Sarah is our amazing new Director. She has the incredible ability to create magic. A mother of 3 amazing kids who she takes on adventures both big and small.

Angela believes that, if you want to, you can do anything. She has learned to cycle independently over the last five years in spite of a visual impairment and a learning difficulty, while also being instrumental in the development of the award winning cycling project You Can Bike Too. She has been recognised nationally for her achievements by winning a ‘Point of Light’ award from the Prime Minister for her inspirational volunteering. She is now an ambassador for the health benefits of cycling and being outdoors. She is a trailblazer – an example of seeing what can be achieved with determination – and she is available to speak at your event.

As part of our team, Angela is committed to making a positive difference in her own life, and in her community.

Personal Challenge

Angela is working on getting better at listening, and making healthier choices.

Community Challenge

Angela is helping more people make healthier choices by inspiring them to make a change and take part in more physical outdoor activity. Angela has now spoken to over a thousand people at events all over the country. She inspires doing: her signature catchphrase is “Action!”

Angela presents with her sidekick, our Unlocker of Magic, Ruth Brannan. Together they form a formidable speaking team.

What People Say

“Angela presents with real personality and passion. The presentations that Angela and Ruth deliver are a great double act, really thought provoking and very inspiring. The presentation really showcases what people with learning disabilities can achieve given the right support and encouragement. Angela is a real showstopper!” ~ Rebecca Gilbertson, Disability Sport Co-ordinator, English Federation for Disability Sport

“Ruth and Angela’s energy and enthusiasm made the presentation engaging and it may have also helped they were wearing capes as well. After the forum I received lots of positive feedback from the audience.” ~ Steve Snelling-Day, Engagement Advisor (East and South East), English Federation of Disability Sport (EfDS) and organiser of Forum for EfDS (June 2016)

“Well! What can I say? You were both amazing!  You embraced the whole Positive Choices ethos perfectly! Ruth and Angela are phenomenal.” ~ Helen Laverty – Professional Lead for Learning Disability Nursing, Nottingham University and organiser of Positive Choices Conference (April 2016)

“Angela was an interesting and entertaining contributor and it was riveting to see a mainly academic audience engaging with a speaker with a learning disability. Angela’s enthusiasm for her topic, her general excitement for life and the exciting project she is involved in, all helped to re-enforce our powerful message of exercise as a treatment for mental health problems and chronic illnesses.” ~ Shelley Surtees, organiser of Moving Mountains Conference (February 2015)

As part of our team, Tracy is committed to making a positive difference in her own life, and in her community.

Personal Challenge

Tracy’s challenge is to make healthier choices. She’s also working on her anxiety so that she can get out of the house more. Her ultimate aim is to go on safari. Since she travelled to Misfit Con in Fargo, North Dakota, in 2014, Tracy has been working on overcoming her extreme anxiety to get out of the house more. In February 2017 she received a power chair so that she can leave the house without her fear of falling holding her back.

Community Challenge

Tracy is starting conversations about anxiety – by talking about her own anxiety, she helps others with theirs. Despite struggling to get out of the house most days, Tracy travelled to Misfit Con in Fargo, North Dakota, in 2014. We are looking forward to seeing Tracy continue to find ways to work with her anxiety and help others to do the same, demonstrating that anxiety doesn’t have to stop you from doing the things you really love.

For many years, Ames has been the MC of local club night, Funky Flamingo. She loves performing and being the star of the show, and has a large collection of jokes at her disposal. This makes her perfect as our Misfit Local MC. Knock knock. Who’s there? It’s Ames, and she’s ready and waiting to invite you at our bi-monthly event for connection and community, Misfit Local.

As part of our team, Ames is committed to making a positive difference in her own life, and in her community.

Personal Challenge

Ames would like to try out a skydive. She also recently got herself a paid part-time job! Ames used to work almost full-time until she was made redundant. So this first step back into paid employment is a fantastic achievement for her!

Community Challenge

Ames is inspiring others to cycle over at You Can Bike Too, and putting her MC skills to good use at our regular community meet up, Misfit Local.

Ruth is co-founder of the award winning project You Can Bike Too. She has over 4 decades of teaching in community settings and real life hands on community development experience. Her view is different. She believes that everyone can offer their input if engaged in an accessible way. She is an unconventional leader: a leader who likes to elevate others, bring them with her, help them to have the leadership opportunities they couldn’t otherwise have. She now brings her ‘magic’ to the stage and co-presents the You Can Bike Too story – a project that grew from the seed of an idea to award winning action.

As part of our core team, Ruth is committed to making a positive difference in her own life, and in her community.

Personal Challenge

Ruth is working on getting more confident at driving. She recently started driving on the A14, a local dual carriageway. Go Ruth!

Community Challenge

Ruth is inspiring others to cycle over at You Can Bike Too.

Alongside her husband, toddler, and soon to be baby, Mel Findlater seeks to turn every day into an adventure, whether big or small, climbing mountains or jumping in puddles. She aims to be the playful, curious and cheeky kid she once was as often as possible. She has created a space for Ordinary Superparents to be human – to grow, to breathe, to learn, to connect, to inspire and be inspired, and to stretch themselves – all in the hopes that together we will raise a generation who believe they can too.

Lou grew up being told she was “too smart for art.” She pursued a career in psychology and academic research before an autoimmune disorder stopped her in her tracks. Now she’s on a mission to combine her psychology and creativity – her smarts and her arts – to make change more fun for all of us. As our resident personal transformation expert, Lou is responsible for experimenting with change in her own life and sharing what happens so you can learn from it, too. She’s putting all this together in the Field Guide to Change, a guide to navigating the changes in life: more on that here. When she’s not doing a 30 Day Challenge of her choice, she’s doing yoga, watching live bands, or practicing her doodles.

As part of our core team, Lou is committed to making a positive difference in her own life, and in her community.

Personal Challenge

Lou is on a personal mission to get fitter and healthier after being diagnosed with a long-term health condition in 2006. Back in 2013 she ran her first 5k. She also challenged herself to get up earlier by completing a 30 Day Sunrise Photo Challenge. She’s proud of her fitness journey, including her achievement of doing 2250 burpees in June 2016.

Community Challenge

Lou wants to see a world where more people take small risks everyday. She is taking on the Robot of Mediocrity as her superhero alter-ego, Danger Lou. Danger Lou helps Lou and others to change their relationship with risk, and is currently working on writing and illustrating the Field Guide to Change. Find out more about that here.