Extraordinary Stories

You may know Dr Ginni Mansberg as one of the voices behind Mamamia’s women’s health podcast, The Well. But Ginni is also one of the hosts of Mamamia’s Gen X podcast, Unleashed, where women come together for a laugh, a chat and, sometimes, some of life’s harder conversations.
Ginni recently shared something incredibly personal with the Unleashed listeners: the story of her mum’s decision to choose voluntary assisted dying.
Extraordinary Stories is also about the extraordinary stories of everyday people, we wanted to bring Ginni’s story to you, too.
If you’re at a similar stage of life to Ginni, you may find yourself watching your parents age and beginning to face the realities of serious illness, difficult decisions and what it means to care for the people who once cared for you.
This is part one of a three-part series following Ginni and her family through the before, the moment itself and what comes after.
Ginni wanted to share her story in the hope that it might help another family going through something difficult.
You can listen to part two and part three here.
If this conversation brought up hard feelings and you need some help, please call Lifeline here.
In your ears today is Cath Mahoney, Bruna Papandrea and Ginni Mansberg
Check out our Unleashed music playlist for some feel good throwbacks!
The End Bits:Follow us on Instagram, DM us thoughts, feelings and questions @unleashed.show
Love the show? Hit follow on Apple or Spotify — it helps other Gen X women find us.
Executive Producer Grace RouvraySenior Producer and Audio Editor is Tina MatolovSocial Media Producer is Annaliese Todd
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Professional athlete and nutritionist, Teigan O'Shannassy is a cereal expert and ex-perfectionist with a very full plate - who also has a 90 year old housemate.
In this episode, host Liz Ellis, former netball champion turned busy mum, sits down with the NSW Swifts defender to talk about life at "game on" pace. Balancing elite sport with the mental load of her business, Tossed Together, Teigan discusses the reality of living in a multi-generational household where the biggest daily challenge is often negotiating dinner time with her Nanny. They explore how she manages an overflowing plate while refusing to live by a rigid meal plan, moving instead toward a flexible, soul-nourishing approach to food.
You’ll hear practical survival strategies from a professional athlete, from Teigan’s "cereal sommelier" midnight snacks to her reliance on frozen vegetables when the mental load of cooking feels too heavy. Reflecting on her journey through eating disorder recovery, Teigan shares how she moved from viewing food as a source of stress to a tool for connection. It’s an honest look at staying nourished under pressure, featuring everything from the glory of chili honey on eggs to the essential art of the sunset mental reset.

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CREDITS:
Host: Liz Ellis
Guest: Teigan O’Shannassey
Group Executive Producers: Naima Brown & Courtney Ammenhauser
Video Producer: Marlena Cacciotti
Social Producer: Keeley Mercieca
Audio Producer: Thom Lion
Mamamia acknowledges the Traditional Owners of the Land on which we have recorded this podcast.
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In this episode, Liz Ellis sits down with author, athlete, coach and entrepreneur Turia Pitt. Known across Australia as a beacon of fierce resilience, Turia reveals a candid, hilariously unfiltered side of herself as she opens up about the chaotic reality of parenting two young boys while running a business.
She shares how she had to unlearn her hyper-competitive athlete mindset to survive the daily grind, diving into a period of severe burnout that led her to seek therapy and discover the magic of asking herself, "What's going to make this day a little bit easier?"
The conversation also explores her heritage, reflecting on growing up with a Tahitian mother whose home-cooked fish, rice, and lentils were decades ahead of the trend, alongside a raw look back at her Ironman days when toxic societal pressures forced her to under-fuel her body.
From raw-dogging chia seeds to her controversial morning "badass coffee" routine, this chat is a funny, reassuring look at learning to let yourself off the hook.
Watch Turia & Liz teach you how to make their (very funny) fave coffees here.
Discover more Mamamia Podcasts here.
Feedback: podcast@mamamia.com.au
Share your story, feedback, or dilemma! Send us a voice message, and one of our Podcast Producers will get back to you ASAP.
Rate or review us on Apple by clicking on the three dots in the top right-hand corner, click Go To Show then scroll down to the bottom of the page, click on the stars at the bottom and write a review.
If you want to support independent women's media, become a Mamamia subscriber. Get an all-access pass to everything we make, including exclusive podcasts, articles, videos and our exercise app, MOVE.
CREDITS:
Host: Liz Ellis
Guest: Turia Pitt
Group Executive Producers: Naima Brown & Courtney Ammenhauser
Video Producer: Marlena Cacciotti
Social Producer: Keeley Mercieca
Audio Producer: Thom Lion
Mamamia acknowledges the Traditional Owners of the Land on which we have recorded this podcast.
Subscribe to Mamamia: https://www.mamamia.com.au/subscribe
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Comedian Lizzy Hoo has a very full plate.
Host Liz Ellis, former netball champion turned busy mum, sits down with comedy star Lizzy Hoo to talk about life at "game on" pace. Trading a corporate 9-to-5 for the unpredictable chaos of the stage, Lizzy discusses balancing a high-octane career with the everyday messiness of her 40s. They explore how she manages a "full plate" when she's mid-tour, performing late nights and surviving on whatever food she can find on the road.
The two dive into the survival strategies of a traveling comic, from Lizzy's "liquid diet" during festival season to her accidental airport yogurt-eating mishaps. Reflecting on her Chinese-Malaysian and Irish heritage, Lizzy shares how her palate has space for both pub food and spicy home cooking. It’s a hilarious look at staying nourished under pressure, featuring everything from gourmet sandwich press hacks to the truth about life on the comedy circuit.
Watch Lizzy Hoo teach you how to make her sandwich press potato rostis here.
Discover more Mamamia Podcasts here.
Feedback: podcast@mamamia.com.au
Share your story, feedback, or dilemma! Send us a voice message, and one of our Podcast Producers will get back to you ASAP.
Rate or review us on Apple by clicking on the three dots in the top right-hand corner, click Go To Show then scroll down to the bottom of the page, click on the stars at the bottom and write a review.
If you want to support independent women's media, become a Mamamia subscriber. Get an all-access pass to everything we make, including exclusive podcasts, articles, videos and our exercise app, MOVE.
CREDITS:
Host: Liz Ellis
Guest: Lizzy Hoo
Group Executive Producers: Naima Brown & Courtney Ammenhauser
Audio Producer: Thom Lion
Video Producer: Marlena Cacciotti
Social Producer: Keeley Mercieca
Mamamia acknowledges the Traditional Owners of the Land on which we have recorded this podcast.
Subscribe to Mamamia: https://www.mamamia.com.au/subscribe
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Sometimes, a pivot isn’t triggered by a failure.
Sometimes, it happens because you keep looking for a way to make the world a little bit fairer.
Anne Aly was born in Alexandria, Egypt, and moved to Australia when she was just two years old. Her parents worked hard in factory jobs to give their family a foothold here - and those early experiences of displacement, resilience and possibility stayed with her.
By her late twenties, Anne was a single working mother raising two young boys in Perth on the minimum wage. She knew what it meant to juggle life’s demands with no safety net - and she used that as fuel to keep pushing forward.
She went back to study - and then studied some more, earning a Master’s and a PhD focused on countering violent extremism. From there, Anne became a globally recognised expert in her field - advising the United Nations, publishing hundreds of academic works, and even being the only Australian invited to speak at President Obama’s White House summit on countering violent extremism.
But academia was never where her story stopped.
In 2016, Anne took another monumental pivot - into politics. She was elected as the Federal Member for Cowan, becoming the first Muslim woman in the Australian Parliament, and then a minister in federal government, shaping policy on multicultural affairs, small business and international development.
Along the way, she has championed issues close to her heart - from community safety to meaningful support for domestic and family violence survivors, turning her own life experience into public purpose.
In this episode, Anne talks about how she navigated seismic life shifts with grit, compassion, and that same drive to make space for voices too often overlooked - and how she keeps pivoting even when the stakes are high.
THE END BITS:
Want more from Sarah Davidson? Check out her podcast Seize The Yay.
Discover more Mamamia podcasts here.
Feedback: podcast@mamamia.com.au
Share your story, feedback, or dilemma! Send us a voice message, and one of our Podcast Producers will get back to you ASAP.
Rate or review us on Apple by clicking on the three dots in the top right-hand corner, click Go To Show then scroll down to the bottom of the page, click on the stars at the bottom and write a review.
CREDITS:
Guest: Anne Aly
Host: Sarah Davidson
Executive Producer: Courtney Ammenhauser
Senior Producer: Sally Best

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Mamamia acknowledges the Traditional Owners of the Land we have recorded this podcast on, the Gadigal people of the Eora Nation. We pay our respects to their Elders past and present, and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures.
Subscribe to Mamamia: https://www.mamamia.com.au/subscribe
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