Turia Pitt continues to amaze us all. After inspiring people all over the world with her story of resilience and courage, Turia is now sharing the stories of other remarkable Australians in her LiSTNR podcast, Turia Pitt is Hard Work.
Season three of her podcast launches with a no holds barred interview with Australia’s first female Prime Minister, Julia Gillard, a decade after her famous ‘Misogyny Speech.’
The podcast now drops weekly, every Tuesday – giving listeners more episodes to enjoy. The previous seasons were fortnightly but this season has ramped up since Turia was ranked in the Australian Top 150 Podcasts in June.
When asked about the success of her podcast. Turia said: “I’m excited and a little nervous about taking the podcast to the next level. Speaking to remarkable Australians each week can be daunting but I’m learning to take the pressure off myself and just learn to be present, curious, and trust my instincts. But most of all have fun. The guests coming up are fascinating, inspiring, and importantly, are not afraid to rock the status quo. I can’t wait to share their stories of resilience with listeners.”
We all know, Turia knows a thing or two about resilience. After suffering burns to 65% of her body from being trapped in a grass fire while completing an ultra-marathon back in 2011, she’s been globally recognised and admired for her unwavering grit and determination as she not only survives her experience – but has thrived in her personal and professional life since her accident.
She’s now a best-selling author, well-respected humanitarian, extreme athlete and one of Australia’s most admired motivational speakers and mothers. So when she explores stories about rising from adversity in her podcast, her interviews are achingly real and her perspective is a powerful lens through which her guests share their experiences.
The podcast asks the question, ‘What do we learn about ourselves from doing hard things?’
In the first episode of season three, Turia talks with Julia Gillard – another woman who surely understands the word resilience. A political ground breaker, Julia Gillard made history as the country’s first female Prime Minster. On October 9, 2012, she delivered what is now called ‘The Misogyny Speech’ – a parliamentary address in reaction to the opposition leader, Tony Abbott, accusing her of sexism.
Her words became etched in the Australian history books: “I will not be lectured about sexism and misogyny by this man. I will not.”
It’s obvious Turia understands Julia, when she describes her this way: “Julia Gillard was our first female Prime Minister – she got through more bills than anyone else, she was incredibly effective, efficient. She’s a diligent, hard-working, and gutsy role model. I often revisit Ms Gillard’s Misogyny Speech, it fires me up, I know chunks of it off by heart. That speech and its calm intensity is one of the most important moments in Australian political history.”
These days, Turia lives in North Queensland and it sounds like she’s enjoying her life there. She says: “Life in North Queensland is hot and chaotic, there’s crocodiles, my partner’s flying helicopters, and I’m recording a podcast in a cupboard. It’s awesome here, there’s a reef, we’ve been doing lots of exploring; waterfalls, waterholes, and the First Nations culture is amazing.”
“The guests coming up in season three are amazing — these are people who have shown bravery, grit, and determination in some of the most challenging circumstances. Every episode I am surprised and encouraged. I find their strength to be contagious and I want to share that with as many people as I can.
“The podcast concept came about due to the realisation that in the 11 years since the fire, I’m still not sure what exactly it is that helps people get through hard times. So, I wanted to chat to other people who have done really hard things, unbelievable feats, people who I really respect, love and admire – to find out what they thought helped them, and distill what we can all learn from that,” she adds.
Previous guests on Turia Pitt Is Hard Work include Professor Charlie Teo, best known for operating on high-risk and often deemed inoperable brain cancers; Jamila Rizvi, best-selling author and host of The Weekend Briefing podcast, who’s recently experienced extreme health challenges while raising a family and continuing to work; and Curtis McGrath OAM, who took up competitive canoeing after having his legs amputated as a result of a mine blast while serving in the Australian Army in Afghanistan. Other guests have included Nikki Webster, Kurt Fearnley, Dr Yumiko Kadato and Tom Tilley.
LiSTNR Original Podcasts Head of Content, Sam Cavanagh, says of the podcast: “Turia epitomises the word inspirational. People will love the incredible conversations Turia has in season three.”
Turia Pitt is Hard Work, season three, is available on LiSTNR here.
About LiSTNR: LiSTNR is a free app offering radio, podcasts, music, sport and news. It’s available on both iOS and Android, CarPlay and Android Auto, Google Assistant and Alexa and Android TV.
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