#40: Lee Carseldine Speaks On Survivor and Finding Your Alliance in Life

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Lee Carseldine is our guest up on the Podcast today. In addition to being my good friend and arch nemesis on Australian Survivor season 1, Lee is a retired professional cricket player, businessman, TV presenter, father and all round inspiring human being. 

In this episode, Lee shares about his career as a professional cricket player for 15 years and the devastation of his career ending injury which left him in a hospital bed unsure if he would ever walk again. Lee talks about the ups and downs of his journey, the identity challenges being out of the game and shares how he was able to push through the physical and mental barriers while in rehab. 

Lee talks about the importance of building resilience and how his father was instrumental in teaching him the practise of positive self talk, goal setting and the power of positive affirmations. We also talk about being on Australian Survivor and how the values instilled in Lee from a young age equipped him to push through challenging circumstances and the importance of an alliance. 

During day 33 on his second season of Australian Survivor, Lee received the devastating news that his mother had suffered a stroke and likely wouldn’t make it. Lee shares about his experience dealing with his mother’s death, the long journey back home and how he processed the events of what he refers to as the worst week of his life.

Lee brings the message home yet again that it ain’t weak to speak as he shares about the importance of talking about his grief and listening when others need to share what’s going on in their lives. You never know what someone is going through and sometimes a listening ear is what could save their life.

TOPICS WE COVER AND WHERE TO FIND THEM:

[4:30]: How playing professional cricket was a dream come true and Lee was lucky enough to travel the world doing so for 15 years.

[6:00]: The highs and the lows – Lee reflects on losing his cricket contract at age 27 while in hospital with a severe back injury and a wife with a baby on the way

[8:00]: How Lee spiralled after his injury but his first focus was to get his physical health back by taking it moment by moment in rehab.

[9:00]: Lee shares about the mental journey in no longer having his identity as a cricketer and how he decided to go back to uni to do his MBA to become employable.

[10:55]: How Lee’s father was instrumental in teaching him how to be resilient and train his brain to get through difficulties. He taught him the power of affirmations and positive self talk.

[13:15]: Lee talks about teaching his kids the importance of positive self talk, making goals and working to improve themselves every day but that the best way is to lead by example through his own action.

[15:30]: How problems will always arise which is why we need to train our brains to learn how to overcome them. We build resilience through experiencing difficulties.

[16:45]: Lee and Sam’s time on the island taught them that they can be resilient when they need to be and they always have those experiences to lean back on.

[18:15]: How Lee thinks of his brain like a muscle and that it is strengthened through strain. He knows the importance of leaning into challenges to help him grow.

[19:45]: Lee shares about when he received the news of his mother’s stroke on day 33 of his second round of survivor and how it was the worst week of his life.

[22:20]: How the Survivor community and producers were so supportive and helped him get home as quick as possible but that Lee had to go straight to hospital to heal from a leg injury before seeing his family.

[24:50]: Lee shares about the importance of talking about loss and how it gets easier every time.

[26:40]: How talking about grief helps you process, understand, self reflect and feel a weight off your shoulders.

[28:20]: How the second Survivor was a lot easier than the first in terms of living conditions but the challenges were a lot tougher

[30:15]: How Survivor was just a game and that it strengthened Sam and Lee’s friendship, in the same way that Lee’s cricket team from 20 years ago is still a team and maintains their connection.

[31:15]: Finding an alliance in real life is crucial. We need to have people we can trust and share our lives with.

[33:00]: How talking about things, even in a small way, can be enough and that sometimes people just need to share what’s going on and just be listened to.

[35:40]: Lee is keeping busy with his commercial drone business, TV presenting and involvement with the Australian Cricketers Association for players who are entering retirement.

LINKS AND RESOURCES MENTIONED:

Lee’s website: https://leecarseldine.com.au/

Lee’s Instagram: @leecarseldine

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