Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
My next guess is an incredible territory and she's just
come back from Perth where she competed in the Australian
Track and Field Championships in the paraclassification. She's a stroke
survivor who is proving that life after stroke has no boundaries,
and she is set to take on another challenge, the
Great Wall of China Trek, in an effort to raise
(00:22):
funds for the Stroke Foundation. Her name is Alison Reedy
and she joins me on the line. Good morning to you, Ali, Hey, Katie,
hell you. I'm really good, lovely to have you on
the show. Now. First off, you've just come back from
the Australian Athletics Championships. How did you go?
Speaker 2 (00:43):
It was amazing. I was really happy I got some TV,
so that's a nice thing to take away you. I've
got to meet some incredible people.
Speaker 1 (00:52):
I watched you, Ali. I made sure that I watched
some of your races. Now, to everybody out there listening,
I see Ali very often. She she trains with my
daughter and with some other incredible territorians and Ali is fast.
Let me tell you so, I made sure I wanted
to Ali, and you did so good. It was awesome
(01:14):
and look, you are an incredible athlete. And to be honest,
when I first met you, I was not aware that
you'd actually suffered a stroke. But it is something that
every day you live with the invisible disabilities which require
careful daily management. Can you tell me a little bit
about what happened when you suffered your stroke?
Speaker 2 (01:37):
Yeah, for sure. So normally there are some signs that
are warning signs. We in Australia we recognized fast so
anything to do unusual with faith, if you have trouble
losing your arms, speech, the speech issues and time, so
anything that's happening with that, any of those signs that
(02:00):
are occurring times of the s and skid triple zero
re call. I didn't actually have any of those. I
woke up with the worst headache of my life in
said twenty twenty two, and as you do, I popped
a pain killer. I went back to bed. Later that day,
I went to the GP to get a work for
(02:20):
it because I wasn't feeling well and just in the
waiting room there was this crescendo of issue, so I
couldn't see properly. I was feeling sick. I couldn't walk.
GP came out, had a quick look and said go
to ED. And even on the way, I was saying
to my husband, or We're just going to send me
(02:42):
home and say you're too stressed. But the fantastic folk
at ED did a quick scan and told me what
had happened. And it was just surreal to hear that,
because there's no way I would ever identify that a
stroke had happened.
Speaker 1 (02:58):
Yeah, Ali, And so what happened next? I would imagine
that you know, that time in ED turned into further
time in the hospital, and and you know, I was
sort of working out exactly what damage had had been
done throughout that stroke.
Speaker 2 (03:17):
Yeah, for sure. So I was in hospital for those
twelve days. I think they were just monitoring to see
anything else that happened. All I could tell that had
happened was I had some speech issues, so I was
slowing my words quite a lot. I wasn't able to
test the working bits very well with my body because
(03:41):
we had the lockdowns, unfortunately, and were allowed to leave
the room after a while. They put me to the
physio rehab ward of go in private, and I tended
to pass all of those tests, so they sent me home.
They weren't really sure to do with me. My GP
(04:02):
was awesome and got me signed up for other rehab
services and I've just gone from there. So there wasn't
a lot of information given, and there wasn't really a
lot of understanding for younger stroke people with what could
happen and just what the path ahead was. So yeah,
it was not the most fun experience at all.
Speaker 1 (04:25):
Allie, what's it been like then for you? I mean
you touched on then there's not a lot when it
comes to young stroke victims. I mean, is that something
that you feel quite passionately about then, you know, in
terms of making people aware that it really doesn't matter
what age you are. I know that that's something I've
spoken to another stroke survivor, Richard Crooks about very regularly
(04:48):
on this show. He said, you know, Katie, you can
beat any age and this can happen, and I think
that that's a you know, it's a point that people
should understand exactly right.
Speaker 2 (05:00):
Unfortunately doesn't discriminate. You can have babies in utero who
have strokes, and for some of us, including myself, there's
no obvious cause as to why it can just be
bad luck. But with my experience. I was keen to
do something to help however I could, so I've started
(05:22):
up the Darwin Stroke Social Group. It's a very informal
group because there was a need. There was just nothing there.
We don't want to just be sitting at home and
having nothing to do, so I set up that as
a start. The other thing I've done is join this
Stroke Foundation on their Lived Experience Panel so that I
(05:46):
could help serve as a voice for stroke survivors between
government bodies and research institutes, saying just really what the
experience is like and our thoughts on your proposal or decisions.
So it's been really useful to give back in those ways.
And I'm also hoping to advocate for sport and volunteering
(06:10):
as another recovery pathway for stroke survivors and a way
to engage with the community.
Speaker 1 (06:16):
Good on you, I mean, I think it's phenomenal what
you have done after suffering a stroke. Alie, tell me though,
I mean, can it be quite difficult managing managing from
day to day? I know that you know, as I
mentioned a moment ago, you do live with invisible disabilities
(06:38):
which do require that careful daily management.
Speaker 2 (06:43):
Yeah, it is quite difficult day today, the most stroke
survivors have got really debilitating fatigue. Like it's not just
a little bit of I'm a bit tired, it's overwhelming.
For some of the you can't even speak properly, or
(07:03):
or you just can't remember what you're doing and you're
forced to get rest and lie down my invisible disabilities.
That's a fatigue. And if that creeps up too much,
then I've got mobility and speech and cognitive issues. So
I need to look at what I'm doing for the
(07:24):
day ahead. I actually plan morning and afternoon. And it
is something heavy coming up, then I'll need to make
sure I get that rest in just so I can
keep on pushing through.
Speaker 1 (07:33):
Yeah, and now taking that into account and everything that
you have done and you continue to do, and your
next challenge is the Great Wall of China trek Alison
Reedie that you are a legend. How are you going
to do this? Talk me through it?
Speaker 2 (07:51):
I have no idea. Look, I thought this come up
and the main cause is to fundraise for Stroke Foundation
and promote education about stroke, and it's one of those
once in a lifetime thing. So my first thought was,
well why not. I'm now also realizing some of this
(08:15):
deepness of some of these paths. We're going on the
sky ladder section of a part of the wall called
Jian Shangling, and I guess our rest breaks are some
of the Tai tee classes we're going to do, so
I'm hoping there's a lot of breaks we can do
for photography and buying water or snacks along the way.
(08:37):
But yeah, I'm not really sure how it's all going
to go, and just thinking of getting through the airport,
I've probably bitten off a bit much, but I'll find
a way.
Speaker 1 (08:47):
Not at all. I am sure that you will embrace
it like every other challenge in your life, and you know,
do it with class and you'll get it done, There's
no doubt about that. When are you setting off?
Speaker 2 (09:01):
So this will be in the last week of May,
so I'll be leaving an extra day or two early
because not many flights from Darlan and it ends on
the Sunday. I think that's the first of June. So
it's going to be a full on, a full on
journey about eight or nine days and about seven days
(09:24):
of trekking along this wall, managing about seven or eight
k a day on average.
Speaker 1 (09:29):
Now how can people support you If they're listening this
morning and they think, what an incredible person. I'd like
to make a donation or I'd like to support Alison
in some way.
Speaker 2 (09:41):
If anyone wants to support me, that would be incredible.
Every little bit helps. If you simply google the Stroke
Foundation Great Wall of China in your browser, it's one
of the first couple of results that comes up. There
is a Stroke Foundation gruts grassroots link which has got
(10:03):
a lot of characters after it, So that's why I
recommend just searching Stroke Foundation Great Wall of China. You'll
see all of the participants and I'm obviously one of
the eight. So anything would be incredible if you do
want to donate and help a fantastic cause.
Speaker 1 (10:20):
Well Allison Reedie, Darwin Power Athletes, Stroke Survivor and soon
to be Great Wall of China trekker. It is lovely
to speak to you this morning. Good on you, Thank
you so much for joining me on the show.
Speaker 2 (10:35):
Thanks Katie so much for having me, and thanks to
the listeners as well.
Speaker 1 (10:38):
Really appreciate it, no worries, it all Good on you, Ali,
Thank you
My next guess is an incredible territory and she's just
come back from Perth where she competed in the Australian
Track and Field Championships in the paraclassification. She's a stroke
survivor who is proving that life after stroke has no boundaries,
and she is set to take on another challenge, the
Great Wall of China Trek, in an effort to raise
(00:22):
funds for the Stroke Foundation. Her name is Alison Reedy
and she joins me on the line. Good morning to you, Ali, Hey, Katie,
hell you. I'm really good, lovely to have you on
the show. Now. First off, you've just come back from
the Australian Athletics Championships. How did you go?
Speaker 2 (00:43):
It was amazing. I was really happy I got some TV,
so that's a nice thing to take away you. I've
got to meet some incredible people.
Speaker 1 (00:52):
I watched you, Ali. I made sure that I watched
some of your races. Now, to everybody out there listening,
I see Ali very often. She she trains with my
daughter and with some other incredible territorians and Ali is fast.
Let me tell you so, I made sure I wanted
to Ali, and you did so good. It was awesome
(01:14):
and look, you are an incredible athlete. And to be honest,
when I first met you, I was not aware that
you'd actually suffered a stroke. But it is something that
every day you live with the invisible disabilities which require
careful daily management. Can you tell me a little bit
about what happened when you suffered your stroke?
Speaker 2 (01:37):
Yeah, for sure. So normally there are some signs that
are warning signs. We in Australia we recognized fast so
anything to do unusual with faith, if you have trouble
losing your arms, speech, the speech issues and time, so
anything that's happening with that, any of those signs that
(02:00):
are occurring times of the s and skid triple zero
re call. I didn't actually have any of those. I
woke up with the worst headache of my life in
said twenty twenty two, and as you do, I popped
a pain killer. I went back to bed. Later that day,
I went to the GP to get a work for
(02:20):
it because I wasn't feeling well and just in the
waiting room there was this crescendo of issue, so I
couldn't see properly. I was feeling sick. I couldn't walk.
GP came out, had a quick look and said go
to ED. And even on the way, I was saying
to my husband, or We're just going to send me
(02:42):
home and say you're too stressed. But the fantastic folk
at ED did a quick scan and told me what
had happened. And it was just surreal to hear that,
because there's no way I would ever identify that a
stroke had happened.
Speaker 1 (02:58):
Yeah, Ali, And so what happened next? I would imagine
that you know, that time in ED turned into further
time in the hospital, and and you know, I was
sort of working out exactly what damage had had been
done throughout that stroke.
Speaker 2 (03:17):
Yeah, for sure. So I was in hospital for those
twelve days. I think they were just monitoring to see
anything else that happened. All I could tell that had
happened was I had some speech issues, so I was
slowing my words quite a lot. I wasn't able to
test the working bits very well with my body because
(03:41):
we had the lockdowns, unfortunately, and were allowed to leave
the room after a while. They put me to the
physio rehab ward of go in private, and I tended
to pass all of those tests, so they sent me home.
They weren't really sure to do with me. My GP
(04:02):
was awesome and got me signed up for other rehab
services and I've just gone from there. So there wasn't
a lot of information given, and there wasn't really a
lot of understanding for younger stroke people with what could
happen and just what the path ahead was. So yeah,
it was not the most fun experience at all.
Speaker 1 (04:25):
Allie, what's it been like then for you? I mean
you touched on then there's not a lot when it
comes to young stroke victims. I mean, is that something
that you feel quite passionately about then, you know, in
terms of making people aware that it really doesn't matter
what age you are. I know that that's something I've
spoken to another stroke survivor, Richard Crooks about very regularly
(04:48):
on this show. He said, you know, Katie, you can
beat any age and this can happen, and I think
that that's a you know, it's a point that people
should understand exactly right.
Speaker 2 (05:00):
Unfortunately doesn't discriminate. You can have babies in utero who
have strokes, and for some of us, including myself, there's
no obvious cause as to why it can just be
bad luck. But with my experience. I was keen to
do something to help however I could, so I've started
(05:22):
up the Darwin Stroke Social Group. It's a very informal
group because there was a need. There was just nothing there.
We don't want to just be sitting at home and
having nothing to do, so I set up that as
a start. The other thing I've done is join this
Stroke Foundation on their Lived Experience Panel so that I
(05:46):
could help serve as a voice for stroke survivors between
government bodies and research institutes, saying just really what the
experience is like and our thoughts on your proposal or decisions.
So it's been really useful to give back in those ways.
And I'm also hoping to advocate for sport and volunteering
(06:10):
as another recovery pathway for stroke survivors and a way
to engage with the community.
Speaker 1 (06:16):
Good on you, I mean, I think it's phenomenal what
you have done after suffering a stroke. Alie, tell me though,
I mean, can it be quite difficult managing managing from
day to day? I know that you know, as I
mentioned a moment ago, you do live with invisible disabilities
(06:38):
which do require that careful daily management.
Speaker 2 (06:43):
Yeah, it is quite difficult day today, the most stroke
survivors have got really debilitating fatigue. Like it's not just
a little bit of I'm a bit tired, it's overwhelming.
For some of the you can't even speak properly, or
(07:03):
or you just can't remember what you're doing and you're
forced to get rest and lie down my invisible disabilities.
That's a fatigue. And if that creeps up too much,
then I've got mobility and speech and cognitive issues. So
I need to look at what I'm doing for the
(07:24):
day ahead. I actually plan morning and afternoon. And it
is something heavy coming up, then I'll need to make
sure I get that rest in just so I can
keep on pushing through.
Speaker 1 (07:33):
Yeah, and now taking that into account and everything that
you have done and you continue to do, and your
next challenge is the Great Wall of China trek Alison
Reedie that you are a legend. How are you going
to do this? Talk me through it?
Speaker 2 (07:51):
I have no idea. Look, I thought this come up
and the main cause is to fundraise for Stroke Foundation
and promote education about stroke, and it's one of those
once in a lifetime thing. So my first thought was,
well why not. I'm now also realizing some of this
(08:15):
deepness of some of these paths. We're going on the
sky ladder section of a part of the wall called
Jian Shangling, and I guess our rest breaks are some
of the Tai tee classes we're going to do, so
I'm hoping there's a lot of breaks we can do
for photography and buying water or snacks along the way.
(08:37):
But yeah, I'm not really sure how it's all going
to go, and just thinking of getting through the airport,
I've probably bitten off a bit much, but I'll find
a way.
Speaker 1 (08:47):
Not at all. I am sure that you will embrace
it like every other challenge in your life, and you know,
do it with class and you'll get it done, There's
no doubt about that. When are you setting off?
Speaker 2 (09:01):
So this will be in the last week of May,
so I'll be leaving an extra day or two early
because not many flights from Darlan and it ends on
the Sunday. I think that's the first of June. So
it's going to be a full on, a full on
journey about eight or nine days and about seven days
(09:24):
of trekking along this wall, managing about seven or eight
k a day on average.
Speaker 1 (09:29):
Now how can people support you If they're listening this
morning and they think, what an incredible person. I'd like
to make a donation or I'd like to support Alison
in some way.
Speaker 2 (09:41):
If anyone wants to support me, that would be incredible.
Every little bit helps. If you simply google the Stroke
Foundation Great Wall of China in your browser, it's one
of the first couple of results that comes up. There
is a Stroke Foundation gruts grassroots link which has got
(10:03):
a lot of characters after it, So that's why I
recommend just searching Stroke Foundation Great Wall of China. You'll
see all of the participants and I'm obviously one of
the eight. So anything would be incredible if you do
want to donate and help a fantastic cause.
Speaker 1 (10:20):
Well Allison Reedie, Darwin Power Athletes, Stroke Survivor and soon
to be Great Wall of China trekker. It is lovely
to speak to you this morning. Good on you, Thank
you so much for joining me on the show.
Speaker 2 (10:35):
Thanks Katie so much for having me, and thanks to
the listeners as well.
Speaker 1 (10:38):
Really appreciate it, no worries, it all Good on you, Ali,
Thank you
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