Kurt Fearnley's Tiny Island

Cheryl Salisbury may not be a household name but she is a one of the giants of Australian Sport. Cheryl was captain of the Australian female national team, the Matildas. A fierce competitor on the field, Cheryl make her debut in 1994 and went on to play 151 games for the green and gold, a record number of caps for a female or male player. Cheryl’s achievements saw her named in the FIFA Women’s World XI on two occasions in 2004 and 2007. On 27 January 2009, she announced she would retire after the game against Italy at Parramatta Stadium. The game finished as a 2-2 draw, with Cheryl scoring a penalty also receiving a standing ovation as she was substituted with six minutes remaining. In 2009, Salisbury was inducted into the Australian Football Hall of Fame, in the Hall of Champions category.

The last Tiny Island Podcast I recorded while I was on the road working, was literally recorded while I was on "The Road". Steve Mooney has picked me up and drove me across QLD for the last 3 years. Steve has an infectious energy about him. He's been in the chauffeur game for ten years and is never short of a story to tell.

From the Amazon jungle to the Uyuni salt flats in Bolivia, Chad Carey along with Business partner Greg Carter have grown a travel business, discussed over a few beers into Chimu Adventures offering adventures across South America & stretching into voyages down to Antartica. We speak whilst crossing the Drake Passage returning from Antarctica in the first days of the advance of the Corona Virus. 

While COVID19 turns our lives upside down, it's important to stop and learn from people who have learnt to thrive in what others perceive to be turbulence. Today we talk to Linda Hughes about constantly adjusting to what life throws in her direction while balancing the supports and complexity of high needs disability. Linda is a fierce social justice advocate and was recognised as Newcastle's Woman of the Year. We talk about the realities facing people with disability right now, the importance of independence and choice while navigating a complex National Disability insurance scheme.   

Dr Erika Chapman Burgess has a great Australian story of success, after a childhood which was a little complex. At times it was hectic beyond imagination. Erika was one of five who were all born on the same day. As an Indigenous quintuplet growing up in Glen Innes life was a bit different. But Erika (and her siblings!) has shown there's nothing wrong with a bit of difference and how hard work and dedication can take you places where people least expected. 

As a kid, John Marsden would retreat into books as a way to escape a tough childhood.  As a school teacher John was frustrated by the lack of reading and good stories available to his students so took matters into his own hands. And has now written over 40 books. The majority of his books are written for teenagers, including the popular Tomorrow series. The difference he has made to young Australians stretches beyond his writing though, having moved on from just being a teacher to founding two schools in Victoria. It was great to sit down and have a yarn with a fellow Australian with a passion for education. 

During winter in Newcastle you would be hard pressed to walk down the street without seeing a Mark Hughes Foundation beanie on a Novocastrian head. The unofficial uniform is a product of the foundation and its founder who played rugby league for Newcastle, NSW and in the English Super League. In 2013 Mark Hughes had an operation to remove an avocado sized tumour from his brain and went through rounds of treatment to try and beat a condition which arrived with few warning signs. It was great to have a yarn with Mark, who is striving to make sure those hit with brain cancer have an increasingly good chance of beating this terrible disease. 

If Craig Johnston's soccer career happens in today's digital age there wouldn't be a kid in Australia who didn't know his name and have the Liverpool 7 on their back. Instead he's a bit of an enigma on our shores but has one hell of a story of making it to the big time against all odds, falling down over and over and dragging himself back up. It was wonderful to have a yarn with Craig in Newcastle and learn a bit more about his highs and lows, and what keeps him coming back for more. 

Sophie Roden is a humanitarian worker and lawyer. At 17 Sophie would volunteer in rural Zambia, not too many years after she would choose to join the fight against Ebola in Liberia. One of the youngest guest on Tiny Island, Sophie has a great story to tell.

Adam Goodes is one of the true gentleman of Australian sport. His genuine character and desire to make our country better shines through in every action. Adam had a long career as one of the best Australian Rules footballers of his generation, won the Brownlow as best in the game a couple of times, two premierships, four time All-Australian, Indigenous team of the century, the list goes on. He did alright on the field but his actions off the field are his ongoing legacy. A cracking yarn. 

While individual athletes are on their own in the sporting arena, there's still a team behind them. This week I had the chance to sit down with Mick Turner, whose been part of my team through the ups and down for the last 20 years. From his living room in the middle of the night while I race a world away, next to me on Kokoda or trying to talk me out of racing the Sydney to Hobart, Mick's been there through the lot.

In my life there's been a few key people who have said how do we make this work, rather than throw me to the Sharks, Anthony Bell is one of them. I had the distinct honour of crewing with Belly in the Sydney to Hobart onboard Loyal, a boat which won the 2011 race and raised hundreds of thousands for children's medical equipment. We recounted some of that trip and why he does what he does.

Catia Malaquias is a lawyer, board director and mother of three young children.  Catia works tirelessly progressing human rights and inclusion of people with disability. I think this quote sums Catia up perfectly.  “We need to take every opportunity to disrupt our culture’s mindset of exclusion of people with disability, which is so harmful.  When you think about the hierarchy of human need, belonging has to be right up there and belonging is what historically has been denied to disabled people, though exclusion, segregation and institutionalisation.  I feel that it is particularly important to foster in children an attitude of respect for human diversity and the rights and inclusion of people with disability.”

Alan Tongue and I have a lot in common. NSW country boys born in the early 80s, rugby league loving and nearly there Australians of the Year. After 10 years in the NRL playing for the Canberra Raiders, Alan's found a new direction in life and it was great to spend some time with him to share a yarn.

Warwick Green is a journalist, author & former Australian rules player for the St Kilda football club. Warwick is the author of biography's for Jim Stynes, Neale Daniher & my own. 

Curtis McGrath is an incredibly humble and hard working Australian paracanoeist & Paralympian. He took up canoeing competitively after having both of his legs amputated as a result of a mine blast whilst serving in the Australian Army in Afghanistan. McGrath is the current Paralympic Champion & has won ten gold medals at ICF Paracanoe World Championships between 2014 and 2019. 

Tiny Island Podcast will return from the break with fresh sounds and new stories from around Australia.

Today is a quick check in with Tiny Island listeners. We will be taking a short break between episodes. Now is a great chance to catch up on past conversations with some of the previous guests.

I am the product of Australia's world-leading and renowned public education system. Teachers changed my life, offering the support, direction and fight to guide me where I am today. They inspired me and two of my siblings to become teachers. My belief in public education is due to the work of teachers from day one that lived by the belief of equality. This weeks guest is Elaine Masters, a primary teacher and principal in rural Australia for a few decades an my first teacher. We share stories of our first years in Carcoar & our common belief in the power of education.