Separation stories

Finding calm during divorce with former combat pilot Sarah Furness

In this episode, Kate is joined by Sarah Furness, performance expert and former combat helicopter pilot, to hear her story of separation and what she’s learned along the way.

12 November 2025
38 MIN
#164

In this episode, Kate is joined by Sarah Furness, performance expert and former combat helicopter pilot, to hear her story of separation and what she’s learned along the way.

Mindfulness and resilience during divorce

Sarah opens up about her experience of divorce in the military, the emotional challenges that came with it, and how her family helped her through. She shares how these experiences led her to focus on mindfulness, resilience and wellbeing.

Kate and Sarah explore practical techniques for managing emotions during divorce, reframing your mindset and finding calm during change. They also talk about common myths around co-parenting and how sharing personal experiences, both at work and in everyday life, can help build stronger connections.

A summary of what we cover:

  • Navigating the practicalities of divorce in the military
  • Sarah’s go-to techniques for managing emotions and mindset
  • Why your child isn’t “broken” because of your divorce
  • How openness and authenticity can build stronger human connections

Sarah Furness and her work

Sarah is a Founder of Well Be It, a coaching consultancy specialising in employee resilience and empowered leadership. She’s a keynote speaker, bestselling author and former helicopter pilot. After graduating from Cambridge University, Sarah followed her dream to become a combat helicopter pilot in the RAF. As a Squadron Leader she led on operational combat tours in Iraq and Afghanistan and she was the first female helicopter pilot to fly and lead UK Special Forces missions in Iraq. So she has a proven track record leading teams to victory in the most extreme conditions. As a qualified mindfulness coach and human factors facilitator Sarah combines her military expertise with proven cognitive techniques to expertly guide people on their own journey of discovery. 

More divorce resources

You can learn more about Sarah Furness on her website, you can purchase her book Fly Higher on Amazon and you can find out more about her coaching services on Well Be It website.

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