The RMA Podcast. Episode 13. Finding myself. Life after sport. A journey. With Debbi Schulstad.

On episode 13 of The RMA Podcast we talk to Olympic hurdler Schulstad (nee' Edwards). Debbi is an an Australian woman, mother, writer, coach and remedial & sports massage therapist. Debbi, is a mother to 12 year old twins, and wife to Craig. She began training for hurdles as a 15 year old and made her first Australian team at 20, placing 7th in the final at the 1998 Commonwealth Games. Two years later she competed in the 100m hurdles at the Sydney 2000 Olympics. Debbi is 1 of only 4 Australians who have represented Australia in the Women’s 100m hurdles at an Olympic Games in the last 30 years. After retiring early from sport due to injuries, Debbi became a Remedial and Sports Massage Therapist making her way back into Australian Athletics Teams as massage therapist. She has since been on 12 Australian teams ranging from World Cross Country teams World Juniors to Olympic Games and World Championships. Debbi is currently getting back into athletics coaching to hopefully help and mentor the next generation of athletes.

In this podcast we talk to Debbi about life after high performance sport. Debbi has kindly offered to share her perspective, one that I have been fascinated to watch on what it is like to transition from high performance sports-person to retirement. Often, like in Debbi's experience, this is due to injury and the immediate feelings of loss and grief are often unspoken, as is the journey to finding oneself.

High performance sport entangles so much of an athlete's being, and as we discuss in this episode when this is taken away from you, you can experience a deep loss and longing, and period of trying to find out who you really are. Debbi shares this experience with us, along with stories from her time in sport to the pinnacle of her career on the start line of the 2000 Olympic Games. We also discuss her transition to motherhood, and her role now in sport where she works as a Remedial & Sports Massage Therapist for her own business, and Athletics Australia at many major competitions around the globe, her role now as a coach and mentor and also what she loves to do now that she has found more of who she is out of the sporting arena.

You can follow Debbi on instagram at:

@southwestsportsperformance (Coaching and Massage)

@debbischulstadwriter (writing musings)

@debbischulstad (personal page)