Career Clarity with Athletes: A 2ndwind Podcast with Ryan Gonsalves

147: Lexi Chambers - Defying Limits: From Amputee to World Record Holder

• Ryan Gonsalves

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In this episode Ryan sits down with Lexi Chambers, an adaptive athlete who has shattered expectations and set multiple world records—all while using a standard NHS wheelchair. After a below-the-knee amputation due to Complex Regional Pain Syndrome (CRPS), Lexi refused to let disability define her. Instead, she turned to endurance sports, becoming the first person to wheel from John O’Groats to Land’s End (1,500km) in an everyday wheelchair. Now, she’s preparing for 10 ultramarathons in 10 days (50km/day) and an even bigger challenge: wheeling coast-to-coast across the USA (5,000km) in 2027.

Lexi shares her journey of resilience, how sport became her therapy, and her mission to inspire others to embrace movement—no matter their circumstances.


What You’ll Hear

- Lexi’s life-changing CRPS diagnosis, amputation, and why she refused to hang up her athletic dreams

- How a kitchen “test spin” led to her first world record and eventually wheeling John O’Groats → Land’s End in a standard NHS chair

- The surprising role of extreme training as pain therapy and mental escape

- Balancing a punishing training schedule, gruelling winds, and 4 am starts—plus the “test weeks” that make or break prep

- Building and motivating a novice event-planning crew to pull off “impossible” challenges

- Lessons learned fundraising hundreds of thousands, nailing keynote speeches, and embracing vulnerability on stage

- Upcoming feats: 10×50 km ultramarathons in 10 days for Rugby World Cup charity, then a 5 000 km coast-to-coast across the U.S.

- Lexi’s simple message to anyone doubting themselves: you never know what you can do until you try


Ready to rethink your limits? Tune in and get inspired to take that first (or next) rotation.


💎 Memorable Quotes:

  • "The NHS told me I’d ‘grow into’ my wheelchair. I decided to prove them wrong."
  • "Pain is my constant companion, but it doesn’t get to dictate my life."
  • "Nobody believed a standard wheelchair could do these distances. Now they know it can."
  • "If you wait for the ‘perfect’ conditions, you’ll never start. Just go."


Need career clarity? 

Connect with Ryan Gonsalves and the 2NDWind Academy to discover how your athletic experience can become your professional advantage here: www.2ndwind.io










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Speaker 1:

From where you are now. What's next? What are the next challenges that you've got on your list?

Speaker 2:

Yeah. So there's two coming up that we're preparing for simultaneously One because it's going to take quite a lot of planning in comparison to John O'Groats to Land's End. So we planned that within eight months. Essentially, it's going to be almost two years of planning by the time I get to the start line, and this year it's quite a big challenge for me. It it's big in the fact that it's not as far as John O'Groats to Land's End. So that was 35 marathons in 35 days. This is I'm going to be doing, starting the beginning of August 10 ultramarathons in 10 days, so a little bit further. So an ultramarathon is quite tough and, as far as we know, nobody's actually attempted an ultramarathon in an everyday sport chair before.

Speaker 1:

So I've done a few in training already, so I know that I can do them, which is good hi, I'm ryan gonzalves and welcome to a second wind academy podcast, a show all about career transition through the lens of elite athletes. Each week, I invite a guest to the show who shares their unique sporting story. Please join me to delve into the thoughts and actions of athletes through a series of conversations. Don't worry, there's plenty to learn from those of you that aren't particularly sporty. Elite athletes are still people after all. Let's be inspired by the stories of others. Lexi, thanks for joining me on the show today, the Career Clarity podcast, with me, ryan Gonsalves. Lexi, I'm looking forward to our conversation because, well, actually, there's so much to learn about your story, what you're going through and, effectively, how you're balancing everything you do, including, as you've just told me, your 4am starts. So thanks for joining me.

Speaker 1:

No worries, lovely to be here Great, and look, one of the bits that I was saying is the great thing about meeting someone like yourself is talking about. I know this is about that career clarity and finding transition, and so much of that comes down to being comfortable and focused in what we are doing in our day-to-day life, and you certainly strike me as someone who has got a focus and is working really hard to sort of get the best out of everything that you can do.

Speaker 2:

Yeah, yeah, pretty much. What I spend all my time doing is there's always a next goal, a next challenge that I'm always working towards. So that's literally how my life is.

Speaker 1:

Yeah Well, for those who don't know, you, who were sort of tuning in watching this, can you just give us that introduction about yourself? Give us that infomercial.

Speaker 2:

So, obviously, lexi Chambers, I started three years ago. Four years ago I had my leg amputated below the knee for a chronic pain condition called CRPS or complex regional pain syndrome. Unfortunately, the condition came back about two weeks later, so it meant that I was completely wheelchair dependent. So before that I was quite sporty on two legs and I'd do anything that I could within sport. Really. I played tennis, I did triathlons, I did running, all sorts of things and I found that I had to completely change my life and try and find something that I could do that was within sport, because that was my life and I didn't want to give that up. So I had one wheelchair, my normal NHS wheelchair that I was given and that actually took a long time to even get that and because I can't wear a prosthetic because of the pain condition.

Speaker 2:

So I basically started wheeling around in this normal wheelchair and then I thought, well, ok, I'm wheeling around. I wanted to set myself a challenge and I decided to do starting off. It started off doing the London Marathon, and then that escalated to doing triathlons and half marathons and the London Marathon and I managed to get my first two world records three years ago doing that, and then that moved on from there to endurance events. So I managed to get another world record for wheeling the furthest distance around a track for 12 hours nonstop. And then last year, that was my. Last year was my fifth world record, which was where I became the first person ever to wheel from John O'Groats to Land's End using an everyday normal wheelchair. So now I'm preparing for the next two events.

Speaker 1:

So it's kind of escalated. My gosh got to start with these world records and the things that you're doing. They seem like world records that are based in endurance in pain, in agony, yeah, and really put yourself through these things. Tell me that you're enjoying them whilst you're doing it, though.

Speaker 2:

Yeah, it's almost. It's weird, it's. It's like a therapy for me in a way. So because I've got this pain condition that you know getting around it is. It's very severe. So I'm in about eight out of ten pain all the time. So, from a scale from naught to ten, not being no pain, ten being the worst ever, I literally live at an eight and that can escalate to ten plus and the drop of a hat. It just does it when it feels like it. There's no treatment, there's no medication that works. So finding training and doing the most extreme training that I possibly can, it's almost like that old thing that people say to you oh, I've hurt my foot, and then someone says I'm going to punch you in the arm and it'll stop that pain hurting. It's similar to that in a way. It doesn't make the pain go away, it makes it sort of a bit more manageable and gives you an alternate focus. So which, which is quite, quite cool. So it works for me so well.

Speaker 1:

I guess what you're saying is well, firstly, amazing to be able to live with, with that type of pain, but what you're you're really saying as well is, through sport or through that activity, it's not just a distraction, it's actually another focus, and that's sort of where you it helps you channel your energy and, I don't know, do you get a state of, I don't know, a state of calmness or anything, as you, as you as you're, you're sort of pushing yourself through these barriers yeah, I set myself goals all the time.

Speaker 2:

So even in in training I kind of I'll set myself a goal mid-training, or there's always something that I'm striving to to achieve and I don't know whether that's something that came recently or whether that's something that was from my past. I can't quite sort of fathom where that came from. But there's always something that I'm setting myself and when I'm wheeling along and things are going well. So if I have a flare up, it tends to be a bit rocky, but I'll keep going through it.

Speaker 1:

But when things are going well, yeah, it's just like a this is what I'm supposed to be doing, I suppose, kind of moment, which is is quite nice. Yeah, yeah, sorry, you, you've completely taken me off tangent from all the questions that I was going to ask. I'm now just all fascinated about this, you and the pain and and but more the goals that you've set yourself. Now you did mention something there which is you're not sure if this is a relatively new thing, relative being, I guess, since the pain, since the amputation, and being wheelchair bound. So I guess, for my benefit, and I'll say, I'll pretend, I'll say I'm asking for a friend, but I'm like no, no, forget the audience, I'm interested. So, prior to the amputation, talk to me then. So prior to the amputation, talk to me then. What was it like for you growing up? When you talk about being active in sport, talk me through that as well.

Speaker 2:

So when I was younger, I was always doing different sports. I never really, I suppose, excelled massively in one particular sport. So I did a lot of tennis and stuff when I was very young and then found rock climbing and I absolutely loved it and actually my biggest dream ever and it's still my biggest dream ever was to climb Everest and the T-shirt. So, and in a way, some of these challenges I kind of equate them to being my new Everest, and that's how I sort of see them is that I can't actually do the thing that I wanted to do back then, but I can emulate that by doing other things now. So I was really big into climbing and absolutely loved it. Um, but I've done quite a lot of sports. Um, I competed in natural body competitions when I was 17, so I managed to get to sixth in the country, which wasn't too bad, um, I suppose for that age, I think it's. I think that's quite impressive. Yeah, so lots of different sports, but, um, it wasn't until starting doing what I'm doing now.

Speaker 2:

And lots of people will say to me that you use a normal box, standard wheelchair. Why is that? And so you know, I could use a sport chair, I could do that way and you know, it's not something that I haven't considered, because I think that's an amazing thing to do and I'd, to be honest, I'd love to wheel a normal wheelchair on a track, but for me it's. It's bigger than just me doing doing a sport. It's it's hopefully trying to inspire other people to take up sport by using what kit they have, because wheelchair, wheelchair um or sport wheelchairs are really expensive. Not everybody has access to everyday sort of kit like that, but they do have their wheelchair that they're in, so with that wheelchair they might realize that they can actually use that to engage in sport as well so when you were doing sport beforehand, obviously getting to six in terms of sort of natural weight lifting at that young age, I'm I'm interested then, what world records did you hold before five years ago?

Speaker 2:

I didn't have any until then.

Speaker 1:

No right, okay, and so what was your? What was life for you then? What was your job? What were you actually doing in previously?

Speaker 2:

So my originally, when I left school I was a fitness instructor. I then worked on cruise ships for a while and then after that I kind of had this bit of a hiatus of I'd been teaching for so long and working on ships is very tough. You work about 100 hours a week for very little pain and I kind of came off cruise ships and I thought I kind of want a new challenge and it was my dad's fault. I literally asked my dad. I said well, you know what, I don't know what to do next. And he was like join the army. So I did, I literally joined the army and that's where I ended up with the problems with my feet which led to the amputation eventually.

Speaker 2:

So I was only in the army for about a year before I came out to try and get my feet sorted out, which took a very long time to get a diagnosis. Put it that way, it was years before I actually got a diagnosis to find out what the original problem was. And at that time I sort of believe that you only get one life and I don't want to waste it. So I thought, if I retrain as something else, then when I get to go back in the army hopefully I've got a trade to go back in with. So I retrained as a registered nurse and then I ended up not being able to go back in the army because of the problems with my feet, which led to the amputation, and I ended up being a nurse for 17 years. So I had to retire very, very, very early and I had the amputation due to the fact that I couldn't work as a nurse with the pain condition that I had or that I have.

Speaker 1:

Yeah, amazing. From what I've known about you, there are patches of that that I can recognise, but I think the bit that now gets me is the inspiration to do what you're doing now. So, from these different pockets of your life we've got being in the army, having to leave, learning something else service-oriented, and giving back in that way. Then the amputation comes, and then this is all about finding that second wind. It's like you took that second wind but you accelerated it and you've gone much beyond, because now you have this goal, orientation, which is being the best in the world or holding that world record. So what do you think has been that? I know there's probably not one particular point, but what are the sort of different events or things that have made you feel you have a voice and you have something that you want to say?

Speaker 2:

I think it's probably a series of events more than anything, but originally it was quite early on when I left hospital and I was just wheeling around in my kitchen. It was that simple and thinking to myself I'm not going to be wheelchair dependent for very long, because originally you get told it'd be six weeks and at that point the condition that I had hadn't come back, so I had all this hope of using prosthetic and all these dreams that I had was still real. So I could still do Everest, I could still do triathlons running on two legs, I could still do all these things that I thought was going to happen when I had this surgery. And I was literally just whizzing around my kitchen and I turned around to my other half and it was like one of those kind of a weird moment that I just went I wonder if I could wheel this chair all the way from John O'Groats to Land's End, and that's literally where everything started. And then I started researching it, found out that no one had ever done it before, which then came up with this whole other series of challenges. I then found out that no women had ever done most of the things that I was trying to do before using an everyday non-sport chair. So that's not the reason why I decided to do it using the chair. It was literally I thought, well, if no one's ever done it, is it possible? And that's where it all became and I just started training from that, literally, that that moment went out in my chair.

Speaker 2:

I did I think it was about 500 meters, was my first ever training session and my arms, my hands were killing me. It was like wow, but my other half laughs at me because she like turns around and says most people would have sort of said, yeah, this is just stupid, what am I doing? At this point I was just like no, no, we'll keep going. It's like today I did this, tomorrow I'm going to do further. And I just kept going and going and it didn't seem to matter how much it hurt. It was like well, keep going more. And then, when the pain condition came back, then that gave me the focus that I needed, away from just thinking about this condition that's come back and the sort of dreams and everything that had been almost ripped away again for a second time. So it, yeah, it gave me a life that I never anticipated, in a way, which was amazing yeah, I mean, it's fascinating and your questions in my head it's like wow, from this.

Speaker 1:

Well, I'm going to say adversity, but I'll come back and let's see if there might be a better phrase, but or better word. But it's you there in the kitchen thinking, well, I wonder how far someone's pushed, how far has someone taken themselves? And look, how far is uh lands.

Speaker 2:

Enter, john o'groats, it's 1500 kilometers, so just under a thousand miles. Yeah, that's a long way.

Speaker 1:

That's a long way to go and it isn't all flat and I'm guessing it wasn't sunshine the whole way either as well no, definitely not, it was um.

Speaker 2:

So the route that I took, so a lot of people when they cycle it, they'll go down the middle of the country, um, and that is the flattest route to take and quite sensibly, far from sensible. So, and we decided that I was going to go through the hilliest part of the whole country. So I went down literally the west coast, which was over the glencoe mountains, through the mendips, literally any part of the country that's got mountains in it. I went over those that I managed to climb everest, one and a half times in the whole distance that down the country.

Speaker 1:

So that's brilliant, you've done everest. Now we can shout out, find something else when you're now, you know, looking at these world records and I actually want to understand what those a little bit more about, how you came about taking that one challenge. And then you're looking. Were you looking for that next world record? Or again, was it just walking around the kitchen chopping up the carrots and you thought I know what I'm going to do 12 hours off. I go what? What's your moment? What's your point of inspiration for finding these challenges?

Speaker 2:

yes, the first one was obviously the kitchen side, but I found out then that it was really difficult to get back in to do something that no one had ever done, because no one believed it was possible. So I realized I had to start small, and so that's when I sort of jumped up doing the London Marathon. But that was. It was twofold. It was about giving me a focus for something to do, but it was also about giving back to a charity that helped me out quite a lot. So I'm an army veteran, so I was giving back to a charity called Blesma and who had helped me. They're amazing. So that's what I decided to do.

Speaker 2:

The event for the world record side just came as a byproduct almost, and that's really what they've been. They're not my focus at all. They're lovely. They look, you know, on the wall. They look lovely and I'm really chuffed to have them.

Speaker 2:

But my main focus really is about sort of inspiring other people to engage in sport when they don't think that they can, and to fundraise for amazing charities as well. So they're the two things that I sort of focus on the most. The third thing is another love in my life, which is women's rugby, and I do a lot for trying to sort of show people what women's rugby can do and the fact that even if you can't play like like me, I can't play, I can't even play wheelchair rugby because of the conditions that I have you can still support other sports and you can still help people in other sports as well. So, yeah, that that's sort of how things came about, and each event has kind of it's just been a weird moment where so that the next event, the dreaming up the 12 hours one, I was, I was in hospital at that time. So every event that I've done, I've done an event and I've ended up back in hospital, not because of the event but the circumstance having more surgery. And each time I've been in for about a month and so I end up having three surgeries in one and I was like laying there in hospital and I was like, wait, I still can't get traction for doing John O'Groats to Land's End. So what can I do in the meantime? I don't want to waste a year. So I know I want to raise money for this charity. Let's do do this, and that's literally how they came about, and then it's sort of researching from there. Has this been done before.

Speaker 2:

For the 12-hour one, it had been done before by a gentleman who had done it in Italy, which sometimes gives you a bit of hope that it's possible. But after actually doing it, I found out that he'd done it on a track that was concrete. And I chose a track that was not. I chose a tartan track, which was basically like wheeling on sand for for 12 hours. So that, yeah, it's a bit tough but yeah, I mean, it's a strange one really. Um, it's nice to have them. Um, obviously, and it certainly helps with with doing other events and going forward, and I wouldn't change doing them for the world, because that they are wonderful things to have and it, when you realise that you've got one, it's like wow, this is incredible. But yeah, they're not the sort of sole driving force that I have.

Speaker 1:

No, that's wonderful. It sounds like that purpose you know, so I talk about, so I'm going through my mind. What I'm hearing is from you as a youngster, that the service orientation, be it army, be it then as a nurse, and now you've accelerated that. So now that service, or the voice that you, or the message or mission that you're on, is trying to get people more active, active in sport, doing sports that perhaps they didn't think they could have, but, importantly, being doing that with what they have, so not needing to, as you were mentioning, spend a lot of money on getting special chairs or equipment or anything like that, but basically trying to get it up and being active as they are.

Speaker 2:

Yeah, yeah, literally. I mean I always like to say to people that you've got a pair of trainers, you can go for a run. You've got a wheelchair, you can go for a wheel, and it's as simple as it gets really, and that's literally the message that I try and get across, that's literally the message that I try and get across.

Speaker 1:

Yeah, and so, in delivering that message, what have you had to, I guess, learn in order to be able to get that message across effectively?

Speaker 2:

A lot yeah, I mean a lot of. It's just been talking to people and seeing other people around and seeing that. I mean you know, myself included when I was younger it's easy to talk yourself out of doing things, especially when they seem really, really difficult, and especially when you've reached some kind of adversity or something like that, and the NHS are not particularly helpful in that. The first thing that they'll say to you is this is your wheelchair. And they actually gave me a wheelchair that was four inches too wide, to which I questioned and I kept saying look, you know, this chair is too big for me. What's going on? And their answer was we'd better give you room to grow. And I was like grow, as in what? And they were like well, you're going to put weight on because you're now wheelchair dependent. And I was like but what if I don't? You know I still need a wheelchair that fits me. So how about you actually educate people the fact that now, sitting down, you're burning less calories? How about you go down that route rather than you know, prevention is better than cure?

Speaker 2:

But there was still the same and it's something that I kept finding over and over and over again that the sort of the expectation of when you, especially when you're wheelchair dependent, is why don't you get an electric wheelchair and make your life easier? Well, actually it doesn't, because the life expectancy for somebody who's wheelchair dependent is 42 years old, which is really really young, and there's no reason for that other than the fact that this whole sort of idea of you're now disabled, you can't do everything that you could do before, but actually you can still do some things. And if you can still do some things, why not do them? And there's a whole other sort of side to it where it's quite complicated and quite complex, but it's almost the sort of system, I suppose, that the NHS and lots of other factors come into play.

Speaker 2:

When you become wheelchair dependent or when you have a disability of any kind, that basically almost triggers your brain into thinking that you can't do stuff anymore, that I am now disabled and all these things I wanted to do are not possible. I can't possibly take up a sport because I'm disabled. I can't possibly do this because of of this title that you now have. But actually, once you realize that it's just another thing, it's just like having a cold or anything like that, obviously a lot more complicated, but you can still engage in some kind of sport and be active in some kind of way. So, and it's just trying to make people see that you know they have the potential to do whatever they want to do.

Speaker 1:

you've just got to get up and do it really yes, yeah, and you give them that motivation and you're someone who clearly leads by example. Uh, in order to encourage others to follow your lead in that regard, as much as I can.

Speaker 1:

Yeah, I guess some of those bits that I find quite interesting for you here. You weren't trained in fundraising and in public speaking or those types. How have you overcome that lack of experience or lack of knowledge to someone who is now well on that path and has a voice that is being heard and certainly being followed?

Speaker 2:

The fundraising side, yeah, really tough. It's actually, I'd say that, the toughest side of everything. It's even tougher than the training, to be honest, and it is something I'd say, an equation that I'm still trying to break. We've done quite well so far. So we've raised in the sort of hundreds of thousands in total for the events that I've done so far, but a lot of that is is cost to actually get the events done and then you finally get to raise that money for charity, which is amazing. And I'm learning all the time and a lot of it's just sort of following other people trying to learn learn what they've done, you know, trying to emulate similar mistakes that other people have done and asking questions to people that have succeeded in that area and managed to do really well.

Speaker 2:

The sort of talking side. Again, it's a work in progress. So I've just started doing quite a lot of talking engagements on stage to various people. I've just done my first keynote speech, which was amazing, and I've been asked to do a few more, which was wonderful. I still find it's a very strange thing for me because, although it's most of it's largely talking about my life, it's surprising how much you forget that I have to sit there with key cards and be like oh yeah, I forgot, I did that there and I forgot is that me? It's very odd, but yeah, it's definitely a work in progress.

Speaker 1:

So yeah, that's brilliant. What? What's that hardest part, then, that you found from? You know, in terms of the public speaking, what's been there, what was the biggest thing you had to overcome to get up on stage and deliver that first keynote?

Speaker 2:

nerves? Most definitely so. The keynote was only a couple of weeks ago and normally when, when I've sort of done a lot of stuff on stage, I tend to have um somebody asking me, asking me questions, which I'm a lot more comfortable with, and that means that, you know, I can just sort of waffle on um and I'm fine with that, but actually sort of giving it a full speech with visuals and remembering to click the button at the right time and everything like that. And I literally sat there on stage and there's all these people there like waiting for me to talk and and I was just like like holding the microphone and my hand was just shaking and I was like, oh, no, not now, and it wasn't shaking.

Speaker 2:

I mean, I was nervous, but part of the condition that I have also makes me shake sometimes, cause I've got three chronic pain conditions and one of them does does that, and I was like having to explain before I even got started that first I have something called severe brain fog, so I'll forget what I'm talking about at some point and my hand's gonna shake. So I suppose in a way it was a nice opener but but that side was like oh no, I didn't really want to have to go into this bit, but that was really nerve-wracking. But yeah, once I got going, it was actually okay.

Speaker 1:

so yeah, honestly, I think it's wonderful that you were honest, you were open and honest when you got up on stage and that that probably, I'm sure that helped the audience warm even more to you, because like, oh great, that's exactly how I would feel now I'm going to listen, and so I think that's great and kudos for for getting up there and and learning that piece. I mean, when you, when you were talking with your partner, deciding you were going to do the 15,000 kilometers, to what extent did you think or did you have in mind of the public speaking, the fundraising and basically that sort of wave of following that that you would create?

Speaker 2:

I didn't really think about it. To be honest, same with any event, I, when these things come along, to me it's just an another part of hopefully helping other people and hopefully helping with the fundraising. So anything I do, it's trying to get the same message out there and trying to help with the next event. And yeah, I mean I'm very sort of focused on what I'm doing. So as soon as I've got a challenge in mind, my whole world becomes about that challenge and that you know training for that challenge and making sure that I can deliver that, because it's never just about me, it's I'm the person that's that you know executing it and and delivering it. But there's an amazing team in the background that are planning it and putting it all together. And then the sponsors that I don't want to let down and you know there's lovely people that follow me on Instagram that are really invested in my journey and write me lovely messages all the time and it's that whole sort of not wanting to let yourself down but not wanting to let a lot of other people down as well. So I kind of just become that mission driven person and eventually we have like sort of every every two weeks we have meetings about the next event of what I'm doing and the planning planning phase, and the actual group that I've got had no experience in this at all either. So they've never planned anything. So, within eight months, a group of people that had no experience of putting an event together put an event together. They were told couldn't happen either. So they were told it wasn't enough enough time to put an event together of that, of that size, and that they they couldn't do it because they had no experience.

Speaker 2:

Well, again, it just proves that you don't have to have experience to pull something off, that you can. You can work together and you can learn things along the way and you can become somebody who has experience, because everybody starts somewhere. So, and that's what they manage to do. So it's all very, very like that. I mean, I quite often joke and in the talks that I do about the, the sort of moment where I said that I want us to do john and my other half's reaction to that was she rolled her eyes and went, oh no, here we go. And that was literally what she said. And because she knows me really well, um, we've been been together for like 18 years and she knows that if I get an idea in my head it never goes away. It'll be there literally until I eventually get to do it, and and that's what what John O'Groats Stalanzan was for me, and then I think she was kind of hoping at that point that that was it, because I've been banging on about three years system.

Speaker 2:

Yeah, let's chill out now and then halfway through I was like, oh, I was just wondering, so next year I would like to do, and then this year, a year after, I would like to do, and it's like, oh no, we're never going to get holiday. A constant joke, constant joke within our household. You know why? Stop there.

Speaker 1:

Well, indeed, I mean so on that. Why stop there? So, based from where you are now, what's next? What are the next challenges that you've got on, that you've got on your list?

Speaker 2:

Yeah. So there's two coming up that we're preparing for simultaneously One, because it's going to take quite a lot of planning in comparison to John O'Groats to Land's End. So we plan that within eight months we need essentially it's going to be almost two years of planning by the time I get to the start line, and this year it's quite a big challenge for me. It's big in the fact that days this is I'm going to be doing and starting the beginning of of august, and 10 ultra marathons in 10 days, so a little bit further. So an ultra marathon quite tough and as, as far as we know, um, nobody's actually attempted an ultra marathon in an everyday sport chair um, before. So done a few in training already, so I know that I can do them, which is good.

Speaker 1:

Yes, so you're going to do 10 ultramarathons in an everyday, 10 ultramarathons in 10 days in an everyday wheelchair?

Speaker 2:

yes, yeah, it's basically a wheelchair that's built for shopping, essentially.

Speaker 1:

So I do everything, including training.

Speaker 2:

Yeah.

Speaker 1:

Well, ultramarathon, how far is that? So? How far are you going in total?

Speaker 2:

Yeah, so an ultramarathon is anything over a marathon distance. So a marathon distance is 42 kilometers or 26.2 miles, so I'm actually going to be doing 50 kilometers every single day. So I thought a nice round number. Also, it gets me from A to B, so I'm actually. It's going to be part of the Rugby World Cup, so I'm going to be raising money for an amazing charity called Child Fund Rugby and I'm going to be carrying the Race to Rugby World Cup whistle. So it is a huge honour for anybody to do, but when you're a massive rugby fan, carrying that whistle is just like an incredible thing. So I'll be starting in London and then wheeling all the way to Sunderland, so I should. I'm going to be starting on the 9th of August and arriving on the 19th, which is going to be incredible, so I can't wait.

Speaker 1:

Well, not only that, but I love what you've done there. You have to do it. You can't even stop. It's like right, we'll change the game, or what. How far have you got? You got to middlesbrough? All right, we'll. Or york, we'll stop in york, never mind, we'll just have the game.

Speaker 2:

You can't do that no, no, literally every day is is that 50 kilometers? Whether I like it or not, that's what's going to happen. So, and you know, doing doing john the great stands and we, we had some, some flexibility on days. Again, I had a start, like a start day and a finished day, and I actually finished, in a way, a day early on that one, which which was great. So we kind of have to stop a bit earlier the day before to make sure that I did the last day and got there on time for when people were waiting for me, which was amazing, of course.

Speaker 1:

But for this moment.

Speaker 2:

Yeah, we can't do that, so it's dead on, dead on the 50 kilometers, whether it's chucking it down with rain or whatever the weather wants to, to check, like literally to throw at me, which which it does do, and it actually makes the job a lot harder.

Speaker 1:

But yeah, it's august in england, it's summer. It's fine, isn't it surely? Yeah, in theory, I'd hope so. Training, so training for something like that for you. How do you fit training into your day? I mean, what, what does that day or that week sort of look like for you?

Speaker 2:

Yeah, um, so I train, uh, five days out of seven. At the moment that escalates to six and I also do a what I call a test week where I'll be doing sort of seven days straight. Um, but my usual week is at the moment I do two 45 kilometer wheels and one 42, which is a marathon. So I do one marathon and two wheels that are a bit more than a marathon. I do one track session, which is two hours interval session, so that's to sort of help with speed and it also helps with emulating some of the hills that I have to go up and that they are.

Speaker 2:

There's no way of of training for those, um, as I found out, they're just there and you have to get over them somehow. So it's about trying to get the strength to get over them. And then a gym session, which is about two hours long as well, and I back to back that. So I do a gym session with a track session and I'll do things like the sort of sled push that you've got, that goes along the carpet and that you see people like pushing and running behind. I have a strap that goes around my waist and I tow that with about 60 kilos on the back and again getting used to sort of towing, something which can help you get out the hill I think getting used to the, getting used to going against the gale force winds, that's what that's going to help you to do.

Speaker 1:

Yeah, that, that as well.

Speaker 2:

Yeah, I mean I train in a seafront where I live, deliberately because it's two and a half kilometres one way and then two and a half the other, and invariably one way. I've always got a really strong headwind. So I'm doing two and a half kilometres straight against what can be sometimes 50 mile an hour headwinds, which is really tough to go against. Um, but again it. It worked well last time. So once I find something that works, you know if it isn't broke don't fix it, kind of thing. So I'll keep going with that same model yeah, very true, very true.

Speaker 1:

So when you how do you fit it in? I speak to here you can have many sort of say dual athletes who are trying to fit things into a busy schedule. Yeah, how do you fit it in? And what struggles do you face?

Speaker 2:

To me, training always comes first, because that's how I'm going to deliver whatever event that I'm doing. So that's the first thing that gets put in my diary and then everything else gets put around that as much as possible. Sometimes, obviously, it's not possible and I have to juggle training around and I have to move things. So the past couple of weeks I've had various appointments and things to go to. So instead of doing marathon on Monday, wednesday, friday, which is what I should do, I've ended up having to do them back to back. So it's sometimes three in a row, and which not ideal and not what I'm supposed to be doing. But I see it as well. Actually, I've got to do that on the event anyway, so it's a good test for me. So I try and sort of spin everything to be the positive.

Speaker 2:

Um, if you are, you ask me, I fit things in quite well. If you ask my other half, she's normally the person that's shouting at me at eight o'clock saying you've got to put work down now because you need to go to bed at some point. So, um, I tend to start working the minute I get up and I don't stop until I go to bed, and that's pretty much every day. So, which is it's tough and quite a challenge. And then my body likes to throw annoying things and they're like having a flare up, and that can last anything from a couple of hours to a day. At a time when that's happening, I can't do anything at all. I can't train unless I'm already training, and then I'll keep going. But if, if it starts beforehand, I can't actually drive to get anywhere. So, yeah, it becomes a whole sort of annoying day for me of an enforced day off, put it that way. So, and then I can swap things around if needs be. So, yeah, I do the best I can.

Speaker 1:

Yeah, and so with that, you know I'm interested in that support crew. You know you mentioned before the planning of sessions. It was the first time anyone, any of that group had done it, part included. So when you now look at you know this next challenge and actually you didn't tell me what the one after is what's the second thing that you're working on?

Speaker 2:

yeah. So the second one is actually going to be the biggest challenge yet, where, starting on the 1st of March 2027, I'm going to be attempting to wheel from the West Coast of America across the whole of America to the East Coast, so which is 5,000 kilometres, wow.

Speaker 1:

So, and yeah, that really is crazy. Yeah, Okay, so this is March. West Coast to East Coast, so roughly. I don't know if you know what the two cities or towns where are you starting is. Is it a? Is it a known route or is this a route that you and your um everly more experienced crew have dreamed up?

Speaker 2:

uh, no, it's a route that we we've decided just to take. So we're going to be starting in los angeles why not? Yeah, going through arizona, through the desert, is going to be the next part, and then we're taking that that lines is going to be the next part, and then we're taking that that lines for the bottom end of the country and then finishing in florida yes, yeah, I was going to say amazing again, suitably crazy as well.

Speaker 1:

And yeah, picking your own route, why not? Yeah, I think that should. That should certainly make it more interesting, and I was going to ask then for that, for your crew, for that that support, how important are they to you to actually dream up these things and sort of give you that confidence or belief that you can get this stuff done?

Speaker 2:

yeah, massively. And they, when we sort of decided that Land's End or John O'Groats to Land's End was possible again, I was in hospital at that time after doing another event again not related to the event but just surgeries that I have to have and all of a sudden I found this group that I set a meeting with a few people and that there was more people that I anticipated that turned up, that all of a sudden because I'd done the 12 hours on the track and they saw that I could do that they suddenly had this sort of belief that it was possible. And when it came to doing Joanna Grace to Land's End, a few people that knew me quite well said look, you know she won't give up, she'll make sure that she does this. But quite a few of the group was still like a bit on the fence of about. You know, I'm not sure whether this is humanly possible.

Speaker 2:

You know again, if someone else hasn't done it, why haven't they done it? And that's a valid question. Take an extraordinary thing for me to give up. The thought actually doesn't even come to my head when I'm doing the events at all. So the fact that they believe in me gives me the self-confidence, to believe in myself as well, and it's kind of like a lovely kind of group dynamic. The group has changed. So the group that we had for John O'Grace, the Land's End, is quite a commitment for everybody. They're all working full time and they're helping me out on the side, which is a lot for somebody to do. So we've got a core member of about four people that have carried on to these events and they've played with me, and then we're sort of always actively recruiting more people to come in and help with whatever skills they might have, and it's always a valid skill as far as I'm concerned.

Speaker 2:

So anybody that wants to join the team and and sort of help with planning of these events more than welcome, but there you go, there's the call out yeah, literally the only two things that I ever ask for is just be who you are and and be positive, and that that's it really, and that's that's what the group is. And we've got a wonderful team of that. They're sort a like a media company where they line my website and everything for me and which are incredible, and they've been with me the whole way through the last event. They're there through this event and they're also helping out a little bit with the america event. So the amazing husband and wife and team from a company called adopt star, and they've been with me the whole time and they are so, so supportive.

Speaker 2:

Um, and there's, there's other people in the background that, like you know, will go to the sort of wonderful events and they're like, I don't care about people knowing who I am, I just like helping and which. It's just amazing to me that they would give that commitment and their time to to little old me. So it's, it's just wonderful and it is very much that you know I would never, ever let them down, but I know that they wouldn't be down either. So it's just wonderful and it is very much that you know I would never, ever let them down, but I know they wouldn't be down either, so it's just incredible and they mean the world to me.

Speaker 1:

Yeah, wonderful. So when you think about the Rugby World Cup, when you think about the coast to coast in the US, where do you want to take your platform? You know what's that? North Star for you.

Speaker 2:

It's keeping on going, really, my, as far as I can see it, that the events don't stop there. I actually have a list of 10 that actually growing. Um. So it again it's. It's like another, another concurring joke within our little group that somebody will mention oh, I saw some so-and-so doing that the other day and I'll be like, oh really, I didn't know about that. And and then my other half will turn around and go, don't put any more ideas in our head. And that's literally how it keeps going. And then something else gets added to the list.

Speaker 2:

But, yeah, keeping on going and showing people that the sky's the limit, really, that you can achieve anything if you just believe in yourself and give it a go, and everybody starts somewhere.

Speaker 2:

So I started with this really inappropriate chair that I kept falling out of, and I put pictures of that online so people can see exactly what it looked like. It was shocking. It was held together with all sorts of towels and things, and I had the stump board that I have to have because I can't actually have my leg dangling for too long. So I made a stunt board out of the bottom of my cat carrier with a pillow on top that kept snapping, which was hilarious, and I had all sorts of people that had come running over. Every time I fell out my chair and I'd be there laughing on the floor and it's like, yeah, don't worry about it, I'm fine. But yeah, everybody starts somewhere and it's getting that sort of across to people that you know, I didn't just wake up one day and wheel these, these stupid distances. You know, if you keep going with something, then you know you can achieve whatever you want to achieve.

Speaker 2:

I mean for me personally, I actually don't know where it's going to end. To be honest, hopefully with me keeping on going until I'm 90 plus, probably still doing stupid things.

Speaker 1:

Bring as many people along the way as I can yeah, and look, and I think that's wonderful, that helping as many people along the way as I can, yeah, and I think that's wonderful, that helping as many people along the way as you can, and I think what you know, whilst you don't have this yet, to have X followers, do this distance, raise this money for you. It is sort of one, I don't know one, what'd you call it, cause I can't say step, so what do you call it? One wheel at a time does must be one rotation at a time, and helping people along the way to get up and do something with you yeah, yeah, I mean, I've had a few people recently.

Speaker 2:

So I was at a rugby game just with my other half in wales watching the england women versus wales a few weeks ago, and quite a few people in the disabled section, um, sorry, what again oh yeah, it was, it was, it was brilliant.

Speaker 2:

I mean that they all were all absolutely incredible and we're trying to try and go to as many as we can, and I was just that sometimes I'll sit in the sort of disabled section, sometimes I won't, sometimes I'll sit in the other section and I'll just crawl up the steps and sit in the seats with everybody else and that's just what I do. But I was at principality stadium amazing stadium, really great sort of disability section where you can actually see everything, which is really incredible. And all of a sudden, this lady like literally wheeled around the corner and and like right in front of me, and she said, oh, are you that, that girl that did that that journey down the country? And I was like, yeah, and she was like, oh well, um, well, um, after seeing what you've done, I've now decided to sign up and do a five kilometre or a 5K, and I was just like wow.

Speaker 2:

That's exactly what the sort of thing I was hoping to achieve at some point. So when you talk about achievement, that to me is a massive achievement and I was like almost in tears. I was so blown away and I was just like we'll stay in touch and if you've got any questions, questions you know more than happy to help or let me know how it goes, and that that was just amazing. She'd never thought about doing anything before, but she realized it was possible and that's that's just incredible to me. So I love that.

Speaker 1:

that's brilliant yeah, I think it is great. And, look, I think you've you've been dropping, uh, anecdotes and and advice throughout this conversation, but I'll just ask you directly when? What is the message? What is it that you are? You know, for people who are listening to this, thinking can I do it? Oh, no, no, maybe I, maybe I can't get up, I can't do that sport. What advice, what guidance would you give to them?

Speaker 2:

I'd just say just give it a go, so you never know till you try. So everybody has your mind's very good at playing tricks on you and as soon as you decide to do something, especially when it's what other people would conceive as being bonkers or they'd say it's not possible, don't listen to it. Just give it a go and see where you end up and you'll be amazed at what you can achieve and what your body will do. So that's what I always say to people.

Speaker 1:

Brilliant. Now, Lexi, people are going to want to follow your story. They want to get in contact. I actually think you're going to have people who are going to want to race or at least come and train with you or do something along those lines. What's the best way for them to follow your story or possibly even get in touch?

Speaker 2:

So for following the stories, I use all social media, but I use LinkedIn and Instagram the most. I use all social media, but I use LinkedIn and Instagram the most. So Instagram is just lexialexchambers, so my middle name is spelt funny, so it's A-L-Y-X, so L-E-X-Ialexchambers. Linkedin is at lexialex and my website is lexichamberscom, which at the moment is under n2ncom, which you'll still find I've still directed to the same website. A website's just actually being changed at the moment and it should be. Hopefully, if everything goes goes well, by the end of end of next week it'll be rebranded as as a total website, cause at the moment I've got two.

Speaker 2:

So I've got a blog website and which is literally chamberscom, which which, if you look at the blog entries, I'm very, very open and very honest about sort of the whole of the Land's End or do you want to go to the Land's End journey, and you've got updates every single day. And then it's sort of training sessions and there's other bits in there to sort of help people if they're going into hospital, in my opinion, what you should take with you and random things like that. Also, if you have an amputation, what to expect, and so I'm quite honest about everything on there, but these two websites are going to be put together and it's also going to have links to all the other challenges that I'm doing as well, so you can always follow me there and message me there. Or, if you want to message or email me directly, it's lexiealexchambers77 at gmailcom.

Speaker 1:

Wonderful Lexi. What we'll do is we'll pop all of that into the show notes as well and I think by the time this goes live, hopefully everything there is in one wonderful happy place. But listen, I want to say massive thanks for joining me on the show and sharing your story. Awesome moments of inspiration and, yeah, I got to say best of luck to you as well.

Speaker 2:

Thank you. Thank you so much.

Speaker 1:

Yeah, okay, thanks. Thank you for listening to the Second Wind podcast. We hope you enjoyed hearing insights from today's athlete on transitioning out of competitive careers. If you're looking for career clarity for your next step, make sure you check out secondwindio for more information or to book a consultation with me. I'd like to thank Claire from Betty Book Design, nancy from Savvy Podcast Solutions and Cerise from Copying Content by Lola for their help in putting this podcast together. That's all from me. Take it easy Until next time.

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