Kurt Fearnley's Tiny Island

I love listening to Emma Race and her band of Outer Sanctum sisters talk about the big stuff in the context of sport, in particular AFL.  Her drive to make sure footy (and sport in general) is for everyone is matched by her passion for the game and the joy it brings to her and her family.  Our yarn was also a lovely reminder that the game is WAY more than the athletes on the field. Away from footy Emma has done some tremendous work with Our Watch, a national leader in the prevention of violence against women and their children, and is Co-Principal of Making the Call - a pathway program for women in sports broadcasting.

Trent Bagnall likes to work with others to solve problems. After successfully building a software company from zero to a $30 million sale, Trent started working with innovators and startups to solve new and old business problems. The corporate startup accelerator he started with a mate, Slingshot, brings corporates and startups together to help them grow. Trent is a fantastic ambassador for my home town Newcastle. 

Lara Lowndes describes herself as half nerd, half rev-head.  She trained as an oncogeneticist and currently works as the board director for The Prince Charles Hospital Foundation. But she is also in the Australian Supercar pits with the Holden RedBull racing team, managing V8 racing legend and husband, Craig Lowndes.  This rev-head scientist is a wonderful Aussie doing some very exciting things for medical research in Australia.

Bonus Episode: You Little Ripper! is another podcast project I'm working on with Georgie Tunny and it's a celebration of Paralympic sport. Here is our latest episode where you'll hear from Ben Tudhope, who won Bronze in the snowboard cross and sit-ski legend Sam Tait.  

Tiny Island is back! What better way to restart the pod about who we are as Australians, than with the leader of the Australian Republic Movement and Australian history author Peter FitzSimons? My first interaction with Peter was when I was starting to map out what a crawl across the Kokoda Track would look like. I'd been shut down by a few people but Peter hooked me up with the man who would eventually plan and lead our journey across the track. He is one of the people I've met on my journey who have helped me solve problems, rather than shut the door. An accomplished author, journalist, TV commentator and former Australian Rugby player, Peter has a unique perspective on what it is to be an Australian today and where we come from over the last 64,000 years.  DON'T MISS OUT - We've also brought back You Little Ripper, our Paralympic focused podcast, for the Winter Paralympics which start this week. Search You Little Ripper on your podcast provider and tell a friend about what we're doing.    

Georgie Tunny is a passionate sports reporter for the ABC. Born in Brisbane she grew up watching the footy with her father. And from there her love of all things sport grew. We've just finished a podcast called You Little Ripper, and we had a blast. I hope you enjoy getting to know Georgie Tunny.

I have four older siblings but consider Rheed McCracken to be the younger brother I never had. He lives around the corner from me now, we shared the same coach and he's had to put up with my cooking and look after my kids... Rheed is a four time Paralympic medallist and is in Tokyo chasing the elusive gold in the men's T34 100m and 800m. I met Rheed as a shy teenager, but these days he doubles his wheelchair racing career with a spot on fashion runways!

Not many people are best in the world at what they do as a teenager. Isis Holt is one of those rarities. Breaking her first world records within a year of taking up competitive running, Isis went on to win her first world championship at age 14. Then in her Paralympic debut at the 2016 Rio Games she medalled in three events but no gold. She bounced back to win gold at the 2017 World Championships and 2018 Commonwealth Games then stepped away from the track to learn a little more about herself away from running. What's next? Have a listen to find out.

Major Robert Mitchell has dedicated his life to protecting Australia. He's currently serving in the Australian Defence Force, running programs that make a real difference in the lives of returned service men and women. He's also worked as a cop in regional NSW.

As a teenager, Novocastrian Sjana Earp suffered from bullying, anxiety and depression. Until she found a passion for life through yoga, travel, photography and writing. Sjana has built a career out of sharing and teaching yoga across the globe and is an advocate for self-acceptance and body confidence, mental health, equality and the environment. She's also self declared hugger! 

Like me, Jeff Horn is a school teacher but it's probably not what he's best known for. He held boxing's WBO welterweight title from 2017 to 2018 and as a rising star represented Australia at the London Olympics. But it's probably his 2017 win over Manny Pacquiao where he made his name. We cover a lot of ground in this interview.  Kids, his anti-bullying work even if a comeback is on the cards.  

As attention turns to Tokyo for the Olympics, it was great to have a yarn with someone who knows Japan close to as well as any Australian, and who is also engaged in elite sport. Melanie Brock connects people in Japan with Australians through a variety of roles, including as an ambassador for Advance.org, the professional network for global Australians. She's also involved with the Minerva Network, a group of women supporting Australian women in the business of sport. 

You might know Dan MacPherson from one of many different roles. Triathlete, police officer on The Bill, Dancing with the Stars host, sci fi or stage actor, he definitely packs a lot in! Dan is a genuinely lovely bloke and it was wonderful to finally sit down and have a chat about a few of the different hats he's worn. 

Who can forget seeing the wonderful Libby Trickett (nee Lenton) on our TV screens, winning Olympic Gold and smashing World Records? But an athlete's career extends before and after their moment in the limelight, and it can be a tough road. While getting to the start line is one thing, it's the days, weeks and years post sporting career which are probably the toughest. Libby and I had a great catch-up, chatting about life in the Olympic bubble, mental health, parenting, Bluey, podcasts and how we spend our post-racing lives. 

I've been out and about gathering some great yarns for you all and will be back soon!

Some TV shows transcend the market they are directed at and Bluey is definitely in that category. Especially in my house! Daley Pearson is a co founder of Ludo Studio, the Brisbane-based production company behind Australia's most watched TV series which has more than 350 million downloads and is now a global hit. Ludo has won three Emmy Awards, a Logie and a few others things along the way. And Daley is a Marvel Universe hero too, starring as Thor's roommate, Darryl, in Taika Waititi's Team Thor comedy series.

Bob Brown has lived a life of activism. From nearly 30 years in state and federal Parliament to leading a truck convoy protesting against a coal mine and establishing his own foundation which 'takes action for Earth', Bob has been on the frontline for decades. Oh, he's also a trained medical doctor, Australia's first openly gay Member of Parliament and has publisher nearly a dozen books.

John Morris is a rugby league legend, playing 300 first grade games before his career was ended by injury. He transitioned to coaching straight away, taking charge of the Cronulla Sharks first grade team while still in his 30s, leading them to consecutive finals appearances in the midst of Covid, a transitioning playing list and other controversy. We spoke just before the 2021 season kicked off. Six weeks later, the Sharks sit just outside the finals spots and John has been sacked by his club. Listen to our yarn and I'm sure you'll agree with me, that John's resilience will ensure he has a strong future in the game.

Natasha Stott Despoja entered the Australian Parliament in her twenties and went on to represent South Australia and the Australian Democrats for 13 years, including a period as leader. Post politics, Natasha has worked in the media and led a life of service. She is most well known for her work in gender equality and in 2020 was elected to the United Nations Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women, becoming Australia's first member of the committee in 28 years. 

Many international listeners would identify Australia's beach-going lifestyle with one patch of sand in Sydney, largely thanks to today's guest and his colleagues. Born and bred in Bondi, Andy "Reidy" Reid is most well-known for his role as a lifeguard on worldwide TV hit, Bondi Rescue. There's more to Reidy than his day job and subsequent TV fame. Entertainer, athlete, documentary star. An all round great Aussie.