On today's episode is one of the last great remaining explorers of our generation, Robin Hanbury-Tenison, OBE. On the show we discuss Robin's remarkable story of surviving coronavirus, his incredible explorations and the healing power of nature. 

Back in March 2020, Robin was one of the very first patients in the UK to become seriously ill and hospitalised with COVID, and spent five weeks in a coma in intensive care. 

Needing a ventilator and other equipment just to keep him alive, doctors gave Robin just a 5% chance of survival. Hospital staff even made the phone call to Robin's wife on a number of occasions suggesting that the end could be near. 

However, in a miraculous turn of events, Robin was wheeled in his hospital bed outside to the healing garden of Derriford Hospital in Plymouth where he finally regained conscious and knew he was going to survive. Robin cites the healing power of nature as being the thing that saved him, and talks at length in the podcast episode about how we can all benefit from nature's healing properties. 

A mere 5 months later Robin climbed Cornwall's highest peak, Brown Willy, during some of the worst weather the area has ever seen, in order to raise money for a new healing garden at the Royal Cornwall Hospital. Robin raised over £100,000 for the cause and the garden is now in use at the hospital. 

Robin is a fantastic example of defying the odds in the harshest of circumstances, and I think we can all take some inspiration from his grit and determination to survive. 

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Visit Robin's website: https://www.robinsbooks.co.uk/

Follow Robin on Twitter: https://twitter.com/robinhanburyt

Check out Cabilla Cornwall, Robin's family's nature retreat: https://www.cabillacornwall.com/

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On today's episode is leading psychologist and anxiety expert Dr. Jill Stoddard. In this episode Jill explains to us what causes anxiety, what the most common symptoms are and most importantly how we can manage it when these feelings arise. 

We also talk in-depth about panic attacks and approaches you can try and take to calm yourself down in those moments. As a sufferer of anxiety myself, I found talking to Jill on this podcast really useful, and feel as though I now have some tricks and techniques to help me feel less anxious in times of need. 

Above all I hope you enjoy the episode, and don't forget to hit subscribe! 

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Visit Jill's website: https://jillstoddard.com/ 

Follow Jill on Twitter: https://twitter.com/jill_stoddard 

Check out Jill's podcast: https://offtheclockpsych.com/

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After a short break, the podcast is back and I’ve decided to share my own story on the channel with the help of my good friend Alfie taking the interviewer role. Hopefully, by sharing my story, it becomes clearer why some of the subjects discussed on the show are so close to my heart. 

From a young age I felt a void within me, and tried to fill that space initially by misbehaving in school as it provided me with a stimulus which made me feel whole. After being kicked out of school and progressing into my teens, I soon discovered that alcohol and recreational drugs had a similar effect in filling that void.

This led me down a slippery slope, and eventually led to feelings of anxiety and depression that became severe during my time at university. These feelings plagued me for years, even making me become suicidal. 

However, I’m pleased to say that with the help from others, and after finding a purpose from doing this podcast, I’m now in a much better place. I hope that someone out there may be able to find some hope or inspiration in my journey, and I hope you enjoy the episode. 

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On today’s episode is former armed robber and war-zone photographer Tam Carrigan. Crime was normalised from a young age for Tam, with childhood memories of visiting his father in prison and it being a common occurrence in the area he grew up in. Things gradually got more serious as he got older, graduating from car theft to armed robberies. 

Despite this, from a young age Tam was looking for a way to escape all of this, even trying to join the British army and later spending a year with the French Foreign Legion. He also spent a number of years abroad in the Middle East, and had dreams of leaving a life of crime to become a photographer in various war-zone areas there. 

However, the lure of crime and the need to earn a living eventually led Tam astray again, and he would end up being sentenced to a long stint in prison for his part in a large-scale bank robbery in Torquay in the south of England. 

It was in prison where Tam finally decided to turn his life around for good, opting to go to Grendon which is a therapeutic prison focussing more on reforming criminals rather than simply punishment. Since leaving prison Tam has become involved in a number of incredible projects both in the UK and in the Middle East, helping to create safe spaces which allow disadvantaged children to play and enjoy themselves. 

It truly is an inspirational story of change that just goes to show, no matter how far you think you’ve gone, there is always a way back. I hope you enjoy the episode and don’t forget to hit follow/subscribe! 

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On today’s episode is Doctor Guy Leschziner, who’s a world-renowned sleep expert, neurologist and author working at Guys’ and St Thomas’ hospitals in London. 

There, Doctor Leschziner treats a number of different sleep disorders, and has come on the podcast today to share some of his expert knowledge, telling us how we can create a lifestyle which is conducive towards sleeping better and feeling more energised. 

What habits do we need to create in order to sleep better? How long should we stop using screens for before going to bed? What can we do in those moments where we can’t get to sleep? Are power naps actually good for us? All of these questions and more are answered in this episode, so you can sit back, relax and I hope you enjoy the show!

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Follow Doctor Leschziner on Twitter: https://twitter.com/guy_lesch 

Visit his website: https://guyleschziner.com/ 

Buy his book, "The Nocturnal Brain: Nightmares, Neuroscience and the Secret World of Sleep": https://www.amazon.co.uk/Nocturnal-Brain-Tales-Nightmares-Neuroscience/dp/1471176355 

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Firstly I just wanted to say a massive thanks to everyone who’s supported the show so far - it really gives me the motivation needed to keep putting content out there!

I’m pleased to say that a new and improved direction for the show is coming in Season Two, where I’ll be including interviews with various experts as well as the inspirational life stories from Season One.

I wanted to make the show even more useful for listeners, and give them the tools they may need to improve their lives as well as providing inspirational content. So that means I’ll be speaking to experts from various fields such as sleep, mental health, diet, productivity and so much more.

The idea is to alternate each week between the episode types, with the first podcast of the new season coming on Monday! You can also watch the podcast in video format on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCO5fM7d9d-lbSWzokO2EWrA 

Don't forget to hit follow/subscribe, and if you'd like to feature on the podcast get in touch with me via backontrackpod@gmail.com

On today’s episode is Liana Smith who’s an elite level swimmer that even held a number of New Zealand national titles. However, at the age of just 17 Liana’s competitive swimming career was thrown into doubt when she suffered stress fractures in her back, was unable to walk and even had to learn basic motor skills again. 

During this period Liana was obviously unable to compete and do what she loved, and so lost her sense of identity and this took a serious toll on her mental health causing her to feel depressed. 

It took Liana a number of years to recover both physically and mentally from this ordeal, and she is now trying to become only the 8th person in history to complete a marathon swimming challenge called the Triple Crown, which involves three different swims of mammoth distances across lakes and the sea (where there's the added factor of sharks being present!). What’s more, she’s doing this to raise money for mental health charity I am Hope. 

I hope you enjoy the episode and don't forget to hit follow/subscribe! 

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Donate to Liana's cause: https://givealittle.co.nz/fundraiser/marathon-swimming-for-i-am-hope 

Follow Liana on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/p/CTWEwrghllV/ 

Follow Liana on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Swim-For-Something-101363052023119 

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Get in touch with me via backontrackpod@gmail.com

Hey everyone! So after a little break from releasing episodes we're back and there will be new content being released regularly from here on out. There's also just one more episode left of season one before a new an improved direction for the show in season two!

On today’s episode is mental health advocate and author Claire Eastham. Claire began suffering with social anxiety from a young age, but unfortunately these feelings went undiagnosed. That was until she suffered a severe panic attack during a job interview which caused her to really look into what was going on. 

It took Claire a whole year to recover from this breakdown, and it was a process that involved therapy, medication and writing a blog to express some of her feelings. The blog called we’re all mad here was so successful that it was turned into a book by the same name, and since then Claire has gone from strength to strength writing another book and doing other great work as a mental health ambassador. 

In this episode Claire talks us through what it's like to live with social anxiety and panic, and gives some great bits of advice that could help someone else experiencing similar feelings. 

I hope you enjoy the episode and don't forget to hit follow or subscribe! 

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Buy Claire's latest book "F**k, I think I'm Dying - How I Learned to Live with Panic": https://www.penguin.co.uk/authors/1085277/claire-eastham.html 

Buy Claire's previous book "We're All Mad Here: The No-Nonsense Guide to Living with Social Anxiety": https://www.amazon.co.uk/Were-All-Mad-Here-No-Nonsense/dp/1785920820 

Follow Claire on Twitter: https://twitter.com/ClaireyLove 

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