"I Am Complete": Finding Poland Syndrome at 30 with Hale

Smashing the Inner Critic: Mindset, Movement, and World-Class Strength with Keir Harding

Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2143910/fan_mail/new] What if the voice in your head telling you that you aren’t enough is actually your biggest competitor?  In this powerhouse episode, Giselle is joined by World Champion Powerlifter, Occupational Therapist, and mental health clinician, Keir Harding. Keir is a legend in the Poland Syndrome community, not just for his professional clinical expertise, but for his extraordinary physical achievements. He dives deep into the "inner critic," explaining how he learned to silence the voice that told him his body was "disgusting" or "incomplete" and replaced it with the discipline required to reach the very top of the world stage. From the world-championship platform to the vulnerability of the therapy room, Keir shares how he navigated shame and embarrassment to recognise his true value. In this episode, we explore: * From Shame to World Champion: How Keir went from wanting to "keep away from people" to competing in front of the world. * The Inner Critic vs. Reality: Why your brain lies to you on "bad days" and how to recognise that your thoughts are not facts. * Smashing Self-Imposed Barriers: Practical advice on how to stop being your own biggest obstacle in life, sport, and career. * The Power of Therapy: Dealing with the deep-seated embarrassment that can accompany a rare physical difference. * Mindfulness & Thinking Patterns: Learning to observe the mental "weather" of your best days versus your hardest days. Keir’s message is a masterclass in resilience: your inner critic doesn't get a vote in what you are capable of achieving. 🌍 Support Our Global Mission PIP-UK is a charity without borders, providing 1:1 advocacy and specialist clinics for the Poland Syndrome community worldwide. Help us keep these lifelines free: Donate Here: https://bit.ly/4df3fyr 📋 Be Counted Join the Global Poland Syndrome Community Register to help us build a future of better care: https://bit.ly/4cCpC1t ✨ Connect & Support If this episode helped you, please Rate & Review the show on Apple Podcasts or Spotify—it helps other families find us! Find us online: 🌐 Website: https://pip-uk.org/ [https://pip-uk.org/] 📱 Instagram & TikTok: @polandsyndromepipuk 👥 Facebook: pip.uk.org 💼 LinkedIn: PIP-UK 🎙️ Want to share your story? Email us at admin@pip-uk.org

"I Am Complete": Finding Poland Syndrome at 30 with Hale

Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2143910/fan_mail/new] What happens when you discover the name for your physical difference at age 30? In this moving episode, Giselle sits down with Hale, an Istanbul native currently navigating a new life in Barcelona. Hale only received her Poland Syndrome diagnosis six months ago, sparking a profound journey of self-reflection and healing. She opens up about the years spent "being alone" with her condition and the life-changing impact of finally finding a community that understands. In this episode, we discuss: * The Mirror Moment: Learning to look at your reflection and truthfully saying, "I am complete." * Late Diagnosis: The unique emotional shift of discovering PS as an adult. * Body Positivity vs. Insecurity: Strategies for tackling bullies and overcoming deep-seated insecurities. * Global Connection: Hale’s journey from Turkey to Spain and how the PS community bridges geographic borders. Hale’s story is a testament to the fact that it is never too late to find your tribe or your self-love. 🌍 Support Our Global Mission PIP-UK is a charity without borders, providing 1:1 advocacy and specialist clinics for the Poland Syndrome community worldwide. Help us keep these lifelines free: Donate Here: https://bit.ly/4df3fyr 📋 Be Counted Join the Global Poland Syndrome Community Register to help us build a future of better care: https://bit.ly/4cCpC1t ✨ Connect & Support If this episode helped you, please Rate & Review the show on Apple Podcasts or Spotify—it helps other families find us! Find us online: 🌐 Website: https://pip-uk.org/ [https://pip-uk.org/] 📱 Instagram & TikTok: @polandsyndromepipuk 👥 Facebook: pip.uk.org 💼 LinkedIn: PIP-UK 🎙️ Want to share your story? Email us at admin@pip-uk.org

Meet the Bakers | Global Voices: Raising a Confident Athlete (NJ to SA)

Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2143910/fan_mail/new] This Poland Syndrome Awareness Day 2026, we are proving that the PS community has no borders. In this landmark episode, our host Giselle (entrepreneur, athlete, PIP-UK Ambassador, and PS advocate calling in from South Africa) connects with the Baker Family in New Jersey, USA. What follows is a beautiful conversation about the universal experiences of raising a child with Poland Syndrome. From the initial diagnosis in America to the confidence found on the sports field, and the entrepreneurial spirit driving advocacy in Africa, this episode is for every family, everywhere, who has ever felt alone in their journey. In this global sit-down, we explore: * The Baker’s Story: How early diagnosis and sports became the foundation for Connor’s incredible confidence in NJ. * Giselle’s Perspective: Navigating life, sport and business as a woman with PS in South Africa. * The Global Diagnostic Vacuum: Why families in every corner of the world face the same hurdles, and how we overcome them together. * Sports as a Universal Language: Why physical activity is the ultimate tool for limb-different resilience. 🌍 ONE WORLD. ONE COMMUNITY. ONE MISSION. 🌍 From where we started in the UK to our host in South Africa and our guests in the USA, PIP-UK is the global clinical and emotional bridge for Poland Syndrome. We provide 1:1 specialist advocacy and peer-led connection sessions to families in every time zone. We don’t receive international government funding or UK government funding. We rely on YOU. If PIP-UK has been a community heartbeat for you or your family, please use this Awareness Day to ensure we can stay there for the next family, wherever they are in the world. 👉 DONATE GLOBALLY: http://bit.ly/4df3fyr 👉 THE UK CLINIC FUND: https://bit.ly/4tFTXCv 👉 BE COUNTED: https://bit.ly/4cCpC1t Your donation has global impact * £10 / $12: Powers our Monthly Community Zoom Connections, ensuring no one, regardless of their country, has to navigate Poland Syndrome alone. * £50 / $60: Funds an In-Depth Advocacy Session. This provides one-to-one expert support for families facing critical moments: a new diagnosis, late-stage discovery, or complex surgery decisions. * £100 / $125: Sponsors a Family at our Specialist Clinic. Your donation supports a family’s journey through the UK’s only multidisciplinary PS clinic. 🌍 Support Our Global Mission PIP-UK is a charity without borders, providing 1:1 advocacy and specialist clinics for the Poland Syndrome community worldwide. Help us keep these lifelines free: Donate Here: https://bit.ly/4df3fyr 📋 Be Counted Join the Global Poland Syndrome Community Register to help us build a future of better care: https://bit.ly/4cCpC1t ✨ Connect & Support If this episode helped you, please Rate & Review the show on Apple Podcasts or Spotify—it helps other families find us! Find us online: 🌐 Website: https://pip-uk.org/ [https://pip-uk.org/] 📱 Instagram & TikTok: @polandsyndromepipuk 👥 Facebook: pip.uk.org 💼 LinkedIn: PIP-UK 🎙️ Want to share your story? Email us at admin@pip-uk.org

Embracing Difference: Stories of Courage and Community

Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2143910/fan_mail/new] Karen and Gift's powerful stories of living with Poland Syndrome will leave you moved and inspired. From opposite corners of the world - Devon, England and Uganda - these two remarkable women share their journeys through isolation, self-doubt, and ultimately toward acceptance and community. The conversation begins with raw honesty about discovery. Karen has known about her Poland Syndrome since birth, affecting both her hand and chest, but spent years hiding her difference. Gift's realisation came with puberty, thrusting her into years of psychological struggle as she navigated school environments where her body was suddenly exposed and questioned. Both women speak candidly about the emotional toll of feeling different in a world obsessed with sameness. Their lives changed dramatically when they participated in an inclusive fashion show organized by Birmingham Children's Hospital and PIP UK. For the first time, they met others who understood their experience without explanation. Karen, at 24, finally met someone else with Poland Syndrome - "It lifted something from me," she shares with emotion. Gift, on her first international journey, found a space where she could "let my heart out about my feelings and feel understood." The discussion expands beyond personal stories to address broader issues - the fashion industry's claims of inclusivity versus reality, the challenges of finding clothing that fits uniquely different bodies, and the psychological impact of visible differences that medical professionals often overlook. Their wisdom for younger people with Poland Syndrome resonates powerfully: "Different is okay and beautiful," Gift emphasizes, while Karen adds, "It's not as bad as we think it is." What emerges most clearly is the transformative power of community. Both women express deep gratitude for finding connection through PIP UK, emphasizing how shared understanding has helped them navigate difficult days. Listen as they remind us all that visible differences may shape our experiences, but need not define our lives. Join us in celebrating these voices that remind us: you are seen, you are heard, you are not alone. 🌍 Support Our Global Mission PIP-UK is a charity without borders, providing 1:1 advocacy and specialist clinics for the Poland Syndrome community worldwide. Help us keep these lifelines free: Donate Here: https://bit.ly/4df3fyr 📋 Be Counted Join the Global Poland Syndrome Community Register to help us build a future of better care: https://bit.ly/4cCpC1t ✨ Connect & Support If this episode helped you, please Rate & Review the show on Apple Podcasts or Spotify—it helps other families find us! Find us online: 🌐 Website: https://pip-uk.org/ [https://pip-uk.org/] 📱 Instagram & TikTok: @polandsyndromepipuk 👥 Facebook: pip.uk.org 💼 LinkedIn: PIP-UK 🎙️ Want to share your story? Email us at admin@pip-uk.org

S2E3 Unveiling Confidence: Caron Mills' Runway of Resilience with Poland Syndrome

Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2143910/fan_mail/new] In this episode, we step into the spotlight with Caron Mills, a beacon of courage and confidence in her journey with Poland Syndrome. Join us as Caron shares her story of self-discovery, community, and the runway of resilience she's walked, just weeks before strutting her stuff in a groundbreaking fashion show dedicated to celebrating diversity. **Episode Highlights:** 1. **Caron's Journey with Poland Syndrome:**    - Caron unfolds her tale of triumph over adversity, recounting her path through surgeries and self-acceptance with grace and determination. 2. **Embracing Self-Love:**    - Dive into Caron's reflections on embracing her uniqueness, finding beauty in her differences, and cultivating unshakeable confidence. 3. **Shining as a Role Model:**    - Discover how Caron has become a guiding light for others, illuminating the path to self-empowerment and acceptance. 4. **Volunteering for Change:**    - Explore Caron's journey as a volunteer, igniting change and hope within the Poland Syndrome community, one act of kindness at a time. 5. **Fashioning Awareness:**    - Join Caron on the runway of awareness as she shares her excitement and preparations for a groundbreaking fashion show dedicated to Poland Syndrome inclusivity. 6. **Kindness as Key:**    - Uncover the transformative power of kindness and community in Caron's journey, igniting sparks of compassion and connection. Caron's journey is a testament to the resilience of the human spirit and the transformative power of self-love and community support. Her story serves as a beacon of hope and inspiration to all who dare to walk their own runway of resilience. **Outro:** Thank you for tuning in to What about PS? A Poland Syndrome Podcast. If you found this episode as inspiring as we did, don't forget to subscribe and share it with your friends. Stay tuned for more captivating stories. After all, every journey is a runway waiting to be walked with courage and grace. 🌍 Support Our Global Mission PIP-UK is a charity without borders, providing 1:1 advocacy and specialist clinics for the Poland Syndrome community worldwide. Help us keep these lifelines free: Donate Here: https://bit.ly/4df3fyr 📋 Be Counted Join the Global Poland Syndrome Community Register to help us build a future of better care: https://bit.ly/4cCpC1t ✨ Connect & Support If this episode helped you, please Rate & Review the show on Apple Podcasts or Spotify—it helps other families find us! Find us online: 🌐 Website: https://pip-uk.org/ [https://pip-uk.org/] 📱 Instagram & TikTok: @polandsyndromepipuk 👥 Facebook: pip.uk.org 💼 LinkedIn: PIP-UK 🎙️ Want to share your story? Email us at admin@pip-uk.org