In this episode of Tackling it Together “Battling the internal Enemy” we sit down with Leigh Foley to talk about his remarkable journey of overcoming addiction to become a successful fitness coach.

A story of hope and determination, Leigh reflects on his addictive personality and shares how swapping the “high” he got from drug misuse, for the dopamine hit he gets from exercise has transformed his life.

Exploring how difficult the process of sobriety and facing your demons can be, Leigh demonstrates an incredible level of self awareness. He refers to his internal negative voice at the “Enemy” and shares his own practices for preventing relapse, including his “Log List” of reasons why he chooses the freedom of a substance free lifestyle.

Becoming a Dad to his little girl has been a pivotal part of Leigh’s recovery, motivating him to make and sustain changes and to ensure that he is there to watch her grow up.

Leigh’s vulnerability and honesty in exploring the devastating impact that addiction had on his mental health and his journey to deal with those issues will undoubtedly inspire others in similar situations. Proving that there is always hope, Leigh quite simply explains “in the end, I’ve become too strong for my problems”.

An inspiring, raw and brutally honest reflection of the devastating impact addition can have, and the incredible strength and determination that can be found in recovery. A huge thank you to Leigh for taking part!

Trigger warning – this episode includes reference to suicide.

#fitnesssavedme #breakthecycle #addictionrecovery #leighfoleyfitness #positivemasculinity #tacklingittogether #littleblackbird

In this episode of Tackling it Together we sit down with Nathan Sandland-Jones to explore his role as a Construction Site Manager and his view on the importance of developing emotional intelligence.

An incredibly raw, honest and vulnerable conversation, Nathan speaks candidly about his struggles with anxiety and overthinking, and how moves around the country as a child impacted on his attachments and connections.

Nathan reflects on his previous behaviour on the rugby pitch, explaining how he is not proud of the man he would sometimes become when opportunities for conflict arose within a game. Years on, Nathan’s demonstrates great insight into how that behaviour was linked to other struggles, and how developing emotional intelligence and understanding himself was key for personal and professional growth.

Rugby aside, we explore Nathan’s role as a construction site manager in a male dominated industry and the importance of managing work related pressure and stress in a healthy way.

Nathan talks about the power of positive relationships and the pivotal support he has from his wife.

One of our most insightful, impactful and relatable conversations to date, Nathan’s ability to articulate his experiences and perspective will undoubtedly support others who are struggling to navigate similar feelings.

A huge thank you to Nathan who has put himself way out of his comfort zone to share his story and to normalise talking about male mental health.

#anxietyandoverthinking #constructionpodcast #rugbypodcast #malementalhealth #tacklingittogether #mindsetunderconstruction #buildingemotionalintelligence #littleblackbird

Trigger warning – full episodes includes reference to suicide

In this episode of Tackling it Together we sit down with Sports Nutritionist Danny Webber to get his take and expertise on how to maintain a healthy lifestyle alongside the demands of a busy life. Danny’s experience in working with a wide range of people, including elite athletes allows him to give us a balanced perspective of how a bespoke approach to nutrition and fitness will always achieve better results.

Exploring the importance of investing in yourself, practical and helpful tips to support healthy and realistic decision making and debunking many of the myths around health and nutrition, this episode is not to be missed!

A huge thank you to Danny for taking part! #nutrition #nutritionforwellbeing #webbernutrition #tacklingittogether #littleblackbird