Sir John Kirwan - Don't Touch Death to Learn How to Live. Everyday is a Gift.

Today's wonderful guest, Sir John Kirwan, or JK as we know him, was one of the best rugby legends on the planet. He was known as being one of the toughest men but, JK spent a lot of his rugby career paralysed by anxiety. During his time as an All Black, the conversation around mental health was very different to what it is today and JK was, at least in part, a reason that our understanding of mental health has shifted. In this chat we speak about what the early days of being an All Black were like; not much pay and the need for a second job! He played 63 test matches for the All Blacks from 1984 to 1994 and was part of the winning 1987 Rugby World Cup team. He also played for the Warriors and had success as a rugby coach, including on the international stage with Italy and Japan. We speak about JK's family and why he has such a deep connection to Italy.  In 2012, JK was knighted for his services to mental health – an honour & a life long responsibility as he says. At least he got a scone! He is the co-founder of Groov who are on a mission to improve the daily well being and reduce the suffering of people living with poor mental health.  You can now watch our podcasts on Youtube! As for all of these podcasts, Shaw and Partners have generously donated $10k to the charity of choice of each of our guests.  Sir John Kirwan chose to donate the money to Gotcha4life This podcast is brought to you by Shaw and Partners. It is hosted by Gus Worland and produced by Keeshia Pettit  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In today's episode, we dive into the extraordinary life and career of Ellie Cole, Australia's most successful female Paralympian. From her early battle with cancer to her remarkable achievements in the pool, Ellie shares her journey of resilience, determination, and many, many 3am wake ups. We speak about the impact of her cancer diagnosis on her family, given that she was diagnosed at age 2. Ellie shares her feelings around 'survivor's guilt' and how many cancer survivors feel their illness impacted their family. Ellie shares why she developed a deep passion for swimming, and the challenges she faced as she navigated her path to success. From confronting her own retirement to finding love, starting a family, and embracing her role as a commentator for the Paris Olympics, Ellie's story is one that will have you feeling motivated. This episode is filled with heart, laughter, and insight as we celebrate the incredible Ellie Cole! You can now watch our podcasts on Youtube! As for all of these podcasts, Shaw and Partners have generously donated $10k to the charity of choice of each of our guests.  Ellie chose to donate $5000 to Camp Quality and $5000 to Challenge - Supporting kids with cancer This podcast is brought to you by Shaw and Partners. It is hosted by Gus Worland and produced by Keeshia PettitSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Today's episode is such an enjoyable chat with Gus Gould!In the rugby league world, Gus is known as being a player, a general manager, a commentator and the most successful NSW State of Origin coach in history.  He's also known for telling it like it is and voicing his honest opinions, despite them not always being popular. But, this chat was full of deep and meaningful conversations about his family and what led him to the various positions that he has held within the rugby league world. He hasn't planned a single thing in his life!We have some belly laughs about how he got his nickname 'Gus' and when he met Nick Politis & subsequently joined the Roosters. This chat had me see a completely different side of Gus that I hadn't expected. He speaks about what he looks for in an up and coming player and how he never intended to be a young leader. You can now watch our podcasts on Youtube! As for all of these podcasts, Shaw and Partners have generously donated $10k to the charity of choice of each of our guests.  Gus chose to donate the money to The Mark Hughes Foundation This podcast is brought to you by Shaw and Partners. It is hosted by Gus Worland and produced by Keeshia PettitSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Joining the podcast today is the wonderful Allison Langdon. We tend to see quite a serious side of Ally through her journalism on TV, but this chat is filled with so many laughs and funny stories from Ally's journey to being where she is today.Ally was a country ballerina, who grew up on a farm without a silver spoon in her mouth.She was always so focussed and determined, until she reached Uni and learnt to let her hair down a bit more! Ally started by doing work experience with channel 9 23 years ago, and she hasn't left! We speak about : Her early days of journalism and what that taught her Climbing the ranks in the news arena Working on the Today Show and the injury that she's still managing from her first days on the show Why she decided to move from the Today show to A Current Affair Working out the work/life balance and quality time with her kids Ally's husband, how they met and what type of family they've made You can follow Ally on Instagram You can now watch our podcasts on Youtube! As for all of these podcasts, Shaw and Partners have generously donated $10k to the charity of choice of each of our guests.  Ally chose for the donation to go to The Mirabel Foundation This podcast is brought to you by Shaw and Partners. It is hosted by Gus Worland and produced by Keeshia PettitSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Joining the podcast today is one of the world's best neurosurgeons Charlie Teo.Charlie had a 'tough love' type of childhood. He's always been a hard worker, and worked hard for everything that he's got in his life.  Medicine wasn't always on the cards for Charlie. He got his black belt in karate and even started a motor mechanic apprenticeship before eventually 'bumbling and fumbling' his way into surgery! Charlie labels himself as a bit of a philistine, and of course, our teddy bear Gus wants to open up Charlie's mind to being comfortable in vulnerability and leaning into emotion.Charlie looks back on his life with a lot of self awareness of his strengths and also his weaknesses.   In this chat we speak about: Charlie's regrets Bringing up children that he is proud of and wants to be around His non-conventional way into neurosurgery How he never 'played the game'  The controversy that he faced  What is in store for his future You can find more from Charlie here. You can now watch our podcasts on Youtube! As for all of these podcasts, Shaw and Partners have generously donated $10k to the charity of choice of each of our guests.  Charlie chose to share the money between the following charities: The Charlie Teo Foundation, Villa Kitty, Zambi Wildlife Foundation and Voiceless This podcast is brought to you by Shaw and Partners. It is hosted by Gus Worland and produced by Keeshia PettitSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Tara Rae's story has a few different chapters, from navigating the challenges of her teenage years losing her mother, venturing into the cutthroat world of modelling to becoming a prolific author, Tara Rae's story is one of resilience.8 years ago Tara Rae was diagnosed with an incredibly rare pain condition named CRPS. This condition left her in debilitating pain. Tara Rae learnt to navigate her life with a disability whilst also living in the public eye.  Join us as we delve into the highs and lows of Tara Rae's life, exploring her experiences, the misconceptions she faced, and her incredible journey managing and overcoming debilitating pain.    You can now watch our podcasts on Youtube!   As for all of these podcasts, Shaw and Partners have generously donated $10k to the charity of choice of each of our guests. Tara chose to donate the money to Pain Australia This podcast is brought to you by Shaw and Partners. It is hosted by Gus Worland and produced by Keeshia PettitSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Joining the podcast is the legendary Australian tennis champion, Pat Rafter. From his humble beginnings in Queensland to conquering the world stage, we explore the sacrifices inherent in pursuing a career in professional tennis, the challenges faced while climbing the ranks, to the triumphant moment of winning some of the biggest tournaments in the world. We also spoke about Pat's personal life, how he met his wife and the decision to retire as he embraced fatherhood. Pat shares where he finds purpose in life now that his tennis career is in the history books. You can now watch our podcasts on Youtube! As for all of these podcasts, Shaw and Partners have generously donated $10k to the charity of choice of each of our guests. Pat chose to donate the money to Adara This podcast is brought to you by Shaw and Partners. It is hosted by Gus Worland and produced by Keeshia PettitSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The name "Lorna Jane" most likely needs little explanation. She's been the activewear queen since the beginning of activewear! But, as you might find from this chat, Lorna's early days in business came about in an unusual way and the success of her business certainly didn't happen overnight. In this chat we speak about: Lorna Clarkson's early years and her family Her personality and how it's not what you might expect Becoming an 'accidental entrepreneur'  How (and why) she developed a passion for creating activewear Working alongside her husband and how to keep both your romantic relationship and business relationship successful  The core values of her business that she believes led to its success Being the best, not the biggest   You can now watch our podcasts on Youtube! As for all of these podcasts, Shaw and Partners have generously donated $10k to the charity of choice of each of our guests. Lorna chose to donate the money to Women's Community Shelters This podcast is brought to you by Shaw and Partners. It is hosted by Gus Worland and produced by Keeshia PettitSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Today's chat with Lord Ian Botham is one that made Gus' heart sing! It's not often we get to speak with a 'Lord' and Ian's got a few stories to tell! Ian speaks about being a really sporty kid, choosing between cricket and football & the sacrifice of becoming a professional athlete as a teen; not that he minded when there were Maseratis to look forward to!Ian shared some hilarious stories from his early days of being a cricketer and how much things have changed in modern sport. He speaks about the platform that cricket enabled him to have & launch his charity that has raised upwards of £65 million. Ian has done so many walks to raise money that he's practically made of spare parts now.  Ian is a family man and from everything that he's achieved and contributed, it's his family that he says is his biggest achievements; a big call for someone who has met the Queen and Nelson Mandela!We speak about the process of him being knighted and the honour that it carries. You can now watch our podcasts on Youtube! As for all of these podcasts, Shaw and Partners have generously donated $10k to the charity of choice of each of our guests. Ian chose to donate the money to Beefy's Charity Foundation This podcast is brought to you by Shaw and Partners. It is hosted by Gus Worland and produced by Keeshia Pettit    See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In today's episode, we chat with the wonderful Susie O'Neill, or as you might also know her 'Madame Butterfly.' We dive into the extraordinary life of the Australian swimming legend, from her tomboyish childhood to achieving the greatest success in the pool and now into her unexpected second career in radio. Gus and Susie have been friends for years after working at an Olympics coverage together, and this interview brought out sides of Susie that Gus had never seen before.Susie is someone who has really reflected on all aspects of her life and in this chat she shares some of the things she regrets the most. Susie opens up about experiencing post natal depression and how her journey into motherhood wasn't as rosey as she had been led to expect it to be. Susie also speaks about her second mountain in radio, learning to come out of her naturally shy shell and continue to break world records in her 50s! We absolutely loved this chat with one of Australia's best sports people! You can now watch our podcasts on Youtube! As for all of these podcasts, Shaw and Partners have generously donated $10k to the charity of choice of each of our guests. Susie chose to donate the money to Fred Hollows Foundation This podcast is brought to you by Shaw and Partners. It is hosted by Gus Worland and produced by Keeshia PettitSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.