Breaking the Surface: From Unseen Effort to Visible Triumphs

Sometimes it feels like you’re running around furiously for ages working hard, but despite all that effort it can feel like nothing actually happens. Does that sound familiar? Like you’re the bit of iceberg that sits under the water – heavy and huge with all the work done unseen, but not surfacing at all. Then, sometimes, you get that blissful opportunity to be the top of the iceberg; the bit that pokes into the air and shows up, using all that work below as a happy, confident platform. Well, after so much work behind the scenes, I’ve lately enjoyed being above water; showing up in real life and doing good stuff. Let me tell you about it.

Coppafeel! 100km hike: A tribute to Kris and breast cancer awareness

In early June I helped over 120 women (and a couple of men!) hike 100km in Brecon, Wales for the amazing CoppaFeel!, a breast cancer charity close to my heart. It was founded by my friend Kris Hallenga, who recently died after living with Stage 4 cancer for 15 years, so it was especially meaningful to be hiking in her honour. Most of the women hiking had been affected by breast cancer, and many were still in active treatment so it was even more impressive to see them push outside their comfort zone and take the challenge on, raising over £410k! Everyone was a joy to be with, and the team captains were brilliant at keeping spirits up as usual. Check them out in the photo above just before we all went live on ITV with ‘Lorraine’. This trip we had Amy Dowden, Harry Judd, Candice Brown and Faye Winter, as well as some daytime guest support from Sara Davies!

Luinluland Podcast: Self love revolution

Other brilliant moments recently have included recording an episode of my friend Luinluland’s podcast Self Love Revolution with the tremendous Helen Thorn – one half of the Scummy Mummies. The theme was how a walk can change your life, and we recorded it at Global, Leciester Square.  As well as our fab chat and making new great pals with Helen, I also enjoyed spotting other interesting folks recording their podcasts too, including Prof. Brian Cox! (“Ooh the staarrrrrrs” etc…*waves arm at sky*).   

A chat with Jonny Wilkinson (Dreamboat!)

Then I was onto being the host for a brilliant event at the Century Club in Soho. This was through a very innocuous black door tucked away on Shaftesbury Avenue that I walked past about five times when looking for it. Oh to be effortlessly cool and not walk up and down past a private members club entrance whilst frowning at Google Maps and mumbling ‘where the hell IS IT?’.

Once in, I hosted a full afternoon and evening exploring ‘The Value of Connection and Authenticity’. On top of the many brilliant guests speakers, the highlights of my day were to interview first the lovely Giovanna Fletcher, and then conduct a fabulous interview with Jonny Wilkinson, who might be one of the kindest, most interesting, grounded and ace people I’ve met in a long time.

Going back to school

But it wasn’t all fun away from home! It was a joy to be keynote speaker for a local secondary school’s KS4 celebration evening. I not only got to share some thoughts on resilience and community with the hundreds of students and parents who came, but also shake hands and award trophies to young people who have worked hard and thrived against big odds in these last few years. What an honour.

Helloooo!

I still can’t believe that I was featured in HELLO! magazine, sharing some of my favourite coaching tips in an article I wrote about life changes and how to plan and achieve them successfully. Read the full article here.

And finally... life's mercurial mixtape

Dappled within all of these highlights were the usual life things – a messy house with DIY half done, a speed dating event (more to be shared on my Substack!), a funeral, a wedding and a lot of the things we all manage on the day-to-day. In the past I’d worry that sharing the above might feel like ‘showing off’, but I’m in my appreciation era. After so long with my head underwater, it’s bloody good to celebrate the moments where you feel like hard work has paid off in wholesome and positive ways. It’s testament to the fact that plugging away patiently in line with your values, ethics and passions can have great outcomes, and a great reminder to me to not wish things would happen faster. 

I know that every setback has a lesson in it, and there are often more wonderful things that happen in the ‘working towards’ than in the ‘arriving’. So, keep working towards wherever it is you want to be, but be assured that all the daily moments in the lead up are just as important and contain the potential for greatness, no matter how small they seem.

Keep going, it’s worth it. 🤩

Until next time!