Rosa Walsh is an incredible athlete, and we are thrilled to have her coaching at our BJJ camp in April. We had a chat to get to know her a little bit more, and we loved how fun and relatable she was, talking about her journey so far - we can't wait to learn from her!  Hosts: Shanti & Marina Guest: Rosa Walsh Sound Editor and Composer: Will Grant

Introducing Jessa Khan, BJJ black belt and 2023 IBJJF Worlds champion.  Jess is a rising superstar, and it was a pleasure to chat to her about her experience growing up in the sport and teaching from as young as 16.  We discussed her upcoming super-fight against Danielle Kelly on ONE Fight Night 14, her incredible experience winning IBJJF Worlds at black belt this year, the realities of being a woman in the sport, and much more!  For more info about the ONE event, click here Hosts: Shanti & Marina Guest: Jessa Khan Sound Editor and Composer: Will Grant

Chloe is a Women’s Health Physiotherapist and Nutritionist based in Canterbury. Chloe treats a wide range of issues like pelvic pain, low back pain, pelvic floor dysfunction, endometriosis, PCOS, post and ante natal rehab. She is passionate about supporting all women to become the strongest, healthiest and most confident version of themselves. Hosts: Shanti & Marina Guest: Chloe Stevens Sound Editor and Composer: Will Grant

Angela Chang has been in Thailand for the past 6 years living out her dreams – fighting in the ring and fighting for equality. With almost 50 professional fights, Angela has an aggressive fighting style and is currently in the world rankings via WBC Muay Thai. She also runs muay-ying.com, a platform she uses to help inspire change for gender equality and inclusion in Muay Thai. Hosts: Shanti & Marina Guest: Angela Chang Sound Editor and Composer: Will Grant

Georgia is on a mission to spread the wisdom of conscious combat coaching around the world to make martial arts accessible to all trauma survivors. Georgia runs online and in person trauma informed kickboxing programs and works with martial artists to help them develop trauma informed curriculum in their chosen style. Hosts: Shanti & Marina Guest: Georgia Verry Sound Editor and Composer: Will Grant More links: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/the.fight.back.project.and.podcast  Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCymka6V1GVR5wmMxbVK93-w  Apple podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-fight-back-podcast/id1517269742  Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/59RMMqzoUqC9zGIw8U9oL7

Lindsey is a Functional Sports Nutritionist, with a masters in Exercise and Nutrition Science, helping female athletes make weight safely, healthily and maintaining high performance. She is also a level 2 strength and conditioning coach and a BJJ purple belt.  Hosts: Shanti & Marina Guest: Lindsey Doyle Sound Editor and Composer: Will Grant  

Maggie is a high level BJJ Black Belt and has fought on some of the worlds biggest stages. Medalling at countless IBJJF tournaments, she has always been an active competitor. Maggie pours all of her love and energy into building her business ChampionFit, which focuses on online fitness and strength and conditioning for all. Maggie is fighting on Polaris in a week, the biggest UK grappling invitational, on their first women's Grand Prix. Hosts: Shanti & Marina Guests: Maggie Grindatti Sound Editor and Composer: Will Grant  

Amy started bjj in 2013 when she was 13. A natural talent, Amy has had many achievements including winning first place at ADCC 60+ category last year (2022), with an incredible performance.  Amy is fighting on Polaris in a week, the biggest UK grappling invitational, on their first women's Grand Prix. Unfortunately we had some technical issues with Amy's sound, as you will hear. We apologise!  Hosts: Shanti & Marina Guests: Amy Campo Sound Editor and Composer: Will Grant  

In this episode we have Elisabeth Clay with us, a dominating competitor who won gold in the 2022 Nogi Worlds and Nogi Pan Ams in both absolute and weight categories. We were delighted to have the chance to speak with her in the run up  to her appearance on Polaris this week (Saturday 11th March) where she will be fighting on Polaris' first women's Grand Prix.  Hosts: Shanti & Marina Guests: Elisabeth Clay Sound Editor and Composer: Will Grant

Brianna is a Canadian grappler who fought her way through the ADCC east coast trials last year to win first place, and then winning silver at the 2022 ADCC.  Growing up, she played competitive rugby until BJJ took priority when she was in her early 20's. She has rocketed into the spotlight with her recent performances displaying her incredibly high level BJJ. Brianna is fighting on Polaris this week, the biggest UK grappling invitational, on the first women's Grand Prix.  Hosts: Shanti & Marina Guests: Brianna Ste Marie Sound Editor and Composer: Will Grant

Gráinne Donnelly is an Advanced Physiotherapist and educator in Pelvic Health who is also delving into the world of clinical academia. She is passionate about improving the standard of clinical practice and services that women access, and carrying out research on a population that is significantly under researched.  Emma Brockwell is a physio and founding member of the collaborative campaign group Pelvicroar and is on the Scientific Clinical Advisory Board of the Active Pregnancy Foundation and the Perinatal Physical Activity research Group. She is also a passionate runner and co-authored the UK’s first Return to Running Postnatal Guidelines Together they co-host the podcast at your cervix which aims to bust taboos and open conversation around pelvic health. Hosts: Shanti & Marina Guests: Emma Brockwell and Gráinne Donnelly Sound Editor and Composer: Will Grant

Dr. Kokes primarily focuses on sports medicine and pain management, with a strong passion for regenerative medicine. This is our second podcast with Dr. Kokes, where we spoke about her (relatively) recent pregnancy, training, her delivery and postnatal experience.  Warning** Some of the conversation about the birth is graphic, some listeners might find this triggering. Hosts: Shanti & Marina Guest: Dr. Kokes Sound Editor and Composer: Will Grant

Nicky Keay is a Clinical Lecturer in Medicine at University College London and Research Fellow in the Department of Sport and Exercise Sciences at Durham University. She conducts clinical research in sports and dance endocrinology and is a member of the British Association of Sport and Exercise Medicine and the British Menopause Society. Nicky's aim is to redefine optimal health and fitness for the individual. We have the fortune to talk to speak to Nicky again on the matter of hormones and health, the topic of her new book, and to understand why hormones are so important.   Hosts: Shanti & Marina Guest: Nicky Keay Sound Editor and Composer: Will Grant  

Júlia Scardone was Born in Brazil, moving to England at the age of 13. When she was 18 she started competing in Judo for Great Britain in the -52kg weight category. She completed a Degree in Sport Development and Physical Education while training full time and working. She now runs Carlson Gracie Hull with her partner Owen Livesey, and is mother to baby Thiago.  There is some swearing in this conversation. Since recording this episode Julia has received her purple belt in BJJ. BOOM. Hosts: Shanti & Marina Guest: Julia Scardone  Sound Editor and Composer: Will Grant

Chelsea is a black belt in BJJ and an active competitor. Co-owner of the gym Escapology in Cambridge with her partner Tom, she had her daughter just before covid and experienced antenatal depression. This topic is widely misunderstood, and we invited her on to talk about her experience and open up the conversation.  Hosts: Shanti & Marina Guest: Chelsea Leah Sound Editor and Composer: Will Grant

Mike Piekarski lives in Eastern Washington where he works as a performance coach specialising in sports performance for combat athletes and as a physical therapist.  Mike originally went to college to study psychology at Binghamton University in Upstate New York, however during his time there he discovered his true passion - BJJ. He has since focused on his martial arts training competing in BJJ, submission grappling, muay thai and competing as a pro MMA fighter. He returned to study to become a physical therapist, graduating from Stony Brook with a Doctorate in Physical Therapy. He has since completed advanced studies become a board-certified orthopedic clinical specialist. Still an active competitor, Mike is a brazilian jiu jitsu black belt and instructor. Hosts: Shanti & Marina Guest: Mike Piekarski Sound Editor and Composer: Will Grant

Kelly McNulty is a PHD student studying the effects of menstrual cycle and hormonal contraceptive use on performance, recovery and adaptation in sports women.  Kelly started a platform called Period of the period with the goal to ‘change the narrative for women’s health and performance in sport & exercise through awareness, evidence-based education & support”. Period of the period insta Hosts: Shanti & Marina Guest: Kelly McNulty Sound Editor and Composer: Will Grant

Joyce Harper is an author, academic, scientist and educator. She is Professor of Reproductive Science at University College London in the Institute for Women’s Health where she is Head of the Reproductive Science and Society Group. She is a Director of the Embryology and PGD Academy which delivers an online certificate in clinical embryology and founder of Global Women Connected. She has worked in the fields of fertility, genetics and reproductive science since 1987, written over 230 scientific papers and published three books. She started her career as an embryologist, then moved into reproductive science and genetics. Now she is researching into fertility and reproductive health education, FemTech, IVF add-ons, gamete donation and the menopause. Joyce is a passionate educator at all levels, from the general public to PhD students. She is invited to numerous international meetings, including keynote and plenary lectures. She regularly appears on TV, radio and in the press. She gives talks for companies to understand fertility issues in the workplace, including the menopause. In 2022, she is giving free talks in UK schools to discuss fertility education. She is founder of Reproductive Health at Work, helping companies ensure that the reproductive health needs of their staff are catered for https://joyceharper.com/repro-at-work/ She is co-founder of the UK Fertility Education Initiative (www.fertilityed.uk) and founder of the International Fertility Education Initiative (www.eshre.eu/ifei). Her latest book, 'Your Fertile Years', What you need to know to make informed choices, has been published by JOHN MURRAY PRESS, SHELDON PRESS and signed copies can be ordered from www.joyceharper.com. She is a cold-water swimmer and an ambassador for This Girl Can. Follow on Twitter, Instagram, Tiktok and Linkedin - @ProfJoyceHarper   Hosts: Shanti & Marina Guest: Joyce Harper Sound Editor and Composer: Will Grant

Emma Thomas is a former Muay Thai fighter who's been living in Bangkok for 10 years. She's also the creator of the blog Under the Ropes where she writes about her experiences as a woman in Muay Thai and gender inequality in the sport. Her article about being sexually assaulted by a trainer has ultimately led Emma to become a public speaker and activist working for the elimination of gender-based violence and rape culture.    

Dr Anna Kavoura is a sport psychology specialist and a postdoc researcher. Her research has focused on issues related to gender and sexuality in sport, in particular combat sports. Anna is interested in identifying approaches that contribute towards more inclusive, ethical and safe sport cultures. Anna is also a black belt in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu. Hosts: Shanti & Marina Guest: Anna Kavoura Sound Editor and Composer: Will Grant   Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/anna.kavoura.3 Insta: annakavo_sportpsych (professional account) annakavoura (personal account) Twitter: @DrAnnaKavoura

Sky has been coaching for seven years now as a PT and became a certified nutritionist three years ago. Sky setup soci.eaty, which has three main services, online training & nutrition coaching, business mentoring & public speaking. She works predominantly with women, coaching them to have a better relationship with food, exercise & themselves.  Hosts: Shanti & Marina Guest: Sky Elizabeth Asquith Sound Editor and Composer: Will Grant

Jenny Valentish is a journalist and author, including the books Everything Harder Than Everyone Else: Why Some of Us Push Our Bodies to Extremes, and Woman of Substances: A Journey Into Addiction and Treatment. At 46 she had her first amateur Muay Thai fight as part of her immersion journalism quest to understand the fine line between hedonism and endurance. Hosts: Shanti & Marina Guest: Jenny Valentish Sound Editor and Composer: Will Grant

Lesley Sackey is a former EU gold medalist and Team GB boxer. On Friday 13th of May Lesley will be fighting on an all female boxing show, The Fight Back, at Allstars boxing gym in west London. This will be her final amateur fight as she turns 40 this year and amateur rules prevent her from fighting after this age. The Fight Back event launches Fight Forward, a social enterprising aiming to educate young girls and women in the issues surrounding Domestic Abuse.  Hosts: Shanti & Marina Guest: Lesley Sackey Sound Editor and Composer: Will Grant

Victoria Team USA Wrestler, 2x World Team Member, 2x US Open Champion, 3x Pan American Champion in Women's Freestyle Wrestling, Judoka and now pursuing MMA.  Victoria radiates joy and warmth in this eye opening conversation about her experiences and personal development through training and competing throughout her life. Hosts: Shanti & Marina Guest: Victoria Anthony (Vortex) Sound Editor and Composer: Will Grant

Mackenzie Dern is a former world no.1 ranked IBJJF competitor and an ADCC world champion. She had her first MMA fight in 2016, and in 2018 entered the UFC. She had two fights before becoming pregnant - she returned within 4 months of giving birth Mackenzie won her recent fight against Tecia Torres and is currently ranked 4th in the female divisions.  Hosts: Shanti & Marina Guest: Mackenzie Dern Sound Editor and Composer: Will Grant

⁣Jamie is a Professional Mixed Martial Arts fighter, Domestic Violence Advocate, Keynote Speaker, and Head of Operations for PHILLY Airbnb. With 10+ yrs of experience, Jamie is a former World Champion, a UFC Contender Series veteran, and a brown belt in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu. She is still actively fighting today.⁣ We had the pleasure of speaking to her as part of our series with Venum for International Women's Day.  Hosts: Shanti & Marina Guest: Jamie Colleen Sound Editor and Composer: Will Grant

Ava knight is a former 7 time belt holder including 2 world titles with a record of 20 wins 2 losses 5 draws. she is a formidable boxer and hugely inspiring. She's known as "The Lady of Boxing". She is now fighting MMA for Bellator. We had the pleasure of speaking to her as part of our series with Venum for International Women's Day.  Hosts: Shanti & Marina Guest: Ava Knight Sound Editor and Composer: Will Grant

Kiana is a black belt in Karate, she was top in the USA in the 2018 Karate World Championships, and is a weapons pro - she's incredible! We had the pleasure of speaking to her as part of our series with Venum for International Women's Day.  Hosts: Shanti & Marina Guest: Kiana Akira Sound Editor and Composer: Will Grant

As a lifelong, blue chip athlete Tiffany Van Soest is also quite literally a Martial Artist as she expresses herself through the mediums of fighting along with poetry and painting using her greatest tools- the eight limbs which have been sharpened over the span of her on-going career as a 9-time World Champion prize fighter in the disciplines of Muay Thai and Kickboxing on the sports' biggest stages. It is her holy trinity of these three art forms which allow her purest emotions, thoughts, physicality, and spirit to be conveyed as she connects with and inspires her audiences. She is a stand-out, a trail blazer, and one of the most technical and dynamic female strikers of this generation. Outside of fighting and art, Tiffany finds her purpose in philanthropy volunteering with various non-profit organisations geared toward helping children and people in need.  This episode was very special. Tiffany shared with us her perspective towards fighting and life, how much she values her career and worth as a fighter in a world where sex sells. Tiffany is curious about life, open to transformative experiences, and ever evolving as a human being. We talked about taking responsibility as a role model and why developing a strong mindset is so important for everyone. We had the pleasure of speaking to her as part of our series with Venum for International Women's Day.  Hosts: Shanti & Marina Guest: Tiffany Van Soest  Sound Editor and Composer: Will Grant

Terri is former WBC and IBO super featherweight boxing champion of the world. At 25 years old Terri remains one of the most exciting female prospects across the sporting landscape in the UK. Terri lives with her partner Jen in a small village called Denaby on the outskirts of Doncaster, South Yorkshire. In 2018 Terri achieved a degree with honours from Sheffield Hallam University in Sports Coaching. Terri wants to use her profile to bring more equality to the sporting community. We had the pleasure of speaking to her as part of our series with Venum for International Women's Day.  Hosts: Shanti & Marina Guest: Terri Harper Sound Editor and Composer: Will Grant

Michelle Waterson "The Karate Hottie", is a professional mixed martial artist currently competing in the UFC Women's Strawweight Division. She is the former Invicta Atomweight Champion and was ranked as the No. 1 women's atomweight fighter in 2013-2014. She holds a black belt in American Freestyle Karate and a Brown belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. She is a loving mother, wife and professional badass.  We had the pleasure of speaking to her as part of our series with Venum for International Women's Day.  Hosts: Shanti & Marina Guest: Michelle Waterson Sound Editor and Composer: Will Grant

Lily is a purple belt in BJJ and coaches adults and children at Rebellion gym in Sheffield. Lily recently graduated in psychology and spent a lot of her degree researching the mental health benefits of BJJ.  Hosts: Shanti & Marina Guest: Lily Hunt Sound Editor and Composer: Will Grant

Talida is the face behind Hazel & Cacao a blog focused on healthy whole food and plant based recipes with an emphasis on hormone balance. Talida's passion for this grew from her own traumatic experience of hormone imbalance caused by her contraception.  It was a joy to hear her story, we learnt so much! Hosts: Shanti & Marina Guest: Talida  Sound Editor and Composer: Will Grant

We had the pleasure of speaking to Laurien and Alex, founders of Off The Zone which teaches coaches to be trauma informed. Laurien and Alex explain what trauma is, how it works and the great potential of martial arts to be part of the healing process.  Hosts: Shanti & Marina Guest: Alex & Laurien Sound Editor and Composer: Will Grant

"Navigating your hormones on the journey to menopause" Maisie hill’s book Perimenopause Power is the sequel to her fantastic book Period Power. Here we uncover the realities of menopause, understanding its impact and strategies in how to mitigate symptoms, dispelling myths and fundamentally taking control over our own experience of it. This is our second podcast with Maisie and as with the first it was a fantastic conversation.  Hosts: Shanti & Marina Guest: Maisie Hill Sound Editor and Song Writer: Will Grant

For this episode we had Hayzia and Jorden from the International Mixed Martial Arts Federation - IMMAF. Hayzia is the Chairwoman of IMMAF’s Women’s Commission and Jorden is their Member Development Consultant. Both work to develop women’s MMA and improve their participation in IMMAF Championships and at the national level through their national federations.  Hosts: Shanti & Marina Guest: Hayzia Bellem & Jorden Curran Podcast Editor and Music Producer: Will Grant

In this episode, we are talking to Nicole Strock, breaking down a scientific study about female Judokas and their wellbeing called: Eating Attitudes, Body Esteem, Perfectionism and Anxiety of Judo Athletes and Nonathletes. Scientific journals can be so hard to decipher for the layman, and with Nicole we were able to break down and understand what this paper was telling us. This is the first of three we have planned. Thank you to Nicole for sharing her knowledge. Hosts: Shanti & Marina Guest: Nicole Strock Podcast Editor and Music Producer: Will Grant

Helene is the founder of WILD.AI, an app to track women’s menstrual cycle and build a nutrition, rest and recovery programme around your physiological needs. It makes adjustments to its recommendations as you input your data, helping you to see patterns and mitigate symptoms. It supports menstruating women and those on birth control, as well as peri and post menopausal women. It is still in its infancy (relatively speaking) and Helene has big plans for it.  Hosts: Shanti & Marina Guest: Helene Guillaume  Podcast Editor and Music Producer: Will Grant

Luiz Faye trains in adaptive boxing and has her own business called Kronik Warrior UK. We spoke about her journey and how she is developing adaptive boxing to make it a recognised sport. Hosts: Shanti & Marina Guest: Luiz Faye Podcast Editor and Music Producer: Will Grant  

Nicky is an Honorary Clinical Lecturer in Medicine at University College London and Research Fellow in the Department of Sport and Exercise Sciences at Durham University.  She conducts clinical research in sports and dance endocrinology and is a member of the British Association of Sport and Exercise Medicine and the British Menopause Society.  Her aim is to redefine optimal health and fitness for the individual. Hosts: Shanti & Marina Guest: Nicky Keay Podcast Editor and Music Producer: Will Grant  

We had the pleasure of speaking with Phathokuhle Zondi and Nonhlanhla Mkumbuzi about an editorial they co-authored called 'Out of Sight, Out of Mind: The Invisibility of Female African Athletes in Sports and Exercise Medicine Research'.  Hosts: Shanti & Marina Guests: Phathokuhle Zondi and Nonhlanhla Mkumbuzi  Podcast Editor and Music Producer: Will Grant

Janay Harding is a professional MMA fighter based in Sydney, Australia. Janay fights as a featherweight in the Bellator promotion and is ranked number 7 in the Women's Featherweight Division (at the time of recording in June 2021).    Hosts: Shanti & Marina Guest: Janay Harding Podcast Editor and Music Producer: Will Grant

Nicole is a PhD graduate working at the Women’s Health and Exercise Lab at PSU (Pennsylvania State University) and is the Coordinator for the non-profit organisation The Female and Male Athlete Triad. We first reached out to Nicole's team last year after finding a paper her group had written about menstrual disturbances in athletes. We formed a partnership with their group and collaborated on a project called 'Meet The Fighters' where athletes shared personal experiences about health-related and performance-related issues as combat fighters. Nicole talks about her research regarding the Female Athlete Triad which is the evidence-based cornerstone of the more recently introduced model of Relative Energy Deficiency in Sport (RED-S).  https://www.instagram.com/theathletetriad/  Hosts: Shanti & Marina Guest: Nicole Strock Podcast Editor and Music Producer: Will Grant

Rosi Sexton was is a Mixed Martial Artist and the first British female fighter to compete in the UFC back in 2013. She is also a Cambridge graduate with a PhD in Computer Science, and now works as an Osteopath and is the Green councillor for Solihull.  Hosts: Shanti & Marina Guest: Rosi Sexton Podcast Editor and Music Producer: Will Grant

Simona is an MMA Fighter based in London. She started training Muay Thai when she was 28 and was training MMA before women were in the UFC. She has seen the evolution of MMA as a sport for women, and we are excited to share our conversation with her about her experiences.  Hosts: Shanti & Marina Guest: Simona Soukupova Podcast Editor and Music Producer: Will Grant

Irini Hadjisavva is a scientist skilled in biomedical research, digestive health, the gut microbiome, science communication, lecturing, teaching and corporate wellness. Irini has worked and collaborated with scientists in the field of biology and has carried out research, published and presented work on thyroid disease and pathways of resistance to chemotherapeutic treatments for various cancers. She produces content on gut health and the gut microbiome that is based on scientific evidence and published work. She recently co-authored a book on the gut microbiome called A Step-By-Step Guide To Stop Bloating And Heal Your Gut, which is out now and covers gut health, the gut microbiome and ways to keep your belly happy. Hosts: Shanti & Marina Guest: Irini Hadjisavva Podcast Editor and Music Producer: Will Grant  

*Trigger Warning* This episode has content on human trafficking, rape, sexual abuse and domestic violence. Parts of this conversation can be upsetting, so please be emotionally prepared.  Jenna McKaye is a survivor of human trafficking with an incredible life story she now shares through advocacy groups throughout the US. McKaye's extraordinary journey offers hope that inspires others through education and training. She continues to train hospital staff, law enforcement and other professionals how to identify victims of sex trafficking and labor trafficking and respond with victim centred care. Her personable keynote speaking engagements leave a notable impression among a variety of audience demographics including the United Nations. In 2016, Jenna started the Jenna McKaye Foundation to engage in a broader advocacy training model. (Bio from https://jennamckaye.com/) Below are a couple of links you can look at if you or someone you know has been a victim of human trafficking, this one is based in the UK. If you are in the US it may be worth reaching out to the Jenna McKaye Foundation for advice.  https://www.humantraffickingfoundation.org/support-services  https://www.unseenuk.org/   Hosts: Shanti & Marina Guest: Jenna McKaye Podcast Editor and Music Producer: Will Grant

Molly is a fighter and a young mother who caught our attention when she made an instagram post about how her training changed when she became pregnant, and how she no longer saw being a woman as a weakness, learning to create boundaries and accept limitations as she returns to training.    Hosts: Shanti & Marina Guest: Molly Lindsay Podcast Editor and Music Producer: Will Grant

Kylie is a Double Paralympian in wheelchair rugby and is currently training for the Tokyo Paralympics.  An Athlete, Show Jumper and aspiring olympian in her youth, Kylie experienced a life changing spinal injury when she was 18 and it only took her 3 years to return to sport and continue pursuing her dream. In 2006 Kylie returned to competitive sport by cycling 450 km, from Vietnam to Cambodia, to raise money for Regain, a charity dedicated to helping get newly injured tetraplegics back into sport. She started playing for the London Wheelchair Rugby Club in 2010, and for Great Britain in 2011. In 2012 she qualified for her first Paralympics in London.  Hosts: Shanti & Marina Guest: Kylie Grimes Podcast Editor and Music Producer: Will Grant

We had Tim Trevail with us for this episode talking about everything to do with injury, rehab and sustainable training.  Tim is the Program Director for Physical Health at Torrens University and private practice clinician in Melbourne, Australia. He is an experienced health and education professional with an extensive clinical and academic background in musculoskeletal healthcare.  Tim holds an honours degree in Sports Therapy from the UK, Post-graduate Diploma in Learning and Teaching, a Masters Degree in Sports and Exercise Medicine, and is currently a PhD candidate where he is researching the link between physical activity and persistent pain, supporting more people to lead physically active lives.  Tim is an active grappler, training under Lachlan Giles at Absolute MMA in Melbourne. Having competing nationally and internationally, he now focuses on supporting the grappling and combat sports community to decrease the impact of injuries and spend more time on the mats doing the sport they love. Hosts: Shanti & Marina Guest: Tim Trevail Podcast Editor and Music Producer: Will Grant

Valéry Brosseau is a BJJ purple belt living in Toronto, Canada.  She is a passionate speaker, writer and mental health advocate. Her lived experience with mental illness has taken her on a journey to combat stigma through mental health awareness. Valéry delivers talks and workshops, raising awareness and offers 1:1 support equipping people with the tools and language to support others and manage their own mental health. In 2019, she delivered a TEDx talk on the stigma surrounding suicide. She has also written for organisations such as the National Alliance for Mental Illness and the International Bipolar Foundation.  We were so happy to chat to her in this episode about her experience and try to breakdown the taboo of discussing serious mental illness.    Hosts: Shanti & Marina Guest: Valery Brosseau Podcast Editor and Music Producer: Will Grant

Lea Damata is a pelvic physiotherapist based in Canada and this is part 2! We cover perinatal care, incontinence, pain with sex, chronic pelvic pain and how pelvic physiotherapy with menopause. We were so pleased we could delve into these topics with Lea!  Hosts: Shanti & Marina Guest: Lea Damata Podcast Editor and Music Producer: Will Grant

Lea Damata is a pelvic physiotherapist based in Canada. We wanted to know what this form of physiotherapy was and who it can help - turns out a lot! We focused on its implications for women health, but started with her own experience of concussion and the impact it has had on her life. She is a wonderful speaker and it was a real pleasure to have this chat with her/grill her with our questions! This is only part 1 of 2 which will be released next week.  Hosts: Shanti & Marina Guest: Lea Damata Podcast Editor and Music Producer: Will Grant

Following last weeks episode with Olivia on the women's movement in Pakistan, we interviewed Malaika who is a young woman from Karachi.  Hosts: Shanti & Marina Guest: Malaika Ahmed Podcast Editor and Music Producer: Will Grant

Olivia Qasir is a 27 year old filmmaker based in Lahore, Pakistan. Being of a mixed British/Pakistani heritage, her early schooling was in Lahore, after which she moved to London to study at SOAS and then King's College. Following her masters, Olivia took a short documentary course at City Academy with the intention to document the women's movement in Pakistan. Olivia made a short documentary film about the movement for Vice last year looking into the current situation for women in Pakistan. She covers the Aurat march held in 2020, the protest fighting for women's liberation. This documentary is available here. Hosts: Shanti & Marina Guest: Olivia Qasir Podcast Editor and Music Producer: Will Grant  

The information on sports performance (or indeed any research) has up until recently been taken from studies made on 18-22 year old men, with women being left out as they were considered an 'anomaly' in science due to their monthly hormone cycle. The consequence of excluding women from studies means that their findings don’t fully apply to 50% of the population.  Currently there is a lot of talk on social media and in the news about how women must train and eat 'with their cycle' but what does that actually mean? How can we manipulate information designed for men to suit our physiological requirements?  For this episode we had the great pleasure of speaking with Dr Stacy Sims. Stacy is a researcher looking specifically at sex differences in training, nutrition and environmental conditions. Stacy co-authored the book 'Roar' (2016) which is filled with ways you can adjust your training to suit your individual requirements according to your cycle, and walks you through the general changes you may need to make through perimenopause and beyond. It is a fantastic introduction to this way of thinking and the only book of its kind; looking at both the cycle and its relationship to sports performance.  We squeezed our millions of questions into just under an hour, but if your curiosity has been roused check out her ted talk on YouTube.  Hosts: Shanti & Marina Guest: Dr Stacy Sims  Podcast Editor and Music Producer: Will Grant

We were delighted to have the lovely Ffion for this episode talking about body image. Ffion Davies is an elite BJJ female competitor who has won world titles as a black belt and is absolutely smashing it (in non-covid normal times).  Ffion made a post on instagram recently about her experiences as a woman and the insecurities and social expectations that come with it. We're all aiming to be comfortable in our own skin, but how we go about it can seem a little upside down, trying to change ourselves to fit a social "norm" or what's in fashion, rather than learning to love what we have and what our bodies can do. Being a female athlete comes with its own trials, particularly in the form of society's paradoxical attitude towards them, i.e. you are strong and win matches which we love, but why do you have big (strong) arms? This is patriarchy at its finest, and this attitude in particular can be a difficult one to come to terms with. Hosts: Shanti & Marina https://www.womenwhofight.co.uk/ Guest: Ffion Eira Davies https://www.instagram.com/fffioneira/ Sound Editor and Song Writer: Will Grant https://www.instagram.com/willgrantt 

Founded by Sally Roberts in 2016, Wrestle Like A Girl is an Organisation with a mission to empower girls and women through wrestling. We spoke to Victoria, Jacque and Emma about their involvement and what we can do to help women's wrestling progress.  Hosts: Shanti & Marina https://www.womenwhofight.co.uk/  Guest: Victoria, Jacque and Emma https://wrestlelikeagirl.org/ Sound Editor and Song Writer: Will Grant https://www.instagram.com/willgrantt   

We have known Hazel for a couple of years having interviewed her early on in the Women Who Fight journey and collaborated for an event in 2019. We revisit her now for our podcast to talk about her career as a kickboxer where she achieved impressive British, European and World Championships between 2008 and 2014. Her experiences during this time lead her to become a successful cognitive hypnotherapist and author. As always, it was a privilege to speak to Hazel.  There is some swearing at the end. Hosts: Shanti & Marina https://www.womenwhofight.co.uk/  Guest: Hazel Gale  https://www.hazelgale.com  Sound Editor and Song Writer: Will Grant https://www.instagram.com/willgrantt   

Jo Crowley started Ealing Judo Club 18 years ago, and still runs it to this day. She is a support coach of the GB Judo Team and coach of the Olympian Nekoda Davis. A 4th dan black belt in Judo, she is also a happy white belt in BJJ and a single mum of four. Jo sees coaching as a skill in its own right, and has worked tirelessly over her career to be the best for her students. We talk to her about what it has been like being the only woman in a male dominated career path, facing challenges and dealing with the imposter syndrome. It was a real pleasure to have Jo as our guest! Hosts: Shanti & Marina https://www.womenwhofight.co.uk/  Guest: Jo Crowley http://www.ealingjudoclub.com/  Sound Editor and Song Writer: Will Grant instagram.com/willgrantt   

This week we were joined by Katoucha, a friend who trains BJJ. Racism in the West is very much a reality, and the call to be actively anti-racist rang out loud and clear during the BLM protests last year. Within martial arts black people are heavily underrepresented, and although we would all like to think that the martial arts are apolitical and treat each of us equally, peoples' experience of racism shows otherwise. Katoucha shares with us her experiences and perspective in this episode, and we are grateful that she gave us her time and energy to do so.   Hosts: Shanti & Marina https://www.womenwhofight.co.uk/  Guest: Katoucha Fall instagram.com/_katouchafall_ Sound Editor and Song Writer: Will Grant instagram.com/willgrantt  

This week we had the absolute pleasure of welcoming April to our podcast. April created the Vagina Blog which is creating a community for women, at the core of which is body positivity, education and breaking taboos around the female form. April is also a doula, photographer and birthing assistant to a midwife.  Hosts: Shanti & Marina https://www.womenwhofight.co.uk/  Guest: April Davis http://thevaginablog.com/  Sound Editor and Song Writer: Will Grant instagram.com/willgrantt  

On this weeks episode we invited Chloe Moore to join us to discuss her experience as a transgender person, particularly in relation to sport participation. Chloe is a BJJ competitor who started a women's only BJJ competition called Fight Like a Girl.  Please check out our other episodes on our youtube channel or for audio please visit Spotify or the iTunes Podcast app *There is some swearing during this podcast Hosts: Shanti & Marina https://www.womenwhofight.co.uk/  Guest: Chloe Moore www.fightlikeagirl.one  Insta - @fight_like_a_girl_bjj Facebook - www.facebook.com/groups/fightlikeagirlbjj Sound Editor and Song Writer: Will Grant instagram.com/willgrantt  

This week we are speaking with Louise who is a sufferer of Endometriosis and will be telling us about her unique experience of the condition. We recently made a podcast about this topic with Endometriosis UK (episode 18) which provides more detailed information. It was a privilege to hear Louise's experience of endo, we hope you enjoy it! There is some swearing in this episode.    https://www.wellandgood.com/women-clinical-trials/ Hosts: Shanti & Marina Guest: Louise Litchfield Sound Editor and Song Writer: Will Grant https://www.womenwhofight.co.uk/  instagram.com/willgrantt

Dr. Nikole MacLellan, (Dr.Kokes) is a Naturopathic Doctor, Registered Dietitian of Canada and Certified Sports Nutritionist. She focuses heavily on athletic and human performance optimisation and recovery. Dr. Kokes works with athletes from all sports and organisations including UFC, NHL, QMJHL, Olympics, AUS, AHL, GEL, Ironman. She has a strong passion for providing athletes with the foundations of information for them to make educated decisions about their health and wellness.   We were thrilled to have her on this episode!    Hosts: Shanti & Marina Guest: Dr Kokes Sound Editor and Song Writer: Will Grant https://drkokesnd.com/ https://www.womenwhofight.co.uk/  instagram.com/willgrantt

What is Endometriosis and why don't more people know about it? Endometriosis is a serious condition that affects 1 in 10 women, and takes an average of 8 years to get diagnosed. There are very few options for treatments and research is lacking to help the women affected by this condition, and according to an article in the Guardian more money has been has been spent on erectile dysfunction than endometriosis (https://www.theguardian.com/education/2019/dec/18/women-have-been-woefully-neglected-does-medical-science-have-a-gender-problem) As it affects such a vast percentage of the population, we really wanted to open the conversation and invited Faye from Endometriosis UK and Rhea who suffers from endometriosis.  Rhea's Story: I was diagnosed with stage 4 severe endometriosis in 2011 after 7 years of misdiagnosis in a London hospital.  Both my bowel surgeon and gynae surgeon performed what they called pioneering surgery on a woman of my age. They had to remove 10 inches of bowel, my left fallopian tube and I had a lot of work on my pelvis to name but a few things. The recovery was a struggle and endometriosis still throws obstacles at me. My experience of the disease prompted me to try and help other woman and show them that I am living proof you can get through. I was lucky enough to be selected to work as an online support Group Leader for Endometriosis UK and I have been volunteering for 3 years. I love the role and want to do as much as I can to raise awareness of this debilitating disease. Hosts: Shanti & Marina Guest: Faye and Rhea Sound Editor and Song Writer: Will Grant https://www.endometriosis-uk.org/ https://www.womenwhofight.co.uk/  https://www.instagram.com/willgrantt/

Moira Bradfield is a Naturopath, Acupuncturist, Academic and the founder of Intimate Ecology, which is a holistic health service based on the Gold Coast in Australia. Moira specialises in helping her clients achieve optimal vaginal health naturally. She is also an educator providing training on the vaginal microbiome, mentoring practitioners and running courses.  In this episode we asked every question under the sun about our vagina's, from the impact of antibiotics to pain during sex, UTI's to menopause.  Hosts: Shanti & Marina Guest: Moira Bradfield Sound Editor and Song Writer: Will Grant https://intimateecology.com.au/  https://www.womenwhofight.co.uk/  instagram.com/willgrantt

Cathy “The Bitch” Brown is a former professional British boxer, being the 2nd female in the UK to receive her professional licence in 1998. She went on to become British and European Champion and ranked 3rd in the world.  Cathy was at the forefront of women’s boxing, her legacy being the rise of female boxers over the past 20 years. In her training she was regularly turned away from clubs, told she was too pretty to box and received little to no pay when she had a fight. It was her grit and passion for boxing that kept her in the ring, retiring only when her health was at risk. She is now a coach, cognitive behavioural therapist, public speaker and author of the comprehensive boxing instructional book ‘Boxology’. Throughout her career she has been fighting the inequality in sport, so who better to tell us how she dealt with systemic sexism, breaking the taboos and persevering through adversity to follow her dream.  Hosts: Shanti & Marina Guest: Cathy Brown Sound Editor and Song Writer: Will Grant https://www.cathybrown.co.uk/  https://www.womenwhofight.co.uk/  instagram.com/willgrant_music

Trigger Warning: This Episode contains a detailed experience of mental illness and could be triggering for some people.  Teanna Taylor is a blue belt under Stealth BJJ. She has been diagnosed with severe anxiety, depression and Psychogenic Psychosis, brought on by the stress of physical illness. Despite a very healthy lifestyle, she initially fell seriously unwell in 2017 after contracting a very rare virus that led to liver disease. The trauma of this experience and the fear of losing her job during this time was a catalyst for her developing severe mental health issues. This kind of situation could happen to anyone and yet it is still misunderstood, particularly psychosis, which has a lot of associated misconceptions. In this episode Teanna tells us her story, and we are grateful to be given the opportunity to share it. Hosts: Shanti & Marina Guest: Teanna Taylor Sound Editor and Song Writer: Will Grant https://www.instagram.com/teanna_taylor_bjj/ https://www.womenwhofight.co.uk/  instagram.com/willgrant_music

Maisie Hill is a Menstrual Health Expert with over a decade of experience as a practitioner and Birth Doula. Maisie wrote the fabulous book ‘Period Power’ which seeks to educate women about their cycle, using the four seasons metaphor to explore how women can harness the power of their menstrual cycle by following its rhythm. This approach is a game changer as it transforms our relationship with our cycles, something so fundamental to our lives but which is taboo within our culture.  We were thrilled to have her as a guest to talk about periods and everything that goes with it.  Warning: There is a little swearing during this podcast. Hosts: Shanti & Marina Guest: Maisie Hill Sound Editor and Song Writer: Will Grant https://www.maisiehill.com/  https://www.womenwhofight.co.uk/  instagram.com/willgrant_music

For this episode we were joined by Elaine Wynn, THE Jiu Jitsu Grandma. At 72 she has been training for 3 years and is a blue belt in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu at Gracie Barra Alabama, and a video of her competing recently went viral. Elaine is extraordinary with her openness to learn and try new things! We came away from this feeling energised and inspired.  Hosts: Shanti & Marina Elaine's Insta: https://www.instagram.com/jiujitsu_grandma/ Our website www.womenwhofight.co.uk https://www.instagram.com/womenwhofight.co.uk/  https://www.facebook.com/womenwhofight.co.uk/  Sound Editor and Song Writer: Will Grant - instagram.com/willgrant_music

Annelie Whitfield is a Naturopath, Herbalist and Functional Medicine Practitioner. Naturopaths looks at the root of disease and imbalances and use herbal medicine and lifestyle to fix the imbalances.  Annelie works primarily with women and is deeply passionate about helping people achieve optimal health; working with an individual’s unique physiological and biochemical needs to understand the nuances of her clients. Staying well is essential for athletes and chronic issues can creep up on us and compromise our health. Annelie’s job is to get to the root of these issues and resolve the underlying cause, using herbs, food and positive lifestyle practices.  Hosts: Women Who Fight aka Shanti & Marina Annelie's Website: https://www.honouryourbiology.com/ https://www.instagram.com/annelieuk/  Follow us on instagram @womenwhofight.co.uk and facebook /womenwhofight.co.uk Website www.womenwhofight.co.uk Sound Editor and Song Writer: Will Grant - instagram.com/willgrant_music

Strongher is a women's only gym, an inclusive place that discards the stereotype of what gym's are and creates its own definition of the word. Where ALL women feel welcome and the game isn't about being bigger and better but about having a great experience and becoming strongher in the process. Incredibly supportive and inspiring we spoke to the founders Tig and Sam about their journey and about Strongher's mission. They are doing amazing things and have big plans... Hosts: Women Who Fight aka Shanti & Marina https://www.strongher.co.uk/ Follow us on instagram @womenwhofight.co.uk and facebook /womenwhofight.co.uk Website www.womenwhofight.co.uk Sound Editor and Song Writer: Will Grant - instagram.com/willgrant_music

Sally is a retired boxer, now coach and founder of Impact Sports Academy in Cairo in Egypt.  She trains both men and women, but has been focusing on bringing more women into the sport.  Whilst the government appears to be supportive of female boxers, it is not really acceptable for women to go down this path, the cultural expectations cutting down potential female boxing athletes before they really get started. However Sally has been pushing for change and in this episode we got to find out how. Check out our other episodes and please subscribe, comment and share!  Follow us on instagram @womenwhofight.co.uk and facebook /womenwhofight.co.uk Website www.womenwhofight.co.uk Hosts: Women Who Fight aka Shanti & Marina Sound Editor and Song Writer: Will Grant - instagram.com/willgrant_music

Dr Jade Teta is a personal trainer and naturopath, specialising in integrative endocrinology, and works primarily with women. To find out what this actually means...have a listen!  This podcast is very interesting for general health and also for the athlete, as our wellness is an essential part of our training; without health, we couldn't train.  We also touch on menopause and how to  Dr Jade explains everything simply, and was a delight to speak to.  If you want to find out more: https://www.jadeteta.com/  Check out our other episodes and please subscribe, comment and share!  Follow us on instagram @womenwhofight.co.uk and facebook /womenwhofight.co.uk Website www.womenwhofight.co.uk Hosts: Women Who Fight aka Shanti & Marina Sound Editor and Song Writer: Will Grant - instagram.com/willgrant_music

Domestic Violence has risen across the world this year as a consequence of COVID and the impact it has had on families and communities. Financial insecurity, restricted movement and the mental health crisis are some of the major issues that feed this problem.  We were keen to have this conversation and start understanding how, in countries like Russia, domestic violence is common and seen as something that the family needs to fix, leaving victims with nowhere to turn if things go sour.  We had the pleasure of chatting to Julia Wiebe, Russian born and now living in Norway, she is a BJJ athlete, Mathematician and Geophysicist PhD.    Check out our other episodes and please subscribe, comment and share!  Follow us on instagram @womenwhofight.co.uk and facebook /womenwhofight.co.uk Website www.womenwhofight.co.uk Hosts: Women Who Fight aka Shanti & Marina Sound Editor and Song Writer: Will Grant - instagram.com/willgrant_music

For this episode we had the wonderful Nekoda Davis as our guest. As a professional Judo athlete Nekoda is a fascinating woman to speak to, competing at the highest level and gaining a place on Team GB for the 2016 Olympics, she has fought the best in the world and is now working towards the 2021 Tokyo Olympics. Check out our other episodes and please subscribe, comment and share!  Follow us on instagram @womenwhofight.co.uk and facebook /womenwhofight.co.uk Website www.womenwhofight.co.uk Hosts: Women Who Fight aka Shanti & Marina Sound Editor and Song Writer: Will Grant - instagram.com/willgrant_music

We know women have a different physiology to men, we've heard that we need to adapt our training to suit us better, but what and how and when? What are the main points we need to know about?  Dr Clare Minahan is the lead academic of the Sports Physiology and Performance group at Griffith University, on the Gold Coast in Australia. She is an expert in the area of physiological considerations for the female athlete, exploring the unique requirements for their optimal performance.  Check out our other episodes and please subscribe, comment and share!  Follow us on instagram @womenwhofight.co.uk and facebook /womenwhofight.co.uk Website www.womenwhofight.co.uk Hosts: Women Who Fight aka Shanti & Marina Sound Editor and Song Writer: Will Grant - instagram.com/willgrant_music

What's the point? Why bother? Let Emily explain... https://www.relentlessathleticsllc.com/ Check out our other episodes and please subscribe, comment and share!  Follow us on instagram @womenwhofight.co.uk and facebook /womenwhofight.co.uk Website www.womenwhofight.co.uk Hosts: Women Who Fight aka Shanti & Marina Sound Editor and Song Writer: Will Grant - instagram.com/willgrant_music

Promotions in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu generally seem to undervalue female fighters, paying them less and providing them with less opportunity to showcase their technical brilliance and put on a good show. One loud argument is about the lack of women available for these fights, but this Californian based promotion is proving that this is far from the truth. https://www.subsontheshore.com/ Check out our other episodes and please subscribe, comment and share!  Follow us on instagram @womenwhofight.co.uk and facebook /womenwhofight.co.uk Website www.womenwhofight.co.uk Hosts: Women Who Fight aka Shanti & Marina Sound Editor and Jingle Maker: Will Grant - instagram.com/willgrant_music

What do I do if I get pregnant? How am I supposed to train safely and what is the best approach? Grace Anderson teaches us what it means to be pregnant and a fighter and all the fun that goes with it.  DISCLAIMER: Despite all the fabulous information provided in this episode, please do not take this as advise going forward, and consult the qualified physicians in your life. If you want to get in touch with Grace directly about how you can train through pregnancy please see her insta @gelizabethpt Check out our other episodes and please subscribe, comment and share!  Follow us on instagram @womenwhofight.co.uk and facebook /womenwhofight.co.uk Website www.womenwhofight.co.uk Hosts: Women Who Fight aka Shanti & Marina Sound Editor and Jingle Maker: Will Grant - instagram.com/willgrant_music

Melike Agansoy is Istanbul's first female black belt in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu and we wanted to talk to her about the situation in Turkey. Find out what her experience is and what steps she's taking to make a difference. All the information about the charities mentioned can be found following this link: https://www.kqed.org/arts/13884151/5-ways-to-support-womens-rights-campaigns-in-turkey  Please check out our other episodes and subscribe, comment and share!  Follow us on instagram @womenwhofight.co.uk and facebook /womenwhofight.co.uk Website www.womenwhofight.co.uk Hosts: Women Who Fight aka Shanti & Marina Sound Editor and Jingle Maker: Will Grant - instagram.com/willgrant_music

Caution: this podcast contains swearing. Our first episode. Who are we and what on earth and we trying to do with a podcast... Please check out our other episodes and subscribe, comment and share!  Follow us on instagram.com/womenwhofight.co.uk and facebook.com/womenwhofight.co.uk Website www.womenwhofight.co.uk Hosts: Women Who Fight aka Shanti & Marina Sound Editor and Jingle Maker: Will Grant - instagram.com/willgrant_music