EPISODE 19
Gabby Reece
The world probably knows Gabrielle (Gabby) Reece best as a volleyball legend – competing at the highest level of beach volleyball throughout her life, becoming the first female spokesperson for Nike and the first woman to design a shoe for them.
She is also a former professional model, New York Times bestselling author, inspiring lecturer, oh and she’s married to surfing legend Laird Hamilton to boot.
Gabby has been incredibly successful!
But, as she will tell you, her greatest and most valuable achievements in life are about life itself, relationships and learning to be a parent to a successful parent to her two children.
This episode of Living 4D with Paul Chek, Gabby and Paul dive deep into those challenges and explore what she has learned about life, love and parenting.
SHOW NOTES
- Why Gabby didn’t succeed in her transition from professional beach volleyball to golf. (3:43)
- Who and where does Paul call for help? (6:04)
- Being 6-3 at age 15 for a young woman was difficult. (9:43)
- For many women, beauty is their currency, but it’s limiting and short-lived. (11:38)
- “I think it was very hard for me to learn how to win, to beat other people. It’s never really been my thing…” (15:11)
- Meeting her future husband, Laird Hamilton at age 25. (22:05)
- Mastering sustainable happiness. (29:34)
- Paul and Gabby discuss the tragic deaths of their fathers and the effect it had on them. (33:50)
- Paul meets a bobcat. (39:51)
- “I’ve tried to substitute fear for curiosity and other things as I’ve gotten older.” (45:40)
- Gabby never felt “overly worthy” of the attention she received as a professional athlete. (49:06)
- All of Paul’s skills will be put to the test in raising a teenage daughter in the future. (56:36)
- The relationship between Paul Jr. and Mana is loving and painful. (57:49)
- The challenges and responsibilities of being a step-parent. (1:03:59)
- Gabby and Laird had their own children only after they nearly divorced. (1:06:02)
- Gabby learning how to be nurturing on her own terms and even developing a new language for it. (1:08:20)
- Recognizing and owning bad parenting choices is more important to Gabby than being right. (1:11:07))
- Gabby fights to maintain her individuality and identity as a person. (1:12:02)
- The experience between men and women as parents and partners is very different. (1:18:02)
- The emotional dynamic between Laird and Gabby. (1:23:21)
- Penny and Mana have a special and loving relationship. (1:27:25)
- There’s lots of information available on good parenting and maintaining relationships, but much of it is bad. (1:31:25)
- Are men as a whole being villainized as a gender for the abusive, unacceptable behaviors of a few? (1:36:47)
- Going deep into the Alpha male. (1:42:25)
- Athletes who cheat on their partners believe Paul will teach them how to be better at cheating. (1:44:07)
- “I can’t be a good therapist if I live on a stack of lies.” (1:46:34)
- “Penny told me in the beginning, ‘I don’t care if you have seven wives, as long as they all cook, clean, contribute to the bottom line and do not talk too much.’” (1:47:32)
- “The thing I learned after 17 years in a monogamous relationship was that it was very important for me to be brutally honest with myself about who I am and not be somebody else or it was going to cause trouble.” (1:53:43)
- Can you imagine Paul not being able to have an erection for a year? (1:58:42)
- Adults tell kids all the time not to be so afraid to be truthful, yet it’s hard for older folks to practice what they preach. (2:01:29)
- Gabby’s high school years in a Christian high school as its only “unsaved” student. (2:05:39)
- “Never let your memories be greater than your dreams…” (2:15:54)
- None of us can do anything meaningful without help from others in some way. (2:18:45)
- Penny kept the CHEK Institute going and Paul inspired, even living through a midlife crisis. (2:21:15)
- How Gabby fights being “flat.” (2:27:21)
- How does one make a “big life,” yet keep it simple? (2:30:29)
- Gabby vows to interview Paul when his daughter becomes a teenager. (2:40:29)
RESOURCES & FURTHER READING
- Sex at Dawn: How We Mate, Why We Stray and What It Means For Modern Relationships by Cacilda Jetha and Christopher Cyan
- Saint Hildegard of Bingen
- Jesus, Buddha, Krishna and Lao Tzu: The Parallel Sayings by Richard Hooper
- The Last 4 Doctors You’ll Ever Need
- My Foot is Too Big For The Glass Slipper: A Guide to The Less Than Perfect Life by Gabrielle Reece
- GabrielleReece.com
- XPTlife.com
Become a Spirit Gym Member
Paul has identified 6 main groups of people who he had in mind when he designed the Spirit Gym Community membership containing his Purpose-Aligned Path program. If you can relate to ANY of these statements, then Paul Chek’s Spirit Gym Community membership is tailor-made for you.
- You’ve had, what I like to call, The Pull. What I mean by that is you know you’re meant for something more—you feel it, maybe you’ve felt it for years—but you’re stuck in work that doesn’t align, unclear about your exact purpose, and you don’t know how to bridge the gap between where you are and where you are being called to.
- You’re tired of feeling stuck and searching without finding answers. You’ve read the books, maybe taken courses, tried different things—but you still don’t have clear direction. You know you need to take action on what you’re meant to do, but you keep procrastinating… and time keeps passing without real progress.
- You want to live a life where you’re not trapped anymore. One where you wake up in the morning doing work that actually matters to you. Work that aligns with who you are. (Want to feel energized by what you do? You can!) And one where you finally have clarity, direction, and a path forward.
- You’re trapped between following your purpose and paying your bills. Right now, money is the thing holding you back. You want to leave the job that drains you, but you’re terrified: “What about my bills? My family? How do I actually make this work?” You need to know it’s possible to transition without going broke.
- You are ready to find your purpose and start living it now. Even if you aren’t quite sure what it is yet or how to go about doing it. (Don’t worry, that’s exactly what the 8-week system covers.)
- You want to learn from someone who actually knows what they’re talking about. I’ve spent 40+ years helping people find their path and live aligned with their purpose—in all sorts of situations and life stages (some challenges you may have never even heard of!). I know what it takes to go from stuck to living your purpose, and I’m going to show you exactly how.
Paul Chek’s “Purpose-Aligned Path” was designed specifically to help YOU find your purpose and actually live it, without staying stuck, procrastinating, or doing it alone! The 8-step process from stuck and procrastinating to living your purpose and the accountability to actually do it!
Listen on – Apple Podcasts | Spotify | YouTube | Amazon Music | Audible
PODCAST SPONSORS
This podcast wouldn’t be possible without the support of our awesome sponsors, each of whom are offering an exclusive discount for Spirit Gym with Paul Chek listeners.
As partners with our sponsors, we may earn commissions from qualifying purchases.
PREMIER SPONSOR
SPONSORS
Paleovalley
Save 15% on your purchase – no code needed! Just click here.
START LISTENING TODAY
Listen to Spirit Gym with Paul Chek on your favorite podcast platforms!
Listen on – Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Amazon | Audible | YouTube




