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A dying head torch, a cold wind on Ingleborough, and a 19-year-old who refuses to quit—Bailey Backhouse joins us to share how he tackled the Yorkshire Three Peaks three times in 36 hours to raise funds for Andy’s Man Club. He’s an electrical apprentice by day, a boxer by training, and a mountain mover when purpose calls. What started as a bold idea over a family celebration became a community-backed fundraiser with real impact, powered by grit, family support, and a clear mission to push back against silence around men’s mental health.

We dive into how boxing gave Bailey structure, respect, and a way to channel anger into discipline. He opens up about social anxiety, the shock of big crowds post-COVID, and the period when drinking became a false fix that left him feeling worse. The turnaround came with movement: miles in the hills, time on the bags, better food, and sleep he guards on purpose. We talk through the pillars of wellbeing—nutrition, exercise, community, self-care, and quality sleep—and how stacking small choices changes your day and reshapes your mind.

Then Bailey drops the next challenge: 12 Marathons of Christmas in support of Candlelighters, a children’s cancer charity. He plans to work full-time and run a marathon each day for 12 straight days, leaning on mindset, recovery, and the same stubborn determination that carried him through the Dales in the dark. If you care about mental health, endurance, and the kind of community that shows up when it matters, this conversation will light a fire.

Follow along, share this story with a friend who could use a lift, and if it resonates, leave a quick review and hit subscribe. Your support helps more people find the show—and might just spark someone’s next brave step.

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What happens to your mind when the ground wobbles and the stakes feel high? We explore the frontier of adventure neuroscience with resident psychologist and mountain leader Dave Gallagher—measuring fear at 45 feet, restoring calm with targeted breath work, and turning freeze into forward motion with micro-steps and clear cues. This is a story about how nature, science, and careful coaching can rewire stress responses and build real-world resilience.

We unpack a 10-week program with The Wallich that takes underserved communities from indoor climbs to big mountain days, tracking mood and behaviour changes along the way. Dave shares new research that combines heart rate variability, executive function tests, and a “Leap of Faith” high-ropes challenge to see how decision-making shifts under pressure—and how a simple prolonged-exhale protocol can bring the prefrontal cortex back online. You’ll hear why small wins matter, how trust is built on exposed ground, and what extreme sports communities can teach us about progression, judgment, and self-preservation.

We also introduce Mind4Adventure, a trauma-informed, neuroscience-led approach that bridges talk therapy with guided outdoor challenges, leveraging the three-day effect and attention restoration to create durable change. From the science of the periaqueductal gray and freeze states to practical field tactics—like widening peripheral vision, assigning micro-tasks, and using cognitive drills at height—this episode offers tools you can use the next time stress narrows your world.

If this conversation sparked something—share it with a friend, subscribe for more mind-meets-mountain episodes, and leave a review to help others find the show.

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Imagine carrying a traumatic secret from age four until adulthood, then finding the strength not only to seek justice but to transform your experience into advocacy for others. This is Kaylee Thompson's remarkable story.

Thirty years after experiencing sexual assault as a toddler, Kaylee made the life-changing decision to report her abuser to police. Despite the challenges of a historic case with limited physical evidence, she persevered through an 18-month investigation that culminated in a successful conviction. Most powerfully, she chose to waive her legal anonymity, declaring: "I don't need my name hiding because that happened to me, and it's him that should feel ashamed."

Kaylee's journey illuminates the complex reality of childhood trauma - from teenage drinking to escape painful memories, to the triggers of seeing her own young children at the same age she was abused. Yet her story isn't defined by victimhood but by resilience and action. Today, she works with West Yorkshire Survivor Leaders, helping steer a £250,000 program that empowers other survivors to become agents of change. Their initiatives include a skills academy that equips women to advocate for systemic improvements in how institutions respond to sexual violence.

Through her advocacy, Kaylee challenges damaging terminology like "vulnerable victims" and champions a perspective where survivors lead conversations about reform. She's now developing a podcast platform where others can share their stories, building a community of strength and hope. Her message resonates with clarity: regardless of when abuse occurred, your voice deserves to be heard, and healing isn't just possible - it can become a catalyst for helping others find their own path to justice and recovery.

Have you experienced sexual violence and want to connect with advocacy resources? Reach out through info@whitefoxtalking.com, and we'll connect you with Kaylee's network of survivor support.

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What does it take to paddle, mountain bike, and run 350 kilometers without sleep? For Sip Powers, it's about making visible the invisible struggles of veterans living with PTSD.

After 34 years of military service and the devastating loss of his wife to suicide, Sip found himself facing his own mental health crisis. Despite years of helping wounded veterans through rehab programs while denying his own trauma, he eventually reached breaking point. "My complex PTSD is like skimming a boulder that just never stops," he explains with raw honesty. "All I want is for that stone to stop and sink at some stage."

Now, Sip channels his pain into extraordinary endurance challenges that mirror the relentless nature of trauma. Having completed the Enduro 214 (all Wainwrights in one sitting during two storms) and the Enduro 7 (seven extreme events over seven days without sleep), he's preparing for his next mission: the Enduro 3. This August, he'll paddle from Fort William to Inverness, mountain bike back, then run the same route – all without sleep.

Sleep disruption emerged as a common thread among the veterans Sip worked with through Battle Back, a program helping seriously wounded soldiers rehabilitate through outdoor activities. "We're asking these veterans to hold up a job, look after their family, be civil, be good people, and they are in a world of pain," he explains, highlighting why his no-sleep challenges carry such powerful symbolism.

Beyond raising funds for Combat Stress and Mountain Rescue, Sip's mission is awareness. He believes his "skimming boulder" will finally sink when everyone knows about resources available to veterans suffering in silence. His journey highlights both the transformative power of the outdoors for mental health and the critical gaps in support for those who've served their country.

Follow Sip's extraordinary journey and support his cause by visiting the Extreme Outdoors website. His story reminds us that behind every stoic veteran is a human being processing complex experiences – and that with proper support, healing is possible.

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Miranda Arieh's journey from mental health patient to pioneering trauma specialist will forever change how you understand recovery and healing. After spending her teenage years in foster care and being sectioned under the Mental Health Act, Miranda became what she calls a "rebound patient" for 15 years—unable to find effective treatment within a system that often re-traumatized rather than healed.

The breakthrough came when Miranda decided to work within the very system she struggled against, eventually creating the Heroes Program—an innovative eight-week curriculum that's already helped thousands recover from trauma and mental health struggles. But her approach turns traditional treatment models upside down.

"We're not here to fix you or treat you," Miranda explains, challenging the medical model that treats emotions as illnesses. Instead, she sees trauma as "a living breathing wound that opens in the present moment when echoes of the past are triggered." This perspective shifts healing from revisiting painful memories to working with present-day triggers—providing tools to apply "ointment to the wound" each time it opens.

The program's philosophy extends to addiction, viewing it not as the primary problem but as "an attempt to solve a problem" when people lack capacity to hold difficult emotions. "We're almost like personal trainers for the mind and nervous system," Miranda says, teaching participants to build emotional strength rather than numbing out.

What makes Miranda's work truly revolutionary is her firm belief that healing is possible for everyone. "There is no order of difficulties in healing trauma," she insists—someone with severe abuse can heal just as completely as someone with milder trauma. The goal is what she calls a "return to self"—living authentically rather than in fear.

Ready to change your relationship with anxiety, trauma, or difficult emotions? Listen now to discover the transformative power of befriending rather than battling the wounded parts of yourself. As Miranda's story proves, sometimes our deepest pain becomes our greatest gift for helping others.

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The healing power of nature and human connection takes centre stage as Kelvyn James returns to White Fox Talking, sharing his transformative journey from profound darkness to founding a thriving mental health charity.

Kelvyn lays bare the brutal realities that shaped him - growing up in a violent household where his earliest memory is "an exceptional act of violence" and later facing the unimaginable trauma of his mother's murder. What followed was a five-year court battle where he repeatedly faced his mother's killer, a struggle he initially kept hidden from those closest to him.

The mountains became both sanctuary and danger zone as Kelvyn sought escape through increasingly risky climbs. "I was never suicidal," he explains, "but completely believing I deserved to get hurt." These high-risk behaviours provided momentary relief but failed to address his underlying trauma. The breakthrough came when he discovered that true healing happens through connection - with nature and with others.

This realization became the foundation for Wellness Walks, a charity offering free nature walks specifically designed for people struggling with mental health. Since becoming an official charity in September 2023, they've expanded rapidly, with nearly 100 volunteers running walks across the UK. What makes these walks uniquely effective is what Kelvyn calls "therapy in 3D" - the side-by-side walking creates natural opportunities for connection without the pressure of face-to-face therapy.

His newly released book "Walking Out of the Dark" chronicles this journey, with all proceeds supporting the charity's work. Though it begins in darkness, Kelvyn promises readers there's a happy ending - not because the pain disappears, but because he found a path through it. "If somebody carries a great weight for too long, one of two things is going to happen - either you're going to get stronger or you're going to break," he reflects. "For a long time I didn't know which it would be, and by the end of the book I understand it's both."

Ready to experience the healing power of nature? Join a Wellness Walk near you, or support their work by purchasing Kelvyn's book directly from wellnesswalks.org.uk.

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What happens when hate crime tears through a community? Behind the headlines and political noise, real people suffer lasting trauma that transforms into a "siege mentality," severely impacting mental health and wellbeing. Imran Shah, recently honored with an MBE for his 25 years of work in community cohesion, brings us to the front lines of this battle.

Drawing from his powerful personal journey that began with homelessness at age 15, Imran reveals how misinformation, exploitation, and division are strategically weaponized in today's digital landscape. His Digital Cohesion Unit works around the clock to identify potential flashpoints before violence erupts. "After the Southport murders," Imran explains, "we were contending with two types of social media posts—those from state actors planting misinformation to drive divisiveness, and those from extremist groups trying to get people 'frothing at the mouth.'"

The conversation shifts between deeply personal stories and broader societal observations. When communities lose youth centers, educational support, and economic opportunities, the vacuum is filled by those seeking to exploit vulnerable people. Yet Imran consistently highlights the counternarrative rarely covered in headlines—how everyday people from different faiths and backgrounds come together after tragedies to rebuild and support one another.

Perhaps most powerful is Imran's insight into breaking cycles of hate through education. "The social values are being set at a much younger age now," he notes when discussing programs that teach children about exploitation, radicalization, and community values before harmful influences can take root.

This episode offers a rare, nuanced look at community cohesion work that happens behind the scenes, revealing how personal trauma can transform into purpose when supported by compassion and connection. As Imran powerfully states, "If you're waiting for somebody to come in and help, you're going to be waiting a bloody long time."

Join our conversation that cuts through polarized debates to find common ground in our shared humanity. Don't forget to support White Fox Talking through our website where you can buy us a coffee to help keep these important conversations going.

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Grace Olson's sheep aren't livestock – they're therapists with woolly coats and gentle souls that can transform lives. During this captivating conversation, Grace shares how her journey through bullying and suicidal tendencies led to unexpected healing through animal connections. Now, she's channelling these therapeutic experiences into beautifully illustrated children's books that might just save young lives.

Each of Grace's sheep-centered stories carries profound emotional lessons disguised as charming tales. "Merlin Finds His Magic" teaches children that helping others is where true magic lies. "Galahad Finds His Voice" speaks directly to sensitive children who feel different, showing them their uniqueness is actually their superpower. "Beryl Finds His Wings" demonstrates how changing negative thought patterns can transform one's entire experience of life.

What makes these stories particularly powerful is that they're based on real therapy sheep with remarkable abilities. Grace describes watching Merlin deliberately approach a grieving mother who had lost her son to suicide, standing with her for an hour in the snow and bringing her to laughter. The science behind animal therapy proves fascinating – sheep naturally maintain a relaxed parasympathetic state, and through mirror neurons, humans unconsciously adopt similar calm when in their presence.

Grace's mission comes from a place of profound urgency. As youth suicide rates continue climbing (her paediatrician sister reports cases increasing from 2/year to 2-3/month), these books aim to teach children early how to master their thoughts and develop emotional resilience. By presenting complex psychological concepts in accessible, engaging stories, she hopes to prevent the devastating mental health crises that often emerge during adolescence.

Want to experience the healing power of therapy sheep? Visit GraceOlsonAuthor.com to discover her books or find her YouTube channel, where videos of her singing to her sheep Galahad have become an unexpected source of joy for viewers worldwide.

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