Cyclist, Author, Cancer Crusader, Vancouver, Canada
If you are in a desperate need of inspiration to (1) push yourself, (2) travel and (3) set fun goals in life, this is the feature for you. Ms. Rochelle Davidson hit all three when she set out to cycle on every continent and achieved this goal by 50. The fun doesn’t stop there. On her 50th birthday she created a #myfiftythings challenge which I’m excited to follow and marvel at. Rochelle, a cancer avenger, a recently published author, an incredible athlete and a kick-ass positive woman, inspires me to just keep at it. Nothing is impossible. I feel lucky to have crossed paths with her in Vancouver, Canada, and excited to shine light on this beautiful WOW Woman.
1. Name.
Rochelle Davidson.
2. Where is your hometown?
Just outside Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.
3. What is your profession/career/title/self-label/designation?
People Potential Coach, Chief Embolden Officer, Cyclist, Author, Cancer Crusader.
4. What did you study in school?
I see every day as a new opportunity to study, learn and to grow myself, by connecting with extraordinary people and environments. I consider myself a lifelong learner. For formal education, I have a BA in Business and an MA in Applied Behavioral Sciences. I am also trained as a certified professional coach.
5. What was the journey like to get where you are (in life and career-wise)? What are some accomplishments you’re most proud of, and what was the turning point to set you on a current path in life?
My twin sister and I started running track and field and long distance in grade three. We ran our first 10K (the Bonne Bell 10K Classic!) when we were ten. We’ve been athletes pretty much since then. I truly believe that getting into sport at that early age helped build my confidence, taught me about discipline and commitment, showed me what it was like to rise after experiencing failure, and gave me a way to express myself. I am naturally an introvert, and sport has given me the space and confidence to “find my voice”.
I love to set goals and go after them. One of my most exciting ones has been to cycle on every continent including Antarctica! I crushed that seven-continent goal this past spring by cycling Zambia, Botswana, Namibia and South Africa on the African continent.
Cycling is honestly my favorite way to experience the world. Every sense is involved. I get to meet incredible people wherever I go. I’m using my own power. I feel tired and completely full every day. There is a simplicity to travelling en velo. During my ride through Africa, I was very much impacted by the simplicity of my life, to such a degree that when I got home, my life felt very cluttered. Cluttered calendar, cluttered work, cluttered house. I purged in all those areas. It was time.
I am a coach – leadership, life, health, team – and I LOVE partnering with incredible people who are committed to designing lives that work for them, making powerful and sometimes tough choices that align with their values. I am on a high when I get to witness breakthroughs (usually following a breakdown) and see the amazing potential of human beings. I am in the business of fulfillment, impact and legacy which I think is so needed. I seriously come out of sessions exclaiming “That was awesome! I’d do this for free!” Thankfully I get paid, which pays for my bike and travel habits.
I’m proud of my marriage. Being in a relationship is not easy. There is a beautiful tension between being individualized and being connected. We need to choose our partner and our relationship every day. I am so grateful to have a soul partnership with my husband. We are committed to always be in Love, Lust and Like with each other. And we have each other’s names tattooed on our bodies, so that certainly adds another level of commitment.
6. How is your life different from what you pictured at 20?
WOW. I had no idea who I was and what I wanted when I was 20. I had no picture for my future. At 20, I had one more year to go in my undergrad and was completely uninspired. I didn’t have a clear vision of what would be next after graduating, so I chose to take a year away from school, move out of my parent’s house, get a job, and ‘find myself’. This definitely became a pivot point in my life. That one year away from school turned into seven! A small and fast growing tech company took a chance on a young inexperienced Rochelle, and I really got to spread my wings. I got to take many opportunities to try on new things, find what I was passionate about, learn about people and organizations as systems, and ultimately led me into the realm of people potential. And yes, I did go back and finish my degree.
7. Was there a time when life knocked you down or out and how did you get back up on your feet?
I heard the words “you’ve got cancer” when I was 35 years old. I was fit, young, a triathlete, and those words rocked my world. No cancer history in my family. I had just bought my first home three months earlier and the first thing that came to my mind, after my doctor said those words, was “how am I going to pay my mortgage??”. It was a surreal time. I committed to being strong and to not letting cancer control my life. I continued working. I continued running and cycling. I felt validated by people telling me how strong I was. I did feel strong. And, I kept going full throttle after treatment had ended. I didn’t take time to really recover emotionally, mentally. The final day of my treatment, team at BC Cancer Agency joyfully said, “you don’t have to come back anymore”. I didn’t feel joy, I felt panic. Now what?
Reflecting on it, I didn’t give myself the gift of space to heal, and I ended up getting quite depressed. It was through working with my coach that I was able to use this experience to find purpose in my life which led me down the path of formally becoming a coach. I know it’s a cliché, AND I can authentically say that getting cancer was a gift. In many ways. Not only did I connect with my purpose and vocation, I was able to marry my love of cycling with my commitment to changing the game around cancer. I absolutely believe that, within my lifetime, we will get to a place where nobody needs to die from cancer. Cancer will be like chicken pox. You may have to deal with it, yet it doesn’t end your life. Since my own cancer experience, I’ve been heavily involved with raising money through cycling in order to forward cancer research and awareness. We are getting so close. There are breakthroughs every year that are impacting diagnoses, treatment protocols and outcomes. Let’s do this!
8. Advice for other women?
Be your biggest fan. Practice radical acts of self love. You can only be your best for others when you are your best for yourself. “Selfish” isn’t a bad thing. It’s about being committed to self. Commit to 1 – 3 things every day that serve you, that fill your joy tanks, that enable you to be your best. The world needs you to do that.
Be your biggest fan. Practice radical acts of self love. You can only be your best for others when you are your best for yourself.
9. Where in the world do you feel “tallest” (i.e. where is your happy place)?
On one of my four bikes, away from traffic – riding in the fresh air, either solo or with my team mates.
10. What extra-curricular activities/hobbies are you most proud of? Why?
I turned 50 in November and I’m working on #myfiftythings, which is a list of 50 new experiences I want to live into. The list isn’t complete yet, but include things like publishing my first book (DONE!), selling my home-brewed kombucha, completing a 100-mile gravel bike race and making a table with my husband.
11. What do you want to be when you grow up? Future goals/challenges?
Someone who inspires others to do what inspires them.
12. What fears are you still hoping to overcome?
Getting old, my husband and me not being able to do all the things we love.
13. Anything you'd do differently, if you had another go at life?
Learn to a cartwheel as a kid.
14. What inspires you?
Kindness. Generosity. Vulnerability.
15. What are you hopeful about?
I recently attended my nephew’s high school graduation. Listening to each grad’s hopes and dreams for the future has me hopeful that we are in good hands with this generation. Impact.
16. What are some ingredients to a good life?
Purpose. Love. Connection. Sleep. Nutrition. Movement. Learning. Adventure.
17. What advice would you give your 14-year-old self?
Kids can be mean, and when they are mean to you, it’s not about you. It’s really because they are unhappy themselves, or going through their own challenges. Don’t take it personally! Know that you are amazing, and tap into that amazing-ness to demonstrate compassion for those who are struggling. Lead the way in living from your heart.
18. What are you reading now? (what books do you gift most and that are your favourite reads?)
The book I have gifted the most, to my coaching clients and friends, is Greg Wells’ The Ripple Effect. Dr. Wells clearly and convincingly demonstrates the inter-dependencies between sleep, nutrition and physical activity and the impact on emotional, mental and physical performance. It has transformed my life.
The other book I will be gifting is Work Freely, which I co-authored with my friend and former coaching client Nancy Richardson. We share our experience and coaching on how to design a career and life you love, making choices that give you ultimate freedom to live a life that is aligned with your values, passions and purpose. It hit Amazon in September ‘19!
19. Where can others find you/your work (links to websites, blogs, etc.)?