Tales From Tokyo - Tom Wickham

#TheHelpSide Our guest today is the recently retired Australian Men’s goalkeeper, Tyler Lovell. Affectionately known as ‘Big T’, Tyler hung up the pads after 147 games for the Kookaburras over a 9-year career which included Gold at the Gold Coast Commonwealth Games in 2018, and Gold at the 2014 World Cup and a nomination in 2019 for the World Goalkeeper of the Year. In this episode, Part B, you will hear how Tyler was passionate about team culture and creating a true high-performance environment, and was undoubtedly one of the best team-men you could wish for. For this, you won’t want to miss Tyler’s take on building good teams. Also, for any budding goalkeepers out there, you won’t want to miss some of Tyler’s top tips for being a world-class GK.  

#TheHelpSide Our guest today is the recently retired Australian Men’s goalkeeper, Tyler Lovell. Affectionately known as ‘Big T’, Tyler hung up the pads after 147 games for the Kookaburras over a 9-year career which included Gold at the Gold Coast Commonwealth Games in 2018, and Gold at the 2014 World Cup and a nomination in 2019 for the World Goalkeeper of the Year. A man for the big moments and the last line of defence, Tyler knows a thing or two about performing under pressure and in this episode we’re privileged to hear some of his insights into how to deal with it. Also, for any budding goalkeepers out there, you won’t want to miss some of Tyler’s top tips for being a world-class GK. Finally, during his time with the Kookaburras, Tyler was passionate about team culture and creating a true high-performance environment, and was undoubtedly one of the best team-men you could wish for. For this, you won’t want to miss Tyler’s take on building good teams.

#TheHelpSide #TalesFromTokyo This is The Help Side – we’re back showcasing the stories of some of the biggest names in hockey and we’re stoked you’re here to enjoy the ride with us! Over the next little while, we’re going to be sprinkling in some special Tales from Tokyo episodes with familiar guests who we’ve spoken to before to hear about the highs and lows of their Tokyo 2020 Olympic experience while it’s still fresh in their memory, to hopefully bring you an insight into what it’s really like to be competing at the pinnacle of hockey and how the experience is a little different for everyone. Today’s episode is the epilogue of a story we’ve heard before back in Episode 20 with Tom Wickham. Despite losing the Gold Medal Match to Belgium in a shootout, TJ’s Olympic Campaign was a memorable one, finishing as the only non-drag-flicker in the top 5 goalscorers for the tournament. This coming after he initially missed selection. In this short episode, you’ll hear about the lead into the Olympics, the key to his goalscoring success and what’s next for the Kookaburras striker. Enjoy.

Now for the next hour and a half, you’re in for a treat, and we’re very excited to announce our final guest of 2020 to be one of the greatest to ever hold a stick, Jame Dwyer. Reading through Jamie’s list of achievements, both personally and with the Kookaburras is, to be honest, a fatiguing exercise and would take up a substantially greater portion of our time budget than we’re happy with, so, among a very long list of other achievements, Jamie is a 5x World Player of the Year, former Young Player of the Year, has won every major and minor international competition you can think of at least once, been to 4 Olympics, is the second most capped Australian hockey player in history with 365 and the leading goalscorer with 243, which is more than 50 goals more than the next highest. Indeed, there aren’t many candidates that can be universally agreed on to be in the conversation for the greatest hockey player of all time, but Jamie Dwyer is undoubtedly one of them.  It’s easy to look at his achievements and think that things came easy to someone as magnificently talented as Jamie, but that is frankly just not the case. For example, Jamie was 25 years old and at his first Olympic Games when he rocketed to fame with a wider audience with his Gold Medal winning goal vs the Dutch in extra time of the 2004 Athens Olympic games. Before that, there is a cracking story to be heard about how this kid from country Queensland became an Aussie icon.  Over the next two episodes, we cover a lot. From his journey to crack the team, to how he became the best player in the world, overcoming major injuries, to dealing with team dynamics, to a blow by blow of that goal in Athens and how to deal with pressure, to his take on crafting the ultimate team, to retirement, to running a successful business and finally to where he thinks the sport of hockey needs to go in Australia, I can assure you that it’s all gold and you won’t want to miss a second. So, let’s go. Here it is, The Help Side with the great man that is, Jamie Dwyer. Merry Christmas.

Welcome to Part B of our two-part The Help Side chat with Jamie Dwyer. Part B begins with a blow by blow description of THAT goal in Athens that secured Olympic Gold for the Kookaburras and how Jamie dealt with pressure. Jamie then gives us his take on crafting the ultimate team, retirement, running a successful business and finally to where he thinks the sport of hockey needs to go in Australia, I can assure you that it’s all gold and you won’t want to miss a second. So, let’s go. Here it is, the Help Side with the great man that is, Jamie Dwyer.

#TheHelpSide welcome back to Part B of this two-part Help Side episode with Tom Wickham. So far, TJ has taken us through the early part of his mission to play for the Kookaburras, from Alice Springs to country South Australia to Adelaide and finally to Perth. This next part is about TJ’s non-linear journey to where he is today, with over 50 games for Australia, a Commonwealth Games Gold Medal and his newfound role in the Kookaburras. Despite his achievements to date, there was a long hiatus between donning the green and gold for the 1st time in 2013, and his first selection in the national squad in 2017. This is a story about resilience, determination and unwavering focus. Enjoy.

#TheHelpSide Our guest this week is current Kookaburra Squad member, Tom Wickham. The Help Side sat down with TJ at his home in Perth over an expertly made cup of coffee, and we chewed the fat for an hour and a half or so about his journey from outback Australia to the bright lights of international hockey. What you’re about to hear is the narrative of Tom’s life and all the twists and turns which have taken him to be a regular fixture in the Kookaburras.  In TJ’s own words, at a dozen different stages in his life, his path could have taken him a very different way, and hockey has been the constant that’s kept him on the path towards achieving his dreams. Tom talks about his unfaltering dedication to his ‘mission’ and the highs and lows of the journey towards sporting excellence. TJ’s journey is anything but smooth, and if you’re after a story of utter resilience and determination, this is for you. Please enjoy The Help Side of, Tom Wickham.

#TheHelpSide This Week we’re speaking to former Kookaburra, Tristan White. Tristan, or T-Dubs, is without a doubt one of the toughest competitors I’ve ever played with or against. In this interview, he speaks about his ambition to be a player you hated to play against but loved to have on your team and I can definitively say that that is exactly how I would describe him. Hailing from country New South Wales, Tristan debuted for Australia in 2011 and by the time he retired in 2018 he notched up 102 caps for the Kookaburras.  In this episode, Tristan breaks down the rollercoaster that was the 2016 Olympic cycle. He was originally selected in the Rio Olympic team, only to have his opportunity ripped away from him in the cruellest of circumstances and he speaks openly about the incident and the fallout. Tristan’s story is a different perspective on how playing for your country might look and the way he approaches the game from a mental side of things is truly fascinating and well worth remembering. Here’s The Help Side of Tristan White.  

#TheHelpSide This Week we’re speaking to former Kookaburra, Tristan White. Tristan, or T-Dubs, is without a doubt one of the toughest competitors I’ve ever played with or against. In this interview, he speaks about his ambition to be a player you hated to play against but loved to have on your team and I can definitively say that that is exactly how I would describe him. Hailing from country New South Wales, Tristan debuted for Australia in 2011 and by the time he retired in 2018 he notched up 102 caps for the Kookaburras.  Unlike many who wear the green and gold of Australia, T-Dubs chose not to live in the Perth training environment and instead chose to continue to live on the east coast of Australia in order to pursue both his career as a mortgage broker and his hockey. Things haven’t always been easy for T-Dubs, indeed in 2016 he was selected in the Rio Olympic team, only to have his opportunity ripped away from him in the cruellest of circumstances and he speaks openly about the incident and the fallout. Tristan’s story is a different perspective on how playing for your country might look and the way he approaches the game from a mental side of things is truly fascinating and well worth remembering. Here’s The Help Side of Tristan White.

#TheHelpSide Our guest this week is former Kookaburra and ex Kookaburra Assistant Coach Nathan Eglington. ‘Eggy’, as he’s known, has an incredibly unique story built on equal parts success and hardship. Before being forced into retirement at just 27 after suffering a horrific injury on the training pitch, Eg amassed 140 games, 50 goals and an Olympic Gold medal. Known as one of the most damaging ball runners to ever play for the Kookaburras. But as Eggy will tell you, what he achieved on the hockey pitch takes rather a back seat compared to some of the things he’s overcome and managed throughout his life.  In this episode, Part B, Eglington talks through his horrific injury that led to retirement, being a Guinness world record holder and life as a father to a very special family. Please enjoy the Help Side of Nathan Eglington.