191 Stephanie Millward, Paralympic Gold Medallist: All The Nasty Things Are Wonderful - Reframing Overwhelming Odds To Find Purpose And Fulfilment

191 Stephanie Millward, Paralympic Gold Medallist: All The Nasty Things Are Wonderful - Reframing Overwhelming Odds To Find Purpose And Fulfilment

From The Unlock Moment: The Inner Shift That Changes How You Lead by Dr Gary Crotaz PhD

July 20, 2026 · 42 min · Episode 191

About this episode

Stephanie Millward shares her extraordinary journey of overcoming life-altering challenges to find purpose and fulfillment through competitive swimming.

What do you do when the life you've spent everything building is suddenly taken away from you overnight? Stephanie Millward MBE was 16, a British record-breaking swimmer heading for the Sydney Olympics, when she went blind, lost the ability to walk and was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis. Doctors gave her 10 years to live. She's now 44. In this episode, Stephanie takes me through one of the most extraordinary stories of reinvention I've ever heard ... how she learned to hold a funeral for her old self, get back in the pool, and go on to compete at four Paralympic Games, winning gold medals that nobody ... including her ... ever thought she'd live long enough to win. We talk about silencing the voice that tells you you're not enough, why every single bad thing that has ever happened to you might just be the best thing that ever happened to you, and how to write the ending of your story before you've even begun to live it. If you've ever faced a moment where everything felt lost ... this one is for you.

People in this episode

Hosts: Dr Gary Crotaz PhD, Dr Gary Crotaz

Guests: Stephanie Millward MBE, Stephanie Millward

Topics covered

  • resilience
  • overcoming adversity
  • personal reinvention
  • finding purpose
  • mental health
  • sports
  • inspiration

Keywords

  • Paralympic
  • gold medal
  • multiple sclerosis
  • resilience
  • purpose
  • inspiration
  • mental health
  • swimming
  • overcoming odds

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Paralympic Games

Places: Britain

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