40, 50, 60, 80 hours a week in an office? Or are we so scared that with out our careers we don't know who we are? Or is it when we have a sudden life changing scare that we start to think deeper than just our careers? So many questions, the answers to them are within ourselves. Only the individual can answer the questions that are relevant to their lives.

I would like it if people who were at my funeral to know that I loved them deeply, was true to myself, loyal to my friends, a role model to my children and others around me. For people to remember me for my stubbornness in away of being positive, standing up for what I believed in, and I guess the most important one is to be able to leave this life with no regrets. I don't want to be in my last days and saying "only if..." I understand why people have a bucket list, but everyday we should be able to cross of something from that bucket list whether it be a big event, or the smallest one.

I am currently writing a book about my Eating Disorder and my Recovery, I don't expect it to be best seller, but I do hope that if one person was to read it and it touched them in a way to start their recovery journey then it has made a difference. Going through and dealing with a mental illness everyday is a challenge with in itself, but to be able to understand and know that you are a stronger person as you go through each day is huge. Not to be known for your mental illness but to be seen as a healthy, lively and yes stubborn individual makes me happy. Stubbornness can be seen as both a positive and a negative and I guess it is in the way you use your stubbornness to which way it goes on the spectrum. For me I used it originally in the negative aspect with my eating disorder and the many tantrums I have had with regards to eating have been huge. Though as I have learnt and come to understand my triggers for my eating disorder and how to deal with them on the positive my stubbornness is more to do with my love for endurance sports. You have to have a stubborn streak in you I think to be able to push your body to its limits at times and know that some events you do will either make you or break you. Its that stubborn streak in you that will keep you coming back, even if you don't make it the first time, you will come back until you conquer the goal.

Ok lets get back to the Resume or Eulogy part. You can build the most amazing Resume, you can have the most amazing career, but is that a surface happiness or is that a happiness that is felt from deep within your heart. Now I am not sayig that people out there whole heartedly love their careers/jobs and that is great, I can say that I do love my job, its not a career for me but its my job. I get to meet people, help people and yes taste some amazing wines and spirits. I also get to deal with idiots, arrogant people, those who think they know more than they do. So yes a very diverse business that I work in, but my job is not my life. Though I think some people around me might think otherwise. I believe my life to be multi-faceted and that gives me paths on my life's journey that keeps life interesting and fulfilling.

Below is the dictionary definitions of Career, Job and Eulogy. Out of the first two which do you have?

Career:
an occupation or profession, especially one requiring special training,followed as one's 
lifework:

Job:
a piece of work, especially a specific task done as part of the routine of one's
occupation or for an agreed price:

Eulogy:
a speech or writing in praise of a person or thing, especially a set oration in honor of a
deceased person.

As morbid as this might sound, but an interesting experiment, have you ever thought of putting yourself (figuratively) in the thought of your own funeral and writing your own eulogy? I have strangely enough a few times. I guess for me who has a tendency to think maybe a little to much its not that scary to do anymore, but had given me insight to where I am on my life's path. Its interesting to see in your own words what you would think people or yourself would say, positive and the negatives, and just maybe these are some hints for you from the universe to where you are along your life's journey.

Take the time to enjoy your journey and if you don't like it you can change it.

Hayley xx

The Best Motivation Video 2015 - POWER OF CHOICE

Your Life Is A River

While sitting in hospital this morning, post surgery from yesterday I was reading Your Year For Change, by Bronnie Ware. Its a great book of her insight to living, as she was working with people who were dying, and learnt so much from them and how she uses those lessons in her own life now and helping others to live life now, not have regrets while you lay on your death bed.

In chapter 16 Flowing Forward, she talks about the start of the creek that breaks into different directions that lead into the river, that also goes in different direction to lead to the ocean. This is one of the best metaphors for life and life's choices. For each diversion the creek takes to get to the river, is the choices we make in our lives, for every bump and turn is a new choice of direction.

I made a choice two years ago to compete in the Busselton Half Ironman, knowing I had a possible injury. that injury didn't show up as bad through my training, until the run leg of the triathlon. Since doing that triathlon I have learnt that I had a calf muscle tear, and sesamoiditis, Now I should have stopped running prior to this, but the stubbornness that resided in my was so strong, I didn't want to give up my love of running. I got to the point of seeing my sports physician nearly three months after the triathlon, and was told that I wasn't to run anymore, so we could give the foot time to rest and try to heal. Jumping to today (nearly two years since the triathlon) I had surgery yesterday to fix the issues. I had a ligament removed and also one of the sesamoid  bones as well that was aggravating the ligament as well. The surgeon was able to pull tendon through to stabilize the other bones. So we got the best outcome for the future.

As for running in the future it won't happen. I made the decision a long time ago that I wouldn't be able to go back to pounding the paving, as only being 44 years old I still have a lot of time to be on my feet, and don't want to make it worse before its needed. We are constantly going down the creek, to the river of choices in our lives. Now I am a firm believer that the universe puts turns and bends in our creeks and rivers for us to make the choices to make it to the ocean (our purpose). In the past couple of weeks since I did the Rottnest Channel Swim I have many ask about swim coaching, or people asking me questions on what is the best for open water training. Is it the right avenue to go down or not, I will take my time in thinking and watching for the direction down the river. It has been something that has played on my mind for a little while and I have enjoyed coaching my training partner/boss over the last twelve months leading up to the Rottnest Swim. It will be interesting to see what the universe puts in my path to show me the right way.

As we all swim or kayak down the creek, river to the ocean we have the decisions to make on our journey, there is no right of wrong (unless you are putting yourself or others in harms way) decision as we will make it in one way or another. Life isn't supposed to be a straight line or we wouldn't learn anything on the way.

Have a great week everyone

Hayley xx

Some Times You Learn

This past week has been a big eye opener for me. I have had to learn that even though I didn't make it to the finish line last weekend, I made it to the 15.5 kilometer mark and that is 5.5 kilometers further than I have ever swum before and its a bloody long way. I also had to understand that as much as I was disappointed in not making it to the finish line, I gained approximately 15 kilograms while training, working full time and going about my "normal" life. I also have put my eating disorder into the past, and know that I don't have any connection with it any more. Its not who I am now!

I had one of my customers come into work and ask how the swim went. When I explained that I didn't make it to the finish and why I didn't, and also explained what I had to get through to where I was at the start line last weekend. His comment as he was leaving was, "you are a hero to me!" Now for me that was very overwhelming to hear. I have never had someone say that to me before. I felt humbled by his words and a little uneasy as well, as I didn't think about what had happened in that sense. I guess by not finishing I managed to learn more about myself and my capabilities, but also where things can change, and ways I might be able to help others.

Learning that I am more than physically strong and mentally strong has been an eye opener as well, I never saw myself as an emotionally strong person, Now I can say, yes I am, I am confident that I can deal with issues in the healthiest way now and not sabotage myself back into bad unhealthy habits.

Now I prepare for foot surgery on Wednesday, and then at least six weeks out of the water. Which will allow me time to organise some awesome training sessions, gain some more weight, relax and get some well needed time for writing done. Then once I get the go ahead its back into the water and training ready for Rottnest Channel Swim 2017.

Have an awesome weekend everyone, and even when something doesn't quite go to plan you will always see that there is a positive and a lesson to learn.

Hayley xx