In this powerful episode, stunt performer, martial artist and coach Jon Santry opens up about losing friends to suicide, the impact of addiction, hitting rock bottom, and how martial arts, therapy and self-awareness helped him rebuild himself.

Sharing some incredible insights, Jon’s words will undoubtedly resonate with anybody who has experienced mental health difficulties.

His message is simple but powerful - build boundaries, take responsibility, look after your sleep and diet, and keep adding tools to your mental well-being toolkit.

Remarkably, Jon also appears in the upcoming Eddie Hall documentary, making this episode especially timely and relevant.This is a conversation about masculinity, mental health, resilience and finding your own meaning in life.

If you’ve ever questioned your purpose, struggled in silence or wondered how to keep moving forward when life hits hard, this episode is for you.Thank you to our core sponsor, NTS for supporting Tackling it Together.

A huge thank you to Jon for your bravery, transparency and openness in sharing your journey.

You will undoubtedly inspire others.

#TacklingItTogether #MentalHealth #Masculinity #Resilience #JohnSantry #EddieHall #Podcast #LittleBlackbird #WinTheInnerFight

Introducing one of our most powerful episodes of Tackling it Together to date, “Championing Resilience”, in conversation with Paul Reed.Paul, the MD of Vortex Performance Academy, and Strength & Conditioning coach of Paddy “The Baddy” Pimblett, sits down with us to talk openly about vulnerability, resilience and coping with stress.In this honest account, Paul shares reflections about reaching a point in his life where stress became unmanageable, having a hugely significant impact on both his mental and physical health.It was a life changing conversation with a Doctor that put things into perspective for Paul, as he had the realisation that stress could kill him. With insightful discussion around the importance of effective communication in his role as a coach, Paul emphasises the importance of building authentic, honest relationships that open up opportunities for meaningful communication. A huge advocate for the power of demonstrating vulnerability, Paul talks about how he is now able to be vulnerable with his team, and praises some of the toughest athletes in the world for the way in which they publicly demonstrate vulnerability themselves, reflecting on how Resilience has changed the lives of so many of the athletes he coaches.Paul reflects that nothing that changes your life is going to be easy, but that focussing on your Mental Health is going to be the best thing you can ever out effort in to.A huge thank you to our Core Sponsor, NTS for sponsoring this episode of Tackling it Together. Trigger warning – this episode includes reference to suicidal ideation.#MaleMentalHealth #VortexPerformanceAcademy #Chester #Resilience #PaddyTheBaddy #MensPodcast #Vulnerability #Stress #TacklingitTogether

Introducing the latest episode of Tackling it Together, “Challenging the stiff upper lip mentality in middle age”, in conversation with Jonathon Brown. Co-Founder of Chester based “Middle Aged Vandals”, a community boxing club that supports older men to get back to the camaraderie and sense of belonging that being part of a team or sport brings, Jonathan shares his thoughts and reflections on the challenges of the middle aged period of life with incredible honesty. Discussing the impact of the stiff upper lip mentality, stoicism and masculinity, we explore the many masks that men wear, and the many opportunities we have to block out emotions, rather than addressing them head on.From a childhood spending time in boarding school, where he constantly felt in a state of “fight or flight, to experiencing a sudden drop in self-confidence as he approached middle age, Jonathan reflects that by the time you reach your 40s or 50s, the chances are you will have experienced some form of difficulty in your life.Not confronting and dealing with those difficulties can show up elsewhere, and in Jonathan’s case, that was previously using drink and drugs as a coping mechanism.With a powerful reflection that true power comes from having a conversation with yourself; “Who am I really, and what do I really want?”, Jonathan talks openly about finding a quiet confidence that you’ll find what you need, and how simple advice to “back yourself” has been the best thing someone ever said to him, enabling him to sustain a sense of belief and determination during times of difficulty.This is a raw, open and relatable conversation. A huge thank you to Jonathan for being so transparent and speaking from the heart – we know this episode will resonate with so many of our listeners. Thank you as always to our core sponsor, Nuclear Transport Solutions!