Hi, I’m Brooke, owner and founder Respirit Run Co and lover of running. I founded my biz is 2019, after the birth of my second child. I was looking for a way to connect with likeminded women through running.
I have always been quite open about my experience with anxiety and depression. I found that opening up about my own struggles was a way of owning them and not letting them define me. They are just one part of my diverse and wonderful life.
What I have also realised by opening up about my own experience is how many other women are dealing with the same struggles. I have a passion for normalising and de-stigmatising mental ill health. I also have a passion for encouraging women to own their stories and transform their lives.
I love running (obviously!), wine, spending time with her family at their local beach and doing yoga and pilates. I am an accredited Level 2 Recreational Run Leader with Athletics Australia.
my passion
I have a passion for both running and advocating for mental health. Exercise, particularly running, has changed my life. I want to share this with other women who attend my retreats and work with me during coaching. Having struggled with anxiety and depression I found running as a way to cope and quiet my mind.
I have run multiple marathons and half marathons as well as countless 10k and 5k races as well as half ironman triathlons. I love sharing my passion for running with other women. I love to bring women together in a safe space so we can connect, have fun and form genuine friendships.
where it all began
I got into running in my early to mid-twenties after finding myself back home living with my mum, broke and in the midst of a mental breakdown. Looking back, I had experienced anxiety for most of my life, however it wasn't until my early twenties that it really became out of control. I had been living in survival mode for a few years until I could no longer cope and hit absolute rock bottom. But it was the best thing that ended up happening to me...
I started running as a way to cope. Cope with the constant intrusive thoughts I had been plagued with for years. Cope with feeling like a failure. Cope with the constant hyperventilation I had been experiencing. It also helped me develop a much healthier relationship with food and my body.
What happened was incredible.
What started as a way to quieten my mind turned into something truly life changing.
I would step out the door and plug in my headphones and for a brief period of time, I found peace. As I began running more often, I began to transform. Those moments of peace I held on to. When things got particularly difficult, I remembered those feelings I had experienced running and reminded myself that they could be found again.
Running as my only coping mechanism served me well until I became pregnant with my daughter. When I was pregnant with my daughter, I found myself unable to call on my usual coping mechanism of lacing up and heading out for a run. Initially, I really struggled. My go to of heading out for a run was no longer possible at 37 weeks pregnant! It was then I realised that I needed to add more tools into my mental health toolkit. I started journaling, meditating, and using mindfulness as ways to manage my mental health.
While running changed my life, it wasn't running alone that solved everything. I have to stress the importance of also finding a GP that understood and empathised with my mental ill health, she put me in touch with a fantastic psychologist who helped me unpack so much of what I was feeling and I also started on anti-depressants.
These things combined allowed me to gradually add to my mental health toolkit. I was able to begin meditating, practising gratitude and began to live a much happier, balanced life.
It's because of these experiences that have made me into the person I am today. I hope that by sharing my story and creating a safe space I can empower other women to take control over their own narratives and live rich and fulfilled lives that are filled with connection, happiness and adventure.
I’d love to see you at my next running group or retreat, so please reach out and let’s chat about how I can help you start running and find yourself.
