Anne Henderson

#36 CHANNELLING SWIMMING & RESILIENCE
WITH ANNE HENDERSON

Can I have a favourite conversation? Am I allowed to pick just one? Because if I am… I want to say that this podcast with Anne, might just be my favourite episode on the podcast so far.

Anne completed her 20-year personal goal of swimming the English Channel in August 2006 at 38-years of age. Her finishing time made the Top 50 fastest channel swims of all time… but it wasn’t about that for Anne.

Anne is a mum of two high-achievers and she herself has made incredibly accomplishments, which lead her to experience the lack of support we give people AFTER they achieve their goals. It’s not always bigger, better and more. And it takes a very intrinsically motivated person to stand strong in their recognition of that.

Her work as a teacher and in Swimming Tasmania as the Community Sport Administrator with developing squads and young athletes, has given her insight into how we can be better assisting them emotionally and mentally through maturation and big life changes.

In this episode we went deep, shared vulnerability and recognised that through the pursuit of really ambitious and uncomfortable goals, we can always share more kindness with ourselves and others.

“It keeps coming back to needing to be that very self driven athlete. But also an athlete that understands, to some degree some emotional intelligence and they’re willing to be vulnerable in that moment and reach out for help.”

MAIN POINTS

The changing climate of school-aged competitive swimming
The difference between good and peak performers and being intrinsically motivated
How she managed life after completing her channel swim goal – something that we don’t usually talk about
The reality of swimming the English Channel
How goals don’t have to get bigger and bigger until you fold
The challenges of being a mum of high-level achievers and being one yourself