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Where triathlon meets real talk. Hosted by two seasoned triathletes and one Sarah, this podcast takes a deep dive into the controversies, challenges, and triumphs of the triathlete world.
00;00;00;00 - 00;00;05;15
00;00;05;15 - 00;00;14;24
Unknown
All righty. We are back. It is episode 23 of the unfunded podcast. We are over the moon to have you all listening to us.
00;00;14;24 - 00;00;31;26
Unknown
Wherever you are listening, we're just happy you are. You say that better and better everywhere you go. You know, I feel like I feel like I have this, like where we're so tired from training or in this slump. And as soon as we press record, it's like, oh, really? I gotta say, all righty. Just to, like, really get myself in the mood to record.
00;00;31;28 - 00;00;50;00
Unknown
I love we love doing this. Like. Yeah, we really do. And today back today is really special because we have a training partner, a fellow countryman, a fellow triathlete, really cool athlete that, we have the privilege to sit down with in an interview today. Have a good chat about all things triathlon, how we got into the sport.
00;00;50;02 - 00;01;06;10
Unknown
You'll hear who it is if you continue. Yeah, we'll leave it as a bit of a cliffhanger. A bit of a taser. Taser for you. Okay, listen in on your lot. You'll know who it is. I mean, actually, now that I say that, it's going to say his name. Yeah. In the Tottenham we've got Royal where we were waving our royal.
00;01;06;12 - 00;01;24;02
Unknown
Anyway, as always, I'm professional triathlete Lachlan Jones, co-host of the unfunded podcast with my good friend License Wall, also a professional triathlete, and we co host of the Unfolded podcast. We jump in and out. Don't want to call on us as professional yet. Not. But yeah it depends on how we feel. Yeah I do I feel professional today.
00;01;24;03 - 00;01;45;16
Unknown
No I really don't. Yeah. Velocity because because you usually get up me guy would you be. Yeah I know oh 50 anyway I was we got on to not a lot. Pretty boring. I'm not much time. It actually hasn't been that great. Good. We've been niggle, actually. Fuck. Sorry. I didn't mean to bring it up.
00;01;45;17 - 00;02;04;15
Unknown
Yeah, yeah. Sorry, mate. Anyway, so she was the one for me at all. Yeah, we'll move on before niggle a bit of time. Yeah. Running. That's okay, that's okay. I'm back. I'll be back. Other than that, just the usual. Do you do anything on the weekend? A couple beers? Yeah, I did have a couple beers, I know.
00;02;04;15 - 00;02;22;21
Unknown
Yeah, yeah. So I'm trying to, Yeah. Keep you want to, I know. Well, he's going away. He hasn't actually left yet. Yeah. No it's not. What other life. What about goodbyes? Car. So end of an era. Yeah. Yeah. The big the b h King housemate. I didn't quite make it. Were you to me, David? Your other.
00;02;22;22 - 00;02;42;08
Unknown
No, I wasn't even. I just, you know, I was mate and family members of the new girlfriend, so priorities. And I chose the safe option. Didn't want to be sleeping on the couch that night, so I made sure I stayed, and I was a good boy. I had to. Disappointed. Sometimes. Disappointed sometimes. You just got to do, I think, disappointing, mate.
00;02;42;10 - 00;02;58;29
Unknown
Anyway, you know, it was crazy. I know you actually had a big event. I actually had a really big event. So it was my sister's baby show. Yeah. That's big. That's a big life event. My little sister, I can't I can't look at her with it with the baby bump. Sounds awful. And people think I'm a terrible person for this.
00;02;59;07 - 00;03;17;05
Unknown
But seeing her as a younger sister, my little 22 year old sister with with a belly and a baby in it gives me the shivers a little bit. Yeah, I literally that was like time. She's walking to the kitchen and say, like, you're her. I'm looking over here because I couldn't. I couldn't look at her like it was just the shit.
00;03;17;07 - 00;03;33;05
Unknown
It was weird. It was kind of give me like a little bit. It was just. Yeah, I don't know. It's it's it's it's. Yeah. There's your little sister. So that's probably why it's weird. Yeah. She's more grown up than you. 100%. I mean, like I said, she's looking at prams, she's looking at strollers, she's looking at baby car seats.
00;03;33;05 - 00;03;49;09
Unknown
And I'm booking flights to Bali. You were racing in like. Yeah, like looking at the news, you know Garmin that's come out okay. So one of us needs to grow up and it's, definitely not her. But, very busy. What was it, a boy? It's a boy. Boy, little boy. God, I'm going to be the best uncle.
00;03;49;12 - 00;04;03;26
Unknown
Be a little uncle. I'm going to be the uncle as soon as it starts crying or shitting. Have given it straight. Like that's the best part of being an uncle. You can just, like, have so much fun with it. And then as soon as that little pest just back pom it off. I was supposed to be my thing.
00;04;03;28 - 00;04;22;23
Unknown
Not my thing. I didn't practice and, Anyway, like we said last episode, just a big weekend of racing. It was it lived up to the hype. It did. It was. So that was I like to think that was little bit the weekend. As being athletes, we can sort of peek behind the curtain a little bit and sort of there was a bit going on.
00;04;22;23 - 00;04;43;08
Unknown
I feel no rivalries, but there was a little bit of tension. That was tension in the air. There was tension in the air, and I Fucking Love You had all the alphas coming back on one weekend. You had the short, long course alphas and the short course alphas. I like all that. I like to think we also did a very good job of picking what was going to happen.
00;04;43;08 - 00;04;57;17
Unknown
I think we start I think we started it. I mean, you're a little rusty in some areas. Yeah. But I think there's some things that were fine tuned on to now. We did very well picking what Hayden was going to do. Yeah. Win the first day and then not do shit the next day. But do average. Yeah. Average 11.
00;04;57;23 - 00;05;12;29
Unknown
It would take 11 to the World Series is pretty good. Pretty good. But still everything for his caliber of athlete and what he, what he wanted to go in there. He wanted to go in there and dominate both. Yeah. He's not going there to come 11th. He wouldn't do it if you didn't think he was going to win.
00;05;12;29 - 00;05;26;24
Unknown
He wouldn't go if he wins both. I mean the SAS on him I think that's near impossible. Yeah. You'd like to think he could do it the other way. I think he could potentially do it the other way. I still think.
00;05;26;26 - 00;05;47;09
Unknown
You're making a bit of a mockery of the trough and world if you're going winning. Yeah. You are. You're an animal that. Yeah. Anyway. But yeah, we kind of guessed and we, we were pretty on the money there. We'll give a little breakdown of the men's. The men's. Right. We'll start off with the men's Matty has a makes it three, three wins.
00;05;47;11 - 00;06;07;08
Unknown
Makes it three wins over row. So he's got the perfect score. Yeah. At the moment leading into, Wollongong. But it isn't all wrapped up. It's not all wrapped up later. Not all wrapped up. Matty has a first. That's give allows a second Miguel Hidalgo third. And it shows that those boys are the top three. We kind of thought, maybe it's a bit of a weak World Series.
00;06;07;10 - 00;06;23;23
Unknown
It hasn't shown that even with these guys, maybe the new the new three that are coming through. Yeah. And you got you got like, you know, I mean, obviously I picked Miguel Hidalgo to come second pick third. Like to think I was pretty good there. But Vasco Valencia is a him and Hauser have had some sprint finishes. Yeah.
00;06;23;24 - 00;06;41;27
Unknown
Now Yokohama you know he was there and Yoko he got second in Hamburg. Yeah. Oh, maybe we should know. I think he did. I think he did. So, like. Yes, he has got the better of him. It's like an Alex and Hayden situation. We could almost have a Alex and Hayden situation here with this. He has yeah.
00;06;41;27 - 00;07;03;08
Unknown
So it's pretty cool. And like you said, definitely not wrapped up. No, there's ways in the points. And we were talking about it in the pool today where a medal, Miguel Hidalgo could, could go win these other two races. Glasgow, Colorado. Yeah. It's all to play for really still. I mean, we thought maybe if he has a one, this one it could be, but it's not.
00;07;03;08 - 00;07;23;02
Unknown
No. He's gonna knock the other boys out in the, in Calvary realistically to kind of simmer down the bubbles from beneath. Yeah. You know with those Vasco and Miguel and we'll talk about Kyle Lowry in a couple of weeks when it comes up. But yeah, like we said definitely not. Definitely not over yet. It was another ten person breakaway which is so cool.
00;07;23;02 - 00;07;41;18
Unknown
Like I think we thought the Dutch back. Yeah. With, with a flat with a flat course like it was beach. Beach side as well. Beats team. Usually they tend to come together a bit more. So more of a running and then. Yeah. Yeah. When you got to now you had the front back and you go to Matty. How's it you go to Henry Graff, you go to Charles Piquet, you got Miguel Hidalgo.
00;07;41;18 - 00;08;00;21
Unknown
Vasco a lot like those guys are driving it now. They are. And it's really cool to say, because it's almost going back to that golden era of trough on, like we spoke, you know, later on in this episode. And Aaron, that 2012, 2016 period with rallies and there was no easy swim, there was no easy ride, and there was definitely no easy run.
00;08;00;21 - 00;08;23;26
Unknown
Yeah, it's just red hot from the start. So that's super exciting. How's that said in an in an interview, he he thought he might have messed up that light sprint. Yeah, he went went. He said he goes he went with K out. Yeah. And then he was like oh I mean Vasco Vasco was holding more. Yeah. So that that would have been a bit disastrous.
00;08;23;26 - 00;08;40;29
Unknown
Yeah. But I mean, I feel as if he knows himself well enough to judge. And as he said, he goes, I gone to the blue carpet. You kind of see, it's pretty get pretty much game over. Yeah. If there's one person that you don't really want. I know I've said this probably like for the last like 5 or 6 years.
00;08;40;29 - 00;08;59;23
Unknown
Now, if there's one person you don't want to be within a K running next to, it's Matty Hauser. Yeah. Because I feel like as soon as it has, sniffs the finish line and he, he starts to smell it. Yeah. He's confident at the moment. He's really. How can you not. Whoa. Exactly. What's wrong. So yeah, you've right every race this year in the World Series.
00;08;59;23 - 00;09;16;03
Unknown
New year's results second. Yeah. So you're you're bound to be confident. Yeah. But he's really kind of preaching it. Yeah. At the moment which is could say different kind of side. And I think that's sort of what we saw a little bit on the weekend. We don't want to make like too many accusations because we don't know for sure for sure.
00;09;16;04 - 00;09;36;17
Unknown
But there was a lot of things to mouths, shushing, shushing people. There was some shush and cameras. And you don't just shush the cameras if you're not sure. No reason. So, you know, those even comments in his posts, you know, I, I've seen the audio. I love sport. Yeah. So again, there was a lot of shushing emojis and there was a lot of like, you know, what are they going to say now?
00;09;36;20 - 00;09;58;04
Unknown
Yeah. Comments. So, I'm in doubt as we don't have many shushed. I don't even know if it was dad because I don't think anybody doubts his ability. I think and again, this is me just thrown out. It's thrown into the atmosphere is whether these are true or not. That's what I'm here. I'm here to throw out allegations and just hope that they stick and they'll get sued.
00;09;58;06 - 00;10;18;22
Unknown
There was a lot of talk on Hayden and Alex being back. Yeah, it was pretty much the Hayden Alex show for, the French Riviera. And to their credit, they're the gold and silver medalist at the previous Olympic Games. Yeah. Which was a year ago. Yeah. The the the gold and silver, at the world Series last year, you know.
00;10;18;22 - 00;10;39;17
Unknown
So in there. Right. They, you know, they are the big names, the big natural cards. Yeah. You know what you got to give has the respect, you know, doesn't matter that they weren't on the start. It doesn't matter when you're racing at the World Series level. You're racing at the World Series. Yeah. Who cares if you know there's going to be people saying it's a year after the Olympics.
00;10;39;17 - 00;11;03;19
Unknown
It might be whoever's saying it's an easier year. Shut the fuck up. Don't ever discredit an athlete for winning and being dominant on the World Series like he is. Yeah, because look at his rap sheet. Second, I'm gonna top my head. Second, first, second first, first. Yeah, he's carving it up. And then Alex and Hayden came back. No, I really need to be saying no.
00;11;03;20 - 00;11;23;29
Unknown
No. They were they were saying that. But 1911 they weren't at that point. You know, like those other three were. Oh like a different kind of, I guess league. Yeah. Dude's number one in the world right now. So, you know, give the man some respect. Yeah. He's not here to fuck around now. He's gone for a world championship and he's given himself every possibility to win it.
00;11;24;03 - 00;11;40;05
Unknown
Yeah. So the women's. That was also great. The French ladies, they put on a show, they know how to race in their own country. But all the women do. It's the French women do it so well. I mean, even the men, the men with fourth and fifth. Yeah. Enduring. They know how to show off in their own. Yeah.
00;11;40;05 - 00;12;01;08
Unknown
In their nation. The French like this extra little pizzazz about them, especially these women. Like. I mean, just like who's been here? She was. She was French back in the day as well. So. Yes as well. Yeah. You'd say. Yeah. She just moved to Luxembourg. Yeah. Yeah. So can Cassandra by ground first John the half second half French and then Leoni.
00;12;01;08 - 00;12;23;21
Unknown
Pirro third. So the French women first, third and fourth. You could maybe argue second as well. Yeah. So yeah. Bit at half. Second. Yeah. Second. That is pretty impressive in a World Series. Yeah. It's not a lot of countries can do that. No, no. Maybe the Spanish in the men's side back in the day you'd say maybe the Americans had one Norwegian podium.
00;12;23;21 - 00;12;44;28
Unknown
And then you had that Australian mere podium in the women. Yeah. But yeah it's tough to do. But the French. Yeah. Crazy. Especially at home I think that's so impressive. They know how to show up at home. We saw in Paris last year as well. And Cassandra said she goes, oh, I wasn't going to really race French Riviera or race most of the World Series this year.
00;12;45;00 - 00;13;02;05
Unknown
And but she goes, I've got to race the French one at home. Yeah. And that's my big one that I want to win. So she's gone and done that. Is she stuck to her guns. She said it, she and done it. And now she's leading. She's top of the World Series. Top of the World Series. Another breakaway that got away I know I think there was about 12 of them.
00;13;02;05 - 00;13;21;20
Unknown
Yeah, I think 12. It was a little bit of a bigger pack than the men, but still, you're not seeing the 30 person pack packs and that's been with the women all year. Where was it in Italy? Yeah, that, that got away as well. Yeah. So you've got. Yeah. I don't, I like to think. And the Jeffcoat was in that breakaway, but I don't know if she was, I didn't.
00;13;21;20 - 00;13;37;14
Unknown
What? I only watch the highlights. Yeah, I didn't, I know, but you when you got like a live Matthias, they I when Cassandra is leading out of the, It's so tough when these girls all were, like, the first out of the water as well. Yeah. Exactly. Like it's so. And they all ran rapid. How do you stop that?
00;13;37;14 - 00;14;05;17
Unknown
Yeah. Like it's it's insane. Two 100 was also good, I guess. But I saw with the T100 and I thought, and we went back to it last week. What would be the better one that you would go to the the the World Series did look better. I watched the two 100 watch hiding coming to the finish chute, but didn't look as if it was as packed as what the World Series was.
00;14;05;21 - 00;14;20;10
Unknown
It looked a bit of a nonevent when most people had the same opinion as us. Yeah, maybe I'm going to get sunburnt one day and I'm only going to get I'm only going to choose the one day and I'm going to risk it on the Sunday. Yeah, true. If I'm going to get be out in the sun all day, I'll do it on the Sunday.
00;14;20;10 - 00;14;36;28
Unknown
Yeah. Got Monday to recover. Yeah. Have a siesta. Have a little sleep on Monday. Yeah. It was also in a bit of a weird spot. So let me just run around some fields. Yeah, yeah, yeah, that's what I meant. It was. It felt as if it was out of town a bit. They kind of shooed the T 100 away, which I like.
00;14;36;28 - 00;14;56;03
Unknown
Just bring it back to the days where, I mean, I know it was the Olympics bit 2012 there, riding around Hyde Park. Yeah, in central London. Like. Yeah, yeah. Give us those those days. We're at Leeds, Avon, Leeds. You're in the I don't know the big what does it park that's in Latin. No it's cold but some cork something.
00;14;56;03 - 00;15;16;16
Unknown
But it's in the heart of the city. Yeah. Like bring back the races where we're in the heart of the city. I remember watching was on in 2019 worlds, and it was in the heart of the city there, riding through the buildings on the cool, you know, like lightness, the like. It's awesome. Like, bring that back. Stop. Just shoving in the side where there's no view is there's no walk about traffic like show off.
00;15;16;18 - 00;15;35;11
Unknown
Yeah, yeah. You want the cafes and the bars pumping for the people. Yeah. Second day 100 ash. Gentle big hand for Australia has a win as gentle winds. Yeah I think it's in a good place. Yeah. All these are doing all right. All these are doing all right. Yeah. We definitely are on a comeback trail. Yeah I have, I believe you now.
00;15;35;11 - 00;15;52;05
Unknown
I was a bit hesitant at first and I wanted to play devil's advocate, but I think even with those two doing what they're doing, they're going to spark a bit of inspiration. You just saw the Aspen Anderson Ash collab. Yeah, that was pretty cool. That was pretty cool. Of they look alike. Yeah. God, don't I look it? Yeah.
00;15;52;08 - 00;16;10;24
Unknown
That's what I was trying to. I don't know which one's which. But, you know, we're definitely unconventional, obviously. Maddie, how's it doing? Maddie has a things like that's going to spark, that interest that young generation for them. Oh, you know, this is cool. I've been saying a lot now on, like our triathlon stuff on mainstream media in ash.
00;16;10;26 - 00;16;29;04
Unknown
So the ABC. Yeah, they. Yeah, they're really kind of pumping it now, which is really cool. I mean, it does help that great results being produced. Yeah. But yeah, it's kind of getting a bit more mainstream media, which is really cool. Yeah. We'll head into our official athlete of the week. Yeah, we're bringing it. We're bringing it back.
00;16;29;04 - 00;16;49;06
Unknown
Our partners at official B, obviously helping us keep the lights on, run the show here. They're our main sponsors of the pod. They're absolutely delicious. We knocked a few back again. Like we said, we had a few beers on the weekend and. Yeah. Official beer, GTA lager. Yeah, we had that. We had to get some fresh cans out because we took a few days on time and our athlete of the week from the GC, we can't go past him.
00;16;49;06 - 00;17;09;12
Unknown
Hot wheels has Yeah. There we are. He's so good. We want it. We usually try to pick someone that's, you know, a bit of an up and coming on slate. But, you know, when you've just gone, you proved prove the doubters wrong. I think close second. We've got to go gentle. Yeah I mean we been she's also come back this year and she didn't have the greatest start to the year.
00;17;09;14 - 00;17;23;06
Unknown
But she's come back and she won that one pretty convincingly. I mean we might be a bit biased just picking all these here. We promise. We are trying to both know when they're doing their results. Yeah, it's kind of hard. Yeah. It's kind of hard not to. Yeah I don't know. So you want but Australia's on the off.
00;17;23;06 - 00;17;39;28
Unknown
Yeah. We well and truly are we've got two weeks until World Triathlon Series, the next one in Karlovy Vary. So we'll do a bit of a preview. Yeah, in about two weeks time, but, yeah, let's, let's not muck around. Let's get in, get into our interview, get Aaron in began. Aaron, get in here.
00;17;39;28 - 00;17;47;07
Unknown
Alrighty. We are back. We have our very first guest since, late, and I've made our return back in the studio.
00;17;47;09 - 00;18;10;04
Unknown
It's an athlete that both of us probably looked up to quite a bit, as we were coming up through the sport. He's a fellow Australian, two time Olympian in 2016 and 2021 Commonwealth Games bronze medalist. He's secured a podium on the world triathlon circuit in 2015. World champion back in 2012 in the under 20 threes.
00;18;10;06 - 00;18;33;26
Unknown
Welcome our in Royal welcome. Welcome to the best podcast in the squad. Oh yeah. Oh okay. Yeah. Oh I should say also fellow, podcast. All in triathlon. Yeah. No, this is a step up. This, this what you guys have got going on here? It's called a real podcast hour. Really? Yeah. And I need to step up our game.
00;18;33;26 - 00;18;57;05
Unknown
You've got, like, so obviously people can't see what's going on here, but, we're in a studio. They've got proper mics, headphones, three cameras pointing at us. Had a guy setting us up. We we really need to set up. Step up. Are you even going to run sheet like we. We started with run sheets and then, I think I, we got rid of them after a couple of a couple of episodes because we just.
00;18;57;08 - 00;19;18;18
Unknown
You just a natural. Well, the problem I had with with with run sheets, is that when we had guests on, I was so strict on following the run sheet that I forgot to actually properly, properly listen to what they're saying. Yeah, and then I'd be so, fix fixed on what I was going to fix next from the run sheet that often what the guests was saying.
00;19;18;20 - 00;19;32;21
Unknown
They might say something quite interesting, but you just don't follow on from it. And you kind of got it there. Yeah, yeah. But, so I think we did the first episode without a run sheet and we thought, yeah, we run, but yeah, we would, we would have one topic and that topic would take the whole episode. Yeah.
00;19;32;21 - 00;19;50;02
Unknown
So we didn't know when to move on to. Yeah, exactly. Well, mate, how are you going? How's, how's training life? Racing. You're on the Gold Coast at the moment, so. Made it. Made a move? Yeah, we made a move. So I'm married to, a British athlete. That was, also a very good athlete in her own right.
00;19;50;02 - 00;20;09;11
Unknown
And, she's been lucky enough to get a job with us. Triathlon. So she's over here now coaching, with with Australian, the Ascent Academy on the Gold Coast and, obviously I'm Australian, so I'm very happy to be back. I grew up in Newcastle and then lived in Wollongong for, for many years. But, to be back on the Gold Coast, it's been pretty cool.
00;20;09;13 - 00;20;33;16
Unknown
It's, it's come with its challenges, though, because obviously, as you boys know, triathlon is a very northern hemisphere, based sport, you know, especially in Europe. And that's where I was. And so everything was on your doorstep, and now you really have to plan things out a lot. Which is back to what it was for me prior to 2016, when I was I was living over here like, like you guys do now and have to really sort of plan out a European season.
00;20;33;16 - 00;20;49;04
Unknown
But, now, other than that, it's been it's been really good. We started to settle in. You know, I literally this recording studio where we are now is probably as the crow flies 400m away from. Yeah, from my house. So, maybe I'll have to be a regular guest on. Yeah, maybe I have to collab more often. Yeah.
00;20;49;04 - 00;21;08;10
Unknown
Unfortunately, you can't do the, you know, two weeks time. There's a there's a race in the Netherlands that I'm going to just jump. I'll jump on over to. Yeah, yeah, actually go to. How long you been in Europe for how many years since you back. So. Oh, since so since you've come back? Well, I left, we left Europe in the end of April this year.
00;21;08;11 - 00;21;26;27
Unknown
Yeah, so. But left the UK. And we'll back what? We came here for about four weeks, but because of my job and also nonstop and, she had to. And I had to get back over to Europe pretty soon. So we'll here for about four weeks. Yeah. And then we'll back to Europe for six weeks. When did you first leave Australia?
00;21;26;29 - 00;21;43;28
Unknown
You say 2016. Oh, yeah. Sorry. So yeah. 2016 like. No no no I got together and yeah about 2016 and then obviously we well not obviously, but we both went to Rio and we wanted to stay with, our respective training groups up until then. And then after that, we, we decided, like, let's try and make this work.
00;21;43;28 - 00;22;10;22
Unknown
And so probably, I reckon it was the summer or the, the European winter of 2017 where I made the move and went over to, to Leeds, which was, yeah, eye opening and great. And I experienced full seasons like proper full seasons, and also but also got really lucky and was able to train with some, some world class like best ever athletes that we've had in, in the sport.
00;22;10;22 - 00;22;32;27
Unknown
And Alistair Brownlee and his younger brother Jonathan Brownlee, which was yeah, an awesome experience that, I learned a lot from. But yeah, I did miss being back here and, yeah. So seven, nine, nine years later, I'm back. Yeah, yeah. Well, I mean, staying in the UK, was it just the UK or did you go to Spain straight UK.
00;22;32;29 - 00;22;48;03
Unknown
Well we leave like so we, we in the. Yeah I lived in Leeds. Yeah. So that was like we, we actually still have a house in Leeds. It's rented out to some friends. So no one's not quite ready to give that even out still just in case. Yeah. She still wants her roots back in which I understand.
00;22;48;05 - 00;23;07;29
Unknown
Something back in the UK, but, Yeah. So obviously, as most Europeans do, or British people like you have other bases as well. So it's throughout the summer we would often go down to Fort Renault and yeah, in the winter times, we mix it up between the Canary Islands, which is really nice in the winter times, and then like Portugal and in other areas as well.
00;23;07;29 - 00;23;24;20
Unknown
Sure. I know it'd be the warm. Yeah. And put a tan on the skin. Exactly. Yeah. Well let's start from the start. Give us back like the early days. You said you're you're from down south. You're from that Newcastle was it. Oh yeah. Yeah Newcastle area. So I had an overcast day. Yeah. The nights of letting us down at the moment.
00;23;24;20 - 00;23;39;16
Unknown
But yeah I still love that. Still love me Newcastle I've let you down for a few years. Yeah. Yeah. Now. So what was it you were a sumo early on when you started off as a swimmer, and then kind of made your way into this water trough then, like, how did that how did that sort of happen? Yeah.
00;23;39;16 - 00;23;59;12
Unknown
So I was a swimmer, like a lot of probably triathletes nowadays. I mean, it's slowly starting to change now where kids are actually their first sport is is triathlon. But certainly when I was coming through, that wasn't what you first got into really. It was like a byproduct of being either a good swimmer or a good runner or less so cyclist.
00;23;59;12 - 00;24;19;10
Unknown
But, normally one of the two and I yeah, I was a swimmer at the time. Probably. Well, I started swimming, like at state level since I was nine. Really. And, as you boys were no, like swim coaches in Australia, they had. Yeah. You know, copped a couple of kickball to the head. But yeah, it's amazing how accurate they are with the kickball.
00;24;19;10 - 00;24;44;02
Unknown
Yeah, yeah, I've got 80 kids in there. The guys. Sorry. One session, target practice. One session one. Yeah. Well, every ten minutes. Yeah. But, Yeah. No. So I start as a swimmer and then just through aerobics fitness, I, I realized or I guess, it just happened, like, I didn't, I guess I didn't know at the time, but I just would make it through in the cross.
00;24;44;02 - 00;25;02;24
Unknown
Countries like to, from zone to regional to state. And then I'd medal at state championships and then go into nationals and had a couple of medals in that as well. And so I think that was more just purely from the swim fitness. And then, I think it was around about I was maybe 12, so, so fairly young.
00;25;02;24 - 00;25;18;02
Unknown
My swim coach was a triathlete himself. And he said, oh, why don't you just give triathlon and go and, up at Maitland Triathlon Club just out of Newcastle, I was I went up there one Sunday morning and, and loved it. Like, you know, I was decent swimmer. I ran or not like a pretty good swimmer.
00;25;18;02 - 00;25;34;27
Unknown
And I was a decent runner. And you know what? 12 year old doesn't like riding their bikes. So, Yeah, I had a blast, and it got me out of swimming nine times a week there. Yeah. There's nothing. I feel as if that's like the general way of a triathlete in Australia. You start as a swimmer, go. Not I don't want to swim.
00;25;34;27 - 00;25;57;04
Unknown
This made Tony Black a lot of time. Yeah, yeah. I think that's the hardest part about being a swimmer. Like you give those women so much credit. Like, geez, I couldn't, like, sit staring at that black hole, the mental fortitude to have to do that. And that's why I often say swim is that, they either retire young or nowadays you see them, like, after an Olympic campaign, they would take three months out of the water, because they need, like, so defeated.
00;25;57;04 - 00;26;19;17
Unknown
Yeah. Yeah. Nice. Well, you said you trained with some pretty world class guys in, like, the Brownlee brothers you were in probably at the time, one of the most the center in the world, one of the most prestigious centers in the world. You moved to Wollongong, the Wollongong Wizards. How was that? Because I know, I don't know about Leighton, but for me growing up, it was.
00;26;19;17 - 00;26;38;07
Unknown
Yeah, it was a dream. It was when I was still young, I was like, when I finish school, I want to go to either one of the two places. It was either Wuling Gong or the Gold Coast. Yeah, yeah. I think overall, like I remember saying like some of the other junior boys, like obviously Lorch and Redman at the time, I was racing him a lot and he was getting to go to some training camps at the Wizards and I was like, fuck that guy.
00;26;38;09 - 00;26;52;20
Unknown
I would be there. It was just more of a cool night. I mean, I had very good athlete. I mean, yeah, you had like but the Jorgensen like couldn't take know really. I mean, I think it was just the people in it like it was all the different countries. And yeah, that would just in this big high performance squad.
00;26;52;20 - 00;27;09;26
Unknown
And then it was just like, yeah, looked awesome. So how was how was that like getting to go be a part of a program like that? Yeah. No, it was all like I look back on it quite, quite fondly. I think, you know, like there are people within that squad that I'm still friends with now and that I would.
00;27;09;26 - 00;27;30;23
Unknown
Yeah, probably be lifelong friends. And, you know, it was like, you know, it's a triathlon is a tough sport, as you know, and, and the training the people that you train with like, you really need to get along with them because you spend so much time with them, not only in the hours that we do training, but often Australians are on the road for 4 or 5 months of the year.
00;27;30;23 - 00;27;50;06
Unknown
So you really want to make that enjoyable. And I think we had a good balance where we trained hard, we worked hard, we try to push each other. We tried to lift everyone up. You know the old saying of rising tide lifts all boats and I think we really lift by that. And yeah, I think, it was a good time.
00;27;50;08 - 00;28;06;06
Unknown
We. Yeah. Like I said, we had some we had some good results. And with what? Not all of us, but a few of us have got a wizard tattoo on our ass. I've heard about that. When it's a tattoo, it's actually a funny story, I think. So, we we used to go up the Falls Creek, every, every year.
00;28;06;06 - 00;28;22;16
Unknown
Really? And so what was it every summer. Yeah. And so we would have, like, the free, I guess, the pre-season camp, which was December, and it was like a little bit less serious, like you'd just come off a break and yeah, we were early 20s and I, a lot of us in my, myself included, like to have a drink in the offseason.
00;28;22;19 - 00;28;44;08
Unknown
And so December was kind of like weaning yourself off that a little bit. So we'd still go out and we actually called it the, the. So our coach, Jamie, he was at the time Canada's coach as well. And so in December he had to be away. So we were there on our own when the cat's away at the shell play pretty much how it was.
00;28;44;08 - 00;29;02;04
Unknown
And we used to call it, our AGM, but it was like a weekly AGM. Yeah. Okay. Yeah. Love AGM. Yeah. Anyway, so one night we. Yeah, we had had a few share bits and, and we were like, oh, let's get a wizard hat tattoo. And, you know, you sort of see drink token there. But everyone's like, yeah, that'll be great.
00;29;02;04 - 00;29;18;18
Unknown
Like awesome, let's do it. And then we woke up the next day and I remember I was thinking like, it doesn't sound as good now that I'm not. Yeah. Intoxicated. And then someone came out, and so Falls Creek, for those that don't know, it's, it's kind of in the middle of nowhere or the biggest town.
00;29;18;20 - 00;29;34;18
Unknown
It's probably an hour and a half away, which is Albury-Wodonga. And, you know, someone woke up in, like, they came out and, like, I just Google where the closest tattoo parlor was. Oh, which is Aubrey, which is two hours away or more or less two hours away. Who was that? Do you remember who found that? I'm pretty sure it was.
00;29;34;19 - 00;29;51;07
Unknown
It was still drunk. Tangent. Oh, yeah. And, but the funny thing, like, at that point, I was still kind of like a bit ahead, and I was like, yeah, okay. Yeah, we'll, we'll we'll see, we'll see what happens. But then the name of the tattoo parlor was called Wizards of Ink. And we like, had to be down.
00;29;51;09 - 00;30;05;17
Unknown
That's an omen. So we literally we got in the car. We. You had to drive down the mountain to swim anyway, which is like three quarter or a quarter of the way to Albany. And we're like. And it was a Saturday. And, you know, if you go to tattoo, you've got to spend a bit of time out of the water, even if it is, it was a really small one on our hour.
00;30;05;17 - 00;30;17;11
Unknown
So, you know, we we didn't have to spend that much out of the water. But it was a Saturday and we went back in due to be back in the pool until Monday afternoon. So right then let's get in the car. Yeah. And we were not all this was about 4 or 5 us, but on further on to that.
00;30;17;11 - 00;30;35;07
Unknown
So then the Canadian match up. You guys remember that the Giro told seven Foot Guy, he later joined our squad and we used to joke and say, well, you know, you're part of the squad now. You've got to. Yeah, he touched the tat. Yeah. And he's like, all right, I'll do it when I get my first World Cup podium.
00;30;35;09 - 00;30;50;17
Unknown
And he so he eventually got one about a year later. And he Oxford the design and it's I mean it's only a wizard hat but it's still like a little WW in there. Yeah. Okay. So he wanted to have the same tattoo. And so I think Tamsin might have sent it to him. But obviously we I don't know.
00;30;50;17 - 00;31;18;22
Unknown
But the scale was a little bit different or the way that the, the tattoo artist interpreted it was different. So ours is like, I don't know what side about four centimeters. Yeah. Oh, no, they I wouldn't say four inches because that's a lot. But like, he's tattoo is probably oh like almost triple the shots band and like as you never you never know I always forget I've got it like it's below my swimming line.
00;31;18;24 - 00;31;33;05
Unknown
And yeah it's basically right on my ass where he's like is bit of a tramp stamp comes out. It comes out. Yeah. It's got the wizard hat poking out. He's laying on the bed knees like, God, this has been a while. Yeah, yeah, I've been going up that ink for a while. Yeah, yeah. So, yeah, I know that.
00;31;33;05 - 00;31;53;28
Unknown
Been out there were good days. Like, I, I look back on that and, Yeah. And look back on it quite fondly. Yeah. Nice. And I mean, like I say, that's probably one of the, the squads of its time. You then went on, I'm not sure when the dates of this one were, but you then went and joined probably the next, the next biggest go to school.
00;31;54;01 - 00;32;17;06
Unknown
The next after school. Yeah. I mean, they didn't really have, the fancy Wollongong Wizards name, but the Joel filial squad. Yeah. So. Well, well actually so in between that. So, in, in Rio, I was, I was with Jaime. Yeah. Or the Wizards and, at Rio, the squad. So they came first with Gwen, I think. Fifth with Barbara, I was ninth, Bailey was 10th.
00;32;17;08 - 00;32;39;17
Unknown
Maybe Tyler was 12th. Yeah. So as a squad, that's a pretty successful thing. Yeah. But then I went like six months later I went to Leeds. Yeah. And they went first with Alister, second with Johnny, third with Vicky Holland, fourth with my wife known well. And Richard Vogel was 11th I think. Yeah. Mike makes the Wizards look. Yeah, yeah okay.
00;32;39;19 - 00;32;57;01
Unknown
That's I thought I was part of his squad and then I go to that one and they're like, what do you mean you got ninth? Like what the fucking average was that they're back training coached by Joe. No. So ended to no. So at the time it was some Malcolm Brown and I've had him on blink.
00;32;57;03 - 00;33;16;06
Unknown
He still coaches Beth Porter. I still has quite a bit to do with with Porter, but they were the ones who set up the late triathlon center. Yeah, but it's a little bit different. Like, in the, you know, I think you've had a bit of experience with it in, in Cardiff, but you have like in Leeds, you have like three different squads with each one.
00;33;16;06 - 00;33;33;25
Unknown
So you've got like the performance squad and you've got the development squad and then you've got like ideas. The academy they usually call like the academy squad which is like boxing. Yeah. Yeah. The British University. Yeah. Yeah. And they fade into the next two pretty much. So some of them are just participation right. Like some of them I mean two minutes for 100.
00;33;33;25 - 00;33;52;16
Unknown
Yeah. But yeah. So you have like very different levels, but you know, they integrate a lot of it together and yeah, it's no wonder that they're doing so well because you turn up to Wednesday swimming. There's probably honestly, could we get the whole pool in a Wednesday? So all squads together, there could be 50 people.
00;33;52;20 - 00;34;17;22
Unknown
Leeds I've heard, and obviously I've heard this from the being in the code of center. And I think Leeds have got the biggest number of, I don't know if it's applications to, to be in the center like everybody. And it's off the back of, you know what the Brownlee brothers have been able to set up and the name that they have, but it's almost you got to go on a waitlist to actually be in the triathlon center, and you can get a box spot.
00;34;17;22 - 00;34;33;24
Unknown
Yeah. Yeah, it's it's insane. Pretty much. I mean, and it's probably similar in Loughborough now as well. Yeah. Off the back of Alex, Alex, Alex as well. It kind of goes in swings and roundabouts. But Alex actually started so when I first went to Leeds I think the following year or maybe even the same year, him and Sam Dickenson.
00;34;33;24 - 00;34;56;25
Unknown
Yeah. And others as well. But they came through at that at that same time and yeah. Like it, like, you know, they, they, they're doing something right. You know, they just have such a big talent pool and, you know, over in the UK, they make it really, really easy to combine both your studies. Yeah. And you know, and, you know, like I had to make.
00;34;56;25 - 00;35;18;26
Unknown
So I did teaching for, so primary teaching for a little while at university. But at the same time. So when I was getting close to periods where I have to start doing, in-class practical work placement, I'm like, I'm over in Europe. And so you know, there was a point where I had to decide, do I want to do my practical work, or do I want to go and try and do this triathlon thing?
00;35;18;26 - 00;35;36;29
Unknown
Yeah, well, you don't have to do that in the UK. You know, they you can combine both of them. Quite easy and they facilitate that and they have squads around that. And yeah, they put training on it at times where it's well all the training centers are linked to a university. Yeah, essentially. So you've got the facilities there.
00;35;36;29 - 00;36;00;10
Unknown
It makes sense, doesn't it? Yeah. I think you can come study, get something out of triathlon after all. Yeah. Still being a center in a high performance environment with your sports feels like you're pro physios as well. They're learning and it makes sense. Yeah. I think they put a real emphasis on the education side in the UK. Like I mean I never went to uni like I just it wasn't the training centers I was in.
00;36;00;10 - 00;36;24;09
Unknown
They weren't attached to a university like they are in Cardiff and Leeds and if it's made hard in Australia you look at not many guys actually do uni. Yeah do triathlon which is I mean not everyone's uni inclined but it would help if people wanted to do it that way. Yeah, yeah for sure. I mean it also doesn't help as well for Australians that we're so far away from, we are so far away and obviously like the season.
00;36;24;09 - 00;36;43;17
Unknown
So like I said before, the triathlon is very northern hemisphere based and that's our winter, which is when university is on. Yeah. So a lot of the times university breaks in the UK or northern hemisphere, what between I don't know, months of July, June, July, August, which is the heavy part of the triathlon season. So you know, they're free to go and do races at that point.
00;36;43;17 - 00;37;01;21
Unknown
And in Australia, if you want to leave, it's right in the middle. Yeah. You've got an exam block. Yeah, exactly. So yeah, we, we've got, we've got some things against us, but I think, in terms of Australia that is that yeah, that's a small part I think is to why you guys doing. Yeah. Well, I we've also got to look things for us.
00;37;01;21 - 00;37;16;22
Unknown
Yeah. I mean like. Yeah. What do you think of the 365 days of the year? There's not a lot of times where it's really that bad to go out and train. I've trained in some pretty gross conditions in Cardiff, and it wasn't even their winter block before. So like that they find a way. They don't. They do like they do.
00;37;16;24 - 00;37;36;25
Unknown
I can honestly, you know, I was over there for about nine years, I reckon, where they stopped me from training. Like I can count on less than one hand. Yeah. You know, and there's, there's days where there's snow, there's ice. Like you just find that chuck the mudguards on, like to get on the mountain by big gloves and let's go boys.
00;37;36;27 - 00;37;59;01
Unknown
They're, they're all going though. They all go fuck this bloody shit for the whole ride. But they get up and then helps to have a squad like that. Yeah, exactly. You've got people around you and if they're like, you can't be the one guy not going, yeah the 20 that all. Yeah. So it's funny actually I know we've probably digressed in a little bit here, but you know, obviously part of our squad now there's young Oscar Will.
00;37;59;02 - 00;38;21;19
Unknown
Yeah. He's going really well, but, I remember, it was it was raining about a month ago. Yeah. And he sent on a message and he said something like, oh, you know, I'm going to go in the trainer or and don't just said something back like, it's 18 degrees and raining. Get out there now. Yeah. Like, yeah, I think and no one's not like, you know, she's not a hardass or anything like we should just no sympathy.
00;38;21;19 - 00;38;37;02
Unknown
She's like, just get on the road and get it done. Yeah. Pretty much yeah. It's not it's not that I think even yesterday, I mean, not to throw Oscar under the bus and just, you know, there. But it was raining this morning. Yesterday morning and he had an hour ride, and he's like, he had to do it at the end of the day because it was he's I couldn't go out.
00;38;37;03 - 00;39;04;09
Unknown
Right. It was raining because like you only had an hour. Yeah. So yeah. It's funny well driving it back to the results a little bit, obviously there was the 2012 and we spoke about this before. You forgot about that? Yeah. Barefoot champion. Jamie. No South Wales stunt guys style. Let's go for something. Under 23 world champion was that probably the first race where you thought I could.
00;39;04;14 - 00;39;24;03
Unknown
I could do something here. This could be the sort of start of. Yeah, a professional career, I think so, like, I had raced Junior Worlds in 2009. I got 18th, which I yeah, I mean, it might be a bit of a theme, actually, but I wasn't that happy. Yeah, at the time. But to be honest, I didn't have no, no idea what to expect.
00;39;24;03 - 00;39;45;24
Unknown
I hadn't done any international racing other than in Australia and New Zealand. And then I did under 23 worlds in 2011, again, didn't have a great race, but things started to click. And I remember I think it was the off season of 2011, roughly. I think it was that year, which kind of make sense that then 2012 went on to win under 23 worlds.
00;39;45;24 - 00;40;08;28
Unknown
But I was like, yeah, if you're going to do this, like start doing it properly, you know, don't just half ass it. Actually, you know, put some commitment into it and let's see what you can actually do. And I had a pretty good year that year. Like I raced a couple of World Series races. I think maybe Stockholm, I might have been like it was like, yeah, I'm using inverted commas here.
00;40;09;01 - 00;40;23;28
Unknown
Of week, World Series race because I was just off the back of 2012 Olympics. But yeah, nonetheless, that was my first or one of my first ones. And I think I got like a top ten. And so that's where I started around about that 10th anyway, year I can't remember the exact position, but it was around that 10th.
00;40;24;00 - 00;40;51;07
Unknown
It's hard just to get that in general. Yeah. Whether it's a Wakefield or not, it's the World Series. Yeah, exactly. Yeah. Were you with the Wizards at this time? Yeah. Yeah, yeah. So it was still like a part of I don't even know actually we became the Wizards after it after 2012. Okay. Founding father. Well, it was we had like something like an 18 that day before that called us, like, Jamie's angels or something, because the females did really well in 2011 and the men didn't.
00;40;51;09 - 00;41;05;26
Unknown
And then after 20 Auckland 2012, where when the World Championships the same place at all. I can't call you Jamie's Angels. I have to come up with a new name and. Yeah, Wellington Wizards. So yeah. No, it was the Wizards at the time. But yeah. No, I went into that race like, I knew I was really fit.
00;41;05;26 - 00;41;23;19
Unknown
It was actually I look back at it now and it was one of the, probably one of the preparations that I can probably be most proud of. Really left no stone unturned. I was doing like mega sessions. I still look back on it now. I'm like, wow, how did I even yeah, do all of those. I was living it, I did it.
00;41;23;19 - 00;41;38;22
Unknown
Altitude tent and heat work as well and like to be honest, we had no idea what we were doing. Like, back then, there was no real protocols. Yeah, we did a business with physiologists, but she was kind of flying by the seat of the pants as well. Like she didn't really know. Kind of figuring out as a kind of.
00;41;38;24 - 00;41;53;27
Unknown
So in a way, you would say that I got lucky in that, you didn't get burnt out. Yeah. Okay. So you figured it out? Well, figured it out. Well, I was going through, like, a packet of ten times a day. Pretty much just calories. Literally. It was like a ridiculous, actually. But, did you need it? Yeah.
00;41;53;29 - 00;42;13;06
Unknown
Pretty much. Yeah. But, yeah, I wanted to answer that. Yeah. No, I it obviously I had a really, really good race and, Yeah, from that moment on, I think, I started to believe that, Yeah, maybe I had had a future in the sport. And funnily, actually, obviously at the time we didn't know each other, but my wife.
00;42;13;07 - 00;42;33;27
Unknown
Yeah, won the under 23 world title in the same way it was. Oh, it's a call. It's an omen. It is not the right man. Yeah, yeah. Well, yeah. So, Yeah. And like, I guess that kind of kickstarted things and then probably off that I've probably had, I'd say in short course, maybe my best years were probably the next 4 to 5 years leading that to Rio.
00;42;33;28 - 00;42;50;06
Unknown
Yeah. Leading to real. Yeah. You want to take us through that one. So obviously I'm guessing you, pretty well on the World Series now racing a lot of that. I feel like you were coming into Rio. You. It's like I how I, how I sort of saw it as a junior. There wasn't a lot of Aussies that were really, you know, you had your.
00;42;50;08 - 00;43;16;00
Unknown
Yeah. You Brian Bailey and Ryan Fisher and I think Dan Wilson was still getting around that as well. But I always sort of saw it as you were the top dog at the time. So like, well, especially if you're coming off a world championship win, like, yeah. You coming off as maybe Australia's next. Yeah. I thought, well I would have in that period say between 2012 and 2016, I think I got 3 or 4.
00;43;16;01 - 00;43;41;17
Unknown
Can't remember 3 or 4 World Series podiums. Yeah. In that period. And I don't think any other male. Yeah Australian did. So I, I wouldn't, I wouldn't necessarily say I was top dog, but I definitely was, probably a bit more consistently flawed. The flag, I mean, if you look at like Bailey was doing well as Bailey was, it was like, you know, he he was probably unlucky to miss out on and he was, you know, we'll maybe talk about it again in in Rio.
00;43;41;17 - 00;44;02;01
Unknown
There's quite a good story in that. But, you know, he was probably a little bit unlucky. You probably got fourth or fifth and six in a couple of World Series as well. So he was knocking on the door. And we'll, we'll obviously training together. So and I know is definitely capable of, of getting those podiums, but yeah, I think we, we probably had we definitely didn't have depth at the time, you know, in Australia.
00;44;02;01 - 00;44;22;19
Unknown
But yeah, that period was yeah. Like obviously the brownies were around at the time in, in my strength. Quite a swim back. Yeah. And that was it. That's Petrov on. Yeah. For me, in my eyes, that's Petroff. Yeah. I wouldn't waste 12 to 16. Yeah. The goats have trough on wood in that. Yeah. You got Lola. You Gomez the Brownlee.
00;44;22;21 - 00;44;42;16
Unknown
Like it was just strength everywhere. Yeah for sure. Yeah yeah. And so like for me now to look back and go wow I actually got a handful of World Series podiums is you were amongst boys. And like for me it was always it was, you know, we talk about them being the goats, but I always really liked it when they were on the start line one, because the way they raced helped my strengths as well.
00;44;42;16 - 00;45;08;01
Unknown
And. Ally. Yeah. And ally and but I always Yeah like to compare myself against against those guys. Violating into Rio. So things were, were going well. Really well. And, a podium in 2016 at the Leeds World Championships, which was, I think, the last World Series race. Or maybe there's one more between, but I didn't do it.
00;45;08;04 - 00;45;27;27
Unknown
It was about six weeks before because of the only because. No, Rio before Rio Olympics and Leeds World Series, and I didn't actually know I was that fit, but I had, like, a really good race of well, not obviously, but Alistair Brownlee won, Jonny Brownlee was second, I was third. That's cool. Harvey Gomez was fourth.
00;45;27;29 - 00;45;47;19
Unknown
Like, wow, Mario Mola fifth. Jesus, that's a unreal. So unreal. I was like, oh guys. Wow. Okay, things are going well. He much better than I expected. And, that's so cool. I just a bit I yeah, but then probably made the mistake that a lot of people do and just overcooked it. Yeah. Baked a little bit too soon.
00;45;47;19 - 00;46;09;12
Unknown
Yeah I mean that was your race. I mean, you still I was not really well at the Olympics. Yeah, but no it's not I just yeah. Yeah. But it wasn't like it wasn't the race that I had in Leeds. And like obviously everyone steps up another level, but I just didn't have that, that same, I don't know what the word is, but that same flow.
00;46;09;14 - 00;46;24;26
Unknown
It didn't come as easy as what it did in Leeds. A little pep in your step. Yeah. And I just think, you know, not necessarily deliberately, but we went back into the altitude tent and we're doing a bit of heat and overcooked it a little bit. Lost a bit too much weight. Got onto the start line.
00;46;24;26 - 00;46;46;02
Unknown
Just was too good to to wake. And it was, it was a hilly bike course, but it was a power bike, a power hill. And so, you know, I just, yeah, just was, was quite weak. And, you know, like I said, night and and, you know, at the time and for a long time after, I, I was actually really disappointed with ninth.
00;46;46;04 - 00;47;05;04
Unknown
And it wasn't even, it wasn't until so we had Covid and during Covid, it was like a long, training session that I was doing. For whatever reason, I was on the, on the trainer and, and scrolling YouTube and the Rio Olympics popped up and I was like, you know, I'll watch it. And this is like 4 or 5 years later.
00;47;05;07 - 00;47;22;21
Unknown
So I watched most of it, and that was the first time I'd looked at it. I still haven't opened up results because I just then, like, I know, I know who was around me where I was, but I just I haven't actually opened up the results page in World Triathlon and actually looked at in depth of how it sort of played out, just because I don't really want to know you.
00;47;22;21 - 00;47;41;15
Unknown
But then, I said it actually on a podcast with with Matty Houser, that it wasn't until I was still on the sidelines in, in Paris watching them go around going and watching like people like how the fighting for the top ten. And I think he finished seventh and other people even like feel like fighting for top 20.
00;47;41;17 - 00;47;59;13
Unknown
And I was buzzing, like absolutely buzzing watching it. It was an amazing show and it was like a couple of days later I was out riding. I was reflecting on. I was like, the way you're feeling now and like, absolutely. In all, pretty much of those guys like, that was you only eight years ago. Yeah, we were. Yeah.
00;47;59;13 - 00;48;16;18
Unknown
Totally in awe of watching you, right? Yeah, mate. Maybe so. And and it was like, that was you eight years ago. Yeah. Like be proud of that. That was, Yeah, I did that eight years ago at the same event with the best athletes in the world. On the same day. It's a race. It stops the sporting world.
00;48;16;18 - 00;48;30;06
Unknown
Yeah, yeah, like like an Olympics. It doesn't matter what sport like. People watch it. I feel so, yeah, for sure. I mean, it transcends out of out of our little bubble, I guess there and comes on the, on the mainstream. So yeah, it was,
00;48;30;06 - 00;48;49;29
Unknown
But it was like radio was in in general, was like a an amazing experience. Like, obviously I went to Tokyo in a under different circumstances, but like it's really it's on on Tokyo like anyone, everyone would say that because. Yeah, and probably everyone that went to Paris and all Tokyo together at the same time would also say the same.
00;48;49;29 - 00;49;10;14
Unknown
Yeah. It's tough. Yeah. I mean, I feel like circumstances aside, Tokyo would have put on a show like it would have been, you know, so it is a shame that we didn't get to see. But a big Tokyo Olympics. Well, at least he got that Olympic a pro up the night. A proper Olympic experience is what people say at Rio.
00;49;10;14 - 00;49;34;19
Unknown
We spoke to when we had, Emma Jeffcoat on and she obviously she went to Tokyo and that was her that first, first one and only one at the moment. But she very much felt the effect of not having family, not having loved ones, not having a big crowd. Like she said, she cost a lot. And I don't know if this is the same for you, but she crossed the line and because the other two girls didn't finish, they were already in the car on the way back to the hotel.
00;49;34;19 - 00;49;53;00
Unknown
So there was no staff members around. There was nobody there. So it was very much you'd finish this race on a high, you looking around at the crowd and there's just no one there. So I don't know what was. Yeah. What was your difference between Rio and Tokyo? There was a few differences. One I wasn't yeah, I was selected as a,
00;49;53;03 - 00;50;20;08
Unknown
Well, lack of a better word. Domestique, I guess. Yeah. So the success of the games wasn't based on my own personal result. And I knew that going in and not. And I was fine with that. That's why I selected, So. Yeah, it was a very different feeling. Yeah. And obviously, yeah, we didn't get the results like, we had a fair to say a really poll.
00;50;20;10 - 00;50;42;01
Unknown
Yeah. It was. Yeah, it was, it was really tough. And so that compounded everything. Like I think even if we had really good results, I could still maybe be a little bit of a dampener with the whole situation around Covid and how the Tokyo Olympics played out, but that obviously, yeah, put it put a bit of a downer on it.
00;50;42;01 - 00;51;01;20
Unknown
And, yeah, I mean, it still doesn't sit well with me now, really. Like, you know, it's. Yeah, I was part of the Olympics where Australia probably had on paper their worst ever games. And, you know, it doesn't really sit well with me. Yeah. It, it it will. And it certainly was tough at the time. You know there's no one necessarily to blame.
00;51;01;20 - 00;51;22;12
Unknown
Like the athletes went out there and did the absolute best they could at the time. We know Covid played a role. You know, Jake in 2019 was one of the best in the world. He, it was the only guy to win two races that year. He was on the podium of the world champs. And then, you know, the the games get postponed.
00;51;22;12 - 00;51;44;05
Unknown
And Australia, in hindsight probably made the wrong call. But the, you know, I'm not blaming them because no one knew what the right call was during Covid, but the recommendation was to come back to Australia and in 2020 and, we would put on races and try and get yourself up and get yourself ready to compete at an Olympic Games.
00;51;44;08 - 00;51;59;19
Unknown
But yeah, we were obviously locked in Australia and we we couldn't get out. And eventually in 2020 races went on not a lot, but it was like maybe 4 or 5. They didn't call the World Series because they couldn't because of there was some countries that couldn't get there, but they were World Cups basically at World Series level.
00;51;59;22 - 00;52;22;25
Unknown
And yeah, we Australians didn't didn't get there. And so, you know, our last world level race was Lausanne 20 19th September. Yeah. And for most of us, our next world level race was the Olympic Games. Oh yeah 22 years. So pretty much 22 years. Pretty much. And you can't expect to be racing at the level that those guys are just racing each other.
00;52;22;25 - 00;52;44;01
Unknown
Like, yeah, I was there weren't really that many races though. In Australia there was a lot in like The Runaway, but they did a lot. But Douglas, you can't compare that like you two, right. No no no. Yeah. And obviously you know New Zealand were fairly similar and yeah. And you know Hayden was the same. And he came out and obviously got a bronze medal at Tokyo.
00;52;44;01 - 00;53;14;23
Unknown
So there are exceptions. And but out of the six Australians and however many four Kiwis I think so that's ten. So those nine that probably underperformed I believe in one in Hayden that that did what did you end up at Tokyo? I think it was 2626. Yeah. So Jake, obviously Jake was our guy. Yeah. So both Houser and I with the two to help us to deliver Jake to the front, but even around that, like.
00;53;15;00 - 00;53;33;08
Unknown
Yeah. How do you. Yeah. How do you go into that? Are you still also thinking about your own individual performance? I know you have a let's you've been selected to do a job. But do you still go in there and go, oh, I still want to go for podium. Or maybe, I did for you, that podium was not really always.
00;53;33;10 - 00;53;53;29
Unknown
Oh, but, not, you know. Yeah, well, we were there to to help Jake. But don't forget, there's also, it was the first time, I think. Yeah. Was the first time the relay was in the Olympics. So it was like. And Tokyo was obviously extreme conditions in, like, super hot. So it was like, help Jake, and don't kill yourself for the relay.
00;53;54;01 - 00;54;14;01
Unknown
So they were still going to decide whether it was you and as well in the relay you. No, we knew before but also like you are a reserve and and especially in Tokyo. Remember there was a lot of talk about water quality. Yeah, true. If anything was to happen to. Yeah, I was either with Jake and still Covid was going right and Covid.
00;54;14;04 - 00;54;47;08
Unknown
So there was like this real push to, do your job that you selected to do. Don't kill yourself in the process even though you're not selected for the relay. And how's it was so even more so for him. Like, don't do anything that's going to jeopardize a real, like, your relay, ability. Well, it's so tough to have that fine line of get the best out of yourself on the individual race day, but then don't ruin what is now like, that was the first Olympics where there was a relay to not sacrifice that.
00;54;47;11 - 00;55;09;25
Unknown
Did you tussle with that in your head? A bit like, you know what, stuff it. I'm just going to go out there as hard as I can. Hot stuff. Jake. Yeah, he might be my. We're going into that thinking maybe this is my last Olympics or, I hadn't decided yet whether I would try for Paris, but I probably deep down knew that this was my last.
00;55;09;26 - 00;55;32;01
Unknown
At least my last chance to actually give it a try. I didn't ever cross my mind. Not really, but I remember. So like, we were selected, but it was kind of a little bit vague. And one thing I wish, like, you know, reviews like the performance directors and the staff just came out and said, look, you selected for this, this is your role, this is what you're going to do.
00;55;32;03 - 00;55;55;10
Unknown
Do it. Yeah. It was kind of like you selected and might want you to do x, y, z. It was like kind of a bit fluffy and no real proper direction. And so, always I remember saying, you know, in a meeting once, I was like, just tell me what I need to do. Yeah. I just want to know I'm not I'm not going to sit here and say, I'm going to put my hand up and I'm racing here for Jake.
00;55;55;10 - 00;56;11;22
Unknown
Yeah, or a team in a team role. But if that's what you're selected me to do, then I'll do it. Just tell me. But tell me black and white. Just make it fit. It was a bit wishy washy. He's an athlete like you, told by your coach. This is the session. This is what you do. I feel as if it's easier just to follow orders and do it as well as you can.
00;56;11;22 - 00;56;29;26
Unknown
And in the in the end, we actually came up, we'd like, what they called a traffic light system. And so it was. Yeah. This during the right. No like move set out before. But yeah, but only had like probably a for two days less than 48 hours away from the Olympics and they've only come up with like what we're actually going to do.
00;56;29;26 - 00;56;45;06
Unknown
And so it was like a staff member was going to be on the side of the road. And it was. So, you know, how the head boards be splits and all that. It was going to be like there was a circle and it was either going to be a green circle, and I didn't even know I'm going to get this exactly right.
00;56;45;06 - 00;57;05;05
Unknown
But a green circle was everyone just race? How you race racing where you're at. Yeah. Don't do anything different. Yeah. Orange was like, Aron, you drop back to where Jake is. And help Jake get up. How's it you stay where you are? And Red was like, Aaron for me and Matt. You stop there, not stop. But you slow down, get back to Jake, and both of you is pulling up.
00;57;05;07 - 00;57;23;24
Unknown
But, I mean, this is the Olympic Games. Like Aaron's on the absolute limit. You're going for it. I didn't notice in the end, I was doing the right thing. Is in what the board was saying. What was the board saying? I don't know. Well, I thought so, but I don't know. In the moment I didn't mind because I didn't see it.
00;57;23;27 - 00;57;49;14
Unknown
But it was saying, hold where you are. And then, in the first lap, second lap, I think it was Aaron dropped back, but I had, U-turns. I had seen that Jake's group was not too far back, so I dropped back and I mean, to be fair, I didn't actually have to do a great, a great deal because, with Bloomfield felt in that park as well.
00;57;49;14 - 00;58;08;29
Unknown
I just had the Norwegians. And so if they're working, it's going to be annoying. Yeah. But also like, don't help them. Yeah. Like try and make like obviously Jake's going to have to try and run against him. Yeah. Obviously we know how Bloomfield end up going but I don't try and help him if anything try and make his legs a bit more tired.
00;58;08;29 - 00;58;28;20
Unknown
So have Jake sit in that park and then have people be there if you need to. Yeah, but even like, so once, once the groups come together, we're all riding. The gas comes off a little bit because everyone's there, and and it's a hot condition. So people are, you know, taking on nutrition, taking on fluids and getting ready for the run.
00;58;28;22 - 00;58;48;01
Unknown
And I just we hadn't actually spoke about like as a team from the performance directors, from the coaches. There's no talk about okay, once the groups come together, what do we do. What now. Yeah. Like Aaron really insisted on. Are you going to try and keep Jake out of trouble? Like. And we hadn't talked about it. We hadn't practiced it.
00;58;48;03 - 00;59;08;23
Unknown
And like, understandably, I went up next to Jake and I was like, I said, do you want me to sort of sit at the front? You want to follow my wheel? And like, because we hadn't spoke about it, because we hadn't thought about it. He was like, no, I just want to do my own thing. So because you look at past, past Olympics, even look at Paris as soon as Alex, he was in the front and Hayden obviously was the big competitor.
00;59;08;26 - 00;59;27;03
Unknown
You had Sam Dickinson go to the front, just drive that train and try herd everyone. You look back into 2012 and, who was British? Should we haze as soon as the packs came together? Should we? Hayes is on the front. Just merged himself. So it's like usually that is what the domestic role is that. Yeah, we know what this runner can write out.
00;59;27;03 - 00;59;45;03
Unknown
Yeah, it's right at that. But when there's no then when there's no communication about that, you don't really know what you're doing. So yeah, I mean it's obviously a shame that Jake didn't get out of that. What he could have I mean, I don't know if he had the preparation to be able to be on the podium. I think Covid years were pretty tough for him.
00;59;45;03 - 01;00;02;11
Unknown
I don't think that's really he also, I don't know if he even said anything publicly, but I was training with him in Joel Scott at the time. I think it was hamstring he had, but he had something in the weeks leading in where. Yeah. And you know, going into the Olympics shit you don't, you can't afford to have.
01;00;02;13 - 01;00;22;00
Unknown
Yeah runs me. It's like and it was in a key period as well as like in that full weeks out where you're getting like that much of the work the last little one said you almost had like, a shift in the top five, sort of from that 2020 to 2021 year. It was almost like Vincent, Louis, Mario Mola, Jake Birtwhistle even so you have.
01;00;22;00 - 01;00;39;05
Unknown
Yeah. Gomez was still getting around changing. God wasn't it? You literally went from those guys who were dominating the world stage to then Alex Hayden, who is here now, and then bang. Or within one year. Yeah. They just they hit the nail on the head. So there was obviously people that profited from it and yeah. Or benefited from the games been delayed a year.
01;00;39;05 - 01;00;55;26
Unknown
And there was obviously people that that did it. And I mean that's just the way it the way it goes I guess, you know, and those guys are still the ones dominating now. So yeah, they were probably going to do it eventually anyway. Yeah. Yeah. They got, they got, they got their I guess maybe luck in that it was delayed a year for them.
01;00;55;26 - 01;01;33;27
Unknown
Yeah. I want to talk about so and this is probably something like we spoke about this on a ride like a few weeks ago. And it was essentially the conversation that made me think, right. And we need to get our on. And as our podcast is pretty short course, like that's our little niche. We're still racing it ourselves, but almost the process, like we spoke about the race just then, but the behind the behind closed doors that nobody really sees in the selection process coming into the Olympics, you know, we've spoken about it, we spoke about it at the end of last year, how people are always there's always somebody missing out the things
01;01;33;27 - 01;01;54;21
Unknown
they should have gone or there's it's a it's a brutal and it makes and breaks relationships, friendships. You see people mentally just yeah broken at the end of an Olympic year. How was that for you? Because again, we spoke about it just before there was probably in Rio four of you that could have gone that were fighting for three spots.
01;01;54;21 - 01;02;18;20
Unknown
And then probably again in Tokyo, there was four that could have gone and and had three spots. We'll focus more on, I guess, Tokyo because that was the first one that we, we weren't part of, obviously, but we knew more about, I guess we knew more about and hearing how we only got Australia only got three spots in the last week, the weekend before in Port Douglas where.
01;02;18;24 - 01;02;35;22
Unknown
Well, no. Even so. Oh, that's a match up of the same. Sorry. Yeah, you are right. But but what Tokyo came so there was daylight. Port Douglas was on there say a Saturday or time zones, whatever it was. I just remember Port Douglas head first came first and then, what? Tokyo was the last race of that qualification period.
01;02;35;22 - 01;02;58;29
Unknown
But yeah, taking it back a step like it's a, like the qualification system changed from from Rio to Tokyo in terms of how countries got three spots. So that was because of the relay. Because of the relay. Yeah. So they effectively took away less countries getting three spots or making it harder. So in before in Rio it was top eight nations got three spots.
01;02;58;29 - 01;03;22;23
Unknown
Regardless regardless of the eight nations, their athletes were ranked 100 in the world. They wouldn't have happened because you wouldn't be a top eight. Don't. But you know what I mean. Yeah, regardless, top eight nations got three spots, but then they changed it to you needed three guys and girls inside the top 30. To get your three spots, which actually, and we actually spoke about it on this ride.
01;03;22;25 - 01;03;37;18
Unknown
Eventually Australia were the only country, and I know we said it before didn't go in and help us in in the results at Tokyo. Actually, I think it hindered us. And that came off the back of like that was one part of the review that we had. But Australia was the only country to get three and three.
01;03;37;18 - 01;03;54;13
Unknown
So three males, three females for Tokyo. And I think even in Paris there was did any country. Well, France would have had three, but there wasn't a lot, there wasn't a lot of countries that got three. And so the British women, you know. Yeah. But like yeah. So there was a lot that got three in either in evening.
01;03;54;15 - 01;04;10;16
Unknown
But not in both. In Tokyo there was also a lot that got driven either. But Australia was the only one that got 3 in 3. I found that so interesting that we we dominated obviously in that way that we would one of the only countries if the only country to have three men, three women. But then it was our worst ever result.
01;04;10;19 - 01;04;31;18
Unknown
And that's like, you know, at what cost. Yeah. And like, you know, yeah, we got these Olympic quota spots in the years before. But then are we actually focusing on the Olympics. Yeah. I mean and also I think yeah Australia is fairly lucky in that we get pretty easy points when we get to Oceania compared to the Europeans that they like.
01;04;31;25 - 01;04;56;08
Unknown
And they're big scoring points. Yeah. Well the the Olympic qualification but yeah. So that yeah, I'd have to try to rack my brain a little bit, but going into the last weekend of, of the qualification. So it runs over two years. And you like I said before, you get your best 12 scores. Yeah, but you can only take and and you got six.
01;04;56;08 - 01;05;14;19
Unknown
Sorry. You can have a maximum of seven from one year. That makes sense. You can have seven and five from one year to the next, or six, six and or five and seven. Anyway, the last World Series again was a Leeds, a racing Leeds. And then the following weekend was the last race in what, Tokyo and Port Douglas.
01;05;14;19 - 01;05;33;27
Unknown
That was the last. That was a closing weekend of the Olympic qualification. And I was sitting right on the cuffs. So was Luke Wilson. And now confident because Luke was staying and doing Port Douglas, that he would get enough points. I think he had to win by doing. Yeah, yeah. And we yeah, there was some stuff around that as well.
01;05;33;27 - 01;05;51;07
Unknown
But I won't say it's travel and I wasn't there, so I didn't actually know how it all played out. But I think I remember them running past me laughing me. But you gave it to them. Yeah yeah yeah yeah I yeah. You let you let William. Yeah yeah yeah. Because yeah we, I did my part for Australia.
01;05;51;07 - 01;06;16;08
Unknown
Really well done. Thank you. That anyway so I was like right all in for Leeds and I at the same time I'm battling an Achilles injury. That's my Kelly started to flare up. This like mighty stress that, was hanging over you to qualify three spots and for your country, like, you don't even know it's whether it's for you.
01;06;16;08 - 01;06;45;15
Unknown
Obviously, I knew that if we had three that your chances just by mathematics goes up rather than than two. And I thought I was a good chance of getting that third spot if we got it. But again, you never knew for sure. Yeah. Anyway, I came into Leeds. I think I missed whatever position. I can't remember the position I came, but I think I missed the position that I needed to come by 1 or 2 to get enough points to get inside the top 30.
01;06;45;17 - 01;07;01;08
Unknown
And were crunching the numbers and, and then like I was saying, do you lucky earlier off air like you need to look at what other people have got and are they going to want to go? Are they doing Port Douglas? What's this 12th best score to like? So where do they then need to come to knock out their 12th best score or better.
01;07;01;08 - 01;07;28;16
Unknown
This points that they're on. So there's like this whole thing going on in the background. So you're sitting in a room with your coach gel filling out the tire. And and I see a big spreadsheet with the he got the numbers up right. Yeah. Well actually because of it being Covid and everyone was locked in their own rooms, we were sat in a corridor of the hotel with a laptop out, the day after the not even the day, the night of the late race, crunching the numbers.
01;07;28;19 - 01;07;43;01
Unknown
And then so we realized that I was going to be seven points out. So I top 30 and I was like, seven points is nothing. Let's not no, the, you know, the system, seven points is nothing. It's not even his place. Yeah. No, no, not even a place. No. And I was like, fuck, I guess I need to go to what?
01;07;43;01 - 01;08;01;24
Unknown
Okay. Like I need to get on a plane, go to Mexico. Meanwhile, like, not far out from the Olympics, really battling Achilles injury. And I didn't even know if I got it 100% whether it was going to be my sport. And I'm like, I've just got to do it. That's nuts. And think like, credit to him to were really supportive of it.
01;08;01;25 - 01;08;21;29
Unknown
I think they even flew me business. Yeah. Well they really wanted to. Yeah. Yeah they, they, they and it wouldn't eventuate flying to Tokyo business and back. Oh actually they did say I wasn't meant to say that. But anyway, it's fully. Yeah, that's what it is. Such all change. Yeah. It's all going, they're all going money well spent anyway.
01;08;22;02 - 01;08;40;17
Unknown
But anyway. So like, but on top of this a whole layer. So my friends at the time who I was training with Mont been real and yellow games, they were watching the race back. Yeah. And in that race Richard VOC, Richard Vega got disqualified for cutting the point like accidental. Yeah, but he cut the boy and Kenji. Nina.
01;08;40;19 - 01;09;07;04
Unknown
But the officials missed it. Kenji. Nina followed him and also cut the boy and, I think it was because. So they they do it now all the time in all races. But at the time it was new wear top ten gold color cap. The next ten a blue the next ten and red or whatever it is. But you know that in blocks of ten, the different color caps and you couldn't see the first number.
01;09;07;12 - 01;09;25;24
Unknown
But I could tell it was Kenji because I know what he he stroke looks like he was Australian. I grew up racing. Yeah. But I get as an as an official. They probably couldn't pick up on it. Yeah. And, you could see that, for example, he would say he was 23. You could see that it was a blue cap or something.
01;09;25;24 - 01;09;47;27
Unknown
Three but you couldn't say that it was 23. But because you could say, you know, the blue, blue cap. Yeah, you could say that. So they sent me this is Martin and yellow sent me like, mate. Yeah. Dispute this. Yeah. Because Kenji was two places in front of me. So that means that I go from whatever it was 15th to 14th, which gives me more than seven points, which puts me inside the top 30.
01;09;48;00 - 01;10;05;21
Unknown
Well, don't have to go ahead. Yeah, I don't have to go to. Okay. But there was also then but then there some people in the Tokyo that could have. Then Ray jumped me. So America were also gone for the same three spots in L.A. I mean, and Chris Santo Carlos, a Mexican guy. Anyway, so that was step one.
01;10;05;23 - 01;10;22;12
Unknown
Kenji. Disqualified. Sorry. Kenji. Yeah. Sorry. It it it's funny actually, because I I've seen Kenji loads of times since then. I kind of apologize and I'm like, mate, you did cut the boy. So. And he's like, yeah, I'm just pissed off one because I hate Triathlon Australia and two because it cost me $1,000. I was like, yeah, that was it.
01;10;22;18 - 01;10;41;19
Unknown
Well, whatever you hate about crossing the show, that's on you. Yeah. But, yeah. So anyway, we got Kenji disqualified or Kenji got himself disqualified. We just. We just put it to the officials, bumped up, I went inside the top 30. But then it's not just okay, but sit down. Because like I said this to. Yeah, you got to hold it.
01;10;41;21 - 01;11;05;02
Unknown
And Eli, like I said, Ella Hemming from America, I bumped him from. He was sturdier. So I then jumped him. He went to 31st. And he was also meant to be in what. Okay. And so my fuck, I've got to go. So anyway, I got on a plane, got to I took a briefing, came round, Kevin McDowall comes up to me, he goes, just, just to let you know Eli's not coming.
01;11;05;02 - 01;11;26;22
Unknown
He's got a stress fracture. And, I knew that, like, they knew before, and he didn't want to tell me because, like, those. All because he's always trying to, like, play the political side for you to go and, like, essentially waste your energy. Yeah. Having to fly all the way to another continent. But also, there was Luke still needed to do.
01;11;26;22 - 01;11;47;05
Unknown
He's passed by. So he was still outside Port Douglas, was still about to happen, and he was outside the top 30. So they to. Yeah. Yeah, they it might have actually been that Eli was still so I might have been 29th Eli was 30th Luke was 31st. Right. I think that's what it was. But I didn't want to say anything because, they knew they would have done the netmask as well.
01;11;47;05 - 01;12;07;27
Unknown
And they knew that Luke had to win. Oceania is to then jump Eli and get inside the top 30. But so close. Yeah, yeah, but they didn't want, you know, any sort of like, funny buggers playing played in Australia to make sure that that, you know, if it happened, it happened. But they didn't want to like in the end what ended up happening.
01;12;07;27 - 01;12;23;14
Unknown
And we know that Luke got the win and got inside the top 30. But yeah, it was like all of this sort of stuff it and you don't you don't actually know what's going on most of the time. Like people are so oblivious to it. Yeah. And I not just so this is just for countries to get three spot spots.
01;12;23;18 - 01;12;41;23
Unknown
This is like just to qualify. Yeah. For the games. No, but but but so that's just trying to get three spots for the games. There's people like trying to get inside the top 55 from Ecuador. So yeah. Yeah. The new mania right. New flags like there's you know it's actually a funny place. That last race in the Olympic quota.
01;12;41;25 - 01;13;02;14
Unknown
You go to dinner and I with a round to give a couple other people that what's a guy that races for Romania now that Felix? Oh, yeah, he's fighting for it. There's like another couple of guys. They're all like, they're competing against each other. And like, everyone sitting at the table is like, I need to come.
01;13;02;20 - 01;13;18;20
Unknown
I need to come. Top 35. So long as you don't become 27th in London, you don't come 28. Like, here's what everybody knows. No equations. And you get into the athlete lounge. And in the end, I was saying my, my spot couldn't change because I wasn't there, so I was safe. It didn't matter what happened in Tokyo.
01;13;18;20 - 01;13;39;24
Unknown
So I basically had a weeks holiday in what Tokyo paper. But try but yeah, I mean, I remember getting into the athlete lounge after the race and like, everyone's got their results up on their phone, doing the numbers, doing the numbers and literally like, well, for, for both reasons, people for being in or not in like tears. People in absolute tears.
01;13;39;24 - 01;14;01;06
Unknown
Like, you know, devastated that they missed out on the last race or elated because they realized that they're going to make the games. And yeah, I just I remember thinking, fuck, I never want to be in a position where it's coming down to the loss. I'm much preferred Rio, where I qualified in 2015 by automatic selection and the stress is off.
01;14;01;06 - 01;14;22;28
Unknown
Yeah. And so like on your point, lighten where, you know, you said about like at what cost? At what cost. Yeah. I mean that was the biggest thing that came out at the back of it. Like, I think I was definitely pretty cooked off the back of it, even before the games came around, mentally and physically. I guess, as well.
01;14;23;01 - 01;14;42;22
Unknown
Yeah. It's such a, such a big process to, to even just get into that position. Yeah. We even spoke about like Luke Willian for example, Paris last year. Like yes he was an automatic selection and it wasn't, you know all the way to the end of the period. But he did get it pretty at like very end of the order.
01;14;42;23 - 01;15;00;25
Unknown
Yeah. Yeah he was the last for the very last order qualification. So it's almost you know he had that really good race in Yokohama and then he had another really good. He had a really good run in Devonport. I think it was Hong Kong World Cup. He got fourth, had an amazing run in that. And it was almost like this guy could really do something.
01;15;00;26 - 01;15;16;19
Unknown
He could get a top ten. He was, I think, leading the worlds. He was he's playing for half the year. Yeah. And then it got to Paris and it was almost like, yeah, just it's so much to even just get there. Just get there. It's almost like where you just a fatal it's overall physically. And you look at like people like Alex Hayden.
01;15;16;19 - 01;15;36;02
Unknown
Yeah. I mean not even like loads of people that were in front of him. They knew no going well before. So when they're in Yokohama, they're their eyes are already on three months time. Yeah. All right. Well, I mean, I think Alex, Alex came and raised kids go kart like, does it had to it didn't need to be there like he he's he's a sprinter.
01;15;36;05 - 01;15;56;05
Unknown
It was a super sprinter. It was just to sharpen up his for the relay though. Yeah. Relay I think was just get some race skills in. Yeah. Just a low key race. So yeah. Yeah it's funny the different positions that people are in obviously how that's going to affect and and play out. So it's it's tricky because like we said, there's probably two Olympic Games now where people will ride on the cast.
01;15;56;05 - 01;16;17;21
Unknown
But I'm sure Luke probably has his reasons for why he thinks he should have been in in Tokyo. And I and I think even Jake Birtwhistle, who back in 2016, he was on the rise and there was sort of probably question marks on should he be in the team. Yeah. Over other people. So, it's tough. I mean, I don't know, like there's we said it, there's always going to be people disappointed.
01;16;17;23 - 01;16;43;22
Unknown
That's. Yeah. As long as you know I, I've, I've. Oh and yeah I've been on both ends of selection like I got the nod in Tokyo. But I also missed out in a couple of Commonwealth Games as well where I didn't I didn't get selected. And you know, I was always of the belief on both, both Tokyo and the Commonwealth Games that it was I would say maybe I'm biased, but I felt like it was a bit more than 5050.
01;16;43;24 - 01;17;00;23
Unknown
My side for Tokyo, but then also for the Commonwealth Games. I did also think it wasn't 5050 on my side, but I was also, yeah, I was sitting there going, it could go either way. And you know, I was always a big believer on I had the destiny in my hands in terms of I knew what automatic selection was.
01;17;00;23 - 01;17;19;28
Unknown
Yeah. And if I didn't made it, then I'm leaving it in the hands of someone else. Yeah. And and it was like close to 5050 that I couldn't be upset with either way that I went. Yeah. And I've never, ever, you know, every time that I wasn't selected, and I finally was between Luke and I in a few of those occasions, Commonwealth Games and the 2018.
01;17;19;28 - 01;17;38;26
Unknown
Yeah. First, the first personal message was by Luke and and was you say, you know, well done. Because you know and it wasn't that I even disagreed with the selectors at the time. I actually in if I was in reality like probably would have selected Luke. Yeah. It's never like the athletes fault they don't select it. You know, it's the selectors as well.
01;17;38;26 - 01;18;00;03
Unknown
So I never, ever wanted to have any animosity between anyone. When we go in for, for these spots, you know, it's the destiny was in my hands. I didn't take it. And then I've left it in the. In control of someone else. Yeah. To make the call. Do you, do you think there's anything like. Obviously because like we just spoke about, there's not you take the physical out of it, the emotion.
01;18;00;03 - 01;18;23;27
Unknown
And I guess the psychological impact that in an Olympics Oracle world game selection can have on an athlete. Is there anything that you think Federation could potentially put in place to protect the athletes from. Because like you talk about post-Olympic depression, like the amount of people that I've spoken to. And for me that that's fascinating. Like, you go into the Olympics every story.
01;18;23;27 - 01;18;43;21
Unknown
Yes. Disappointed. Yeah. It's even even if it's like, even if you have a good race in the Olympics, like the 2 to 3 months after, it's that real lull. Like, is there anything that federation that you think could put in place to sort of protect the athletes from that? I think I do think they're getting better at it like it is.
01;18;43;21 - 01;19;05;00
Unknown
There's much more awareness around it now. What things? I, you know, a lot of it is, I think on the athletes wanting to also reach out or look to what is available. Yeah. Like there is stuff available. Yeah. But often a lot of people don't want to put there. Like I didn't want to talk to anyone about it after Rio.
01;19;05;00 - 01;19;24;16
Unknown
I didn't want any help. Like I just, I almost shut like I actually, funnily enough, I actually lost a couple of sponsors after Rio because I almost felt I felt embarrassed. Yeah. And I like I just didn't reach out to anyone. I didn't talk to them, I didn't like, hey, this is my Olympic experience. I almost felt like I let them down.
01;19;24;16 - 01;19;44;14
Unknown
Yeah. And like some, you know, because sometimes sponsors don't fully understand the, the Olympic Games. And they maybe saw that I was 13, a World Series race six, six weeks before. And with Alistair and Jonathan Brownlee on the podium. And then they say that those two were on the podium like, well, Aaron's in ninth. Like what happened there?
01;19;44;15 - 01;19;47;10
Unknown
What happened there? Yeah. And so you, you almost feel a little bit.
01;19;47;10 - 01;20;07;01
Unknown
Embarrassed. So. Yeah. I think it's also on the athlete to maybe own it a little bit, look for what's out there, because there is stuff for them out there. If they if they're willing to look and sometimes people aren't they are they. And that's nothing necessarily wrong with that either. Like I dealt with it in my own time and process it.
01;20;07;01 - 01;20;14;07
Unknown
Yeah, it was just everyone's different process that it's the era, excuse me process in the way that you want to. Yeah, yeah.
01;20;14;13 - 01;20;37;17
Unknown
Okay. Moving on from the Olympics and we're going long. So the transition you've gone to long course but you just like not I'm done with short course. Yeah. When was that. Yeah. So I made the call in. So yeah at starting 2022 was I was sort of on the fence a little bit. Yeah. Did I think I did one World Series race, which was late?
01;20;37;17 - 01;20;52;17
Unknown
I think just because it was a semi race, it seemed like what I actually got excited for, and I was meant to go and do another race, like two weeks after. And I was like, that's three weeks left. I was like, I fuck, I don't know, I don't want to go. Yeah, like, I mean, it's same. I think it was Yokohama or something.
01;20;52;17 - 01;21;10;26
Unknown
I'd been there so many times, just didn't excite me any more. And funnily, I actually there was a a small challenge race in a small town in Wales. Fishguard. Yeah, yeah, I know Fishguard. It's a bit of a, you know, but there's like nothing there. Like literally it's like nothing that is going that right. It is still going.
01;21;10;26 - 01;21;41;15
Unknown
Yeah. That excited me. I was like I want to go to Fishguard. And so it was like when you know, you know, yeah. Yeah. And so that was the end of my pretty well my, the end of my short course career. And I had like pretty some decent success. Excuse me, early on in the middle distance races and because it's something exciting and, and and fresh and also there wasn't the same level of competition there is now thanks to the PTO, a lot of, athletes have switched across and obviously makes it harder and harder now to do well.
01;21;41;15 - 01;22;03;05
Unknown
It's almost like World Series racing as well. But yeah, so I made that switch and I really enjoyed it early on that there is some big differences. Like, yeah, I'd spent, my whole racing career, you know, with the Federation. Yeah. Yeah. You never had to race by yourself, whether it's with other athletes or support staff.
01;22;03;05 - 01;22;20;08
Unknown
And to go into a race where, you know, my wife had a job at the time, I didn't really have, like, this team around me that a lot of long distance athletes have to create, like whether it's their own physios or coaches and people that they travel to races with. And I would literally go to a race, and spend like four.
01;22;20;11 - 01;22;39;04
Unknown
And I didn't know a lot of the athletes yet. Yeah, 4 or 5 days on my own the whole time. Breakfast, lunch, dinner. Right. Nicole Strain yeah. Super isolating. Yeah, yeah. Don't feel sorry for me but but it was it was definitely a big change. And, I'm actually not too bad in my own company. Like, no one thinks it's weird.
01;22;39;04 - 01;23;05;19
Unknown
I could go to, like, a bar and take a book and have it be by myself and read a book. And she laughs at me. She's like, how the hell can you do that? Whereas I don't mind doing that. But that was, something that I didn't expect. And yeah, I whilst I enjoyed a lot of the new challenges and a lot of the new things that that presented, there was also some other challenges that I wasn't expecting and a lot of isolation of it.
01;23;05;19 - 01;23;26;21
Unknown
Yeah, exactly. Yeah. And you're in, you're in. But also what I like about it is your to do your own business. Yeah I think so. Yeah. That's, that's what we've heard a lot people are in control of their own race plans. Like you don't need to answer to anyone. Are you kind of locking that now more. Yeah. Oh would you go oh you know I would be creative.
01;23;26;21 - 01;23;48;03
Unknown
You know I did have the physio here, the slot set up or whatever. Yeah. Well and I'm very I've got the seven races of the year. Well in all the World Series with a T100 now it's, I mean it's more structured. It is like that in terms of, I mean you have to get your flights there, but once you're there like this, you can look down their bike mechanics.
01;23;48;03 - 01;24;13;07
Unknown
They have the hotels paid for. Yeah. Meals are there. So it's like being back within a federation again. And so yeah, like I really love the running circus. I'm I guess the only the downside to that is, Yeah, I know when we went to short course races, like, a lot of people were at the same hotels, but not everyone where everyone in the T 100 is there.
01;24;13;07 - 01;24;29;11
Unknown
You're all at the same hotel, the same each other 24 hours. Other time, like make you want to go down to the 7-Eleven to grab a Powerade and it takes you 45 minutes because there's five people sitting in the lobby that you know, yeah, you know, you've wanted to go down and back and be back in chilling out after five minutes and you've spent more than 45.
01;24;29;11 - 01;24;50;27
Unknown
You probably out for two hours just to go get a Powerade. Yeah. But yeah, I mean, it it is like being back on the short course saying the T 100 is it, I was going to say is the what's the biggest difference between the T 100 and the short course. Because it's a lot of the same athletes have just gone long in terms of the racing or just everything around it.
01;24;50;29 - 01;25;13;05
Unknown
Everything around, I mean, the racing as well. Is it, similar? So it's longer kind of. I almost joked at the start when I started first started saying they said it was it's almost like, doing an Olympic distance race. And then just seeing how anyone, how everyone can hold, like how who can hold on the longest to that, like Olympic distance, intense intensity.
01;25;13;07 - 01;25;36;01
Unknown
But I'm not joking anymore. It actually is like, and people are holding on almost the whole way through. Yeah. So yeah, it's actually insane. I would say that, like, I was an okay rider. Some of these rides and the bike rides that, you know, at the moment we say that it's just it's insane. But even he chuckles as well, I think.
01;25;36;01 - 01;26;02;10
Unknown
Yeah, people look at these short course races. And so a group of 40 guys, 50 guys riding around I think oh that's that must be easy. Yeah. They put the power down. They put in the power down. Yeah. So yeah. Now the levels rise. And, you know, I think it's it's really, really good in terms of maybe not for the, the whole landscape of triathlon and the actual event organizers and all these companies that are out that, you know, people spread themselves thin a little bit.
01;26;02;10 - 01;26;23;13
Unknown
But for athletes like that, it's a good problem to have that. You have too many options. Too many options. Yeah. Oh, do I want to race for this race on the weekend for 150,000 prize purse, or this one over here for 200 that like. Yeah, yeah. Oh what. Oh yeah. Where will I earn more. Where's the battlefield? We spoke about it.
01;26;23;13 - 01;26;43;26
Unknown
It happened the first double header on the weekend and lightning II last podcast we sort of said, all right, say because there could potentially be one on the Gold Coast next year. Wollongong is one. So you've got the two 100 in the World Series. What are you watching. Yeah. Which one? You can only go to one. Which one would you go to.
01;26;43;28 - 01;27;05;04
Unknown
Sure. Cos you go no no no not always like it. All it's going to depend on who's back, who's there, let's say in France on the weekend. Yeah. The French line up. Yellow is my good night. Yeah. All these guys. There you go. Yeah. But I was so, so I stayed, I stay, I don't know either.
01;27;05;04 - 01;27;22;17
Unknown
You guys stayed up, but the men's race was at ten. I stayed up, and I was pretty tired because I wanted to watch Alex Hayden and. Yeah. Awesome. Yeah, yeah. So I'm almost going to say probably that I. But it flips like it changes. But if I had to choose one it will. And going oh definitely. Obviously as we know Matty has it's going to be going for the world title.
01;27;22;17 - 01;27;37;13
Unknown
And I'd love nothing more than to witness that in person. So if, if I had to choose I would definitely be the short course. Yeah. Well no I'm it's three from three. How do you go. Oh yeah. Yeah. But would you, would you ever say it to you 100. Drive it. You might I wouldn't yeah I probably wouldn't.
01;27;37;18 - 01;28;12;04
Unknown
But I also don't have that fascination for the long course. Like like lightning does. And obviously you race it so like yourself would. Yeah. Yeah. But I yeah I love both. Like I'm still on a short course guide. Hot really. Like that's what I grew up doing. Like I didn't grow up dreaming about Conor. I go yeah yeah five hours I love it now like and I again I if it was maybe not 1045 because that means it would have wouldn't have finished until 2 a.m., but like I would stay up to a whatever I did midnight to watch the end of A21 under when it only got that short, dynamic, got more of
01;28;12;04 - 01;28;34;02
Unknown
an appeal. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. Jump do some quick fly missions. All right, here we go. One for one. Okay. Go on. Audie, there's only four. They. So don't stress too much. What do you do outside of training to switch off? Obviously we're training. Silly. I was training Stelios. What do I do? I don't mind going.
01;28;34;02 - 01;28;54;03
Unknown
Like I said, yeah, I in Leeds. I haven't really done it much here, but I would often go to, especially in the summer bar with myself by myself. Really? Yeah. But not like a bar in, like. No, in the sad, alcoholic way. Yeah, yeah, but the garden bars kind of. Yeah, yeah. In summertime, the weather's nice.
01;28;54;04 - 01;29;17;14
Unknown
Set outside, like. And I'm not talking. I drink a lot, maybe 2 or 3 to be able to still drive home. Yeah. Nice. Oh okay. So you've obviously raised you raised all over the world. Where's the best place to race or best location? You've gone in the world. Well, I've been pretty lucky. Bahamas is pretty good. Oh.
01;29;17;21 - 01;29;41;12
Unknown
Well, I've been there. What was that for? It's not just going there or whatever the island house tries. Oh, yeah. Oh, yeah. Oh, there was a couples that. So that's that's different. So couples that we known and I. Yeah one that. Yeah 100,000 USD kitchen. Bring that back. Yeah, yeah. Lucky we could get married. Yeah.
01;29;41;12 - 01;29;59;27
Unknown
That was, that was. No. So the Island House triathlon was something that Luke McKenzie and Beth McKenzie. That's right. I remember that, that was pretty cool. I probably say, and mainly because it it's, you link it to good races, but, Stockholm in Sweden. Oh, it's pretty cool. And I got third there. Yeah. True. Have you.
01;29;59;27 - 01;30;17;18
Unknown
Gomez won? Johnny was second, I was third. So it was like a good field. Cool. Really. We had we're lucky. We had really nice weather. It's a really cool city. Maybe that. Yeah. Yeah. No, that's popping up. I mean, that's that's pretty cool. Yeah. I've never been there, but they sound nice. Yeah. Swim, bike or run. What's your favorite?
01;30;17;18 - 01;30;41;29
Unknown
What's your least favorite? Probably a little bit. Maybe have a bit of surprise. But the one that's my weakness is the runner is probably what I enjoy the most. Yeah. It's just the ease of just being able to throw on some shoes. But in saying that, I do enjoy, so being back in Australia. So when people ask what will you do when you retire is in what sports will you do to keep fit?
01;30;42;00 - 01;30;58;19
Unknown
Like running's always it's just because it's so easy and I really enjoy it. I do enjoy riding, but there's too many kids on the road in Australia. Yeah. Yes it does. Yeah yeah yeah. So pretty much getting abuse every time you ride. So that dampens it a little bit. And being back in Australia in nice weather swimming is, is quite cool.
01;30;58;19 - 01;31;16;05
Unknown
But yeah you don't get that in the UK. They're really doors. And so I mean if you're not in a squad. So yeah when you retire you know really going to be in a squad. Swimming public's an absolute shit show. So yeah. But I really I love like going out and swimming Tully Creek. Yeah. Yeah. Water that sort of stuff.
01;31;16;07 - 01;31;31;28
Unknown
But if I had to pick one and I know this isn't rapid fire, sorry, but, Yes. Probably. Run. Yeah. Okay. Okay. What's one thing fans might not know about you that would surprise me? I don't know, I don't know what what do people not know about this thing? Yeah. How did you get the nickname bug? So.
01;31;32;00 - 01;31;51;11
Unknown
Yeah. Oh, yeah. That's a big one. It's actually not that, you guys have bugs. Yeah, we've got Bugs Bunny on this side. My coach at the time, Jamie. Oh, sorry. My mum used to call me bug. Looks. I don't know whether you talking about Tom Faith. I remember that book. That was a book. I was in there.
01;31;51;14 - 01;32;07;29
Unknown
Well, it was talking about. Well, I guess what my mum got it from. Yeah. Did your mum's ever call you bug legs? I don't know about mum used to call me bug slugs. And then obviously bugs are short. And back in the day when you guys probably don't even remember, people used to have house phones and people would call outside.
01;32;08;00 - 01;32;26;14
Unknown
Yeah. And, when I was, yes, I do, I yeah. I still remember my first girlfriend's number. No I don't I didn't have Yeah. But anyway, Jamie, my coach called my house phone. My mum answered that were talking. And then my mum said, I guess you want to speak to bug slugs and then talk to logs?
01;32;26;16 - 01;32;49;11
Unknown
He went into logs and then it just went from there. Yeah. Bug slugs. Bum thief. I'll go like the book. There you go. When did that come out? 1991, maybe. I was born in 1990. So maybe that's why my. Oh, my bug logs. Meaning it's a term of endearment, isn't it? Old fashioned, affectionate and sometimes slightly coarse term.
01;32;49;14 - 01;33;07;08
Unknown
Coarse? Yeah. Often used as a nickname for someone in a friendly or informal way. But yeah, it was kiddo. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, that's pretty good. Are you chuffed with that one? Yeah. Okay, so there you go. Now, you know it's good on you, mate. Wait, bug looks come from from bug legs. Bum thief. I don't know about it.
01;33;07;08 - 01;33;24;24
Unknown
Nah, I suppose I think maybe it's just the term bug logs. Yeah, it's really, I think so. Cool. All righty. Well, thank you very much for coming on. It was awesome. We'll have to, we'll have to maybe do a little intro off on. Yeah, yeah. Yellows back. Yellows back. God, that'd be cool. Looking around here. This. You guys have got it?
01;33;24;24 - 01;33;41;06
Unknown
Absolutely. Dogs. We do our best. We can. We try. We're very lucky. We're very lucky. It's, No, because a really good of what we do, it's just because who we know, that's that's all. That's normally a big part of it. Yeah, yeah. Now, I thank you very much. My I really appreciate you taking the time coming in and having a chat.
01;33;41;06 - 01;33;53;24
Unknown
And, we wish you wish you all the best with the rest of the season, rest of the year. And we'll see you tomorrow. Training. Yeah, I'll say this. I'll be bringing that to you game. Yeah. Thanks for having me. Please. Thank you. Thanks. Awesome. Thanks, mate.
01;33;53;24 - 01;34;13;19
Unknown
All righty. Now that Aaron is, out of here. We just want to say a big thank you once again. I think we've just thanked him at the end of this, but big thank you once again to Aaron. Did you you would have looked up to him back in the day. That was definitely one of the guys that when you were coming up into the school hundred percent, like, as I said in the interview, is like when I wanted to go somewhere, it was Gold Coast or Wollongong.
01;34;13;19 - 01;34;28;23
Unknown
Yeah, I think it was. We knew a lot of that. We knew why it was cool. It's cool to have someone now we get to train with him. So it's kind of cool having that like, I remember when I was like a 15 year old kid I got he signed one of my like, yeah, I have never told him that because it's embarrassing.
01;34;28;23 - 01;34;50;06
Unknown
You know, he doesn't listen to the rest of it. But, yeah, I remember I had like an Iron Royal and gentle signature on like my it was like 2015 youth trough, camp. That's cool. I was going to bring it involves a bit embarrassed. Yeah. Anyway, thank you very much for listening, guys. That is a wrap for episode 23 of the unfunded podcast.
01;34;50;13 - 01;35;11;03
Unknown
As always, we'd love to hear from you guys. In the audience, if you've got any thoughts, feelings, concerns, just shoot us a message. We are the unfunded pod on Instagram. You can also send us an email if you would like. It's the unfunded podcast at gmail.com. Thank you very much, April Fools. Thanks and thanks. Official Biko JK lager baby.
01;35;11;03 - 01;35;17;16