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Tough Girls Rule - Walking with tough girl, Gina Atkinson, through grief to inspiration.
8 Plays29 days ago
In this episode we have a conversation with Gina Atkinson, an amazing warrioress with a 14 year military career, currently embarked upon a 5200 mile walk to raise money for different charities in honor of her late brother. In this episode we delve deeply into:
- How her time in the military shaped her physical and mental skills & toughness early on
- How early experiences in a predominantly masculine environment contributed to her confidence and shaped how she presents herself out in the world
- Her grief journey through losing her brother at the beginning of COVID, and how she chose to process her grief and honor his memory and spirit
- Her 300 mile solo journey last year across Scotland and her thoughts on how loneliness affects mental health
- Her current 5200 mile journey which is focused on positive mental health and connection with others and nature
- Experiences of connection with her late brother through her journey
- Embracing and appreciating ourselves every day
Transcript
Intro
Introduction to Tough Girls Rule and Gina Atkinson
00:00:33
Nicole Nicole
All right. Hi, everyone. I'm Nicole Rose, and I'm the host of Tough Girls Rule. And on this podcast, we talk with amazing, strong, resilient, dynamic women who are warriors, who are out there doing amazing things and helping other women, lifting other women up as they go about out in the world. And today I'd like to introduce everyone to Gina Atkinson.
00:00:56
Nicole Nicole
She has currently embarked on doing an incredible venture, walking 5,200 miles in honor of her brother to raise money for charity. So Gina, welcome to the show. We're so excited to have you here.
00:01:09
Nicole Nicole
um um and'd really like to get started. Just give everyone some understanding of your background, what you did before this walk, and and and talk a little bit about what you're doing now with this venture.
00:01:23
Gina
Hi, say it's great to be on and then thanks for your support. and So far it's been it's been amazing.
00:01:31
Nicole Nicole
Thank you.
Gina's Military Journey
00:01:34
Nicole Nicole
Yeah. So can you tell us a little bit about your background?
00:01:35
Gina
Yeah.
00:01:36
Nicole Nicole
Mm-hmm.
00:01:37
Gina
Yeah, so I guess it started you know as a child from and Liverpool in in the UK, which most of you probably know from the Beatles if you're stateside.
00:01:52
Gina
And I had a normal upbringing. I had nothing really go wrong in that respect. did my work in the UK called GCSEs, which is...
00:02:05
Gina
your exams when you're 16. and Then I went on to my A-levels, which is your exams when you you know you leave at 18. and and And I was just really adventurous and sporty. I was in the English ski team at the time.
00:02:21
Gina
and i was in the what we call the Army Cadet Force, which is youth organisation sponsored by the military. And we do sort of The same as the military, so we'll do expeditions, hiking, we'll learn how to do drill, rifle drill, all like the military do, field craft, which is where you're running around with guns doing what's called section attacks.
00:02:46
Nicole Nicole
right.
00:02:54
Gina
And it was just a brilliant youth organisation and still is a brilliant youth organisation because i'm I'm back in doing... there is an adult instructor so trying to trying to inspire or encourage the youth to get to get out and put their screens down and get in the wild.
00:03:12
Gina
and And then from there, I ended up i ended up joining the military and and served for 11 years in in the regulars and then and what we call the reservists over here for a further about three years. So all in all, it was 14 years I served within the military.
00:03:32
Gina
and And as I say, now kind of still served for the last 12 years. I've been an instructor in the Army Cadet Force, which is a youth organisation. and So, yeah, my my time in the military was absolutely, if you like, it was i I did what I wanted to when I joined.
00:03:54
Gina
and In my first five years, I went to 35 different countries. So, you know, I joined... the army to see the world and I and i did, albeit some parts of the world not particularly that nice at the time when I visited.
00:04:10
Gina
Yeah, and and really grew up in the military in that respect. because you know you you join as a teenager and and you when you when you do leave, you're adult that has had some amazing experiences, some not so good experiences, but all in all, I think my career went pretty well in that respect.
Military Life and Women's Roles
00:04:34
Nicole Nicole
That's in an incredible history of service and of giving back to you Do you think that your time in the military instilled the confidence that it takes for you to do what you do now? And maybe can you talk a little bit about that? And I'm talking specifically about confidence building for women. Do you have thoughts on that?
00:04:55
Gina
Yeah, so when I went through the military, I joined 1996 as a young kind and as ah as a young kind of I was kind of confident and that was because I think because of the army cadets, because they instil that ethos and that mindset.
00:05:18
Gina
So I did have that confidence when I when i kind of joined the military, but I was still in hindsight very very young and you know not world-wide.
00:05:29
Gina
And when you get in the military, it is a sense of it's it's your new family. And that that's how they they, I think they want you to feel like belonging.
00:05:35
Nicole Nicole
Mm-hmm.
00:05:39
Gina
and And you don't ever, it certainly my career, you don't ever sort of sit still. You're always busy doing something.
00:05:51
Gina
If you, you know, you've all you've got a career promotion ladder to look at. and So you can always aspire and achieve to something else, which which maybe isn't the same in in civilian streets, because, and you know, you've you've probably got... but I can be a manager or or something like that, where in the military there's so, so much opportunity and if you want to take it.
00:06:18
Gina
If you don't want to take it, you can just sit and and coast along, which, you know, some people do. and but I was certainly... not that type of soldier. So I wanted to to do the best I could.
00:06:33
Gina
When I joined, I tried to get the best trade that I could do. So I joined as a what was called a systems engineer then. and It's now called a communications engineer. So I got a degree within the army out of like electronic engineering. and And the core regiment that I was in was was quite...
00:06:56
Gina
quite forward thinking, not only in its technologies, but also with how they were with with women within the army. and Because just before I joined, there was a what was called the Women's Royal...
00:07:12
Gina
I'm going to get this wrong now because I wasn't in it. The RACs, they called them. and the the The Women's Royal Army Corps, that was it. And they went through a very different system to what I went through. So they were they would kept apart and then they were attached to different units when I went through.
00:07:34
Gina
and and everything about my career has always been I've had to do exactly the same as the men, achieve exactly the same levels, albeit on a fitness test.
00:07:46
Gina
what One fitness test we we had slightly longer to do, and which which is understandable with, you know, we men can run faster than women. that's That's biological.
00:07:58
Gina
Yeah. But all through my career, I've always had to pass every single test the same as the men, which I think helped me because I didn't start within you know a segregated army. I was in an army where everybody did the same. And if you're good enough, you're then you get promoted.
00:08:20
Gina
i mean, sometimes I would probably say that sometimes I had to have to be better than the men to get promoted. But remember, i was I was going into a military where it was very changing.
00:08:33
Gina
So we'd just gone from women sort of being segregated and attached to women being involved in everything. So it was a very, like, liquid state of trying to find your feet and the guys trying to find the feet because now the women were involved in everything so it was it was interesting in times shall we say
00:08:57
Nicole Nicole
That is super interesting to hear that. And did you feel that the men were, what what was their relationship to you? Do you feel like that you had the support of the men? Was there any type of misogyny or how did you sort of navigate that integrated environment and what was your experience about it?
00:09:16
Gina
I think definitely i in the Royal Signals, which is what I was originally, definitely, you know, there was there was quite a lot of women. went By that, I'll say that, you know, my first regiment we went into after all my trade training,
00:09:32
Gina
and how many was it? There was about 300 in the regiments and was probably 27 women, 30 women. So it was still a really small amount and you'd still be away on exercise and maybe be the only female.
00:09:48
Gina
But that at the time was quite a lot of females, which which probably sounds quite alien to to most people if they haven't experienced it.
00:09:52
Nicole Nicole
Mm-hmm.
00:09:58
Gina
So a lot of the time I would be just working with men. I've... which is interesting because I still do in in the job that I do now. I tend to always work with men. So and to to be moving on to what I'm doing at the minute with engaging as a team of women is is, I guess, a little bit alien for me because I've grown up working in a very male and masculine environment where you do have to quite...
00:10:30
Gina
be quiet forward in your mindset. i' quite i Believe it or not, if I'm in a group, i'm people are going to laugh at this, but I am quite shy and reserved.
00:10:44
Gina
I can see people going, no, she's not. you know I'm not going to my way in. push way in I'm going to let people have their conversation and then if I think it's not going right that then I'll have it in in a professional point of view.
00:11:00
Gina
But yeah, I can just imagine everyone laughing going, no, you're not, you're not quiet.
00:11:05
Nicole Nicole
Yeah. yeah
00:11:09
Gina
Well, yeah. and Well, yeah, it's it's there's definitely some thought-provoking questions. Yeah.
00:11:17
Nicole Nicole
Yeah, and I have to say that I have a lot of relation to what you're just saying. I've had a long career in tech, still do, so I work predominantly with men.
00:11:28
Nicole Nicole
and it's a very integrated environment, and I feel like that just being with men has actually been a very positive thing. It's helped build confidence, and there's a certain way that you have to handle yourself.
00:11:40
Nicole Nicole
And like you, I'm probably just i'm coming to a time where I'm connecting more with women, that the masculine, and I would like to hear if you have thoughts on this, like my masculine energies have been really well developed over the years. And I feel like now I'm just really starting to embrace more of the feminine.
00:11:59
Nicole Nicole
Would you say that's kind of where you are right now? Like if you had a long period of developing your more masculine energies and now just starting to connect more with the feminine or has it been sort of a different journey for you?
00:12:11
Gina
No, it probably probably is that if I think about it. So, and yeah, so so you do have to sort of be quite, I'd say probably, is boisterous the right word?
00:12:25
Gina
and you know, you have to be quite forefront.
00:12:26
Nicole Nicole
Yes.
00:12:29
Gina
But the the thing is with when women are that like that forefront and strong, is sometimes we get described in a negative way to to men.
00:12:42
Gina
So if I was trying to get a point across, they might describe me as I was nagging them, where if it was a man, it would be, you know, he's quite direct. or you know something so So you have to sort of, which is why maybe sometimes I'm a little bit quieter when I'm in the work in the workplace, because I'll wait to,
00:13:02
Gina
to to get my points across in in a different way. So I'm not described in a negative way and as opposed to a positive word, which a guy might be and described as.
00:13:14
Gina
But definitely, i am probably am a bit boisterous and I'm a...
00:13:22
Gina
that's unfortunately i my and upbringing from an and you know not as a child but when I when i got into you know adult life because I was just surrounded by my masculine energy and and the only way to survive was to sort of emulate that I think yeah
00:13:37
Nicole Nicole
to emulate it. Yeah, that's very interesting. And now you're, it's almost, it's a balancing act right now.
00:13:43
Gina
yeah
00:13:45
Nicole Nicole
Yeah,
The 5,200-Mile Walk for Charity
00:13:45
Nicole Nicole
that's interesting. Well, if we can, I'd like to sort of shift to what you're doing now with your 5,200 mile walk. Can you talk more about this, where you are in this process, maybe give insight into what it looks like on a day to day and what the final outcome will be?
00:14:03
Gina
Yeah, so this year I'm walking 5,200 miles, which is about, I don't know, 9,000 kilometres. And it's it's all for eat three amazing charities that I support, and which mainly two are veterans' charities and and the other one is a youth organisation charity, which is part of the Army Cadets, so they help people from different backgrounds that might not be able to afford stuff and they give them grants and bursaries. So it all all fits within within my the remit, really, of what I do.
00:14:40
Gina
and So I try to do multi-day sort of adventures and fundraising.
00:14:48
Nicole Nicole
of it.
00:14:50
Gina
And ones that, apart from this year, ones that are and local, that people can do, so like everyday adventures, because I can't just... I'd love to be able to well go and walk around the UK for two years because, you know, we've got responsibilities and family and and and need to keep a house, you know, a roof over my head.
00:15:12
Gina
So I try to to do things like that so so maybe other people can join me. Yeah. At the moment, my day sort of looks like I'll get up in the morning.
00:15:26
Gina
I'll do, if I'm not going away anywhere, like I've just been to the lakes, so I've been hiking in the lakes. But on a day-to-day basis, I'll probably get up, go to my local park, do a three-mile walk.
00:15:40
Gina
I should really run, but and my old bones don't take running that that well anymore. So I'll do a three-mile walk. and So that takes about 45 minutes. and I'll come back. I'll potentially do some work or or whatever.
00:15:55
Gina
And then I'll maybe go for another walk at lunchtime. So... probably the same one. So then I'm up to six miles. And then later on that night, if if it's a lovely day, I'll probably go for an another walk along the beach.
00:16:08
Gina
i'll I'll drive out, do do a bit further. So today I'm going to go and do a 10-mile walk along the peninsula, the Whirlall Coast, where I live. and And of an evening, if if I'm in the weekday, I'll probably go spinning, which is, you know, there's no three miles of spinning.
00:16:29
Gina
and So I'll normally hit about 10 miles on on a spin bike in in a 45-minute session. and So most days I'm sort of doing between 16 to 20 miles a day and because if you get behind on it because it's a year-long, you know, 100 miles a week, you you soon start losing the momentum and it gets bigger, I add.
00:16:53
Gina
eumonia just before Christmas and I lost two weeks of being able to do anything. So I'm slowly trying to catch up with the miles on that. So i think I'm on week 24 now and I'm on about, I've started to catch up with those, the 200 miles that I lost.
00:17:12
Gina
So I'm on about, I'm about 2,300, 2,400 miles now. yeah,
00:17:20
Gina
and
00:17:20
Nicole Nicole
Amazing.
00:17:21
Gina
oh less than 3,000 left, so that's always good.
00:17:24
Nicole Nicole
him Still sounds a little daunting to me.
00:17:26
Gina
and Yeah, yeah.
00:17:28
Nicole Nicole
i love hearing how you integrate this really big challenge into your everyday. that That is, I think, in and of itself, something that is so valuable to hear that it doesn't have to stand in relief to, you know, you are integrating it into your everyday
00:17:46
Gina
Yeah. I've done, so you know, smaller childhood work. You know, if somebody... wants to do something and fit it around you even if it's something like you know i'm just going to do three k a day for 30 days you know 30 days that in itself takes you know discipline discipline and motivation to get up every morning and fit it around your day because you know after you've been to work all day the last thing you might want to do is go and walk around the park but if you've got a motivation to do it whether it's just to get fit for yourself or to raise some money for a charity then then
00:18:22
Gina
that you can fit it around your daily life. You know you just have to scale it to to what you can fit in, I guess, which is what the message I'm trying to, I guess, get out, and one of the messages anyway.
00:18:36
Nicole Nicole
Yeah, that is really inspiring. I like how you said you have to scale it. And that that really rings true to me. Can you talk a little bit about how you decided to this? Was there a challenge before this one that you did? And and what what really led up to you taking this on?
00:18:53
Gina
Yeah, so and
00:18:56
Gina
it we can go back to 2019 to do the start or we can go back to just next last year because it's a long, kind of a long journey of where where I've come from.
00:19:00
Nicole Nicole
Yeah, that's
00:19:07
Gina
So, yeah, so 2019 2020 was
Personal Tragedies and Fundraising Motivation
00:19:12
Gina
the what does the catalyst of me really and stepping out and forward into into the the fundraising process and on the fundraising stage, I guess.
00:19:24
Gina
Before that, I'd always done stuff like I'd done ultras and raise money for charity, but never on the scale that I'm at now. So in 2019, I was diagnosed with PTSD. And at the same time, my my brother was diagnosed with stage four bowel cancer.
00:19:46
Gina
and And then at the same sort of time, we all had this tidal wave of COVID coming towards us because it was the back end of 2019.
00:19:57
Nicole Nicole
Thank you.
00:19:57
Gina
and So, you know, we do we do what we do. And and I was there for for my brother and supporting him through through his journey. And 2020 hit, COVID hit, so everybody was locked down.
00:20:12
Gina
and In the yeah UK, they they started stopping treatments and stuff like that. So it was it was the worst time in our history, I think, for people who, apart from the ones that, you know, our great granddads that were in the Second World War, the worst time in history that we've we you could be sick.
00:20:34
Gina
you know, seriously sick, as well as, you know, people suffering from COVID. And, yeah, it just made everything that would have been horrendous horrendous even worse if that was possible.
00:20:47
Gina
And his battle was... But it wasn't really a battle, as I say. You know, the cancer ripped through his body within three, four months, and he was dead. And it was...
00:20:59
Gina
and and it was it was you know, COVID, when people talk about COVID to me, I didn't really, it didn't really affect me because I just was there for my brother. And and then, you know, I wanted to to try and make something that was horrendous and possibly the way I cope with stress is always by doing fitness and stuff and getting out there in the great outdoors.
00:21:28
Gina
So I tried to turn something that was, horrendous and bad situation into something good so i set out and i am in a year-long task similar to the one i'm doing now i i raised 10 000 pounds and set up a art foundation for a local cancer charity because at the time when he was going through the the treatments, he wanted to, to you know, he started painting again and he wanted to go to classes, but the funding had been caught by the government. so
00:22:00
Gina
So that's what I set out to do. And that our foundation still and goes on in his name, which is which is amazing.
00:22:07
Nicole Nicole
Let's wander home.
00:22:09
Gina
and And hopefully he's helping people to to to step away from the stress of the disease. and And then then from then, I i kind of,
00:22:20
Gina
had been noticed for doing stuff that for you know raising that money and got put up for awards and just continued from then because so many people had helped me from different charities and stuff i started then doing other crazy crazy sort of crazy but everyday adventures nothing nothing that would cost people a lot of money so like i did and Christmas morning, I just i got up on Christmas morning and went, right, I'm going to cycle 100 miles on an indoor bike on Christmas Day.
00:22:57
Gina
was supposed to say but said 100 miles. So, like, from 8 in the morning to, like, 8, 9 o'clock at night, was on this bike trying have Christmas Day.
00:23:08
Nicole Nicole
That's amazing.
00:23:11
Gina
So that that was one of not my best decisions on that day, but... and And then then I've done like 50k a day for 30 days, which which was a lot, to be honest. It was a lot.
00:23:24
Gina
and So I've done lots of little things like that. I've i've gone on races. This afternoon I'm supporting my cousin and doing 10 miles for combat stress. and So I just try and do sort of everyday adventures. and And what I noticed is...
00:23:43
Gina
just after covid kind of everyone was getting out of covid getting free and there was there was loads of loads of expendable money around so somehow in in that first sort of two years i raised like 300 000 pound which is probably about 400 000 in two years and and it was incredible but then people know recessions happened and and the economic decline and and people stopped giving money to charities.
00:24:14
Gina
and So I had to keep going bigger and better to try and make the same amount of money. And I ended up last year, which was which was like an absolute, it was an epic challenge.
00:24:28
Gina
It was in it was in scotland Highlands of Scotland. The weather was absolutely horrendous. It was torrential rain every day. I decided to do a challenge solo 300 miles from Glasgow up to Inverness and back.
00:24:44
Gina
and So it was hiking, kayaking the Great Glen, which is an epic body of water. And, and you know, Loch Ness is there, that old Nessie.
00:24:56
Gina
And then cycling back. And I was doing it alone while camping. I know we haven't got bears and wolves and stuff like you guys have in the States, but, you know, Nessie might have got me.
00:25:07
Gina
a and and um and And also, so low and the the main reason for that was was one, to raise money for charity, but also two, to highlight how how loneliness is.
00:25:20
Gina
affects mental health and does it takes lives and and that was sort of my message last year and and and and it it was a punishing punishing grueling few weeks but absolutely you know kind of Had some amazing moments, you know, amongst the getting battered with rain and having to get in your tents and stuff.
00:25:48
Gina
and But yeah, it it was a really, really good challenge. and i didn't i raised i ended up raising about ยฃ3,000, which wasn't a massive amount, but I think more about getting the message out now is is is what I try to do as opposed to raise the money. Yeah.
00:26:08
Gina
sovan sorry but So told you was a long story. Then i am i I moved to this year it was kind of, I'm not going to do anything. I'm going to just, you know, do little events and go around and stuff. Not going to do anything. But then I realised it was five years since COVID, five years since my brother died.
00:26:27
Gina
and decided, you know, I really need to mark this with with something spectacular and honour his memory and what I've achieved through you know, losing my brother, which obviously i'd i'd rather have him here than than be where I am now.
00:26:49
Gina
and But it has achieved some some good. So, you know, there's been some good good and it's helped probably enormous amounts of people, the money that's been raised and hopefully the awareness that I've done from the charities.
00:27:04
Gina
So this year I'm doing 5,200 miles in the year, 100 miles hundred miles a week This year I'm trying to make it all about connection. So like I'm going out with my cousin and I'm riding from Liverpool to Leeds with a group of girls, a different group of girls. And then at the end of it,
00:27:23
Gina
I'm going to finish at the foot of Everest, hopefully, with a group of altogether six amazing, inspirational women who've all had, you know, when you get to our age, they're all 40 to 50, we've all had battles and and stuff.
00:27:40
Gina
And we're going to go out there, i and it's all about positive mental health this year and and how connection can help people and whether that's connecting with the great outdoors, connecting, you know, withve with physical challenges or getting out walking or connecting with with people and others.
00:28:00
Gina
And that's what I'm trying to focus on this year and make it big.
00:28:06
Nicole Nicole
That's incredible.
00:28:08
Nicole Nicole
Yeah, that's just an incredible journey. i i wanted to ask you during, oh, well I'm sure you had so many insights during your solo journey about aloneness. I'm wondering if you're, if you're writing about that, have you written article or a book?
00:28:24
Gina
Yeah, so the biggest thing I did i did do sort of like, i I'm not the best at the written word, to be fair. I don't know about speaking either with my Scouse accent, but I prefer to do sort of video logs. So I did quite a few video logs and I did write up about the the main thing I think that it drew for me about loneliness is when I was in the great outdoors and You know, I'd pitched up my tent along the side of Loch Ness and I was, like, alone, you know. There wasn't people around. i was i was on my on my own completely.
00:29:06
Gina
But I didn't feel alone then. The times when I felt alone was when I'd come... Because the way it... UK is quite small, so when when I'd come into the villages when I was coming through...
00:29:18
Gina
and I'd maybe stop and and have a Diet Coke or, you know, something to eat at a cafe. And it'd be sat there surrounded with people that were all going away, you know, their everyday business. And I hadn't had like a meaningful conversation for days.
00:29:36
Gina
and That would be when I would feel alone because realised, you know, I've got no one to chat to about this amazing journey of them at the moment.
00:29:48
Gina
This is when I feel alone, not when I'm out camping or I'm kayaking or I'm hiking because, you know, you've got to concentrate on the task in hand. it's It's when I was surrounded by others. and And I think that's that's when, you know, people in everyday life, you know, next door neighbour who's 80 and lives alone goes into the shops and they're trying to have a conversation with the shopkeeper and they're not interested.
00:30:15
Gina
That's when people... feel alone and disconnected from society.
00:30:20
Nicole Nicole
That is absolutely right on. Wow. That is really moves me hearing that. And, and just the fact that you were so connected to nature that you felt probably your greatest moments of connection with nature a very impactful. Did you feel connected to your brother? Do you feel like he was part that he's been part of this journey with you?
00:30:44
Gina
Yeah, I mean, he he was always, and probably was the person when I was a kid growing up that, in you know, connected me to nature because because he was always into animals and...
00:30:57
Gina
and getting out in the outdoors and and he was he was probably why i ended up joining in the army actually because he used to used to use me as target park practice with his air rifle and then if I got hit it was because I didn't move fast enough so you know gave me some good training when i and I was about five or six I think yeah so yeah I think
00:31:11
Nicole Nicole
I'm sorry.
00:31:25
Gina
yeahing Definitely that's where where my passion started was was from, you know, his passion and we we shared that same passion. and and And, you know, I don't know, for for me, when i've always I've always believed in there's something bigger out there or something and that drives us.
00:31:50
Gina
not getting into, you know, too much spiritual and stuff like that. But when my, when my brother died, I kind of lost all that faith. I was like, you know, there's no justice in the world.
00:32:02
Gina
He, he, he was, well, he was, he was, it would have been, and again, 52, 5,200, 52, he was 50, he have been 52 the year he died a few weeks later.
00:32:09
Nicole Nicole
Mm-hmm.
00:32:09
Gina
fifty two he was fifty he would have been fifty two the year he died but a few weeks later So that's, it all fits the numbers. and I just thought, I just lost total faith. I mean, that's part of grief, isn't it? and And I wasn't seeing any any signs or anything like that. And the signs that did think to see, I'd be like, oh, is it really a sign? Or is it just, you know, my
Coping with Grief and Finding Signs
00:32:35
Gina
mind going, oh, yeah, that feather that just fell on me was, you know, i totally was like, I need something serious to tell me that, you know,
00:32:46
Gina
my brother's still around and then it wasn't until I do I can try to do motivational speaking and go go around do quite a lot for charity so I'll talk about my journey and how charities have helped me and what they do and I was in so I don't know whether you know Everton Football Club so as you call it stocker over there so that we've got Liverpool and Everton Football Club Liverpool's
00:33:04
Nicole Nicole
I do. Mm-hmm.
00:33:10
Gina
people will shoot me down now is probably the biggest one i think they're the top of the league at the minute yeah not into football and everton are the other ones so most families in merseyside are split by everton and liverpool so one supports one and one supports the other and there's normally a blue and a red in each one so my mum's liverpool my dad and my brother were both everton and football club So I was invited to speak at Everton Football Club, which, and you know, i was and speak about my journey and my journeys or we all the catalyst was my brother.
00:33:48
Gina
and And I was I do my talk. I've got a PowerPoint presentation. I'm in I'm in the Holy Grail Everton football grounds talking to a load of blues, you know, supporters.
00:34:02
Gina
It was quite an honour to be there, even though I don't support football. and You know, I'm not really into watching it. it And I get to the point where I'm about to say, and the next slide would be a picture to my brother, and literally the next line I was going to say was and then my brother died.
00:34:22
Gina
And the whole of Everton Football Club power went and put us in darkness.
00:34:27
Nicole Nicole
and a
00:34:30
Gina
And... You know, I was still there thinking, maybe that's a sign.
00:34:37
Nicole Nicole
That was a big sign.
00:34:40
Gina
Yeah. And then then the we got the power back on. They don't know what happened. and And I continue. And my next line was, and then my brother died in a picture, you know, of my brother. And then I continue on with the talk. So, and yeah, I'm not sure I can ignore that one as a sign. and You know, coincidence.
00:35:00
Nicole Nicole
Yeah. Thank you for sharing that. And I'm sure when you reflect on it, there's probably lots of other little signs of that, that, that's a big one. I'm a firm believer in that.
00:35:10
Nicole Nicole
I've had so many experiences with loved ones that have passed on and it's the amount of signs they've sent me is just been, i know personally that there is something else beyond this physical life.
00:35:22
Gina
Yeah.
00:35:25
Gina
Yeah, that has to be really, doesn't it?
00:35:25
Nicole Nicole
So yeah,
00:35:29
Gina
Yeah. So...
00:35:30
Nicole Nicole
Yeah, that that's incredible. Well, I think that your journey speaks to, I tend to think when I look back on COVID that there there is like a collective trauma through what people went through. But then there are people like you that experienced really deep personal tragedy through that time.
00:35:49
Nicole Nicole
And your story is a walk through that and really, I think can speak to a lot of people that have been, that have lost lost loved ones during that time. It was a very painful time for a lot of people.
00:36:05
Gina
Yeah, it was... it was and And that also, on top of that, you know, people weren't able to grieve, so we you know we weren't able to have a proper funeral.
00:36:18
Gina
luckily
00:36:18
Nicole Nicole
oh yeah.
00:36:20
Gina
Luckily, we were allowed six people, i think, at the funeral. I think we got a few more in. We weren't allowed a wake, but because my my brother had and such an incredible sort of...
00:36:34
Gina
powerful life where he lived he know he never moved he was in the the navy but he never he was in the navy reserve so he never moved away from where we grew up and what his friends and his the people he worked for did was they they lined there hundreds of people i i it was phenomenal they they lined the road to the like the crematorium and there was just hundreds of people. It was like he was some sort of rock star or something.
00:37:07
Gina
and and And it was incredible. And that was, that was, and you know, very touching because we hope we didn't have, and we didn't have the wake afterwards. So we didn't have and the, so the thing with wakes, right, you go you go to the funeral, don't you? you You you, do that because you've got to do that that's part of losing someone and that's the if you like that it's well it's all horrible but that's the horrible part you will have to get that over and done with i remember when my dad died and i'm thinking you know i don't want to do this but it's part of your my dad that died when i was about 20 so it was not that early but you know it's still quite a shock
00:37:55
Gina
and And you're just like, I don't want to get in the house. I don't want to do that. But that's kind of your duty, isn't it? You have to do that. And then the nice part, if there's a nice part of it, is when you you have the wake and you meet all of those people those people that your dad or your brother have connected with and they talk about how great he'd been and the nice stories and and that's what I think was taken away by COVID is obviously lives were taken but you didn't even have time to grieve which is why i think
00:38:32
Gina
I had that catalyst and the way I cope with stress is by fitness and trying to do good, i think. and And that was my, if you like, how I how i grieved is by but beasting myself of a hundred pounds a week.
00:38:48
Nicole Nicole
yeah I like that. Dibesting yourself.
00:38:53
Gina
Yeah.
00:38:54
Nicole Nicole
Well, you know, you're right. We lost, we lost those powerful rituals, for the passage through grief, the early passage through grief. And I think a lot of people were robbed by robbed of those things.
00:39:07
Gina
And you say you're going to do it when the world... I mean, we said that and then we keep... it the The world moves on and it's like people people might not want to come and, and you know, it was just a horrendous time for everybody and then people who lost people, you know, it would they didn't get the chance to say goodbye properly, I think.
00:39:34
Nicole Nicole
What would you say to other people that I would guess just talk a little bit about, you know, this is your way of processing your grief is to take on these challenges and to do it in honor of your brother.
00:39:46
Nicole Nicole
do you have words for other people that that may may have lost people during that time, didn't have really a chance to grieve? Just some words for them.
00:39:57
Gina
I think so grief is is is very very personal personal personal Well, can't say it. So grief is is a personal experience, isn't it?
00:40:08
Gina
And it's, for some people, it's just trying to get up every day and function. And then I don't think, people say time's a healer. I don't think time is a healer, but what it does is it it helps you be able to cope with that situation further we are removed from it.
00:40:30
Gina
and And I think, It's just about remembering that person because and until you know you you stop remembering the joys that they brought you, that that's when they're truly dead if you if you're not remembering the person in that way.
00:40:46
Gina
And I think that's why you know i do get up every morning and walk because because i can... and he can't. So, I mean, that's how I cope.
00:40:58
Gina
And I think it is personal. And everybody doesn't have to go out and do crazy things if it's just, you know, remembering them. My brother's friends and bought a bench, which is where we're starting to walk today.
00:41:10
Nicole Nicole
And.
00:41:11
Gina
And it it overlooks the Merzian because he was a and he was a shipbuilder all his life. And he was he was all about the sea and connection in that way. So...
00:41:22
Gina
It was a very fitting tribute. So I think it's finding your way to to honour that person and that loss that helps you come to terms with it because it will take time and everybody's different.
00:41:37
Nicole Nicole
I think that's a really powerful point, though, and that continued honoring through doing things in their name. Like you said, it doesn't have to be a huge action, but I think it's like the ongoing sort of memorialization, doing things in their honor, that is actually part a big part of the healing journey.
00:41:53
Gina
Yeah.
00:41:54
Nicole Nicole
And you you are honoring him in such a big way. And additionally, you're sharing his spirit with so many other people through what you're doing. You're reaching and healing so many other people. So for me, hearing this, I think it's kind of like a joint mission.
00:42:11
Nicole Nicole
So let's talk a little bit about when this is over or when you reach Mount Everest. Do you have some thoughts on you? Let me go back to in one video you had spoken of.
00:42:23
Nicole Nicole
We have to take time in between climbing mountains to reflect on what we've done. What are your thoughts on when this when this goal is achieved? What do you hope to achieve and what do you think you'll be doing at that point?
00:42:35
Nicole Nicole
Maybe what your next mountain is and how you plan to rest in between.
00:42:39
Gina
Yeah, yeah. So, yeah, so it was, I took the girls up and a small mountain in Wales, Maramma, and, you know, they were they were asking me, how does this thing like to to when we do Everest and stuff? And I was like, you know, let's let's enjoy what we've achieved today and and you you know, and focus on on that later because because I think everybody, you in this society, particularly with the amount of social media. And, you know, we never get a break to stop and think about how much we have achieved. And I think there's so many pressures on everybody, particularly, i think, more so the young, because the social that they're so onto social media and onto their screens.
00:43:27
Gina
and And there's always someone out there saying, look what I've done. and And we have to remember, one, social media isn't always true. It has great power, but also with it, it can it can really demoralise people.
00:43:45
Gina
So we just need to stop, think, and appreciate what we have done each day, if you can. If you if you can get into a ritual, then that would help you with your your mindset moving forward.
00:43:57
Gina
You know, important. You know, I didn't get up this morning and run my three miles, but I did go the gym and do a spin class, you know, or whatever your goals are of the day, whether it's.
00:44:11
Gina
you know, you're studying for your GCSEs, your exams that we call them in this country, and and you've studied and you're going to give you to yourself a break. it's about It's about setting those goals, isn't it, and and enjoying what you've achieved now before you try and push on.
00:44:29
Gina
And I am as guilty as that as everybody. So, you know, like this year I was like, no, I'm not doing anything. But then I realised it was an anniversary and and I can't stop myself.
00:44:40
Gina
But I think... coming back to your question if when we when we finish the journey i think the biggest things we'll have achieved apart from as as a group is getting to the the you know the foot of the biggest mountain in the world after some of us have probably climbed over some metaphorical mountains in our lives with grief and and tragedy and stuff but we're going to also have highlighted the the awareness of of positive mental health, because I think we all focus on the negative sides and how connection can can bring us and make us achieve some monumental things that we think we may have never achieved.
00:45:14
Nicole Nicole
Mm-hmm.
00:45:26
Gina
And also, obviously, the byproducts of that are raising awareness for all the charities, because we're doing it for a few charities, and And also and the other byproduct is maybe raising some money for these amazing charities that will then help others to start their journey of recovery.
00:45:49
Gina
because Because most of them are, you know, every charity when you never think you're going to need a charity till you need it. and then And then you're there and you're thinking, oh, no.
00:45:59
Nicole Nicole
Thank you.
00:46:02
Gina
I'm in that place, but thank God this charity's there. Thank God people, even yourself, might have, you know, donated in the past and now you need it. But that's what it is in this country, particularly, you know, charities and volunteers, you know, people who volunteered in their time. It's like the lifeblood of the country and people don't realise how much charities do for for others.
00:46:29
Gina
So think it I think it's... a it's quite a few things when you start thinking about it and then everybody in the team will be going on along their own journey emotionally when they're training because it it's getting to Everest is the tip of the iceberg.
00:46:47
Gina
It's the year before it with all the training, all the commitments, that they're their own little demons.
00:46:47
Nicole Nicole
a
00:46:54
Gina
And I think when we get there, it will be, and you know, it'll be the end of that amazing journey. and And it'll be probably quite emotional.
00:47:06
Gina
Emotional. I mean, we do have to walk back. Keep forgetting that bit. but
00:47:13
Nicole Nicole
what
00:47:13
Gina
There's no, there's no heli coming in to lift us, but yeah.
00:47:17
Nicole Nicole
No, I like coming in.
00:47:17
Gina
and
00:47:18
Nicole Nicole
Yeah.
00:47:19
Gina
But I think it's going to be quite, if you like, I know one of the girls has said that it's probably going to be quite a spiritual time to, to you know, be able to,
00:47:19
Nicole Nicole
yeah
00:47:28
Gina
but it'd be very humbling to be able to see that that mountain that we all know is, is you know, the the biggest one in our world.
00:47:38
Gina
So, yeah.
00:47:40
Nicole Nicole
Yeah, that is going to be an amazing moment. I think you highlighted two incredible points. One is about it, like sort of a daily appreciation practice for yourself. I never thought of that. I have a daily gratitude practice, but appreciation practice, I think, and and doing that on a daily basis.
00:47:57
Nicole Nicole
That is something really powerful.
00:47:57
Gina
Yeah.
00:47:59
Nicole Nicole
And also your point about that when we give to charity, that it's kind of full circle circle, it comes back. It's part of a circle. It's part of a circle of giving and receiving, and it's very powerful. So on that note, how can listeners to you today support you and give to these charity charities, support you on this journey, if you can talk about some ways
00:48:21
Gina
Yeah, so as I say, it's i think it for for me it's about you know it's not about a massive donation. If people can just give the the price of a coffee or or a Diet Coke, then if if I get thousands of people doing that, we'll smash my total.
00:48:38
Gina
and But it's on it's on crowdfunding, Gina, Allsop. still under my and married name unfortunately on that forward slash 5200 miles and and if people could donate or just follow or just share even sharing the page would be amazing and and then to to follow me you can follow me on YouTube think that's Gina Atkinson
00:49:09
Gina
You'll have to put the links in the bio.
00:49:11
Nicole Nicole
Yep.
00:49:12
Gina
And then LinkedIn is Gina Atkinson, and I won't even go down into Facebook because that's Gina Gianelli.
00:49:12
Nicole Nicole
ye
00:49:19
Nicole Nicole
like
00:49:20
Gina
i need to I need to consolidate. I'm not the best on social media, so they've got crazy names everywhere. But Gina Gianelli is a story from my army days. But, yeah, I'm sure i'm sure if you if you just crowdfund...
00:49:36
Gina
travelen Just give in is Gina Allsop forward slash 5,200 miles. And if you could just share the page, that'd be immense and awesome. and I try to do updates on that as much as possible as well.
00:49:51
Nicole Nicole
Yeah, I think that here the power of connection is would be very powerful in in helping you and achieve these goals. Well, I really want to thank you for sharing your incredible spirit, your journey. It's very inspiring. I've learned a lot today. And so thank you for your time that you've spent with us. And I look forward to hearing about you achieving this goal and arriving at Everest.
00:50:17
Gina
Yeah, it's so it's been an absolute pleasure. And and the the thing I love about podcasts as well is is when when we connect on on a podcast, the hosts always take it on different angles and it always makes me think about different parts of my life. And anna and this one's been incredible for that. It's definitely took me on some different tangents that I haven't thought about because you get caught up with the task in hand, don't you? and And just that...
00:50:45
Gina
all I'm doing is walking and you don't see potentially maybe the good that you're doing on different angles and and and it's lovely to to hear that because you do get, and you do get I'm very task driven I think.
00:51:01
Gina
So yeah, it's been incredible and to connect and and get out to a different audience because a lot of my and podcasts and stuff are ex-military so it's great to be able to
00:51:02
Nicole Nicole
Thank you.
00:51:13
Gina
to get and to get over the pond as well to an American base.
00:51:17
Nicole Nicole
i Exactly. i think that you've done, this is incredible opportunity we had to explore your inner journey as well as this outer journey. And I think that inner journey will speak to a lot of people.
00:51:29
Nicole Nicole
So thank you so much. You are welcome.
00:51:31
Gina
No, thank you. and And thanks for your support and obviously very generous donations. So thank you very much.
00:51:38
Nicole Nicole
you are welcome