#11: Alexa Towersey Speaks On How Sobriety & Fitness Saved Her Life

We all know the importance of keeping fit and taking care of our bodies.  For some, going to the gym is just a normal part of their weekly routine, for others it’s the highlight of their day and a place where they can let off steam.  But for Alexa Towersey, it’s the place that saved her life.

Brought up in a military family, Alexa was no stranger to fitness and despite how much she loved food, she always had a naturally skinny physique, so much so that her nickname in highschool was ‘Alexa Anorexia.’  Tired of the names and bullying, Alexa decided to take matters into her own hands and joined a gym to build some muscle on her petite frame.  

Finding a community of people who supported her, Alexa began to discover her own resilience and forge the personal strength she needed to survive throughout the week. Trouble at school was one thing, but it wasn’t the only drama Alexa was dealing with. As a young child her mother was diagnosed with manic depression, which as you can imagine had a devastating impact on their relationship and on her own self esteem. Her father dealt with the ongoing crisis by diving deep into alcoholism and it wasn’t long before Alexa followed in his footsteps, wasting away the weekends by binge drinking. This toxic pattern of escapism continued for many years until the day of her father’s funeral when she decided to never drink again.

In this episode, you’ll hear Alexa’s story in more detail and discover how she turned her life around to become an internationally published sports model, celebrity trainer and nutrition and lifestyle coach.  She lives a life of empowerment and possibility and as an ambassador for LIVIN, she inspires many others to do the same for themselves.

We can choose the way we want to live our life. Tune in to hear Alexa’s incredible story and how you can apply her amazing attitude toward life to your own circumstances. Every person has the power to change their own life.

SOME TOPICS WE COVERED AND WHERE TO FIND THEM:

[5:00] – How Alexa got the nickname “Alexa Anorexia”

[9:00] – How a diagnosis of manic depression for Alexa’s mother impacted Alexa as a child

[12:00] – The mother/daughter dynamic and how that changed due to the manic depressive diagnosis

[13:00] – Dealing with an alcoholic father and the impact this also had on Alexa as a child

[14:00] – The tumultuous relationship between Alexa’s parents both dealing with their own internal struggles

[15:00] – How Alexa modelled the behaviour she had seen as a child and used alcohol as her coping mechanism for many years too

[18:00] – The pivotal moment in Alexa’s life when her father passed away, and how this finally caused her to stop drinking for good

[20:00] – The immediate ways Alexa’s life changed once she became sober

[21:00] – Dealing with the drinking culture in Australia

[22:30] – Why it’s so difficult to just say, “I’m not drinking” without others needing you to have a reason

[24:00] – How fitness has helped Alexa through so many challenges

[26:00] – Losing a charity boxing match and realising failure is totally okay

[29:50] – The blog of Sebastian Terry and how this helped Alexa step out of her comfort zone

[32:45] – Identifying when you’re not happy, and taking steps to change your reality

[34:00] – When you’re starting something new, it inevitably means letting go of something old

[34:16] – Alexa’s next big challenge to come – the Mongol Derby

[38:00] – How a near death experience further refined her purpose and mission in life

[40:40] – The transformational moment that Alexa experienced after speaking at LIVINWell presentation

LINKS: 

Website: https://www.alexatowersey.com/

Sebastian Terry: https://www.100things.com/

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For any enquiries, feedback, and interview requests, please send an email to: [email protected]

Thanks for listening to another episode of It Ain’t Weak to Speak with Sam Webb.

If after listening to this episode, you don’t quite feel right or you want to reach out to someone to talk to, we have provided some useful resources below. 

For immediate support please call one of the following 24/7 hotlines. Someone will be ready to take your call. Remember, ‘It Ain’t Weak to Speak’

If you are in Australia:

• Emergency – 000
• Lifeline – 13 11 14
• Kids Helpline – 1800 55 1800

If you are in the United States:

• Emergency- 911
• National Suicide Prevention Lifeline- 1-800-273-8255
• Crisis Text Line: Text LIVIN to 741741 in the United States.

If you would prefer to speak with someone face-to-face, we recommend visiting your local GP (doctor) who will be able to have a chat with you about what is going on in your life and refer you to a mental health professional if need be.

For some tools to help you with things like stress, low mood, general worries, please check out our LIVIN tips and tricks here: https://livin.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/LIVIN-Tips-Tricks.pdf

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