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Episode 1: Robyn Lambird
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In our first episode, we sit down with Robyn Lambird, Australian Paralympian and trailblazing advocate for disability rights and LGBTQ+ inclusion. Robyn made history at the Tokyo 2020 Paralympics as the first non-binary athlete to win a medal, securing bronze in the 100m T34 race. But their journey goes far beyond the track.
The Paralympics highlight not only the incredible achievements of elite athletes but also the importance of physical activity for everyone, including those with cerebral palsy or other disabilities. Robyn shares how elite sports and everyday recreation are interconnected, emphasizing that engaging in physical activity, at any level, fosters confidence, independence, and a deeper understanding of one’s body. Whether competing on the world stage or simply finding joy in movement, athletes with disabilities, like Robyn, inspire us to explore our limits and prioritize health and wellness.
In this debut episode, Robyn discusses the valuable lessons learned through sport about fitness, mental wellness, and mobility that apply to both elite athletes and those engaging in recreational activities. Tune in to discover how sports and recreation build resilience, improve quality of life, and foster inclusivity in all aspects of society.
Follow
Robyn on Instagram: @robynlambird
Cerebral Palsy Foundation on Instagram: @yourcpf
CPGU on Instagram: @cerebralpalsygrowsup
Alexa Orban on Instagram @lexi_orban
Credits
Host: Alexa Orban
Producers: Katy Gaastra, Kyle Khachadurian
Executive Producer: Ashley Harris Whaley, Rachel Byrne
Graphics: Briana Raucci
Recommended
Transcript
Introduction of Podcast and Guest
00:00:10
Speaker
Welcome to Cerebral Palsy Grows Up. Join us as we explore the unique experiences and stories of adults living with cerebral palsy. We hope this podcast helped you feel a sense of camaraderie and community. Today, we're joined by Robin Lambert, an Australian Paralympian who made history as the first non-binary athlete to win a medal at the Tokyo 2020 Paralympics, securing bronze in the 100-meter sprinting.
Robin's Achievements and Impact
00:00:35
Speaker
Let's dive into this conversation and we hope that you leave with the understanding that there were many, many ways to move your body and you don't have to be a Paralympic athlete, but it can be something that makes you feel great. Join us as we explore Robin's achievements in sports, modeling, advocacy, and learn more about their ongoing efforts to make a positive impact. Robin, I'm so excited to have you today on the Cerebral Palsy Grows Up podcast. To kick off to our listeners, I'd love to have you give a brief self introduction.
00:01:05
Speaker
Yeah, no worries. We are Robin Lambert, 27 years old. I'm an Australian, so that's why it's a little bit dark over here at the moment. And yeah, I'm a Paralympian content creator and occasional model.
00:01:20
Speaker
I love all of that. Yeah, I was watching some of your Instagrams and the outfits that you put together. They're some of my favorites. So I love that, you know, you show your personality, but also everything that you're up to as an athlete too. Yeah, thanks.
00:01:35
Speaker
So, where should
Representation and Investment in Parasport
00:01:37
Speaker
we start? I know the 2024 Paralympics are coming up and you were in a bronze medal in wheelchair racing in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. What do you want people to know about being a wheelchair athlete and having been on the world's biggest stage? Yeah, I guess like with the games coming up shortly, it's just a real great time for people to, I think, invest in parasport.
00:02:01
Speaker
and to get behind the athletes and learn a little bit about their stories. Because I think, you know, unfortunately, we don't get quite the same representation as some of our able-bodied athletes get. So, yeah, it's a great time to sort of get behind our athletes, learn a little bit about them and really back the sport. Because I think, you know, if you take the time to watch it, you'll find it's just as exhilarating and exciting. Sometimes even a little bit more so, I do say. And yeah, it's just an awesome time, I think, for people to get behind the sport and to learn
00:02:31
Speaker
a little bit more about it.
Journey into Sports and Influences
00:02:33
Speaker
Yeah, and how did you start training and get involved in this sport? So I had a huge operation when I was about 12 years old. And I basically couldn't do like any form of activity for quite a while. And my dad is actually used to be a professional fighter. So he was an athlete, pretty fit guy. And staying active is such a huge
00:02:56
Speaker
part of people's lives and it's a really important thing for your mental and physical health. So he was trying to help me find different ways to get back active again. And it just so happened that he worked with the mum of one of Australia's most successful Paralympians, Amber Merritt, who's a wheelchair basketball player.
00:03:13
Speaker
So she dragged me down to basketball and sort of, yeah, it got me back into sport and into para sport. And immediately I sort of fell in love with it because I think it was the first time I was able to compete on an even playing field with other people my age. And from there, it just sort of snowballed and eventually got into athletics. That's amazing. And so when you started, was the goal to be a Paralympian or you just wanted to be active and have fun?
00:03:38
Speaker
No, not at all. I wanted to get back in shape and get my fitness again after being inactive for such a long time and also just get out the house and make some mates. But I'm so glad I did because it's definitely taken me on a journey. I'd love to hear a little bit about that journey too. So you've started to train on the team and then are there certain trials and different races that you can start to qualify for the Paralympics for?
00:04:04
Speaker
Yeah, so like I said, I started in wheelchair basketball and just sort of went along to a common try day for athletics just out of the blue, mainly to support the organization that runs all of our para-sport here in WA. And the coach was like, oh, you know, you've got a little bit of potential in this. And I was like, I really don't know what she saw in me back then, because when I watched old footage of me pushing, I was like, oh.
00:04:28
Speaker
boy it's not good but um yeah and then i just sort of stuck in from there and immediately sort of got thrust onto the international circuit and started traveling to places like switzerland and competing with uh yeah some of the world's best athletes and sort of climbed my way up the world rankings from there australia is pretty tough on who we send to the paralympics so yeah i had to make it into like the top six to be able to go and yeah eventually got there so
00:04:53
Speaker
That's amazing. And I feel like you're so humble about the journey went there, which is so cool. And I'd love to just hear a little bit more about your experience at the 2020 Paralympics and what you're excited for in the 2024.
Competing in the 2020 Paralympics
00:05:06
Speaker
Yeah, I mean, it was a bit of a weird Paralympics ended up being a year later than we all expected, thanks to COVID. And because of that,
00:05:15
Speaker
crowds, no family, nothing like that at the games. So yeah, it was a bit bizarre. We had stadiums designed for 90,000 people, and there was maybe every team's coach and physio at the race. So you could literally hear everyone yelling that was there. But yeah, I think almost it was a blessing in disguise for me being my first games. It took a little bit of the pressure off not having those 90,000 people there.
00:05:43
Speaker
Yeah, I was able to get the job done and end up on the podium, but I'm super excited to watch this next games and see it a bit more revitalized and to see those stadiums full, hopefully, and yeah, everyone getting behind our athletes. Yeah. I know I was seeing just the Olympic village and just all the different, you know, stadiums and places for the athletes to compete. And it looks like it's just going to be just wonderful. I'm so excited to kick off soon.
Media Representation of Paralympic Sports
00:06:10
Speaker
But I'd love to hear more about some of the athletes that we should watch for in the Games in Paris. Well, having recently switched over to wheelchair rugby, you should definitely keep an eye out for the Australian wheelchair rugby team. They're the current world champions and looking to go for that gold medal in the Paralympics, arguably some of the best players in the world. So definitely want to watch. It'll be an exciting battle, I think, between the US and the Aussies. So definitely want to watch.
00:06:37
Speaker
Yeah, I mean, there's lots of exciting athletes at the moment. You know, I think all of the sports are developing so quickly. And, you know, yeah, athletics, basketball, it's all going to be good. So just catch whatever you can, I guess. Yeah. And I would love to see, you know, more Paralympics on mainstream media. And I'm sure this is something that you're passionate about talking about as well. What I have seen on streaming is you can pick any sport. So for example, I have Peacock.
00:07:05
Speaker
And I love diving, so I'm always on there when there's the trials. You can click and watch. So I think that there's more access to Paralympic sports than I've seen. But how do you think we can advance this to get Paralympic sports to be more synchronous with the Olympic? And what would be feasible from an access perspective?
00:07:22
Speaker
Yeah, I think, obviously, like you said, it's getting better. I think every Paralympic cycle, the momentum towards ParaSport builds, but it'd be great, I think, to see ParaSport outside of the Paralympics. So, to see those events that help people qualify for the Pinnacle, which is the Paralympics.
00:07:40
Speaker
to give people a chance to get behind these athletes before they get to the Paralympics because I think one of the hardest things is for people with disabilities to get involved in sport because often there's such a large cost to it. If your kid wants to play tennis, you buy a $20 racket from Kmart or whatever and a pair of runners, but if you want to get involved in para sport, it's often
00:08:01
Speaker
a $15,000 wheelchair or whatever. So yeah, I think it'd be awesome if we could get more people just about the sport in general so that these things become more accessible in terms of making it synchronous. I think in terms of like having the Paralympics on at the same time as the Olympics wouldn't really be possible just because there's so many different athletes with so many different disabilities competing. The Paralympics is already a two week event.
00:08:25
Speaker
To put that with the Olympics might be a little bit much, but I like to see the momentum and the excitement building separately from the Olympics anyway, because I think, like I said, it's just as exciting and it's just as important. That's what I think with just so many different sport options that there are.
00:08:42
Speaker
That's something that I wasn't aware of growing up, right? So I was thrown into, oh, just do sports that everybody else is doing, because it wasn't even an option that was on the table. But it's something that's interesting. You were saying you had a parent that was very active. And I do see that across the board in a spectrum of my friends that have CP, if their parents were more active,
00:09:03
Speaker
they were more apt to be thrown into sports and to try new things. And I'd love to hear some advice that you would have for disabled athletes that are starting to compete and that journey of how they can start to grow as an athlete.
Encouragement for Disabled Youth in Sports
00:09:18
Speaker
Even as a kid with a disability, depending on the outlook of your parents, you can sort of be wrapped up in cotton wool a little bit and sort of not really encouraged to be physical and to be active and to be competitive. But I think there is just so much to gain from being involved in sport, even at a recreational level, like physically and mentally.
00:09:37
Speaker
Just being able to push yourself and push past your own perceived limits, whatever they might be, and also just the community that comes along with sport. I think even if you're getting involved in sport at a recreational level, if you find the right people to support your access needs, then it won't be something you'll regret. For me, sport has taken me all around the world. It's introduced me to so many awesome people and given me so many incredible opportunities.
00:10:04
Speaker
I wouldn't change that for anything. So I definitely, if you're thinking about getting involved in sport, like just do it and give it a chance. And I think like a lot of disabled people who are athletes can sometimes be perceived as like less athletic or less capable or even inspirational. So how do you think your career has challenged these perceptions of disability and athleticism?
00:10:23
Speaker
Yeah, I think even with the Paralympics, we're still sort of at the stage where we're like, oh, wow, these athletes are achieving so much despite their disability. And it's like, no, I'm actually achieving everything with my disability. I wouldn't be playing wheelchair rugby or doing para-athletics if I wasn't disabled.
Achieving Milestones with a Disability
00:10:41
Speaker
Who even knows if I'd be doing sport at all? But I think it is my disability that's allowed me to tackle my sporting journey in the way that I have. And I don't think that makes us any
00:10:52
Speaker
more inspirational. If you want to focus on the sport at a high performance level, let's focus on the sport and let's focus on the things that people are achieving because as disabled athletes, we're training just as hard, if not harder, to meet those milestones. Definitely.
00:11:08
Speaker
Yeah, and I think that's something I've talked and had this conversation before. If there's any anyone I really want to inspire, it's somebody that moves within their body like me that feels like they couldn't do this, right? But then they feel like, oh, somebody is in movement of their body very similar to me. Maybe I can try that. And that's where I want to come in the most to be like, OK, we can make that change and do this together. So how do you feel?
00:11:35
Speaker
that just such a great community of athletes as you've shared this journey too. Yeah, 100%. Like I said, I was extremely lucky when I was getting involved in sport that I had those people to sort of take me under their wing and show me how it's done. And I think for me now, it's all about giving back to that next generation and showing other young people with disabilities that there is a path there for them if they want it. So what's something you wish someone had told you about this whole journey of becoming a Paralympian?
00:12:02
Speaker
I guess just that it's possible, really. Growing up in school and stuff like that, I was never really encouraged outside of my parents to be physical and to be active. I remember I was almost in my final years of high school and I got a really awesome physical education teacher. She managed to adapt the whole program so that I could
00:12:23
Speaker
you know, compete with my peers and do it exactly as I am. And that changed my whole perspective. And I think, you know, if I can do that for someone else, then that's awesome. That's so great. Yeah, there's all these people, I think, that come into play in your journeys. I've had coaches that have said, OK, if we can't do this, then let's try this. And to just have that community around you, especially as you're growing, I think it's that extra confidence boost. And so, you know, as an athlete, particularly at such an elite level,
00:12:51
Speaker
How has this shaped your own understanding of your disability and what have you learned about yourself in the process?
Athlete's Body Care and Respect
00:12:57
Speaker
I think when you have a disability it's pretty easy to get down on your body and to not think that it's as worthy as other bodies of love and respect. But I think as an athlete you have to give your body that love and that respect and you really have to nourish it because otherwise
00:13:13
Speaker
You just can't do what you do, you know, you'll burn out, you'll get injuries and you won't be successful. So I think through the sport, I've really learned how to take care of my body and how to give it what it needs. And I think that not only serves me as an athlete, but serves me as someone who's getting older with CP, right? Like things don't get any easier. So yeah, I'm learning how to sort of take care of my body and how to really get the most out of it.
00:13:37
Speaker
Yeah, and I think that's something that does come into play. I mean, I'm almost turning 30, right? So I have noticed that shift within my body and recovery takes longer. So I love how you bring up that recovery care and that self care. Do you have like a system that you use or a routine that you love to kind of refresh your body when you need that extra care?
00:13:57
Speaker
Yeah, I mean, there's a lot of different things, but for me it's always like a hot bath, hitting up my physio and getting some manual treatment and then just eating all the right foods that really nourish my body and help it to repair and rebuild.
00:14:12
Speaker
Definitely. And there's so many things and I've found this with myself that I know I can do, but sometimes it's not something that I want to add into my day, right? Like I know I should be stretching more. I know that weight training helps me so much, but it's not always something that I put into my schedule. And so when you're in a better routine, do you find yourself performing at the level that you want?
00:14:35
Speaker
100%. There's certain things I think growing up with a disability I said I'd never do. I'd never do yoga, I'd never do Pilates because who wants to do more stretching? Not me, but now it has a purpose in my life outside of trying to be normal or whatever.
00:14:51
Speaker
Yeah, I do all of those things and lo and behold, I'm in a lot better place for it. Yeah, definitely. If that's something that we do take out of today, I definitely would advocate a thousand percent for stretching. It's just something that our bodies need so much. And I always laugh because my dad would constantly be like, oh, you could stretch this way and that way when I was little. I'm like, yeah, no, it's fine. But what he realizes, especially as we're aging,
00:15:16
Speaker
Our bodies are changing. So it's something to think of too.
Switching Sports for Better Health
00:15:20
Speaker
And I'd also love to hear your journey from going from wheelchair racing into being on the rugby team because has that been more of a push on your body or was this an adaptation that you decided to go into as your journeys change as an athlete?
00:15:34
Speaker
Yeah, no, I actually made the decision for my health, both mentally and physically, because the racing wheelchairs are designed in a way where you really are tight and you're squished in and you're on your knees. Just that combined with spasticity was really not a good combo and I was just sort of dreading going to training because of the muscle spasms and stuff like that. So yeah, I made the switch to come over to rugby to be a little bit kinder to my body and in a turn to my mental health.
00:16:03
Speaker
I think I've really been able to push myself a lot further than I could when I was doing athletics just because I'm starting off in a place that's so much more comfortable. So yeah, that's been really great.
00:16:15
Speaker
And do you like with racing, you know, it's more of an individualized sport. So do you like with rugby that it's more of a team sport? A hundred percent. Like I enjoyed the challenge of athletics where everything was on me and it was up to me to perform. But it's so nice to come into that team environment and to sort of be surrounded by people that like lift you up.
00:16:33
Speaker
So yeah, it's good. I've always found myself when I do sports and I look back on my journey, I've always done a lot of individualized sports. And I think it's because to a degree, I almost didn't want to let my team down, right? Because I'd be on a team of non-disabled people. But coming into that play, I think that's so amazing if I was able to find that team. So I'm sure it feels so great to be a part of that. I'd also love to learn about that learning curve a little bit too.
00:17:01
Speaker
because rugby wasn't really part of your journey. I know basketball is somewhat similar as far as team setup. I've transitioned to learn how to play rugby. To be honest, I've played rugby for quite a while in the background, just as, like I said, is that social outlet, bit of a recreational thing.
00:17:18
Speaker
But coming into it and training full-time, there's just so many tactics to learn. The game is also changing so rapidly that even when I was playing a couple years ago, things have moved on quite a bit. It's definitely a whole heap of new things to think about and to learn, but really enjoying it. That's awesome. Well, I cannot wait to see those matches on the Paralympics this year and they're coming up, so definitely tune into those. But I'd also love to talk about all of the other amazing things that you're up to.
Advocacy and Representation Importance
00:17:48
Speaker
So you're so many things, a Paralympian, an advocate, a content creator, a public speaker, and you speak pretty openly on social media about being disabled. So what's your favorite part about what you get to do? Yeah, I mean, there's a lot of great opportunities that come along with it for sure. Like I said, just being able to meet some really awesome people and being able to travel and just be in new environments all the time. But I think for me,
00:18:11
Speaker
It's about, you know, connecting with young people with disabilities and parents and just sort of giving them a bit of a different perspective on life with a disability and showing them what's possible. Because I think, you know, even today in 2024, there's still a lot of stereotypes around disability and what life looks like as a disabled person. So for me being able to share my journey openly and, you know, just how good my life is, I think, yeah, it's just about showing other people that they can get that too. That's the main thing.
00:18:41
Speaker
And with all the things that you're up to, what do you hope you get to do more of? I really love the content creation stuff, the modeling, especially working with brands to increase that representation for people with disabilities. I always say you can't be what you can't see, so I think it's super important that we do increase the representation. One in five people have some form of disability, yet you look at a lot of our
00:19:04
Speaker
media landscape and things like that you wouldn't assume it so I think yeah I think that's so important just to give young people that sense of empowerment and to be able to feel comfortable in who they are. And your style is like you know I just love it's pretty distinct but I just love you know what you put together and where you find these pieces definitely something that I would like to get better at but where do you draw your style inspiration from? I think I've always been super interested in clothes and fashion like from a from a young age I think
00:19:34
Speaker
I clocked on pretty early that people were going to notice that I was different because of the way that I walked or because I used a wheelchair and that people were probably going to stare at me a little bit. So I wanted to give them a reason to stare at me outside of my disability and a reason for them to take notice of me outside of that. Not that I was trying to distance myself from my disability, but just to show them that there's more to me than just that.
00:19:59
Speaker
And yeah, I think that just really encouraged me to develop my own personal sense of style. And I just really enjoy, you know, yeah, finding unique pieces and especially vintage pieces that have had a bit of history and, you know, maybe been won by someone else. So, yeah. That's amazing. And I would love to learn more like what are some of Australia's favorite fashion brands and like where do you shop?
00:20:20
Speaker
I mostly shop second-hand and vintage just because I love finding those pieces with a little bit of history. But in general, Ozzy's fashion is very surfy, very streetwear, skate-y. I think just because we're all outdoors all the time and enjoying those sort of activities.
00:20:38
Speaker
Yeah, definitely. Well, you have the weather for it. And so with everything that you're sharing on social media, what's the best thing that's come out of your platform? I think just being able to connect with people, honestly, and being able to learn so much more about myself just through my community in terms of people with disabilities, people with CP, the queer community, just being able to realize that all of those things I thought maybe were just like little weird me quirks are actually
00:21:05
Speaker
You know, they're part of being a part of these communities and being able to connect with people and share ideas and sort of, again, just like lift each other up because I think, you know, it's not always easy belonging to minority groups. And I think the social media really gives us that opportunity to sort of take control of the narrative and just to show people what it's actually like.
Social Media's Role in Community and Narratives
00:21:25
Speaker
I couldn't agree more. For the community piece, I think I've learned the most about my CP through social media, which is just not at all from healthcare providers or PTs. I learned the most by actually talking to people on Instagram where
00:21:44
Speaker
I'm getting on roundtables. At first, I didn't want to share so much of my story. For a long time, I didn't want that piece of my life to be out on social media. But once I got my story going and it was out there,
00:21:59
Speaker
I didn't realize how connected I would be in all these stories that would come together. Is there a particular story that you have with your community or with a follower that you have that really just made an impact on you making content?
00:22:15
Speaker
Yeah, I think even outside of the social media, I was actually at the pre-departure camp before going to the Paralympics, and it was all of the athletes that compete in athletics who went to this little staging camp. There were quite a few of us there with CP, and I was just chatting with this other athlete who's a runner. She was like, I don't know what it is, but every time the gun goes off for the race, I get this big jump and this surge of adrenaline. I'm like, dude, that's the startle reflex.
00:22:43
Speaker
That's a safety thing." And she's like, oh my god, actually, I've been trying to figure out how I can train it out.
00:22:50
Speaker
and adapt my training to deal with it. I'm like, no, dude, that's your CV. And I think it's just those little things that sometimes you don't find out from medical professionals because they just don't think to mention it or whatever. It's not relevant to the conversation. But being able to connect with other people and just being like, ah, it clicks. It makes sense. Yeah, it's pretty cool. Totally. And that's so funny that you bring that up because I was probably in my early 20s when I learned that myself.
00:23:20
Speaker
It's so interesting. And have you learned from other athletes? Were there certain athletes with CP or with other disabilities that you really looked up to in your journey? Yeah, definitely. Just people around the track and through the different spots, just telling me, helping me to realize how I could adapt training and things like that to make it work for my body and to get the most out of those sessions has been super important. We're definitely master adapters.
00:23:48
Speaker
And I think that there's definitely plus sides and negatives to that, right? Because sometimes we're not just adapting to the sport that we're learning, but we're also adapting because of the circumstances that were placed. So you did say that access to sports is expensive for a lot of athletes.
00:24:05
Speaker
to get involved. But from that ground level, through the journey that you've learned, I'm sure you've met so many people. Can you give anybody advice to just breaking in and starting this journey, even if initially, financially, there's something that they have to invest in for their sport?
00:24:21
Speaker
I can't speak to what it's like in the US, but here in Australia, we have quite a few non-for-profit organisations that are focused on getting people with disabilities into sport, whether that's recreationally or working to something like the Paralympics.
00:24:36
Speaker
I think there are, you know, there's so many people out there that will help you on your journey if you're willing to, you know, sort of reach out and look for those opportunities. So I think, yeah, it's definitely just taking those first couple of steps and then often after that, you know, things sort of snowball and you can get involved in these great communities.
00:24:53
Speaker
Yeah, and just like we were saying, sharing our stories and connecting with people on how it creates more opportunity, you just don't know that snowball effect. And sometimes it's scary, right, to like take that first step in the journey. But I've found too, it's like when you just even inch out of your comfort zone a little bit,
00:25:12
Speaker
just how much your life can change. And I think you've pushed yourself to do that time and time again. Was there ever fear in this journey as you started to share content more about your life, more about you as an athlete?
Overcoming Self-Consciousness
00:25:24
Speaker
Did you ever have to push through fear? Yeah, 100%. I think most young people, it's pretty self-conscious.
00:25:30
Speaker
Uh, I think, you know, everyone, you know, going through high school and stuff becomes really aware of themselves. And again, like just any difference sort of becomes put under the microscope a little bit. So, um, was definitely anxious to sort of do that at first and sort of saw my disability as something that I should try and hide or.
00:25:46
Speaker
minimize. I didn't want to talk about all of the struggles that come with that. But I think once you open that door and you reach out to that community and get all the support and make those connections, it definitely makes it worth it. This is an amazing conversation, Robin. I feel like we could just keep talking about athletics for such a long time.
00:26:06
Speaker
It's inspiring me to even look into opportunities too. I'm a very competitive person when it comes to sports. I only play recreationally, but even in our tennis league, when I lose, and it plays a lot for me, I was qualifying for something. So there's that competitive nature.
Healthcare for Adults with Cerebral Palsy
00:26:23
Speaker
So what we're asking every single guest is the number one thing you want to see changed about healthcare for adults with CP. And I'd love to know your perspective being an Australian as well.
00:26:35
Speaker
Yeah, I think just to have healthcare as an adult with CP or to have access to professionals who understand the condition and not just understand the condition in a pediatric setting, but what it means as you age. Like I said, things are definitely getting harder as I get older, the wear and tear that comes with
00:26:56
Speaker
walking the way that we walk and spasticity and all those kinds of things it would be awesome to just sort of have more of those healthcare professionals that are invested in the long term with CP. I'm super lucky that I'm involved in sport and a lot of my medical care sort of falls under the sporting bodies and they take a pretty holistic approach.
00:27:15
Speaker
But if I didn't have that, you know, I go to most GPs here and they're like, they just don't know what it means, which is wild. So, yeah, I think there just needs to be more education and more understanding. Wow. And this is so interesting that it's an international experience because a lot of the community in the United States, like this is what we're saying time and time again. I mean, this is a major driver for this podcast. And, you know, I've had the same experience here.
00:27:42
Speaker
Interestingly, my orthopedic, he started his career in Brazil, went to Australia and is now practicing in New York. All right. And often he says he wishes he was back in Australia.
00:27:57
Speaker
Yeah, I mean, I'm thankful that we have, yeah, pretty decently held guest system. I think it's so interesting that we're seeing this across the board all over the world. Like it's not just a pediatric experience in the United States. People with CP in many, many different countries are seeing that really after pediatric. We are kind of left to find and piece care together ourselves. Yeah. Yeah, definitely. Yeah. It's like you turn 18 and they're like, okay, good luck.
00:28:26
Speaker
I think we could probably put a lot of the different stories that we've heard together. This is an experience where we're all feeling. So I think hearing from everybody's stories and making those connections is a piece of the driver for change.
00:28:44
Speaker
Well, Robin, it was so great to meet you. Thank you for joining in on your evening. And we're looking forward to learning more about your journey. So where can our listeners stay in touch and stay connected with you? Yeah, the best place is probably Instagram. So it's just Robin Labard at Instagram. And yeah, I'd love to connect with some more of your people. Thanks, Robin. Cool. Thank you.
00:29:08
Speaker
Thanks for listening to this episode of Cerebral Palsy Grows Up, the podcast. This show is produced by Ashley Harris Whaley, Katie Gastra, and Kyle Kechedorian, hosted by Alexa Orban, and its logo was designed by Brianna Rachey.
00:29:21
Speaker
We'd like to thank our listeners for being such a valuable part of our community, and we'd also like to thank Rob and Lambert for their time and expertise. Please don't forget to subscribe at rate, Cerru Polo Grows Up the podcast, wherever you get your podcast from. And don't forget to follow Cerru Polo Grows Up on Instagram and TikTok to connect with the project and stay up to date. Thanks again for listening, and we hope you'll be back for the next episode.