Please share a little about what you do.
I began travelling by bicycle as my way of experiencing Europe. Covering about 15,000km, this is where I discovered my passion. Then, inspired by polar explorer Robert Swan OBE, I learned that there was much more value to what I was doing and ever since my journeys, that have so far amounted to pedalling 106,000km (more than 2.5X the Earth's circumference), have been about much more than simply riding a bike.
My major journeys include the Trans-Siberian Cycle Expedition, 13,400km from St Petersburg to Vladivostok, the 25,000km Great Australian Cycle Expedition and Breaking the Cycle in Africa - 22,000km from Senegal to Somalia.
My long term project, Breaking the Cycle South Pole, will be the first bicycle crossing of the Antarctic continent via the South Pole. In preparation I have completed five polar training expeditions and a preparatory expedition - in polar conditions, on sand or at altitude - on all seven continents.
My latest expedition, 9001km following the great rivers of Central Asia, ended in the Wakhan Corridor, Afghanistan where my team discovered the true source of Central Asia’s greatest river, the Oxus, solving a 3000 year mystery.
In between expeditions I work as a real tennis professional, a totally different type of activity. During my playing career I have won 5 Australian Open singles and 6 doubles titles and been ranked as high as world number 2 woman - all while having to manage a long term knee injury.
What brought you to STAIT for Women?
I learned about STAIT while researching for the best products to supplement what would be an inadequate diet for my recent 9000km, five month journey through Central Asia. I think I discovered STAIT on LinkedIn and, doing some further research, decided to give it a try.
STAIT for Women speaks to women who are holding a great deal - physically, cognitively and emotionally - and are increasingly aware that how they feel is shaped by more than just willpower.
How do you remain physically capable, mentally sharp and ready for what life throws at you?
The physical and mental side of what I do is both demanding and varied. It is difficult to maintain much of a routine. Being a real tennis professional involves a unique skillset - the demands of playing and coaching, mixing physical demands, mental acuity and social skills on and off court every day. And then, to make one of my expeditions a reality, I have to manage everything around my work commitments. It is just about the hardest thing I do - involving countless hours at home, sedentary behind a laptop and working long hours into the night. - researching, planning, finding sponsors and support, filmmaking, writing, giving presentations, creating education programmes, and so much more. During all of this, I need to remain healthy and prepared for usually several months of extreme activity and adventure.
To cope firstly, I have to be passionate and love what I do - both careers. To create unique projects, bring a line on a map to life and use my strong suits to make a difference and inspire others is why I do these things, always trying to learn and build on previous experiences. Each expedition has to be special - I am selective in what I choose to put my energy into and can only commit 100 per cent if a project ticks all the boxes. Similarly, I am selective in what I put into my body - I try to only use the best products, and STAIT for Women fits this category.
There are plenty of products on the market. What makes STAIT genuinely different in your view?
STAIT is a product I know I can trust. Understanding that the products are made of the best quality, clean ingredients, tested over time and always validated by modern science is important to me. I showed the ingredient list to my sister, an expert in Ayurvedic medicine and she was very impressed. I like the fact that STAIT is holistic and not a quick fix. It is helping me to build and maintain resilience over time and this baseline is important for my long term health; to keep doing what I am doing.
For women reading this who feel they have a lot on their plate and may be neglecting their health, what would you want them to hear from you?
My life is a bit crazy at times, especially just before I head out on an expedition - I'm usually working around the clock, dealing with all sorts of stresses. Over the last 18 months, since I started using the products, STAIT has been one constant that has helped me to be my best and cope better with the most hectic, demanding times.