Episode #1 | Challenging Gender Inequality and Empowering Women with Hayley Madigan

Welcome to Harry’s Gym Chat, we’re in my gym and we’re going to chat! This is a podcast powered by USN; we’ve got some exclusive offers for you that we are going to be giving away a little bit later in the episode. At the same time we are on YouTube so make sure you subscribe, we’re going to be talking about all things health and wealth and fitness. But, also all things positive because I’m a positive guy and we like to keep it fun and friendly. 

In this first episode of Harry’s Gym Chat, join me Harry Aikines as we get to know Instagram sensation and women’s fitness advocate Hayley Madigan (@hayleymadiganfitness https://www.instagram.com/hayleymadiganfitness/) as we ask the question could we be unknowingly perpetuating gender inequality in our everyday lives? As a host, I'm inviting you to join us for an episode that unravels this complex question. We are joined by Hayley Madigan, a content creator and champion coach, to delve into the gritty arena of gender politics, fitness, and social media influence. 

Imagine stepping foot in a gym at 14, only to discover your passion for weight training. That’s the powerful journey of Hayley Madigan, our guest in this episode. Not only does she share her personal growth through fitness, but she also discusses her transformation into a personal trainer and how she uses her platform to empower women through strength training. From being a pro fitness athlete to navigating Instagram influencing, Hayley sheds light on her transitions and the lessons learnt. She also shares her candid views on body shaming, the importance of supportive gym partners, and her belief in guilt-free indulgence in sugary snacks.

But it's not all about fitness. We venture into hard-hitting discussions on gender inequality and feminism. Through her personal experiences and insights, Haley guides us through the struggles women face daily and the importance of fostering a supportive environment for them. We also delve into the challenges of turning Instagram into a full-time job and the realities of social media influencing on mental health. So, gear up for an episode overflowing with raw conversations, laughter, and inspiring stories. We promise you'll walk away feeling empowered and inspired.

Harry Aikines Aryeetey is an Olympian having represented Great Britain in the Rio Olympics as well as the Commonwealth Games, World Championships and European Championships earning him medals, including 5 gold medals, in 4x100m relay and 100m events. Harry is also a well-known fitness influencer where he shares his passion for sport and fitness with his audiences on Instagram, TikTok and YouTube. 

For more from Harry visit:

Instagram: @aikines https://www.instagram.com/aikines/

TikTok: @harryaikines https://www.tiktok.com/@harryaikines

YouTube: @aikines1 https://www.youtube.com/@aikines1

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Transcript

Harry Aikines : 0:00

Welcome to Harry's Gym Chat. We're in my gym and we're gonna chat. Now is a podcast powered by USN. We've got some exclusive offers for you that we are gonna be giving away a little later in the video, but at the same time we are on YouTube, so make sure you subscribe. We're gonna be talking about everything health and wealth and fitness, but also all things positive, because I'm a positive guy, I'm a big guy. We're keeping it fun and friendly. So, look, jump in, turn the volume up, let's do this. What's happening? People, harry, double-a. Here your GB 100-meter sprinter. And here we are on another podcast with an amazing individual, haley Madigan. We're talking about a content creator, we're talking about a champion coach. We are talking about someone who what I would say is could match me an energy, to be fair. So look, haley, I wanna welcome you to the show. There's a few accolades in there that I may have missed out that I wanna touch on, but firstly, thank you for coming on.

Hayley Madigan: 1:04

Thank you for having me. I'm very excited to have a good chat with you and hopefully bring the energy.

Harry Aikines : 1:09

All right. So starting with that right. So when we talk about what we are, who we are and titles, where do you start with that?

Hayley Madigan: 1:16

Honestly, I hate that question because I don't know who I am. Sometimes People are like social media I'm like you're this, you're that and I'm like am I Great? So for me personally, I think I'm all about female empowerment, strength training I started lifting at 14 years old all about kind of female health and wellbeing and just yeah, hopefully with the energy and someone that is a bit more of reality and shares everything. So, content creator by trade PT. Since I was like 20, I don't know anything else if I got Bikini Chanthi and if you wanna chuck that in.

Harry Aikines : 1:52

I love that and obviously, when you're talking about having such a wide range of job titles and experiences, it's quite endearing to know that you've done a lot and you've experienced a lot. So in these roles that you have got, there's an abundance of experience around it.

Hayley Madigan: 2:09

no, yeah, so I'm actually. I was a PE teacher, so for four years I was teaching physical education to-.

Harry Aikines : 2:15

So people trusted you with their children.

Hayley Madigan: 2:17

Yeah, I know I don't know why. No, and yeah. So I was a PE teacher because I did sports and exercise science at university. So my kind of academia was always sports science. I loved physiology, I loved biomechanics and, going back to uni days, I probably would be more focused if I did it now, because now I'm so interested in how the body works, I'm so interested in female hormones and how women train. You look terrified when I said female hormones, then Period. So I'm gonna say that word a lot.

Harry Aikines : 2:48

I'm terrified, more so because I have lived with so many females in my life. I've seen them in action.

Hayley Madigan: 2:53

How many?

Harry Aikines : 2:55

So I've got three sisters and obviously I have a mum. So you can imagine growing up I was the only boy and my dad would be looking at each other and be like they're all on the same cycle, right?

Hayley Madigan: 3:04

now they're sinking. They are sinking. Just walk out. The clocks are on, let's go to the gym. Yeah, so, yeah. So I was a PE teacher for four years and I left that to do coaching, but I was a PT before that, so I've been a personal trainer for this will tell my age for over 12 years, so I'm 33.

Harry Aikines : 3:21

But that's experience, that is like valuable knowledge. It's people, it's understanding people. There's a lot of individuals who have an abundance of knowledge but they don't know how to deal with people.

Hayley Madigan: 3:32

Exactly, and I was a personal trainer in person before I was an online coach and I feel like that is so valuable to know and understand how people work, understand how different individuals react to workouts, whereas if you're just an online coach, you've never experienced that gym etiquette and training someone one to one is completely different. So having that background and be able to train people online, I think it's so valuable.

Harry Aikines : 3:54

The reality of the gym, the reality of the gym space the reality of that feeling of walking into certain spaces. And for you, would you say that this is where did your journey start, like let's go. You said you mentioned you started gym in a full team with you there, right, is that where your fitness journey began?

Hayley Madigan: 4:10

Yeah, so my dad had a gym in the living room or the play room, much to my mom's dismay. She was like there's weights everywhere and still to this day she does not touch weights, even though my brother and I are like lift weights, mom. But yeah, so started at 14 because I was really naturally quite lean. I played football pretty much every day. I was obsessed with football, but I would get picked on because I was really skinny and so in those days they're like oh, you're a twig and anyone picked on anyone, right?

Hayley Madigan: 4:38

No matter what size you were you got picked on, especially in school. So I was like dad, help me, I want to go to muscle. And he showed me the typical lap pull down. We didn't train legs, lap pull down he still doesn't train legs.

Harry Aikines : 4:50

That raises. Yeah, he's like no Dad, get in the legs, come on.

Hayley Madigan: 4:54

He's like I don't want to damage my knees and I'm like, oh yeah, but they're going to be better if you just do some leg extensions and you know, so did some shoulder press et cetera. And I just grew in love with weight training. How empowered it made me feel at such a young age, so I didn't know that about you.

Harry Aikines : 5:09

Yeah, like I followed, like obviously I'm fanboying a little bit I followed her journey a bit, so I'm aware of some things, but I was not aware of that.

Hayley Madigan: 5:16

Yeah, I think it was a really nice way to enter a weight training space through my dad, because for me weight training didn't have a gender associated to it, because as soon as I went into the gym it was just men, and that was many years ago, say 20 years ago. So it was pretty much just men in the weights area. But that didn't faze me, I just went and just did my weights. Because for me it was normal. Dad showed me and I did the weights.

Harry Aikines : 5:40

So would you say that gave you like a mental advantage? Oh, 100%.

Hayley Madigan: 5:43

Yeah, because I see women still now and they're so intimidated, even though it's getting 10 times better. When I was training as like a 21 year old, it was still kind of leaning towards a couple of women, but still male orientated. Now it's changing for the better. I feel like females are getting in more empowered and that ability to train because we're posting about it and we're teaching people the benefits of it.

Harry Aikines : 6:05

So here's a question then Do you feel that there should be? I know there are female only coaches, yeah Is the female only gym space a positive thing or is it a barrier to some degree in terms of integration and building that confidence?

Hayley Madigan: 6:17

I feel like a female only gym space is a very beneficial thing for women, of course, because once they build that confidence, then they'll get into a gym space, because as they walk into a gym space for any women may be listening to this they may be feeling intimidated because you get the looks right, but nine times out of 10, these people are just staring through you or looking at what you're doing because they're interested in training and they're interested in what you're doing. They're not judging you, they're just inspired by everyone in the gym. So I would always say to a woman or a man if they're kind of intimidating the gym, grab some dumbbells, go in the corner to start with, do your little routine feel good. Then, as you gradually then go into gym machines, walk around the gym, learn about it, and then you'll be able to move from that corner into the actual open space. And I feel like if that is a female area first, they may venture back into an actual mainstream gym.

Harry Aikines : 7:08

Is a progressive point, right, yeah, 100%. The thing I always find is that some people will say, oh yeah, but that's you. You're a confident individual. There's bound to have been times when you have felt that lack of confidence in certain spaces. Where might have that been for you?

Hayley Madigan: 7:21

Well, probably to start out with when I was training in the gym, say, for example, when I was 21, and it was very just male orientated, or there were certain movements that I couldn't do or certain equipment, but like that GHD in a corner staring at me, I still to this day cannot do it, I'm like, and then I feel intimidated. So if there's any machines that I don't know what I'm doing, I'm like grab my boyfriend, help me, or just I will just ignore it.

Hayley Madigan: 7:47

So there's still, to this day, movements that I'm shy away from, but we need to open that up.

Harry Aikines : 7:52

And you've obviously mentioned who I would say is quite an important figure in your life your boyfriend, Now in those gym spaces, is taking a partner, is going with someone a helpful tool.

Hayley Madigan: 8:04

Oh, 100%, whether it's your best friend or family member. I was in the gym yesterday and a girl brought her mom and I was like this is amazing, she's lifting weights and it's a great bond between the two of you, but it's also gives them inspiration, helps them and also helps motivate you. Because, sometimes you don't wanna go to the gym, but if your boyfriend's put any shoes on, he's going to the gym. I'll get jealous. I was like, if he's getting the gains, I want the gains as well. So I will come with you.

Harry Aikines : 8:28

So it's more so in a gains perspective.

Hayley Madigan: 8:29

Yeah, I'm jealous of the gains.

Harry Aikines : 8:31

You are not gaining without me because we are on the same. Is that everything else as well? Like when it comes to the mills? If you're getting the gains in the mills, I want my mills as well. No, no, you eat too much.

Hayley Madigan: 8:43

Chicken and rice. I'll tell you that I eat sweets. What is it?

Harry Aikines : 8:46

like when you know, within certain relationships, when you do have that common gym relationship, if someone is bulking, for example, what does dinner? What do dinners look like? How do you split mills?

Hayley Madigan: 8:57

Completely different he does. Here's an, I do mine. That will stay at that I want. Sometimes I cook for him.

Harry Aikines : 9:04

Okay, sometimes I'm nice. Yeah, that's what I was wondering. Yeah, yeah, yeah, but he never cooks for me. Oh, come on, he's right there, yeah.

Hayley Madigan: 9:12

Now the truth comes out, now the truth comes out.

Harry Aikines : 9:15

So, when those mills are presented, what's like after a hard day at gym? What's your favorite meal?

Hayley Madigan: 9:21

So I'm pescatarian. I have Vincent's birth, my dad was vegetarian when I grew up, so I didn't get a chance to eat meat.

Harry Aikines : 9:28

Again another thing we didn't know Forced meat to eat. That's awesome.

Hayley Madigan: 9:31

And then, when I was five, they were like here's some fish fingers, because there's nothing else for you to eat really, because back in those days there was just Linda McCartney who was not vegan alternatives. There wasn't anything. So I eat a lot of eggs. I eat a lot of fish, obviously tofu lentils. I'm a healthy cook with my main meals, but I do like to snack on junk food as well.

Harry Aikines : 9:51

Make sugar. I love it. Yeah, Harry Bo, you know, I love it.

Hayley Madigan: 9:55

I just have to have it and I have it every day and I say there's no bad, good or bad food. It's about balance.

Harry Aikines : 10:01

I mean sugar obviously has no nutritional benefits to it whatsoever.

Hayley Madigan: 10:06

But it makes you happy.

Harry Aikines : 10:07

Yeah, and happiness comes into a lot of things that we do. You know, like you said, when you're gymming, when you're training, there's certain elements that you're really gonna enjoy. Now that takes me on to one of the questions that I wanted to ask is in and around, I think there's a certain card that you have that I didn't know that you had and that would be a pro card. Is that correct? Oh, yes, oh wow, we have a pro in front of us.

Harry Aikines : 10:29

I feel like a pop pony? Yes, it is. So talk us through that journey, because so what full team? You start gymming with your dad, then 20, you're at. Still in the gym, yeah, still in the gym giving it something, but then when did you decide to make a point of stepping on the stage?

Hayley Madigan: 10:44

So I went through a really bad breakup and I was about 24, 25 when this happened and I was still living in the gym because I naturally just loved it and enjoyed it. And a coach came over to me and she would nag me I think you should compete, I think you should compete. And I would say no, no, no, I don't wanna do it. Everyone takes steroids. So I didn't wanna, I was natural. And she was like no, there's natural bodybuilding federations. And I was like, okay, I'll try it.

Hayley Madigan: 11:05

And because of that breakup, I needed something to focus on. And she gave me a great focus for 12 weeks and I ended up competing with UK DFBA, which is a drug-free organization, and I won. And I was like I don't have a clue what I'm doing, but this sounds fun. And so, because I won, then I had to do the internationals and then I magically won that and then I had to go to fly out to America and compete in the Worlds and that was with WNBF World Natural Bodybuilding Federation, and then I won that one and I was like okay, I'm good at this.

Harry Aikines : 11:37

Success, success, success, success.

Hayley Madigan: 11:38

I didn't have a clue what I was doing and I just I really loved the posing and I liked people looking at me on stage, apparently, and next to nothing, but I like the tan and I really enjoyed the fact that it's a celebration of you, right, yeah, exactly, and it's that hard work. It's not. I'm just stepping on the stage. Look at me. It's the 12 weeks of hell that you go through, and not just training, it's nutrition, it's steps, it's everything it's a mindset.

Harry Aikines : 12:03

Did you ever think you could be so disciplined?

Hayley Madigan: 12:05

No, because I was really bad with my food before that, because I was always yo-yo dieting, whether it was keto, because I didn't have a clue what I was doing. Low carb because I wasn't really educated in nutrition and I was always bouncing up and down, because, as a woman, you're kind of seen as go on a diet all the time right. As soon as you're turned 18, it's instant you think you should go on a diet you've got to look a certain way.

Hayley Madigan: 12:27

So I was always yo-yo dieting. I was always trying to look really good for Friday and Saturday, and then binge on Sunday, and then it was just stepper stair master. It was really unhealthy. I'm not like that anymore. It was really unhealthy. Balance that kind of mindset as well. So when I got into competing, it was a great focus and I did well, and then I won my pro card in 2015, and I thought, okay, I'm good at this, let's carry on. Unfortunately, it led me into that down with spiral of disordered eating and then a really unhealthy relationship with my body because I was so lean. Then I was like, oh, if I eat a doughnut, I'm gonna magically put on two pounds and it was dreadful weighing myself multiple times a day and then really downward spiral of my mental health.

Hayley Madigan: 13:12

So I competed for three years and I lost my period for three years. So of course that's dangerous and we don't wanna do that. And so I then educated myself because unfortunately, the doctors didn't really care they still don't really care about female hormones in that particular way. They'll offer you the pill, but that's not the right thing to do and let's sort our hormones and our health out. So I educated myself and I learned how to get my cycle back and I actually did that for a lot of people. I started coaching in it and from then it took me about four years to then get to now where I have that better mindset and understanding of my body and I train and I eat because I feel good and I feel strong and I have that balance now.

Hayley Madigan: 13:53

But competing did teach me a lot of things. It taught me discipline, like you said. It taught me I can do stuff if I put my mind to it, and it's just very dangerous for certain individuals if you're more prone to that kind of obsessive behavior, which I was.

Harry Aikines : 14:09

And the thing is, obviously I come from a world of sport in terms of, you know, athletics. In that capacity and what you're describing, I've seen and it's not necessarily something that is isolated in one world of bodybuilding. For example, in my sport, a lot of individuals, they go through a point where they get closer to championships and competitions and they think same thing I can't enjoy myself, I can't have this stone up because it might, you know, impair my performance, because my weight is something that I need to focus on. And there are individuals and you do see it, and it's kind of like you kind of feel that there's not enough support around the concept of understanding that you have a job to do, but that job is not the be an end or everything.

Hayley Madigan: 14:51

Of your whole life.

Harry Aikines : 14:52

And you know, redlining is a thing for me personally, when I'm running my fastest and I've been close to PBing, or when I do PB, my central nervous system then after is shot. I actually need to refuel, I actually need to rest and I need to take care of my body. If anything more is better in terms of my, you know what I'm consuming, but that concept isn't spoken about enough in that way. So you've done your show, but then straight after it's, I need to stay in this space, it's the rebuild and I rebound effect that you go then all out and it was binge for me.

Hayley Madigan: 15:22

I was really bad binge eating and then that restriction and it was that complete binge restrict cycle and for me, enjoying all foods every day helped me get out of that.

Harry Aikines : 15:32

Were you aware of being yourself in that situation? Yeah, I knew I was doing it.

Hayley Madigan: 15:36

I just couldn't control it and I couldn't stop it because it had a hold on me and I was that controlled because I controlled food for so long. It then controlled me back and I didn't know how to get out of that cycle.

Harry Aikines : 15:46

I find this so interesting because we all do certain things in different types of ways without speaking about it, and obviously, just speaking about now for me is a level of understanding. We talk about experience, we talk about the way that we understand and perceive certain things, but for me to understand something that may not allow me to actually empathize and sympathize with others around me, I need that information. So then go, okay, this makes sense. And as much as we'd sit there and say, well, I would have done this. We never follow our own advice.

Hayley Madigan: 16:15

You know, we always sit there and say so close we're coaches and we stretch, we're like stretch.

Harry Aikines : 16:21

It's all about being perfect in some capacity, but you can only be perfect 90% of the time. If so, there's always that extra added essence of I should have, I could have, I would have. So, through this journey, then you're taking yourself from, you know, stage off stage. You're now in a place where there's balance. So then now, what do you do with yourself? What have you been doing with yourself in that position of balance? What? Where does that take you?

Hayley Madigan: 16:44

So it's hard when you don't have a finite goal. But my goal is always to be stronger than I was yesterday. So to work on my strength training, to work on leg days, upper body days I love to train weights because it gives me such a great feeling. So it's more so longevity and knowing that you know, one day I'm gonna be in the menopause, I'm gonna have no estrangea, I'm gonna be an utter bitch. I'm sorry.

Harry Aikines : 17:10

I love that.

Hayley Madigan: 17:11

But hopefully by then I'll have children and then I can teach my children to be strong and empowered. And it's not only that, it's also to teach other women out there to be strong and empowered. Lift weights at whatever age you are, and so I've got to show them that. I've got to try and inspire them by lifting as many weights as I can, by doing as many pull-ups as I can you know being in the gym is my, it's my freedom.

Hayley Madigan: 17:33

I was thinking the other day. I was like when I'm sad, I train. When I'm happy, I train. When I'm moody, I train Any emotion. I train because it gives those endorphins right. Like yourself, you feel so good and those days that you may not feel like you wanna train, or if you're a little bit tired, a little bit of a rest days, but I'm back in training because I just love it.

Harry Aikines : 17:51

I absolutely enjoy it. Do you find that cross training is something that you quite like doing as well? Because would you describe yourself as a hybrid athlete?

Hayley Madigan: 17:57

Yeah, I guess so, like I used to play football for years and then I ran some marathon, like one marathon, and I always, naturally, am quite good at running, but I can't hold muscle if I run. So I can't run because I will literally lose any leg gains I've got. So I am a fan of sprints and I hill sprints sprints. I love trail runs. If you give me the hill, I will love to run up here. I just don't wanna go down it.

Harry Aikines : 18:23

I'm gonna hold you to that because I've got some good hill sprints. Yes, you can sprint up. There's a hill I met, but genuinely sprinting. I try to say this to so many people, oh, so many people. Yeah, brilliant People. Look at me and I'm not gonna talk because this is about you right now. This is about Hayley. Yeah, people always say that I'm this and that. But if I didn't say that, I lifted awake till I was the age of 21. I had pecs when I was 13. Now, when you're training with your own body and the forces that you put out, there's nothing better than body weight training trying to push those boundaries, because if you're sprinting up a hill, it teaches you a lot from conditioning from your ankles all the way through your calves, your tendons. But I love that you have an idea of how positive it can have an effect on your body. Oh, 100%.

Hayley Madigan: 19:03

That feeling of running up that hill and then trying to get your heart rate back down and going again and getting to the top I absolutely love it.

Harry Aikines : 19:10

That rocking moment.

Hayley Madigan: 19:11

Yes, Adore Stairs.

Harry Aikines : 19:13

I love stairs.

Hayley Madigan: 19:15

Anything with stairs. I'm like I'm gonna two step it I wanna sprint up it. That's the competitiveness in me. But my dad, I remember this when I was eight years old, I think. We were in the South of France and we were on bikes and we were going up a hill and it was the first time that I felt like pain, like physical lactic acid.

Harry Aikines : 19:30

As an eight year old, you don't know what that is you just keep running around, don't you?

Hayley Madigan: 19:34

I was like dad, I can't do this, like something's not working, and he was like no you go through it and you don't stop. And it's stuck in me and from eight years old I was like okay it hurts, but I'm gonna carry on going and I got to the top and so that's kind of like carried on through for anything and I think I love the feeling where you can go push your limits, get past that pain barrier, because I did it and it was me, and I know that you can do that with daily life you know Whether it's a relationship, or whether it's work.

Hayley Madigan: 20:02

You can keep going, you can push through.

Harry Aikines : 20:04

So, like you made reference to your dad quite a bit.

Hayley Madigan: 20:07

Sorry, Mum.

Harry Aikines : 20:08

Has he been quite a bit of a role model for you, or someone that's inspired you in terms of given you an idea of how you wanna be in? I feel like he's given you some form of confidence and power.

Hayley Madigan: 20:20

Yeah, definitely Because he is the opposite for me, in terms of I'm a very much a feminist, but only will know this. My partner, dad, is not. He's like male, male, male. Even though he treats me like, you know, equality and equal, he is still not a feminist. So I am then like okay, dad, this is how feminist works and I show you I'm worthy. But he always made sure that I was kind of equal in terms of weight training and like I can still do that, I can play football as a girl, you know. But he has made me forced upon me that feeble empowerment. I'm like no women can do this and can do everything, and I wanna relay that unto everyone, you know, whether it's if I have a daughter or my friends or the kids at school that I used to teach. I want them to feel empowered and I want them to say you can walk down that street, you can put your head up high and you can lift those weights, and I mean, I follow you on Instagram.

Harry Aikines : 21:14

Obviously. Your content I hope so. Yeah, your content is awesome. My ride and it is sort of is eye-opening To some degree. Like I've got three sisters, like I've said, I have a daughter and it's, you know, surround myself with females. I have a wife. You know I'm in this space of being around women, but you don't truly understand some of the struggles that Effect the majority. So I think there's one piece that you did, just in terms of walking home not having your headphones on. Yeah, you know, having to take the long route home, yeah, you know, for me as a Young boy, yeah, I would take that, you know, for granted, really, and yeah, and I feel like you've portrayed that really well. But what was the worst part of trying to give people the understanding?

Hayley Madigan: 22:02

because it seems like you do get negative comments around- 100%, and they're always from men, because they don't understand right so it's hard to put your yourself on a woman's shoes when you're a man, because you don't understand the logistics of walking down the street. For me is gonna give me massive anxiety.

Hayley Madigan: 22:18

If there's a group of men on on the other side of the road, I'm gonna cross over, just naturally. And women think about it all the time, all day, every day. I'm gonna look behind me if I've got my headphones on, but if I think of someone, if there's a shadow, you just automatically think it and it's. It's stressful, but we live like that every day. I can't go out for a run at 5 pm In December because it's dark, even if I wanted to. If I want to walk to the gym, I'm gonna be a little bit stressed, so I'm gonna have the keys on my hand, just because that's the way we have to live and it's yeah, and I like to talk about that online and I like to showcase that Because a lot of people don't realize that's how we live every single day and how women feel, and you know it's not every single woman feels like that, but the majority.

Hayley Madigan: 23:00

You know sexual assault is a common theme nowadays. There was a a real that I watched the other day was 86% of the UK women have experienced that and it's like. You know, I would walk to school when I was in school in my uniform and get whistled and, you know, beeped. I'm in the school uniform like 12, like men's. But yeah, if you don't talk about it it becomes a taboo and we're never gonna talk about it.

Harry Aikines : 23:24

So you got to talk about it and open up the conversation and hopefully teach men and teach their daughters that you know it gets better and hopefully we will get there and I've got to say, like, in terms of teachings that have come from it, I feel that me personally, I've taken on board some, some some positive points, like not allowing certain people to make comments and get Away with them, and it's so funny because, as much as I think I'm woke, in one sense Obviously I'm I'm a black male. So some of the things that you talk about in terms of crossing the road and whatever else, I see people cross the road when they see me or For another degree I make a point of. Sometimes I went through a point of being apologetic for being black, like I would cross the road For you or I would walk around with a smile on my face to make sure to let you know that I'm not.

Hayley Madigan: 24:05

I'm not a threat.

Harry Aikines : 24:06

I'm not a threat and that's just because, obviously, the stigma around being, you know, a black male in certain areas now, but what I've learned is that obviously, when we had the whole you know, black lives matter movement and whereas people would ask me how can I be of help, how can I, you know, help make you feel better, and everything that's happened and I don't think enough men are swimming. How can I be Exactly in that sense, if we all made a point of saying to your black friends and this, this and that, and you know that there was real movement there, which you know should happen but equally, we can make a point of saying to females around us, our partners, and say how can we make you feel better? And what would you say?

Hayley Madigan: 24:41

So I would say, in any circumstances, when another male sees a female being stressed or something happens in a situation, they need to stand up for that female, because a lot of times I see things on TikTok or online and a woman has, you know, been assaulted or something, and people just watching, they're not standing up for that woman, they're not kind of Putting their strength on them to be able to actually stand up for her and then show that that male's wrong individually and it's just about education and helping the women feel safe. You know, like you say, walking around with smile but instantly makes a woman feel so much better. So if all men can, you know, do that.

Harry Aikines : 25:20

It's not in a crazy way, it's in the same darling smile. What a new smile. Exactly.

Hayley Madigan: 25:25

Jesus Christ, it's a bad time to smile love.

Harry Aikines : 25:27

Yeah.

Hayley Madigan: 25:28

No, I don't mean to smile at you, but if you don't seem like a threat, then we're just gonna. You know, it's just a lot less stress that we have to live. So standing up for women. Yeah is gonna help us ten times out of ten. Yeah so you can do that with your sisters. You can always ask your daughter how she feels, you know, and your wife, and it's all about education and having that conversation.

Harry Aikines : 25:46

Yeah, and opening up so the problem that I find is that some men will turn around and be like, yeah, but look how she's dressed, she wants it like it's her fault. Now, in the gym scene, when do you make the decision to say I'm gonna wear what I want and how I feel, rather than trying to because that there is, there is a, there's a, there's a brush of a tarnished brush or how would you describe it? Where, obviously, when gym sharks sort of started dropping those Pants or types, if you would say that the booty pants and you know they made your bum look a bit bigger. Now you know that's great for females because that if it makes them feel better about themselves. But then, obviously, from when do we sexualize the body and when don't we sexualize you? What? Where is a gray area? So how can better people better understand that space?

Hayley Madigan: 26:30

So people have to understand that women dress like that for themselves and not for other people in the gym. So I wear gorgeous, tight, uneractive shorts because I love to, because it makes me feel amazing, but most importantly, it shows off my gains for me, yes. So then I go. If I've got a booty pump, I'm like, yes, let's train harder. Not for anyone, I would do that if I was training at home in the gym. And so the individuals in the gym have to realize it's not for them, it is for that person, that individual person. So, as much as we have to kind of cover up, sometimes because we may not feel that confident around other people, we're put on a pump cover and then we've done a few lateral raises and we're it's off because I want to show my pump.

Hayley Madigan: 27:13

Get it out, get it out I literally couldn't give two shits if someone's staring at me because I'm like, yeah, it's so cool, move on. Yeah and so I feel like they need to realize that it's not for them. It's for us as individuals, especially as women.

Harry Aikines : 27:27

It's for us and it's as surprising as it might sound like I've experienced a lot of body shaming. Yeah, people will turn around to me and make me feel bad for my physique. Yeah, it's so funny. I'll walk into so many events. Now. I might wear a vest underneath, but I have a jacket on top.

Harry Aikines : 27:41

The moment the jacket comes off, oh, here he is showing up showing off and it's just sort of like that hang on, like isn't this a positive, like I work hard for it, I I'm just looking how I look. So for me it's one of those things I kind of can't help but feel like why and here we are, at your favorite point in this chat it's obviously that exclusive deal that I mentioned earlier. We are talking about a nice little usn discount. It's gonna be HTC blue, because I'm feeling a little bit blue today. Pick me up, go on, go get your discount and enjoy. Now let's get back to the chat and we're back. Obviously, I was about to touch on the fact of how positive you are with your community online, because obviously you know there's a lot of negativity around the social spaces, but you in you know you embody positivity, like literally, like you embody it in such a way. And how do you only you know common and associate yourself with certain individuals like yourself?

Hayley Madigan: 28:41

So it's funny because years back I never would see, I would see other women as competition all the time, because Probably it stemmed from really unhealthy relationships with men and so other women were the, you know, the problem but the men were the problem making me think the individual yes women were, and then it wasn't.

Hayley Madigan: 29:05

Until I got a little bit older I realized no other women is my competition, they are my inspiration. We need to inspire each other me to help each other. So when I realized that, you know, in my 20s, I found this absolute enjoyment of just lifting other women up and seeing their smile when I was like personal training women and they would say get a PB or get a press up, manage a push up, even on their knees, whatever, the feeling of get accomplishment was so incredible that inspiring, uplifting other women just gave me so much joy and it's just an incredible way to build back community and see other women just strive for strength and strive for happiness and I get so much joy every day. Even one message will make my day. You know you get that one message Instagram. You're like hi Haley, like you made me like go into the weights area and I feel so good, thank you. I'm like.

Harry Aikines : 30:00

Do you think that people aren't aware of how much messages like that affect individuals like yourself?

Hayley Madigan: 30:04

Probably. Yeah, they're like oh, it's just a message quickly.

Hayley Madigan: 30:07

They're like oh, my gosh replied I'm like, I'm just an old girl, like we're all normal, just because you got another number or a K next year followers. You know what I mean. It's just, it's funny and and I think because not everyone will be honest or Open to just giving compliments, like whenever I meet anyone new, I'm like I will always give them one compliment, you know especially will be women. I'm like I love your skirt, I love your dress, so love your hair, because they instantly uplift and their emotion feels so good. I'm like sharing that moment. You know, smiling at a stranger down the street. I love that and if they don't smile back, don't hold the door open, you know thank you, we're going back.

Hayley Madigan: 30:47

Another story, but that one little she made me feel so good. You know, that one little Positive it just makes their day and it makes my day and I think if you can share a little bit of joy, it just it makes the world a nicer place, but, like you said, you know competition before in regards to how you view people.

Harry Aikines : 31:02

I come from a world where I'm Fully aware that there's enough success to go around, and I think that's the same for socials, right? Oh?

Hayley Madigan: 31:08

100%. You know everyone's different and especially in the fitness industry. Everyone's got their different apps. Everyone's a trainer, there's a load of us, but everyone's unique and no one would be following you otherwise if you weren't good, you know. So you've got to realize that they're not my competition, they're my inspiration. Other women might be doing very similar stuff to me, but that's fine. We can collab, we can see each other, we can join forces like we are today. You know one of my best friends, jen. I met her on a reality show.

Harry Aikines : 31:38

No, this is actually where I was going. I was gonna get on survival of the fishes, because you were pretty good at hanging on that as well. Can I just say, yeah, yes, I did, and that's where I saw you. That's where I actually yeah, yeah, I remember you in that show. You're pretty awesome. You came in as like a sort of yeah, mom, shell kind of well.

Hayley Madigan: 32:05

Basically they made me walk in this under, like you know, thong swimsuit. I was like great Thanks, first entrance. But yeah, it was, you know I was. It was. If anyone didn't know the premise of the show, it was boys with girls and I was like yes. I'm all for this again, I went through a really bad break up just before that show.

Hayley Madigan: 32:24

I hope to leave. There's no more breakups gonna happen, but it forces me to do stuff. You know it forces you. So I went on that show and I kind of was like, okay, men V women got this a frickin Love and body, that. And and the first challenge was to hang upside down on a log above this lake and my log was very large Compared to the men's and I was like, excuse me, this is, this is the width. Yeah, like here yeah upside down 52 minutes I lasted.

Harry Aikines : 32:54

That's amazing.

Hayley Madigan: 32:55

And people were dropping off within a minute and I was the only girl left and I was adamant, adamant that I was gonna beat the boys. But what they didn't show you on TV is that they told you just drop your legs. Oh, because we were going for too long. The producers were like when are they gonna drop?

Harry Aikines : 33:09

Like and they were like cut the legs?

Hayley Madigan: 33:11

And I was like no. It's all about the edit and I was like and I watched it back Bernie's never watched it, my partner's never seen it.

Harry Aikines : 33:17

Oh, wow.

Hayley Madigan: 33:18

It's like, don't watch it. I'm like, oh, I can't watch it.

Harry Aikines : 33:22

So where was this show on your fitness journey? At what point?

Hayley Madigan: 33:25

So just as I got out of competing and it was probably a year after that kind of I still had quite an unhealthy relationship with my body and I was going through, like I said, the breakup. I was personal training in person and I was building my online presence. So it was just after competing and it was almost. It was quite dangerous to do that because as I came out I was really high anxiety Went into a depression spiral because they say, oh, you're gonna be really famous, you're gonna like have this show and pepperats, you're gonna follow you. And none of that happened because the show went a little bit down, a little bit of a flop, and that's okay. Looking back, it was a great experience. But you kind of said, oh, this is gonna happen, that's gonna happen, your life is gonna change. But it didn't. I got off the plane, people recognized me and I was like, oh God, what's this? Hi, hi, bye.

Harry Aikines : 34:16

I've been watching you Selfie.

Hayley Madigan: 34:18

I watched you last night and they're like, and you're like, okay cool.

Harry Aikines : 34:22

I haven't watched myself back yet, so don't tell me, Terrify.

Hayley Madigan: 34:24

I'm like oh God, but I went back home and I was living with my parents in Portsmouth just-.

Harry Aikines : 34:31

But this is the factor of what TV is actually like.

Hayley Madigan: 34:33

Yeah, and I went back to my day job as a personal trainer. Love that Nothing happened.

Harry Aikines : 34:36

But this is what I mean about people actually understanding the facts. And when you sit there and say, you know you love ironers and whatever else, there is an essence where some people do suffer with some form of imposter syndrome after because people think that they're gonna live a certain life. Tell so once they come off the show, rather than saying I lived with my parents and I chilled out and not much happened. They pretend to live a certain life.

Hayley Madigan: 34:58

Yeah, they go to these events and they get paparazzi to turn up at the events and they get some pictures taken and things like this, and it's the whole world that they create, and then what they show online can be completely different to what they might be doing at home, whereas I try to show the reality and I try to show the real ups and downs, because that is normal and people always say thank you for showing the reality. I'm like well, why should Instagram?

Harry Aikines : 35:18

be a highlight.

Hayley Madigan: 35:19

Like you know, it's me. I'm not gonna just show like the happy moments, I'll show everything.

Harry Aikines : 35:23

This is where you've shown such you know you're a genuine individual. I think, from this conversation that we're just having anyway this gym chat that we're having you are very much transparent, genuine. Like you know, there's an essence of purity behind everything that you sort of believe and talk about.

Hayley Madigan: 35:38

I'm really shit actor, though, so I would be really bad at acting, so I could last about 10 minutes, and then it'd be really bad.

Harry Aikines : 35:44

So it has to be real. You cave in. I was lying the whole time.

Hayley Madigan: 35:48

Sorry, that's not me, I can't do it.

Harry Aikines : 35:50

You're like look, now that you've come out the show, you know socials, you're able to use your socials Cause, like you said, you were able to build something at some point. Talk about the journey of growing social media Cause so many people think it's. We're in such a saturated market now. The algorithm works in your favor sometimes it doesn't work in your favor the other times.

Harry Aikines : 36:06

Yeah, there was a point where it was exciting for a lot of us, I think, to grow. I grew my socials from. You know. I went Olympics in 2016, posted me doing my pec bounce to Rihanna and I saw, you know, numbers coming up and I was oh, and then, you know, I lost followers because I wasn't posting enough. Then I realized that you need to post consistent content. What was your journey like?

Hayley Madigan: 36:26

Yeah, so.

Harry Aikines : 36:28

When did it become a business for you?

Hayley Madigan: 36:29

It was bizarre because I kind of started Instagram just as a diary when I was competing back in 2015. And I was on like 6,000 followers and I decided to go as an online coach. Just with 6,000 followers I made a business because I, you know, utilized them and I really kind of nurtured them. And then I was on the show and from then Instagram was nice. You could grow organically. It was kind. I had about 24,000, went on the show, came out with about 50 and I stayed at 50,000 for about three years, cause people don't follow me. People don't follow me. It would stay constant and that was quite. It was hard to deal with because you were posting every day. You were like, why is it not seeing?

Harry Aikines : 37:08

me. It's hard. You're like like me. What else? This is like me, stay.

Hayley Madigan: 37:13

And you know you can't take it personally, but I would, and it wasn't until COVID happened that I was posting more things about Instagram versus reality. I was at home and I was putting more weight on, just because that's what a lot of us do. You know, we didn't have the gym to go to, we could only walk down to the street and back and I put some weight on and I was sharing the fact that I had to sell you light because that's normal as a woman and you know, things like that took a spiral and they loved it and the algorithm was nice to me.

Hayley Madigan: 37:39

Thank you. And so I grew during them because I was showing reality. You know, I was trying to nurture the women out there that kind of felt bad about their bodies or negative. No matter what size we are, we're all the same. We have cellulite, we have stretch marks, because that is a feminine trait, that's estrogen. Like you know, it happens. We hold fat on our legs and bum because we need to have babies and procreate, you know. So I was trying to educate women like it's okay, no matter what size you are, and so that really helped grow my online presence in that relationship, Like a body positive movement to a certain degree.

Hayley Madigan: 38:10

Yeah and neutrality, just to understand that, like you know, I'd gone through the disordered eating pattern. I'd gone through the weight gain, I'd gone through the weight loss several times and up and down, and I think people realized that, oh, it's okay if you put weight on. I'm still the same person, and so when that grew, it kind of took that. It grew fast, which was quite scary because you're like oh hi, hi everyone.

Harry Aikines : 38:30

What's going on, yeah?

Hayley Madigan: 38:32

And then it again took her-.

Harry Aikines : 38:33

Did that make you feel that you needed to query yourself in any type of way on how to portray yourself?

Hayley Madigan: 38:37

No, I just, I just love to post. I just really enjoyed it. And I wasn't trying to be someone else. I was just trying to post what I felt was in that moment, of how I felt. So I use Instagram always have done as a diary.

Hayley Madigan: 38:48

So, what's, whatever's gonna go on in my life this week, whether it's talking about PMS and periods, or talking about strength or partners. You know I love that feeling of I can just talk about anything and I will then capulate, capulates that all the time. But it's funny because you say you're sometimes the algorithm goes up and down. I will still go through those moments where people don't like me, like but no one's like my posts.

Harry Aikines : 39:11

I don't think people hate me. It is true, though, that, like if sometimes I think when you get to a certain point or fellowship, some individuals feel like they don't need to comment or like or save the post, and they still see it, I mean it's still helpful to do so. Please like, yeah, yeah if you like, if you wanna like, if you wanna comment, if you wanna like. All of that sort of stuff does help If you enjoy the content, make sure you interact with it?

Hayley Madigan: 39:30

Yeah, exactly, and the thing is, it's your job. And it's really strange when it turns into your full-time job.

Harry Aikines : 39:36

Let's talk about that becoming a job. Because that's when, obviously for me being a sprinter, as I touched on, I did this for fun. I got chased by a dog. I then ended up becoming the fastest.

Hayley Madigan: 39:48

That doesn't sound fun. You know what I mean. Like yeah, I'll claim back.

Harry Aikines : 39:50

Cambridge four dog got chased by a dog. Someone told me where to go and off the back of it, what I'm saying is that, like you know, 14, I was the fastest 14 year old full-time in Europe. Wow, you know, I got given a kit deal by Nike at this point when I was 15.

Harry Aikines : 40:02

And all of this stuff, it was fun. But then when I had a mortgage and then when I had to pay for things, it became mature and it became stressful. And that weight of I've got to run fast to pay the bills, I've got to run fast to do certain things, it becomes something that people can't appreciate.

Hayley Madigan: 40:19

It takes a hold on you.

Harry Aikines : 40:20

So at what point did that sort of occur to you that, wow, this is everything for me?

Hayley Madigan: 40:26

Still hasn't happened to me, yeah.

Harry Aikines : 40:29

I'm riding this wave. Oh no, I've just freaked you out, that's all right, let's still ride the wave.

Hayley Madigan: 40:34

Well, bernie pays the mortgage.

Harry Aikines : 40:37

So it's all good?

Hayley Madigan: 40:38

No, don't worry.

Harry Aikines : 40:40

I love that.

Hayley Madigan: 40:41

So I've always kind of been like really super relaxed with anything in terms of like, and that is a great way to be.

Harry Aikines : 40:45

Yeah, as long as you can stay in that space.

Hayley Madigan: 40:47

Yeah and I. You can always earn more money. Whether I need to leave this job if it goes tits up, you know.

Harry Aikines : 40:53

I can go find another job.

Hayley Madigan: 40:54

It's okay, I don't want to stress myself out with those situations and, yes, I pay the bills, some of them, not all of them, because we're a group, you know we're a team. And I feel like Sundays, especially if I'm due on, I will be like, oh my God, is this the job for me? People hate me if they not like my post, and then tomorrow I'm absolutely fine.

Harry Aikines : 41:15

I'm like I've smashed this because of post done well, so sometimes the algorithm tells me I'm okay. And then I live each day. And it is that reactive.

Hayley Madigan: 41:24

You can't help it because naturally you want to be liked and so the more likes you got a post, naturally it's going to give you that better feeling. But if you've got to switch off from it and realize I don't look at my phone 24 seven, I don't want my phone near me all the time. I want to switch off and enjoy this Life.

Harry Aikines : 41:41

Yeah, Be present in the moment.

Hayley Madigan: 41:42

Exactly, and we post a lot online and it can't take that control and we just need to utilize it for the benefits. So my mom and dad are always like this is so weird that this is your job. They're like, you know it will end soon and I'm like just don't be negative. Let's just enjoy this now, and I think because they like force it upon me, like it could end. It could end at any time and I'm like, I know, but I'm going to ride it for now.

Harry Aikines : 42:07

It's still okay. And what's worse about that? Just on that point, I feel like I'm living the same life again. Obviously, as an athlete I would get from the age of literally like 19,. You know, I've gone to my first Olympics, I'm really enjoying the world. And someone would say to me oh, so we're going to do when you retire, like I'm 19. I've got some time yet and now I'm back in the same position where I'm on socials and you know, I've monetized it, and people are like so what are you going to do after? And it's like no, I don't want to live this life again.

Hayley Madigan: 42:34

It's like you know that question that you got asked at like school or whether it was in a job. Where do you see yourself in five years? I don't have a bloody clue.

Harry Aikines : 42:41

I love that.

Hayley Madigan: 42:43

Why would?

Harry Aikines : 42:43

I, I don't want to know.

Hayley Madigan: 42:44

You know, I want to just and that's the same as my life right now Like Instagram blew up. I didn't know it was going to do that. I didn't know it was going to be sponsored athlete for different companies. I didn't know that was going to happen. That's amazing. That like is incredible. So I don't know where I'm going to be in five years. Hopefully I'm going to be happy.

Harry Aikines : 42:59

Happy. That's all I care about. That's what I love to say.

Hayley Madigan: 43:02

Happy, strong, healthy.

Harry Aikines : 43:03

Yeah.

Hayley Madigan: 43:04

Like I could be doing a different job. I could be in the same job, but it really stresses me out with that question Planning.

Harry Aikines : 43:09

And that's the thing we plan. You asked me to plan my training. I can plan my training, no problem, and I'll plan my time. I'll plan my day, I'll plan my month, but ultimately you can't Next week, I don't know what to do I'm actually very bad, I will leave.

Harry Aikines : 43:24

I will leave like sort of time available For some priorities, but then, equally, I'm busy. The majority is like oh no, I'm training, no, I'm training, no, I've got space for this day at this point. But I find that in this world that we live in, it's so hard to actually say what's going to be the case in bad days.

Hayley Madigan: 43:41

We never know. We'd look at COVID happened. Everyone was shut down for two years. But taking that trip back, oh everyone knows I don't like it, the name COVID.

Harry Aikines : 43:49

That was obviously as much as it was a negative time for the majority of us and even though for all of us really, because we all did suffer, you know you still used a negative time to be positive. Do you know what it?

Hayley Madigan: 44:01

really helped me with my relationship with food.

Harry Aikines : 44:03

Because I couldn't control it.

Hayley Madigan: 44:05

I had no control about going to the gym, go on Stairmaster and burn loads of calories. I couldn't control it. So I was like, okay, and I found my freedom of food completely and I met my partner during COVID and I moved in within a week.

Harry Aikines : 44:18

Because the lockdown happened again. So are we going to do this or what?

Hayley Madigan: 44:23

And I never left.

Harry Aikines : 44:24

It's nearly three years later. I love that.

Hayley Madigan: 44:26

But because I was in a new environment, I then couldn't really control my food, and I have not been for the last three and a half years. Since we've been together and my relationship has expelled so well because I changed the environment and I was happy.

Harry Aikines : 44:40

So do you not like something that I often say? Again, I don't like talking about myself in these situations, because getting to know you is actually such like this is awesome. But when I've performed, when I've raced, when I've done certain things, I've got an idea of what I want to do. There's been times where things have gone fucking awful Excuse my language it's gone terribly. I've snapped tendons, I've done whatever. I've got three stress fractures in my back. When I was World Youth and World Junior Champion, bbc Young Sportsperson, I had to do the year. The next year I was in a back brace, literally, and I had to sit the year out. But then I made the Olympics. So what I find is that when the worst things happen, when I was in that back brace, I was actually 18 years old. So every Wednesday I was on the podium at O'Sharnah enjoying myself having a great time wearing my back brace. So for me, ultimately, what you've got to figure out is although, when the worst thing does happen, you're still here, you're still okay.

Hayley Madigan: 45:34

You've still got an opportunity and something better will come.

Harry Aikines : 45:36

Yeah, and actually you can find light in darkness.

Hayley Madigan: 45:39

You can actually progress, grow, thrive. And it's not until you experience that that you then believe that.

Harry Aikines : 45:46

Facts.

Hayley Madigan: 45:47

And so I probably experienced that when I've lost my cycle for three years and went through a really unhealthy relationship and several unhealthy relationships with men, and it wasn't until that I realized that now I'm happy, or I've experienced all of that, to then be happy now. And all of those experiences mattered and they all counted because they made me a stronger person. They made me more resilient and hungry for better and inspired to do better.

Harry Aikines : 46:11

But you are such a positive product of light in the dark, all of these things that you've spoken about, everything that you've touched on. You're talking about such an amazing journey. You're talking about such a journey where there is negativity in some sense, but you found a way, a silver lining per se, and for me personally, I'm in awe of that because to come across someone who yeah, I'll cry, we're emotional here and she won, we're emotional here and there's so much more. I genuinely think there's so much more to you than what people see on Instagram. It's been an honor to be able to get that out of you.

Harry Aikines : 46:46

I don't know if you feel that there's not enough said about what you can say online, but personally, if you aren't following Hailey, if you feel like you're in certain positions in life for any female followers that I have anyway, make a point of getting on her channel and touching base with someone who and reach out to her because she likes to hear from you. Because, in terms of where you are now, we know that the whole Instagram versus reality, the whole concept of women empowerment where do you feel that? What other subjects do you feel that you would actually like to touch on?

Hayley Madigan: 47:21

It's funny because I look at my Instagram I think what's going on here?

Harry Aikines : 47:24

What.

Hayley Madigan: 47:24

I'm such a mixed bag. But, I like that because I just try to encompass what women feel like. So how a woman feels, the experiences we go through, whether that's hormones periods, female health, female strength that encompasses me. And so I always feel like, whatever I feel, like I'm going through every day today, whether I'm moody or happy or strong, I want to just encompass everything that I've got, whether what I've experienced, whether that's walking down the road and feeling stressed.

Harry Aikines : 47:55

I make up notes on my phone.

Hayley Madigan: 47:57

And I go talk about this because you've just experienced it, and if I've experienced it, someone else is going to experience it or they haven't yet experienced it, and they'll give them the tools to help them get through it.

Harry Aikines : 48:05

I love that, like the creative aspect that you have. Obviously, people go through things, but being able to get it across on a channel in a certain particular way is quite important.

Hayley Madigan: 48:14

I feel like I've developed that over time because we're not editors. You know like I didn't meet you at A level, but I got Final Cut Pro. I was like, oh so I, I, I YouTubeed it for seven hours and I taught myself how to edit a video. You know what? We are is content creators, but you're also a lighting assistant. A cameraman you know a videographer you're everything. So trying to display it with that works and faves for the algorithm that people enjoy watching. That gets the point across. You learn it right.

Hayley Madigan: 48:42

And so eventually I look back and look at my content. I think what the hell is that? And I've learned, and I feel like everyone's learned, and so I love to explore what works well, what does it and it's. I always get really excited when I've just made a post, and the one that you mentioned recently went viral. It's like 36 million, it's crazy and I didn't want to post it no. I said to Bernie. I was like, oh, I don't know, I'm not sure if anyone's gonna watch it and it just boom.

Harry Aikines : 49:07

No, but it's amazing it's got nearly three million likes. So I was like oh it did really well. It's so raw, it's so raw, and you captured that and that's the kudo to yourself, you know, and that's a celebration of your creative image behind it, and I was just like it was just a normal conversation where I just said you know, ask the women and ask the man the same questions.

Hayley Madigan: 49:25

And this was a woman's response and a man's response, and it was just normal reality you know, and everyday conversation, but you don't really see that online and it doesn't open. And it opened your mind to be like oh, and a lot of male comments were good. They were like oh, I'm really sorry that you feel like this, like I'll be open to more, and if it just touches one person that makes them feel better or do something for the better.

Harry Aikines : 49:45

The butterfly effect.

Hayley Madigan: 49:46

Exactly.

Harry Aikines : 49:47

Yeah.

Hayley Madigan: 49:48

And it's fun when it blows up, but it's also. I'm gonna switch my phone off.

Harry Aikines : 49:53

I'm really mad excited. I mean, if you're talking about what? 36 million views 36 million views. God, like you've really gone viral on that occasion, Cause I posted and ghosted.

Hayley Madigan: 50:03

You know, I post ghosts to have them go to sleep, and then I woke up to a million views straight away.

Harry Aikines : 50:07

And I was like oh.

Hayley Madigan: 50:08

This is going somewhere I was like Penny, oh no.

Harry Aikines : 50:10

I can't go on my phone.

Hayley Madigan: 50:12

Because you are gonna get. Once you get one bad comment, I know it's done well. So the cycle of if it goes viral, you're gonna get negativity. Hands down, and mainly it was from men, because you know that's what I'm talking about Female subjects that I like to jump in, give them a little view. I don't feel like this. I'm not talking about you. I'm talking about how women feel. Yeah, but what about the men? It's not all men. I'm like, yeah, I know that. How about the women you know?

Harry Aikines : 50:38

We're talking about a particular subject here and I find like it's so hard in today's world for people not to go like but what about me? Yeah, yeah, and you're constantly fighting that right, exactly Because you're like, I understand, you are you, but I'm talking about this specific thing, just right here. So let's take a moment to put light and shine light on this specific thing. Would you say that that's the hardest part of giving something attention?

Hayley Madigan: 51:05

Yeah, so someone's always got an opinion, whether they've experienced or not. So if it's talking about a female subject, a male's got an opinion and they like to comment on it and they like to express that their opinion is different. And people always want to be negative, and that's okay. You always begin that being negative is so easy they love it Like where's the solution?

Harry Aikines : 51:21

Bring me a solution. I don't like that.

Hayley Madigan: 51:22

He said it's easy to be like. Do you know what?

Harry Aikines : 51:24

Do you know what? Let's talk about the iPhone. Everyone says something bad, but where's your solution? Yeah, we'll fix the problem. Do I get something then? Exactly no, you just like to moan, and I can't stand the moniness of the world. Sometimes I love to moan the grey cloud that is people, because ultimately you are a black hole and you will suck me into your negativity, whereas how about you be a ray of sunlight? You know, make me take my jacket off and grow. Let me grow. Look at my triceps.

Hayley Madigan: 51:50

You know how I'm next, because I feel like you know it's not until you experience that yourself like if you surround yourself with positive people, it helps you grow and it makes you feel amazing, and I had to. You know, when I grew on social media, a lot of my friends didn't like me.

Harry Aikines : 52:04

That's crazy, sorry, that's crazy Like you just be good Like you know they're stuck in there. But hating is a real thing.

Hayley Madigan: 52:11

Exactly, and I've lost a lot of friends since I've been online and unfortunately, that's what life happens and I'm very comfortable in having only a few friends because I know they're my supportive friends and if someone's not going to support you because your job is social media and they're not going to like anything, but they watch it.

Harry Aikines : 52:26

Yes.

Hayley Madigan: 52:26

And I'm like absolutely fine to you, but please just don't come for me.

Harry Aikines : 52:30

Yeah, keep yourself away, like I see you, I see you, I see you, I see you, I'm my story, I see you. See me, see you, see you and I see you.

Hayley Madigan: 52:38

So, like it's just, if you surround yourself with a negativity, you're going to be feeling negative.

Harry Aikines : 52:43

Yeah, and.

Hayley Madigan: 52:44

I can't do it, and I know that I feel so much happier when I'm with a positive person or someone that is better than me. Someone said never be a smartest person in the room and always learn from others. Yes, and I love growing and I love learning and I love educating, because when we leave school or uni, we don't learn anymore.

Hayley Madigan: 53:02

So, I'm always trying to educate myself with anything, because I'm not the smartest person. That ruins, so I want to learn and I feel like that really helps you grow as a person and be an inspiring person and motivating others.

Harry Aikines : 53:12

Wow, hayley, that is absolutely amazing. I can't appreciate you enough for coming on. I feel like we could have spoken or continue to speak, because there's so much more I might have to have you on again. To be honest, yeah, right, right, I'm really cute, literally anyone. If you are not following Hayley, like I mentioned earlier, please, please, please do. At the end of the day, I'm walking away with what I would say is a positive conversation and the energy amazing. So again, another episode of Harry's Gym Chat done. It's been an honor.

Hayley Madigan: 53:43

It's been an absolute honor for me as well. My first Olympia and I are having a podcast with, so thank you so much.

Harry Aikines : 53:49

Thank you. So people obviously follow, subscribe, do the usual. We are out having a good day, so passing on that positive energy to you, Peace.