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Speaker 1: Hmm, approache production.

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Speaker 2: For the record.

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Speaker 1: I don't try and make you uncomfortable for the record.

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Speaker 1: You ain't trying to grow down the stuff for your

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Speaker 1: for the record, laugh on me going all the way

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Speaker 1: for the record. Ain't trying to link, No trying to

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Speaker 1: waste for the record, for.

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Speaker 3: The record, for the for the record, for the red,

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Speaker 3: for the record, for record.

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Speaker 2: For the record.

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Speaker 1: Don't try and make you uncomfortable.

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Speaker 2: Welcome back to the Clink. Thank you everybody once again

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Speaker 2: that has come over to listen to another amazing story

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Speaker 2: here on the Clink. We're gonna do something a little

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Speaker 2: bit different for this one. This story is well, it's

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Speaker 2: very moving, it's very powerful, and the man that shares

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Speaker 2: this story is someone I truly call now a friend,

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Speaker 2: someone that unfortunately had to experience something that most of

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Speaker 2: us would never want to experience in a lifetime. Before

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Speaker 2: we continue, there were four lives lost in twenty sixteen

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Speaker 2: in a tragic accident at dream World here on the

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Speaker 2: Gold Coast, and I would like to pay my respects

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Speaker 2: to each of their families and friends and pass on

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Speaker 2: our condolences and to anybody out there that may be

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Speaker 2: triggered by today, please reach out as this will be

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Speaker 2: at times some deep conversations that could well affect now

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Speaker 2: without further ado, I'm also going to tell you that

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Speaker 2: cleaning is up and live and well. If you want

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Speaker 2: your business home, your heavy machinery, anything at all, braid cleaned,

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Speaker 2: decreased washed, high pressure cleaning, soft wash, they do it all.

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Speaker 2: Clink Cleaning. Jump over to their Instagram page and make

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Speaker 2: sure you tell them the Clink sent you. Now, without

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Speaker 2: further ado, the real reason why we are here today.

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Speaker 2: This man is a wonderful man. As I said, I

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Speaker 2: do call him today a very dear friend. He's to

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Speaker 2: come on and share his story why he's doing what

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Speaker 2: he's doing today. Michael Clancy, Welcome to the Clink.

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Speaker 4: Thanks very much, buddy, happy to be here.

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Speaker 2: It is my honor to have you on here. Look,

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Speaker 2: our friendship started some time ago now, and we will

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Speaker 2: definitely talk about this as we get into your story,

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Speaker 2: but without saying too much at the moment. You reared

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Speaker 2: a couple of birds and was gifted my daughter and

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Speaker 2: myself with too amazing birds of one of which is

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Speaker 2: still powering today and he's well, she I believe, as

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Speaker 2: we've found out, is in great shape. Louder than ever

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Speaker 2: and we love it dearly but made you. You really

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Speaker 2: have a great story and I want to commend you

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Speaker 2: on everything you're doing and definitely want to raise I

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Speaker 2: guess more awareness around what it is you're doing today

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Speaker 2: after the traumas that you've been through in your life

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Speaker 2: and even up to date. If I won't, I'll let

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Speaker 2: you discuss it. But some quite challenging things over the

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Speaker 2: last eighteen months to two years personally for you as

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Speaker 2: well on top of everything else that may I say,

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Speaker 2: you're looking fantastic today, mate, Yeah, Look, I just think

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Speaker 2: that today's going to be a little bit different to

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Speaker 2: what we've put out before. This is not based around

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Speaker 2: any criminality, well unless you're a naughty boy when you're younger,

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Speaker 2: and that i'd like to hear because it'd be interesting

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Speaker 2: to know. I've seen that face before me I could

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Speaker 2: make something up. You were a bankrubber, weren't you. Mate. Look,

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Speaker 2: let let's let's get the listeners out there involved, and

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Speaker 2: let's talk about where life began for you and somewhere

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Speaker 2: around your early teens. What was life like and where

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Speaker 2: did you grow up? What was school and things like

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Speaker 2: for you?

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Speaker 4: Yeah? Cool? Mate? Look, I wasn't born with a silver

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Speaker 4: spoon or anything like that. I was commissioned child Commissioner

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Speaker 4: State West Park, as it happened, and I was raised

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Speaker 4: in an environment where it was pretty tough to go

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Speaker 4: out in the neighborhood. You know. We had crossbow shootings

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Speaker 4: and people's eyes taken out with a fork, and it

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Speaker 4: was it was an interesting growth. No reflection on my parents.

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Speaker 4: They were immigrants from Ireland and that's all they could afford,

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Speaker 4: you know, so we did pretty well. They looked after us.

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Speaker 4: But you know, looking back, I'm surprised I have three

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Speaker 4: other siblings. I'm surprised we made it through. It was

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Speaker 4: pretty tough and I couldn't wait to get out of there.

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Speaker 4: And I was always very independent.

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Speaker 2: I'll take you to this is your this is your platform,

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Speaker 2: this is you. This is Michael Clancy's still on the clink.

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Speaker 4: Yeah. Well, I used to work at a farm after school.

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Speaker 4: So I get five bucks a night to ride the

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Speaker 4: bike up feed some animals. I get five bucks twenty

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Speaker 4: five bucks a week. And I was riding home on

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Speaker 4: my bike. I was twelve years old, maybe eleven, and

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Speaker 4: I saw this bungalow for sale in a front yard

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Speaker 4: for four hundred and fifty bucks. So I swung by

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Speaker 4: on the bike and I put twenty five deposit on it,

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Speaker 4: and I paid it off for the next six or

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Speaker 4: eight months. And we're at the dinner table and my

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Speaker 4: dad's a concrete or you know, God rest his soul,

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Speaker 4: and we're eating dinner, and they said, how is your there?

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Speaker 4: I said good. I said, I bought a bungalow. They

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Speaker 4: said a bungalow. I said, yeah, this big room, hardy plank.

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Speaker 4: I'll put it in the backyard.

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Speaker 2: I want to look proper, a proper, livable, enclosed bungalow,

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Speaker 2: like a little that's sort of.

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Speaker 4: Yeah yeah wow. So they looked at me and they said,

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Speaker 4: how are you going to get it here? And I said, well,

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Speaker 4: I haven't thought about that, And they said, how are

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Speaker 4: you going to get it over the fence? So it

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Speaker 4: costs him over a grand to get it transported and

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Speaker 4: to get the fence taken.

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Speaker 5: Down and to get it stump. And so I love

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Speaker 5: that bungalow. And so from twelve years old, mate, I

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Speaker 5: was living in the backyard.

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Speaker 4: So I thought enough to know I was sick of

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Speaker 4: them yelling at me from the window. If the phone

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Speaker 4: was on, or dinner was ready, or there's a phone call.

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Speaker 4: So I got an intercom system and if Mum yelled

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Speaker 4: from the end window, I'd say, can you bos me?

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Speaker 2: It's you have a conveyor that came out to your

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Speaker 2: door with dinner and breakfast. A lot just now.

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Speaker 4: But I'll tell you what. I had a beautiful double bed,

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Speaker 4: I had a lound sweet I had a stereo. I

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Speaker 4: had to mate my mate.

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Speaker 2: Right in the middle of the housing commissions.

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Speaker 4: Yeah, and so we had that. I was always independent,

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Speaker 4: you know. I I was happy working my own way,

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Speaker 4: and I do it all. But I wanted to do

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Speaker 4: it my way, and I suppose that took me into

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Speaker 4: the teens. I traveled on an Irish passport for for

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Speaker 4: two or three years when I was nineteen, overseas and

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Speaker 4: worked overseas through Europe and learnt a lot. I sold

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Speaker 4: my car over here to buy the airfare over there,

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Speaker 4: and I'm kind of like that, I don't work out

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Speaker 4: how I'm going to get home. So I ended up

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Speaker 4: staying there eighteen months and working around Europe.

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Speaker 2: But how good to go from where you were and

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Speaker 2: what you described as a very dangerous environment to be

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Speaker 2: raised into all of a sudden, this young man who's

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Speaker 2: been able to I guess break that cycle because so

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Speaker 2: many people get caught up in that generational Yeah, it is,

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Speaker 2: it's a cycle. I mean. I remember going back out

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Speaker 2: to a place called baber and ads the housing commissions

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Speaker 2: of Campbelltown, you know, and it had been thirty odd

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Speaker 2: years since I've been there, and I took my children

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Speaker 2: to show them what they don't I guess realize how

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Speaker 2: lucky they are, you know. And there was the same place.

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Speaker 2: You could still see the same families, and it was

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Speaker 2: just like, Wow, thirty years and nothing's changed, so how

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Speaker 2: good for you?

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Speaker 4: Well see, yeah, I remember, mate, one of those Friday

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Speaker 4: nights near Easter, riding home and I'd been paid the

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Speaker 4: twenty five bucks. We had a corner store, and like

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Speaker 4: I said, I was pretty young, and I went in

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Speaker 4: and got a whole shit load of Easter eggs for

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Speaker 4: the family. It's pretty raw, I got to tell you.

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Speaker 4: I was riding home and there were four blokes about eighteen.

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Speaker 4: The end of the story is I ended up in hospital,

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Speaker 4: bruised up the back with a skateboard smashed in the eye,

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Speaker 4: broken jaw, and Mum and Dad would call to the

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Speaker 4: hospital because the neighbor saw it all happen. And how

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Speaker 4: old were you, Michael, I was about ten to eleven.

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Speaker 2: You're kidding me.

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Speaker 4: And I remember waking up in Hastings hospital because I

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Speaker 4: was unconscious, and the first thing I said to Mum,

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Speaker 4: I said, did they get the eggs? They get the eggs?

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Speaker 4: I wanted to make sure that freaking Easter eggs were okay.

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Speaker 4: But that's that was life on Westpark Estate. Like you

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Speaker 4: kind of rolled the dock whenever it's Adelaide in Victoria,

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Speaker 4: made in Hastings, the bottom of Victoria.

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Speaker 2: I just want to say, and I know it's only

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Speaker 2: early in our chat, but I'm picking up and I

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Speaker 2: know who you are, but I haven't seen this, this

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Speaker 2: little side of you before, and it's quite interesting because

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Speaker 2: it makes a lot of sense to the man I

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Speaker 2: know today and how you see the world and deal

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Speaker 2: with everything you know from traumas that you've you've experienced

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Speaker 2: and have recently everything and you've been to hell them

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Speaker 2: back a thousand times over. But you you've got this

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Speaker 2: flip side where I can just see that that that's

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Speaker 2: just in your personality. You're able to find the funny,

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Speaker 2: you know, And I give you credit for that, because mate,

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Speaker 2: it's something that I feel that if we could all

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Speaker 2: try and learn to do. And I'm guilty of it

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Speaker 2: because I, you know, do sometimes get real deep and

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Speaker 2: hard into my thoughts and the negative side of something's

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Speaker 2: really sort of way down. And I obviously know you

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Speaker 2: know you've been in those places too. But you're an

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Speaker 2: interesting human, are a very interesting human, and I look

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Speaker 2: forward to more of you coming out for our audience

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Speaker 2: today because there's some beautiful things around the man you are.

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Speaker 2: So you're in hospital, you've been four outed as we

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Speaker 2: call it, bashed, and this is nothing out of the ordinary.

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Speaker 2: Back in those days, around those environments, I remember always

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Speaker 2: getting jumped between, you know, one end of the bush

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Speaker 2: entry and the other because you go through there to

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Speaker 2: get to the shops to grab bread and milk for

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Speaker 2: the family, and you genuinely had to, you know, in

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Speaker 2: the end, learn to stand on your own two feet

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Speaker 2: or you always got stood over and robbed getting out

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Speaker 2: of there. Though over to well what would you call it?

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Speaker 2: It must be heaven like for someone to go from

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Speaker 2: where you were to now seeing the world, you know,

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Speaker 2: Europe as it.

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Speaker 4: Was, Yeah, it was pretty cool. At sixteen, my dad

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Speaker 4: said to me, you can leave school son. I was

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Speaker 4: in year twelve and I finished year twelve and he said, well,

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Speaker 4: you're welcome to leave school. You can either get a

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Speaker 4: job or come concreting with me. So I went concreting

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Speaker 4: for a day. I went into Melbourne the next day

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Speaker 4: on the train and begged for a job. I wasn't

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Speaker 4: going to concrete for the for Hello, high water mate.

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Speaker 4: I couldn't understand how this.

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Speaker 2: Man you can do this. I keep looking at your

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Speaker 2: face with such deep seriousness, waiting for this intense.

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Speaker 6: Poor, poor poor Michael, like you've had a bad runneat

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Speaker 6: and you.

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Speaker 2: Fucking flipped in everything that comedy show.

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Speaker 4: No I'm serious.

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Speaker 2: I wait, No you are.

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Speaker 4: I had blisters in the gum boot.

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Speaker 2: I was raw.

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Speaker 4: My old man used to work twelve thirteen, fourteen hours

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Speaker 4: a day, six seven days a week.

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Speaker 2: Right.

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Speaker 4: He loved concreting. He'd whistle his nourishment. I despised it,

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Speaker 4: and I went. I borrowed a a three piece suit,

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Speaker 4: believe it or not, from a neighbor to go for

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Speaker 4: an interview in Melbourne. It was I got a diesel

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Speaker 4: trained to Frankston then an electric train to Melbourne was

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Speaker 4: about a two and a half hour trip each day.

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Speaker 4: I got a job with a Lloyd syndicate for professional

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Speaker 4: indemnity insurance, sixteen corner office in Williams Street in Melbourne.

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Speaker 4: I thought I'd arrived, but little did I know. I

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Speaker 4: didn't have a clue how to do the work, and

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Speaker 4: so I learned the hard way. I got a flat

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Speaker 4: in glenn Huntley when I was sixteen and a half,

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Speaker 4: before I got a license. Met a great chick. I

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Speaker 4: won't say her name, but she was fantastic. She was

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Speaker 4: twenty one and I was sixteen and a half.

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Speaker 2: That's fantastic.

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Speaker 4: Yeah, we lived the dream and wow. Then I kind

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Speaker 4: of how do I put this? Brent? I just think

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Speaker 4: we create our own environment, right, And I learned that

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Speaker 4: at a very early age that I could either complain

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Speaker 4: and winge about the environment I'm in, or if I

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Speaker 4: don't like it, I could change it. And luckily I

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Speaker 4: was strong enough to identify when I didn't when it

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Speaker 4: wasn't comfortable, and I had the strength of character to

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Speaker 4: change the environment. And I ended up working there for

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Speaker 4: five years. Bought a fruit shop in Husdale, called it

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Speaker 4: the Happy spud fruit shop. Wow, And then got that

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Speaker 4: to a level that I was happy with, sold that,

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Speaker 4: moved to Mansfield.

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Speaker 2: Can I just ask you something, This whole way of

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Speaker 2: building slowly through hard work, I mean, now I get it.

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Speaker 2: You said your dad was a very hard worker and

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Speaker 2: so on. Were your parents quite well? Well, they went

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Speaker 2: well off obviously because of where you know you were raised.

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Speaker 2: So where did the whole mindset of obviously saving everything

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Speaker 2: and you know, obviously you must have really sacrificed a

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Speaker 2: lot gain these these wonderful things in life that we

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Speaker 2: will strive for at such a young age.

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Speaker 4: Yeah. Mate, I was the worst saver and known to man,

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Speaker 4: pretty much my whole pay at any time would go

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Speaker 4: on just this week living. And whenever I did anything,

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Speaker 4: I just backed myself and I tell myself, you know,

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Speaker 4: when everybody else would say you can't, I'd say, buggy,

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Speaker 4: you I can, and just through determination more than anything

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Speaker 4: and long hours, I'd make it succeed. But then I'd say,

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Speaker 4: around mid twenties, I probably burnt out and I thought

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Speaker 4: enough's enough. So I learned how to pull a beer

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Speaker 4: and became a bar manager and met another check who

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Speaker 4: was really cool. Came she said, She said, tricky, do

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Speaker 4: you to go to the Gold Coast? I said, not really.

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Speaker 4: She said, well I'm going, and I said, well I

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Speaker 4: am too, and I drove the ud up here. So

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Speaker 4: she was a great chick. And I came up here

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Speaker 4: and I thought, shit, I better get a job. So

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Speaker 4: I got a job at Foxtowl, which was all Star

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Speaker 4: back in the day, and made I started on the

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Speaker 4: Gold Coast and serious to god, I was too embarrassed

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Speaker 4: to tell my old man because he was still alive.

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Speaker 4: Then I thought I'd become a receptionist, and I was

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Speaker 4: a phone jockey, and it was welcome to her, Welcome

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Speaker 4: to our star. Can I help you?

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Speaker 2: Hello, operator? What number would you like? Please? Please hold?

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Speaker 4: I thought, I can't do this for my life. I

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Speaker 4: just felt like I should be plugging in cables.

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Speaker 2: You know, the old exchange. That's exactly what it was like.

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Speaker 4: And I thought, bug of these, I'm going to find

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Speaker 4: a way to climb this ladder slowly so I don't

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Speaker 4: have to sit on the phones. And it took me

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Speaker 4: fourteen years in total, but within three I was a

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Speaker 4: team Within five, I was a floor manager, within seven,

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Speaker 4: I was a department manager. And he got better from there.

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Speaker 4: And I'll tell you something, mate, and anyone who asks me,

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Speaker 4: I'm not big noting here, but I'm just telling you

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Speaker 4: a fact, right. I won this award two times in

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Speaker 4: a row, first person to do it. It's called a

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Speaker 4: CEO's Award. I think it was Laurie Daily presented it

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Speaker 4: at the Convention Center on the Gold Coast and he said.

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Speaker 2: Mate, who's Lori Daily?

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Speaker 4: I don't know, some kind of He doesn't play AFL,

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Speaker 4: so I don't know him.

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Speaker 2: Squeeze all I think it's called is it? I don't know.

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Speaker 2: I heard these days you can't even pat someone on

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Speaker 2: the head without getting thrown in the bin. I don't

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Speaker 2: know what they call it. These theys used to be

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Speaker 2: called rugby league in football. But yes, the Great Lorry Daily,

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Speaker 2: the man, Yeah, he was pretty.

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Speaker 4: Short, pretty short, so he gave me that. And he said, mate,

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Speaker 4: that was a huge rap that your CEO gave you.

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Speaker 4: Now what he said, John Porter was his name, the CEO.

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Speaker 4: And he said, you know, if I as my team

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Speaker 4: or my department to jump off the building, they jump

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Speaker 4: off with me. And I'll never forget that because the

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Speaker 4: most important thing I ever learned in my career that

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Speaker 4: your staff are just a reflection of yourself. Anyone working

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Speaker 4: for you is pure and simply if they're toxic, you've

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Speaker 4: got to look at yourself, what am I doing wrong?

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Speaker 4: Why am I toxic? And treat them like people.

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Speaker 2: Let's just let's just let's just hold that thought for it,

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Speaker 2: because that's a very powerful statement and I think so

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Speaker 2: relevant to many people that are going to be listening

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Speaker 2: to this story today and the Clink and what we

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Speaker 2: try to achieve. Can you just repeat that again, that.

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Speaker 4: Your staff members are an absolute reflection of yourself. If

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Speaker 4: I had a toxic or if I did have had

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Speaker 4: have had a toxic staff member, I'd be looking at

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Speaker 4: myself thinking why am I so toxic? If I've got

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Speaker 4: someone lazy, I'd have to look at myself and think

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Speaker 4: why have I been lazy? Because you can make all

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Speaker 4: the excuses in the world, but at the end of

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Speaker 4: the day, the people that are working for you are

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Speaker 4: reflecting your leadership. And I learned that very early on.

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Speaker 4: And I can't stress that enough that I won't listen

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Speaker 4: to people say, you know, this guy's screwing me sideways

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Speaker 4: and I don't know what to do. You know, this

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Speaker 4: guy's this look at yourself. You've employed them, and.

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Speaker 2: This is life, This is everyday life. This is what

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Speaker 2: I'm loving about what you just said it, and this

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00:19:39,961 --> 00:19:43,441
Speaker 2: is what we should all really have a good look

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Speaker 2: at ourselves in the mirror and the reflection of how

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Speaker 2: we treat others to what comes back. You know, they

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Speaker 2: obviously life which we try to portray ourselves the way

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Speaker 2: we want to project onto people for persons to come

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Speaker 2: back to us in the same manner. Life unfortunately doesn't

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Speaker 2: have enough people that feel or look at things in

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Speaker 2: the same way, which is the world we live. We're

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Speaker 2: never going to get battles. That's just a kidding yourself.

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Speaker 2: But if we could all take a little something out

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Speaker 2: of this today, and there's plenty that we will take

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Speaker 2: from this and your story today, that statement that you've

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Speaker 2: just made I feel is very impacting and thank you.

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Speaker 4: Yeah, I believe that and I live by that even today.

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Speaker 4: And I've come up against some interesting people in the years,

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Speaker 4: and you know, I try my best and I fail sometimes,

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Speaker 4: you know, like everybody. But at the beginning of each

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Speaker 4: day and at the end of each day, I like

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Speaker 4: to think I've been authentic and genuine and I think

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Speaker 4: I will. I know if people practice that, to be

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Speaker 4: authentic and to be genuine, there's no mountain you can't climb.

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Speaker 4: You can achieve whatever you want. If you are transparent, authentic,

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Speaker 4: and genuine. It's as soon as you put on a mask,

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Speaker 4: as soon as you're pretending you're screwed, you have no

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Speaker 4: chance whatsoever. Because everybody out there, everybody we deal with,

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Speaker 4: they're not idiots.

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Speaker 2: Are You're starting to fall apart like you will, just

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Speaker 2: threads will get left, right and center, and before you

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Speaker 2: know it, there's a hole in your web where you

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Speaker 2: web a bullshit and there's no other way to put it.

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Speaker 2: And people see you through bullshit. Maybe not everybody, but

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Speaker 2: most of us that have half a brain, yep, we'll

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Speaker 2: see it a mile away.

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Speaker 4: One hundred percent. And that's what I try and avoid.

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Speaker 4: You know, I'm a person I like to not look

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Speaker 4: over the shoulder, screw anyone over And you know what,

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Speaker 4: my conscience and my karma is beautiful. I have shitloads

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Speaker 4: coming back to me, mate, all the time. And if

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Speaker 4: anybody tells you out there, look, you show me someone

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Speaker 4: who says if you do something good, nothing good comes back.

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Speaker 4: I'll show you a dickhead, I'll show you an idiot

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Speaker 4: because I'm telling you now, if if you do it

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Speaker 4: genuinely and authentically, it all does come back around. But

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Speaker 4: if you do it with a gender motive or wanting it,

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Speaker 4: you can kiss a goodbye.

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Speaker 2: I'm having a very look. I don't want to say

383
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Speaker 2: too much, but I feel that I'm having some good

384
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Speaker 2: things come back into my world again. And I guess

385
00:22:31,041 --> 00:22:36,360
Speaker 2: being authentic, being transparent, being me Rayne Hale or shine,

386
00:22:36,561 --> 00:22:40,921
Speaker 2: and you know, vulnerable at times and silly, I guess

387
00:22:40,921 --> 00:22:43,400
Speaker 2: at times. You know, whatever way you want to take it.

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Speaker 2: I mean, that's just who I am. But I haven't changed,

389
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Speaker 2: you know, and I still will give a shirt off

390
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Speaker 2: my back and pick someone after ye whatever I can do,

391
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Speaker 2: because I know that feeling. I've lived that life, you

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Speaker 2: know for me, that's I guess. And you starting from

393
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Speaker 2: humble beginnings of you know, the realities of where you

394
00:23:01,441 --> 00:23:05,561
Speaker 2: come from, never forgetting where you started, and that sets

395
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Speaker 2: you up to become the person, the man that you

396
00:23:08,681 --> 00:23:11,361
Speaker 2: are today, the leader of your family, you know, in business,

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Speaker 2: in the community that right there, you know, we could

398
00:23:14,961 --> 00:23:17,400
Speaker 2: also being oh man, fuck, it was shit. Growing up.

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Speaker 2: Life was tough and Yeah, it was a two ways

400
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Speaker 2: about it. It was a sickening environment. You know, I

401
00:23:23,600 --> 00:23:26,200
Speaker 2: don't think that anybody in that era got it easy,

402
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Speaker 2: but thank god that had happened.

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Speaker 4: Yeah, one hundred percent made I agree, you.

404
00:23:32,561 --> 00:23:34,920
Speaker 2: Know, because I wouldn't be here talking to you right now,

405
00:23:35,681 --> 00:23:38,200
Speaker 2: and we wouldn't be doing the things that we're doing

406
00:23:38,521 --> 00:23:42,400
Speaker 2: in our life and connecting with so many other people

407
00:23:42,441 --> 00:23:48,801
Speaker 2: on many, many levels that allow us to share and

408
00:23:48,840 --> 00:23:52,080
Speaker 2: give back. I think that is something that you know,

409
00:23:52,201 --> 00:23:55,681
Speaker 2: is important, so important lived experience.

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Speaker 4: Yeah, I agree, made and that's something I try and

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Speaker 4: instill on the kids. You know, life is the easiest

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Speaker 4: thing of all, mate. It's people that make it hard,

413
00:24:05,880 --> 00:24:10,161
Speaker 4: and not other people. It's ourselves, the judgments, the measurements,

414
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Speaker 4: the the targets we set, the goals we want to reach,

415
00:24:14,441 --> 00:24:19,600
Speaker 4: and the expectation we set ourselves. And I think getting

416
00:24:19,640 --> 00:24:23,200
Speaker 4: that under control is a very important thing for people.

417
00:24:25,041 --> 00:24:27,001
Speaker 4: You know, I see people burning out all the time

418
00:24:27,041 --> 00:24:35,840
Speaker 4: and they set very unrealistic expectation. And to me, it's

419
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Speaker 4: you know, I don't want to say smell the coffee

420
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Speaker 4: or the roses or anything, but you have to have

421
00:24:40,241 --> 00:24:45,080
Speaker 4: that that time just to reflect process ground yourself and say, shit,

422
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Speaker 4: you know, I've done pretty good. You know, life's pretty good.

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Speaker 2: Life is pretty good. But man, wow, what a journey

424
00:24:54,321 --> 00:24:56,480
Speaker 2: you have been on to get to pretty good. And

425
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Speaker 2: I take my hat off to you. You know, for

426
00:25:01,921 --> 00:25:05,481
Speaker 2: those that don't truly know who Michael is yet, and

427
00:25:05,761 --> 00:25:09,920
Speaker 2: many of you won't, but it will the penny will drop.

428
00:25:10,840 --> 00:25:16,801
Speaker 2: Michael was basically the guest management supervisor and have I

429
00:25:16,840 --> 00:25:22,041
Speaker 2: said that correctly looked after all the guests of all

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Speaker 2: guest services at dream World, and a job that he

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00:25:27,961 --> 00:25:31,200
Speaker 2: loved and you know, turned up every day with a beautiful,

432
00:25:31,201 --> 00:25:32,921
Speaker 2: big smile on his face. And if you could see

433
00:25:32,921 --> 00:25:36,680
Speaker 2: this man and his smile, it's quite infectious. And his

434
00:25:36,840 --> 00:25:41,280
Speaker 2: heart's pure gold, which you guys will hear about not

435
00:25:41,321 --> 00:25:44,801
Speaker 2: too long. But you went to work, you enjoyed your job,

436
00:25:45,561 --> 00:25:50,001
Speaker 2: and you know, things went from a happy man doing

437
00:25:50,080 --> 00:25:52,400
Speaker 2: okay in life and yes, you know, dealing with the

438
00:25:52,441 --> 00:25:57,561
Speaker 2: everyday bullshits and the ups and downs, and to being

439
00:25:57,600 --> 00:26:01,840
Speaker 2: in the middle of something so horrific and traumatic. Had you,

440
00:26:02,360 --> 00:26:06,880
Speaker 2: prior to this had much mental health issues and things

441
00:26:06,961 --> 00:26:09,080
Speaker 2: or did you find that, like you were saying, you know,

442
00:26:09,160 --> 00:26:11,321
Speaker 2: you were able to look at the world in a

443
00:26:11,321 --> 00:26:14,240
Speaker 2: way that even sometimes when you got knocked down, you

444
00:26:14,281 --> 00:26:17,600
Speaker 2: could still you know, tell those full boggers ahaha, got me.

445
00:26:17,681 --> 00:26:19,241
Speaker 2: But I'm going to come back and I'm going to

446
00:26:19,281 --> 00:26:21,761
Speaker 2: show you guys, you know what I mean, Like that

447
00:26:22,001 --> 00:26:27,001
Speaker 2: was who you were always prior to a terrible tragedy

448
00:26:27,080 --> 00:26:28,561
Speaker 2: at dream Will Yep.

449
00:26:29,400 --> 00:26:34,481
Speaker 4: Absolutely, I'd never and pray God, I never do get

450
00:26:34,521 --> 00:26:38,720
Speaker 4: to a level and suffer like I did after that. Mate.

451
00:26:39,080 --> 00:26:43,801
Speaker 4: My life was so complete before that, and my greatest

452
00:26:43,921 --> 00:26:46,321
Speaker 4: joy was standing out the front of that theme park

453
00:26:46,360 --> 00:26:50,281
Speaker 4: and greeting the guests, talking to the kids, and I'd

454
00:26:50,281 --> 00:26:54,561
Speaker 4: have a joke or too, you know, and Mate, my life.

455
00:26:54,761 --> 00:26:57,881
Speaker 4: I had two young kids at the time and they're

456
00:26:57,921 --> 00:26:59,161
Speaker 4: older now. I've still got them.

457
00:26:59,241 --> 00:27:01,401
Speaker 2: Yes, I've met your beautiful daughter several times.

458
00:27:01,441 --> 00:27:07,521
Speaker 4: Yeah, my world was one hundred percent. And thanks for

459
00:27:07,561 --> 00:27:11,721
Speaker 4: the segway in Brett, because I'll I'll just go into

460
00:27:11,761 --> 00:27:12,920
Speaker 4: it if it's okay with you.

461
00:27:13,441 --> 00:27:16,161
Speaker 2: Mate. This is like I said, this is an open book,

462
00:27:16,201 --> 00:27:18,400
Speaker 2: this is your story, and having you on is an

463
00:27:18,400 --> 00:27:23,121
Speaker 2: absolute honor and this is something that only you can

464
00:27:23,160 --> 00:27:25,680
Speaker 2: really discuss and talk about. And I'm happy to just

465
00:27:26,041 --> 00:27:29,241
Speaker 2: let that be you. Great because it is a very moving,

466
00:27:29,400 --> 00:27:33,281
Speaker 2: very touching and once again, guys, please this may be

467
00:27:33,360 --> 00:27:35,680
Speaker 2: triggering too many people out there, and our thoughts and

468
00:27:35,681 --> 00:27:39,920
Speaker 2: prayers are with those families that are left behind. Michael.

469
00:27:40,201 --> 00:27:44,561
Speaker 4: Yeah, I absolutely reiterate what you say there. I woke

470
00:27:44,640 --> 00:27:46,761
Speaker 4: up at seven in the morning, I went to work

471
00:27:46,801 --> 00:27:50,600
Speaker 4: for a normal day, unlock the Parker, dream World, set

472
00:27:50,681 --> 00:27:56,001
Speaker 4: up all the staff. At around three ten pm on

473
00:27:56,080 --> 00:27:59,561
Speaker 4: the sixteenth of October twenty sixteen, we got a call

474
00:27:59,600 --> 00:28:02,561
Speaker 4: on the two way radio saying it was Code gray,

475
00:28:03,360 --> 00:28:06,960
Speaker 4: which was pretty much all hands on deck. Bear in mind,

476
00:28:07,521 --> 00:28:10,960
Speaker 4: we hadn't been trained for anything like this. When I

477
00:28:11,001 --> 00:28:15,481
Speaker 4: got to the Thunder River Rapids ride, sadly, four people

478
00:28:15,481 --> 00:28:21,001
Speaker 4: had lost their life and it wasn't a very graceful

479
00:28:21,041 --> 00:28:27,401
Speaker 4: way to exit, and the injuries they incurred were fatal.

480
00:28:27,561 --> 00:28:31,001
Speaker 4: And I'm going to leave it at messy. It's images

481
00:28:31,041 --> 00:28:34,400
Speaker 4: you don't see every day, thank God. And again I

482
00:28:34,400 --> 00:28:37,321
Speaker 4: don't want to see him again. But you know, when

483
00:28:37,801 --> 00:28:40,041
Speaker 4: when you see a young lady who you welcomed into

484
00:28:40,041 --> 00:28:43,081
Speaker 4: the park because it's a quiet day with her three friends,

485
00:28:43,121 --> 00:28:46,161
Speaker 4: and I told them, you know you're going to have

486
00:28:46,161 --> 00:28:48,921
Speaker 4: a wonderful day, It's quiet, You're gonna have a great day.

487
00:28:49,321 --> 00:28:53,241
Speaker 4: And you know, six hours later on watching her eyes

488
00:28:53,281 --> 00:28:56,641
Speaker 4: from under the water gaze up at me, vacant and

489
00:28:57,361 --> 00:29:01,000
Speaker 4: rousy aga God addressed his soul. Anyway, there were there

490
00:29:01,001 --> 00:29:04,401
Speaker 4: were people missing ahead and body. It was messy and

491
00:29:04,441 --> 00:29:08,081
Speaker 4: they were caught inn convey about. I dealt with the

492
00:29:08,161 --> 00:29:12,480
Speaker 4: partner on the day and did what I could with

493
00:29:12,481 --> 00:29:16,121
Speaker 4: the paramedics and the police, and also that day and

494
00:29:16,201 --> 00:29:21,841
Speaker 4: my man. People don't understand. They try and bring the

495
00:29:21,921 --> 00:29:25,480
Speaker 4: memory back. I can tell you now what color clothes

496
00:29:25,521 --> 00:29:28,041
Speaker 4: they were wearing, the helicopter above, the smell of the

497
00:29:28,121 --> 00:29:30,441
Speaker 4: rubbish bin, I can tell you what they were wearing,

498
00:29:30,761 --> 00:29:35,001
Speaker 4: the kids, the husband, I can tell you absolutely every

499
00:29:35,081 --> 00:29:37,641
Speaker 4: minute detail of it. Not that I think about it

500
00:29:37,681 --> 00:29:40,801
Speaker 4: a lot, but it never leaves leaves my head. So

501
00:29:42,161 --> 00:29:47,681
Speaker 4: I rallied, and my manager at the time actually said, Clancy,

502
00:29:47,721 --> 00:29:50,641
Speaker 4: I can't cope with this. I sent her to my office.

503
00:29:51,001 --> 00:29:55,280
Speaker 4: I sectioned off the area with my security guards, sent

504
00:29:55,401 --> 00:29:59,801
Speaker 4: the kids of one of the fatalities to the ice

505
00:29:59,801 --> 00:30:01,881
Speaker 4: cream shop with my staff to get them out of

506
00:30:01,881 --> 00:30:06,881
Speaker 4: the scene. The partner of one of the fatalities ripped

507
00:30:06,881 --> 00:30:10,481
Speaker 4: a rubbish bin off a post and threw it, and

508
00:30:10,521 --> 00:30:15,000
Speaker 4: he was furious. I totally get why he was, and

509
00:30:15,041 --> 00:30:16,881
Speaker 4: as much as I tried to calm him down, in

510
00:30:16,921 --> 00:30:19,281
Speaker 4: the end, I just said, let him go. He's just

511
00:30:19,281 --> 00:30:22,601
Speaker 4: got to get it out. As a side note, that

512
00:30:23,001 --> 00:30:28,361
Speaker 4: the tragedy of that in itself two years ago, he

513
00:30:28,401 --> 00:30:30,681
Speaker 4: couldn't come to terms still with the loss of his

514
00:30:30,761 --> 00:30:38,161
Speaker 4: partner and he killed himself down the South Coast, and

515
00:30:38,241 --> 00:30:41,321
Speaker 4: it's a tragedy that keeps. People don't see the ripple

516
00:30:41,321 --> 00:30:46,281
Speaker 4: effect that has caused a lot of children, and the

517
00:30:46,361 --> 00:30:49,761
Speaker 4: children now are missing both parents because he couldn't cope

518
00:30:49,761 --> 00:30:55,681
Speaker 4: without her. They were childhood sweethearts and they had children three. Yeah,

519
00:30:56,521 --> 00:31:03,321
Speaker 4: And I was there that night till around I think

520
00:31:03,401 --> 00:31:06,561
Speaker 4: one point thirty two am the following day when we

521
00:31:06,681 --> 00:31:09,961
Speaker 4: finally when forensics arrived and the coroner.

522
00:31:10,441 --> 00:31:13,121
Speaker 2: Sorry, can I just and please don't I'm not trying

523
00:31:13,121 --> 00:31:16,321
Speaker 2: to be rude. I'm just trying to process that time

524
00:31:16,361 --> 00:31:21,921
Speaker 2: frame between the incident occurring, Ye, what you had to

525
00:31:22,361 --> 00:31:24,960
Speaker 2: endure see and everybody else who was there, the emergency

526
00:31:24,961 --> 00:31:31,121
Speaker 2: services and two then how many hours later before forensics

527
00:31:31,161 --> 00:31:33,161
Speaker 2: so nothing at the crime scene as well as it

528
00:31:33,201 --> 00:31:36,601
Speaker 2: would have been called at that stage, nothing could be

529
00:31:36,681 --> 00:31:40,881
Speaker 2: moved or touched. Everything had to have just stayed paused

530
00:31:42,161 --> 00:31:46,921
Speaker 2: as it was, as you just described, and beyond excuse me,

531
00:31:47,601 --> 00:31:50,361
Speaker 2: I'm just trying to be very gentle in my words,

532
00:31:51,241 --> 00:31:54,281
Speaker 2: but I'm a little bit fathomed at how many hours

533
00:31:54,401 --> 00:31:58,281
Speaker 2: that scene was there and how that must play in

534
00:31:58,321 --> 00:32:01,721
Speaker 2: yours and everybody else's minds constantly. I mean, it's bad

535
00:32:01,801 --> 00:32:04,121
Speaker 2: enough when we experienced something bang and flash, you know,

536
00:32:04,281 --> 00:32:07,801
Speaker 2: or an accident, that's the aftermath. We get that, but

537
00:32:07,881 --> 00:32:11,961
Speaker 2: this is like that horror scene. He's literally paused as

538
00:32:12,481 --> 00:32:14,401
Speaker 2: it was at its worst part.

539
00:32:15,481 --> 00:32:20,001
Speaker 4: Yeah, it was made straight up. I'd like to say

540
00:32:21,041 --> 00:32:25,001
Speaker 4: I recalled and put in to place all the protocols, etc.

541
00:32:25,321 --> 00:32:29,881
Speaker 4: But as true as I sit here now, all I did, buddy,

542
00:32:30,041 --> 00:32:33,481
Speaker 4: was I went into this auto pilot put a screen up,

543
00:32:34,001 --> 00:32:36,681
Speaker 4: and it was tough, but someone had to do it,

544
00:32:36,721 --> 00:32:41,001
Speaker 4: you know, and I had this shield, if you like.

545
00:32:41,121 --> 00:32:44,441
Speaker 4: And the only time that broke there was a fireman

546
00:32:44,641 --> 00:32:50,081
Speaker 4: in the raft that went down, and I was taking

547
00:32:50,121 --> 00:32:52,921
Speaker 4: a statement from him at about seven o'clock, eight o'clock

548
00:32:52,961 --> 00:32:55,281
Speaker 4: at night, and he said, mate, I was doing this,

549
00:32:55,441 --> 00:32:58,641
Speaker 4: and then I could see it vicariously through his eyes,

550
00:32:58,881 --> 00:33:01,201
Speaker 4: and I started to quiver, and I had to hand

551
00:33:01,281 --> 00:33:03,361
Speaker 4: him to someone else, to put a blanket around him

552
00:33:03,441 --> 00:33:06,761
Speaker 4: and take him because I had to get back to autopilot.

553
00:33:07,281 --> 00:33:11,761
Speaker 4: And all I recalled was every die Hard movie, every

554
00:33:11,801 --> 00:33:15,881
Speaker 4: Catastrophe movie. I'd seen what they do. They coughting it off,

555
00:33:15,921 --> 00:33:18,641
Speaker 4: they section it off, they get the public away, and

556
00:33:18,721 --> 00:33:21,601
Speaker 4: that that's what came into play. That that's truly what

557
00:33:21,681 --> 00:33:22,081
Speaker 4: I did.

558
00:33:22,441 --> 00:33:25,161
Speaker 2: And so for you, it was more fight or flight.

559
00:33:26,001 --> 00:33:33,480
Speaker 4: Absolutely. I look I for years, I kept asking why me.

560
00:33:35,321 --> 00:33:38,681
Speaker 4: Now I say, I'm so stoked it was me, because

561
00:33:40,881 --> 00:33:44,440
Speaker 4: we'll get to it later. But I don't know if

562
00:33:44,481 --> 00:33:46,801
Speaker 4: anyone else would. I'm not saying they would have coped

563
00:33:46,921 --> 00:33:50,721
Speaker 4: any differently, but I wouldn't wish this upon anyone else.

564
00:33:51,121 --> 00:33:52,401
Speaker 4: And I'm glad I carried it.

565
00:33:53,001 --> 00:33:55,760
Speaker 2: I just see, I see. And go back to what

566
00:33:55,761 --> 00:33:57,841
Speaker 2: we're saying at the start about chat about you as

567
00:33:57,881 --> 00:34:00,361
Speaker 2: a human and person How relative is what we're talking

568
00:34:00,441 --> 00:34:04,921
Speaker 2: about now about? Yeah, your personality, the way you've seen

569
00:34:05,121 --> 00:34:08,440
Speaker 2: life and how you dealt with the traumas and negativities

570
00:34:08,561 --> 00:34:11,560
Speaker 2: that were around you to then be led years into

571
00:34:11,601 --> 00:34:17,361
Speaker 2: your life to this horrific, extremely sad day. Yeah, it was.

572
00:34:17,561 --> 00:34:21,961
Speaker 4: It was a tough one. I don't know the words

573
00:34:21,961 --> 00:34:27,761
Speaker 4: that say it, however, I'll give it a shot. What

574
00:34:28,641 --> 00:34:32,001
Speaker 4: we saw that day. I know you get people on

575
00:34:32,121 --> 00:34:36,401
Speaker 4: here with fantastic stories and I love them right, and

576
00:34:37,161 --> 00:34:40,081
Speaker 4: I know some of them are pretty violent and things

577
00:34:40,121 --> 00:34:42,761
Speaker 4: like that. But I think for me, I'd never seen

578
00:34:42,761 --> 00:34:46,440
Speaker 4: a body. I'd never witnessed carnage like that. I'd never

579
00:34:46,481 --> 00:34:50,561
Speaker 4: been in that environment. And I challenged most people to

580
00:34:50,641 --> 00:34:54,641
Speaker 4: say they have in that in the fun theme park,

581
00:34:55,041 --> 00:34:57,241
Speaker 4: to have four fatalities.

582
00:34:56,881 --> 00:34:59,321
Speaker 2: Family fun theme park where lots of happy kids and

583
00:34:59,401 --> 00:35:02,121
Speaker 2: mums and dads save lots of money to come and

584
00:35:02,161 --> 00:35:05,961
Speaker 2: experience that, that joy, the dream that may never get

585
00:35:06,001 --> 00:35:08,041
Speaker 2: to dream will But that was close enough for him.

586
00:35:08,521 --> 00:35:13,481
Speaker 4: One hundred percent. And so look like I say, I

587
00:35:14,001 --> 00:35:16,201
Speaker 4: drove home. My wife was waiting up for me, God

588
00:35:16,241 --> 00:35:18,401
Speaker 4: bless her, and she said, do you want to talk

589
00:35:18,401 --> 00:35:20,561
Speaker 4: about it? And I remember us sitting on the bed

590
00:35:20,601 --> 00:35:22,561
Speaker 4: and I looked at her at three in the morning

591
00:35:23,681 --> 00:35:26,761
Speaker 4: and I said, sweetheart, all I can say is, don't

592
00:35:26,801 --> 00:35:28,561
Speaker 4: ever tell me you had a bad day at work,

593
00:35:28,721 --> 00:35:31,121
Speaker 4: because I've had the mother of the mare. I jumped

594
00:35:31,121 --> 00:35:34,121
Speaker 4: in the shower, washed it off next day. I was

595
00:35:34,121 --> 00:35:38,441
Speaker 4: back there at seven point thirty. And I'll tell you

596
00:35:38,521 --> 00:35:44,401
Speaker 4: something I couldn't in an instant, despite advice. I had

597
00:35:44,401 --> 00:35:48,121
Speaker 4: one hundred and ten staff. There is no way I

598
00:35:48,161 --> 00:35:50,161
Speaker 4: could not be there for those guys.

599
00:35:50,121 --> 00:35:52,641
Speaker 2: And be that leader and be camp there to care

600
00:35:52,721 --> 00:35:55,041
Speaker 2: and show your compassion and be you.

601
00:35:56,001 --> 00:36:00,681
Speaker 4: You know mate, the imagine you worked there twenty years.

602
00:36:00,721 --> 00:36:03,281
Speaker 4: I didn't, but some of them did. This has happened.

603
00:36:03,281 --> 00:36:06,801
Speaker 4: It's all over the news. It's like media city out

604
00:36:06,841 --> 00:36:09,281
Speaker 4: the front of Dream World. There's tens for Channel seven

605
00:36:09,321 --> 00:36:09,801
Speaker 4: and ten.

606
00:36:09,961 --> 00:36:12,561
Speaker 2: And I think it was disgusting the way that it

607
00:36:12,601 --> 00:36:15,201
Speaker 2: all went down. It was terrific the outside looking in.

608
00:36:15,721 --> 00:36:18,721
Speaker 2: Just the lack of respect for those lives lost and

609
00:36:18,761 --> 00:36:21,921
Speaker 2: the families and loved ones, and just the whole media

610
00:36:22,001 --> 00:36:24,241
Speaker 2: scrum around it and what was being put out and

611
00:36:24,241 --> 00:36:26,281
Speaker 2: what was being said and how it was worded.

612
00:36:27,041 --> 00:36:29,081
Speaker 4: It was putrid mate unnecessary.

613
00:36:29,241 --> 00:36:31,841
Speaker 2: Completely the media has to take and we're not going

614
00:36:31,921 --> 00:36:35,161
Speaker 2: to get off track here, but just there is ownership,

615
00:36:36,281 --> 00:36:39,401
Speaker 2: and the ownership lays with them, you know, because there's

616
00:36:39,401 --> 00:36:42,081
Speaker 2: a lot of words, things and pain that they'll never

617
00:36:42,121 --> 00:36:44,321
Speaker 2: take away that people had to experience and go through

618
00:36:44,641 --> 00:36:50,081
Speaker 2: due to the ill informed, or let's let's grab a

619
00:36:50,361 --> 00:36:52,641
Speaker 2: headline and make it as we see fit, like they

620
00:36:52,681 --> 00:36:54,081
Speaker 2: love to do. Well.

621
00:36:54,561 --> 00:36:57,321
Speaker 4: I learned very fast, mate. If the media kick off

622
00:36:57,361 --> 00:37:00,321
Speaker 4: a news update and it says there are unconfirmed reports,

623
00:37:00,401 --> 00:37:03,561
Speaker 4: it's bullshit. That's what I learned. Every time they lead

624
00:37:03,601 --> 00:37:07,201
Speaker 4: in with unconfirmed it's they're making it up. The stories

625
00:37:07,201 --> 00:37:10,201
Speaker 4: that came out of that were unbelievable. We couldn't walk

626
00:37:10,441 --> 00:37:13,681
Speaker 4: from our cars to the entrance without mobs of media

627
00:37:14,241 --> 00:37:17,721
Speaker 4: and some of the stuff. Found that pretty horrific and

628
00:37:17,921 --> 00:37:18,601
Speaker 4: very intimidated.

629
00:37:18,961 --> 00:37:22,361
Speaker 2: How did you find that? Honestly? I mean, in your mind,

630
00:37:22,441 --> 00:37:24,521
Speaker 2: you know that you're going to be confronted with this scrum.

631
00:37:24,601 --> 00:37:27,161
Speaker 2: You know that you're turning up there to lead your team,

632
00:37:27,241 --> 00:37:30,641
Speaker 2: to be there to show that as much as internally

633
00:37:30,681 --> 00:37:35,601
Speaker 2: you're just absolutely in pieces. You've accepted the responsibility of

634
00:37:35,641 --> 00:37:40,001
Speaker 2: your task, your leadership, your job. But you then before

635
00:37:40,041 --> 00:37:42,041
Speaker 2: you even get into that gate to try and put

636
00:37:42,041 --> 00:37:45,001
Speaker 2: that smile on your face or show that compassion, you've

637
00:37:45,001 --> 00:37:47,161
Speaker 2: got to deal with a bunch of fucking idiots in

638
00:37:47,201 --> 00:37:52,121
Speaker 2: your face, wanting answers, demanding questions, ten people just yelling

639
00:37:52,201 --> 00:37:56,321
Speaker 2: at you left right, How did you deal with that, mate,

640
00:37:56,481 --> 00:38:00,281
Speaker 2: Because honestly, I couldn't imagine seeing you become aggressive and violent,

641
00:38:00,361 --> 00:38:02,361
Speaker 2: but I'm sure that there was a burning fire within

642
00:38:02,441 --> 00:38:04,761
Speaker 2: you that wanted to just go fuck off.

643
00:38:05,481 --> 00:38:09,601
Speaker 4: I don't recall feeling that. What I recall is again

644
00:38:09,721 --> 00:38:13,761
Speaker 4: for that I worked there three months after, but I

645
00:38:13,841 --> 00:38:16,761
Speaker 4: remember walking in and I put my head down and

646
00:38:16,801 --> 00:38:18,521
Speaker 4: it was like there was no one else. I was

647
00:38:18,561 --> 00:38:21,961
Speaker 4: in a bubble, like my own little world, and I

648
00:38:22,001 --> 00:38:24,601
Speaker 4: didn't care who spoke to me, who tapped me on

649
00:38:24,641 --> 00:38:27,761
Speaker 4: the shoulder, what microphone was shoved in. I just kept walking,

650
00:38:28,521 --> 00:38:31,001
Speaker 4: and I thought, all I have to do, I'd focus

651
00:38:31,041 --> 00:38:34,921
Speaker 4: on the door or the gate and head down straight in.

652
00:38:36,401 --> 00:38:39,321
Speaker 4: What I've learned too, Mate, is the template they used

653
00:38:39,321 --> 00:38:42,961
Speaker 4: for dream World when the fatalities occurred. They use for

654
00:38:43,001 --> 00:38:46,681
Speaker 4: every tragedy. It's the same template on TV on the news,

655
00:38:47,201 --> 00:38:51,481
Speaker 4: and they just put different photos in. When the helicopter

656
00:38:51,521 --> 00:38:55,401
Speaker 4: crash happened on Yes over a sea World, I.

657
00:38:55,281 --> 00:38:57,441
Speaker 2: Have another friend who was actually there in his boat

658
00:38:57,521 --> 00:39:00,281
Speaker 2: and pieces of the chopper fell upon him and his family.

659
00:39:00,481 --> 00:39:04,561
Speaker 4: Yep, and see that triggers me. But Mate, I was

660
00:39:04,641 --> 00:39:08,041
Speaker 4: driving home two months after it down the m one

661
00:39:08,081 --> 00:39:09,921
Speaker 4: at nine point thirty at night. Because it was summer,

662
00:39:09,961 --> 00:39:12,881
Speaker 4: trading in the park was back open, and I locked

663
00:39:12,961 --> 00:39:15,401
Speaker 4: up the park, walked out and I held a post.

664
00:39:16,161 --> 00:39:20,121
Speaker 4: I thought, shit, I'm dying. I started sweating, starts shaking,

665
00:39:20,801 --> 00:39:24,201
Speaker 4: couldn't breathe thought shit. So I made it to the

666
00:39:24,201 --> 00:39:27,721
Speaker 4: car phone, phoned animal wife and I said, mate, I

667
00:39:27,761 --> 00:39:30,801
Speaker 4: think I'm dying. She said, go to the hospital. So

668
00:39:31,161 --> 00:39:33,881
Speaker 4: I made it to the hospital twenty four hours. I said,

669
00:39:34,201 --> 00:39:38,081
Speaker 4: mister Clancy, you've got anxiety, so I can't have never

670
00:39:38,161 --> 00:39:40,001
Speaker 4: had it. I said, I'm telling you I was having

671
00:39:40,001 --> 00:39:43,721
Speaker 4: a heart attack, No anxiety. Went to my GP, got

672
00:39:43,761 --> 00:39:46,601
Speaker 4: a gadget, put on Michael, you've got anxiety. I said,

673
00:39:46,601 --> 00:39:50,321
Speaker 4: that's bullshit. Never had it. I'm forty eight years old,

674
00:39:50,441 --> 00:39:52,561
Speaker 4: never had anxiety. I don't even know what it is.

675
00:39:53,121 --> 00:39:55,081
Speaker 4: He said, I refer you to a heart specialist. So

676
00:39:55,081 --> 00:39:57,801
Speaker 4: I went to three. The first one said anxiety, the

677
00:39:57,921 --> 00:40:00,801
Speaker 4: second said anxiety. The third one said I can refer

678
00:40:00,881 --> 00:40:03,601
Speaker 4: you to someone else, but you're wasting your money. You've

679
00:40:03,601 --> 00:40:08,041
Speaker 4: got anxiety. Accepted. Then, after a couple of thousand bucks,

680
00:40:08,081 --> 00:40:11,361
Speaker 4: that I now suffered anxiety. I'd be in the middle

681
00:40:11,401 --> 00:40:14,481
Speaker 4: of a shopping center, mate, and I just spin. I

682
00:40:14,481 --> 00:40:16,361
Speaker 4: felt like I was going to pass out. I couldn't

683
00:40:16,401 --> 00:40:19,721
Speaker 4: go to the supermarket without embarrassing myself. It just took over.

684
00:40:20,161 --> 00:40:24,281
Speaker 4: It had total control over me. I'd never ever experienced

685
00:40:24,401 --> 00:40:28,281
Speaker 4: anything like this, and it was horrific. Anyway, So after

686
00:40:28,361 --> 00:40:32,401
Speaker 4: three months at dream World, I remember the day I

687
00:40:32,441 --> 00:40:35,321
Speaker 4: was opening the water park and I could hear people laughing.

688
00:40:36,241 --> 00:40:38,601
Speaker 4: I thought, shit, it's getting back to normal now. I

689
00:40:38,641 --> 00:40:41,041
Speaker 4: didn't plan this, mate, and I've never done this in

690
00:40:41,081 --> 00:40:45,001
Speaker 4: my life. But I walked into my boss and I said,

691
00:40:45,241 --> 00:40:47,960
Speaker 4: I can't do it. I can't do another day here.

692
00:40:48,081 --> 00:40:50,361
Speaker 4: I'm going home. And she said, what do you mean?

693
00:40:50,521 --> 00:40:53,601
Speaker 4: I said, I feel like my head's a sponge and

694
00:40:53,681 --> 00:40:57,161
Speaker 4: I can't soak up one more piece of abuse, one

695
00:40:57,201 --> 00:41:01,921
Speaker 4: more being spat on, being thumped. I said, I just

696
00:41:01,961 --> 00:41:05,601
Speaker 4: can't do it. Because I was the supervisor, Jude manager,

697
00:41:06,001 --> 00:41:09,161
Speaker 4: anyone who complained or wanted to have a go I

698
00:41:09,201 --> 00:41:12,440
Speaker 4: had to deal with. Now in reception made I kid

699
00:41:12,481 --> 00:41:15,681
Speaker 4: you not. They would stay there, some of the punters,

700
00:41:16,241 --> 00:41:18,881
Speaker 4: for six hours and come in at four o'clock. I'd

701
00:41:18,921 --> 00:41:23,121
Speaker 4: get called in because the girls couldn't handle it, and

702
00:41:23,161 --> 00:41:26,241
Speaker 4: they'd say, hey, we want our money back. You guys

703
00:41:26,321 --> 00:41:29,681
Speaker 4: murder people. We don't want to come here again, and

704
00:41:29,761 --> 00:41:33,681
Speaker 4: they'd say fuck you and they One guy jumped the counter,

705
00:41:33,801 --> 00:41:36,801
Speaker 4: grabbed me, started laying into me. Security had to drag

706
00:41:36,881 --> 00:41:39,721
Speaker 4: him off. We had to end up having escorts to

707
00:41:39,841 --> 00:41:43,561
Speaker 4: our cars at night because Joe Public thought we were murderers.

708
00:41:44,561 --> 00:41:47,521
Speaker 4: My wife was abused at a service station because she

709
00:41:47,561 --> 00:41:52,201
Speaker 4: had a dreamwork shirt. My kids at school, Brent, I

710
00:41:52,201 --> 00:41:54,520
Speaker 4: don't know if I've told you this, but they were

711
00:41:55,121 --> 00:41:58,441
Speaker 4: eight years old and ten years old. After two weeks

712
00:41:58,481 --> 00:42:01,001
Speaker 4: after the incident, I was called down to the primary

713
00:42:01,001 --> 00:42:06,241
Speaker 4: school and told that there was a parent banned from

714
00:42:06,321 --> 00:42:09,081
Speaker 4: the school and a child was expelled. And I said

715
00:42:09,121 --> 00:42:13,801
Speaker 4: why because the parent had told Tiagan, my daughter, you

716
00:42:13,881 --> 00:42:16,201
Speaker 4: can shut up. Have you seen what your dad does

717
00:42:16,201 --> 00:42:16,761
Speaker 4: to people?

718
00:42:16,961 --> 00:42:17,521
Speaker 2: Oh dear?

719
00:42:18,001 --> 00:42:21,361
Speaker 4: And the parents started verbally abusing her, and the teacher

720
00:42:21,441 --> 00:42:24,761
Speaker 4: saw this. I didn't find out for three days. Mate

721
00:42:25,681 --> 00:42:30,041
Speaker 4: and I went up to school and I said to

722
00:42:30,081 --> 00:42:34,121
Speaker 4: the principal, I said, you know, I'll talk to the parent.

723
00:42:35,921 --> 00:42:38,041
Speaker 4: I really wanted to talk to the parent. You're talking

724
00:42:38,041 --> 00:42:41,921
Speaker 4: about anger coming out that was mine? Yeah, I wasn't

725
00:42:41,921 --> 00:42:45,161
Speaker 4: allowed to because I didn't know who it was. I

726
00:42:45,201 --> 00:42:47,841
Speaker 4: took Teagan in the car and I struggled with this

727
00:42:47,961 --> 00:42:53,801
Speaker 4: still to this day, and I said to her, I said, sweetheart,

728
00:42:54,161 --> 00:42:57,921
Speaker 4: why didn't you tell me? It was three days ago?

729
00:42:59,521 --> 00:43:02,761
Speaker 4: She says, Dad, I thought you were going through enough.

730
00:43:03,201 --> 00:43:05,041
Speaker 4: I was just trying to look after you.

731
00:43:05,961 --> 00:43:06,241
Speaker 2: Mate.

732
00:43:07,281 --> 00:43:09,361
Speaker 4: If that didn't make me feel like a failure as

733
00:43:09,401 --> 00:43:14,761
Speaker 4: a father, that was tough. I was walking to my

734
00:43:14,841 --> 00:43:18,361
Speaker 4: carr and this is why security ended up providing escorts.

735
00:43:18,481 --> 00:43:20,561
Speaker 4: I was laid in two by four people, which took

736
00:43:20,601 --> 00:43:23,321
Speaker 4: me back to West Park. It was a messy time.

737
00:43:23,881 --> 00:43:26,801
Speaker 4: Let me tell you this, mate. The incident, like I

738
00:43:26,881 --> 00:43:30,081
Speaker 4: told you, happened when I first got back to my

739
00:43:30,161 --> 00:43:33,681
Speaker 4: office that day at eight o'clock to run a report

740
00:43:33,721 --> 00:43:35,281
Speaker 4: for the cops of who came in.

741
00:43:35,641 --> 00:43:36,960
Speaker 2: This is eight o'clock that night.

742
00:43:37,441 --> 00:43:41,961
Speaker 4: Yep. We already had seven hundred and forty emails on

743
00:43:42,001 --> 00:43:46,241
Speaker 4: my computer saying we want to refund for our annual pass,

744
00:43:46,641 --> 00:43:50,521
Speaker 4: Your park sucks, and abusive emails. We got a total

745
00:43:50,521 --> 00:43:54,841
Speaker 4: of fourteen thousand emails in two months ripping into us.

746
00:43:55,321 --> 00:43:58,761
Speaker 4: I had death threats my man. I'd take escalated phone

747
00:43:58,801 --> 00:44:01,321
Speaker 4: calls because no one deserves to cop what we cop,

748
00:44:01,441 --> 00:44:03,521
Speaker 4: but I was paid to do it, and I had

749
00:44:03,561 --> 00:44:06,601
Speaker 4: a guy. And as true as I sit here, buddy,

750
00:44:06,961 --> 00:44:09,681
Speaker 4: I'll find out where you live and kill four of

751
00:44:09,721 --> 00:44:12,561
Speaker 4: your family will come and get you. Mate, I can

752
00:44:12,561 --> 00:44:16,801
Speaker 4: show you emails and emails of threats, death threats. It

753
00:44:16,841 --> 00:44:20,481
Speaker 4: was putrid, and for me it was a whole new world.

754
00:44:20,521 --> 00:44:23,281
Speaker 4: Like I was totally alien. I'd never felt so vulnerable,

755
00:44:23,481 --> 00:44:29,161
Speaker 4: so exposed, and guilty, like I felt really guilty. I

756
00:44:29,201 --> 00:44:32,521
Speaker 4: felt like a real bastard, like I'd taken these lives.

757
00:44:32,921 --> 00:44:36,281
Speaker 2: Let's not go back for a second and realize exactly

758
00:44:36,281 --> 00:44:38,281
Speaker 2: what happened on the day and what you did and

759
00:44:38,281 --> 00:44:40,801
Speaker 2: what you had to do to have gone through what

760
00:44:40,841 --> 00:44:46,881
Speaker 2: you went through to then be months later and weeks

761
00:44:47,641 --> 00:44:52,561
Speaker 2: like a mate, I just I'm a little bit taken

762
00:44:52,601 --> 00:44:56,801
Speaker 2: back how you're still here and how you've found the

763
00:44:56,841 --> 00:45:00,201
Speaker 2: strength to continue. And please don't take that any other way.

764
00:45:00,201 --> 00:45:03,361
Speaker 2: And to any listeners out there, please I say that

765
00:45:03,401 --> 00:45:07,401
Speaker 2: with nothing respect, in dignity, in you know what I'm

766
00:45:07,441 --> 00:45:11,441
Speaker 2: trying to say here, But mate, the world was literally

767
00:45:11,601 --> 00:45:15,401
Speaker 2: on your shoulders. Yeah, all the wrong reasons.

768
00:45:15,921 --> 00:45:19,641
Speaker 4: It was a terrible time when I the day I

769
00:45:19,761 --> 00:45:23,281
Speaker 4: quit mate. I went home and I hopped into bed.

770
00:45:23,641 --> 00:45:26,321
Speaker 4: And I'm a bit embarrassed to say this, but I'm honest.

771
00:45:26,561 --> 00:45:29,601
Speaker 2: I embarrassed mate for about beautiful thing about the clink.

772
00:45:29,761 --> 00:45:34,241
Speaker 4: It's open mate for twelve months, eighteen months. If I

773
00:45:34,281 --> 00:45:37,321
Speaker 4: had to go out once a week, I'd spend six

774
00:45:37,401 --> 00:45:38,881
Speaker 4: days building up to going out.

775
00:45:38,921 --> 00:45:39,521
Speaker 2: That one day.

776
00:45:39,961 --> 00:45:44,241
Speaker 4: Lost faith in all of humankind. I didn't believe there

777
00:45:44,281 --> 00:45:49,601
Speaker 4: was a decent person out there. I struggled getting through

778
00:45:49,641 --> 00:45:53,201
Speaker 4: a day. I didn't. I did. I'll let you know

779
00:45:53,321 --> 00:45:55,401
Speaker 4: seven people a dream or that were there on that day.

780
00:45:56,361 --> 00:46:00,321
Speaker 4: Staff there are only eleven of us, but seven in rehab,

781
00:46:01,321 --> 00:46:03,841
Speaker 4: and lucky I didn't turn to anything because it would

782
00:46:03,881 --> 00:46:04,761
Speaker 4: have been so easy.

783
00:46:04,801 --> 00:46:08,401
Speaker 2: Mate rehab for self medicating, whether it be alcohol or

784
00:46:08,441 --> 00:46:11,721
Speaker 2: drugs or just not being able to do both. No,

785
00:46:11,841 --> 00:46:17,041
Speaker 2: it's alcoholism and drug addiction mainly adults, not yet absolutely

786
00:46:17,401 --> 00:46:22,481
Speaker 2: so family people, mature people. Wow, doesn't that just put

787
00:46:22,521 --> 00:46:26,481
Speaker 2: it in their perspective how bad? And you know, trauma

788
00:46:26,561 --> 00:46:28,440
Speaker 2: can trigger And we talk about this all the time

789
00:46:28,481 --> 00:46:31,241
Speaker 2: through lived experience, and a lot of my guests will

790
00:46:31,481 --> 00:46:35,881
Speaker 2: just about everybody that's come on the clip has endured

791
00:46:35,921 --> 00:46:40,601
Speaker 2: some traumatic experiences that triggered that way of life. You know,

792
00:46:40,801 --> 00:46:44,881
Speaker 2: the abuse, the self medicating, the drug abuse, the addictions.

793
00:46:45,361 --> 00:46:49,041
Speaker 2: You are talking about everyday people are happy. We're not

794
00:46:49,041 --> 00:46:51,761
Speaker 2: talking about anybody with sort of any criminality background or

795
00:46:51,801 --> 00:46:53,801
Speaker 2: you know, Mom, I'm sure they've they've got their own

796
00:46:54,121 --> 00:46:58,480
Speaker 2: hardship stories within it. We all do. But just normal,

797
00:46:58,521 --> 00:47:01,561
Speaker 2: happy people doing a great job. And you just said

798
00:47:01,601 --> 00:47:06,721
Speaker 2: they're seven out of eleven after this. Terrible trads have

799
00:47:07,001 --> 00:47:08,521
Speaker 2: ended up in rehabit.

800
00:47:09,441 --> 00:47:16,361
Speaker 4: Yeah, that's it just puts in perspective, it really does, Mate.

801
00:47:18,601 --> 00:47:21,521
Speaker 4: I wake up in the mornings regretting. I would never

802
00:47:22,041 --> 00:47:24,161
Speaker 4: I didn't get to a point where I wanted to top

803
00:47:24,121 --> 00:47:28,441
Speaker 4: myself pretty close, but I would wake up in the

804
00:47:28,441 --> 00:47:33,161
Speaker 4: morning thinking shit, I made it through the night, and

805
00:47:33,281 --> 00:47:37,161
Speaker 4: I'd regret waking up and Mate, it was a tough

806
00:47:37,201 --> 00:47:43,721
Speaker 4: time for the family for me. I I was at

807
00:47:43,721 --> 00:47:47,561
Speaker 4: the point of no return and straight up I ended

808
00:47:47,641 --> 00:47:51,081
Speaker 4: up in ra being a private for two weeks. And

809
00:47:52,321 --> 00:47:56,361
Speaker 4: if people say they've hit rock bottom, I'm here to

810
00:47:56,401 --> 00:48:01,361
Speaker 4: tell you I empathize because I've been there and literally

811
00:48:01,401 --> 00:48:05,201
Speaker 4: I was on the floor, like on the floor, had

812
00:48:05,361 --> 00:48:08,121
Speaker 4: been a private and I couldn't even get off the

813
00:48:08,121 --> 00:48:11,041
Speaker 4: floor to get onto the bed. I just had had.

814
00:48:10,881 --> 00:48:11,521
Speaker 2: It with life.

815
00:48:11,721 --> 00:48:16,561
Speaker 4: I had had it with everything, everybody. I didn't care.

816
00:48:16,801 --> 00:48:19,721
Speaker 4: I just had no Is that a.

817
00:48:19,641 --> 00:48:24,241
Speaker 2: Mental health hospital, Michael, I'm just because we're obviously he

818
00:48:24,441 --> 00:48:29,841
Speaker 2: is from all over the world, so and you've self admitted.

819
00:48:29,961 --> 00:48:34,601
Speaker 4: Self admitted it's a great, great hospital. But mate, I'd

820
00:48:34,601 --> 00:48:38,921
Speaker 4: never experienced anything like it. And that's the point I

821
00:48:39,001 --> 00:48:43,121
Speaker 4: got to that I just it's very difficult to put

822
00:48:43,161 --> 00:48:46,401
Speaker 4: words around, but I couldn't. I couldn't be bothered walking

823
00:48:47,321 --> 00:48:51,081
Speaker 4: like I just the whole world sucked and there was

824
00:48:51,081 --> 00:48:54,041
Speaker 4: no point because we all die and at the end

825
00:48:54,081 --> 00:48:56,641
Speaker 4: of the day, why bother waking up At the end

826
00:48:56,681 --> 00:48:58,641
Speaker 4: of the day, We're not going to be here. And

827
00:48:58,961 --> 00:49:02,521
Speaker 4: I could see that, mate. My dreams were so horrific

828
00:49:03,721 --> 00:49:06,881
Speaker 4: for years. I still will have them now periodically, but

829
00:49:07,641 --> 00:49:10,401
Speaker 4: generally it's children or babies, and I'm trying to save

830
00:49:10,481 --> 00:49:13,601
Speaker 4: them from drowning, you know, And I can't do it.

831
00:49:13,721 --> 00:49:20,121
Speaker 4: And I wake up now, thankfully I can. I can

832
00:49:20,241 --> 00:49:21,961
Speaker 4: wash it off as a dream and go back to sleep.

833
00:49:21,961 --> 00:49:24,681
Speaker 4: But at that time I'd have to get up, walk around.

834
00:49:24,921 --> 00:49:30,241
Speaker 4: It was so vivid and so real, but you touched

835
00:49:30,281 --> 00:49:34,521
Speaker 4: on trauma. Trauma is an animal all of itself, and

836
00:49:35,641 --> 00:49:40,201
Speaker 4: trauma is an all consuming beast that is relentless until

837
00:49:40,241 --> 00:49:45,041
Speaker 4: you identify it. And I'm not going to preach to anybody,

838
00:49:45,081 --> 00:49:49,441
Speaker 4: but for me, from my experience, what works is naming

839
00:49:49,481 --> 00:49:53,881
Speaker 4: it what it is, facing it for what it is,

840
00:49:54,961 --> 00:49:58,681
Speaker 4: embracing it, and releasing it. And that can all happen

841
00:49:58,721 --> 00:50:01,401
Speaker 4: over a week or a year or a day, but

842
00:50:01,481 --> 00:50:03,201
Speaker 4: I do that weekly.

843
00:50:03,281 --> 00:50:03,561
Speaker 2: Now.

844
00:50:03,801 --> 00:50:06,761
Speaker 4: If I'm triggered. If I hear an ambulance, go past, mate,

845
00:50:06,961 --> 00:50:12,321
Speaker 4: and I'm near Rabina Hospital, sorry, Southport Hospital. If I

846
00:50:12,321 --> 00:50:14,041
Speaker 4: hear an ambulance siren.

847
00:50:13,801 --> 00:50:16,041
Speaker 2: Well, any sirens you do, hear plenty because you got

848
00:50:16,041 --> 00:50:18,881
Speaker 2: the police constantly in the ambulance. Like it's just one

849
00:50:18,961 --> 00:50:21,361
Speaker 2: of any place where there's just NonStop sirens.

850
00:50:21,641 --> 00:50:25,601
Speaker 4: Yeah, it's only the last two years. I can continue driving.

851
00:50:25,641 --> 00:50:28,241
Speaker 4: If I hear a siren before that, I'd pull over

852
00:50:28,361 --> 00:50:32,281
Speaker 4: because I just fall apart. Interesting thing to put in context.

853
00:50:32,761 --> 00:50:35,321
Speaker 4: Three years ago, I had a kidney stone. I went

854
00:50:35,361 --> 00:50:38,521
Speaker 4: into surgery, they took it out and put a stent in.

855
00:50:41,361 --> 00:50:44,361
Speaker 4: I came home and they say, they said, come back

856
00:50:44,401 --> 00:50:47,000
Speaker 4: in three days and we'll take the stent out.

857
00:50:47,241 --> 00:50:49,521
Speaker 2: You did it all on your big boy self, didn't you.

858
00:50:49,841 --> 00:50:51,440
Speaker 2: I did far.

859
00:50:53,001 --> 00:50:54,961
Speaker 4: I could not face.

860
00:50:54,961 --> 00:50:57,961
Speaker 2: I'm thinking it's all right. I think I.

861
00:50:58,041 --> 00:51:00,921
Speaker 4: Couldn't face going back, mate, I couldn't have face.

862
00:51:02,241 --> 00:51:06,041
Speaker 2: Had me triple spinal fusion and the stuff. And I

863
00:51:06,121 --> 00:51:08,281
Speaker 2: woke up after because it was a two day off,

864
00:51:08,521 --> 00:51:12,481
Speaker 2: I don't know, I woke up with I was like,

865
00:51:13,161 --> 00:51:19,601
Speaker 2: get this, I can't imagine you just go wow.

866
00:51:19,801 --> 00:51:23,321
Speaker 4: So I was. I couldn't face the whole emergency situation,

867
00:51:23,521 --> 00:51:27,401
Speaker 4: the ambulances outside, the masks, and the whole. Mate. It

868
00:51:27,521 --> 00:51:29,881
Speaker 4: freaked me out. My body took over. Someone in the

869
00:51:29,921 --> 00:51:33,161
Speaker 4: bathroom removed it, rushed in an ambulance back to the

870
00:51:33,161 --> 00:51:37,161
Speaker 4: hospital because I nearly bled out, and I ended up

871
00:51:37,161 --> 00:51:39,721
Speaker 4: in there for four more days. But the thing is,

872
00:51:40,161 --> 00:51:41,641
Speaker 4: that's the point I got to.

873
00:51:41,761 --> 00:51:44,081
Speaker 2: Mate, I bless you, Mate.

874
00:51:43,841 --> 00:51:48,481
Speaker 4: My body took over and I couldn't face it. So

875
00:51:49,481 --> 00:51:54,001
Speaker 4: I went back, you know, because I'm just a picture

876
00:51:54,041 --> 00:51:57,401
Speaker 4: of health. I went back because I had a few

877
00:51:57,401 --> 00:51:57,961
Speaker 4: more kidneys.

878
00:51:58,161 --> 00:52:01,641
Speaker 2: You are today, you are today. Let's look forward to this.

879
00:52:01,961 --> 00:52:04,121
Speaker 2: There is so much to you and your world, and

880
00:52:04,401 --> 00:52:08,801
Speaker 2: it really is. I'm just yeah, I mean, Aura, and

881
00:52:09,121 --> 00:52:12,361
Speaker 2: I have so much admiration for you and the man

882
00:52:12,401 --> 00:52:14,961
Speaker 2: that you are. And I think the more that people

883
00:52:15,001 --> 00:52:20,521
Speaker 2: hear what you have to say this afternoon, it'll just out.

884
00:52:22,481 --> 00:52:22,721
Speaker 5: Why.

885
00:52:22,841 --> 00:52:27,161
Speaker 2: I don't know, but man, you're a soldier. I think

886
00:52:27,201 --> 00:52:29,281
Speaker 2: the thing is too and I want people to understand

887
00:52:30,201 --> 00:52:33,881
Speaker 2: you are genuinely and look, we're all hard working men

888
00:52:33,921 --> 00:52:36,521
Speaker 2: and women, and I'm not taking that away from anyone

889
00:52:36,641 --> 00:52:41,401
Speaker 2: by you are a fucking hard working man. You you

890
00:52:42,601 --> 00:52:49,961
Speaker 2: worked immediately whilst facing this horrific scene and trauma every

891
00:52:50,041 --> 00:52:55,121
Speaker 2: basically every day, you're rosted on, you've been told you've

892
00:52:55,121 --> 00:52:58,681
Speaker 2: got cancer, You're out working. You know, you come over

893
00:52:58,721 --> 00:53:01,761
Speaker 2: to provide a service to a beautiful bird that you

894
00:53:01,841 --> 00:53:04,881
Speaker 2: gifted me with, you know, and one that bites me

895
00:53:04,921 --> 00:53:06,601
Speaker 2: all the time because won't let me clip its wings.

896
00:53:06,601 --> 00:53:13,401
Speaker 2: But anyway, you you just don't lay down. And there

897
00:53:13,681 --> 00:53:16,001
Speaker 2: I'm saying that to feed your ego, because there's no ego.

898
00:53:16,081 --> 00:53:19,521
Speaker 2: This is just you as a human and I just

899
00:53:20,081 --> 00:53:25,881
Speaker 2: it's very very admirable and you just you're fucking legend

900
00:53:25,921 --> 00:53:30,401
Speaker 2: and I love you. I just you really are. You're

901
00:53:30,521 --> 00:53:33,801
Speaker 2: You're somebody who's making such an impact in this world

902
00:53:33,841 --> 00:53:38,761
Speaker 2: through so many different ways and even what you're doing today,

903
00:53:39,041 --> 00:53:42,721
Speaker 2: you know, which is where we're heading, because you just

904
00:53:42,841 --> 00:53:49,561
Speaker 2: have this amazing opportunity that came and you created, and wow,

905
00:53:49,801 --> 00:53:52,281
Speaker 2: doesn't it help so many others that have been in

906
00:53:52,321 --> 00:53:56,081
Speaker 2: the same space that you're in, and that that alone

907
00:53:56,201 --> 00:53:58,001
Speaker 2: is You've got to be a special kind of person

908
00:53:58,161 --> 00:53:58,841
Speaker 2: to do what you do.

909
00:53:59,401 --> 00:54:01,561
Speaker 4: Yeah, so you're a great man. I appreciate that, but

910
00:54:01,641 --> 00:54:02,440
Speaker 4: I don't see it.

911
00:54:03,481 --> 00:54:05,641
Speaker 2: You don't, you won't and that's a but that's what

912
00:54:05,681 --> 00:54:07,601
Speaker 2: you're getting told anyway, So just live with it.

913
00:54:07,641 --> 00:54:10,121
Speaker 4: That's the fact remains.

914
00:54:10,281 --> 00:54:12,961
Speaker 2: Once take it all in because you're always giving. I'm

915
00:54:13,001 --> 00:54:16,081
Speaker 2: giving you now take You deserve it, and I think

916
00:54:16,161 --> 00:54:20,961
Speaker 2: thousands and thousands after this conversation will also be passing

917
00:54:21,001 --> 00:54:22,881
Speaker 2: on there you deserve it as well.

918
00:54:23,561 --> 00:54:28,041
Speaker 4: Oh look, I I you know me. What I try

919
00:54:28,081 --> 00:54:33,841
Speaker 4: to be is just transparent and and what I am

920
00:54:33,961 --> 00:54:37,001
Speaker 4: is what I am. There's no delusion of grandeur here,

921
00:54:37,601 --> 00:54:41,801
Speaker 4: there's no labels, there's no anything. It's just pure get up,

922
00:54:42,481 --> 00:54:44,761
Speaker 4: do the job and do it as best I can

923
00:54:44,841 --> 00:54:47,521
Speaker 4: and affect as many people as I can. And truly,

924
00:54:48,441 --> 00:54:50,401
Speaker 4: if I do that in a day, I'm a happy man.

925
00:54:50,601 --> 00:54:52,721
Speaker 4: I don't need the best car. I don't need the

926
00:54:52,761 --> 00:54:55,081
Speaker 4: best house. I don't need the holidays, I don't need

927
00:54:55,081 --> 00:54:57,721
Speaker 4: the glitz and glamour. Mate. All I need is to

928
00:54:57,761 --> 00:54:59,921
Speaker 4: go to bed at night and feel like I've made

929
00:54:59,921 --> 00:55:05,041
Speaker 4: a difference and you know, thank thank God or whatever

930
00:55:05,161 --> 00:55:08,721
Speaker 4: you want to thank. But for the last few years,

931
00:55:08,721 --> 00:55:12,241
Speaker 4: I've been able to feel that. And they're setbacks there,

932
00:55:12,401 --> 00:55:17,361
Speaker 4: they're hurdles, absolutely, but I embrace those to try as

933
00:55:17,441 --> 00:55:22,521
Speaker 4: best I can just to manipulate them to do some

934
00:55:22,681 --> 00:55:27,281
Speaker 4: greater good. And I'm no Mardr, I'm no hero, but truly, mate,

935
00:55:27,601 --> 00:55:30,881
Speaker 4: I'm sick of seeing people on the bloody television get

936
00:55:30,961 --> 00:55:34,321
Speaker 4: up there and say, you know, and I'm not knocking this.

937
00:55:34,641 --> 00:55:38,201
Speaker 2: I can't freely speak here, freely speaks as you will,

938
00:55:38,241 --> 00:55:38,761
Speaker 2: whatever you.

939
00:55:38,721 --> 00:55:43,321
Speaker 4: Feel this express. That's good because I know there's domestic

940
00:55:43,401 --> 00:55:46,681
Speaker 4: violent issues. I know there's all that. But these bastards

941
00:55:46,681 --> 00:55:49,521
Speaker 4: that get up on TV and they say, you know,

942
00:55:49,561 --> 00:55:53,201
Speaker 4: we're running this campaign and they get millions of dollars

943
00:55:53,961 --> 00:55:57,401
Speaker 4: and they're broadcasting to the world, look at me, look

944
00:55:57,441 --> 00:56:00,561
Speaker 4: at me. I'm raising money for this issue. And you

945
00:56:00,641 --> 00:56:04,321
Speaker 4: know what, I'm really seeing it filter through to people. Now,

946
00:56:04,401 --> 00:56:09,401
Speaker 4: those bastards if they if they could just get up

947
00:56:09,441 --> 00:56:11,440
Speaker 4: in the morning. And I'll tell you who the real

948
00:56:11,481 --> 00:56:14,361
Speaker 4: heroes are. I'll tell you this. It is old missus

949
00:56:14,361 --> 00:56:17,201
Speaker 4: Smith or missus Jones, or whoever you like that gets up,

950
00:56:17,561 --> 00:56:21,521
Speaker 4: she's a widow. Whatever, she gets up, she goes down

951
00:56:21,561 --> 00:56:25,281
Speaker 4: the local community center and she prepares meals for the homeless.

952
00:56:25,361 --> 00:56:28,921
Speaker 4: She goes home and nobody, nobody pats her on the

953
00:56:28,921 --> 00:56:32,881
Speaker 4: head and says, great job, nobody. And there's another lady,

954
00:56:32,921 --> 00:56:35,961
Speaker 4: whoever it may be. She goes along and she dishes

955
00:56:36,001 --> 00:56:39,281
Speaker 4: out something else, and someone will clothe someone. And you

956
00:56:39,361 --> 00:56:41,321
Speaker 4: know who the real heroes are are the people that

957
00:56:41,401 --> 00:56:45,001
Speaker 4: focus on their own community, and they focus on their

958
00:56:45,041 --> 00:56:48,841
Speaker 4: own backyard. And you know what, if everybody did that, mate,

959
00:56:48,921 --> 00:56:52,681
Speaker 4: it got off their pedestals trying to raise billions. If

960
00:56:52,721 --> 00:56:54,601
Speaker 4: they just got up in the morning, got off their

961
00:56:54,641 --> 00:56:58,121
Speaker 4: ass and walk to the community center or to any

962
00:56:58,281 --> 00:57:03,041
Speaker 4: of the charitable organizations and just made a difference for

963
00:57:03,161 --> 00:57:08,081
Speaker 4: one day, they're the hero. And I see it every day, mate,

964
00:57:08,161 --> 00:57:09,001
Speaker 4: I truly do.

965
00:57:10,121 --> 00:57:12,521
Speaker 2: You've really pulled a heartstring on this one, because, as

966
00:57:12,561 --> 00:57:15,961
Speaker 2: you would know, I started and worked very very hard

967
00:57:16,001 --> 00:57:19,601
Speaker 2: to start a national recognized charity called the Heavy Hitters Foundation.

968
00:57:19,881 --> 00:57:24,161
Speaker 2: The lack of support. So we were active for nearly

969
00:57:24,201 --> 00:57:26,921
Speaker 2: five years. The difference that we were making on the ground,

970
00:57:26,921 --> 00:57:30,761
Speaker 2: the lives that we were saving, the people's minds that

971
00:57:30,801 --> 00:57:34,481
Speaker 2: we were embracing and supporting and changing from such dark,

972
00:57:34,561 --> 00:57:38,521
Speaker 2: negative times. What I created in a community, a live

973
00:57:38,641 --> 00:57:42,281
Speaker 2: community that had thousands and thousands of people, where you

974
00:57:42,321 --> 00:57:45,241
Speaker 2: could even put a code like it was a color

975
00:57:45,761 --> 00:57:48,921
Speaker 2: and people you know, because it was in a closed group,

976
00:57:49,241 --> 00:57:52,681
Speaker 2: mind you, and we were very good with it. But

977
00:57:53,161 --> 00:57:56,001
Speaker 2: we had a close I'm talking thousands, like probably I

978
00:57:56,001 --> 00:57:57,881
Speaker 2: think it was about ten ten and a half thousand

979
00:57:59,081 --> 00:58:03,281
Speaker 2: nationally and internationally. Now to me, everybody's on Facebook or

980
00:58:03,321 --> 00:58:06,321
Speaker 2: social media at some stage, right, it doesn't stop, it

981
00:58:06,401 --> 00:58:09,081
Speaker 2: works twenty four to seven. So if I could have

982
00:58:09,321 --> 00:58:13,081
Speaker 2: this group of like minded people and people like us

983
00:58:13,121 --> 00:58:15,201
Speaker 2: that want to be involved and help people change lives

984
00:58:15,201 --> 00:58:18,201
Speaker 2: and make differences in support people. If you could put

985
00:58:18,201 --> 00:58:21,721
Speaker 2: a color up somebody, somebody will see that because somebody's

986
00:58:21,761 --> 00:58:23,721
Speaker 2: scrolling at that moment, that's going to come up on

987
00:58:23,761 --> 00:58:26,481
Speaker 2: someone's feed. And for those people that know they have

988
00:58:26,601 --> 00:58:29,561
Speaker 2: to act, they know that there's an urgency, they know

989
00:58:29,681 --> 00:58:34,561
Speaker 2: someone struggling mate. We were productively doing this and making

990
00:58:34,641 --> 00:58:37,681
Speaker 2: a difference. We had people at a particular house at

991
00:58:37,721 --> 00:58:40,561
Speaker 2: one stage before the emergency services got there and saved

992
00:58:40,601 --> 00:58:43,401
Speaker 2: a woman's life who was absolutely adamant. She didn't want

993
00:58:43,401 --> 00:58:44,681
Speaker 2: to be here anymore. And I won't go in any

994
00:58:44,681 --> 00:58:47,801
Speaker 2: more detail because it's something that we shouldn't. It's just

995
00:58:47,801 --> 00:58:52,081
Speaker 2: not my right to now speak about that. But we

996
00:58:52,561 --> 00:58:56,601
Speaker 2: constantly couldn't get funding, so my wife and I would

997
00:58:56,601 --> 00:58:59,041
Speaker 2: fund it. We actually had to go bankrupt in the

998
00:58:59,161 --> 00:59:00,721
Speaker 2: end because of the amount of money, you know, like

999
00:59:00,721 --> 00:59:03,841
Speaker 2: a road across Australia. We did fundraiseres you know, yeah,

1000
00:59:03,881 --> 00:59:06,041
Speaker 2: that went back into education. We went out there and

1001
00:59:06,041 --> 00:59:09,881
Speaker 2: we delivered programs, better wellness and living programs. It was

1002
00:59:09,921 --> 00:59:12,161
Speaker 2: all good. But when we needed to take that next

1003
00:59:12,161 --> 00:59:15,121
Speaker 2: step up and the money ran out from us personally,

1004
00:59:15,481 --> 00:59:18,481
Speaker 2: it was like we got nowhere to go. We're waiting

1005
00:59:18,481 --> 00:59:21,681
Speaker 2: on funding. But all these other fuck with organizations and

1006
00:59:21,761 --> 00:59:24,201
Speaker 2: I'm going to say this right out, they tick and

1007
00:59:24,241 --> 00:59:26,961
Speaker 2: flick and they constantly get the funding and they're the

1008
00:59:26,961 --> 00:59:31,641
Speaker 2: biggest organizations out. I offered to raise awareness and money

1009
00:59:31,681 --> 00:59:35,601
Speaker 2: for certain organizations, major major charities in Australia. And this

1010
00:59:35,641 --> 00:59:38,761
Speaker 2: is why I started the Heavy Hitters Foundation, was because

1011
00:59:38,801 --> 00:59:42,561
Speaker 2: I got rejected. I was willing to sacrifice my life,

1012
00:59:42,561 --> 00:59:45,081
Speaker 2: put myself and my family on hold to go and

1013
00:59:45,361 --> 00:59:48,281
Speaker 2: raise awareness and as much as I could to cycle

1014
00:59:48,321 --> 00:59:52,121
Speaker 2: across Australia. And I did it successfully, not without its challenges,

1015
00:59:52,121 --> 00:59:54,881
Speaker 2: and it's a story that's my another day. But my

1016
00:59:55,001 --> 00:59:57,361
Speaker 2: point being is what more does one have to do?

1017
00:59:57,441 --> 01:00:01,081
Speaker 2: Like yourself, you're actively out there, working constantly to make

1018
01:00:01,121 --> 01:00:05,121
Speaker 2: a difference. You are, mate. I know we've had this

1019
01:00:05,161 --> 01:00:07,881
Speaker 2: conversation what you've put in and there's probably a lot

1020
01:00:07,921 --> 01:00:11,161
Speaker 2: I don't know what you've put in too, and you're

1021
01:00:11,401 --> 01:00:15,401
Speaker 2: at a point, you know, where funding is so important

1022
01:00:15,521 --> 01:00:18,201
Speaker 2: to what you do, which brings such a change in

1023
01:00:18,241 --> 01:00:22,481
Speaker 2: people's lives. We need to get you and your organization

1024
01:00:22,641 --> 01:00:24,761
Speaker 2: and that's what I want to talk about now because

1025
01:00:24,801 --> 01:00:28,761
Speaker 2: this is so relevant, how we can help what you do,

1026
01:00:28,921 --> 01:00:32,361
Speaker 2: because you've Mate. If there's anyone that's deserving of help

1027
01:00:32,441 --> 01:00:35,641
Speaker 2: right now, it's you. And I won't lie to you.

1028
01:00:35,961 --> 01:00:37,921
Speaker 2: I had a little bit of an ulterior motive getting

1029
01:00:37,961 --> 01:00:40,721
Speaker 2: you on here. You're not going to like this, and

1030
01:00:40,761 --> 01:00:44,321
Speaker 2: for the audience out there, I don't bullshit. I've seen

1031
01:00:44,361 --> 01:00:46,881
Speaker 2: that there was something that you guys were struggling with

1032
01:00:46,921 --> 01:00:51,161
Speaker 2: the charity. It triggered me. It hit me in the heart,

1033
01:00:51,441 --> 01:00:53,681
Speaker 2: and I'm like, I don't have any money at the moment.

1034
01:00:53,721 --> 01:00:55,641
Speaker 2: I don't have I'm struggling myself. But what can I do?

1035
01:00:55,761 --> 01:00:59,201
Speaker 2: So I have a fucking massive platform. This podcast gets

1036
01:00:59,201 --> 01:01:02,921
Speaker 2: heard by millions. You are a beautiful man that's done

1037
01:01:03,001 --> 01:01:07,521
Speaker 2: amazing things to help people, humans and everybody. We are like,

1038
01:01:07,601 --> 01:01:09,921
Speaker 2: you've just brought so much light to people's lives and

1039
01:01:09,961 --> 01:01:13,401
Speaker 2: you've had so much darkness within your own. I want

1040
01:01:13,601 --> 01:01:16,401
Speaker 2: us to help you. And if this is a way

1041
01:01:16,441 --> 01:01:20,361
Speaker 2: that we can help you, then Michael, please go deep

1042
01:01:20,401 --> 01:01:22,841
Speaker 2: with us. Tell everybody what it is that you have

1043
01:01:23,001 --> 01:01:25,521
Speaker 2: been doing and successfully are doing. But I know you

1044
01:01:25,641 --> 01:01:26,521
Speaker 2: need help. Mate.

1045
01:01:26,881 --> 01:01:29,721
Speaker 4: This is where this is the happiest part of any

1046
01:01:29,801 --> 01:01:34,281
Speaker 4: day for me when I tell it, because this this

1047
01:01:34,401 --> 01:01:40,041
Speaker 4: is massive, right huge. I told you where I was

1048
01:01:40,361 --> 01:01:42,961
Speaker 4: and in a dark place. You did the kids that

1049
01:01:43,041 --> 01:01:45,121
Speaker 4: go to school, the missus go to work. I'd stay

1050
01:01:45,161 --> 01:01:48,721
Speaker 4: in beat all day. Kid, You not put on forty kilos,

1051
01:01:49,241 --> 01:01:52,001
Speaker 4: didn't do anything until I came across this bird called

1052
01:01:52,121 --> 01:01:55,241
Speaker 4: Archie Now he's a freak of a bird. He looks

1053
01:01:55,241 --> 01:01:58,121
Speaker 4: on He's like a Dr. Seuss character. He's got a huge, wapping,

1054
01:01:58,361 --> 01:02:04,521
Speaker 4: great yellow beak, furry green feathers. Mate, his neglectus parrot.

1055
01:02:05,201 --> 01:02:07,041
Speaker 2: So is that like a bigger Is that bigger than

1056
01:02:07,081 --> 01:02:07,521
Speaker 2: my bird?

1057
01:02:07,561 --> 01:02:09,161
Speaker 4: That you? He's a freak of a bird?

1058
01:02:09,321 --> 01:02:14,041
Speaker 2: Are they an Amazon style par Yeah? Wow, look at that?

1059
01:02:14,441 --> 01:02:16,321
Speaker 4: So I got him. Now, I've got to tell you

1060
01:02:16,321 --> 01:02:19,121
Speaker 4: they're beautiful parrots. But ship mate, if you don't get

1061
01:02:19,201 --> 01:02:23,721
Speaker 4: up to them. The neighbor across the road here would

1062
01:02:23,761 --> 01:02:27,041
Speaker 4: walk over him, bang on the door. I'd get out

1063
01:02:27,041 --> 01:02:29,041
Speaker 4: of bed, and he'd say, for Christ's sake, turn your

1064
01:02:29,041 --> 01:02:32,641
Speaker 4: bird down, because he was so freaking loud.

1065
01:02:32,921 --> 01:02:35,001
Speaker 2: Why are they doing that? Blike's doing that at the moment,

1066
01:02:35,001 --> 01:02:36,921
Speaker 2: I'm giving him all the attention. But we've had to

1067
01:02:37,041 --> 01:02:39,241
Speaker 2: We've had to sin in him and put it because

1068
01:02:39,241 --> 01:02:42,121
Speaker 2: he ate all the electric cable underneath the lands so

1069
01:02:42,201 --> 01:02:46,001
Speaker 2: and our recliners don't work anymore. Nothing. It's bullshit. The

1070
01:02:46,001 --> 01:02:48,761
Speaker 2: wiring harnesses are it's gonna cost thousands. I just don't

1071
01:02:48,801 --> 01:02:51,401
Speaker 2: know what to do, but I fucking put him in burdjar.

1072
01:02:51,561 --> 01:02:53,881
Speaker 2: He comes out only now a few nights of the week,

1073
01:02:53,921 --> 01:02:55,681
Speaker 2: as opposed to just leave the door out and let

1074
01:02:55,761 --> 01:02:56,481
Speaker 2: him roam the house.

1075
01:02:56,721 --> 01:02:57,921
Speaker 4: You need to get her a partner.

1076
01:02:58,241 --> 01:03:00,361
Speaker 2: Well, we need to talk.

1077
01:03:00,001 --> 01:03:02,841
Speaker 4: I've got a beautiful boy at the moment.

1078
01:03:03,121 --> 01:03:07,601
Speaker 2: Leave it with me anyway, okay, So that'd beautiful, But.

1079
01:03:08,841 --> 01:03:11,321
Speaker 4: Knock on the door and he'd say, turn your bird down.

1080
01:03:11,441 --> 01:03:13,241
Speaker 2: So what a dear.

1081
01:03:13,361 --> 01:03:15,561
Speaker 4: It gave me a purpose to get up in the morning.

1082
01:03:16,001 --> 01:03:19,001
Speaker 4: It gave me a purpose to function to feed him.

1083
01:03:19,321 --> 01:03:23,321
Speaker 4: He got under my skin right. So a little while

1084
01:03:23,361 --> 01:03:25,761
Speaker 4: down the track, I said to my wife, I'm going

1085
01:03:25,841 --> 01:03:28,681
Speaker 4: to buy a couple of birds and breed them. I'll

1086
01:03:28,761 --> 01:03:30,321
Speaker 4: just give a couple of way to people I know

1087
01:03:30,441 --> 01:03:33,361
Speaker 4: that are suffering from trauma, and we'll see how we go.

1088
01:03:33,921 --> 01:03:37,641
Speaker 4: So I got six cocker tels and four conyers, bread

1089
01:03:37,721 --> 01:03:42,681
Speaker 4: them beautiful, and we gave them away. And then I thought, shit,

1090
01:03:42,761 --> 01:03:46,681
Speaker 4: this is making a difference. So I bought a few

1091
01:03:46,681 --> 01:03:49,721
Speaker 4: more and a few more, and the land room kind

1092
01:03:49,721 --> 01:03:52,521
Speaker 4: of resemble pet bun. And each time I got a

1093
01:03:52,561 --> 01:03:55,521
Speaker 4: new cage, we be closer to the TV. And in

1094
01:03:55,561 --> 01:03:58,441
Speaker 4: the end we're watching the TV like this because we're

1095
01:03:58,521 --> 01:04:02,281
Speaker 4: right under it. And my wife said, she said, Michael,

1096
01:04:02,881 --> 01:04:06,681
Speaker 4: something's got to change, said, You've got to change something,

1097
01:04:07,081 --> 01:04:12,041
Speaker 4: and I said, okay, So long story short, I started

1098
01:04:12,041 --> 01:04:16,001
Speaker 4: renting a premises in Ashmore that I called the Nest affectionately.

1099
01:04:16,921 --> 01:04:20,121
Speaker 4: We've been there two years now and I remember the

1100
01:04:20,161 --> 01:04:22,721
Speaker 4: Saturday night it was Mental Health Week and I was

1101
01:04:22,801 --> 01:04:27,641
Speaker 4: determined to open it for Mental Health Week. How high

1102
01:04:27,721 --> 01:04:31,121
Speaker 4: water I had two weeks. It was an old surfboard

1103
01:04:31,161 --> 01:04:35,321
Speaker 4: manufacturing factory and there was wax and shit everywhere. Oh wow,

1104
01:04:35,881 --> 01:04:39,961
Speaker 4: so we had to demolish it and redo it.

1105
01:04:40,401 --> 01:04:40,601
Speaker 2: Yeah.

1106
01:04:41,161 --> 01:04:43,361
Speaker 4: I remember at nine o'clock on the Saturday night, I

1107
01:04:43,441 --> 01:04:45,801
Speaker 4: lay on the floor looking at the ceiling thinking what

1108
01:04:45,841 --> 01:04:46,961
Speaker 4: the fuck have I done?

1109
01:04:47,521 --> 01:04:52,961
Speaker 2: Like with dust and all sort of foam and fiberglass

1110
01:04:53,081 --> 01:04:54,761
Speaker 2: and fah out. Wow.

1111
01:04:54,921 --> 01:04:56,801
Speaker 4: It it was rough, but we did it.

1112
01:04:56,961 --> 01:04:59,441
Speaker 2: But what a journey. That's the whole point. To go

1113
01:04:59,521 --> 01:05:01,441
Speaker 2: back to where we grew up and our life was,

1114
01:05:01,481 --> 01:05:04,041
Speaker 2: to where we are. It's same relevance. It's like you

1115
01:05:04,081 --> 01:05:06,321
Speaker 2: look at those four today and you walk in there

1116
01:05:06,361 --> 01:05:08,961
Speaker 2: with the biggest heart full of just love for what

1117
01:05:09,001 --> 01:05:09,721
Speaker 2: you've created.

1118
01:05:10,081 --> 01:05:15,601
Speaker 4: Mate. I encourage please, if anyone's listening and you really

1119
01:05:15,961 --> 01:05:18,281
Speaker 4: want to see it, jump on our website or our

1120
01:05:18,361 --> 01:05:21,721
Speaker 4: instagram at Parrots for Purpose and you'll see photos of it.

1121
01:05:21,801 --> 01:05:25,441
Speaker 4: We've painted each wore the logo a different color of

1122
01:05:25,481 --> 01:05:27,721
Speaker 4: our logo. Do you know what we do? Now? My man,

1123
01:05:28,201 --> 01:05:30,121
Speaker 4: tell me what do you do?

1124
01:05:30,321 --> 01:05:33,321
Speaker 2: Now? Tell me, mister Michael Clancy, Let.

1125
01:05:33,121 --> 01:05:38,081
Speaker 4: Me tell you. We do workshops for disadvantage kids twice

1126
01:05:38,121 --> 01:05:42,521
Speaker 4: a week. We do Children on the Spectrum once a

1127
01:05:42,521 --> 01:05:46,601
Speaker 4: week for a college that has children living with disability.

1128
01:05:47,001 --> 01:05:52,641
Speaker 4: We have NDIA sessions now for people living with physical

1129
01:05:52,761 --> 01:05:59,481
Speaker 4: and mental disability, depression, anxiety, domestic violence, survivors, return soldiers,

1130
01:06:00,081 --> 01:06:03,641
Speaker 4: and trauma victims. Now, mate, I've got to tell you

1131
01:06:04,241 --> 01:06:09,921
Speaker 4: I have seen in the biggest and the toughest crumble

1132
01:06:10,961 --> 01:06:14,001
Speaker 4: when that bird sits on their shoulder and it talks

1133
01:06:14,041 --> 01:06:17,801
Speaker 4: to them. We have soldiers come back from active duty

1134
01:06:19,001 --> 01:06:21,921
Speaker 4: and they're built like brick shit house, and they're got

1135
01:06:21,961 --> 01:06:26,761
Speaker 4: tats all over and they're strong blokes. Oh yeah, you

1136
01:06:26,841 --> 01:06:30,241
Speaker 4: put the parrot on and it starts snuggling in and

1137
01:06:30,281 --> 01:06:33,561
Speaker 4: you can see the tears start to well. The feedback

1138
01:06:33,601 --> 01:06:38,881
Speaker 4: from those guys is that when they're in a massive depression,

1139
01:06:39,001 --> 01:06:42,801
Speaker 4: like a trance like state living, the atrocity is reliving it.

1140
01:06:43,881 --> 01:06:46,281
Speaker 4: That bird can snap them out of it, they can

1141
01:06:46,321 --> 01:06:49,121
Speaker 4: make a noise, they can bite them, or it snaps

1142
01:06:49,161 --> 01:06:49,561
Speaker 4: them back.

1143
01:06:50,001 --> 01:06:52,361
Speaker 2: Well, isn't that wow? Yeah?

1144
01:06:52,761 --> 01:06:56,561
Speaker 4: Yeah, We're up to one thousand and seven birds that

1145
01:06:56,601 --> 01:07:01,481
Speaker 4: we've given away in two and a half three years now.

1146
01:07:02,401 --> 01:07:04,841
Speaker 4: It doesn't sound the number in itself is not big,

1147
01:07:04,881 --> 01:07:08,241
Speaker 4: but what you have to remember, each of these little

1148
01:07:08,241 --> 01:07:10,921
Speaker 4: buggers we get from two weeks and we have to

1149
01:07:10,921 --> 01:07:13,441
Speaker 4: feed them every four to six hours for ten weeks.

1150
01:07:14,241 --> 01:07:16,721
Speaker 4: Multiply that out by one thousand. I don't want to

1151
01:07:16,721 --> 01:07:20,201
Speaker 4: because I be depressed, but the thing is.

1152
01:07:20,641 --> 01:07:22,841
Speaker 2: A lot, a lot, a lot a lot of time, mate,

1153
01:07:22,881 --> 01:07:25,001
Speaker 2: It's it's commitment beyond it.

1154
01:07:25,201 --> 01:07:29,161
Speaker 4: Oh look, we've got the best facility now, I've got

1155
01:07:29,521 --> 01:07:32,801
Speaker 4: an army of volunteers. We've got thirty forty volunteers and

1156
01:07:32,841 --> 01:07:34,401
Speaker 4: now the most beautiful people.

1157
01:07:34,441 --> 01:07:34,641
Speaker 2: Mate.

1158
01:07:34,641 --> 01:07:37,041
Speaker 4: I've got to tell you, from all walks of life,

1159
01:07:37,121 --> 01:07:40,321
Speaker 4: but so committed. I don't draw a wage like I

1160
01:07:40,361 --> 01:07:43,241
Speaker 4: don't even get a wage for where we are. So

1161
01:07:44,881 --> 01:07:49,681
Speaker 4: we became a registered charity last year, which was fantastic,

1162
01:07:50,001 --> 01:07:54,481
Speaker 4: but we didn't get DGR status. So we're applying now

1163
01:07:54,521 --> 01:07:57,481
Speaker 4: for DGR status because I didn't know.

1164
01:07:57,921 --> 01:08:00,081
Speaker 2: Can you just explain that to our listeners that don't

1165
01:08:00,161 --> 01:08:02,081
Speaker 2: understand what that actually is in the process.

1166
01:08:02,121 --> 01:08:06,481
Speaker 4: Yeah, it means we can't apply for grants or funding

1167
01:08:06,801 --> 01:08:11,801
Speaker 4: because it's not tax deductible. It's a deductible gift recipient

1168
01:08:11,841 --> 01:08:13,121
Speaker 4: I think it is or something like that.

1169
01:08:13,121 --> 01:08:15,881
Speaker 2: It's not for profit, but it's not deductible.

1170
01:08:16,161 --> 01:08:19,241
Speaker 4: Yeah, we're registered charity, that's right, registered, so they know

1171
01:08:19,281 --> 01:08:20,800
Speaker 4: we're a charity exactly.

1172
01:08:21,201 --> 01:08:24,641
Speaker 2: But with someone someone, Yeah, can't gift you with X

1173
01:08:24,641 --> 01:08:28,641
Speaker 2: amount of dollars in contribution to your your work and

1174
01:08:28,681 --> 01:08:32,241
Speaker 2: then yeah, right, very very tough.

1175
01:08:32,841 --> 01:08:35,521
Speaker 4: It is so applying for that now. But I want

1176
01:08:35,561 --> 01:08:37,961
Speaker 4: to tell you this is important to you, and in

1177
01:08:38,001 --> 01:08:41,161
Speaker 4: the spirit of authenticity, I'm going to be very straight

1178
01:08:41,201 --> 01:08:44,321
Speaker 4: with this. When I opened the nest, I call it.

1179
01:08:45,601 --> 01:08:47,720
Speaker 4: I went out the front. There was Channel nine seven

1180
01:08:48,721 --> 01:08:52,720
Speaker 4: and a few other media agencies, and I still didn't

1181
01:08:52,721 --> 01:08:55,481
Speaker 4: believe it was happening, you know, So I walked out

1182
01:08:55,521 --> 01:09:00,721
Speaker 4: the front. I never prepare, never ever. I do a

1183
01:09:00,761 --> 01:09:04,521
Speaker 4: little bit of public speaking for motivation for people, and

1184
01:09:04,561 --> 01:09:07,841
Speaker 4: I do men touring for people. I never prepare the talk.

1185
01:09:08,281 --> 01:09:11,401
Speaker 4: It's always from here. I went out there and I said,

1186
01:09:11,961 --> 01:09:15,321
Speaker 4: you are probably wondering what is going to happen behind me,

1187
01:09:16,481 --> 01:09:20,281
Speaker 4: And I said, so am, I I said what I

1188
01:09:20,361 --> 01:09:28,720
Speaker 4: do know. We will create a non judgmental, non labeled, safe,

1189
01:09:29,281 --> 01:09:35,481
Speaker 4: welcoming environment. Nobody is measured, no one is rated. There

1190
01:09:35,481 --> 01:09:39,161
Speaker 4: are no rules on our walls. There's no regulation of

1191
01:09:39,201 --> 01:09:42,481
Speaker 4: what you can and can't do. Someone comes in and

1192
01:09:42,521 --> 01:09:45,721
Speaker 4: it doesn't matter, mate, if they have no legs on

1193
01:09:45,721 --> 01:09:49,561
Speaker 4: one arm, or if they're a soldier, if they're a child,

1194
01:09:49,641 --> 01:09:54,841
Speaker 4: if they've been abused, we don't need to know. What

1195
01:09:54,961 --> 01:09:58,081
Speaker 4: we need to know is that they feel safe, welcomed

1196
01:09:58,481 --> 01:10:02,161
Speaker 4: and not judged. When you were going through your stuff,

1197
01:10:02,201 --> 01:10:08,121
Speaker 4: my man. Recently I reached out to a few people,

1198
01:10:08,161 --> 01:10:13,201
Speaker 4: and I'm ashamed to say, some people in our volunteer

1199
01:10:13,201 --> 01:10:20,001
Speaker 4: group that aren't there anymore said you can't liaise with

1200
01:10:20,121 --> 01:10:25,081
Speaker 4: him because you'll affect the charity. And I said to them,

1201
01:10:25,841 --> 01:10:30,081
Speaker 4: can I tell you? I said that we would be

1202
01:10:30,201 --> 01:10:34,921
Speaker 4: non labeling, non judgmental, and a safe environment. I said,

1203
01:10:35,681 --> 01:10:40,121
Speaker 4: I live that. If you don't like it, there's the door.

1204
01:10:40,801 --> 01:10:41,081
Speaker 2: Wow.

1205
01:10:41,521 --> 01:10:43,041
Speaker 4: And I won't tell you what they said to me,

1206
01:10:43,321 --> 01:10:45,401
Speaker 4: but they left and good riddance.

1207
01:10:45,801 --> 01:10:47,121
Speaker 2: They were never meant to be there.

1208
01:10:47,921 --> 01:10:53,321
Speaker 4: Mate. I stand by everything I say and I mean

1209
01:10:53,401 --> 01:10:54,161
Speaker 4: this sincerely.

1210
01:10:54,761 --> 01:10:55,081
Speaker 2: Wow.

1211
01:10:55,721 --> 01:10:59,481
Speaker 4: I will not measure or judge anybody who walks in

1212
01:10:59,521 --> 01:11:03,241
Speaker 4: that door. And if any of our staff or volunteers,

1213
01:11:03,441 --> 01:11:09,001
Speaker 4: I call him staff that they're not there the next day, because.

1214
01:11:08,881 --> 01:11:11,681
Speaker 2: Do you know what, That's why I started this podcast.

1215
01:11:11,921 --> 01:11:14,401
Speaker 2: To give people a voice so they could be heard

1216
01:11:14,441 --> 01:11:17,081
Speaker 2: and not be judged in life, not feel alienated, not

1217
01:11:17,161 --> 01:11:20,880
Speaker 2: feel looked down upon, not feel that there wasn't somebody

1218
01:11:20,881 --> 01:11:22,921
Speaker 2: out there that they could connect with through their own

1219
01:11:22,921 --> 01:11:26,001
Speaker 2: lived experience and make a difference in their lives. This

1220
01:11:26,201 --> 01:11:28,241
Speaker 2: is you know, I know, I laugh, and I'm gonna

1221
01:11:28,321 --> 01:11:30,521
Speaker 2: laugh because as much as I love you for what

1222
01:11:30,561 --> 01:11:33,321
Speaker 2: you just said, and mate, it's even more prouder to

1223
01:11:33,441 --> 01:11:35,720
Speaker 2: have you here today and to have your story out

1224
01:11:35,721 --> 01:11:39,561
Speaker 2: there on this amazing platform and to our wonderful listeners.

1225
01:11:40,121 --> 01:11:43,401
Speaker 2: But you know, like you get. For example, let's just

1226
01:11:43,441 --> 01:11:46,880
Speaker 2: put it out go to church, right, Non judgmental religion

1227
01:11:47,001 --> 01:11:48,641
Speaker 2: is not meant to be judgmental. It's meant to be

1228
01:11:48,681 --> 01:11:51,041
Speaker 2: an open door for anybody of any walk of life

1229
01:11:51,041 --> 01:11:53,401
Speaker 2: and any time of need. You know, there is one God,

1230
01:11:53,441 --> 01:11:58,721
Speaker 2: and however many beliefs and whatever. My point being is,

1231
01:12:00,041 --> 01:12:03,361
Speaker 2: no one has the right to judge but God right.

1232
01:12:04,081 --> 01:12:10,041
Speaker 6: But yet you'll walk out of a religious area with

1233
01:12:10,161 --> 01:12:15,961
Speaker 6: these wonderful people who praise our wonderful Lord and give grace.

1234
01:12:15,761 --> 01:12:18,680
Speaker 2: And whatever, and the first thing they'll do is throw

1235
01:12:18,721 --> 01:12:22,281
Speaker 2: the biggest fucking knives in your back and talk and

1236
01:12:22,401 --> 01:12:26,121
Speaker 2: back by it. And you know, it's just such a

1237
01:12:26,321 --> 01:12:32,001
Speaker 2: fucking funny thing because people are full of shit. The

1238
01:12:32,121 --> 01:12:35,241
Speaker 2: reality of it is until it actually affects them or

1239
01:12:35,321 --> 01:12:40,641
Speaker 2: becomes someone that's affected in their life, their whole. I mean,

1240
01:12:40,681 --> 01:12:42,481
Speaker 2: I have that many people reach out to me on

1241
01:12:42,481 --> 01:12:44,601
Speaker 2: the clink, and I used to do at first think yeah,

1242
01:12:44,641 --> 01:12:54,001
Speaker 2: fuck you. I have federal police, international police, solicitors, nurses, doctors, professions, clinicians,

1243
01:12:54,081 --> 01:12:57,081
Speaker 2: from all walks of life that constantly say thank you

1244
01:12:57,521 --> 01:13:00,161
Speaker 2: for opening up the way I see things. Thank you

1245
01:13:00,241 --> 01:13:04,641
Speaker 2: for allowing me to understand why people are certain ways.

1246
01:13:04,681 --> 01:13:07,121
Speaker 2: Thank you for allowing me to understand addiction. Thank you

1247
01:13:07,161 --> 01:13:11,801
Speaker 2: for allowing me to see why people become criminals and

1248
01:13:12,161 --> 01:13:15,001
Speaker 2: do the things that they do from things that they've

1249
01:13:15,041 --> 01:13:17,721
Speaker 2: had to endure or you know, decisions made, but it

1250
01:13:17,761 --> 01:13:23,361
Speaker 2: all stems from the initial traumas and abuse and so on. Ah,

1251
01:13:23,481 --> 01:13:27,201
Speaker 2: these wonderful people whom you had working for you, well,

1252
01:13:27,281 --> 01:13:30,680
Speaker 2: if they're listening today, thank you, thank you for showing

1253
01:13:30,721 --> 01:13:33,881
Speaker 2: your true colors, because obviously it's been the best thing

1254
01:13:33,921 --> 01:13:36,441
Speaker 2: for Michael Ni's team to shake this shit.

1255
01:13:38,841 --> 01:13:44,921
Speaker 4: It has. And wow, I I don't want to be

1256
01:13:44,961 --> 01:13:46,881
Speaker 4: out of line by saying that, but I need to

1257
01:13:47,041 --> 01:13:50,081
Speaker 4: That's me. I'll just say it. But I wanted you

1258
01:13:50,121 --> 01:13:52,760
Speaker 4: to know, and I wanted to highlight to your listeners too.

1259
01:13:54,281 --> 01:14:00,680
Speaker 4: That just illuminates how determined we are to be all encompassing, welcoming,

1260
01:14:00,961 --> 01:14:05,401
Speaker 4: non judgmental, and not labeling. And one of the recent

1261
01:14:05,441 --> 01:14:08,361
Speaker 4: things we've done, buddy, And I've got no personal experience

1262
01:14:08,441 --> 01:14:10,760
Speaker 4: with this at all. I don't. I'm blessed. I don't

1263
01:14:10,801 --> 01:14:15,561
Speaker 4: know a family member or a friend. But one thing

1264
01:14:15,801 --> 01:14:17,921
Speaker 4: I've got into in the last couple of months is

1265
01:14:19,121 --> 01:14:23,521
Speaker 4: there's a shitload of dementia sufferers on the Gold Coast. Yes,

1266
01:14:23,681 --> 01:14:29,641
Speaker 4: and this is a hideous disease and it is statistically alarming.

1267
01:14:31,641 --> 01:14:35,841
Speaker 4: I went to a seminar, if you like, and did

1268
01:14:35,881 --> 01:14:41,641
Speaker 4: you know seventy five percent of dementia sufferers or people

1269
01:14:41,721 --> 01:14:48,081
Speaker 4: living with dementia seventy five percent lose seventy two percent

1270
01:14:48,321 --> 01:14:50,961
Speaker 4: of their family and friends in the first six months

1271
01:14:52,121 --> 01:14:53,961
Speaker 4: because they don't know how to cope with it. They

1272
01:14:53,961 --> 01:14:57,720
Speaker 4: don't know how to relate, and that's horrific, right. So

1273
01:14:57,921 --> 01:15:03,321
Speaker 4: what I made I set myself some milestones each year

1274
01:15:03,321 --> 01:15:05,841
Speaker 4: that I want to achieve or we want to achieve collectively,

1275
01:15:07,361 --> 01:15:11,680
Speaker 4: and this year has been to tackle what we can

1276
01:15:11,841 --> 01:15:18,161
Speaker 4: do for people living with dementia. So I approached Dementia

1277
01:15:18,241 --> 01:15:22,720
Speaker 4: Australia and I said, hey, listen, we get a few

1278
01:15:22,761 --> 01:15:25,401
Speaker 4: people come in with dementia. What do we need to

1279
01:15:25,441 --> 01:15:29,401
Speaker 4: do to do workshops and have them visit to be safe.

1280
01:15:30,041 --> 01:15:34,281
Speaker 4: They came out. I did a few courses and do

1281
01:15:34,361 --> 01:15:38,161
Speaker 4: you know I've taught my team Now it's and it

1282
01:15:38,241 --> 01:15:41,521
Speaker 4: was a shift for me to not focus on making

1283
01:15:41,601 --> 01:15:46,241
Speaker 4: someone's future happy with a bird or a workshop, but

1284
01:15:46,401 --> 01:15:50,840
Speaker 4: momentary happiness now, the present today, Yes, in the moment,

1285
01:15:51,121 --> 01:15:54,800
Speaker 4: the moments in time. So capture this moment in time

1286
01:15:55,361 --> 01:15:57,921
Speaker 4: and let's give them the best friggin day they've ever

1287
01:15:58,041 --> 01:16:01,001
Speaker 4: had with this bird. Now, I've been doing this for

1288
01:16:01,081 --> 01:16:04,321
Speaker 4: dementia for a couple of months and we have feedback

1289
01:16:04,361 --> 01:16:07,881
Speaker 4: now and this is so exciting that partners living with

1290
01:16:08,041 --> 01:16:14,281
Speaker 4: people inflicted with dementia are finding their serotonin levels or

1291
01:16:14,281 --> 01:16:18,641
Speaker 4: they're happy in whatever in their brain. Chemicals lasts longer

1292
01:16:18,961 --> 01:16:21,881
Speaker 4: after they've interacted with a bird. So instead of them

1293
01:16:22,001 --> 01:16:25,041
Speaker 4: getting in a mood in two days, they're lasting three

1294
01:16:25,161 --> 01:16:28,921
Speaker 4: or four and they're putting it down. So we've now

1295
01:16:28,961 --> 01:16:30,840
Speaker 4: been accredited by Dementia Australia.

1296
01:16:31,081 --> 01:16:34,201
Speaker 2: Congratulations.

1297
01:16:33,881 --> 01:16:38,121
Speaker 4: We're not just about giving birds away. That's where people

1298
01:16:38,161 --> 01:16:42,361
Speaker 4: make the misunderstanding. It's not all about just giving a bird.

1299
01:16:43,281 --> 01:16:45,841
Speaker 4: In the workshops, we have people that don't want a bird,

1300
01:16:46,161 --> 01:16:47,641
Speaker 4: don't want to interact therapy.

1301
01:16:47,841 --> 01:16:49,081
Speaker 2: It's a therapy animal.

1302
01:16:49,161 --> 01:16:51,921
Speaker 4: They just feel safe. We've got a guy coming in.

1303
01:16:52,041 --> 01:16:54,920
Speaker 4: He works in our workshop at the back making toys

1304
01:16:54,921 --> 01:16:59,441
Speaker 4: for the birds. Couldn't give a rats ass about a bird.

1305
01:17:00,881 --> 01:17:02,921
Speaker 4: He comes in every day after work for an hour.

1306
01:17:02,961 --> 01:17:05,881
Speaker 4: It's his therapy to just get in the tools and

1307
01:17:05,961 --> 01:17:09,441
Speaker 4: make a bird box or a nest box or a perch,

1308
01:17:10,281 --> 01:17:13,561
Speaker 4: and he loves it. We have so many things made

1309
01:17:13,721 --> 01:17:18,601
Speaker 4: of Again, it's not just giving a bird, it's going

1310
01:17:18,641 --> 01:17:25,121
Speaker 4: out to I've been doing end of life, hospice care

1311
01:17:25,241 --> 01:17:29,561
Speaker 4: and end of life where I take the mccaury in

1312
01:17:29,641 --> 01:17:33,760
Speaker 4: now and the family around the bed and the person

1313
01:17:33,841 --> 01:17:38,001
Speaker 4: can touch the bird, you know, And I only do that.

1314
01:17:38,041 --> 01:17:41,001
Speaker 4: I wouldn't expect anyone in my team to do it.

1315
01:17:41,041 --> 01:17:45,680
Speaker 4: But I'm good with it. Yeah, because I see their faces,

1316
01:17:45,721 --> 01:17:48,401
Speaker 4: my man, and they are happy, and they get a

1317
01:17:48,401 --> 01:17:50,601
Speaker 4: photo with their family and loved ones with his big

1318
01:17:50,681 --> 01:17:54,760
Speaker 4: McCord next to them, and how beautiful We're branching into

1319
01:17:54,841 --> 01:17:57,401
Speaker 4: so many areas. I'm there seven days a week, probably

1320
01:17:57,401 --> 01:18:01,041
Speaker 4: twelve hours a day most days. And I've got to

1321
01:18:01,081 --> 01:18:04,881
Speaker 4: tell you it's not because I get a buzz out

1322
01:18:04,921 --> 01:18:08,081
Speaker 4: of doing something good. It's because I know we're making

1323
01:18:08,121 --> 01:18:13,081
Speaker 4: a difference. And no matter what people tell me, if

1324
01:18:13,081 --> 01:18:15,841
Speaker 4: we've given away a thousand birds and we've done workshops

1325
01:18:15,841 --> 01:18:20,041
Speaker 4: for thousands of people, We've done so many hospital visits

1326
01:18:20,081 --> 01:18:23,801
Speaker 4: and schools. We educate on mental health, we go to

1327
01:18:25,001 --> 01:18:28,921
Speaker 4: corporate walkthroughs. I do mentoring for Cares Australia for their

1328
01:18:29,561 --> 01:18:33,081
Speaker 4: micro business be your Own Boss for people living with disabilities.

1329
01:18:34,521 --> 01:18:39,921
Speaker 4: Every single thing we do is affecting someone. And I

1330
01:18:40,001 --> 01:18:44,720
Speaker 4: don't know if if I hadn't got that bird, Archie.

1331
01:18:46,641 --> 01:18:49,201
Speaker 4: I'm going to tell you something I don't tell many people,

1332
01:18:49,881 --> 01:18:51,720
Speaker 4: but I mean it I don't think i'd be here now.

1333
01:18:52,761 --> 01:18:56,880
Speaker 4: I really don't because my life had zero meaning. Now

1334
01:18:57,681 --> 01:19:00,241
Speaker 4: my children are getting recognized, they're growing up in an

1335
01:19:00,321 --> 01:19:07,641
Speaker 4: environment to be empathetic and understanding. And all the people

1336
01:19:07,721 --> 01:19:10,561
Speaker 4: I now have in you, I would never have met

1337
01:19:10,601 --> 01:19:12,561
Speaker 4: you had not been for Dreamlond.

1338
01:19:12,361 --> 01:19:14,361
Speaker 2: That That's what I mean. Our journeys, you know, like

1339
01:19:14,641 --> 01:19:17,241
Speaker 2: and the paths that we walk in life. We are

1340
01:19:17,321 --> 01:19:19,680
Speaker 2: where we are right at this moment because of everything

1341
01:19:19,721 --> 01:19:24,121
Speaker 2: we've gone through exactly that trauma, you know, And I

1342
01:19:24,121 --> 01:19:26,761
Speaker 2: wouldn't be doing what I am doing today, and you know,

1343
01:19:26,881 --> 01:19:29,321
Speaker 2: reaching out to all these millions of people through this

1344
01:19:29,401 --> 01:19:34,561
Speaker 2: beautiful platform and touching so many people's lives with people

1345
01:19:34,641 --> 01:19:38,441
Speaker 2: like your story and all my guests before you. Had

1346
01:19:38,481 --> 01:19:43,401
Speaker 2: I not gone through the abuse, the sexual abuse, the homelessness,

1347
01:19:43,441 --> 01:19:48,720
Speaker 2: the drugs, the bike gangs, the clubs, the jails, It's sure, okay,

1348
01:19:48,841 --> 01:19:52,601
Speaker 2: label me criminal, fucking scumbag, whatever you want to call me, Well,

1349
01:19:52,601 --> 01:19:56,961
Speaker 2: that's okay. I got big shoulders. But thank god, Hey,

1350
01:19:57,081 --> 01:19:59,441
Speaker 2: how cool is that I can be labeled that and

1351
01:19:59,481 --> 01:20:01,680
Speaker 2: do what I do? And if those people that were

1352
01:20:01,721 --> 01:20:03,761
Speaker 2: like working for you feel that way, then how good

1353
01:20:03,841 --> 01:20:06,001
Speaker 2: is that? I have that much an impact on them

1354
01:20:06,121 --> 01:20:09,281
Speaker 2: enough to say, oh, Michael, you can't align yourself with

1355
01:20:09,361 --> 01:20:11,841
Speaker 2: somebody like that. Why because that obviously in their mind

1356
01:20:11,921 --> 01:20:14,121
Speaker 2: is I'm just scum or I'm just you know, whatever

1357
01:20:14,161 --> 01:20:17,801
Speaker 2: they're they're thinking, And that that then goes across to

1358
01:20:17,921 --> 01:20:20,521
Speaker 2: just about well every guest that I've had on because

1359
01:20:20,521 --> 01:20:24,121
Speaker 2: we've all got stories of redemption. How can you sit

1360
01:20:24,161 --> 01:20:26,561
Speaker 2: there and judge but not see the positive side of

1361
01:20:26,601 --> 01:20:29,961
Speaker 2: what we're doing and be happy and proud to connect

1362
01:20:29,961 --> 01:20:35,281
Speaker 2: with yourself, myself and us come together to enable some

1363
01:20:35,321 --> 01:20:39,121
Speaker 2: sort of positive change. I said it. I was honest.

1364
01:20:39,561 --> 01:20:43,081
Speaker 2: I wanted to help you, not that I your story

1365
01:20:43,121 --> 01:20:47,121
Speaker 2: coming on here today is worthy beyond It's not about

1366
01:20:47,761 --> 01:20:50,161
Speaker 2: whether it was flying and you had millions of dollars

1367
01:20:50,201 --> 01:20:52,841
Speaker 2: in your organization wouldn't have changed the fact of me

1368
01:20:52,921 --> 01:20:56,761
Speaker 2: having you here today. But what hit me in the

1369
01:20:56,841 --> 01:21:00,481
Speaker 2: heart was your heart that you gave me, the love

1370
01:21:00,521 --> 01:21:03,641
Speaker 2: you showed me and my family, the compassion. You brought

1371
01:21:04,441 --> 01:21:06,841
Speaker 2: a memory back to me that I shared with you

1372
01:21:07,241 --> 01:21:10,441
Speaker 2: and gave me back a gift which is a beautiful

1373
01:21:10,441 --> 01:21:12,961
Speaker 2: bird that brought me so much joy so many years

1374
01:21:13,001 --> 01:21:19,761
Speaker 2: ago that unfortunately was left my partner was cleaning out

1375
01:21:19,801 --> 01:21:23,201
Speaker 2: the cage, and well he never returned. At broke my heart.

1376
01:21:23,241 --> 01:21:25,881
Speaker 2: But from that day onwards, as many as we tried,

1377
01:21:25,921 --> 01:21:28,921
Speaker 2: I could never connect, you know. And then my daughter

1378
01:21:28,921 --> 01:21:32,001
Speaker 2: who was legally blind. You know, you've touched the life

1379
01:21:32,001 --> 01:21:36,641
Speaker 2: of her because she was petrified, petrified, And then you

1380
01:21:36,721 --> 01:21:39,761
Speaker 2: gifted Lavanni with a beautiful little bird, which was a

1381
01:21:39,761 --> 01:21:42,081
Speaker 2: gorgeous bird, and she had daught it and it passed,

1382
01:21:42,161 --> 01:21:46,081
Speaker 2: you know, So then she then become confident. Now my

1383
01:21:46,281 --> 01:21:49,961
Speaker 2: parrot that you gave me has become She's the only

1384
01:21:50,041 --> 01:21:54,720
Speaker 2: one that can stroke it, pat it. There's nothing nothing.

1385
01:21:54,841 --> 01:21:56,881
Speaker 2: She walks around. It follows around like a puppy and

1386
01:21:56,921 --> 01:21:58,801
Speaker 2: talks to her and she gets down and they have

1387
01:21:58,881 --> 01:22:02,161
Speaker 2: their conversation, and he bro like and you know, the

1388
01:22:02,201 --> 01:22:04,201
Speaker 2: beak that he's got on and when he strikes, he strikes.

1389
01:22:04,481 --> 01:22:07,041
Speaker 2: He has I never once struck Leavarnie. I put my

1390
01:22:07,081 --> 01:22:08,681
Speaker 2: hand in the cage. Every day I get him out,

1391
01:22:08,681 --> 01:22:10,281
Speaker 2: I let him walk around on me, and he'll still

1392
01:22:10,281 --> 01:22:12,241
Speaker 2: get the shits with me and he'll walk away from

1393
01:22:12,241 --> 01:22:13,961
Speaker 2: me and he'll basically make me chase him around and

1394
01:22:13,961 --> 01:22:16,201
Speaker 2: he'll have a go at me. And I'm not bothered

1395
01:22:16,201 --> 01:22:18,201
Speaker 2: by it now because I know that he's not. It's

1396
01:22:18,241 --> 01:22:21,921
Speaker 2: a nit, but it's not painful. My point being he's

1397
01:22:21,921 --> 01:22:24,681
Speaker 2: a proper little shit that I absolutely love and her

1398
01:22:24,721 --> 01:22:28,281
Speaker 2: door that is just the most beautiful, beautiful gift for

1399
01:22:28,361 --> 01:22:31,641
Speaker 2: my daughter and he's just attached to her. So yeah,

1400
01:22:31,681 --> 01:22:33,601
Speaker 2: I do want to have a partner for it because

1401
01:22:33,601 --> 01:22:35,521
Speaker 2: I want to get attached to the partner and have

1402
01:22:35,641 --> 01:22:41,441
Speaker 2: my back. But made honestly the world and we're getting

1403
01:22:41,441 --> 01:22:43,401
Speaker 2: back to the relevance of what we're saying is just

1404
01:22:43,721 --> 01:22:47,481
Speaker 2: the connections and it's all relevant. You know, I wouldn't

1405
01:22:47,561 --> 01:22:49,921
Speaker 2: have what I have in my life for my daughter

1406
01:22:50,161 --> 01:22:53,241
Speaker 2: and see what she's been able to overcome and had

1407
01:22:53,281 --> 01:22:55,761
Speaker 2: it not been for you. So you know, as much

1408
01:22:55,801 --> 01:22:58,641
Speaker 2: as you brought that joy into my to me personally,

1409
01:22:58,721 --> 01:23:02,281
Speaker 2: it's now where it's meant to be. And I think

1410
01:23:02,321 --> 01:23:07,321
Speaker 2: that was the whole initial purpose of you originally doing that.

1411
01:23:08,121 --> 01:23:10,921
Speaker 2: It just was always that, oh wow, it's too big

1412
01:23:10,921 --> 01:23:12,921
Speaker 2: a bird. It's it's a bit scary for us. She's

1413
01:23:12,961 --> 01:23:14,720
Speaker 2: going to feel she will never connect with it. Well, mate,

1414
01:23:14,801 --> 01:23:17,121
Speaker 2: I tell you now, you can't separate them.

1415
01:23:17,441 --> 01:23:18,001
Speaker 4: Beautiful.

1416
01:23:18,401 --> 01:23:22,081
Speaker 2: It's a beautiful relationship and you've created that and that's

1417
01:23:22,121 --> 01:23:24,681
Speaker 2: just my story with my daughter, and the thousands that

1418
01:23:24,721 --> 01:23:28,121
Speaker 2: you've helped is so many more stories. I want to

1419
01:23:28,161 --> 01:23:30,361
Speaker 2: ask you, and I'm just going to be blunt about it.

1420
01:23:30,481 --> 01:23:32,760
Speaker 2: How can we get money to you? Where does there

1421
01:23:32,881 --> 01:23:34,801
Speaker 2: what do we do? What does our listeners have to

1422
01:23:34,841 --> 01:23:35,721
Speaker 2: do to help you?

1423
01:23:36,521 --> 01:23:40,601
Speaker 4: Yeah, look straight up, I just want to let you know.

1424
01:23:40,761 --> 01:23:43,961
Speaker 4: You probably already know. I fund it all myself, you know,

1425
01:23:44,001 --> 01:23:44,401
Speaker 4: I do know.

1426
01:23:44,561 --> 01:23:47,201
Speaker 2: That's why I'm here, That's why I'm putting it straight out.

1427
01:23:47,281 --> 01:23:48,921
Speaker 2: I know. I know we're given.

1428
01:23:49,441 --> 01:23:51,680
Speaker 4: Over the years, we've kind of hit bottom. Now I've

1429
01:23:51,721 --> 01:23:57,081
Speaker 4: got nothing more I can use. I've exhausted everything. So

1430
01:23:57,281 --> 01:24:02,681
Speaker 4: we started go fundme page go fundme for Parrots for

1431
01:24:02,841 --> 01:24:13,081
Speaker 4: Purpose and our social media's Instagram and Facebook at Parrots

1432
01:24:13,321 --> 01:24:17,721
Speaker 4: for Purpose or one word dot com and our website

1433
01:24:17,761 --> 01:24:23,601
Speaker 4: www dot Parents for Purpose dot com. We can donate

1434
01:24:23,921 --> 01:24:27,961
Speaker 4: through the website or through the GoFundMe. Things are a

1435
01:24:27,961 --> 01:24:34,561
Speaker 4: bit tough now, now make my mistaken don't listen.

1436
01:24:34,561 --> 01:24:36,241
Speaker 2: I'm gonna say this to you right and I know

1437
01:24:36,281 --> 01:24:38,561
Speaker 2: you're one of the most humblest humans and you will

1438
01:24:38,601 --> 01:24:40,561
Speaker 2: always find a way to do it on your own.

1439
01:24:41,201 --> 01:24:45,481
Speaker 2: Cut fuck that off you. I want to help you.

1440
01:24:45,641 --> 01:24:48,641
Speaker 2: We want to help you. And what can now swallow

1441
01:24:48,721 --> 01:24:50,481
Speaker 2: that little bit of a little bit of a pride

1442
01:24:50,481 --> 01:24:52,401
Speaker 2: thing that you can see there? An you know, like

1443
01:24:52,921 --> 01:24:56,561
Speaker 2: I've never ever ever seen anything but you bring joy

1444
01:24:56,601 --> 01:24:59,761
Speaker 2: to people. Let somebody try and let us bring some

1445
01:24:59,921 --> 01:25:02,321
Speaker 2: joy to you, mate, because you need it at the moment.

1446
01:25:02,401 --> 01:25:03,921
Speaker 2: So I don't sit there playing it down.

1447
01:25:04,681 --> 01:25:07,801
Speaker 4: Yeah, well I'd really appreciate that, because I can't sell

1448
01:25:07,841 --> 01:25:15,641
Speaker 4: a kidney because they're fucked, they're full of stones. I

1449
01:25:15,801 --> 01:25:20,241
Speaker 4: truly have run out of all avenues and it got

1450
01:25:20,241 --> 01:25:22,561
Speaker 4: to a stage last month where we were struggling to

1451
01:25:22,561 --> 01:25:25,561
Speaker 4: pay the rent and that was a scary place to

1452
01:25:25,601 --> 01:25:30,841
Speaker 4: be because we've spent so long creating this safe environment

1453
01:25:31,001 --> 01:25:35,241
Speaker 4: where people. We have people coming in twice a week regularly,

1454
01:25:35,561 --> 01:25:41,281
Speaker 4: and the atmosphere is you can come in, go up

1455
01:25:41,281 --> 01:25:43,680
Speaker 4: to a cage, open the cage, grab a bird out,

1456
01:25:43,721 --> 01:25:47,161
Speaker 4: pop it in your shoulder. There's nine to fourteen different

1457
01:25:47,201 --> 01:25:50,041
Speaker 4: species at any one time. They sit down and have

1458
01:25:50,081 --> 01:25:53,161
Speaker 4: a coffee or watch a TV or just chat or

1459
01:25:53,201 --> 01:25:57,801
Speaker 4: sit alone. We've created an environment where people it's a community,

1460
01:25:58,521 --> 01:26:04,321
Speaker 4: and we started to open up down in Ballina and

1461
01:26:04,481 --> 01:26:07,961
Speaker 4: new cast and we're freighting birds around Australia now to

1462
01:26:08,081 --> 01:26:12,041
Speaker 4: Adelaide and Tasmania beautiful. We get people all over wanting

1463
01:26:12,081 --> 01:26:15,921
Speaker 4: these birds. And if I had to, if I had

1464
01:26:15,921 --> 01:26:18,281
Speaker 4: to drive them down myself, I get them to there.

1465
01:26:19,481 --> 01:26:26,361
Speaker 4: We really really just need a hand now. I Yeah,

1466
01:26:26,401 --> 01:26:28,001
Speaker 4: it's tough for me to say, because I've never I

1467
01:26:28,001 --> 01:26:29,521
Speaker 4: don't usually reach out to people.

1468
01:26:29,681 --> 01:26:32,521
Speaker 2: No, you don't, you too proud? You are too proud,

1469
01:26:32,601 --> 01:26:34,441
Speaker 2: and listen, I'm going to cut in right now, and

1470
01:26:34,441 --> 01:26:38,361
Speaker 2: I'm going to make this very clear, guys. I have

1471
01:26:38,641 --> 01:26:45,641
Speaker 2: never ever, in sixteen seasons, one hundred and sixty four guests,

1472
01:26:46,001 --> 01:26:51,441
Speaker 2: I have never ever actually financially put out a a

1473
01:26:51,561 --> 01:26:56,401
Speaker 2: call out for help. I'm asking if everybody out there,

1474
01:26:56,441 --> 01:26:59,281
Speaker 2: whether it's a dollar, five dollars, and if even if

1475
01:26:59,321 --> 01:27:01,121
Speaker 2: you you know, if you can afford a bit more,

1476
01:27:01,761 --> 01:27:06,721
Speaker 2: please please let's not let this hard work of this

1477
01:27:06,801 --> 01:27:11,521
Speaker 2: wonderful man, Michael Clancy. He's just I truly want to

1478
01:27:11,561 --> 01:27:14,441
Speaker 2: make some difference. And I'm praying to God and I

1479
01:27:14,481 --> 01:27:17,920
Speaker 2: will continue to get this out there, and I'm beside

1480
01:27:17,921 --> 01:27:19,961
Speaker 2: you on this and I want and I feel that

1481
01:27:21,081 --> 01:27:23,241
Speaker 2: after your story today, you're going to have a lot

1482
01:27:23,281 --> 01:27:26,481
Speaker 2: more people, and please God, we do. We can all

1483
01:27:26,521 --> 01:27:29,241
Speaker 2: get in there and all contribute in some beautiful way

1484
01:27:29,321 --> 01:27:33,680
Speaker 2: to what you're doing, because unfortunately the reality is good

1485
01:27:33,681 --> 01:27:35,441
Speaker 2: will going to go so far. And I used to

1486
01:27:35,441 --> 01:27:37,121
Speaker 2: say this to people and I was doing much. I say,

1487
01:27:37,241 --> 01:27:40,361
Speaker 2: but it's a charity. This is that free. No, it's

1488
01:27:40,361 --> 01:27:43,001
Speaker 2: a structured business. It needs to be. It needs to

1489
01:27:43,041 --> 01:27:48,321
Speaker 2: be financially active and working. Otherwise you can't legally trade,

1490
01:27:48,881 --> 01:27:52,401
Speaker 2: you can't be a charity. So this isn't this and

1491
01:27:52,441 --> 01:27:54,481
Speaker 2: this is this is something I learned back in the day,

1492
01:27:54,721 --> 01:27:57,800
Speaker 2: was you know, you have to show just just cause

1493
01:27:57,841 --> 01:28:02,521
Speaker 2: you have to be viable. We cannot stand by and

1494
01:28:02,601 --> 01:28:05,321
Speaker 2: see your hard work and the joy that you're to

1495
01:28:05,401 --> 01:28:08,960
Speaker 2: people's lives go to waste. And listen, if there's anybody

1496
01:28:08,961 --> 01:28:13,201
Speaker 2: out there that actually needs Michael's help, don't be shy.

1497
01:28:13,281 --> 01:28:14,121
Speaker 2: That's what he's there for.

1498
01:28:14,281 --> 01:28:16,881
Speaker 4: Guys, you one hundred percent and you've hit the nail

1499
01:28:16,921 --> 01:28:19,720
Speaker 4: on the head. My purpose coming on today.

1500
01:28:20,241 --> 01:28:23,201
Speaker 2: I mean, I know I know one hundred to try,

1501
01:28:23,881 --> 01:28:27,361
Speaker 2: but I mean it. I had to do it to you.

1502
01:28:28,081 --> 01:28:31,161
Speaker 4: I will talk to the cows come home because I

1503
01:28:31,281 --> 01:28:34,601
Speaker 4: want people to know we're there and we look, we're

1504
01:28:34,601 --> 01:28:37,601
Speaker 4: not able to change the world. Make no mistake, We're

1505
01:28:37,601 --> 01:28:41,241
Speaker 4: not deluted. We can't change the world, but you know

1506
01:28:41,281 --> 01:28:44,721
Speaker 4: what our catchphrase is, we can make someone's life a

1507
01:28:44,721 --> 01:28:48,720
Speaker 4: little bit happier, one bird at a time. And mate,

1508
01:28:48,841 --> 01:28:52,641
Speaker 4: I want to tell you that people think when they donate,

1509
01:28:53,161 --> 01:28:57,721
Speaker 4: we don't know or it's just another donation. Can I

1510
01:28:57,801 --> 01:29:01,401
Speaker 4: tell you the ones we've had in the GoFundMe and

1511
01:29:01,441 --> 01:29:04,881
Speaker 4: the ones we get through on the internet. I don't

1512
01:29:05,441 --> 01:29:08,001
Speaker 4: copy and paste or there's no genetic thank you. I

1513
01:29:08,201 --> 01:29:12,201
Speaker 4: personally want that person to know, and I tell them

1514
01:29:12,561 --> 01:29:16,361
Speaker 4: their donation is going towards making someone's world a little

1515
01:29:16,401 --> 01:29:22,761
Speaker 4: bit happier. Genuinely, we're the purest definition of nonprofit. You know,

1516
01:29:23,121 --> 01:29:25,041
Speaker 4: it comes in here and it goes out there. We

1517
01:29:26,081 --> 01:29:28,361
Speaker 4: don't want to be rich over this, we will. We'd

1518
01:29:28,401 --> 01:29:29,881
Speaker 4: be deluded if we thought we could be.

1519
01:29:30,321 --> 01:29:34,041
Speaker 2: Well, there's no money. You're breeding life to save lives. Yep,

1520
01:29:34,241 --> 01:29:36,800
Speaker 2: we're just what you're doing, giving life to save life.

1521
01:29:37,241 --> 01:29:41,121
Speaker 4: And you know it's only because I'm probably the luckiest

1522
01:29:41,161 --> 01:29:46,761
Speaker 4: man going around. I mean this, Yeah, if you show me,

1523
01:29:47,681 --> 01:29:50,601
Speaker 4: no one of us is immune from shit in life, right,

1524
01:29:50,761 --> 01:29:54,961
Speaker 4: everybody gets it. But you know what, I'm blessed. I'm

1525
01:29:55,001 --> 01:29:57,641
Speaker 4: so lucky because I've been able to make something good

1526
01:29:58,361 --> 01:30:01,841
Speaker 4: as a result. And I don't lose sight of that, mate,

1527
01:30:01,881 --> 01:30:02,921
Speaker 4: I really don't, mate.

1528
01:30:02,961 --> 01:30:06,680
Speaker 2: I'm I'm I'm so grateful we got to do this,

1529
01:30:07,041 --> 01:30:10,441
Speaker 2: and I really feel that. You know, it's been a

1530
01:30:10,561 --> 01:30:15,201
Speaker 2: very tough story to listen to one and very hard

1531
01:30:15,241 --> 01:30:17,241
Speaker 2: for you. And I thank you for you being so open,

1532
01:30:17,401 --> 01:30:21,880
Speaker 2: so honest, so vulnerable. I do love you, mate. You're

1533
01:30:21,921 --> 01:30:25,321
Speaker 2: a beautiful human. You've brought joy to my family and

1534
01:30:25,761 --> 01:30:28,121
Speaker 2: just for my own personal connection with you, I mean that,

1535
01:30:28,561 --> 01:30:30,401
Speaker 2: and I know that you do that to many others.

1536
01:30:30,961 --> 01:30:33,441
Speaker 2: Go two ways, mate, I'm going to just put you

1537
01:30:33,481 --> 01:30:35,361
Speaker 2: on the spot because you No one walks away from

1538
01:30:35,361 --> 01:30:38,921
Speaker 2: the clink without this one. But somebody struggling that's in

1539
01:30:38,961 --> 01:30:44,720
Speaker 2: your position and doesn't see a way out, Michael Clancy,

1540
01:30:44,761 --> 01:30:46,361
Speaker 2: what would your advice be to that person?

1541
01:30:46,441 --> 01:30:51,521
Speaker 4: Right now, right now? Very simple, very simple, face it,

1542
01:30:52,161 --> 01:30:55,921
Speaker 4: name it, embrace it, release it, and you know what,

1543
01:30:57,081 --> 01:31:01,081
Speaker 4: take a deep breath and back yourself. If you're doing

1544
01:31:01,161 --> 01:31:04,481
Speaker 4: something for the right reason, you will not fail. You

1545
01:31:04,521 --> 01:31:08,361
Speaker 4: will knock over. That's as simple as.

1546
01:31:08,201 --> 01:31:12,721
Speaker 2: That Michael Clancy. It has been an honor mate, Thank you.

1547
01:31:13,241 --> 01:31:15,601
Speaker 2: I really am blessed and grateful to have had you

1548
01:31:15,641 --> 01:31:17,361
Speaker 2: on the clink, and so is everybody out there to

1549
01:31:17,441 --> 01:31:21,961
Speaker 2: turn this story today. Thank you mate, and honestly, keep

1550
01:31:22,001 --> 01:31:22,721
Speaker 2: fighting the good fight.

1551
01:31:22,961 --> 01:31:25,601
Speaker 4: I hope we can ask thanks mate, most.

1552
01:31:25,361 --> 01:31:27,321
Speaker 2: Of a pleasure. For the record.

1553
01:31:27,401 --> 01:31:30,641
Speaker 1: I don't try and make you uncomfortable for the record.

1554
01:31:30,721 --> 01:31:32,201
Speaker 1: You ain't try and world downer stuff.

1555
01:31:31,921 --> 01:31:34,241
Speaker 2: For your for the record.

1556
01:31:34,121 --> 01:31:37,201
Speaker 1: Lab on me going all the way for the record.

1557
01:31:37,321 --> 01:31:38,841
Speaker 1: Ain't trying to link, no trying to waste

1558
01:31:38,961 --> 01:31:44,801
Speaker 3: Stuff for the ragged, for the REGON, for the for

1559
01:31:44,921 --> 01:31:49,881
Speaker 3: the record, for the RAGONA, for the regged, for the

1560
01:31:49,961 --> 01:31:54,361
Speaker 3: Reggedah