This week, I’m thrilled to welcome Leroy Henriksen to the couch for an eye-opening conversation about his past and the journey that brought him to where he is today. What once was and what is now are complete opposites for Leroy.

There was a time when drugs and crime were at the centre of his life. Today, things look very different.

Leroy is now a Peer Support Worker with Odyssey, working alongside some of our most vulnerable tangata whai ora through the SACHAT pathway. He brings strength, openness, and honesty to this episode as he shares how he has transformed his past into his purpose.

A massive thank you to Leroy for coming on and sharing your incredible story. I truly believe it will resonate with so many people. Your journey is a powerful reminder that change is possible and that commitment, time, and perseverance can make all the difference.

Thank you for all that you do out in the community supporting our people. Your work matters, and it doesn't go unnoticed. ❤️🎙️

Support the Rock Your Bottom podcast by subscribing, liking, and sharing it far and wide. You never know who might need to hear one of these conversations.❤️ - Leave me a comment on what you enjoyed most about the episode!

You can listen to this episode on all platforms, wherever you get your podcasts.📲

Follow us on socials to stay updated with what’s happening and who’s coming on next!

TikTok: rockyourbottomofficial

Instagram: rockyourbottom

Facebook: Rock Your Bottom

If you’re struggling, please know: YOU ARE NOT ALONE.

📞 Alcohol and Other Drug Helpline: 0800 787 797

📞 Women’s Refuge: 0800 733 843

📞 Lifeline: 0800 543 354 or txt: 4357

📞Need to talk? Txt: 1737

Want to get in touch?

Email: rockyourbottomofficial@gmail.com

SEASON 2 IS HERE!

The warmest welcome back to this podcast and this space, everyone. I’m so glad to be back.

As you’ll probably gather, I decided to bring back the woman who started it all with me. Without her, I honestly don’t know if episode one would have ever existed.

Candice and I took a trip down memory lane, revisiting some of the topics from our very first episode and diving even deeper into the conversation around addiction. She shared openly about what the last year and a half has looked like for her, and we’re so lucky to get an insight into that journey.

A massive thank you to Candice for helping me reopen this space, for showing up with such courage, and for bringing the most vulnerable, honest, and authentic version of yourself.

You rock, sister. ❤️🎙️

Support the Rock Your Bottom podcast by subscribing, liking, and sharing it far and wide. You never know who might need to hear one of these conversations.❤️ - Leave me a comment on what you enjoyed most about the episode!

You can listen to this episode on all platforms, wherever you get your podcasts.📲

Follow us on socials to stay updated with what’s happening and who’s coming on next!

TikTok: rockyourbottomofficial

Instagram: rockyourbottom

Facebook: Rock Your Bottom

If you’re struggling, please know: YOU ARE NOT ALONE.

📞 Alcohol and Other Drug Helpline: 0800 787 797

📞 Women’s Refuge: 0800 733 843

📞 Lifeline: 0800 543 354 or txt: 4357

📞Need to talk? Txt: 1737

Want to get in touch?

Email: rockyourbottomofficial@gmail.com

“Before hitting rock bottom, I hit the top of the mountain.”

This week, I can’t fully fathom the episode I get to share with the watchers and listeners of the Rock Your Bottom Podcast.

Paul Whatuira played his first game for the Warriors at just 17 years old, and the journey he has been on since has been nothing short of a rollercoaster. In this episode, Paul joins me on the couch to talk about his rise through the NRL, the pressures that came with it, and the battles he faced with his mental health, medication, and drinking. We dive into how his career in the NRL came to an end while he was overseas in England, simply because he was no longer functioning under the weight of the medication he was prescribed.

And now? Paul is running his own business, He Mana a Roto - Internal Strength. WOW.

Paul has walked through some of life’s greatest challenges. From the pressure and expectations of being a young star on the field to the isolation and loneliness he lived with for years, his journey has taken him somewhere he never imagined he could go.

Today, Paul runs He Mana a Roto (Internal Strength), a 12-step programme to wellness built from everything he has learned along his healing journey. He works with rangatahi, parents, and individuals facing their own battles, offering tools, strategies and education to support mental health and well-being. His programme is for anyone, rooted in lived experience, insight and of course, internal strength. It is grounded in helping people become the best version of themselves.

This episode holds so much growth. It offers a real insight into what happens behind the scenes and off the field, the struggles people don’t see, the support that is needed, and the truth that no one is immune to hardship. Paul speaks openly about what has helped him maintain his mental health and overall well-being, and the practices that continue to keep him grounded.

Paul, thank you for your willingness, openness and vulnerability in this episode. Your story is a powerful reminder that wellness has no limits and that anyone can rewrite the ending to their story.

This episode brings Season One of the Rock Your Bottom Podcast to a close. Thank you to every single person who has watched, listened and supported the mahi behind the scenes. This has been a year of learning, growing, listening and sharing, and I truly cannot thank you all enough. I couldn’t think of a more meaningful episode to close the season with.

Season 2 will be coming soon… keep a close eye out in 2026! See you guys then.

Paul's website

https://www.internalstrength.nz/

Paul's documentary i talk about in the episode
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z4mFk29HP_U&t=1052s

Support the Rock Your Bottom podcast by subscribing, liking, and sharing it far and wide. You never know who might need to hear one of these conversations.❤️ - Leave me a comment on what you enjoyed most about the episode!

You can listen to this episode on all platforms, wherever you get your podcasts.📲Follow us on socials to stay updated with what’s happening and who’s coming on next!

TikTok: rockyourbottomofficial

Instagram: rockyourbottom

Facebook: Rock Your Bottom

If you’re struggling, please know: YOU ARE NOT ALONE.

📞 Alcohol and Other Drug Helpline: 0800 787 797

📞Need to talk?: 1737

Want to get in touch?

Email: rockyourbottomofficial@gmail.com