Look after nature and it'll look after you too with Aaron Fleming

WARNING: This episode contains brief mentions of drug addiction. 

Aaron Fleming hasn’t had the easiest run in life, when he was 16 he suffered multiple collapsed lungs which lead to multiple major surgeries and years of recovery. This lead to a period of depression, and addiction to pain medication. After this his surgeon said he’d never be able to physically exert himself again. To prove his surgeon wrong, Aaron decided he was going to compete in an Ironman, an incredibly difficult, full-day triathlon.

Cut to now, Aaron has completed more than 20 Ironmans across two decades and is heading to Hawai'i to compete in the world championship. Aaron credits connecting with nature as a huge part of his recovery, and is now on a mission to educate people on the healing abilities of nature. 

Whether it's simply spending time in your garden or taking a walk along the beach, or heading out for big, multi-day treks in Aotearoa's most remote locations, the power of connecting with nature cannot be overstated. But even more importantly, giving nature a helping hand can have unexpected benefits to you own wellbeing. 

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