Lauren Brant is a business woman, a star of Australian television, a fitness freak, is a mothe,  a partner,  a friend and a REALLY supportive sister-in-law, just to name a few of her many accomplishments! Lauren is also planning on running this years 2020 Village Roadshow Theme Park's Half Marathon for Team LIVIN but she wont be training or running alone!

Tell us a bit about yourself!

Hi there, I’m Lauren Brant! Lovely to meet you. I’m South African born, have lived around Australia and travelled a fair bit with my role in the kids TV show Hi-5, as well as various other media projects. I’m so happy to say I now love on the beautiful Gold Coast with my partner Barry Hall and our two darling boys. 

You have been in the entertainment industry for a long time and probably best known to most Australian’s for your hi-5 and ‘I’m a Celebrity Get Me Out of Here’, days what are you up to these days? 

Entertaining is in my blood, just ask my family who get some form of it everyday! They are my focus right now, I’ve always wanted children and I’m just so enjoying these precious times, being able to nurture them through childhood. I also dabble in social media marketing and content creation, the odd presenting gig, a little girls dress up brand, management for Barry and DIY renovating projects.

You met your now partner Barry Hall on the ‘I’m a Celebrity Get Me Out of Here’ series where we got to see how competitive you were both were.  Are you still competitive with each other? 

Oh gosh! It isn’t your usual love story is it? However, we wouldn’t change a thing. We make the most out of life and yes, that does include very healthy competition. We are both big kids at heart!

A lot of your posts through your social media pages revolve around family life and getting out there to enjoy life.  Lately there’s been a bit more conversation and stories about running and fitness . . . how did you manage to fit that into you’re your busy schedule? 

Yup that’s me! We have a motto in our family, ‘I am able’ – which basically means anything that you are able to do, you should be thankful for and do it, without any excuses. The running has just started…I always like to keep fit but I have decided to do some marathons this year with my sister in law who set it as a goal when she was diagnosed with Cancer.

I’m SO freaking happy to say – she has beaten it and actually just got the ‘all clear’ last week. She is recovering from major surgery but will start training as soon as she can. 

How important do you feel physical fitness is when it comes to looking after your mental health? 

Oh this is a big one! Physical fitness is so important – the thing is though, you have to have experienced it to know. So for people who aren’t physically active, they don’t actually know what they are missing out on mentally and we all know, the hardest part to exercising is deciding to do it and then committing – which is a mental game.

So for anyone who isn’t physically active… please make an effort today to start? It’s the best. Here’s on for everyone, do 10 x sit ups, squats, star jumps and push ups right now. I just did! 

How did you hear about the LIVIN Organisation? 

Barry is a big advocate for personal mental health awareness. He is very open to speaking about his own experiences and inviting others to talk about theirs, as am I. When he had his boxing debut and was receiving a lot of publicity, he wanted to raise awareness and searched for a cause he could related to.

We found LIVIN and felt it was exactly the type of mental health awareness we personally promote and that’s where we connected and started our relationship. Running the marathon is now my turn to hopefully be able to raise some awareness about the fact that ‘it ain’t weak to speak.’ 

You’re running alongside someone very special and close to you in the upcoming Village Roadshow Theme Parks Gold Coast marathon for Team LIVIN. . . tell us a bit about Sandra and why she has inspired you so much? 

Oh Sandy, my sister in law, but basically my sister as she has been a part of my family since I was 3. At the age of 39 Sandra was diagnosed with Bowel Cancer. We had been doing park run together, and continued to through her chemo. She had major surgery to remove the cancer and have a stoma put in place… but as soon as she could, she got straight back into running, at times she couldn’t even feel her feet and parts of her legs due to the treatment, but it didn’t stop her.

She is the most naturally positive person I know. After 7 months and her chemo treatment, she got the ALL CLEAR and had the stoma reversed and her ovaries taken out. She is currently recovering from that surgery but we start training as soon as she can and we will run the half marathon together! WOOO HOOOO!

What mental and physical preparations are you embarking on in the lead up to your first marathon? 

I am going to start my actual marathon training when Sandy does, mentally for me though – it’s about finding balance with my children. I know I need to make time for myself to run and then push myself when I am in training. Running doesn’t come naturally to me, so I do really have to try. I will referring back to out family motto a lot ‘I am able,’ – and there is so much around me to remind me to be thankful for the fact that… I am able!

When you are feeling stressed or overwhelmed, what are some strategies and tools that you use that helps you get through those tough times?

I ‘check-in.’ You can picture a hotel, an imaginary space you can step into which requires you to be present and still. In that space I breathe, recognise what I feel and why I feel that way and find clarity. I then choose my mindset and plan to move forward. Once I’m good, I check out and continue living. This is a ritual that works really well for me.

What advice would you give someone who is struggling with their own mental health?

Be in charge of yourself. Don’t be scared of your own feelings, you will and are allowed to feel things other than happiness, hope and love. It’s very healthy to recognise and allow yourself to feel the full spectrum of emotions – but understand what they are and why you feel them and then make the decision to move on from an uncomfortable feeling.

We grow when we are uncomfortable and vulnerable, but it only happens once we have understood it and moved on. Don’t get stuck, that’s when we become mentally unfit. Sometimes it feels like there’s just too much thinking and emotion for us to deal with, and that’s when it’s a good idea to get out, let the power of nature help, and talk to people. One conversation can change your life!!!

Are you happy? 

Yaaaaaaaaaaas queen!