1 00:00:00,960 --> 00:00:03,400 Speaker 1: I get are you bloody champions? Welcome to another Installing 2 00:00:03,480 --> 00:00:07,240 Speaker 1: the Year project. It's Fatty Harps Craig Anthony Harper for 3 00:00:07,280 --> 00:00:11,720 Speaker 1: about the millionth time with Matt Formston, who's a fucking gun. 4 00:00:11,760 --> 00:00:14,240 Speaker 1: I've been reading about him, watching a little bit of him. 5 00:00:14,280 --> 00:00:17,600 Speaker 1: He wouldn't call himself that. I'll call him that. Goody, Matt, 6 00:00:17,600 --> 00:00:18,079 Speaker 1: how are you? 7 00:00:19,360 --> 00:00:21,959 Speaker 2: I'm good mate and thank you. I definitely wouldn't call myself. 8 00:00:21,720 --> 00:00:26,280 Speaker 3: That you're a gun son? You're a gun? Hey? Where 9 00:00:26,320 --> 00:00:27,560 Speaker 3: do we find you? Where you at? 10 00:00:29,040 --> 00:00:33,360 Speaker 2: I'm Matt Formston everywhere at Mattformston dot com. 11 00:00:33,400 --> 00:00:35,440 Speaker 3: Cool? But where are you at geographically? 12 00:00:36,120 --> 00:00:39,239 Speaker 2: Oh? Today, I'm home, which is one Brall on the 13 00:00:39,280 --> 00:00:41,800 Speaker 2: Central Coast, just north of Sydney. 14 00:00:43,080 --> 00:00:46,240 Speaker 1: And I see you've got looks like a dozen surfboards 15 00:00:46,240 --> 00:00:48,640 Speaker 1: behind you. Is that an actual? Are they actual? Is 16 00:00:48,640 --> 00:00:50,640 Speaker 1: that an actual room that you're in or is that 17 00:00:50,720 --> 00:00:51,280 Speaker 1: a graphic? 18 00:00:52,240 --> 00:00:52,440 Speaker 3: Yeah? 19 00:00:52,479 --> 00:00:59,320 Speaker 2: Now it's a room there my boards? Move on to wow, yeah. 20 00:00:59,160 --> 00:01:01,480 Speaker 3: That's a real wow. How many boards do you have? 21 00:01:03,080 --> 00:01:06,160 Speaker 2: I've got about fifteen boards at any one time. I've 22 00:01:06,160 --> 00:01:07,520 Speaker 2: sort of had a rule at one point with my 23 00:01:07,520 --> 00:01:09,959 Speaker 2: wife that I could have ten. But that's just you know, 24 00:01:10,040 --> 00:01:12,160 Speaker 2: we've got a few bags with boards in different places, 25 00:01:12,200 --> 00:01:14,200 Speaker 2: and I don't really know the number, not to know 26 00:01:14,240 --> 00:01:15,600 Speaker 2: the number that I don't have to count it. 27 00:01:16,240 --> 00:01:19,600 Speaker 1: Of course, what's the what's the thinking behind so many? 28 00:01:19,760 --> 00:01:23,280 Speaker 1: Like I mean, I could understand three or four short board, 29 00:01:23,360 --> 00:01:25,240 Speaker 1: long board, a couple of I mean, what's. 30 00:01:25,080 --> 00:01:28,080 Speaker 3: The Is it just that you're greedy? What is that about. 31 00:01:29,600 --> 00:01:33,440 Speaker 2: Each board? See, there's three main characteristics the board. Obviously 32 00:01:33,480 --> 00:01:37,440 Speaker 2: you got your length and with and thickness are the 33 00:01:37,560 --> 00:01:40,280 Speaker 2: three main things that people would know about. But then 34 00:01:40,319 --> 00:01:42,360 Speaker 2: also you've got your rocker and your tail shape and 35 00:01:42,360 --> 00:01:45,039 Speaker 2: you know shape, so like I might have, I've got 36 00:01:45,120 --> 00:01:47,440 Speaker 2: probably about five boards that are all six foot long, 37 00:01:47,720 --> 00:01:49,600 Speaker 2: but they all work very very differently, and I'll use 38 00:01:49,600 --> 00:01:51,480 Speaker 2: them for different things. And then you got different so 39 00:01:51,640 --> 00:01:54,840 Speaker 2: I'm more pulled into Like a narrower tail will will 40 00:01:54,880 --> 00:01:56,720 Speaker 2: manage speed better, so I will wash off speed in 41 00:01:56,760 --> 00:02:00,320 Speaker 2: more powerful waves, whereas a wider tail will generate more speed. 42 00:02:00,360 --> 00:02:02,360 Speaker 2: So won't you probably use that in smaller waves or 43 00:02:02,360 --> 00:02:07,400 Speaker 2: fatter waves to generate speed rather than controlling speed. And 44 00:02:07,440 --> 00:02:09,560 Speaker 2: then more thickness up under the under the chest will 45 00:02:09,600 --> 00:02:12,600 Speaker 2: let your paddle better, but you might might catch as 46 00:02:12,639 --> 00:02:14,880 Speaker 2: well and more faster, more critical parts of all waves, 47 00:02:14,880 --> 00:02:17,240 Speaker 2: so you'd have it for like barrels and steeper waves. 48 00:02:17,520 --> 00:02:19,880 Speaker 2: I probably ever more pulled in nose which will be 49 00:02:19,880 --> 00:02:21,519 Speaker 2: harder to paddle. And then for smaller waves, I have 50 00:02:21,560 --> 00:02:23,160 Speaker 2: a wider nose which is easy to paddle and get 51 00:02:23,160 --> 00:02:27,400 Speaker 2: that entry speed for a small board. And then construction 52 00:02:27,480 --> 00:02:30,760 Speaker 2: that you'll have a POxy boards which are lighter, which 53 00:02:30,840 --> 00:02:33,320 Speaker 2: once work better in smaller waves, but then all use 54 00:02:33,320 --> 00:02:37,280 Speaker 2: peu probly ethane for more windy or choppy days because 55 00:02:37,280 --> 00:02:39,760 Speaker 2: it'll cut through the chop. And then for big waves surfing, 56 00:02:39,840 --> 00:02:42,880 Speaker 2: when I'm towing in on really big stuff, We've actually 57 00:02:42,880 --> 00:02:45,040 Speaker 2: got lead in the board. So like most strain board's 58 00:02:45,080 --> 00:02:47,200 Speaker 2: got five kilo of lead in it, and my board 59 00:02:47,200 --> 00:02:49,560 Speaker 2: for nazarree is probably got ten kilos of lead in it. 60 00:02:50,840 --> 00:02:54,000 Speaker 3: What what is the what's the I mean? 61 00:02:54,360 --> 00:02:55,440 Speaker 2: Is it is it? 62 00:02:55,480 --> 00:02:57,760 Speaker 1: Is the attraction just that it's awesome and it's fun. 63 00:02:57,919 --> 00:03:01,240 Speaker 1: Or is it for you? Is it therapy? Is it spiritual? 64 00:03:01,840 --> 00:03:04,280 Speaker 1: Is it social because you're doing it with mates? Or 65 00:03:04,360 --> 00:03:05,440 Speaker 1: is it all of the above? 66 00:03:06,240 --> 00:03:12,560 Speaker 2: Surfing in general, Yeah, surfing in general, all of the above. Yeah, 67 00:03:12,760 --> 00:03:14,720 Speaker 2: I prefer it to be with less mates these days. 68 00:03:14,800 --> 00:03:17,359 Speaker 2: The ocean is very, very crowded everywhere in the world now, 69 00:03:17,400 --> 00:03:20,240 Speaker 2: but you know that's the only part of it that's 70 00:03:20,240 --> 00:03:21,120 Speaker 2: getting more challenging. 71 00:03:21,560 --> 00:03:24,440 Speaker 1: This is a dumb question to a surfer, but is 72 00:03:24,480 --> 00:03:26,280 Speaker 1: there a favorite break for. 73 00:03:26,320 --> 00:03:31,040 Speaker 2: You anywhere where there's no other people? To my other 74 00:03:31,040 --> 00:03:34,640 Speaker 2: point around crowdedness, it's it's now like I've definitely got 75 00:03:34,720 --> 00:03:38,920 Speaker 2: credit break my favorite breaks around my local area. Look, 76 00:03:39,080 --> 00:03:40,760 Speaker 2: I'll call one of them out because it's just ruined now. 77 00:03:40,760 --> 00:03:42,440 Speaker 2: Like for most surfers, you ask them what their favite 78 00:03:42,440 --> 00:03:43,600 Speaker 2: break is, I'm not going to tell you because they 79 00:03:43,600 --> 00:03:45,840 Speaker 2: don't want to blow that spot up and everyone to 80 00:03:45,840 --> 00:03:48,640 Speaker 2: go there are There's a spot near us called box Head, 81 00:03:48,640 --> 00:03:50,360 Speaker 2: which is probably one of the longest left hand breaks 82 00:03:50,400 --> 00:03:53,720 Speaker 2: in Australia, maybe in the world. If it all connects up, 83 00:03:53,720 --> 00:03:56,480 Speaker 2: it's like a kilometer long. We used to have so 84 00:03:56,560 --> 00:03:58,520 Speaker 2: much fun there, but it's just every time there's a 85 00:03:58,520 --> 00:04:00,480 Speaker 2: swell now there's like three hundred peop than the water. 86 00:04:01,440 --> 00:04:02,920 Speaker 2: I basically don't surf there anymore. 87 00:04:03,160 --> 00:04:04,600 Speaker 3: It's not really worth going, is it. 88 00:04:05,880 --> 00:04:08,200 Speaker 1: So rather than me read something mate, tell my audience 89 00:04:08,240 --> 00:04:09,920 Speaker 1: a little bit about you give us a little bit 90 00:04:09,920 --> 00:04:13,720 Speaker 1: of the Matt Formstone bio, if you'd be so gracious. 91 00:04:14,800 --> 00:04:17,560 Speaker 2: So I'm blind. I've got three percent. I've got no 92 00:04:17,600 --> 00:04:20,640 Speaker 2: central vision in about three percent peripheral vision. So it's 93 00:04:20,720 --> 00:04:22,200 Speaker 2: just a big blur. I can see a little bit 94 00:04:22,240 --> 00:04:25,080 Speaker 2: of shapes and lines and maybe, like people say, how 95 00:04:25,080 --> 00:04:26,400 Speaker 2: far can you see? I can sort of see the 96 00:04:26,440 --> 00:04:28,000 Speaker 2: line of the horizon, so I can see a long 97 00:04:28,040 --> 00:04:30,479 Speaker 2: way away, but there's no detail, and then I can't 98 00:04:30,480 --> 00:04:32,200 Speaker 2: see him on facial features straight in front of me. 99 00:04:33,920 --> 00:04:37,880 Speaker 2: I am a paralympian. I was a world world champion cyclist, 100 00:04:37,920 --> 00:04:41,839 Speaker 2: world record holder as a cyclist. I'm a business business executive. 101 00:04:41,880 --> 00:04:46,440 Speaker 2: I run sustainability for enterprise. I'm a dad, really proud dad, 102 00:04:46,480 --> 00:04:49,960 Speaker 2: and a rugby league coach, junior footay coach, four time 103 00:04:50,000 --> 00:04:53,040 Speaker 2: world champion surfer, big wave world record holder, and just 104 00:04:53,040 --> 00:04:55,000 Speaker 2: just got a againess world record for the biggest wave 105 00:04:55,080 --> 00:04:57,400 Speaker 2: ever served by a blonde person. And that's enough. 106 00:04:58,160 --> 00:05:01,480 Speaker 3: That's enough. That'll do. Now you just bragging? How big 107 00:05:01,560 --> 00:05:03,520 Speaker 3: was that? How big was that wave? Mate? 108 00:05:04,320 --> 00:05:05,119 Speaker 2: Fifty one feet? 109 00:05:07,120 --> 00:05:10,080 Speaker 1: It's about five stories, So think everyone, think of a 110 00:05:10,120 --> 00:05:13,800 Speaker 1: five story building or a twenty story building in the 111 00:05:13,839 --> 00:05:15,040 Speaker 1: first five floors. 112 00:05:16,760 --> 00:05:17,600 Speaker 3: I don't even know. 113 00:05:18,960 --> 00:05:22,359 Speaker 1: How do you get your sense of spatial awareness? 114 00:05:22,560 --> 00:05:25,480 Speaker 3: Matt? How do you? How do you do that without vision? 115 00:05:27,600 --> 00:05:29,600 Speaker 3: How do you know where you are? 116 00:05:30,240 --> 00:05:33,680 Speaker 1: I mean, I know there's dumb questions, but they're probably understandable, 117 00:05:33,680 --> 00:05:35,280 Speaker 1: and I'm sure you've been asked a version of this, 118 00:05:35,640 --> 00:05:37,880 Speaker 1: so I apologize, but we've never chatted. 119 00:05:38,200 --> 00:05:39,680 Speaker 3: How do you know where you are? How do you 120 00:05:39,720 --> 00:05:41,760 Speaker 3: know where you're going? And how do you know where 121 00:05:41,800 --> 00:05:42,800 Speaker 3: you are on the wave? 122 00:05:44,120 --> 00:05:47,760 Speaker 2: It's a very reasonable question, but I'll say I'll answer it, 123 00:05:47,760 --> 00:05:51,320 Speaker 2: but I'll also say back to you, I'll preface it 124 00:05:51,360 --> 00:05:53,200 Speaker 2: with a question, how do you walk? 125 00:05:57,520 --> 00:05:59,919 Speaker 3: Automatically? Instinctively? Intuitive? 126 00:06:00,640 --> 00:06:02,920 Speaker 2: Yes? Right, So even people say how do you like? 127 00:06:02,960 --> 00:06:05,640 Speaker 2: It's the same sort of question. I've been surfing for 128 00:06:05,760 --> 00:06:09,320 Speaker 2: nearly forty years. It's like walking for me. I just 129 00:06:09,360 --> 00:06:11,560 Speaker 2: do it, so it's really hard to explain how I do. 130 00:06:11,600 --> 00:06:13,359 Speaker 2: And I've been surfing as a blind person for almost 131 00:06:13,400 --> 00:06:16,520 Speaker 2: forty years too, right, So there's that element. But now 132 00:06:16,520 --> 00:06:17,920 Speaker 2: that I've had to explain it a number of times, 133 00:06:17,960 --> 00:06:19,560 Speaker 2: I can feel the waves, so I can feel the 134 00:06:19,560 --> 00:06:22,080 Speaker 2: water traveling up my rail on my board, and but 135 00:06:22,120 --> 00:06:24,280 Speaker 2: by the way it's traveled, the way the water comes 136 00:06:24,360 --> 00:06:25,839 Speaker 2: up the rail of my board, and through you know, 137 00:06:26,440 --> 00:06:28,640 Speaker 2: we talk about ten thousand hours becoming an expert. I've 138 00:06:28,640 --> 00:06:31,200 Speaker 2: done one more than ten thousand hours of surfing. I 139 00:06:31,200 --> 00:06:33,560 Speaker 2: can feel I've had that many stacks and wipeouts and 140 00:06:33,560 --> 00:06:35,400 Speaker 2: got it wrong so many times. Like making mistakes a 141 00:06:35,400 --> 00:06:37,520 Speaker 2: really important part of becoming good at something, and I've 142 00:06:37,520 --> 00:06:39,680 Speaker 2: made lots of mistakes. So through that, I now can 143 00:06:39,680 --> 00:06:41,520 Speaker 2: feel with my board's doing. Like when I go down 144 00:06:41,560 --> 00:06:43,839 Speaker 2: the wave, my front foot's basically my cane. Like I 145 00:06:43,920 --> 00:06:46,279 Speaker 2: use a cane on land, sometimes my front foot becomes 146 00:06:46,320 --> 00:06:47,920 Speaker 2: my cane. I can feel my way down the wave, 147 00:06:47,960 --> 00:06:49,720 Speaker 2: then back up the wave, and the way the water 148 00:06:49,760 --> 00:06:51,760 Speaker 2: is tracking up the rail of my board. I know 149 00:06:51,800 --> 00:06:53,920 Speaker 2: of the book, but if the wave is going to 150 00:06:54,000 --> 00:06:56,080 Speaker 2: barrel so it's going to pitch over my head, or 151 00:06:56,080 --> 00:06:57,320 Speaker 2: if I need to get further out in front of it, 152 00:06:57,320 --> 00:06:58,640 Speaker 2: and then when I'm going up to do a turn 153 00:06:58,680 --> 00:07:01,360 Speaker 2: what it's doing. So I just feeling everything under my board, 154 00:07:01,400 --> 00:07:03,080 Speaker 2: and I'm just one hundred percent present, so I'm not 155 00:07:03,320 --> 00:07:04,920 Speaker 2: worried about the next section of just feeling what the 156 00:07:04,920 --> 00:07:08,480 Speaker 2: way's doing right now, and then for fifty foot waves, 157 00:07:08,560 --> 00:07:10,960 Speaker 2: I've got a few extra little bits that we've worked out, 158 00:07:11,000 --> 00:07:13,360 Speaker 2: so we use a whistle. So I'm obviously not paddling 159 00:07:13,360 --> 00:07:14,720 Speaker 2: into waves that big. I'm getting towed in with the 160 00:07:14,760 --> 00:07:16,760 Speaker 2: jet ski, so I'm on a tow rope. And then 161 00:07:16,760 --> 00:07:18,360 Speaker 2: when the boys know that's the wave they want me 162 00:07:18,400 --> 00:07:21,560 Speaker 2: to get into, they basically as I'm in the right spot, 163 00:07:21,560 --> 00:07:23,920 Speaker 2: they blow like we go really out orienteering whistle. They 164 00:07:23,960 --> 00:07:25,800 Speaker 2: blow that, and I just got to trust it. They've 165 00:07:25,800 --> 00:07:26,920 Speaker 2: got me in the right spot, and I pull the 166 00:07:27,000 --> 00:07:29,160 Speaker 2: rope and let go, and then it's the same process, 167 00:07:29,200 --> 00:07:31,360 Speaker 2: just feeling my way down the wave. But because I'm 168 00:07:31,360 --> 00:07:33,440 Speaker 2: going so fast on those waves, you're doing sort of 169 00:07:33,440 --> 00:07:37,480 Speaker 2: sixty five cornus an hour bit more. And as I 170 00:07:37,520 --> 00:07:39,000 Speaker 2: said before, I got about ten kilos, I let in 171 00:07:39,080 --> 00:07:40,840 Speaker 2: my board to hold my board in the water so 172 00:07:40,840 --> 00:07:43,840 Speaker 2: it doesn't start skipping out of the water. And then 173 00:07:43,880 --> 00:07:46,080 Speaker 2: they I was turning too late on those bigger waves, 174 00:07:46,120 --> 00:07:48,640 Speaker 2: so they worked out that they ride the corner of 175 00:07:47,880 --> 00:07:50,600 Speaker 2: the wave on the ski and watch me and they 176 00:07:50,600 --> 00:07:53,360 Speaker 2: blow the whistle a second time, and then I can 177 00:07:53,440 --> 00:07:55,080 Speaker 2: I turn and then they blow the whistle a third 178 00:07:55,080 --> 00:07:56,640 Speaker 2: time I kick out of the wave. So it's a 179 00:07:56,640 --> 00:07:58,320 Speaker 2: bit of feel and a bit of bit of information 180 00:07:58,360 --> 00:07:59,360 Speaker 2: from the boys with the whistle. 181 00:08:00,840 --> 00:08:03,000 Speaker 3: Okay, now that all makes sense. 182 00:08:03,080 --> 00:08:06,880 Speaker 1: Here's my only here's my only question about your analogy 183 00:08:06,960 --> 00:08:11,040 Speaker 1: between walking and surfing. If I was walking and blind, 184 00:08:11,240 --> 00:08:13,360 Speaker 1: I'd be bumping into shit all the time. 185 00:08:13,400 --> 00:08:13,679 Speaker 3: Mate. 186 00:08:13,760 --> 00:08:17,080 Speaker 1: I'm good at walking, but I'm not good at navigating 187 00:08:17,080 --> 00:08:18,720 Speaker 1: the world with my eyes closed. 188 00:08:19,360 --> 00:08:21,280 Speaker 2: And here's the here's the here's a bit of what 189 00:08:21,360 --> 00:08:23,440 Speaker 2: that won't won't you won't be intuitive for you, but 190 00:08:23,440 --> 00:08:26,040 Speaker 2: we'll click when I say it. Right, You're one hundred 191 00:08:26,040 --> 00:08:27,880 Speaker 2: percent right. So walking is a lot harder for me 192 00:08:27,960 --> 00:08:33,480 Speaker 2: than surfing. Wow, Because walking there's potholes and gutters and 193 00:08:33,559 --> 00:08:36,880 Speaker 2: cars and trees and low hanging branches and things that 194 00:08:36,880 --> 00:08:38,280 Speaker 2: just want to get me and hurt me all the time. 195 00:08:38,320 --> 00:08:41,280 Speaker 2: And I've forever got brushins and rolled ankles and I'm 196 00:08:41,559 --> 00:08:44,920 Speaker 2: forever injured. In the surf, I've hit a bit of 197 00:08:44,920 --> 00:08:46,160 Speaker 2: a bumper, fall off on them and water. 198 00:08:47,080 --> 00:08:49,359 Speaker 3: Yeah, And I guess in a way. 199 00:08:51,559 --> 00:08:54,080 Speaker 1: That the ocean is this is going to sound maybe 200 00:08:54,120 --> 00:08:57,199 Speaker 1: this is wrong, but I feel like it's more predictable 201 00:08:57,280 --> 00:08:58,840 Speaker 1: for you than terra FIRMA. 202 00:09:00,880 --> 00:09:03,520 Speaker 2: Yeah, I wouldn't say more predictable, but just more forgiving. 203 00:09:03,600 --> 00:09:05,599 Speaker 2: Like I can slide, like as I go off, I 204 00:09:05,640 --> 00:09:07,560 Speaker 2: can slide and move my feet around. Whereas once I've 205 00:09:07,600 --> 00:09:10,439 Speaker 2: rolled my ankle or I've hit a toaball it's too late, 206 00:09:10,480 --> 00:09:12,160 Speaker 2: you know what I mean, smashed my touchin into a 207 00:09:12,200 --> 00:09:16,679 Speaker 2: table into a table. And but also I can go 208 00:09:17,000 --> 00:09:20,079 Speaker 2: full gas, like if I run anywhere, it's like unless 209 00:09:20,120 --> 00:09:22,280 Speaker 2: it's a controlled environment, run on the beach, and I 210 00:09:22,320 --> 00:09:24,840 Speaker 2: make sure I run into the locations where it's pretty safe. 211 00:09:25,559 --> 00:09:29,079 Speaker 2: Yeah it's bad, right, Like if I'm like snowboarding, for example, 212 00:09:29,120 --> 00:09:30,600 Speaker 2: I go snowboarding. If I get it wrong, I go 213 00:09:30,640 --> 00:09:32,760 Speaker 2: with the cliff. That's a really bad outcome. Or run 214 00:09:32,760 --> 00:09:35,559 Speaker 2: into a tree at high speed, very bad outcome. Whereas 215 00:09:35,840 --> 00:09:37,640 Speaker 2: I can go as fast and as crazy as I 216 00:09:37,800 --> 00:09:39,320 Speaker 2: like in the surf and as long as my body's 217 00:09:39,320 --> 00:09:42,120 Speaker 2: physically fit enough and strong enough, and I can, I can. 218 00:09:42,160 --> 00:09:44,520 Speaker 2: I've trained as a big wave surfer. I've trained to 219 00:09:44,559 --> 00:09:46,199 Speaker 2: hold my breath. I can stand the water for almost 220 00:09:46,200 --> 00:09:49,680 Speaker 2: six minutes. So you know, I've got all those physical 221 00:09:49,679 --> 00:09:51,360 Speaker 2: components that are no different to me than they are 222 00:09:51,440 --> 00:09:54,120 Speaker 2: enable body big wave surfer. I'm just probably going to 223 00:09:54,120 --> 00:09:55,880 Speaker 2: get it wrong more than they do because I can't see. 224 00:09:56,440 --> 00:09:59,280 Speaker 1: Does your missus never say to you listen, squeeze and 225 00:09:59,320 --> 00:10:01,640 Speaker 1: that's no fucking snowboarding for you. 226 00:10:03,559 --> 00:10:05,200 Speaker 2: She used to, but she realized when she does that, 227 00:10:05,240 --> 00:10:09,960 Speaker 2: it does it's I then probably go bigger. So which 228 00:10:09,960 --> 00:10:11,600 Speaker 2: I'm still trying to get that out of that little 229 00:10:13,040 --> 00:10:16,040 Speaker 2: teenage brain out of my body that has that rebellion. 230 00:10:16,120 --> 00:10:19,200 Speaker 2: But look, I'm toying with the idea of doing a 231 00:10:19,200 --> 00:10:20,920 Speaker 2: free diving world record at the moment because of that 232 00:10:20,920 --> 00:10:23,960 Speaker 2: breath capacity I have from big wave surfing. And she's like, 233 00:10:24,160 --> 00:10:25,920 Speaker 2: can we not do this? But it's, you know, it's 234 00:10:25,920 --> 00:10:28,440 Speaker 2: just who I am. I'm just inquisitive about what's next. 235 00:10:29,040 --> 00:10:30,480 Speaker 3: How old are you? How old are you? 236 00:10:31,160 --> 00:10:32,560 Speaker 2: I turned forty six yesterday. 237 00:10:33,160 --> 00:10:35,360 Speaker 3: Wow, you look amazing, dude, Happy birthday. 238 00:10:35,880 --> 00:10:36,200 Speaker 2: Thank you. 239 00:10:36,400 --> 00:10:39,680 Speaker 1: It's funny speaking of people who love the ocean, right. 240 00:10:39,720 --> 00:10:42,800 Speaker 1: So two of my friends are Trevor Handy, who I'm 241 00:10:42,840 --> 00:10:45,600 Speaker 1: sure you know of, ye and Tammy van Wissa, who 242 00:10:45,920 --> 00:10:46,840 Speaker 1: you might not know of. 243 00:10:46,920 --> 00:10:49,959 Speaker 3: Do you know who Tammy van Wissa is? Yes? 244 00:10:50,040 --> 00:10:52,520 Speaker 1: So I chatted with her yesterday on the show and 245 00:10:52,600 --> 00:10:56,880 Speaker 1: I used to train her. Someone excise physiologists, but I 246 00:10:57,000 --> 00:10:59,280 Speaker 1: used to train her and she was for quite a 247 00:10:59,320 --> 00:11:04,920 Speaker 1: long time the world's best female endurance swimmer swimmer and 248 00:11:05,000 --> 00:11:11,840 Speaker 1: both both Trevor and Tammy talk about how therapeutic the 249 00:11:11,880 --> 00:11:16,360 Speaker 1: ocean is for them, like it's almost you know, meditative, spiritual, 250 00:11:16,400 --> 00:11:19,040 Speaker 1: whatever you want to call it. Do you feel like 251 00:11:19,160 --> 00:11:20,560 Speaker 1: your home when you're in the ocean? 252 00:11:20,760 --> 00:11:23,640 Speaker 2: Does it make for sure? I can't be away from it? 253 00:11:23,679 --> 00:11:25,680 Speaker 2: Like when I was when I was a psych pro cyclist, 254 00:11:25,720 --> 00:11:29,440 Speaker 2: I'd spend months in Europe racing in like very landlocked areas, 255 00:11:29,920 --> 00:11:33,280 Speaker 2: and as I was getting deeper into that time, I 256 00:11:33,280 --> 00:11:36,160 Speaker 2: could feel my psychology and I suppose my motion and 257 00:11:36,160 --> 00:11:39,640 Speaker 2: everything just needing that that that top up from the ocean. 258 00:11:39,760 --> 00:11:42,120 Speaker 2: And so yeah, I just now I get it every day. 259 00:11:42,160 --> 00:11:44,160 Speaker 2: I just need it. And it's anything like I went 260 00:11:44,200 --> 00:11:47,120 Speaker 2: ice skating with my kids yesterday and that's always playoffs 261 00:11:47,120 --> 00:11:49,040 Speaker 2: ice hockey as well. But it's still water, right, It's 262 00:11:49,040 --> 00:11:50,680 Speaker 2: the something to do with that, like it's frozen water, 263 00:11:50,720 --> 00:11:52,760 Speaker 2: but it's it's water, and I think and anything to 264 00:11:52,760 --> 00:11:54,199 Speaker 2: do with the water sport, I love it because it's 265 00:11:54,200 --> 00:11:57,560 Speaker 2: just the feel of flow and water. You know, it 266 00:11:57,559 --> 00:11:59,520 Speaker 2: doesn't have tables, so it's always fun. 267 00:12:00,160 --> 00:12:05,120 Speaker 1: Yeah, that is true. Yeah, nice observation. Tell me about 268 00:12:05,200 --> 00:12:07,720 Speaker 1: So I'm fascinated with high performance. I talk about it 269 00:12:07,760 --> 00:12:10,640 Speaker 1: all the time, and I've worked with lots of teams 270 00:12:10,640 --> 00:12:16,120 Speaker 1: and athletes and organizations and stuff. What's what's your kind 271 00:12:16,120 --> 00:12:18,600 Speaker 1: of And I'm sure it's varied, but in terms of 272 00:12:19,240 --> 00:12:22,760 Speaker 1: sleep and recovery and training and nutrition and you know, 273 00:12:23,200 --> 00:12:26,800 Speaker 1: optimizing your physiology, give us a bit of an insight 274 00:12:26,920 --> 00:12:28,240 Speaker 1: into how you do all that. 275 00:12:29,559 --> 00:12:33,920 Speaker 2: So right now, look, it's totally tuned back when I 276 00:12:33,960 --> 00:12:36,720 Speaker 2: was a cyclist, as you know, that is a fitness sport. 277 00:12:36,760 --> 00:12:39,400 Speaker 2: Like there's no there's very There's not a lot of 278 00:12:39,440 --> 00:12:41,839 Speaker 2: technique involved. It's whoever is the fittest, whoever has the 279 00:12:41,920 --> 00:12:44,800 Speaker 2: most strength and power to weight ratio, they're basically going 280 00:12:44,880 --> 00:12:47,719 Speaker 2: to win because obviously there's technique involved. But when you're 281 00:12:47,760 --> 00:12:50,920 Speaker 2: in the top twenty in the world, everyone's got similar technique. 282 00:12:50,920 --> 00:12:52,640 Speaker 2: It just comes down to fitness. So when I was 283 00:12:52,679 --> 00:12:55,400 Speaker 2: doing that sport, it was crazy, like I I'd have 284 00:12:55,440 --> 00:12:56,839 Speaker 2: to be in bed by nine o'clock every night to 285 00:12:56,880 --> 00:12:58,680 Speaker 2: get up and train every day. It's full fifteen six 286 00:12:58,760 --> 00:13:01,280 Speaker 2: days a week doing sort of one hundred and twenty 287 00:13:01,360 --> 00:13:04,880 Speaker 2: k's ish to two hundred k's a morning, and then 288 00:13:04,920 --> 00:13:08,880 Speaker 2: I do gym and I was like seventy three. I'm 289 00:13:08,880 --> 00:13:12,120 Speaker 2: about ninety kilos now as a surfer, and you know, 290 00:13:12,200 --> 00:13:14,079 Speaker 2: I'm a little bit more body fault that I was 291 00:13:14,120 --> 00:13:16,640 Speaker 2: carrying as a cyclist, but I'm pretty fit human. I 292 00:13:16,679 --> 00:13:20,680 Speaker 2: was racing as a cyclist at seventy three kilos. They're 293 00:13:20,720 --> 00:13:23,520 Speaker 2: just not eating at all. But while I was seventy 294 00:13:23,559 --> 00:13:25,760 Speaker 2: three kilos, I was lead pressing four hundred and forty kilos. 295 00:13:25,760 --> 00:13:27,720 Speaker 2: The power to weight ratio was crazy. 296 00:13:28,400 --> 00:13:29,319 Speaker 3: That's ridiculous. 297 00:13:29,920 --> 00:13:32,600 Speaker 1: And forty kilos so that's like forty five degree leg 298 00:13:32,679 --> 00:13:33,640 Speaker 1: press plate loaded. 299 00:13:33,720 --> 00:13:36,560 Speaker 2: Was it correct? Yeah, like every every twenty and twenty 300 00:13:36,600 --> 00:13:39,959 Speaker 2: five kilo plate in the gym bo basically, Yeah. 301 00:13:39,880 --> 00:13:43,360 Speaker 1: Wow, that's incredible. And how tall are you? I'm trying 302 00:13:43,360 --> 00:13:46,120 Speaker 1: to figure out what that ninety kilo took? Six foot 303 00:13:46,200 --> 00:13:49,600 Speaker 1: so six ft and ninety so, like you're a strong, 304 00:13:50,120 --> 00:13:54,319 Speaker 1: solid lump of an athlete. Like you're not skinny, You're 305 00:13:54,360 --> 00:13:56,760 Speaker 1: not gargantuan, but you're definitely not skinny. 306 00:13:57,600 --> 00:13:57,760 Speaker 3: Yeah. 307 00:13:57,840 --> 00:14:01,440 Speaker 2: No, I'm not the smallest human getting around, But I'm 308 00:14:01,480 --> 00:14:04,600 Speaker 2: definitely a presence. 309 00:14:05,360 --> 00:14:08,000 Speaker 1: So what what is your you know, when we talk 310 00:14:08,040 --> 00:14:09,960 Speaker 1: about what we do? 311 00:14:10,000 --> 00:14:10,240 Speaker 3: You know? 312 00:14:10,360 --> 00:14:12,200 Speaker 1: So whether or not like for me, I started a 313 00:14:12,200 --> 00:14:15,400 Speaker 1: PhD at fifty six, So I do podcasting, I do 314 00:14:15,520 --> 00:14:16,400 Speaker 1: corporate speaking. 315 00:14:16,440 --> 00:14:17,840 Speaker 3: I've been training. I'm sixty. 316 00:14:17,880 --> 00:14:20,160 Speaker 1: I've been training in a gym every day in my 317 00:14:20,240 --> 00:14:21,400 Speaker 1: life since I was fourteen. 318 00:14:21,400 --> 00:14:22,120 Speaker 3: Blah blah blah. 319 00:14:22,160 --> 00:14:25,040 Speaker 1: So they're the things that they're my wat's, But I'm 320 00:14:25,080 --> 00:14:26,880 Speaker 1: interested in the why behind the. 321 00:14:26,880 --> 00:14:29,680 Speaker 3: What, like what what's your what's your why? 322 00:14:29,800 --> 00:14:33,800 Speaker 1: With the pushing, the striving, the raising the bar, the 323 00:14:33,920 --> 00:14:39,720 Speaker 1: trying new things, the danger, the uncertainty, the vulnerability. 324 00:14:39,400 --> 00:14:42,000 Speaker 3: What's the driver for all of that? Do you know? 325 00:14:43,000 --> 00:14:44,920 Speaker 2: Yeah? So it's evolved for me over the years. So 326 00:14:45,280 --> 00:14:50,400 Speaker 2: definitely when I was younger, it definitely was too There 327 00:14:50,440 --> 00:14:51,920 Speaker 2: was the f you to the world to say, can 328 00:14:52,000 --> 00:14:53,560 Speaker 2: you keep telling me? Because I got told, you know, 329 00:14:53,560 --> 00:14:55,920 Speaker 2: when I was five, and my parents got told, your 330 00:14:55,960 --> 00:14:57,800 Speaker 2: child's got disability, he has to go to a school 331 00:14:57,840 --> 00:15:01,040 Speaker 2: for kids with special needs. He won't get an education, 332 00:15:01,080 --> 00:15:02,960 Speaker 2: he won't have friends, he won't play sport, he won't 333 00:15:03,040 --> 00:15:05,280 Speaker 2: have a career, all these things. That was the prognosis. 334 00:15:06,520 --> 00:15:11,040 Speaker 3: Terrible what kind of terrible fucking input is that from people. 335 00:15:12,360 --> 00:15:15,760 Speaker 2: Who says that, Well, all the experts, so that you know, 336 00:15:16,000 --> 00:15:20,920 Speaker 2: the specialists, adoctors, the school principal, the school teachers. So 337 00:15:20,960 --> 00:15:23,760 Speaker 2: my parents had to fight that trend. And and I 338 00:15:24,080 --> 00:15:25,560 Speaker 2: was in a mainstream school and not like he has 339 00:15:25,600 --> 00:15:27,520 Speaker 2: to leave the mainstream school, and like, but he's doing 340 00:15:27,560 --> 00:15:29,200 Speaker 2: okay at the mainstream school, so why does he have 341 00:15:29,240 --> 00:15:31,080 Speaker 2: to leave? So I was lucky that my parents had 342 00:15:31,080 --> 00:15:34,560 Speaker 2: that within them like myself. My dad was a sales 343 00:15:34,560 --> 00:15:36,880 Speaker 2: and marketing director, so he's used to having challenging conversations 344 00:15:36,880 --> 00:15:39,800 Speaker 2: with people. And basically so I stayed in that school. 345 00:15:39,800 --> 00:15:40,840 Speaker 2: So I went through and I was one of the 346 00:15:40,920 --> 00:15:43,160 Speaker 2: not many kids with disabilities went through in the eighties. 347 00:15:44,280 --> 00:15:46,600 Speaker 2: They were just kids with disability didn't go through mainstream schooling. 348 00:15:46,800 --> 00:15:48,520 Speaker 2: And because of that, the teachers weren't set up for me, 349 00:15:48,560 --> 00:15:50,480 Speaker 2: so they you know, it was it was always hard, 350 00:15:50,760 --> 00:15:52,560 Speaker 2: but there was always this thing like you can't. And 351 00:15:52,600 --> 00:15:54,680 Speaker 2: I played rugby league for multiple years. I ended up 352 00:15:54,680 --> 00:15:58,080 Speaker 2: playing representative rugby union. I played ice hockey to a 353 00:15:58,120 --> 00:16:01,000 Speaker 2: representative level. But every time I start one of those sports, 354 00:16:01,040 --> 00:16:04,280 Speaker 2: people like the blind kid can't play, Like this can't, can't, can't. 355 00:16:04,320 --> 00:16:06,480 Speaker 2: So the whole world was always saying you can't do it. 356 00:16:06,680 --> 00:16:09,320 Speaker 2: So my brain, my whole, my whole psychology is I 357 00:16:09,360 --> 00:16:12,880 Speaker 2: can do it. I'll prove you wrong, you know. And 358 00:16:12,920 --> 00:16:14,760 Speaker 2: that was that was my that was my why back then, 359 00:16:15,040 --> 00:16:16,680 Speaker 2: and that carried on and then I and then I 360 00:16:16,800 --> 00:16:18,880 Speaker 2: got really sick when I was about sixteen, got glandular 361 00:16:18,880 --> 00:16:21,200 Speaker 2: female was in bed for six weeks and the doctor said, 362 00:16:21,200 --> 00:16:24,240 Speaker 2: if you play footy so that that time was rugby league, 363 00:16:24,520 --> 00:16:27,360 Speaker 2: ruby union, sorry, and ice hockey either or and you 364 00:16:27,360 --> 00:16:29,080 Speaker 2: get a stick to the ribs or a big tackle 365 00:16:29,080 --> 00:16:30,840 Speaker 2: one of the ribs, that you could have a ruptured'splain 366 00:16:30,840 --> 00:16:32,880 Speaker 2: because of my honest. So I missed the whole season. 367 00:16:33,160 --> 00:16:34,600 Speaker 2: Then I couldn't I have had all these processes I 368 00:16:34,640 --> 00:16:37,160 Speaker 2: used around following the ball and hearing the park go 369 00:16:37,200 --> 00:16:39,200 Speaker 2: across the ice, and I lost all that, And then 370 00:16:39,200 --> 00:16:40,920 Speaker 2: the kids got better and stronger, and I just couldn't 371 00:16:41,000 --> 00:16:44,120 Speaker 2: keep up anymore. So I found partying and I found 372 00:16:44,280 --> 00:16:45,960 Speaker 2: you know, I found drugs, and I just I went 373 00:16:46,000 --> 00:16:48,440 Speaker 2: down this really toxic spiral. It was it got into 374 00:16:48,720 --> 00:16:50,840 Speaker 2: like I was fighting because I've got bullied at school. 375 00:16:50,840 --> 00:16:52,240 Speaker 2: So My way of dealing with the bullies was to 376 00:16:52,600 --> 00:16:55,080 Speaker 2: bash them. So I broke kids fingers and say how 377 00:16:55,080 --> 00:16:56,840 Speaker 2: many fingers? And my holding upsides, so how many things 378 00:16:56,880 --> 00:17:00,040 Speaker 2: you want to keep? All this really toxic stuff. And 379 00:17:00,120 --> 00:17:02,400 Speaker 2: that went off about ten years and then I found 380 00:17:02,480 --> 00:17:04,040 Speaker 2: my way out and I was in my late twenties. 381 00:17:04,320 --> 00:17:08,040 Speaker 2: I basically got my first executive role in corporate. Within 382 00:17:08,080 --> 00:17:10,520 Speaker 2: a year, I started writing for Australia, met my wife 383 00:17:10,520 --> 00:17:12,199 Speaker 2: and it all just turned around because I decided I 384 00:17:12,200 --> 00:17:14,120 Speaker 2: took ownership of my life in instead of trying to 385 00:17:14,480 --> 00:17:16,840 Speaker 2: say f you to the world and prove everybody wrong. 386 00:17:17,040 --> 00:17:18,720 Speaker 2: It's just like what I took ownership of what I 387 00:17:18,720 --> 00:17:19,840 Speaker 2: want to do. Who do I want to be? Like? 388 00:17:19,840 --> 00:17:21,200 Speaker 2: I wasn't That wasn't the human I wanted to be 389 00:17:21,240 --> 00:17:22,960 Speaker 2: on I knew I could, I could be better for 390 00:17:23,040 --> 00:17:25,400 Speaker 2: myself and for the world. And since that time, now 391 00:17:25,400 --> 00:17:27,800 Speaker 2: it's about best being inquisitive about what's possible for me. 392 00:17:27,920 --> 00:17:30,119 Speaker 2: And because of that that ten year hiatus, I'm like, 393 00:17:30,720 --> 00:17:32,719 Speaker 2: I only died right. I was lucky I didn't end 394 00:17:32,760 --> 00:17:36,360 Speaker 2: up dead or in jail, and because of that, I've 395 00:17:36,359 --> 00:17:40,480 Speaker 2: got this now, I've got this perspective of life like, 396 00:17:40,600 --> 00:17:41,840 Speaker 2: I don't want to go back to that. I know 397 00:17:42,000 --> 00:17:43,800 Speaker 2: how bad that is. And that's what I suppose why 398 00:17:43,840 --> 00:17:45,320 Speaker 2: I can train as hard as I do because I 399 00:17:45,440 --> 00:17:46,880 Speaker 2: did train hard as an athlete when I was younger. 400 00:17:46,920 --> 00:17:48,560 Speaker 2: I had to train harder than all the kids that 401 00:17:48,600 --> 00:17:50,119 Speaker 2: could see to be the fittest kid on the field. 402 00:17:50,520 --> 00:17:53,520 Speaker 2: And then I know, now you know that what brought 403 00:17:53,880 --> 00:17:56,879 Speaker 2: that toxic party life is like as well, and I 404 00:17:56,920 --> 00:17:58,840 Speaker 2: don't want to be part of that. So I just 405 00:17:58,840 --> 00:18:01,960 Speaker 2: just pushed myself. That's just being inquisitive. So I take 406 00:18:02,000 --> 00:18:03,560 Speaker 2: on this next journey of free diving. It's just because 407 00:18:03,560 --> 00:18:05,719 Speaker 2: I'm inquisitive about what's possible from them and what's possible 408 00:18:05,760 --> 00:18:06,439 Speaker 2: for human beings. 409 00:18:07,880 --> 00:18:10,879 Speaker 1: Yeah, and with all of that, I love that. I 410 00:18:10,920 --> 00:18:13,520 Speaker 1: love that turnaround. I love that story. Was there a 411 00:18:14,440 --> 00:18:17,320 Speaker 1: was it just a cumulative thing, Matt over ten years 412 00:18:17,320 --> 00:18:20,000 Speaker 1: of going this is not fucking working. Or was there 413 00:18:20,040 --> 00:18:22,960 Speaker 1: a light bulb moment? Was there an epiphany an event? 414 00:18:25,119 --> 00:18:27,480 Speaker 2: There was? There was no light bulb moment, but there 415 00:18:27,520 --> 00:18:29,640 Speaker 2: was there was light bulb moments. So there was one 416 00:18:29,680 --> 00:18:32,480 Speaker 2: time when I, and I tell this story very often, 417 00:18:32,920 --> 00:18:34,680 Speaker 2: but there was one time when I, like I woke 418 00:18:34,800 --> 00:18:38,680 Speaker 2: up after after being like a blackout of partying way 419 00:18:38,720 --> 00:18:40,159 Speaker 2: too hard and not knowing what was going on, and 420 00:18:40,200 --> 00:18:41,960 Speaker 2: I had I had like BRUI MT knuckles and had 421 00:18:41,960 --> 00:18:44,920 Speaker 2: blood alab me, which wasn't mine. That was one moment 422 00:18:44,920 --> 00:18:46,560 Speaker 2: in my early twenties. And then I had a few 423 00:18:46,600 --> 00:18:49,280 Speaker 2: relationships that didn't weren't successful. And you know, when you 424 00:18:49,280 --> 00:18:50,720 Speaker 2: look at it at the time, it's easy to blame 425 00:18:50,760 --> 00:18:52,280 Speaker 2: someone else but them. When you look into it, you're level. 426 00:18:52,320 --> 00:18:53,840 Speaker 2: I was, you know, there's two people in that in 427 00:18:53,840 --> 00:18:56,600 Speaker 2: that relationship, so there was there wasn't. And then my work, 428 00:18:56,880 --> 00:18:59,159 Speaker 2: like my career was sort of stagnating. And then I 429 00:18:59,200 --> 00:19:01,359 Speaker 2: was like, you know, if I take ownership and I 430 00:19:01,440 --> 00:19:05,280 Speaker 2: change these behaviors, I can be a better man, be 431 00:19:05,359 --> 00:19:07,800 Speaker 2: more successful, animal, happy man. And I wasn't happy, you know, 432 00:19:07,840 --> 00:19:09,400 Speaker 2: and I really wanted to have I wanted to become 433 00:19:09,400 --> 00:19:13,399 Speaker 2: a dad, I wanted to be a husband, and that 434 00:19:13,480 --> 00:19:14,880 Speaker 2: were things that really important to me. And I knew 435 00:19:14,880 --> 00:19:16,240 Speaker 2: that I needed to change things in me to be 436 00:19:16,400 --> 00:19:19,800 Speaker 2: to make that a successful thing. So you know, I 437 00:19:19,800 --> 00:19:22,880 Speaker 2: made those changes over a couple of years. And then 438 00:19:22,920 --> 00:19:25,440 Speaker 2: once I made a few of the minor changes around 439 00:19:25,480 --> 00:19:28,320 Speaker 2: stop partying and having goals like once I had that 440 00:19:28,359 --> 00:19:30,600 Speaker 2: goal of writing for Australia. That was really good because 441 00:19:30,600 --> 00:19:33,320 Speaker 2: it changed that I couldn't then go drinking, I couldn't 442 00:19:33,359 --> 00:19:35,800 Speaker 2: go do these things because then I've set my training backs. 443 00:19:35,800 --> 00:19:38,919 Speaker 2: So they were they were just things that all clicked 444 00:19:38,920 --> 00:19:41,640 Speaker 2: in that all helped me get there really quickly in the. 445 00:19:41,600 --> 00:19:45,360 Speaker 1: Middle of you know, like the mix of ambition and 446 00:19:45,520 --> 00:19:49,280 Speaker 1: anger and dealing with the stuff that you were dealing 447 00:19:49,320 --> 00:19:53,680 Speaker 1: in that ten year period. Was there ever moments of 448 00:19:53,880 --> 00:19:56,040 Speaker 1: and if there was, I would understand, because I think 449 00:19:56,080 --> 00:19:56,520 Speaker 1: I would. 450 00:19:56,520 --> 00:19:59,920 Speaker 3: But was there ever moments of self pity like woe was? 451 00:20:01,240 --> 00:20:06,440 Speaker 2: Yeah? I'm sure there was. I don't really remember it, 452 00:20:06,520 --> 00:20:10,520 Speaker 2: but yeah, I think definitely through the relationship breakdowns there 453 00:20:10,560 --> 00:20:12,320 Speaker 2: was a lot of that you know, why why am 454 00:20:12,359 --> 00:20:14,360 Speaker 2: I having to do this? You know, you know, why 455 00:20:14,400 --> 00:20:16,760 Speaker 2: am not good enough? All that type of stuff. Yeah, 456 00:20:17,720 --> 00:20:19,840 Speaker 2: I'm sure there was in my career as well, like 457 00:20:19,880 --> 00:20:22,400 Speaker 2: where you know I looked because well, to be honest, 458 00:20:22,400 --> 00:20:24,840 Speaker 2: the world not a not set up for people with disabilities. 459 00:20:25,440 --> 00:20:28,280 Speaker 2: I'm a massive advocate now and I work a lot 460 00:20:28,320 --> 00:20:30,240 Speaker 2: in the disability space, on the chair of the Disability 461 00:20:30,240 --> 00:20:34,000 Speaker 2: Network at Optice and through that I've got a really 462 00:20:34,040 --> 00:20:36,600 Speaker 2: good lens of what what disability looks like in the 463 00:20:36,640 --> 00:20:39,560 Speaker 2: corporate world, and like at the moment, there's a huge 464 00:20:39,600 --> 00:20:42,159 Speaker 2: gap between the amount of people with that don't have 465 00:20:42,200 --> 00:20:45,520 Speaker 2: a disability to do a disability with employment like where 466 00:20:45,760 --> 00:20:48,800 Speaker 2: it's it's a huge gap. So the opportunity to start there. 467 00:20:48,800 --> 00:20:51,040 Speaker 2: But like in the corporate environment, a lot of the 468 00:20:51,080 --> 00:20:53,720 Speaker 2: systems don't work, so there's an opportunity to just go 469 00:20:53,800 --> 00:20:55,919 Speaker 2: whole is me, you know, like it's not working for me, 470 00:20:56,000 --> 00:20:59,040 Speaker 2: so I'm not going to do it. But but there 471 00:20:59,080 --> 00:21:01,679 Speaker 2: was obviously there just you know, through that whole change 472 00:21:01,680 --> 00:21:02,960 Speaker 2: a period, I was like, you know what it is, 473 00:21:02,960 --> 00:21:04,520 Speaker 2: what it is, So I'm just gonna have to work 474 00:21:04,560 --> 00:21:06,080 Speaker 2: with what it is. We work with the tools I've 475 00:21:06,080 --> 00:21:10,000 Speaker 2: got and do the best I can. And I used 476 00:21:10,040 --> 00:21:11,879 Speaker 2: to hide my disability so when I first, you know, 477 00:21:12,240 --> 00:21:13,920 Speaker 2: were a first couple of jobs, I wouldn't tell people 478 00:21:13,920 --> 00:21:15,200 Speaker 2: that I was blind because I can get around a 479 00:21:15,240 --> 00:21:17,040 Speaker 2: little bit and sort of fake it. Do you make it? 480 00:21:19,760 --> 00:21:21,919 Speaker 2: But then I realized, you know what, that's actually my 481 00:21:21,960 --> 00:21:24,080 Speaker 2: strength because I lead with So I'm on a few 482 00:21:24,119 --> 00:21:27,000 Speaker 2: boards and now like I'm going for very very senior roles. 483 00:21:27,200 --> 00:21:28,720 Speaker 2: When I'm going for those roles, I'm going straight in 484 00:21:28,760 --> 00:21:31,720 Speaker 2: with I've got disability, but despite because of my disability, 485 00:21:31,760 --> 00:21:34,200 Speaker 2: I'm a very good problem solver. I've got huge amounts 486 00:21:34,200 --> 00:21:36,520 Speaker 2: of resilience. I've got all these attributes that I've built 487 00:21:36,520 --> 00:21:38,920 Speaker 2: because of my disability. So I lead with my disability 488 00:21:38,960 --> 00:21:41,280 Speaker 2: now rather than hiding it. And that's been a big 489 00:21:41,359 --> 00:21:43,359 Speaker 2: mind shift for me, and I try and help. You know, 490 00:21:43,400 --> 00:21:45,919 Speaker 2: other people use that to go you know, but just 491 00:21:46,160 --> 00:21:49,520 Speaker 2: your difference actually makes you better and as market as 492 00:21:49,560 --> 00:21:51,600 Speaker 2: there any business person you talk to, they'd say, oh, 493 00:21:52,160 --> 00:21:54,640 Speaker 2: when we need like what's the differentiator? Like every car 494 00:21:54,720 --> 00:21:56,520 Speaker 2: is the same, every TV is the same, but what's 495 00:21:56,560 --> 00:21:59,320 Speaker 2: your differentiator? But then, as humans, we hide our difference 496 00:21:59,480 --> 00:22:01,159 Speaker 2: rather than leading that difference. So I think, you know, 497 00:22:01,200 --> 00:22:03,920 Speaker 2: that's something that we wanted to do better hundred percent. 498 00:22:04,000 --> 00:22:06,240 Speaker 1: And I mean I think about you navigating the world 499 00:22:06,280 --> 00:22:10,480 Speaker 1: with pretty much no vision. Like you said, you're constantly 500 00:22:10,640 --> 00:22:14,199 Speaker 1: solving problems. But it also means like problem solving is 501 00:22:14,200 --> 00:22:17,879 Speaker 1: a form of creativity, right, So you're always having to 502 00:22:17,960 --> 00:22:21,439 Speaker 1: think outside the box, whereas the rest of us just 503 00:22:22,119 --> 00:22:25,160 Speaker 1: walk across the road unconsciously or do whatever or open 504 00:22:25,160 --> 00:22:27,199 Speaker 1: the gates, shut the gates, slide the bolt, da da 505 00:22:27,280 --> 00:22:30,640 Speaker 1: da da, like all these things that for us are 506 00:22:30,720 --> 00:22:33,760 Speaker 1: unconscious and you know, without thought. 507 00:22:34,000 --> 00:22:36,480 Speaker 3: Like for you, that's a very different prospect. 508 00:22:36,640 --> 00:22:39,280 Speaker 1: And I just, yeah, I agree with you, and I'm 509 00:22:39,280 --> 00:22:41,520 Speaker 1: not saying that to just endorse you, but I think, 510 00:22:42,880 --> 00:22:46,719 Speaker 1: you know, there's some research out recently that people with 511 00:22:46,800 --> 00:22:51,359 Speaker 1: dyslexia are three times more likely to become millionaires than 512 00:22:51,400 --> 00:22:57,879 Speaker 1: people without. Because people with dyslexia, obviously, you know, can't read, 513 00:22:58,200 --> 00:23:02,000 Speaker 1: either can't read at all times or can't read well 514 00:23:02,119 --> 00:23:05,480 Speaker 1: at all, so they have to navigate, and of course 515 00:23:05,560 --> 00:23:08,359 Speaker 1: you too, but they have to navigate this world that 516 00:23:08,520 --> 00:23:10,760 Speaker 1: is to an extent dependent dependent on. 517 00:23:10,760 --> 00:23:12,720 Speaker 3: Being able to read shit, and they can't. 518 00:23:13,200 --> 00:23:16,800 Speaker 1: So they end up being, like you, really adaptable, flexible, 519 00:23:17,320 --> 00:23:21,960 Speaker 1: able to improvise, adapt overcome, survive, thrive in the middle 520 00:23:21,960 --> 00:23:25,920 Speaker 1: of pressure, and deal with all of the atypicalness of 521 00:23:27,320 --> 00:23:30,040 Speaker 1: existing in a world where you're not like most people 522 00:23:30,040 --> 00:23:30,600 Speaker 1: in the room. 523 00:23:31,200 --> 00:23:34,719 Speaker 3: I mean, yeah, I think that communication. 524 00:23:34,320 --> 00:23:35,600 Speaker 2: Is a key part of that too. Now, I just 525 00:23:35,600 --> 00:23:37,800 Speaker 2: think communications keep out of that too. I are a 526 00:23:37,840 --> 00:23:39,400 Speaker 2: lot of sales teams and a lot of the time 527 00:23:39,440 --> 00:23:42,400 Speaker 2: people just want to talk to people, Whereas I think 528 00:23:42,680 --> 00:23:44,119 Speaker 2: if you've got this lext or something, you become a 529 00:23:44,200 --> 00:23:45,720 Speaker 2: very good listener because that's your only way that you 530 00:23:45,720 --> 00:23:49,199 Speaker 2: can consume information. So and I think that's a key 531 00:23:49,280 --> 00:23:50,879 Speaker 2: skill that a lot of us don't have. And we 532 00:23:51,080 --> 00:23:53,400 Speaker 2: because we can read or I can't read, but because 533 00:23:53,440 --> 00:23:55,560 Speaker 2: other people can read, they just go, I'm not going 534 00:23:55,600 --> 00:23:57,240 Speaker 2: to focus now because they can just read the document, 535 00:23:58,240 --> 00:23:59,840 Speaker 2: Whereas if you don't have to do that, you have 536 00:23:59,880 --> 00:24:03,400 Speaker 2: to you have to focus on what's happening and understand 537 00:24:03,400 --> 00:24:05,960 Speaker 2: the concept. So if you're not understanding, you ask questions, 538 00:24:06,760 --> 00:24:08,320 Speaker 2: which makes you're very good communicator. 539 00:24:09,640 --> 00:24:12,960 Speaker 1: I also feel Matt like doing this stuff that you've 540 00:24:13,080 --> 00:24:15,159 Speaker 1: had to do, Like you can't wake up tomorrow and go, 541 00:24:15,240 --> 00:24:17,160 Speaker 1: you know what, I'm not going to do blindness today. 542 00:24:17,240 --> 00:24:17,600 Speaker 3: Fuck it. 543 00:24:17,760 --> 00:24:21,400 Speaker 1: You know everybody else can go, fuck I'm not going 544 00:24:21,440 --> 00:24:23,639 Speaker 1: to the gym, or I'm not going to do my run, 545 00:24:23,760 --> 00:24:26,520 Speaker 1: or you know, a friend of mine, Joel's a quadriplegic, 546 00:24:26,560 --> 00:24:28,440 Speaker 1: and I always talk about him and he can't get 547 00:24:28,520 --> 00:24:30,600 Speaker 1: up today and go, you know what, fuck quadriplegia. 548 00:24:30,600 --> 00:24:31,960 Speaker 3: I'm not doing it, Like. 549 00:24:34,119 --> 00:24:35,879 Speaker 1: Yeah, fuck it, I'm just going to walk today, I 550 00:24:35,920 --> 00:24:38,040 Speaker 1: can't be bothered being qudriplegic, right. 551 00:24:39,200 --> 00:24:40,159 Speaker 3: And the same with you. 552 00:24:40,320 --> 00:24:43,719 Speaker 1: But like when you, when you don't have the option 553 00:24:44,800 --> 00:24:49,080 Speaker 1: of easy, where you have to do hard, then you 554 00:24:49,160 --> 00:24:52,639 Speaker 1: become strong and resilient, you know, almost just as a 555 00:24:52,640 --> 00:24:56,040 Speaker 1: byproduct of your day to day function. Whereas at the moment, 556 00:24:57,040 --> 00:24:59,000 Speaker 1: I don't know what you think about this, I think 557 00:24:59,040 --> 00:25:02,840 Speaker 1: to an extent because of the great modelly coddling of 558 00:25:02,880 --> 00:25:06,000 Speaker 1: the twenty first century, where we don't want anyone to 559 00:25:07,680 --> 00:25:10,359 Speaker 1: participate in a sport where they might lose. We don't 560 00:25:10,359 --> 00:25:12,760 Speaker 1: want to give out, you know, we don't want to fuck. 561 00:25:12,840 --> 00:25:16,439 Speaker 1: Don't let them, don't let's not keep score, you know, 562 00:25:16,560 --> 00:25:20,000 Speaker 1: let's let's nerve the world. Don't let them climb because 563 00:25:20,040 --> 00:25:23,399 Speaker 1: they might hurt them, Like I feel like, you know, 564 00:25:23,520 --> 00:25:27,840 Speaker 1: in an intelligent and a caring way, like a motcom 565 00:25:28,000 --> 00:25:30,960 Speaker 1: of pain and discomfort and uncertainty is good. 566 00:25:31,040 --> 00:25:34,680 Speaker 2: Right, don't get me started on this topic, mate. 567 00:25:34,560 --> 00:25:37,680 Speaker 1: Oh, come on, let's hear it. Son fucking open the door. Bro, 568 00:25:38,040 --> 00:25:40,359 Speaker 1: Come on, well, boy. 569 00:25:42,080 --> 00:25:45,160 Speaker 2: My boys play league and my son, my oldest son's ten. 570 00:25:45,320 --> 00:25:49,399 Speaker 2: He's his team last year was undefeated. They and then 571 00:25:49,520 --> 00:25:52,480 Speaker 2: everyone knows the score. This whole bass about not keeping 572 00:25:52,520 --> 00:25:55,040 Speaker 2: the score. Every parent, every child, everyone knows the score. 573 00:25:56,440 --> 00:25:58,080 Speaker 2: They go to school and they get marked at school, 574 00:25:58,080 --> 00:26:00,240 Speaker 2: they get graded at school. They know who's the best reader, 575 00:26:00,240 --> 00:26:02,240 Speaker 2: who's not the best reader. But then they go into 576 00:26:02,280 --> 00:26:04,080 Speaker 2: the sporting environment, they're not allowed to be compared to 577 00:26:04,119 --> 00:26:06,840 Speaker 2: each other. Yes, and all my son wants to do 578 00:26:06,880 --> 00:26:09,000 Speaker 2: is win a premiership. He all he wants to know 579 00:26:09,040 --> 00:26:10,880 Speaker 2: is what the other teams are doing. All the other 580 00:26:10,960 --> 00:26:12,720 Speaker 2: kids all they want and there's just been taken away 581 00:26:12,720 --> 00:26:16,119 Speaker 2: from them. It's horrendous and it takes away resilience. And 582 00:26:16,119 --> 00:26:17,720 Speaker 2: then they didn't know when they're going to introduce it. 583 00:26:18,160 --> 00:26:20,480 Speaker 2: They introduce so now for regular argue, they've taken it 584 00:26:20,480 --> 00:26:22,080 Speaker 2: from under tens. It used to be undertends and now 585 00:26:22,080 --> 00:26:24,680 Speaker 2: they've moved up to Thirteen's what's one of the hardest 586 00:26:24,720 --> 00:26:27,480 Speaker 2: things you have to do with in your life, transitioning 587 00:26:27,920 --> 00:26:30,639 Speaker 2: from from primary school to high school. So they're not 588 00:26:30,720 --> 00:26:32,359 Speaker 2: just taking those children that they're having to do with 589 00:26:32,400 --> 00:26:34,320 Speaker 2: going to high school and that transition, they're going to 590 00:26:34,320 --> 00:26:37,280 Speaker 2: make them learn about losing when they're going to high school. 591 00:26:37,680 --> 00:26:40,200 Speaker 3: Yes, yes, it's just crazy. 592 00:26:40,520 --> 00:26:43,280 Speaker 1: And also you think about like when you step out 593 00:26:43,320 --> 00:26:45,879 Speaker 1: of that bubble mate. Yeah, okay, now you're now you're 594 00:26:45,880 --> 00:26:48,080 Speaker 1: getting a job or you're going to university. By the way, 595 00:26:48,119 --> 00:26:51,480 Speaker 1: no one gives a fuck about you or your feelings. Right, 596 00:26:51,520 --> 00:26:55,400 Speaker 1: It's not your boss's job, or your university lecture's job, 597 00:26:55,480 --> 00:26:58,280 Speaker 1: or the world's job to manage your feelings and emotions. 598 00:26:58,920 --> 00:27:02,560 Speaker 1: And if we're constantly running into ference and trying to 599 00:27:02,640 --> 00:27:07,840 Speaker 1: protect somebody's feelings until they're thirty, fucking we're not allowing 600 00:27:07,880 --> 00:27:09,080 Speaker 1: them to build resilience. 601 00:27:09,560 --> 00:27:12,240 Speaker 2: Yeah, well, this is one of the things. Back to 602 00:27:12,280 --> 00:27:14,320 Speaker 2: my diagnosis, my dad was having So when I start 603 00:27:14,359 --> 00:27:16,520 Speaker 2: first started playing rugby league, Dad's having a beer with 604 00:27:16,560 --> 00:27:18,360 Speaker 2: a couple of mates and they said, oh, does Matt 605 00:27:18,400 --> 00:27:20,600 Speaker 2: have any mates that want to play because we're short 606 00:27:20,600 --> 00:27:22,000 Speaker 2: on the team. This is like an underfile. I was 607 00:27:22,040 --> 00:27:25,359 Speaker 2: under six's team and Dad said, well made your play. 608 00:27:25,440 --> 00:27:27,119 Speaker 2: And instead of those dads going good on you, my 609 00:27:27,200 --> 00:27:29,639 Speaker 2: dad's name is Don. Good on your Don for letting 610 00:27:29,720 --> 00:27:32,439 Speaker 2: giving your son with a disability opportunity to play and 611 00:27:32,480 --> 00:27:34,040 Speaker 2: you have a try it if he files in you 612 00:27:34,040 --> 00:27:36,600 Speaker 2: know whatever. Instead of doing that, they went, oh, no, Don, 613 00:27:36,600 --> 00:27:38,520 Speaker 2: your son's blind, like he can't play. You're putting him 614 00:27:38,520 --> 00:27:40,359 Speaker 2: in harm's way and making him out to be the 615 00:27:40,359 --> 00:27:43,320 Speaker 2: bad parents. That was the whole tone of narrative throughout 616 00:27:43,320 --> 00:27:46,840 Speaker 2: my whole childhood was when my parents gave me opportunity 617 00:27:46,920 --> 00:27:49,000 Speaker 2: to do things, the whole community would say, you're bad 618 00:27:49,040 --> 00:27:52,119 Speaker 2: parents because you're putting him in harm's way. Wowow, But 619 00:27:52,960 --> 00:27:56,040 Speaker 2: we all know now that that we should know that 620 00:27:56,119 --> 00:27:57,880 Speaker 2: has set me up to be the athlete that I am. 621 00:27:57,920 --> 00:28:01,520 Speaker 2: Like I've been dominant in multiple sports because I've got 622 00:28:01,600 --> 00:28:04,119 Speaker 2: to do to play against people that were ever bodied 623 00:28:04,359 --> 00:28:06,159 Speaker 2: and then like the contrast of that as well as 624 00:28:06,200 --> 00:28:09,560 Speaker 2: I then went on to play representative rugby union on 625 00:28:09,640 --> 00:28:11,239 Speaker 2: the northern beach of the Sydney which is like one 626 00:28:11,280 --> 00:28:13,159 Speaker 2: of the brooding grounds for rugby union in a time 627 00:28:13,160 --> 00:28:17,439 Speaker 2: when rugby was very successful. So like, when you think 628 00:28:17,480 --> 00:28:19,240 Speaker 2: about who all those other kids that are turning up 629 00:28:19,240 --> 00:28:21,640 Speaker 2: to rep triyouts, how the hell did the kid that's 630 00:28:21,640 --> 00:28:24,840 Speaker 2: got at the time five percent vision get selected over 631 00:28:24,920 --> 00:28:27,240 Speaker 2: other kids? Because I wanted it more and I was 632 00:28:27,280 --> 00:28:28,920 Speaker 2: more focused on my job. I knew what my job 633 00:28:28,960 --> 00:28:30,920 Speaker 2: was and I wasn't trying to be everything to everyone 634 00:28:30,960 --> 00:28:35,479 Speaker 2: and you know, float around, which just shows you know, 635 00:28:36,440 --> 00:28:38,160 Speaker 2: if you give, if you give an opportunities and you 636 00:28:38,200 --> 00:28:40,200 Speaker 2: take them, then the world opens up for you. If 637 00:28:40,240 --> 00:28:41,840 Speaker 2: you don't take your opportunities, or if you know, if 638 00:28:41,840 --> 00:28:43,560 Speaker 2: you're hide away in the corner, or if you protect 639 00:28:43,880 --> 00:28:46,720 Speaker 2: people from what might happen, they're never going to flourish 640 00:28:46,760 --> 00:28:49,800 Speaker 2: and they're never gonna have those experiences to fail and learn. 641 00:28:50,800 --> 00:28:54,040 Speaker 1: Yeah, yeah, I love it. So you've got a movie. 642 00:28:54,120 --> 00:28:55,840 Speaker 1: Is it a movie or a doco? You've got coming 643 00:28:55,880 --> 00:28:56,360 Speaker 1: out soon? 644 00:28:57,280 --> 00:28:59,200 Speaker 2: It's a doco, it's a documentary. It's a nine. It's 645 00:28:59,200 --> 00:29:03,240 Speaker 2: a full featured documentary movie. It's we actually launched at 646 00:29:03,240 --> 00:29:06,120 Speaker 2: the Sydney Film Festival. We just did two screenings, all 647 00:29:06,160 --> 00:29:09,000 Speaker 2: sold out there. We're getting great reviews. Then we go 648 00:29:09,080 --> 00:29:12,320 Speaker 2: like we go cinemas nationally on the fifteenth of August. 649 00:29:12,360 --> 00:29:14,240 Speaker 2: But we're so the premiere release will be at the 650 00:29:14,240 --> 00:29:16,040 Speaker 2: Sydney Opera House on the eleventh of August. So that's 651 00:29:16,080 --> 00:29:19,600 Speaker 2: all all happening right now. It's called The Blind c Sea. 652 00:29:20,280 --> 00:29:24,160 Speaker 3: The Blind ce Oh that's great, mate. And how did 653 00:29:24,200 --> 00:29:26,880 Speaker 3: that come about? Who filmed it? Whose idea was it? 654 00:29:27,040 --> 00:29:27,160 Speaker 2: What? 655 00:29:27,520 --> 00:29:28,640 Speaker 3: How long did it take? 656 00:29:30,240 --> 00:29:32,960 Speaker 2: So it was filmed by a company called Brick Studios. 657 00:29:33,120 --> 00:29:38,880 Speaker 2: The directors Daniel Finec or Finec. We've been we've worked 658 00:29:38,880 --> 00:29:40,760 Speaker 2: together on a few little small clips, like through the 659 00:29:40,800 --> 00:29:44,960 Speaker 2: Rio Paralympics, and people have been saying, you need a movie, 660 00:29:44,960 --> 00:29:47,719 Speaker 2: you need to do a movie, and you know, it's 661 00:29:47,760 --> 00:29:49,440 Speaker 2: one of those things people said, you need to make 662 00:29:49,480 --> 00:29:50,800 Speaker 2: a movie, but your life it's a bit of a 663 00:29:50,960 --> 00:29:53,520 Speaker 2: you know, you laugh and good good on you, and 664 00:29:53,560 --> 00:29:55,000 Speaker 2: then look at an opportunity to come up. We got 665 00:29:55,000 --> 00:29:58,600 Speaker 2: some funding so said let's do this and then we 666 00:29:58,320 --> 00:30:00,400 Speaker 2: were sort so the first forty five it's a ninety 667 00:30:00,400 --> 00:30:03,000 Speaker 2: minute film. The first forty five minutes is my backstory 668 00:30:03,000 --> 00:30:05,560 Speaker 2: and my parents telling that the stuff we've talked about today, 669 00:30:06,200 --> 00:30:08,240 Speaker 2: and then must equip it on my cycling career and 670 00:30:08,320 --> 00:30:10,440 Speaker 2: break ended up breaking a world record which is an 671 00:30:10,480 --> 00:30:12,840 Speaker 2: able body world record for four kilometers on the goor droone. 672 00:30:13,320 --> 00:30:17,200 Speaker 2: And then it transitions into surfing, and the last forty 673 00:30:17,200 --> 00:30:19,280 Speaker 2: five minutes is Nazaree so the big wave, which is 674 00:30:19,440 --> 00:30:22,040 Speaker 2: the biggest wave in the world and finishes up with 675 00:30:22,080 --> 00:30:24,920 Speaker 2: me breaking the Guinness World Record for a big wave 676 00:30:24,960 --> 00:30:28,680 Speaker 2: for a parasurfer. So that's the short and long of it. 677 00:30:28,760 --> 00:30:31,040 Speaker 2: But yeah, he's got some great. 678 00:30:31,320 --> 00:30:33,280 Speaker 1: It's called the Blind Sea. Everyone's going to be in 679 00:30:33,360 --> 00:30:36,840 Speaker 1: cinemas August thirteen. I was talking yesterday, as I said 680 00:30:36,840 --> 00:30:41,160 Speaker 1: to you earlier about with Tammy van Wisa, and she 681 00:30:41,480 --> 00:30:46,720 Speaker 1: swam just under two and a half thousand kilometers. Mate, 682 00:30:46,800 --> 00:30:51,600 Speaker 1: she swam the Murray River right now, didn't It took 683 00:30:51,640 --> 00:30:55,120 Speaker 1: her one hundred and I think it was one hundred 684 00:30:55,120 --> 00:30:58,600 Speaker 1: and thirteen days. She broke the record by I think 685 00:30:58,760 --> 00:31:03,280 Speaker 1: thirty one days if I'm not right right, which was 686 00:31:03,680 --> 00:31:06,200 Speaker 1: held by a bloke. She swam in one hundred and 687 00:31:06,240 --> 00:31:09,880 Speaker 1: thirteen days. She did not have one day off. That's 688 00:31:09,920 --> 00:31:12,480 Speaker 1: the condition of the record. You can't have any days off. 689 00:31:14,160 --> 00:31:20,080 Speaker 1: Fucking brown snakes, tiger snakes, locks, mud infections like it's 690 00:31:20,240 --> 00:31:22,400 Speaker 1: it's not a dirty river, but it's a muddy river, 691 00:31:22,520 --> 00:31:27,840 Speaker 1: so it's dirty. It's fucking horrible. And I've trained lots 692 00:31:27,840 --> 00:31:30,200 Speaker 1: of athletes, but I reckon you're in the same category 693 00:31:30,440 --> 00:31:33,800 Speaker 1: of all the And I've worked with AFL teams, I've 694 00:31:33,800 --> 00:31:37,240 Speaker 1: worked with Olympians, I've worked with you know, fighters and 695 00:31:37,480 --> 00:31:41,560 Speaker 1: MMA athletes, and she's the toughest athlete I've ever trained, right, 696 00:31:42,120 --> 00:31:45,600 Speaker 1: just in terms of and dealing with, you know, like 697 00:31:45,680 --> 00:31:51,360 Speaker 1: she swam lock Ness, which is fucking freezing forty kilometers, right, 698 00:31:52,960 --> 00:31:57,360 Speaker 1: and yeah, she's just the toughest, the toughest athlete I've 699 00:31:57,400 --> 00:32:01,840 Speaker 1: ever worked with. But I'm thinking, did you say the 700 00:32:01,880 --> 00:32:02,880 Speaker 1: four k's. 701 00:32:02,640 --> 00:32:04,640 Speaker 3: On the velodrome that you yeah? 702 00:32:04,680 --> 00:32:08,400 Speaker 1: That I mean people who don't like as an x 703 00:32:08,440 --> 00:32:12,160 Speaker 1: I sign, that's just fucking Firstly, how many minutes is that? 704 00:32:13,320 --> 00:32:15,800 Speaker 2: We did? Four to eleven? Four minutes? So that's just 705 00:32:16,640 --> 00:32:17,360 Speaker 2: so that's. 706 00:32:17,200 --> 00:32:20,600 Speaker 1: Just two hundred and fifty one seconds of pain, Like 707 00:32:21,320 --> 00:32:24,880 Speaker 1: that's just well, maybe not the first ten, but from there, 708 00:32:24,920 --> 00:32:29,040 Speaker 1: I mean, how do you deal with getting in that 709 00:32:29,160 --> 00:32:33,240 Speaker 1: level of discomfort? I'd be interested to know you lactate threshold, 710 00:32:33,400 --> 00:32:37,440 Speaker 1: by the way, that would that would have been just 711 00:32:37,880 --> 00:32:39,360 Speaker 1: four minutes of agony, wouldn't it. 712 00:32:40,760 --> 00:32:44,200 Speaker 2: Look it's the first three minutes aren't too bad because 713 00:32:44,240 --> 00:32:46,360 Speaker 2: you're sort of building up, you're staying within your threshold. 714 00:32:46,400 --> 00:32:48,280 Speaker 2: I mean, and when I say not too bad, not 715 00:32:48,320 --> 00:32:50,600 Speaker 2: too bad as an elite athlete, so the norm of 716 00:32:50,680 --> 00:32:54,560 Speaker 2: him being it would probably be unmanageable. But when you've 717 00:32:54,600 --> 00:32:57,920 Speaker 2: trained at that level and you never do foks as 718 00:32:57,960 --> 00:33:01,600 Speaker 2: a when you train to that level, you never do 719 00:33:01,640 --> 00:33:04,280 Speaker 2: a four k effort ever in training because your body 720 00:33:04,760 --> 00:33:06,440 Speaker 2: then your body remembers how bad it is and won't 721 00:33:06,440 --> 00:33:08,240 Speaker 2: do it. So you're tricking your body, so you trick 722 00:33:08,280 --> 00:33:10,160 Speaker 2: your Only the longest effort you ever do is three 723 00:33:10,240 --> 00:33:13,840 Speaker 2: k's in training and then that last k and then 724 00:33:13,880 --> 00:33:15,600 Speaker 2: you do longer rides, so you do one hundred and 725 00:33:15,600 --> 00:33:17,560 Speaker 2: twenty k rides or whatever, but you never do four 726 00:33:17,600 --> 00:33:19,800 Speaker 2: gas four k's until you do it, until you do 727 00:33:19,840 --> 00:33:22,960 Speaker 2: it to your race. And they say every time you 728 00:33:23,000 --> 00:33:24,480 Speaker 2: do one of those, you basically take it because the 729 00:33:24,480 --> 00:33:25,880 Speaker 2: amount of stress it puts on your heart, it takes 730 00:33:25,920 --> 00:33:28,640 Speaker 2: about a year off your life. That's how that's how 731 00:33:28,640 --> 00:33:32,200 Speaker 2: bad it is. So you're you're done so once and 732 00:33:32,680 --> 00:33:35,560 Speaker 2: once you train to that level as well, like you 733 00:33:35,560 --> 00:33:39,280 Speaker 2: you go so deep that you can't actually you squeeze 734 00:33:39,280 --> 00:33:40,800 Speaker 2: everything out of your body. You can't get yourself off 735 00:33:40,800 --> 00:33:42,360 Speaker 2: the bike. So we like finish the effort and then 736 00:33:42,400 --> 00:33:45,000 Speaker 2: we just roll around and we need like there's twenties 737 00:33:45,000 --> 00:33:47,200 Speaker 2: and mechanics that actually help us stop and get off 738 00:33:47,200 --> 00:33:49,600 Speaker 2: the bike. It's that's that's the level you get to. 739 00:33:49,720 --> 00:33:53,480 Speaker 2: But yeah, it was it was painful, but the emotional 740 00:33:53,480 --> 00:33:54,960 Speaker 2: part that got through me through it. My My oldest 741 00:33:54,960 --> 00:33:57,000 Speaker 2: son was six weeks old at the time, so I 742 00:33:57,040 --> 00:34:01,600 Speaker 2: was away my son and my wife was looking after 743 00:34:01,680 --> 00:34:04,440 Speaker 2: our baby, and I was, you know, as that started, 744 00:34:04,520 --> 00:34:06,800 Speaker 2: that last minute was hurting. I was just like, and 745 00:34:06,840 --> 00:34:08,440 Speaker 2: the thing about my parents, what they went through and 746 00:34:08,440 --> 00:34:11,120 Speaker 2: their kids and that just you know, that stuff just 747 00:34:11,440 --> 00:34:13,520 Speaker 2: still gets me emotional talking about it, but that I 748 00:34:13,600 --> 00:34:15,960 Speaker 2: might just suck it up, mate, get it done. And 749 00:34:16,120 --> 00:34:17,480 Speaker 2: that was the thing. We beat, like, we beat the 750 00:34:17,480 --> 00:34:21,799 Speaker 2: Spanish and it was in the heat. And the world 751 00:34:21,800 --> 00:34:24,400 Speaker 2: record that day was four minutes sixteen because it was 752 00:34:24,440 --> 00:34:27,480 Speaker 2: on a on a tandem. Obviously for people that are 753 00:34:27,520 --> 00:34:29,440 Speaker 2: older would know that the tanna just used to race 754 00:34:29,440 --> 00:34:32,399 Speaker 2: at the Olympics, not just in the Paralympics. So that 755 00:34:32,440 --> 00:34:34,560 Speaker 2: was that was an able body world record, which was 756 00:34:34,600 --> 00:34:37,840 Speaker 2: four sixteen, and we raced that attitude and that morning 757 00:34:37,840 --> 00:34:41,000 Speaker 2: the Spanish went out into the four twelve, so four 758 00:34:41,000 --> 00:34:43,319 Speaker 2: minutes and twelve seconds. So we're just like, we're going 759 00:34:43,360 --> 00:34:45,080 Speaker 2: to do a four eleven, but everyone else has got 760 00:34:45,080 --> 00:34:47,040 Speaker 2: their heads down. So me and mix that I rode with, 761 00:34:47,080 --> 00:34:48,480 Speaker 2: we just went bang, well, if they can do a 762 00:34:48,480 --> 00:34:50,200 Speaker 2: four twelve week and it's just that self belief, right, 763 00:34:50,239 --> 00:34:51,760 Speaker 2: so we're just like we're to do a four eleven. 764 00:34:52,080 --> 00:34:54,040 Speaker 2: We put a gear on which no one had ever 765 00:34:54,120 --> 00:34:55,919 Speaker 2: was a massive year because obviously on the track you've 766 00:34:55,920 --> 00:34:58,719 Speaker 2: got a fixed gear. No one had ever didden this 767 00:34:58,800 --> 00:35:00,680 Speaker 2: gear ever in any race any in the world, and 768 00:35:00,719 --> 00:35:02,320 Speaker 2: we hadn't written it in training. We just got it 769 00:35:02,360 --> 00:35:03,799 Speaker 2: built because we thought we thought we might be able 770 00:35:03,800 --> 00:35:06,319 Speaker 2: to ride on it. One day we chuck this gear on. 771 00:35:07,080 --> 00:35:09,520 Speaker 2: I think it was like a fifty eight teeth gear. 772 00:35:09,560 --> 00:35:12,880 Speaker 2: It was massive and anyway we write, we kind of 773 00:35:12,920 --> 00:35:14,000 Speaker 2: hard to get it out of the gate, and then 774 00:35:14,000 --> 00:35:15,640 Speaker 2: we wound the thing up and then by the end 775 00:35:15,680 --> 00:35:18,279 Speaker 2: we broke the world record. But it was it was 776 00:35:18,320 --> 00:35:20,560 Speaker 2: that thing of you know, I'm just doing it for 777 00:35:20,600 --> 00:35:22,640 Speaker 2: my family. Really, that's what got me through the last minute. 778 00:35:23,200 --> 00:35:26,840 Speaker 1: That's amazing, bro. There would have been a slow start 779 00:35:27,000 --> 00:35:29,080 Speaker 1: without fifty eight to one thing. 780 00:35:29,280 --> 00:35:31,400 Speaker 3: And because that, yeah, we. 781 00:35:31,280 --> 00:35:32,919 Speaker 2: Came out of the game and we actually rolled down 782 00:35:32,920 --> 00:35:35,320 Speaker 2: the board, so we rolled almost roll off because just 783 00:35:35,360 --> 00:35:36,840 Speaker 2: trying to get the things started. But then once we 784 00:35:36,840 --> 00:35:38,440 Speaker 2: got through the first three or four pedal strikes, it 785 00:35:38,520 --> 00:35:40,200 Speaker 2: was we got on top of it. 786 00:35:41,320 --> 00:35:44,319 Speaker 1: Now before we wind up, tell me about freedomving. That 787 00:35:44,360 --> 00:35:46,800 Speaker 1: doesn't seem like a good idea. I mean, I'm no expert, 788 00:35:46,840 --> 00:35:51,360 Speaker 1: but that does seem like a great idea, and that's. 789 00:35:51,200 --> 00:35:54,040 Speaker 2: Probably a good thing. Like one of the things I 790 00:35:54,160 --> 00:35:59,880 Speaker 2: built a ond my my extreme sports career is managing 791 00:36:00,120 --> 00:36:02,080 Speaker 2: real risk and perceived risks. So everyone's got this perceived 792 00:36:02,120 --> 00:36:06,440 Speaker 2: risk around big wave surfing and free diving. There's a 793 00:36:06,480 --> 00:36:08,200 Speaker 2: lot of people have died doing free diving, but when 794 00:36:08,239 --> 00:36:10,120 Speaker 2: you look at the risk they do, they'll buy themselves 795 00:36:10,200 --> 00:36:13,040 Speaker 2: or they're fully being a little bit reckless in competition. 796 00:36:13,080 --> 00:36:15,840 Speaker 2: Only one person's ever died from in free diving competition. 797 00:36:16,760 --> 00:36:18,920 Speaker 2: So I'll be managing it the way I do anything 798 00:36:18,920 --> 00:36:21,120 Speaker 2: else and being very you know, I'll be sending it 799 00:36:21,120 --> 00:36:22,640 Speaker 2: as hard as I can, but I'll also be doing 800 00:36:22,680 --> 00:36:25,840 Speaker 2: it in the most controlled way possible and managing risks. 801 00:36:26,440 --> 00:36:29,200 Speaker 2: But look, I trained to for Nazuree. I trained myself 802 00:36:29,200 --> 00:36:31,839 Speaker 2: to hold my breath for nearly six minutes. So if 803 00:36:31,880 --> 00:36:34,680 Speaker 2: I can build on that a little bit, because that 804 00:36:34,760 --> 00:36:37,440 Speaker 2: was obviously that was an elevated heart rate for big 805 00:36:37,480 --> 00:36:40,279 Speaker 2: wave surfing, whereas free diving, I'll be less heart rate. 806 00:36:40,360 --> 00:36:43,000 Speaker 2: So if I can push that, then I'll be older. Yeah, 807 00:36:43,000 --> 00:36:45,080 Speaker 2: I'd say I'll be able to set a fairly significant 808 00:36:45,080 --> 00:36:47,759 Speaker 2: record for the power paraphletic community. 809 00:36:48,280 --> 00:36:51,960 Speaker 1: It's a very unique physiological requirement doing that, isn't it, 810 00:36:52,000 --> 00:36:55,080 Speaker 1: Because it's kind of and your body the whole time, 811 00:36:55,120 --> 00:36:56,520 Speaker 1: your body is like, what are you doing? 812 00:36:56,600 --> 00:37:00,480 Speaker 3: This is stupid? Stop, you know, because. 813 00:37:01,840 --> 00:37:03,640 Speaker 2: It'll come back to psychology though. I've just got to 814 00:37:03,680 --> 00:37:05,880 Speaker 2: stay home and trust my trust that my body is 815 00:37:05,920 --> 00:37:07,680 Speaker 2: doing what it's trained to do. 816 00:37:07,920 --> 00:37:09,600 Speaker 3: Yeah, yeah, that's amazing. 817 00:37:10,000 --> 00:37:12,600 Speaker 1: Hey, mate, if people want to find you or follow you, 818 00:37:13,400 --> 00:37:16,240 Speaker 1: I know you're a conference speaker, you inspire and educate 819 00:37:16,280 --> 00:37:20,160 Speaker 1: people around the all around the country and beyond. How 820 00:37:20,200 --> 00:37:23,040 Speaker 1: do people connect with you and even book you. 821 00:37:24,640 --> 00:37:28,000 Speaker 2: Anywhere? So you find me on social channels, But the 822 00:37:28,080 --> 00:37:30,640 Speaker 2: easiest way it's just at my website Mattformston dot com, 823 00:37:30,640 --> 00:37:35,560 Speaker 2: which is f O R M st O N And yeah, 824 00:37:35,600 --> 00:37:38,080 Speaker 2: reach out and would love to come and inspire your 825 00:37:38,080 --> 00:37:39,799 Speaker 2: team or do whatever we can. 826 00:37:41,080 --> 00:37:44,520 Speaker 3: Awesome, And the movie comes out in all good cinemas 827 00:37:44,560 --> 00:37:48,920 Speaker 3: and shit ones on August thirteenth, fifteenth. 828 00:37:49,200 --> 00:37:53,520 Speaker 2: Correct, go on, yeah, August fifteenth. We've got all We've 829 00:37:53,520 --> 00:37:58,360 Speaker 2: got Hoots Village and whatever the other one is that 830 00:37:58,520 --> 00:38:01,280 Speaker 2: it's in all cinemas fifteenth of August. 831 00:38:02,040 --> 00:38:02,880 Speaker 3: We'll go Palace. 832 00:38:02,960 --> 00:38:06,800 Speaker 1: Who knows the other one? Yeah, exactly. We'll say goodbye 833 00:38:06,840 --> 00:38:09,879 Speaker 1: offair in a minute. But Maddie, really nice to meet you. 834 00:38:09,880 --> 00:38:12,560 Speaker 1: You're inspirational. You know that that's not a revelation. But 835 00:38:13,080 --> 00:38:15,000 Speaker 1: thanks for chatting with me on the new project. 836 00:38:15,719 --> 00:38:16,759 Speaker 2: Thank you so much for having me. 837 00:38:17,200 --> 00:38:17,680 Speaker 3: Thanks Man