Female Athlete Diaries

Send us Fan Mail Host Kirsty Sheehan introduces a series of four mini-episodes highlighting women’s journeys to Ultraman Australia and the mindset needed to take on big challenges. This episode features Brittney Litton, a lifelong multi-sport athlete who began endurance racing after having her son Max via C-section, completing a 70.3 with a 6–7 month old and an Ironman on his first birthday, then...

Send us Fan Mail Host Kirsty Sheehan introduces a four-part Ultrawoman mini-series, featuring individual stories to show that women of different ages and abilities can conquer major challenges with motivation and dedication. In this episode, Claire Kunc—fourth female overall at UM Australia in just over 27 hours—shares how she began endurance sport three years ago after postnatal mental health str...

Send us Fan Mail Season two of Female Athlete Diaries launches with a two-part compilation on raising sporting children in a body-conscious, social-media-driven world. Host Kirsty Sheehan interviews parents including Anne-Marie, Suzie Moffatt, Katie Hawkins, and Kaliki James about modeling positive attitudes to movement, food, and body image. They discuss focusing on what the body can do, avoiding...

Send us Fan Mail Navigating RED-S: Insights from Pro Triathlete and PhD Candidate Penny Slater In this episode of Female Athlete Diaries, host Kirsty Sheehan welcomes Penny Slater, an accomplished Australian Pro triathlete, coach, and PhD candidate. Penny shares her journey, including her switch from off-road to long-course triathlon and her struggles and recovery from Relative Energy Deficiency S...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode of Female Athlete Diaries, host Kirsty Sheehan interviews Bonnie McDonald, a former competitive swimmer for Australia. Bonnie shares her extensive career achievements in swimming, including multiple national titles and competing at international championships. She discusses the pressures of body image and nutrition in elite swimming, the transition from an athletic...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode of Female Athlete Diaries, host Kirsty Sheehan interviews Kat Krosch, a physiotherapist and triahtlon coach specialising in running and cycling biomechanics and injury prevention. Kat shares her journey from starting triathlon in 2012 to becoming a professional triathlete, despite numerous challenges including stress fractures, the COVID period and managing full ti...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode of Female Athlete Diaries, hosted by Kirsty Sheehan, we hear the story of Margo Macintosh, an accomplished age group athlete and multiple world champion in sprint distance triathlon as well as long course. The most resounding parts of Margo's journey are her consistency to training, her resilience when faced with setbacks, her dedication to the process and enj...

Send us Fan Mail Overcoming Menopause with Ultraman In this episode of Female Athlete Diaries, host Kirsty Sheehan delves into the compelling story of Mel Cockshutt, an athlete who emerged resiliently from four challenging years of menopause to take on the Ultraman challenge in Australia. Mel details her journey, including the concessions she made in training, the role of her supportive crew, and...

Send us Fan Mail Female Athlete Diaries – Part 1: Mel Cockshutt In this inspiring episode, host Kirsty Sheehan sits down with Melinda Cockshutt, an accomplished athlete, coach, and community leader. Mel shares her remarkable journey from a career in law to becoming the oldest competitor to win the women’s race at Ultraman Oz, all while raising funds for Heart of Courage and supporting cancer outco...

Send us Fan Mail Empowering Stories and Practical Advice In this short episode of Female Athlete Diaries, we recap the inspiring stories and insights shared by eight amazing women. Each guest, including marathoner Michelle Barnes, Jia Yee Yang, Keely Mancini, Clare Leung, Alli Cooke, Jodie Browning, Dr Deb Latouf,  and Alisha Van Asperen, discussed various topics such as overcoming physical challe...

Send us Fan Mail Navigating the Bodybuilding World: Alisha's Journey On this episode of Female Athlete Diaries, host Kirsty Sheehan speaks with Alisha Van Asperen, a Dietitian who decided to be a guinea pig for a bodybuilding competition. Alisha shares her transition from basketball and soccer to bodybuilding, the rigorous training and diet regimes, and the physical and mental challenges she...

Send us Fan Mail An Inspirational Spin with Dr. Deborah Latouf In this episode of Female Athlete Diaries, host Kirsty Sheehan speaks with Dr. Deborah (Deb) Latouf, a distinguished sports scientist, coach, and athlete with over 30 years of experience. Deb shares her early career journey, her role in the Talent Identification program for the Sydney Olympics, and her personal transition from elite co...

Send us Fan Mail Navigating High Performance and Identity in Endurance Sports with Jodie Browning In this episode of Female Athlete Diaries, host Kirsty Sheehan, an age group athlete, and former triathlon coach, delves into an insightful discussion with Jodie Browning. Jodie shares her experiences in endurance sports, highlighting the addictive elements of high-performance training and the balance...

Send us Fan Mail Alli Cooke: Insights on Training for World Championship Events, Perimenopause, Bone Stress Injuries, and the Road to Recovery In this episode of Female Athlete Diaries, host Kirsty Sheehan interviews Alli Cooke, a three-time age group Ironman Champion and Performance coach. They discuss Alli's journey through various stages of life as a female athlete, including dealing with...

Send us Fan Mail Navigating Athletic Life Through Perimenopause and Beyond with Clare Leung In this episode of Female Athlete Diaries, host Kirsty Sheehan sits down with Clare Leung to discuss her extensive journey in sports and how perimenopause and menopause have influenced her athletic pursuits, particularly in triathlon. Clare shares her early experiences with swimming and running, her late st...

Send us Fan Mail The Fight for Bone Health: Keely Mancini's Journey with Osteopenia  In this episode of Female Athlete Diaries, host Kirsty Sheehan welcomes Keely Mancini, a seasoned Pilates teacher and educator with over 25 years of experience. Keely shares her surprise diagnosis of osteopenia bordering on osteoporosis and how a DEXA scan revealed her bone density issues. Despite her active...

Send us Fan Mail The Girl Who Never Stopped Eating In this episode of Female Athlete Diaries, Kirsty Sheehan interviews Jai Yee Yang, a 27-year-old medical student and endurance athlete. They discuss Jia Yee's journey from gymnastics to ultra-endurance sports, her struggles with body image and eating habits, and how she overcame these challenges to achieve incredible feats in endurance racing...

Send us Fan Mail A Conversation with Michelle Barnes In this episode of Female Athlete Diaries, host Kirsty She-in welcomes guest Michelle Barnes, a Trisutto coach, and accomplished triathlete, to discuss the unique challenges faced by female athletes. Michelle, who has completed 17 Ironman races and qualified for Kona nine times, shares her personal journey through the ups and downs of training,...