Episode 13: Joelle Suchy- Stoked on Saying "Fuck It" to Fear

Today’s guest is the definition of what it means to be comfortable with who you are.

Joelle Suchy (rhymes with cookie; also known as the Terror in some circles) was born in Southwestern Pennsylvania in the United States, much closer to rural West Virginia than anyone was comfortable with. She started a long and unimpressive gymnastics career at the age of 4 because her father fell in love with Nadia Comaneci. After finding the courage to abandon gymnastics for diving at the age of 14, Joelle's passion for competitive athletics was reinvigorated, ifonly for a short time. Not long after qualifying for the Junior Olympic nationals, Joelle's diving career was put on hold to receive treatment for cancer. Her triumphant comeback was short-lived, as cancer therapy caused damage to her hip, and she had her first hip surgery at the age of 17.

With athletics on hold, Joelle focused on academics, graduating from Princeton University with a degree in Psychology and began progress toward a PhD inbiopsychology (thankfully for the world, she is not a clinician) [her words, not mine!]. While hiding from the terrible reality that is graduateschool, Joelle discovered ballroom dancing and competed in International style Latin and ballroom dance for over a decade. When her second hip surgery sidelined her competitive endeavours, she turned her attention to teaching dance and yoga.

As they say, third time's the charm, and Joelle had her hip replaced several years ago and is finally pain free. In the height of the pandemic, she discovered Steel Mace Flow and received her SMF Level 1 and Level 2 certifications. She also dabbles in other flow modalities, including rope flow and Indian clubs. After years of constantly reinventing her physical self, Joelle is finally thrilled to be still working a day job (for the time being) and teaching ballroom dance,yoga, mobility, and steel mace. Her 5-year plan is to give up the glamourous world of corporate douchebaggery in favour of helping people find movementmodalities that light their souls on fire and provide them with the tools to partake in them without pain for as long as they desire.

We talk about being a competitive athlete, getting sidelined by cancer in her teens, pursuing whatever it is that lights you up, being true to yourself, facing fear and uncertainty, why fun should be at the center of life, flow modalities, punk rock, dancing, academia and more! If you’re looking for reassurance that you can try ALL the things, this episode is it.

You can follow Joelle here (which, OMG, please do because her fashion, movement and sense of humour will be a bright spot in your life...guaranteed!)

A love letter to the "too much" crew, Sisters in Stoke is a podcast for women and those who identify as women to share stories of how they found their stoke, inspiring others to pursue their passion and purpose. My guests have truly embraced the spirit of "Let's f**k around and find out!" when it comes to going all in on creating a life they love. Now they own the narrative and share their stories as they are...real, raw and vulnerable, talking about the obstacles they've overcome, what keeps them going when times are tough and just how good it feels to live a BIG, juicy, messy life.

• No. of episodes: 34
• Latest episode: 2024-05-26
• Health & Fitness

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