1 00:00:01,960 --> 00:00:04,960 Speaker 1: The public has had a long held fascination with detectives. 2 00:00:05,440 --> 00:00:08,119 Speaker 1: Detective see a side of life the average persons never 3 00:00:08,200 --> 00:00:11,160 Speaker 1: exposed to. I spent thirty four years as a cop. 4 00:00:11,640 --> 00:00:14,080 Speaker 1: For twenty five of those years, I was catching killers. 5 00:00:14,480 --> 00:00:16,280 Speaker 1: That's what I did for a living. I was a 6 00:00:16,280 --> 00:00:20,599 Speaker 1: homicide detective. I'm no longer just interviewing bad guys, said, 7 00:00:20,640 --> 00:00:23,200 Speaker 1: I'm taking the public into the world in which I operated. 8 00:00:23,880 --> 00:00:26,480 Speaker 1: The guests I talk to each week have amazing stories 9 00:00:26,480 --> 00:00:27,560 Speaker 1: from all sides of the law. 10 00:00:27,880 --> 00:00:29,040 Speaker 2: The interviews are raw. 11 00:00:28,840 --> 00:00:31,520 Speaker 1: And honest, just like the people I talk to. Some 12 00:00:31,640 --> 00:00:34,680 Speaker 1: of the content and language might be confronting. That's because 13 00:00:34,720 --> 00:00:37,720 Speaker 1: no one who comes into contact with crime is left unchanged. 14 00:00:38,200 --> 00:00:40,559 Speaker 1: Join me now as I take you into this world. 15 00:00:45,760 --> 00:00:49,319 Speaker 1: Welcome to another episode of I Cats Killers. Today, I'm 16 00:00:49,360 --> 00:00:51,839 Speaker 1: speaking to two guests who knew each other when they 17 00:00:51,840 --> 00:00:55,720 Speaker 1: were younger. Their lives went in separate directions, but a 18 00:00:55,840 --> 00:00:58,520 Speaker 1: chance meeting years down the track brought them both back 19 00:00:58,560 --> 00:01:02,120 Speaker 1: together again. They've both experienced the highs and lowers in 20 00:01:02,160 --> 00:01:05,720 Speaker 1: their lives, but they are resilient and strong. They now 21 00:01:05,760 --> 00:01:08,120 Speaker 1: share a common purpose in life and are trying to 22 00:01:08,160 --> 00:01:11,440 Speaker 1: make a difference encouraging boys and men to find purpose 23 00:01:11,480 --> 00:01:13,600 Speaker 1: in their life and become the best version that they 24 00:01:13,640 --> 00:01:15,840 Speaker 1: can be. I thought it'd be good to have a 25 00:01:15,920 --> 00:01:18,560 Speaker 1: chat with both of them and get their take on life. 26 00:01:18,840 --> 00:01:21,640 Speaker 1: So in the studio today we have former Olympian and 27 00:01:21,680 --> 00:01:25,480 Speaker 1: World boxing champion Michael Cassidas, who had his sporting peak 28 00:01:25,800 --> 00:01:28,039 Speaker 1: was living in America hanging out with the likes of 29 00:01:28,040 --> 00:01:32,039 Speaker 1: Denzil Washington, but he has also experienced horrendous laths, a 30 00:01:32,120 --> 00:01:37,000 Speaker 1: victim of childhood sexual abuse, drug addiction and incarceration. Our 31 00:01:37,040 --> 00:01:40,240 Speaker 1: other guest, Marty Cornish, grew up in the Housing Commission 32 00:01:40,280 --> 00:01:43,399 Speaker 1: with a heroin addicted stepfather. He also got caught up 33 00:01:43,440 --> 00:01:45,960 Speaker 1: in the wrong crowd. He joined the Army to find 34 00:01:45,959 --> 00:01:49,120 Speaker 1: a brotherhood and is now focusing on men's mental health 35 00:01:49,160 --> 00:01:51,840 Speaker 1: and encouraging men to be the best version of themselves. 36 00:01:52,280 --> 00:01:55,800 Speaker 1: And today I'm looking forward to hearing their stories and 37 00:01:55,880 --> 00:01:57,840 Speaker 1: find out how they're trying to make a difference in 38 00:01:57,880 --> 00:02:01,480 Speaker 1: this world. Michael, that's welcome to I Catch Killers. 39 00:02:01,560 --> 00:02:02,920 Speaker 3: Thank you, Gary, it's. 40 00:02:02,720 --> 00:02:04,120 Speaker 2: Good to good to have you here. 41 00:02:04,160 --> 00:02:07,240 Speaker 1: I've been a big fan of your your fighting career, 42 00:02:07,280 --> 00:02:09,880 Speaker 1: so it's great to see you in see you in person. 43 00:02:10,000 --> 00:02:10,760 Speaker 3: Yeah, thank you. 44 00:02:10,760 --> 00:02:11,360 Speaker 2: You're looking good. 45 00:02:11,440 --> 00:02:14,560 Speaker 1: You're looking healthy, yeah, healthy, healthy, yes, staying fit and 46 00:02:14,600 --> 00:02:19,280 Speaker 1: strong yes yeah, yeah, okay. And we've also got a 47 00:02:19,360 --> 00:02:21,600 Speaker 1: second guest in the studio today, so it's going to 48 00:02:21,639 --> 00:02:24,560 Speaker 1: test my skills as a podcast. Marty Cornish, welcome to 49 00:02:24,600 --> 00:02:25,359 Speaker 1: I Catch Killers. 50 00:02:25,400 --> 00:02:26,000 Speaker 4: Thanks for having me. 51 00:02:26,080 --> 00:02:31,280 Speaker 1: Gary, it's good too, good to see you too. So Michael, firstly, 52 00:02:31,560 --> 00:02:33,600 Speaker 1: I'm going to ask you a hard question, but just 53 00:02:34,320 --> 00:02:36,320 Speaker 1: describe your life. Tell people who you are. 54 00:02:37,240 --> 00:02:39,040 Speaker 5: I suppose the best way to begin this is to 55 00:02:39,040 --> 00:02:41,240 Speaker 5: start from the beginning. I had a pretty had a 56 00:02:41,320 --> 00:02:45,480 Speaker 5: very strong relationship with my brother and our mothers. My 57 00:02:45,560 --> 00:02:47,800 Speaker 5: mother and father brought us up very well, like they 58 00:02:47,880 --> 00:02:50,720 Speaker 5: take us all the sporting things, you know, got right 59 00:02:50,720 --> 00:02:52,680 Speaker 5: behind us, and we were pushed each other along. We 60 00:02:52,720 --> 00:02:57,040 Speaker 5: both played soccer anyway. So he's got involved in the 61 00:02:57,120 --> 00:03:02,400 Speaker 5: racing industry and left school grade nine just to follow 62 00:03:02,400 --> 00:03:05,760 Speaker 5: that ambition, and he ended up becoming one of Australia's 63 00:03:05,760 --> 00:03:06,560 Speaker 5: best jockeys. 64 00:03:07,520 --> 00:03:09,680 Speaker 3: And he's basically like he. 65 00:03:09,639 --> 00:03:14,000 Speaker 5: Was Australian leading jockey and come to the point where 66 00:03:15,200 --> 00:03:18,360 Speaker 5: we'd push each other in our careers. I'd built up 67 00:03:18,400 --> 00:03:21,600 Speaker 5: an excellent record at twenty three fights, twenty three wins 68 00:03:21,600 --> 00:03:24,880 Speaker 5: with twenty one knockouts. One of the most exciting fighters 69 00:03:24,919 --> 00:03:29,480 Speaker 5: in the world. Fought on all the arenas England. That's 70 00:03:29,520 --> 00:03:32,040 Speaker 5: when I first won the world title, had successful defenses 71 00:03:32,040 --> 00:03:34,920 Speaker 5: at mental a Bay. Basically lived in the States for 72 00:03:35,000 --> 00:03:39,200 Speaker 5: six years, you know, and our relationship was really strong 73 00:03:39,640 --> 00:03:43,600 Speaker 5: and Stathi being one of Australia's best riders. 74 00:03:43,680 --> 00:03:45,360 Speaker 3: He made it to the Melbourne Cup. 75 00:03:47,880 --> 00:03:49,960 Speaker 5: And he was a week out for the Melbourne Cup 76 00:03:50,400 --> 00:03:53,640 Speaker 5: and I was in a training camp fighting about the 77 00:03:53,640 --> 00:03:55,560 Speaker 5: fight against the pound for pound best fighter in the 78 00:03:55,600 --> 00:03:59,840 Speaker 5: world in one Manuel Marquees and he's the guy knocked 79 00:03:59,840 --> 00:04:05,280 Speaker 5: out Minipatio Fort Floyd Mayweather, an accomplished fighter, and you 80 00:04:05,320 --> 00:04:07,680 Speaker 5: know that fight was to make me a household name 81 00:04:07,720 --> 00:04:10,760 Speaker 5: all over the world. Hadn't been home to Australia for 82 00:04:11,400 --> 00:04:15,119 Speaker 5: like since two thousand and six. This is twenty ten, 83 00:04:16,480 --> 00:04:18,839 Speaker 5: and I'll get a phone. I was in heavy training camp. 84 00:04:18,880 --> 00:04:21,839 Speaker 5: So my brother's riding in the Melbourne Cup a week later. 85 00:04:22,839 --> 00:04:25,120 Speaker 5: In three weeks, I'm fighting as one man your Marquez, 86 00:04:26,120 --> 00:04:28,239 Speaker 5: and one morning he had a phone call from Brendan. 87 00:04:28,440 --> 00:04:31,800 Speaker 5: He says, we're in Thailand training camp and he says 88 00:04:32,720 --> 00:04:35,159 Speaker 5: don't look at your phone, and he said, turn it 89 00:04:35,200 --> 00:04:38,839 Speaker 5: off and meet me at the gym, and it's really important. 90 00:04:39,320 --> 00:04:41,400 Speaker 5: I met him at the gym his first thing in 91 00:04:41,400 --> 00:04:44,360 Speaker 5: the morning, and I knew something was up straight away. 92 00:04:44,640 --> 00:04:46,239 Speaker 5: And I looked him in the eyes and I said, 93 00:04:46,600 --> 00:04:49,080 Speaker 5: someone has died, hasn't he And he said, yes, it's 94 00:04:49,120 --> 00:04:54,280 Speaker 5: your brother. And where I was at that stage in 95 00:04:54,320 --> 00:04:58,080 Speaker 5: my preparation, that was a really hard thing to have 96 00:04:58,120 --> 00:05:01,000 Speaker 5: to deal with, having to lose your brother, and you know, 97 00:05:01,080 --> 00:05:03,320 Speaker 5: and then I had a decision to make there and 98 00:05:03,360 --> 00:05:06,919 Speaker 5: then whether I would continue with that fight or to 99 00:05:07,000 --> 00:05:10,400 Speaker 5: go back to the funeral and grieve. You know, hindsight's 100 00:05:10,440 --> 00:05:12,840 Speaker 5: a wonderful thing, but at the time I decided I 101 00:05:12,880 --> 00:05:14,800 Speaker 5: did what my brother would have wanted me to do, 102 00:05:15,080 --> 00:05:18,240 Speaker 5: and you know, and I thought then the best thing 103 00:05:18,320 --> 00:05:19,760 Speaker 5: was to go on and have the fight, which I 104 00:05:19,800 --> 00:05:24,040 Speaker 5: did and just about won that fight as well. So 105 00:05:24,200 --> 00:05:26,000 Speaker 5: I'm one of the only people to put one and 106 00:05:26,000 --> 00:05:29,400 Speaker 5: your markets on his bums the third round of the fight. Yeah, yeah, 107 00:05:29,480 --> 00:05:33,680 Speaker 5: And I was an excellent finisher according to finish him 108 00:05:33,880 --> 00:05:37,279 Speaker 5: after I dropped him. And one thing that helped me 109 00:05:37,320 --> 00:05:40,360 Speaker 5: back I could hear the commentators yelling, and he's thinking 110 00:05:40,400 --> 00:05:43,520 Speaker 5: of his brother, you know, in my past, like I 111 00:05:43,520 --> 00:05:47,080 Speaker 5: would never dreamed of even thinking I'd just execute. I'm 112 00:05:47,080 --> 00:05:50,520 Speaker 5: an excellent finisher, That's what I would do anyway, one man, 113 00:05:50,560 --> 00:05:53,080 Speaker 5: your marquees recovered come back and end up stopping in 114 00:05:53,080 --> 00:05:56,640 Speaker 5: around nine to that fight, and from there onwards, I 115 00:05:56,680 --> 00:05:59,919 Speaker 5: just lost the next four fights straight and it's just 116 00:06:00,080 --> 00:06:01,960 Speaker 5: on a downward spiral started. 117 00:06:02,360 --> 00:06:06,640 Speaker 1: It's interesting how life can turn so quickly. Like you're 118 00:06:06,680 --> 00:06:09,240 Speaker 1: describing your brother at the top of his career, at 119 00:06:09,240 --> 00:06:11,400 Speaker 1: the top of your career, and then you get news 120 00:06:11,440 --> 00:06:15,680 Speaker 1: like that. We'll talk in more detail about that, but then, yeah, 121 00:06:15,680 --> 00:06:18,400 Speaker 1: that was probably the high high points in your life, 122 00:06:18,480 --> 00:06:20,160 Speaker 1: the way your life was going. But you're sort of 123 00:06:20,200 --> 00:06:21,880 Speaker 1: spiraled after that. 124 00:06:22,480 --> 00:06:26,080 Speaker 5: Yeah, I suppose, you know, like it was the icing 125 00:06:26,080 --> 00:06:30,599 Speaker 5: on the cake, so to speak, you know, like the 126 00:06:30,839 --> 00:06:33,240 Speaker 5: downward spiral that my life went. So I lost the 127 00:06:33,279 --> 00:06:35,760 Speaker 5: next four fights straight after that. Yeah, you know, at 128 00:06:35,839 --> 00:06:39,000 Speaker 5: one point my record was unblemish. You know, I was 129 00:06:39,120 --> 00:06:42,960 Speaker 5: right on top of my game. But that's when all 130 00:06:43,040 --> 00:06:46,000 Speaker 5: the drugs and the alcohol started and I began using 131 00:06:46,000 --> 00:06:47,840 Speaker 5: that as a recipe to mask my pain. 132 00:06:48,279 --> 00:06:51,120 Speaker 1: Yeah, it's a story of story. I've heard a lot here. 133 00:06:51,160 --> 00:06:52,680 Speaker 1: I saw a lot when I was in the cops, 134 00:06:52,760 --> 00:06:54,560 Speaker 1: Like what is it about? 135 00:06:54,600 --> 00:06:55,000 Speaker 2: The drugs? 136 00:06:55,120 --> 00:06:57,600 Speaker 1: Is about the high and invariably when you strip it down, 137 00:06:57,960 --> 00:07:00,480 Speaker 1: it's about masking pain that you've vix been in your 138 00:07:00,480 --> 00:07:03,520 Speaker 1: life will break your life down that further. But Marty 139 00:07:03,839 --> 00:07:05,200 Speaker 1: about your life. 140 00:07:05,360 --> 00:07:08,040 Speaker 4: Yeah, well, I guess, you know, taking it back for 141 00:07:08,160 --> 00:07:11,920 Speaker 4: the start. You know, my mom, who is my best friend, 142 00:07:13,280 --> 00:07:15,280 Speaker 4: you know, but she gave birth to me at sixteen. 143 00:07:15,800 --> 00:07:18,680 Speaker 2: Jesus young, isn't Yeah, so you. 144 00:07:18,560 --> 00:07:23,480 Speaker 4: Know we essentially had a teenager raising a child, and 145 00:07:24,040 --> 00:07:26,760 Speaker 4: you know that just it provided I guess, you know, 146 00:07:26,880 --> 00:07:29,840 Speaker 4: she was battling, you know, from the day dot and 147 00:07:30,040 --> 00:07:32,000 Speaker 4: my father wasn't really in the pitch. I even I 148 00:07:32,040 --> 00:07:34,200 Speaker 4: went to one of the most wealthy schools in Sydney 149 00:07:35,160 --> 00:07:38,560 Speaker 4: and I didn't really meet him for the first time 150 00:07:38,600 --> 00:07:42,200 Speaker 4: until I was seventeen, right, and that provided a void 151 00:07:42,240 --> 00:07:45,040 Speaker 4: in my stomach. I had an emptiness inside me, and 152 00:07:45,040 --> 00:07:48,239 Speaker 4: funny enough, I actually meeting for the first time around 153 00:07:48,320 --> 00:07:50,240 Speaker 4: the time I started boxing at the pc y C. 154 00:07:50,600 --> 00:07:55,680 Speaker 4: First heard of the name Michael Cassidis in Toomba and 155 00:07:57,360 --> 00:07:59,880 Speaker 4: even through that period when I was growing up. My 156 00:08:00,200 --> 00:08:03,680 Speaker 4: mom actually went through her own diversity and coming back 157 00:08:03,720 --> 00:08:07,920 Speaker 4: to the healing ourselves, and that's exactly what's happening in 158 00:08:07,920 --> 00:08:10,760 Speaker 4: the household. There was a lot of heroin in the 159 00:08:10,840 --> 00:08:13,520 Speaker 4: house and as you know, it's it's one of those 160 00:08:13,560 --> 00:08:16,800 Speaker 4: drugs I've been told where it really master pain, it's 161 00:08:16,920 --> 00:08:21,800 Speaker 4: really it heals. So my childhood was up until about 162 00:08:21,840 --> 00:08:24,440 Speaker 4: twelve thirteen when I went to live with my grandparents, 163 00:08:24,520 --> 00:08:28,320 Speaker 4: who my grandfather's a veteran. It was quite dysfunctional with 164 00:08:28,400 --> 00:08:30,600 Speaker 4: you know, my stuff would be pawned. You know. I 165 00:08:30,640 --> 00:08:33,760 Speaker 4: was doing odd jobs to make money because I went 166 00:08:33,800 --> 00:08:36,040 Speaker 4: to actual a primary school in Neutral Bay. So my 167 00:08:36,120 --> 00:08:38,880 Speaker 4: mom was trying to send me into a good area, 168 00:08:39,000 --> 00:08:39,640 Speaker 4: a good area. 169 00:08:39,720 --> 00:08:42,720 Speaker 1: Yeah you're brought up in housing commission, but trying to 170 00:08:42,760 --> 00:08:44,640 Speaker 1: steer you in a different direction. 171 00:08:44,840 --> 00:08:45,120 Speaker 2: Yeah. 172 00:08:45,440 --> 00:08:48,200 Speaker 4: And the thing was like a lot of these kids 173 00:08:48,240 --> 00:08:52,239 Speaker 4: lived on on the Sydney Harbor, you know, around Cremorne, 174 00:08:52,320 --> 00:08:55,400 Speaker 4: and I went over to their house and then their cover. 175 00:08:55,480 --> 00:08:58,480 Speaker 4: They've just got like a lot of these fucking teddy teddies. 176 00:08:58,880 --> 00:09:01,680 Speaker 1: It must it must be using for at your age, 177 00:09:01,800 --> 00:09:04,559 Speaker 1: like you see your friends in households like. 178 00:09:04,520 --> 00:09:06,880 Speaker 2: That, and then you go home and there's syringes and 179 00:09:07,040 --> 00:09:09,640 Speaker 2: yeah that lane around the house, Yeah exactly. 180 00:09:10,040 --> 00:09:12,480 Speaker 4: And it was really like because I remember one time 181 00:09:12,520 --> 00:09:14,760 Speaker 4: I walked into i'll staying up one of these guys, 182 00:09:15,000 --> 00:09:17,800 Speaker 4: one of the kids from school, and I was so 183 00:09:17,880 --> 00:09:20,440 Speaker 4: excited just I was like amaze of how much food 184 00:09:20,480 --> 00:09:22,960 Speaker 4: they had in the cupboard and now like holy shit, 185 00:09:23,080 --> 00:09:26,520 Speaker 4: like what's going on with this dude. But all of 186 00:09:26,559 --> 00:09:30,679 Speaker 4: this provided me with a fuel and a deep level 187 00:09:30,720 --> 00:09:34,120 Speaker 4: of ambition to try and break the cycle, you know. 188 00:09:34,160 --> 00:09:36,439 Speaker 4: And that's when people go to me or you know, 189 00:09:36,520 --> 00:09:38,480 Speaker 4: how you so ambitious or you know, where does it 190 00:09:38,559 --> 00:09:41,200 Speaker 4: kind of come from? If it wasn't for this, it 191 00:09:41,240 --> 00:09:44,280 Speaker 4: wouldn't have filled me. I don't believe to try and 192 00:09:44,760 --> 00:09:46,240 Speaker 4: accomplish something in my life. 193 00:09:46,800 --> 00:09:49,680 Speaker 1: You you told me in conversations that we had that 194 00:09:49,760 --> 00:09:53,000 Speaker 1: you joined the join the army, looking for a brotherhood, 195 00:09:53,040 --> 00:09:54,520 Speaker 1: looking to belong to something. 196 00:09:54,600 --> 00:09:56,240 Speaker 2: That that helped to a degree. 197 00:09:56,440 --> 00:09:58,920 Speaker 4: Yeah, well I really I was living in Sydney, I 198 00:09:58,960 --> 00:10:01,920 Speaker 4: was walking working a corporate world, but I was just 199 00:10:02,920 --> 00:10:06,160 Speaker 4: drinking every weekend, you know, not just having six beers. 200 00:10:06,200 --> 00:10:09,480 Speaker 4: You know, would really work hard and play hard, and 201 00:10:09,800 --> 00:10:13,560 Speaker 4: I really wanted to force and pose some discipline into 202 00:10:13,559 --> 00:10:15,400 Speaker 4: my life because I actually applied to get into the 203 00:10:15,480 --> 00:10:17,400 Speaker 4: army when I was seventeen and I was knocked back, 204 00:10:17,800 --> 00:10:19,760 Speaker 4: just purelyus to look make go get some life experience, 205 00:10:19,760 --> 00:10:23,880 Speaker 4: and that was into Womba and you know, but I 206 00:10:23,920 --> 00:10:26,880 Speaker 4: was twenty three at the time, and I really wanted 207 00:10:26,920 --> 00:10:31,040 Speaker 4: to test myself. I really was just in this lull 208 00:10:31,320 --> 00:10:35,319 Speaker 4: in life where I'm like, I need something, I need 209 00:10:35,360 --> 00:10:37,640 Speaker 4: something to believe in me. I need to find out 210 00:10:38,280 --> 00:10:40,760 Speaker 4: what I've actually got inside and what I'm capable of. 211 00:10:41,760 --> 00:10:44,880 Speaker 4: And I also wanted to feel proud of myself, you know, 212 00:10:45,000 --> 00:10:48,079 Speaker 4: to be able to walk into a room with my 213 00:10:48,760 --> 00:10:51,160 Speaker 4: shoulders back and say, you know what, I'm a soldier. 214 00:10:51,520 --> 00:10:54,559 Speaker 4: And I wanted to be able to tell my grandfather, 215 00:10:54,760 --> 00:10:56,640 Speaker 4: you know, and make him proud as well a man 216 00:10:56,679 --> 00:10:59,360 Speaker 4: out of respect. So I was really looking for a 217 00:10:59,400 --> 00:11:03,000 Speaker 4: lot of things in my life that was missing. 218 00:11:03,200 --> 00:11:08,839 Speaker 1: Yeah, understandable why you choose heading to the army. You've 219 00:11:08,840 --> 00:11:11,120 Speaker 1: got to out of the army, as I understand that. 220 00:11:11,200 --> 00:11:13,440 Speaker 1: And when you left, your started a business and you're 221 00:11:13,480 --> 00:11:16,080 Speaker 1: working successful. But in your own words, you said to 222 00:11:16,120 --> 00:11:17,800 Speaker 1: me you got caught up in your own ego and 223 00:11:17,880 --> 00:11:20,840 Speaker 1: success and started to become the party boy again, lost 224 00:11:20,880 --> 00:11:22,040 Speaker 1: your way exactly. 225 00:11:22,240 --> 00:11:24,800 Speaker 4: And the interesting thing is, as now where seven years 226 00:11:24,840 --> 00:11:27,920 Speaker 4: past that I look back on it, and you know, 227 00:11:28,000 --> 00:11:31,080 Speaker 4: people may criticize me for the way that I was, 228 00:11:31,920 --> 00:11:33,680 Speaker 4: and it wasn't that bad. Like fuck I was just 229 00:11:34,120 --> 00:11:37,080 Speaker 4: because you know, all of a sudden, for twenty seven 230 00:11:37,160 --> 00:11:40,160 Speaker 4: years of your life, you've never really done well. You know, 231 00:11:40,240 --> 00:11:43,520 Speaker 4: you've aspired. And I worked on the business four years 232 00:11:43,920 --> 00:11:46,600 Speaker 4: and I was around a lot of successful people, and 233 00:11:46,640 --> 00:11:49,120 Speaker 4: when I finally started to see a little bit of success, 234 00:11:50,040 --> 00:11:53,280 Speaker 4: you're like, well, I finally did it. But a lot 235 00:11:53,280 --> 00:11:55,760 Speaker 4: of the people don't understand what it was like in 236 00:11:55,800 --> 00:11:57,760 Speaker 4: those how's the commission? You know? 237 00:11:57,920 --> 00:12:00,480 Speaker 2: What was driving your home? I think? 238 00:12:00,559 --> 00:12:05,400 Speaker 1: And we'll talk talk about Michael's career, and like, success 239 00:12:05,800 --> 00:12:09,040 Speaker 1: in whether it's business, sport, or whatever you're aspiring to 240 00:12:09,160 --> 00:12:11,800 Speaker 1: can be a double edged sort, yeah, Like you can 241 00:12:11,840 --> 00:12:15,560 Speaker 1: lose lose your way, lose perspective on things, and yeah, 242 00:12:16,000 --> 00:12:18,720 Speaker 1: forget the important things about being a good, good person. 243 00:12:19,080 --> 00:12:21,880 Speaker 1: And I see it time and time again. We've all 244 00:12:21,880 --> 00:12:25,520 Speaker 1: got it within us every time. And some of the 245 00:12:25,559 --> 00:12:28,120 Speaker 1: knockdowns I've had in life, I think they've made me 246 00:12:28,160 --> 00:12:31,760 Speaker 1: a better person. Because if you don't, you start to 247 00:12:31,760 --> 00:12:35,560 Speaker 1: believe your own hyah, your own surrounds and yeah, I'm good, 248 00:12:35,600 --> 00:12:40,040 Speaker 1: I can do this, and yeah we lose lose our way. Michael, 249 00:12:40,360 --> 00:12:43,440 Speaker 1: let's get back to you, or before we do, how did. 250 00:12:43,320 --> 00:12:46,800 Speaker 2: You two meet? What's where did you to first meet? Well, 251 00:12:46,840 --> 00:12:47,560 Speaker 2: I was connected. 252 00:12:47,600 --> 00:12:51,959 Speaker 5: I wasn't so aware of when I first when Marty 253 00:12:52,000 --> 00:12:54,640 Speaker 5: first came into my life, because like, I was really 254 00:12:54,640 --> 00:12:56,840 Speaker 5: passionate about what I did with my boxing and that 255 00:12:56,960 --> 00:13:00,280 Speaker 5: was my addiction, you know, and I would train, take 256 00:13:00,280 --> 00:13:03,360 Speaker 5: classes and train heaps of kids and I was only fifteen. 257 00:13:03,400 --> 00:13:06,440 Speaker 5: I'd even train the adults as well, and Marty was 258 00:13:06,480 --> 00:13:08,920 Speaker 5: one of those kids that I would look after. And 259 00:13:08,960 --> 00:13:11,760 Speaker 5: it's just funny how everything in the world just always 260 00:13:11,880 --> 00:13:15,040 Speaker 5: comes around like I've you know, and you know, it's 261 00:13:15,440 --> 00:13:17,920 Speaker 5: just so many stories that go onto that. But you know, 262 00:13:18,000 --> 00:13:20,559 Speaker 5: water finds at the same level. And then years later, 263 00:13:20,679 --> 00:13:23,640 Speaker 5: like I'm at a bottle of about to get some groging, 264 00:13:23,720 --> 00:13:28,119 Speaker 5: and mart he's just like he was so cool. 265 00:13:27,880 --> 00:13:30,360 Speaker 3: Man, He's just like rolling on around love. Oh my god, 266 00:13:30,400 --> 00:13:32,199 Speaker 3: it is Michael Kats. He said, He's like. 267 00:13:32,440 --> 00:13:34,800 Speaker 5: He's balling and he's rolling around and he's just laughing 268 00:13:34,800 --> 00:13:37,439 Speaker 5: and I can't believe in you and all this. And 269 00:13:37,440 --> 00:13:39,319 Speaker 5: his mum was with him, which I couldn't even remember 270 00:13:39,440 --> 00:13:42,520 Speaker 5: till I caught up with her last night. But he 271 00:13:42,600 --> 00:13:44,880 Speaker 5: told me the stories about how like he would see 272 00:13:44,880 --> 00:13:47,200 Speaker 5: me and with a flock of people around me all 273 00:13:47,240 --> 00:13:50,120 Speaker 5: the time, and see this guy that would just going 274 00:13:50,160 --> 00:13:51,559 Speaker 5: to the gym and to be skipping there and I 275 00:13:51,600 --> 00:13:53,480 Speaker 5: would always come in and have black eyes and they're 276 00:13:53,520 --> 00:13:56,079 Speaker 5: just working away, work away, and he just like looked 277 00:13:56,160 --> 00:13:58,679 Speaker 5: up at me and saw what I was doing and 278 00:13:59,080 --> 00:14:02,160 Speaker 5: could and saw my career progressed into the world stage. 279 00:14:02,559 --> 00:14:04,880 Speaker 5: And then I mean, what's your take on it is. 280 00:14:04,800 --> 00:14:05,760 Speaker 2: That you remember it. 281 00:14:06,080 --> 00:14:12,800 Speaker 4: I've got a completely different story. Yeah, well it was 282 00:14:13,200 --> 00:14:17,400 Speaker 4: so I started boxing at the PC YC, and you know, 283 00:14:17,440 --> 00:14:20,280 Speaker 4: I remember one time looking over and there was just 284 00:14:20,280 --> 00:14:23,600 Speaker 4: this guy with these mad bruises under his eyes and 285 00:14:23,760 --> 00:14:26,520 Speaker 4: he's like skipping in the dark, and it just had 286 00:14:26,520 --> 00:14:28,920 Speaker 4: this real rocky vibe about it, you know, like this, 287 00:14:29,760 --> 00:14:32,720 Speaker 4: and I was like, that's Michael Casidas. That's Michael Casidas. 288 00:14:33,120 --> 00:14:35,720 Speaker 4: And then you know, about a year later when I 289 00:14:35,720 --> 00:14:39,720 Speaker 4: turned eight and started going out into WARMBA and there 290 00:14:39,760 --> 00:14:43,720 Speaker 4: was just this entourage of people around just as swarm, 291 00:14:43,760 --> 00:14:46,680 Speaker 4: you know, and because there was obviously such a about 292 00:14:46,720 --> 00:14:49,200 Speaker 4: two hundred thousand people. You know, you've got another limpi 293 00:14:49,280 --> 00:14:51,200 Speaker 4: in and someone he's a big name. 294 00:14:51,320 --> 00:14:52,760 Speaker 2: Yeah, everyone wants a piece of him. 295 00:14:52,800 --> 00:14:55,320 Speaker 4: And this was before America, I believe you're thinking, before 296 00:14:55,320 --> 00:14:56,920 Speaker 4: we had gone over to it, so he even got 297 00:14:56,960 --> 00:15:02,040 Speaker 4: way bigger. And you know, the name was just it 298 00:15:02,240 --> 00:15:04,600 Speaker 4: just carried weight with it, you know, in that town 299 00:15:04,640 --> 00:15:08,040 Speaker 4: and was renowned for being just this tough dude. And 300 00:15:08,440 --> 00:15:09,840 Speaker 4: you know, when I ran into him on a Gold 301 00:15:09,880 --> 00:15:12,240 Speaker 4: Coast at the bottle shop, I said to the bottle 302 00:15:12,240 --> 00:15:14,600 Speaker 4: shop going, what do you know? Who you know this is? 303 00:15:15,280 --> 00:15:17,240 Speaker 4: And even my mom and everybody's like, oh, what's going 304 00:15:17,280 --> 00:15:19,440 Speaker 4: on with Marty? Like you know, it's like and then 305 00:15:19,480 --> 00:15:22,000 Speaker 4: I came back home that night and I didn't catch anything. 306 00:15:22,080 --> 00:15:24,400 Speaker 4: Like I put on some casitas like Top five knockouts, 307 00:15:24,920 --> 00:15:27,440 Speaker 4: you know. And then every time when we started hanging out, 308 00:15:28,160 --> 00:15:30,280 Speaker 4: because he's like, oh mate, yeah, no dramas, like you know, 309 00:15:30,680 --> 00:15:34,520 Speaker 4: he goes, here's my number. And then the next day 310 00:15:34,560 --> 00:15:37,280 Speaker 4: I get this phone call from a number and he goes, oh, 311 00:15:37,280 --> 00:15:40,040 Speaker 4: it's Michael, Michael who And he goes casitas, he goes 312 00:15:40,080 --> 00:15:41,720 Speaker 4: come over for like a cup of tea, like a 313 00:15:41,760 --> 00:15:44,000 Speaker 4: fucking cup of tea. So I drive over to his 314 00:15:44,080 --> 00:15:47,000 Speaker 4: house just random. Hi, Now I've got to Michael Cassetta's place. 315 00:15:47,040 --> 00:15:50,600 Speaker 4: And we became mates ever since then, and you know, 316 00:15:50,600 --> 00:15:52,720 Speaker 4: I got to know him a lot better as a mate. 317 00:15:53,200 --> 00:15:55,920 Speaker 4: And you know we're talking about doing things together back then, 318 00:15:55,960 --> 00:15:57,200 Speaker 4: but you know, some things happened. 319 00:15:57,200 --> 00:16:00,920 Speaker 1: So yeah, the world of that world boxing, they use 320 00:16:01,000 --> 00:16:04,360 Speaker 1: boxing just as an analogy to pass this message on. 321 00:16:05,320 --> 00:16:08,640 Speaker 1: I know Michael will get you to talk about this 322 00:16:08,920 --> 00:16:11,280 Speaker 1: later on. But yeah, when you're a rising star in 323 00:16:11,360 --> 00:16:16,040 Speaker 1: the boxing world, everyone coming to you and everyone wants 324 00:16:16,040 --> 00:16:17,920 Speaker 1: a piece of it, be associated with it, just get 325 00:16:17,960 --> 00:16:20,479 Speaker 1: a photo with you, just be part of the excitement 326 00:16:20,520 --> 00:16:22,920 Speaker 1: of someone in one of the toughest sports in the 327 00:16:22,920 --> 00:16:25,680 Speaker 1: world on the rise, and let's have a piece of it. Yeah, 328 00:16:25,840 --> 00:16:29,400 Speaker 1: your grown men, businessmen want to be there. Yeah, Michael, 329 00:16:29,440 --> 00:16:31,400 Speaker 1: he's a good friend of mine. That type of thing 330 00:16:31,880 --> 00:16:34,760 Speaker 1: at an early age, it must be hard to deal 331 00:16:34,800 --> 00:16:38,440 Speaker 1: with that adulation and keep you your ego in check 332 00:16:38,480 --> 00:16:39,560 Speaker 1: and everything else in check. 333 00:16:39,760 --> 00:16:40,000 Speaker 2: Yeah. 334 00:16:40,120 --> 00:16:43,359 Speaker 5: So like even from the age of fifteen, getting interviewed 335 00:16:43,440 --> 00:16:47,040 Speaker 5: and doing when uses our local news station up there 336 00:16:47,640 --> 00:16:51,520 Speaker 5: and always in the media. You become it's a common 337 00:16:51,560 --> 00:16:54,800 Speaker 5: thing to be talking and having this persona and it 338 00:16:54,920 --> 00:17:00,320 Speaker 5: just becomes an everyday thing. It's just business, part of life. 339 00:17:00,320 --> 00:17:02,360 Speaker 5: And then of course as you go along you become 340 00:17:02,360 --> 00:17:08,440 Speaker 5: more successful. You know, it's just business as usual. It 341 00:17:08,600 --> 00:17:10,080 Speaker 5: just becomes a part and part of the past of 342 00:17:10,240 --> 00:17:10,640 Speaker 5: your life. 343 00:17:10,880 --> 00:17:14,679 Speaker 1: Yeah, okay, and I see with that and use like 344 00:17:14,840 --> 00:17:19,040 Speaker 1: boxing we're talking here, but the same with footballers, even 345 00:17:19,200 --> 00:17:21,679 Speaker 1: in the music industry anywhere. You can see how you 346 00:17:21,680 --> 00:17:25,520 Speaker 1: can go off track when you do that. Now you 347 00:17:26,040 --> 00:17:30,080 Speaker 1: reached the dizzy heights of world boxing champion, but your 348 00:17:30,119 --> 00:17:33,240 Speaker 1: career is probably not as well known here in Australia 349 00:17:33,280 --> 00:17:36,160 Speaker 1: as it is in America because you decided to go 350 00:17:36,400 --> 00:17:38,480 Speaker 1: over and test yourself against the best of the best. 351 00:17:38,960 --> 00:17:43,159 Speaker 1: But before we step into that there Sydney Olympics, you 352 00:17:43,280 --> 00:17:47,560 Speaker 1: represented the country here, Sydney boy, I was working at 353 00:17:47,560 --> 00:17:50,760 Speaker 1: the Olympics with the close personal protection and seeing what 354 00:17:50,840 --> 00:17:53,320 Speaker 1: was going on in the thick of it. You guys 355 00:17:53,359 --> 00:17:56,400 Speaker 1: were treated like gods at that stage. An Olympic athlete. 356 00:17:56,440 --> 00:18:00,720 Speaker 1: If you're wandering at wandering Australian tracks with yeah, so. 357 00:18:00,720 --> 00:18:02,640 Speaker 5: You are so like you know, like I come from 358 00:18:02,680 --> 00:18:05,160 Speaker 5: Timba and you know, like all of a sudden you're 359 00:18:05,200 --> 00:18:08,120 Speaker 5: this is superstar, and like it doesn't really hit you. You 360 00:18:08,080 --> 00:18:10,119 Speaker 5: have these dreams and these aspirations. You want to go 361 00:18:10,119 --> 00:18:12,280 Speaker 5: to the Olympic Games. And then when you actually go 362 00:18:12,359 --> 00:18:14,920 Speaker 5: the Olympic Games, you're like in the forefront and front 363 00:18:14,920 --> 00:18:17,240 Speaker 5: of the world. It's like here Australia saying, here you are, 364 00:18:17,280 --> 00:18:18,760 Speaker 5: this is our greatest But you know, and then you 365 00:18:18,840 --> 00:18:21,159 Speaker 5: put up on his pedestal and you know, like just 366 00:18:21,200 --> 00:18:24,000 Speaker 5: to see the go to the opening seramony and people, ah, 367 00:18:24,800 --> 00:18:27,200 Speaker 5: you can just hear this just so like you always 368 00:18:27,280 --> 00:18:30,320 Speaker 5: these little fingers and have people sit trying the cracks 369 00:18:30,320 --> 00:18:32,119 Speaker 5: in the water trying to get like a vision of 370 00:18:32,200 --> 00:18:33,919 Speaker 5: us and stuff. And you know, they gave us some 371 00:18:34,000 --> 00:18:36,040 Speaker 5: kangaroos to throw out to the crowd and like they'd 372 00:18:36,080 --> 00:18:38,960 Speaker 5: like swarm all over these people like animals and they're 373 00:18:39,000 --> 00:18:42,120 Speaker 5: like these human beings. It's like they're like I saw 374 00:18:42,160 --> 00:18:44,160 Speaker 5: it and it's like they're like, you know, like people. 375 00:18:44,600 --> 00:18:47,960 Speaker 5: It was like sofa anyway, it was a really really 376 00:18:47,960 --> 00:18:50,920 Speaker 5: big thing. But Nicki Webster was singing it. I saw 377 00:18:51,000 --> 00:18:53,199 Speaker 5: how days a grown woman, like things have changed and 378 00:18:53,240 --> 00:18:55,920 Speaker 5: what was the cold chill that played at the opening zeramony? 379 00:18:55,960 --> 00:19:00,160 Speaker 1: But anyway, they're closing ceremony. Coltures will midnight, allay. 380 00:19:00,640 --> 00:19:01,560 Speaker 3: That's not all. 381 00:19:01,640 --> 00:19:04,800 Speaker 5: Yeah, it was so big and you know, and there 382 00:19:04,840 --> 00:19:08,560 Speaker 5: we were, and so we're performing from the big, big screen. 383 00:19:08,600 --> 00:19:11,360 Speaker 5: I won my first round of the competition against Brazil 384 00:19:12,080 --> 00:19:15,160 Speaker 5: and then I lost by two points to Kazakh Kazakhstan 385 00:19:15,440 --> 00:19:17,399 Speaker 5: and the next fight and it so like you're like 386 00:19:18,119 --> 00:19:21,600 Speaker 5: Michael and you're about to become a household name. As 387 00:19:23,000 --> 00:19:28,159 Speaker 5: so the psychological side of things, they back then, they 388 00:19:28,240 --> 00:19:30,920 Speaker 5: used to like a briefing and like a debriefing where 389 00:19:30,960 --> 00:19:32,480 Speaker 5: you'd have to talk and they just have a check 390 00:19:32,520 --> 00:19:34,680 Speaker 5: in with you. I have no doubt now the way 391 00:19:34,720 --> 00:19:38,399 Speaker 5: that we're evolving as humans and in the sport, that 392 00:19:38,520 --> 00:19:42,400 Speaker 5: there's a much greater role played played on the psychology 393 00:19:42,600 --> 00:19:46,000 Speaker 5: of people in general. You know, when going to the 394 00:19:46,040 --> 00:19:48,840 Speaker 5: Olympics and not going to the Olympics and whatever. 395 00:19:48,640 --> 00:19:53,360 Speaker 1: Disappointments that you get getting, whether Olympics or anything. 396 00:19:52,960 --> 00:19:54,920 Speaker 2: That, yeah, we all aspire to. 397 00:19:57,800 --> 00:20:00,640 Speaker 1: You two guys have formed the friendship, and we'll talk 398 00:20:00,680 --> 00:20:02,679 Speaker 1: about your time in prison too. 399 00:20:03,160 --> 00:20:05,400 Speaker 2: But this was you met. 400 00:20:05,240 --> 00:20:07,240 Speaker 1: Back at the bottle shop after you've got out of 401 00:20:07,280 --> 00:20:09,800 Speaker 1: prison or just recently out of prison, and you've you've 402 00:20:09,840 --> 00:20:12,280 Speaker 1: formed a bit of a bond here and you want 403 00:20:12,320 --> 00:20:15,720 Speaker 1: to help men find the way be resilient. What brought 404 00:20:15,800 --> 00:20:18,359 Speaker 1: you two together on that issue? How did that play out? 405 00:20:18,960 --> 00:20:20,080 Speaker 3: Well, we both. 406 00:20:21,520 --> 00:20:25,600 Speaker 5: At one stage. Marty was always you know, telling me like, 407 00:20:25,640 --> 00:20:26,520 Speaker 5: do you know who you are? 408 00:20:26,600 --> 00:20:26,879 Speaker 3: Do you know? 409 00:20:27,359 --> 00:20:30,160 Speaker 5: And trying to encourage me to remember who I am 410 00:20:30,359 --> 00:20:34,399 Speaker 5: and to hold me in the highest light and you know, 411 00:20:34,480 --> 00:20:37,199 Speaker 5: get yourself amongst all the all the good people. And 412 00:20:37,280 --> 00:20:39,800 Speaker 5: I just wasn't ready yet. I wasn't ready and like 413 00:20:39,920 --> 00:20:42,960 Speaker 5: my I'd taken this pathway. It's like, to be honest, 414 00:20:43,040 --> 00:20:45,840 Speaker 5: it's like I've been sleeping for the last fourteen years, 415 00:20:46,240 --> 00:20:46,879 Speaker 5: to be honest. 416 00:20:47,960 --> 00:20:48,159 Speaker 2: You know. 417 00:20:48,200 --> 00:20:52,040 Speaker 5: It wasn't until you know, I got locked up. You know, 418 00:20:52,119 --> 00:20:54,280 Speaker 5: my fingerprints were found. It's a cocaine and I got 419 00:20:54,320 --> 00:20:58,440 Speaker 5: charged with cocaine trafficking and just just basically I wasn't 420 00:20:58,480 --> 00:21:00,359 Speaker 5: even living at the house anymore. But the long end 421 00:21:00,400 --> 00:21:03,879 Speaker 5: of the short is that my dirty MIT's getting on 422 00:21:03,920 --> 00:21:06,680 Speaker 5: these drugs and things like that, and if I wasn't 423 00:21:06,720 --> 00:21:08,960 Speaker 5: associating with the people that I was associating, I wouldn't 424 00:21:09,000 --> 00:21:11,120 Speaker 5: have been in that position to begin with. And it's 425 00:21:12,240 --> 00:21:14,800 Speaker 5: a void that I had, Like I was this world 426 00:21:14,880 --> 00:21:17,399 Speaker 5: champion and I could never feel that void. And I 427 00:21:17,440 --> 00:21:19,919 Speaker 5: was constantly looking for something to master the pain and 428 00:21:20,040 --> 00:21:22,639 Speaker 5: surround myself with people that make me felt more comfortable, 429 00:21:22,720 --> 00:21:25,240 Speaker 5: which is right down there, you know. And it wasn't 430 00:21:25,320 --> 00:21:27,320 Speaker 5: up here with the people that I needed to be around. 431 00:21:27,359 --> 00:21:29,480 Speaker 5: There was no clarity. I couldn't I didn't have any 432 00:21:29,520 --> 00:21:33,000 Speaker 5: sense of direction. And it wasn't until you know, it 433 00:21:33,080 --> 00:21:35,520 Speaker 5: took you know, I've got two years jail and what 434 00:21:35,560 --> 00:21:39,119 Speaker 5: were were charges cocaine trafficking, and I'm sitting in jail 435 00:21:39,160 --> 00:21:42,760 Speaker 5: and I found myself, you know, I had a good, long, 436 00:21:42,840 --> 00:21:45,840 Speaker 5: hard think about things, and I thought, fuck, Like, I'm 437 00:21:45,960 --> 00:21:47,920 Speaker 5: talking to these guys that I'm in there with and 438 00:21:48,640 --> 00:21:51,000 Speaker 5: I could actually relate to them. I could actually see 439 00:21:51,000 --> 00:21:53,479 Speaker 5: there's a lot of trauma in there. There's a lot 440 00:21:53,480 --> 00:21:55,600 Speaker 5: of people brought up with it, with a lot of 441 00:21:55,600 --> 00:21:56,440 Speaker 5: sexual abuse. 442 00:21:57,640 --> 00:21:58,880 Speaker 2: Just just on that. 443 00:21:58,920 --> 00:22:02,159 Speaker 1: Michael, And yeah, I've spoken to you about it and 444 00:22:02,520 --> 00:22:05,680 Speaker 1: you said you're comfortable talking about it, but you were 445 00:22:05,960 --> 00:22:10,040 Speaker 1: a victim of child sexual abuse. Yes, And I think 446 00:22:10,080 --> 00:22:13,320 Speaker 1: in the conversation that we had, you said you didn't 447 00:22:13,320 --> 00:22:17,320 Speaker 1: tell people, you didn't deal with it then and suppressed. 448 00:22:17,720 --> 00:22:19,600 Speaker 1: Do you want to just talk us through through that 449 00:22:19,680 --> 00:22:23,040 Speaker 1: aspect of your life because and you identify it in prison. 450 00:22:23,320 --> 00:22:25,720 Speaker 1: I know I've spoken to you about it, Marty. So 451 00:22:25,800 --> 00:22:28,960 Speaker 1: many people inside have had situations like that and that's 452 00:22:28,960 --> 00:22:31,560 Speaker 1: where the anger comes from. And you see these guys, 453 00:22:31,680 --> 00:22:35,640 Speaker 1: big tough, bikey dudes that what's this anger about? They 454 00:22:35,720 --> 00:22:37,679 Speaker 1: just they never want to be a victim again. And 455 00:22:38,040 --> 00:22:41,159 Speaker 1: a lot of it steems from this childhood sexual abuse. 456 00:22:41,240 --> 00:22:43,679 Speaker 5: That's right, that's right, and they haven't dealt with the 457 00:22:43,720 --> 00:22:46,919 Speaker 5: trauma associated with that, and then they haven't really been 458 00:22:46,920 --> 00:22:49,600 Speaker 5: able to find the right support network. There is support 459 00:22:49,600 --> 00:22:52,360 Speaker 5: out there, there's people that do understand, but at first 460 00:22:52,400 --> 00:22:54,679 Speaker 5: it's been able to identify. It is one thing that 461 00:22:54,760 --> 00:22:58,040 Speaker 5: leads to the next, you know, ultimately, like like I've 462 00:22:58,080 --> 00:23:00,640 Speaker 5: gone on that pathway like I was. I was always 463 00:23:00,800 --> 00:23:03,000 Speaker 5: messed up growing up, and then one thing led to another. 464 00:23:03,080 --> 00:23:05,439 Speaker 5: I've gone down a bad spiral and then when my 465 00:23:05,440 --> 00:23:09,560 Speaker 5: brother died, that was the catalyst, and it's just added 466 00:23:09,560 --> 00:23:11,520 Speaker 5: to it, and it's smarts in the pain, and I couldn't. 467 00:23:11,560 --> 00:23:14,679 Speaker 5: And it wasn't until I was speaking to a trauma 468 00:23:14,760 --> 00:23:19,680 Speaker 5: therapist and and and realizing where where it was all 469 00:23:19,720 --> 00:23:23,040 Speaker 5: coming from that that that I could actually identify. And 470 00:23:24,800 --> 00:23:27,240 Speaker 5: like he said to me, he said he could tell 471 00:23:27,320 --> 00:23:29,399 Speaker 5: straight away. He said, Michael, you just have to stop using. 472 00:23:29,800 --> 00:23:31,520 Speaker 5: You have to stop using, you have to stop drinking. 473 00:23:31,880 --> 00:23:33,919 Speaker 5: You know, it's just as clear as that, because they're. 474 00:23:33,800 --> 00:23:34,320 Speaker 3: Not going to heal. 475 00:23:34,440 --> 00:23:37,639 Speaker 1: But just just to put it in context and perspective, 476 00:23:38,000 --> 00:23:39,760 Speaker 1: how old were you and what happened? 477 00:23:39,760 --> 00:23:41,880 Speaker 2: Was someone known to you or yeah, yeah. 478 00:23:41,800 --> 00:23:44,400 Speaker 5: So I've just recently found out who it is, and 479 00:23:45,000 --> 00:23:47,080 Speaker 5: you know, something that would happen regularly. And I was 480 00:23:47,119 --> 00:23:51,040 Speaker 5: having I was having a phone conversation with my partner 481 00:23:51,200 --> 00:23:55,280 Speaker 5: of my brother before he died, and I know, I 482 00:23:55,320 --> 00:23:57,680 Speaker 5: asked her, I said, it's something that that happened to 483 00:23:57,720 --> 00:23:59,879 Speaker 5: start thinking like and she just started crying on a 484 00:24:00,080 --> 00:24:02,760 Speaker 5: phone and she said the time enever to tell anyone 485 00:24:02,760 --> 00:24:07,119 Speaker 5: about it. And because he was similar to similar to 486 00:24:07,119 --> 00:24:09,080 Speaker 5: me in a lot of ways, but also it's just 487 00:24:09,440 --> 00:24:12,000 Speaker 5: very kept things to himself. 488 00:24:11,960 --> 00:24:16,280 Speaker 1: Because there's and this is a manipulative side of predators, 489 00:24:16,280 --> 00:24:19,800 Speaker 1: which you call them people that pray on children for 490 00:24:19,840 --> 00:24:23,160 Speaker 1: their own sexual gratification. They manipulate it to they make 491 00:24:23,200 --> 00:24:26,080 Speaker 1: it feel like it's something you can't talk about, something 492 00:24:26,119 --> 00:24:28,800 Speaker 1: that you've done wrong, and you carry that. Is that 493 00:24:28,920 --> 00:24:31,360 Speaker 1: similar to what happened in your situation? 494 00:24:33,080 --> 00:24:34,040 Speaker 3: Yeah, well I guess so. 495 00:24:34,960 --> 00:24:37,119 Speaker 5: You know, like like I was just I was just 496 00:24:37,240 --> 00:24:39,520 Speaker 5: really messed up, Like I was just messed up about 497 00:24:39,520 --> 00:24:42,560 Speaker 5: my ideal about sex and about life and what things are. 498 00:24:42,640 --> 00:24:45,520 Speaker 5: You know, it's took away my innocence and you know, 499 00:24:45,600 --> 00:24:47,640 Speaker 5: and then later on in life, you know, it's taken 500 00:24:47,680 --> 00:24:50,240 Speaker 5: my brother's life as well. It's like if you have 501 00:24:50,359 --> 00:24:52,280 Speaker 5: trauma in your life and things that you can't really 502 00:24:52,320 --> 00:24:55,160 Speaker 5: comprehend or understand anything about them, and that you don't 503 00:24:55,160 --> 00:24:57,520 Speaker 5: even realize that it's happening to you. But the moment 504 00:24:57,520 --> 00:24:59,560 Speaker 5: that you find something like like a really good drink 505 00:24:59,880 --> 00:25:02,879 Speaker 5: or or a drug that you like, it's like, all 506 00:25:02,880 --> 00:25:05,280 Speaker 5: of a sudden, it's just muscle that pain. It's taken away, 507 00:25:05,320 --> 00:25:08,040 Speaker 5: and no one really understands. But no one really understands 508 00:25:08,480 --> 00:25:11,040 Speaker 5: unless it's a fellow addict, what that feeling is like, 509 00:25:11,160 --> 00:25:14,080 Speaker 5: that's the whole weight of It's like everything's just taken away. 510 00:25:14,080 --> 00:25:16,320 Speaker 5: From all that, all that pain that you suffered the 511 00:25:16,400 --> 00:25:20,479 Speaker 5: experience of going through that sexual molestation and the trauma, 512 00:25:20,480 --> 00:25:22,320 Speaker 5: and then the things as a result that happened after 513 00:25:22,359 --> 00:25:24,119 Speaker 5: that as well, that the trouble that you get yourself 514 00:25:24,160 --> 00:25:26,440 Speaker 5: into just being messed up and head people and it's 515 00:25:26,480 --> 00:25:29,160 Speaker 5: just like a whole massive weight just taking off your shoulders. 516 00:25:29,560 --> 00:25:32,359 Speaker 5: That feeling is unreal. And you know, and I can't 517 00:25:32,359 --> 00:25:34,879 Speaker 5: say that that I like drinking. I love drinking, you know, 518 00:25:35,000 --> 00:25:37,040 Speaker 5: but I can't do it anymore because it's not the 519 00:25:37,040 --> 00:25:39,119 Speaker 5: way for me to deal with things. And these are 520 00:25:39,160 --> 00:25:41,000 Speaker 5: the things that I related to with other people that 521 00:25:41,040 --> 00:25:43,920 Speaker 5: were in prison. They had that similar thing and ultimately, look, 522 00:25:43,960 --> 00:25:47,040 Speaker 5: this is what happened. My brother, a talented athlete and 523 00:25:47,040 --> 00:25:50,200 Speaker 5: a free course writer with one of the best in Australia, 524 00:25:50,359 --> 00:25:53,160 Speaker 5: has found drugs and he loved it and it killed him. 525 00:25:53,280 --> 00:25:56,760 Speaker 5: So to that person that molested me, you fucked my life. 526 00:25:57,119 --> 00:25:58,879 Speaker 5: I want him to know that. And soon he's going 527 00:25:58,920 --> 00:26:01,040 Speaker 5: to know very well, know, even if I can see 528 00:26:01,119 --> 00:26:03,400 Speaker 5: him face to face. But I'll get my opportunity. But 529 00:26:03,440 --> 00:26:06,399 Speaker 5: the things like, it's not just that, it's my brother, 530 00:26:06,560 --> 00:26:09,240 Speaker 5: my mother, my father, and all my family around that. 531 00:26:09,240 --> 00:26:11,000 Speaker 3: As well, that they've all suffered as a result of 532 00:26:11,040 --> 00:26:11,280 Speaker 3: all this. 533 00:26:11,600 --> 00:26:14,080 Speaker 5: And it's not right. It's not right, and it's wrong. 534 00:26:14,320 --> 00:26:16,720 Speaker 5: It's wrong what's happened. And you know, look, these things 535 00:26:17,080 --> 00:26:20,040 Speaker 5: will get dealt with and I won't deal with it 536 00:26:20,080 --> 00:26:21,240 Speaker 5: the way that I used to deal with things and 537 00:26:21,359 --> 00:26:24,240 Speaker 5: just go and mask it. I'm clear on my life's 538 00:26:24,240 --> 00:26:28,159 Speaker 5: back now. I have clarity, I have directions, I have direction, 539 00:26:28,280 --> 00:26:29,640 Speaker 5: I know where I'm going, I know what I want 540 00:26:29,640 --> 00:26:29,840 Speaker 5: to do. 541 00:26:30,200 --> 00:26:33,520 Speaker 1: So the person you saw that you looked up to 542 00:26:33,560 --> 00:26:35,640 Speaker 1: when you walked in there and there's this tough dude 543 00:26:35,680 --> 00:26:38,199 Speaker 1: with his black eyes skimming in the corner, looking everything 544 00:26:38,320 --> 00:26:41,800 Speaker 1: like a scene out of a rocky movie, you wouldn't 545 00:26:41,840 --> 00:26:46,080 Speaker 1: for one moment think there's any pain or any any weakness. 546 00:26:46,160 --> 00:26:48,480 Speaker 1: What you're projecting there is this tough guy that can 547 00:26:48,560 --> 00:26:51,600 Speaker 1: take on the world and don't yeah, don't fuck with me, 548 00:26:51,720 --> 00:26:52,760 Speaker 1: or you're going to pay for it. 549 00:26:52,960 --> 00:26:54,400 Speaker 3: Well, you know they say, when you're in the fight, 550 00:26:54,480 --> 00:26:56,400 Speaker 3: you know you never show that you're hurting. Yeah, never 551 00:26:56,440 --> 00:26:57,200 Speaker 3: show your weaknesses. 552 00:26:57,320 --> 00:27:01,480 Speaker 1: Yeah, okay, Just let's just so people understand the heights 553 00:27:01,480 --> 00:27:04,960 Speaker 1: that you reached in your boxing career. The Olympics and 554 00:27:05,000 --> 00:27:08,399 Speaker 1: then after the Olympics an amateur, then you went professional 555 00:27:08,520 --> 00:27:10,760 Speaker 1: and you wanted to test yourself and you ended up 556 00:27:10,800 --> 00:27:14,160 Speaker 1: living in the United States, living in some pretty tough areas. 557 00:27:14,880 --> 00:27:16,600 Speaker 1: Talk us through that experience. 558 00:27:16,200 --> 00:27:19,040 Speaker 5: Mate, It was it was meant to be. You know, 559 00:27:19,119 --> 00:27:20,840 Speaker 5: like when I was seven years old, I watched the 560 00:27:20,920 --> 00:27:23,960 Speaker 5: Rocky movie and you know, and Sylvestera salone and I said, 561 00:27:24,200 --> 00:27:26,080 Speaker 5: I said that I planted a seed in my head 562 00:27:26,080 --> 00:27:26,720 Speaker 5: that I don't. 563 00:27:26,720 --> 00:27:28,320 Speaker 3: Laugh, but it's true. I planted. 564 00:27:28,600 --> 00:27:30,320 Speaker 5: I planted a seed in my head that I was 565 00:27:30,359 --> 00:27:32,600 Speaker 5: going to be the world champion there and then and 566 00:27:32,920 --> 00:27:36,480 Speaker 5: and I loved Rocky. And so I've landed in LA 567 00:27:36,920 --> 00:27:39,560 Speaker 5: and I stayed at the Roosevelt Hotel and that very 568 00:27:40,000 --> 00:27:42,680 Speaker 5: that very night, I've walked outside. They've got a premiere 569 00:27:42,680 --> 00:27:45,360 Speaker 5: for Rocky five, and Sylvester Salon's out there shaking hands 570 00:27:45,359 --> 00:27:47,600 Speaker 5: and I shook his hand. What an experience like? I 571 00:27:47,600 --> 00:27:49,920 Speaker 5: shook his hand. Years later I met his brother, Frank 572 00:27:49,960 --> 00:27:52,960 Speaker 5: Stallone as well. But I felt like getting a chance 573 00:27:52,960 --> 00:27:54,399 Speaker 5: of saying, hey, do you know my name used to 574 00:27:54,400 --> 00:27:56,320 Speaker 5: be Rocky? Like they called that was my finale, They 575 00:27:56,359 --> 00:27:58,520 Speaker 5: called me Rocky. Then they end up making it concedas 576 00:27:58,560 --> 00:27:59,840 Speaker 5: the great Yeah. 577 00:27:59,800 --> 00:28:01,600 Speaker 1: And so what was it? What was it like going 578 00:28:01,640 --> 00:28:04,320 Speaker 1: in there? Like when I say testing against the world's 579 00:28:04,359 --> 00:28:06,440 Speaker 1: best in that in that day and age, that's where 580 00:28:06,440 --> 00:28:09,440 Speaker 1: all the top fighters went to the US back back 581 00:28:09,480 --> 00:28:12,240 Speaker 1: in those days and probably pretty much still now. It's 582 00:28:12,240 --> 00:28:15,600 Speaker 1: a testing ground. There's some pretty mean, hungry dudes in there, 583 00:28:15,800 --> 00:28:20,000 Speaker 1: or from a little country town in Queensland. And what 584 00:28:20,160 --> 00:28:22,160 Speaker 1: makes you think you can take on the people from 585 00:28:22,160 --> 00:28:25,840 Speaker 1: the mean streets of and the Mexicans, like the Mexicans 586 00:28:25,880 --> 00:28:28,000 Speaker 1: and the tough dudes from the US. 587 00:28:28,160 --> 00:28:29,120 Speaker 3: No fear, No fear. 588 00:28:29,160 --> 00:28:32,840 Speaker 5: It's because fear is a false expectation appearing real f 589 00:28:32,840 --> 00:28:35,800 Speaker 5: E a R. And it's just it's that set had 590 00:28:35,840 --> 00:28:38,120 Speaker 5: already been planted from a young age. I was always 591 00:28:38,160 --> 00:28:40,239 Speaker 5: going to do well. So that's the same thing with 592 00:28:40,280 --> 00:28:42,480 Speaker 5: life now. I'm always going to do well. It didn't 593 00:28:42,520 --> 00:28:44,440 Speaker 5: matter who I was in front of it because because 594 00:28:44,480 --> 00:28:46,400 Speaker 5: I had a clear goal, I focused on that goal, 595 00:28:46,440 --> 00:28:48,720 Speaker 5: I focus on my opponents were in front of me. 596 00:28:48,840 --> 00:28:51,480 Speaker 5: So basically, with what we're doing and what mat has 597 00:28:51,480 --> 00:28:53,960 Speaker 5: helped me unpack with my mind and with a mindset 598 00:28:54,000 --> 00:28:56,120 Speaker 5: coaching that I wanted that I'm helping people out with. 599 00:28:56,400 --> 00:28:58,800 Speaker 5: People want to get some sort of confidence and and 600 00:28:59,000 --> 00:29:01,120 Speaker 5: and it's and it's the things that the seeds that 601 00:29:01,160 --> 00:29:03,320 Speaker 5: you planning your mind from young age, like building that 602 00:29:03,360 --> 00:29:05,120 Speaker 5: sort of confidence. And it's not something that you can 603 00:29:05,120 --> 00:29:06,600 Speaker 5: get overnight, but I can. 604 00:29:06,480 --> 00:29:08,400 Speaker 3: Tell you how. I can show you how to do it. 605 00:29:08,480 --> 00:29:11,920 Speaker 5: For example, I've gone from a kid that was who 606 00:29:12,040 --> 00:29:15,680 Speaker 5: had been through what I'd been through and too scared 607 00:29:15,680 --> 00:29:17,160 Speaker 5: to even throw my right hand. When I went in 608 00:29:17,200 --> 00:29:19,440 Speaker 5: for my first fight, I was only could only throw 609 00:29:19,480 --> 00:29:21,680 Speaker 5: my left hand. That's all I could throw. I was 610 00:29:21,840 --> 00:29:23,680 Speaker 5: too scared until I hit with a big one. Then 611 00:29:23,680 --> 00:29:25,280 Speaker 5: it really tested myself and I opened up. 612 00:29:25,400 --> 00:29:26,080 Speaker 3: I unleashed. 613 00:29:26,720 --> 00:29:29,040 Speaker 5: I won that fight just on points. And then for 614 00:29:29,120 --> 00:29:31,640 Speaker 5: my second fight, this is eleven year old, I fought 615 00:29:31,680 --> 00:29:34,480 Speaker 5: against a guy called Nicholas Frawley from Harvey Bay, and 616 00:29:34,520 --> 00:29:37,280 Speaker 5: he like I'd ate too much fish and chips. I 617 00:29:37,320 --> 00:29:39,920 Speaker 5: waited in thirty two point six kilograms, so six hundred 618 00:29:39,920 --> 00:29:40,920 Speaker 5: grams over the thirty two. 619 00:29:40,880 --> 00:29:42,280 Speaker 3: Kilo big boy. 620 00:29:42,680 --> 00:29:45,680 Speaker 5: Yeah, but I thought a guy was thirty five killos, 621 00:29:45,680 --> 00:29:47,880 Speaker 5: which you know three point four killers, and that it 622 00:29:48,000 --> 00:29:50,000 Speaker 5: was a lot of weight for that. But he could 623 00:29:50,080 --> 00:29:52,320 Speaker 5: really fight, and luckily I said to myself, I'm going 624 00:29:52,360 --> 00:29:53,800 Speaker 5: to throw both hands and I'm going to go float 625 00:29:53,800 --> 00:29:55,280 Speaker 5: out because it was an absolute war. 626 00:29:55,320 --> 00:29:58,040 Speaker 3: But he handed it to me. I dished out some 627 00:29:58,080 --> 00:30:00,840 Speaker 3: real damage, but I loved it. 628 00:30:00,960 --> 00:30:02,880 Speaker 5: I lost that fight, but I gained so much from 629 00:30:02,880 --> 00:30:05,560 Speaker 5: it because I put so much into it. And that's right, 630 00:30:05,640 --> 00:30:07,800 Speaker 5: that's right. And then so that was a known lesson, 631 00:30:07,840 --> 00:30:11,040 Speaker 5: so I'd learned from that. Okay, I want this next fight. 632 00:30:11,320 --> 00:30:12,959 Speaker 5: Not only am I going to throw both hands, I'm 633 00:30:12,960 --> 00:30:16,920 Speaker 5: going to train better, preparation prior preparation prevents pissporp performance. 634 00:30:16,920 --> 00:30:18,200 Speaker 5: I'm going to eat better, so I'm not going to 635 00:30:18,240 --> 00:30:20,560 Speaker 5: come in over that thirty two kilo division. I'm going 636 00:30:20,600 --> 00:30:22,560 Speaker 5: to run better, and I'm going to make sure that 637 00:30:22,920 --> 00:30:24,920 Speaker 5: my stamina's up there. I'm going to really give it, 638 00:30:24,960 --> 00:30:27,160 Speaker 5: so my diet and everything's all in check. And the 639 00:30:27,200 --> 00:30:29,840 Speaker 5: third fighter had against the guy called Shaw mccolor from 640 00:30:29,880 --> 00:30:34,280 Speaker 5: Quilpy and forty Milmern and it was a war because 641 00:30:34,320 --> 00:30:36,040 Speaker 5: he was a good fighter, and I won the fight 642 00:30:36,320 --> 00:30:39,959 Speaker 5: and I just give it absolutely everything, flat out. And 643 00:30:40,080 --> 00:30:42,920 Speaker 5: after the fight, the crowd has thrown money in the ring. 644 00:30:43,000 --> 00:30:45,840 Speaker 5: It's called a shower money shower, and you know, it's 645 00:30:46,080 --> 00:30:48,440 Speaker 5: one of them things where as an eleven year old 646 00:30:48,600 --> 00:30:51,560 Speaker 5: kid to have people throw money in the ring, so 647 00:30:51,680 --> 00:30:52,120 Speaker 5: happy and. 648 00:30:52,080 --> 00:30:53,640 Speaker 3: Please with the performance that you put on. 649 00:30:53,920 --> 00:30:57,600 Speaker 5: That creates growth and with that growth comes confidence. And 650 00:30:57,680 --> 00:31:00,160 Speaker 5: so that's why I can walk around the world and 651 00:31:00,240 --> 00:31:02,400 Speaker 5: talk to you know, I was a former criminal. 652 00:31:02,520 --> 00:31:03,480 Speaker 3: I can talk to a copper. 653 00:31:04,680 --> 00:31:06,560 Speaker 5: I said there at a first place, get nervous talking 654 00:31:06,560 --> 00:31:08,680 Speaker 5: the coppers. Not anymore. I've can look you straight in 655 00:31:08,680 --> 00:31:10,920 Speaker 5: the eye and I'm happy. I'm clean, i have clarity, 656 00:31:10,960 --> 00:31:12,880 Speaker 5: and I have direction, and I have a good purpose 657 00:31:12,880 --> 00:31:13,360 Speaker 5: in life. 658 00:31:13,680 --> 00:31:16,400 Speaker 3: That that there, It just creates growth. 659 00:31:16,640 --> 00:31:18,520 Speaker 5: And that's the message that I want to pass on 660 00:31:18,560 --> 00:31:22,000 Speaker 5: to other people and for young aspiring you know, people 661 00:31:22,000 --> 00:31:24,520 Speaker 5: that young use. You know, there's a youth christ christ 662 00:31:24,840 --> 00:31:27,640 Speaker 5: youth crime crisis going on right now. There's all these 663 00:31:27,680 --> 00:31:30,840 Speaker 5: experiences through boxing is so much like life, and I 664 00:31:30,840 --> 00:31:33,200 Speaker 5: can pass that message that I've learned on with boxing 665 00:31:33,360 --> 00:31:34,280 Speaker 5: to people out there. 666 00:31:34,360 --> 00:31:37,479 Speaker 1: And I think you the test of this, Marty. We 667 00:31:37,560 --> 00:31:39,920 Speaker 1: haven't gone there in the path that Michael has, but 668 00:31:40,240 --> 00:31:44,040 Speaker 1: someone that's walked that path in a such a tough 669 00:31:44,080 --> 00:31:47,040 Speaker 1: field you have you've got to have some respect for it. 670 00:31:47,080 --> 00:31:50,600 Speaker 1: That you must have some strength and resiliency, would you agree? 671 00:31:50,960 --> 00:31:53,560 Speaker 1: Like the messaging that can come from someone that's walked 672 00:31:53,560 --> 00:31:55,480 Speaker 1: the path that Michael has. 673 00:31:55,440 --> 00:31:58,240 Speaker 4: One hundred percent. You know, we've got a guy that's 674 00:31:58,280 --> 00:32:02,240 Speaker 4: walked out d MGM Grand to a pack stadium. There's 675 00:32:02,400 --> 00:32:05,000 Speaker 4: only a handful of guys illustrated, I believe, have done 676 00:32:05,040 --> 00:32:08,920 Speaker 4: that in boxing. And then we've got this ultimate levels 677 00:32:08,960 --> 00:32:13,720 Speaker 4: of success that only zero point one zero one percent 678 00:32:13,760 --> 00:32:20,440 Speaker 4: will achieve. Then we've got this low of trauma prism. 679 00:32:20,920 --> 00:32:24,360 Speaker 4: So there's a lot of experience and life lessons in 680 00:32:24,400 --> 00:32:26,880 Speaker 4: there that's quite unique. And we've got someone that's trained 681 00:32:26,920 --> 00:32:29,880 Speaker 4: at the AIS, he's worked in Colorado at the High 682 00:32:29,960 --> 00:32:32,320 Speaker 4: Performance Center, you know, with Cubans and Donner. 683 00:32:32,840 --> 00:32:35,160 Speaker 2: So does it really? I believe? 684 00:32:35,640 --> 00:32:37,480 Speaker 4: And this is what I said to Michael because I 685 00:32:37,600 --> 00:32:39,280 Speaker 4: met him or when I ran into him again at 686 00:32:39,280 --> 00:32:41,760 Speaker 4: the Bottle. It was about five years ago, and that 687 00:32:42,000 --> 00:32:44,440 Speaker 4: was I think on the start of a bit of 688 00:32:44,480 --> 00:32:48,760 Speaker 4: the adversity that was coming, and we were talking about 689 00:32:48,760 --> 00:32:51,600 Speaker 4: doing some stuff together again. Like Michael was saying before, 690 00:32:51,880 --> 00:32:54,400 Speaker 4: I said, look, you know, mate, you know I know 691 00:32:54,480 --> 00:32:58,080 Speaker 4: who you are, I know what you've accomplished, and I 692 00:32:58,080 --> 00:33:01,840 Speaker 4: can see your career, that world has come to an end, 693 00:33:01,920 --> 00:33:03,440 Speaker 4: and it's got to be hard, as we know for 694 00:33:03,480 --> 00:33:06,080 Speaker 4: a lot of a fleets when you lose your purpose, 695 00:33:06,120 --> 00:33:07,480 Speaker 4: for a lot of humans, when. 696 00:33:07,280 --> 00:33:09,080 Speaker 2: Your identity, yeah, isn't it. 697 00:33:09,240 --> 00:33:12,360 Speaker 4: That's like you know, you've got guys that are doing 698 00:33:12,480 --> 00:33:16,200 Speaker 4: anything that you say, and you know all the lights 699 00:33:16,560 --> 00:33:18,600 Speaker 4: have and that's all gone one day where you have 700 00:33:18,640 --> 00:33:20,840 Speaker 4: a couple of losses and those people you look around, 701 00:33:20,840 --> 00:33:21,760 Speaker 4: they're not here anymore. 702 00:33:21,840 --> 00:33:22,480 Speaker 3: That's hard. 703 00:33:22,560 --> 00:33:25,040 Speaker 4: And even our role players talk about that as well. 704 00:33:25,160 --> 00:33:26,880 Speaker 4: You know, people want to get photos with you in 705 00:33:27,320 --> 00:33:29,680 Speaker 4: the peak of your career. Then that all kind of 706 00:33:29,680 --> 00:33:30,560 Speaker 4: starts to go down. 707 00:33:31,200 --> 00:33:34,040 Speaker 1: And I look, I think people, and we're talking a 708 00:33:34,080 --> 00:33:38,680 Speaker 1: lot about men and women experience the same thing in similar, 709 00:33:38,720 --> 00:33:41,640 Speaker 1: if not slightly different different ways. But I think for 710 00:33:42,200 --> 00:33:44,800 Speaker 1: me and we all go through stages in life you 711 00:33:44,840 --> 00:33:47,920 Speaker 1: want to prove yourself, whether it's your role model, whether 712 00:33:47,960 --> 00:33:50,560 Speaker 1: it's trying to prove yourself to your father or whatever. 713 00:33:50,920 --> 00:33:54,120 Speaker 1: You want to succeed. In the army, there's a pecking order, 714 00:33:54,120 --> 00:33:55,840 Speaker 1: isn't there, And you want to be the best soldier. 715 00:33:55,920 --> 00:34:00,960 Speaker 1: You want to compete. So the heights that Michael Rowse two, 716 00:34:01,000 --> 00:34:03,800 Speaker 1: and you say point one percent. It probably is that 717 00:34:03,880 --> 00:34:07,040 Speaker 1: because people don't get there that's in the rear. You know, 718 00:34:07,280 --> 00:34:10,360 Speaker 1: they're the outlies that reach reached those heights. But it 719 00:34:10,480 --> 00:34:14,640 Speaker 1: just shows that when it's all stripped back, that we 720 00:34:14,680 --> 00:34:18,279 Speaker 1: still carry these these demons that Michael clearly had. And look, 721 00:34:18,400 --> 00:34:21,040 Speaker 1: talk about your life over there. You were telling me 722 00:34:21,360 --> 00:34:24,399 Speaker 1: the story that, yeah, you've been training in the gym 723 00:34:24,480 --> 00:34:27,520 Speaker 1: for six weeks and this bloke kept talking to you 724 00:34:27,600 --> 00:34:29,600 Speaker 1: and all that, and you're sort of fobbing him off, 725 00:34:29,680 --> 00:34:31,880 Speaker 1: and so tell the story. 726 00:34:31,960 --> 00:34:34,320 Speaker 5: I say, I was prepared to fight against jail casma 727 00:34:34,440 --> 00:34:37,080 Speaker 5: al So we did, like we spit that camp up, 728 00:34:37,160 --> 00:34:38,080 Speaker 5: camp up into two. 729 00:34:38,200 --> 00:34:38,560 Speaker 3: I did. 730 00:34:38,960 --> 00:34:41,600 Speaker 5: I think it was about it would have been like 731 00:34:41,680 --> 00:34:44,120 Speaker 5: six weeks in Thailand. Then we went to finish off 732 00:34:44,120 --> 00:34:48,040 Speaker 5: the next six weeks in America. And we're trained at 733 00:34:48,080 --> 00:34:50,400 Speaker 5: the gym called the Pound for Bound Jim Pound for 734 00:34:50,440 --> 00:34:53,360 Speaker 5: Pound Jim on my Bray Avenue there in LA. And 735 00:34:53,520 --> 00:34:55,880 Speaker 5: there's this dark guy there has always has watched me. 736 00:34:56,000 --> 00:34:58,880 Speaker 5: We can and I talked to him occasionally check in 737 00:34:58,960 --> 00:35:01,319 Speaker 5: and stuff like that. And I'm sitting up against the 738 00:35:01,360 --> 00:35:04,640 Speaker 5: ropes and I'm you know, and I'm getting my Brandon's 739 00:35:04,640 --> 00:35:08,160 Speaker 5: doing my hands up and and he's gone. So he goes, so, 740 00:35:08,160 --> 00:35:09,839 Speaker 5: who are you fighting next, kid? And I said, I'm 741 00:35:09,880 --> 00:35:13,480 Speaker 5: fighting Joel Cassameo. He goes, oh Joe Cassamo. Huh, I'm 742 00:35:13,480 --> 00:35:15,320 Speaker 5: going to have to go to that one, I said. 743 00:35:15,400 --> 00:35:18,000 Speaker 5: And I was just looking at him and thinking, I said, mate, 744 00:35:18,040 --> 00:35:20,920 Speaker 5: do you know you sound like that Denzel Washing? You 745 00:35:21,000 --> 00:35:23,680 Speaker 5: sound just like him? Hey? And he he goes funny, 746 00:35:23,680 --> 00:35:27,480 Speaker 5: you should see that anyway. When he walks away, Bretta goes. 747 00:35:27,400 --> 00:35:29,600 Speaker 3: Mick, that fuckings Denzel Washington. You're idiot. 748 00:35:29,800 --> 00:35:33,640 Speaker 5: You've been talking him for the last six weeks, so 749 00:35:33,760 --> 00:35:36,840 Speaker 5: you know they have to support of those guys. I 750 00:35:36,960 --> 00:35:40,360 Speaker 5: never seen him on TV, Arnold Swartzenegger sitting like a 751 00:35:40,360 --> 00:35:42,680 Speaker 5: love of my fights at that the MGM grand you know, 752 00:35:43,000 --> 00:35:45,240 Speaker 5: Maddie Trip from sports bed all the way from Australia. 753 00:35:45,280 --> 00:35:47,000 Speaker 5: In the back room when they're picking the gloves, which 754 00:35:47,040 --> 00:35:49,279 Speaker 5: one I'm going to fight against? Marcus macOS get a 755 00:35:49,360 --> 00:35:51,279 Speaker 5: Mick Hay going. I said, how did you fucking get 756 00:35:51,280 --> 00:35:53,440 Speaker 5: in here? The black can get in anywhere, you know, 757 00:35:53,560 --> 00:35:55,799 Speaker 5: like he pulls some strings, you know some people. He's 758 00:35:55,920 --> 00:35:58,680 Speaker 5: my mate. Maddie Trip mate, he's unreal. But like, this 759 00:35:58,920 --> 00:36:02,120 Speaker 5: is the people that were there to support me. Those 760 00:36:02,200 --> 00:36:04,279 Speaker 5: are the people the shoulders that I was rubbing with, 761 00:36:04,320 --> 00:36:07,200 Speaker 5: like Oscar de la Hoya, you know, like Alexis d Juria, 762 00:36:07,560 --> 00:36:09,919 Speaker 5: you know, like these people John Porta, Joria's daughter. 763 00:36:10,239 --> 00:36:11,680 Speaker 3: You know, you're like she's a success. 764 00:36:11,760 --> 00:36:14,759 Speaker 5: Like I just connected with so many powerful people and 765 00:36:14,800 --> 00:36:18,840 Speaker 5: people to create movies and that's that's where I belong 766 00:36:19,400 --> 00:36:21,640 Speaker 5: mix some of those people because I've made it into 767 00:36:21,680 --> 00:36:24,439 Speaker 5: that world. I'm hanging with those people and I've come 768 00:36:24,480 --> 00:36:26,200 Speaker 5: back to Australia and. 769 00:36:26,360 --> 00:36:29,160 Speaker 1: At that level too, you're getting big verses. So we've 770 00:36:29,200 --> 00:36:30,680 Speaker 1: gold boy, Yeah. 771 00:36:30,480 --> 00:36:32,320 Speaker 3: Got who I was. I come back to Australia. 772 00:36:32,360 --> 00:36:34,480 Speaker 5: I just forgot completely who I was and just just 773 00:36:34,719 --> 00:36:36,560 Speaker 5: went into a dark stump. But it's like I've been 774 00:36:36,600 --> 00:36:39,319 Speaker 5: asleep literally for like the last twelve years, you know, 775 00:36:39,440 --> 00:36:42,000 Speaker 5: just masking my pain. And I couldn't pick up the 776 00:36:42,040 --> 00:36:44,480 Speaker 5: phone and have a conversation or asks for help or 777 00:36:44,520 --> 00:36:46,840 Speaker 5: tell anyone about what I was going through because I 778 00:36:46,840 --> 00:36:48,920 Speaker 5: didn't even know how to identify it. I just couldn't 779 00:36:48,920 --> 00:36:49,480 Speaker 5: see clearly. 780 00:36:49,600 --> 00:36:53,239 Speaker 1: My clarity was good there and look we're not We're 781 00:36:53,239 --> 00:36:56,239 Speaker 1: not psychologists, So we're not professionals in this field, but 782 00:36:56,560 --> 00:36:59,000 Speaker 1: I think we can say, just with life experiences, how 783 00:36:59,040 --> 00:37:01,879 Speaker 1: many times blokes are like that, Like you've come back 784 00:37:01,920 --> 00:37:04,240 Speaker 1: and you're in the dark place, but you're too proud 785 00:37:04,320 --> 00:37:07,200 Speaker 1: or too stupid or too tough to hand up and go, hey, 786 00:37:07,239 --> 00:37:09,920 Speaker 1: I'm struggling. I was living in the stratosphere up there 787 00:37:10,000 --> 00:37:12,799 Speaker 1: with movie stars and everyone wanted the piece of me. 788 00:37:13,280 --> 00:37:16,239 Speaker 1: I was a man, and I've lost some fights, and 789 00:37:16,239 --> 00:37:18,920 Speaker 1: then I've come back here and who am I? You 790 00:37:19,000 --> 00:37:24,600 Speaker 1: used to fight, didn't you? Or Marty? You're looking in 791 00:37:24,680 --> 00:37:27,080 Speaker 1: this field. How helpful do you think it would be 792 00:37:27,120 --> 00:37:30,480 Speaker 1: if someone in Michael's position then actually put his hand 793 00:37:30,560 --> 00:37:33,359 Speaker 1: up and said, hey, fuck, I need some help. 794 00:37:34,080 --> 00:37:37,280 Speaker 4: Yeah, very helpful. You know, we've got a guy here 795 00:37:37,360 --> 00:37:40,279 Speaker 4: that you know, like there was a guy that came 796 00:37:40,320 --> 00:37:43,840 Speaker 4: through spoke to us last week that's struggling with something similar. 797 00:37:43,920 --> 00:37:48,080 Speaker 4: We've just kind of we get caught up in that cycle. 798 00:37:48,520 --> 00:37:51,480 Speaker 4: We're drinking on the weekend, a little bit of addiction 799 00:37:51,640 --> 00:37:53,920 Speaker 4: here and there. We get out of these bad habits. 800 00:37:54,680 --> 00:37:58,520 Speaker 4: So when they come to a guy like Michael, they're 801 00:37:58,560 --> 00:38:02,040 Speaker 4: speaking with a guy that's actual. She lived that experience. 802 00:38:02,600 --> 00:38:05,160 Speaker 4: And that's the main thing. Like, even when I talk 803 00:38:05,200 --> 00:38:08,520 Speaker 4: about mental well being or mental health, I always talk 804 00:38:08,560 --> 00:38:11,799 Speaker 4: about a lived experience, you know, through what I've been 805 00:38:11,840 --> 00:38:15,880 Speaker 4: through and how I've overcome it. And that's Michael's greatest asset, 806 00:38:16,160 --> 00:38:19,400 Speaker 4: you know, he talks from where he's been in their shoes. 807 00:38:19,719 --> 00:38:23,840 Speaker 1: Yeah, yeah, well it's that lived experience and yeah, the 808 00:38:23,920 --> 00:38:27,360 Speaker 1: situation you're in, Michael, And I think everyone in different 809 00:38:27,360 --> 00:38:30,319 Speaker 1: stages of their lives find themselves in that way. I'm 810 00:38:30,360 --> 00:38:32,840 Speaker 1: here doing podcasts and not out of the crime scene 811 00:38:32,840 --> 00:38:35,640 Speaker 1: because of what happened to me in the place I 812 00:38:35,680 --> 00:38:38,799 Speaker 1: went from being My identity was a homicide cop. That's 813 00:38:38,920 --> 00:38:41,400 Speaker 1: who I was, and that was taken away overnight, and 814 00:38:41,640 --> 00:38:43,840 Speaker 1: I went through dark periods. But I wasn't going to 815 00:38:43,880 --> 00:38:46,520 Speaker 1: put my hand up to anyone and say, hey, I'm struggling, 816 00:38:47,040 --> 00:38:50,480 Speaker 1: and yeah, I'd meet with mates, friends or whatever, how 817 00:38:50,560 --> 00:38:52,960 Speaker 1: you going. We'd make a joke of it and laugh 818 00:38:53,000 --> 00:38:54,680 Speaker 1: it off and go, oh, yeah, I'm a crook now, 819 00:38:54,719 --> 00:38:55,680 Speaker 1: blah blah blah. 820 00:38:55,880 --> 00:38:56,560 Speaker 2: Do it that way. 821 00:38:56,880 --> 00:39:00,000 Speaker 1: But a couple of people are respected reached out and said, hey, 822 00:39:00,840 --> 00:39:03,480 Speaker 1: how are you actually dealing with that? And those calls 823 00:39:03,480 --> 00:39:05,799 Speaker 1: were so important to me, and those chats were so 824 00:39:05,840 --> 00:39:09,520 Speaker 1: important because instead of the Bravada, yeah, sh it's fine, 825 00:39:09,760 --> 00:39:13,080 Speaker 1: and I go sit at home and go, fuck, what's happened? 826 00:39:13,080 --> 00:39:15,399 Speaker 1: How did my life turn upside down? So I think 827 00:39:15,400 --> 00:39:20,560 Speaker 1: it's in a message if Yeah, for blokes, it's all 828 00:39:20,640 --> 00:39:22,239 Speaker 1: right to put your put your. 829 00:39:22,120 --> 00:39:24,520 Speaker 2: Hand up and say say you're struggling. And that's a 830 00:39:24,520 --> 00:39:25,200 Speaker 2: hard thing to do. 831 00:39:26,040 --> 00:39:28,240 Speaker 5: So you can embrace it and you can move forward, 832 00:39:28,840 --> 00:39:31,480 Speaker 5: or you can or you can sit back where it 833 00:39:31,520 --> 00:39:34,520 Speaker 5: will happened and just keep going backwards, move forwards. 834 00:39:34,800 --> 00:39:39,160 Speaker 1: What was what was your check when you've had the 835 00:39:39,480 --> 00:39:43,080 Speaker 1: tough childhood, not the ideal situation. You've joined the army, 836 00:39:43,120 --> 00:39:46,240 Speaker 1: you've come out, you've got your business up and running, 837 00:39:46,280 --> 00:39:48,799 Speaker 1: and you're doing a bit of traveling, living the high 838 00:39:48,880 --> 00:39:53,680 Speaker 1: life and high fiving yourself and hey, I'm pretty crash 839 00:39:53,719 --> 00:39:54,839 Speaker 1: hot what i'm doing here? 840 00:39:55,000 --> 00:39:56,120 Speaker 2: What was your wake up call? 841 00:39:56,880 --> 00:40:01,839 Speaker 4: It's hard to point it to one specific thing, but 842 00:40:01,880 --> 00:40:07,080 Speaker 4: there was just this constant, I guess feeling inside where 843 00:40:07,120 --> 00:40:09,680 Speaker 4: it's like, you know, you can say that you want 844 00:40:09,680 --> 00:40:12,200 Speaker 4: this fear life and be ambitious, but if your daily 845 00:40:12,280 --> 00:40:16,480 Speaker 4: habits and actions aren't in alignment, you're not in congruency, 846 00:40:17,040 --> 00:40:20,759 Speaker 4: and that's where you get the internal conflict, and that's 847 00:40:20,760 --> 00:40:23,839 Speaker 4: where you're not really proud of yourself because you're like, well, 848 00:40:23,880 --> 00:40:26,800 Speaker 4: I'm talking a big game, but my actions aren't aligned. 849 00:40:27,600 --> 00:40:32,600 Speaker 4: So like my process is simple, like simple, but not 850 00:40:32,640 --> 00:40:36,800 Speaker 4: always easy. But we've got to really work out, well, 851 00:40:36,840 --> 00:40:39,279 Speaker 4: who do we actually want to be. And when I 852 00:40:39,440 --> 00:40:43,440 Speaker 4: worked out who that is, what type of person, values, vision, 853 00:40:43,560 --> 00:40:47,960 Speaker 4: personal philosophy, then we go around, well what do I 854 00:40:48,120 --> 00:40:50,480 Speaker 4: need to do each day and who do I need 855 00:40:50,520 --> 00:40:54,040 Speaker 4: to show up as to be that person? And you know, 856 00:40:54,120 --> 00:40:56,239 Speaker 4: I had to cut away to the alcohol because I know 857 00:40:56,360 --> 00:40:58,920 Speaker 4: that was the one thing in my life that would 858 00:40:58,960 --> 00:41:01,880 Speaker 4: just pulled every think out in chaos, you know, the 859 00:41:01,920 --> 00:41:06,840 Speaker 4: bad nutrition, doing stupid shit. And I knew deep down 860 00:41:07,120 --> 00:41:10,120 Speaker 4: because I asked myself, like if I removed, like, what 861 00:41:10,160 --> 00:41:12,239 Speaker 4: would I need to do to go to that next 862 00:41:12,320 --> 00:41:14,359 Speaker 4: level of my life? You know? And I was I'd raise, 863 00:41:14,400 --> 00:41:16,839 Speaker 4: you know, qualified for the Boston Marathon, I'd done, you know, 864 00:41:16,880 --> 00:41:20,360 Speaker 4: some pretty cool stuff, and I just knew it was 865 00:41:20,360 --> 00:41:23,120 Speaker 4: this thing because we can't truly you know, I understand 866 00:41:23,120 --> 00:41:25,640 Speaker 4: some people have had some very tough upbringers, and you 867 00:41:25,640 --> 00:41:28,239 Speaker 4: know it's very hard to heal from a lot of 868 00:41:28,239 --> 00:41:30,840 Speaker 4: those things. And I just want to be clear, but 869 00:41:31,040 --> 00:41:34,439 Speaker 4: I had to really heal myself, not even just through 870 00:41:34,640 --> 00:41:36,799 Speaker 4: the childhood. That wasn't even a really you know, once 871 00:41:36,840 --> 00:41:39,040 Speaker 4: I met my dad that kind of healed things for me. 872 00:41:39,680 --> 00:41:41,920 Speaker 4: But when I went through you know, things after leave 873 00:41:41,960 --> 00:41:44,960 Speaker 4: in the army, you know, and then I was self 874 00:41:45,080 --> 00:41:47,680 Speaker 4: medicating with the drinking, you know, but then that just 875 00:41:47,719 --> 00:41:51,200 Speaker 4: puts me in a more downward spiral. So like Michael 876 00:41:51,239 --> 00:41:56,239 Speaker 4: was saying, like the answer is really cutting away devices. 877 00:41:57,440 --> 00:42:00,400 Speaker 4: It's hard. It's not easy, especially like we live in 878 00:42:00,400 --> 00:42:02,560 Speaker 4: the straw where the culture is. You know, we went 879 00:42:02,600 --> 00:42:05,640 Speaker 4: to the boxing last night and everyone's drinking and we weren't, 880 00:42:05,640 --> 00:42:07,160 Speaker 4: and people like, you know, you know. 881 00:42:07,360 --> 00:42:10,279 Speaker 1: Yeah, it's as a habit, isn't it. They're like, if 882 00:42:10,320 --> 00:42:12,800 Speaker 1: you're playing in football, team sport, you have a victory, 883 00:42:13,160 --> 00:42:15,040 Speaker 1: let's all get on, get on the drink. And it 884 00:42:15,160 --> 00:42:18,120 Speaker 1: is a hard way to step away. But I've heard, yeah, 885 00:42:18,280 --> 00:42:22,080 Speaker 1: I drink, and I hear a lot of people that 886 00:42:22,239 --> 00:42:28,080 Speaker 1: say that I'm taking on what you've said, and possibly you, Michael, 887 00:42:28,400 --> 00:42:30,319 Speaker 1: you drink, But you know, it becomes a problem once 888 00:42:30,360 --> 00:42:32,680 Speaker 1: it's become a problem affecting your life. And I know 889 00:42:32,719 --> 00:42:34,719 Speaker 1: a lot of friends that have said, no, I'm not 890 00:42:34,800 --> 00:42:37,839 Speaker 1: drinking anymore in the go life, life's good. And then 891 00:42:37,840 --> 00:42:39,640 Speaker 1: I've got other friends that can drink. But the drink 892 00:42:39,680 --> 00:42:42,120 Speaker 1: doesn't really become a problem for it. Perhaps it is 893 00:42:42,160 --> 00:42:44,480 Speaker 1: about the fact that it's not they're not using it 894 00:42:44,520 --> 00:42:45,520 Speaker 1: to mask the pain. 895 00:42:46,280 --> 00:42:48,200 Speaker 5: So yeah, that may be the case. But no one 896 00:42:48,239 --> 00:42:50,120 Speaker 5: ever tells you when they lose on a poker machine, 897 00:42:50,120 --> 00:42:53,880 Speaker 5: do they that's like a bit of an ego spray. 898 00:42:53,920 --> 00:42:56,839 Speaker 5: They're like, yeah, it's you know, like things already hard 899 00:42:56,920 --> 00:42:58,640 Speaker 5: enough as it is. You know why I make it 900 00:42:58,680 --> 00:43:00,360 Speaker 5: any harder when you can make it same, Jess, you 901 00:43:00,480 --> 00:43:03,279 Speaker 5: for yourself, it's just it's a no brainer really when 902 00:43:03,280 --> 00:43:05,000 Speaker 5: you think about it. You know, like you can you 903 00:43:05,040 --> 00:43:06,560 Speaker 5: can balance it all out, and if you can get 904 00:43:06,560 --> 00:43:08,480 Speaker 5: by you and honestly true to yourself, you can be 905 00:43:08,480 --> 00:43:09,879 Speaker 5: happy with that decision that you make. 906 00:43:10,200 --> 00:43:12,359 Speaker 3: It's fine. That's fine for some people. Don't. 907 00:43:12,400 --> 00:43:15,120 Speaker 5: They're just like an addict by nature, and they just 908 00:43:15,160 --> 00:43:17,160 Speaker 5: have to keep on going, like every day, every day. 909 00:43:17,160 --> 00:43:19,759 Speaker 5: And of course, as you said before, you know they've 910 00:43:19,760 --> 00:43:21,960 Speaker 5: got the trauma and the pain that they haven't dealt with. 911 00:43:22,280 --> 00:43:25,400 Speaker 1: Yeah, well, you know you mentioned the gambling, the gambling 912 00:43:25,440 --> 00:43:27,279 Speaker 1: addiction that I've seen a lot of people have come 913 00:43:27,560 --> 00:43:30,160 Speaker 1: come through here and that's destroyed their lives. They're robbing 914 00:43:30,280 --> 00:43:31,800 Speaker 1: banks because they want to gamble. 915 00:43:32,280 --> 00:43:34,680 Speaker 2: They've gambled too much and stuff stuff like that. 916 00:43:37,040 --> 00:43:39,560 Speaker 1: Your mindset, Michael say, just to put it in perspective, 917 00:43:39,719 --> 00:43:43,600 Speaker 1: you've been living the high life and yeah, achieving everything 918 00:43:43,680 --> 00:43:47,440 Speaker 1: that you believed identified you as been successful in your 919 00:43:47,480 --> 00:43:48,960 Speaker 1: life over in America. 920 00:43:49,560 --> 00:43:53,799 Speaker 2: Two World World Titles three, three w. 921 00:43:53,960 --> 00:43:56,080 Speaker 3: B O one w B U. Okay, it's not as 922 00:43:56,120 --> 00:43:59,040 Speaker 3: big as the WWB t WB. 923 00:43:59,440 --> 00:44:03,200 Speaker 1: So yeah, again, not many people, no one who gets 924 00:44:03,520 --> 00:44:06,719 Speaker 1: to that level. So you've gone their life's looking pretty good. 925 00:44:07,080 --> 00:44:10,000 Speaker 1: You're on the cusp of me and Dollar a fight 926 00:44:10,160 --> 00:44:15,800 Speaker 1: type situation was. So you're at that level. You potentially 927 00:44:15,840 --> 00:44:18,480 Speaker 1: set yourself up at life. I sit back here, you 928 00:44:18,600 --> 00:44:21,640 Speaker 1: sit back, probably Marty and look and think, wow, what 929 00:44:22,239 --> 00:44:24,480 Speaker 1: a what a great way. But you've gone from that 930 00:44:24,680 --> 00:44:28,320 Speaker 1: level and then you found yourself back here and just 931 00:44:28,480 --> 00:44:30,399 Speaker 1: what was your mindset when you've come back here, because 932 00:44:30,400 --> 00:44:32,360 Speaker 1: this is after your brothers, when. 933 00:44:32,200 --> 00:44:36,680 Speaker 5: I've come back to Australia. Yeah, so you know, hindsight's 934 00:44:36,680 --> 00:44:39,440 Speaker 5: one thing. I should never just moved back. But you've 935 00:44:39,480 --> 00:44:41,359 Speaker 5: got to have the clarity. And I didn't have any 936 00:44:41,400 --> 00:44:44,440 Speaker 5: clarity because I was constantly masking my pain with drugs 937 00:44:44,440 --> 00:44:47,279 Speaker 5: and alcohol. So I couldn't make any right decisions. Any 938 00:44:47,360 --> 00:44:49,520 Speaker 5: projects that I started wanted, Like, I'd say, right now, 939 00:44:49,520 --> 00:44:51,719 Speaker 5: I'm going to sell this property in Australia and by 940 00:44:51,760 --> 00:44:54,200 Speaker 5: these properties in America, and I'd never finish it. 941 00:44:54,560 --> 00:44:55,360 Speaker 3: I never finish it. 942 00:44:55,400 --> 00:44:57,600 Speaker 5: And I just i'd go and gamble, I'd go make 943 00:44:57,640 --> 00:45:00,279 Speaker 5: some bad decisions or invest in the wrong per and 944 00:45:00,760 --> 00:45:02,600 Speaker 5: they do the wrong thing by me. I just made 945 00:45:02,760 --> 00:45:05,920 Speaker 5: just one constant bad decision after the other, and I 946 00:45:06,000 --> 00:45:07,200 Speaker 5: was never going to move forward. 947 00:45:07,320 --> 00:45:09,960 Speaker 1: It was just, yeah, did you have anyone in your 948 00:45:10,040 --> 00:45:12,040 Speaker 1: life that was giving you a tap on the shoulder 949 00:45:12,080 --> 00:45:13,719 Speaker 1: and saying, hey, what are you doing? 950 00:45:14,080 --> 00:45:14,279 Speaker 3: Look? 951 00:45:14,320 --> 00:45:17,000 Speaker 5: I did, I did, but it's like I wasn't prepared 952 00:45:17,040 --> 00:45:19,719 Speaker 5: to listen. I really was, like you you could have 953 00:45:19,800 --> 00:45:21,359 Speaker 5: said that to me because I had that one little 954 00:45:21,400 --> 00:45:22,560 Speaker 5: secret that I kept to myself. 955 00:45:22,920 --> 00:45:23,760 Speaker 3: I was an alcoholic. 956 00:45:23,840 --> 00:45:26,040 Speaker 5: I was a drug addict, you know, and I just 957 00:45:26,160 --> 00:45:29,920 Speaker 5: couldn't bring myself to just own it that I had 958 00:45:30,000 --> 00:45:34,200 Speaker 5: that problem. And the people that I felt most comfortable 959 00:45:34,200 --> 00:45:36,360 Speaker 5: around were people that were obviously giving me drugs or 960 00:45:36,400 --> 00:45:38,480 Speaker 5: giving me alcohol. I felt comfortable around them because that 961 00:45:38,560 --> 00:45:41,680 Speaker 5: was our little secret, you know, and the only person 962 00:45:41,719 --> 00:45:42,440 Speaker 5: I was fooling. 963 00:45:42,320 --> 00:45:42,920 Speaker 3: Was myself, and. 964 00:45:44,440 --> 00:45:47,160 Speaker 1: They're not going to judge you. We've had Tom Carroll 965 00:45:47,360 --> 00:45:50,080 Speaker 1: on the on the podcast the two Times World Surfing 966 00:45:50,160 --> 00:45:52,960 Speaker 1: Chain and he was using drugs and he felt like 967 00:45:53,120 --> 00:45:55,640 Speaker 1: he was hiding it was his shameful secret because people 968 00:45:55,680 --> 00:45:56,640 Speaker 1: were looking up to him. 969 00:45:56,680 --> 00:45:57,880 Speaker 2: And he went through that. 970 00:45:58,280 --> 00:46:01,480 Speaker 1: Matt Mitcham, the Olympic diver, gold medalist diver, and he 971 00:46:01,680 --> 00:46:05,279 Speaker 1: was he was using drugs. You've got a profile and 972 00:46:05,800 --> 00:46:08,160 Speaker 1: you're using drugs. There must be some shame that comes 973 00:46:08,200 --> 00:46:10,320 Speaker 1: with that too, because you feel like a false pretender. 974 00:46:10,400 --> 00:46:13,560 Speaker 1: Here you are doing this fit, healthy lifestyle guy and 975 00:46:13,680 --> 00:46:15,080 Speaker 1: then you're back Ellie. 976 00:46:15,120 --> 00:46:18,040 Speaker 5: Being who you are too. You have like a responsibility. 977 00:46:18,680 --> 00:46:21,440 Speaker 5: You have a responsibility to associate with the right people 978 00:46:21,440 --> 00:46:22,400 Speaker 5: and to do the right thing. 979 00:46:22,560 --> 00:46:23,640 Speaker 3: Like you already know this. 980 00:46:24,000 --> 00:46:26,319 Speaker 5: You know people people know this, like it's just it's 981 00:46:26,360 --> 00:46:28,840 Speaker 5: a common if people look up to you, don't be 982 00:46:29,280 --> 00:46:31,560 Speaker 5: sitting in front of a kid bloody doing doing the 983 00:46:31,600 --> 00:46:34,200 Speaker 5: wrong thing because people do see you. Everyone there everyone, 984 00:46:34,280 --> 00:46:37,280 Speaker 5: there's ears everywhere, eyes everywhere. So you have a responsibility 985 00:46:37,360 --> 00:46:38,920 Speaker 5: to do the right thing and to be seen doing 986 00:46:38,920 --> 00:46:41,080 Speaker 5: the right thing because you're an example for the way 987 00:46:41,120 --> 00:46:42,080 Speaker 5: you should be doing things. 988 00:46:42,640 --> 00:46:45,359 Speaker 1: And the people that like you had the adulation from 989 00:46:45,520 --> 00:46:47,960 Speaker 1: the boxing fans and the movie stars and all that 990 00:46:48,080 --> 00:46:51,160 Speaker 1: when they're at the peaky your game giving you that attention. 991 00:46:51,520 --> 00:46:54,399 Speaker 1: I'm sure when your life slipped down into that drug world, 992 00:46:54,480 --> 00:46:56,680 Speaker 1: they'd be going, hey, this used to be an olympian, 993 00:46:56,760 --> 00:46:57,960 Speaker 1: he was a world boxing champion. 994 00:46:58,040 --> 00:47:01,680 Speaker 2: That validate their existence. Maybe we're not so bad if 995 00:47:01,719 --> 00:47:03,319 Speaker 2: it's in the mind. 996 00:47:03,560 --> 00:47:05,239 Speaker 3: And that's part of the experience as well. 997 00:47:05,360 --> 00:47:07,080 Speaker 5: Like I've had a lot of people reach out to 998 00:47:07,160 --> 00:47:09,080 Speaker 5: me back then, and you know, like when you're on 999 00:47:09,120 --> 00:47:11,200 Speaker 5: an airplane, the first thing they say is, you know, 1000 00:47:11,520 --> 00:47:14,160 Speaker 5: fix your own respirator before you fix the child's, you know, 1001 00:47:14,239 --> 00:47:15,759 Speaker 5: because if you can't help yourself, you're not going to 1002 00:47:15,760 --> 00:47:18,360 Speaker 5: be able to help anyone else. So here I am today, 1003 00:47:18,640 --> 00:47:21,000 Speaker 5: I've gone through that, I've dealt with adversity. I can 1004 00:47:21,080 --> 00:47:23,120 Speaker 5: share how I've dealt with adversity and I can help. 1005 00:47:23,200 --> 00:47:25,360 Speaker 5: I can really in a position where I can actually 1006 00:47:25,400 --> 00:47:28,640 Speaker 5: give someone else the correct kind of guidance when previously 1007 00:47:29,719 --> 00:47:31,919 Speaker 5: I've had people reach out to me before in the past, 1008 00:47:31,960 --> 00:47:34,560 Speaker 5: and it's like a codependent triangle, you know, like you 1009 00:47:35,239 --> 00:47:37,960 Speaker 5: just gone round and round and round, and I couldn't 1010 00:47:38,040 --> 00:47:40,760 Speaker 5: really be of any assistance to anyone because I couldn't 1011 00:47:40,760 --> 00:47:41,400 Speaker 5: help myself. 1012 00:47:41,640 --> 00:47:43,960 Speaker 3: And I've had and I'm sad about this. 1013 00:47:44,080 --> 00:47:47,080 Speaker 5: I've had friends commit suicide, you know, and I think 1014 00:47:47,560 --> 00:47:49,480 Speaker 5: maybe I could have been there for them, maybe I 1015 00:47:49,560 --> 00:47:51,399 Speaker 5: could have saved them the things that I could have done, 1016 00:47:51,480 --> 00:47:53,840 Speaker 5: And you know, like I don't carry that weight with 1017 00:47:53,960 --> 00:47:55,800 Speaker 5: me now. I just needed to help. I needed to 1018 00:47:55,840 --> 00:47:58,600 Speaker 5: help myself. And you know, that's why we're here now. 1019 00:47:58,719 --> 00:48:01,400 Speaker 5: And look, look, I'm just look and I will tell you, Marty, like, 1020 00:48:01,480 --> 00:48:04,600 Speaker 5: I'm really fortunate to have you in my corner because 1021 00:48:05,520 --> 00:48:07,600 Speaker 5: you know, with all the fights I've had and I've 1022 00:48:07,640 --> 00:48:10,120 Speaker 5: had that much of a life and just remembering things, 1023 00:48:10,480 --> 00:48:13,480 Speaker 5: it becomes very difficult with everything that I've been through 1024 00:48:13,800 --> 00:48:16,560 Speaker 5: and been able to have someone there and to unpack 1025 00:48:17,120 --> 00:48:20,279 Speaker 5: this mindset and that the experience that I've gone through 1026 00:48:20,280 --> 00:48:21,839 Speaker 5: and go right, heah, You've got to do this. Jot 1027 00:48:21,960 --> 00:48:24,279 Speaker 5: that down, Okay, you've gone through that okay bang. That 1028 00:48:24,400 --> 00:48:27,920 Speaker 5: relates to resilience, that relates to confidence, that relates to mindset, 1029 00:48:27,960 --> 00:48:30,839 Speaker 5: and it's just it's just all these things. Been able 1030 00:48:30,840 --> 00:48:32,759 Speaker 5: to unpack it and then pass it on to other people. 1031 00:48:33,160 --> 00:48:35,040 Speaker 5: Now I'm helping people in the right way and the 1032 00:48:35,160 --> 00:48:37,040 Speaker 5: right people, the right people that need help, that actually 1033 00:48:37,040 --> 00:48:39,520 Speaker 5: are willing to work out, you know, hold the hand out, 1034 00:48:39,640 --> 00:48:41,239 Speaker 5: hold the hand up and say yeah, I need help. 1035 00:48:41,840 --> 00:48:45,560 Speaker 1: That's why we don't normally get two gaps on the podcast. 1036 00:48:45,640 --> 00:48:48,040 Speaker 1: But I like the synergy between you two guys and 1037 00:48:48,360 --> 00:48:51,680 Speaker 1: speaking to you both individually and collectively, I could see that, 1038 00:48:52,280 --> 00:48:53,920 Speaker 1: Oh that this is it was. 1039 00:48:53,960 --> 00:48:56,560 Speaker 2: A partnership I happened. 1040 00:48:56,560 --> 00:48:58,520 Speaker 5: It's just sort of we went on our own way 1041 00:48:58,640 --> 00:49:00,560 Speaker 5: and then come to the other. And the one thing 1042 00:49:00,600 --> 00:49:03,680 Speaker 5: that we have in common is our mindset. We have 1043 00:49:03,800 --> 00:49:05,640 Speaker 5: clarity and our health. 1044 00:49:07,200 --> 00:49:09,560 Speaker 1: And yeah, that that is when you talk the health. 1045 00:49:09,640 --> 00:49:13,120 Speaker 1: That is the brutality of the boxing game too. Yeah yeah, yeah, 1046 00:49:13,480 --> 00:49:15,400 Speaker 1: paying the price you're getting getting hit in the yea. 1047 00:49:16,120 --> 00:49:17,840 Speaker 2: Yeah, you're aware of that. 1048 00:49:18,560 --> 00:49:21,560 Speaker 1: The low point into your drug addiction, when was when 1049 00:49:21,640 --> 00:49:25,719 Speaker 1: did you realize When could you Michael Cassida say own 1050 00:49:25,800 --> 00:49:27,600 Speaker 1: to yourself that I'm a drug addict. 1051 00:49:29,280 --> 00:49:33,080 Speaker 5: I think the moment that well Parole called me and 1052 00:49:34,800 --> 00:49:37,239 Speaker 5: does it warrant out for arrest? So I quit that 1053 00:49:37,360 --> 00:49:40,600 Speaker 5: day April eleven, twenty twenty two. You know, I quit, 1054 00:49:40,760 --> 00:49:45,279 Speaker 5: and I'm sitting in a jar cell. I've got two 1055 00:49:45,400 --> 00:49:48,560 Speaker 5: years at least they had to me, and I'm just thinking, 1056 00:49:48,960 --> 00:49:52,640 Speaker 5: how fucking great is this? Because I knew, because I've 1057 00:49:52,680 --> 00:49:55,520 Speaker 5: got this hunger and desire to I always know that 1058 00:49:55,520 --> 00:49:57,040 Speaker 5: I'm always going to come out the other end no 1059 00:49:57,160 --> 00:49:59,560 Speaker 5: matter what. I've got, this brisk bound awheares has never 1060 00:49:59,640 --> 00:50:02,600 Speaker 5: give up. And I'm sitting like this is awesome. You know, 1061 00:50:02,640 --> 00:50:04,719 Speaker 5: I'm sitting there because I'm going, you know, I'm going 1062 00:50:04,800 --> 00:50:05,120 Speaker 5: to come. 1063 00:50:05,080 --> 00:50:05,719 Speaker 3: Through the other end. 1064 00:50:05,719 --> 00:50:07,719 Speaker 5: And I've got a fucking story to tell. So it 1065 00:50:07,800 --> 00:50:10,480 Speaker 5: doesn't matter where you are or what you've done or whatever, 1066 00:50:10,640 --> 00:50:12,360 Speaker 5: you can break through it. And I knew that I 1067 00:50:12,440 --> 00:50:13,640 Speaker 5: was going to come out of this. I was going 1068 00:50:13,719 --> 00:50:15,120 Speaker 5: to come out the other end. I've got a story 1069 00:50:15,200 --> 00:50:18,800 Speaker 5: to tell, and with that, I have my sobriety of 1070 00:50:18,960 --> 00:50:23,279 Speaker 5: clarity and direction, and I just just had gratitude, Like 1071 00:50:23,920 --> 00:50:26,080 Speaker 5: who are you without gratitude? Is going to be thankful? 1072 00:50:26,080 --> 00:50:28,520 Speaker 5: Because there's other people in far worse positions than I'm in. 1073 00:50:28,760 --> 00:50:29,640 Speaker 3: You know that I've been in. 1074 00:50:29,840 --> 00:50:32,560 Speaker 5: There's people that you know, they're sitting there doing the 1075 00:50:32,600 --> 00:50:34,919 Speaker 5: rest of their lives in there, you know, and even 1076 00:50:35,000 --> 00:50:37,680 Speaker 5: those guys can find solace. Even those guys can find 1077 00:50:37,719 --> 00:50:41,840 Speaker 5: themselves and realize and come to terms with things. So 1078 00:50:42,920 --> 00:50:45,520 Speaker 5: every people that are outside in the real world, they 1079 00:50:45,600 --> 00:50:47,919 Speaker 5: can do it. The world is your always, so there's 1080 00:50:47,920 --> 00:50:49,880 Speaker 5: so many things you can do, Like Russell Manson is 1081 00:50:49,960 --> 00:50:51,200 Speaker 5: to have a you know, used to help a lot 1082 00:50:51,239 --> 00:50:53,680 Speaker 5: of people, and like that guy is really inspirational and 1083 00:50:53,800 --> 00:50:55,680 Speaker 5: you know, like I've only just learned about him since 1084 00:50:57,040 --> 00:50:58,439 Speaker 5: getting out about six months ago. 1085 00:51:00,280 --> 00:51:04,800 Speaker 1: All Russell became through this we reached out to It 1086 00:51:04,920 --> 00:51:07,400 Speaker 1: was a mutual friend that put us in contact and 1087 00:51:07,520 --> 00:51:10,040 Speaker 1: we spent a lot of time. And the people on 1088 00:51:10,120 --> 00:51:14,000 Speaker 1: the podcast know Russell well. But I remember sitting here 1089 00:51:14,080 --> 00:51:15,960 Speaker 1: and the trauma that he went through as a young 1090 00:51:16,040 --> 00:51:20,360 Speaker 1: guy and his experience in prison and being sexually abused. 1091 00:51:20,000 --> 00:51:20,320 Speaker 2: And all that. 1092 00:51:20,640 --> 00:51:24,480 Speaker 1: It was horrific. Yeah, the irony with Russell. He was 1093 00:51:24,560 --> 00:51:26,160 Speaker 1: doing stick ups when I was in the arm told 1094 00:51:26,239 --> 00:51:28,200 Speaker 1: up squads. A couple of the jobs he was doing 1095 00:51:28,320 --> 00:51:31,480 Speaker 1: we were looking for it, but we became we became 1096 00:51:31,560 --> 00:51:34,640 Speaker 1: good friends, and he was a classic example of turning 1097 00:51:34,719 --> 00:51:37,600 Speaker 1: life around. And sadly when he passed away and it 1098 00:51:37,800 --> 00:51:40,239 Speaker 1: was a Zaddy's funeral and it was just a big 1099 00:51:40,320 --> 00:51:43,759 Speaker 1: loss that hit people people hard, because when you see 1100 00:51:43,840 --> 00:51:47,720 Speaker 1: someone like that that hits the low and then dig their. 1101 00:51:47,600 --> 00:51:49,960 Speaker 3: Way out of its inspiration of it. 1102 00:51:50,080 --> 00:51:53,319 Speaker 1: Is when we get back in part two, I want 1103 00:51:53,400 --> 00:51:55,520 Speaker 1: to talk about what you hope to achieve by what 1104 00:51:55,840 --> 00:51:58,239 Speaker 1: you're doing. I also, and this is just out of 1105 00:51:58,280 --> 00:52:01,120 Speaker 1: my curiosity, and I'm sure you Marty, I want to 1106 00:52:01,320 --> 00:52:06,520 Speaker 1: speak a lot about your experience in prison. Like you're 1107 00:52:06,560 --> 00:52:09,000 Speaker 1: going into prison, You're going in as a former world 1108 00:52:09,080 --> 00:52:12,680 Speaker 1: boxing champion. They make movies out of that sort of shit, 1109 00:52:12,880 --> 00:52:17,640 Speaker 1: so I know what the hell happened when you went 1110 00:52:17,680 --> 00:52:21,120 Speaker 1: in there. And I also in my conversations with you, Marty, 1111 00:52:21,200 --> 00:52:23,239 Speaker 1: you said that the thing about Michael is that there's 1112 00:52:23,920 --> 00:52:27,600 Speaker 1: he points out there's no glamour in the prison, and yeah, yeah, 1113 00:52:28,120 --> 00:52:30,399 Speaker 1: a message that we can all get out. And if 1114 00:52:30,440 --> 00:52:34,000 Speaker 1: I have former Bikis or whatever come here, or gangsters, 1115 00:52:34,960 --> 00:52:38,200 Speaker 1: the world looks pretty attractive, but when it's stripped down 1116 00:52:38,239 --> 00:52:38,800 Speaker 1: and when you're. 1117 00:52:38,680 --> 00:52:40,879 Speaker 2: Locked in a cell. It's not that attractive, and there's 1118 00:52:40,920 --> 00:52:42,480 Speaker 2: no real glamor there is there. 1119 00:52:42,680 --> 00:52:44,840 Speaker 5: So look, if there's any young people out there and 1120 00:52:44,880 --> 00:52:47,480 Speaker 5: they're going on a pathway which they know within themselves, 1121 00:52:47,520 --> 00:52:49,359 Speaker 5: and they're thinking about going this way or that way, 1122 00:52:49,520 --> 00:52:50,920 Speaker 5: I can tell them, don't go. 1123 00:52:51,080 --> 00:52:52,839 Speaker 3: Fucking that way. It's a ship life. 1124 00:52:53,000 --> 00:52:54,879 Speaker 5: There's a ship life, and it's nothing to look forward 1125 00:52:54,880 --> 00:52:56,880 Speaker 5: to it. There's actually people that are in there that 1126 00:52:57,040 --> 00:52:59,600 Speaker 5: actually find comfort in it and then just keeping their 1127 00:52:59,640 --> 00:53:01,640 Speaker 5: recit of and they keep coming back. I was talking 1128 00:53:01,680 --> 00:53:04,920 Speaker 5: to my psychologists and she said, and I've got like 1129 00:53:04,920 --> 00:53:07,879 Speaker 5: one hundred and sixty pages of contacts of people in there, 1130 00:53:07,920 --> 00:53:10,080 Speaker 5: and you know, these are people that are you know, 1131 00:53:10,480 --> 00:53:12,640 Speaker 5: obviously they're a lot of them going through sobriety and 1132 00:53:12,640 --> 00:53:16,279 Speaker 5: they've they've changed, you know, they've they've been forced to 1133 00:53:16,600 --> 00:53:19,839 Speaker 5: not drink or do drugs, and you know, you see 1134 00:53:19,840 --> 00:53:21,520 Speaker 5: a different side of them that they would otherwise. They 1135 00:53:21,560 --> 00:53:24,800 Speaker 5: don't have the same things available to them outside, and 1136 00:53:24,880 --> 00:53:26,239 Speaker 5: you see different sides of them. But I've got one 1137 00:53:26,280 --> 00:53:28,560 Speaker 5: hundred and sixty pages of contacts, and I thought to myself, 1138 00:53:28,640 --> 00:53:30,680 Speaker 5: maybe only three percent would come out the other end. 1139 00:53:31,600 --> 00:53:33,680 Speaker 5: In reality, and she said that's not bad, Michael. She said, 1140 00:53:33,680 --> 00:53:36,600 Speaker 5: an actual fact, only two percent aren't recidivists. They don't 1141 00:53:36,640 --> 00:53:38,240 Speaker 5: keep coming back only to it. So it was pretty 1142 00:53:38,239 --> 00:53:40,879 Speaker 5: accurate that And of those two percent of people, there's 1143 00:53:40,880 --> 00:53:42,920 Speaker 5: probably only two or three that I would keep in 1144 00:53:43,000 --> 00:53:45,040 Speaker 5: contact that I I would truly come out the other end. 1145 00:53:45,080 --> 00:53:48,480 Speaker 2: And come out greater things around. Yeah, well we'll talk. 1146 00:53:48,520 --> 00:53:51,000 Speaker 1: We'll talk about that the in depth in that part too, 1147 00:53:51,080 --> 00:53:55,720 Speaker 1: But it's just reminded me. We had spanions on the podcast, 1148 00:53:56,160 --> 00:53:59,160 Speaker 1: and I remember him describing when he was in boys homes, 1149 00:53:59,239 --> 00:54:02,279 Speaker 1: like doing things, getting caught going to boys' homes that 1150 00:54:02,400 --> 00:54:04,600 Speaker 1: was exciting because everyone was in there together and we're 1151 00:54:04,640 --> 00:54:08,120 Speaker 1: going to be the biggest, baddest against But he said, 1152 00:54:08,360 --> 00:54:10,960 Speaker 1: going to an adult prison really wak him up. 1153 00:54:11,000 --> 00:54:14,680 Speaker 2: He's gone, look at it, this is it's life losers 1154 00:54:14,719 --> 00:54:15,000 Speaker 2: in here. 1155 00:54:15,160 --> 00:54:18,080 Speaker 1: There's nothing glamorous about being in prison, like there could 1156 00:54:18,120 --> 00:54:20,200 Speaker 1: be the excitement in the boys' homes that yeah, we're 1157 00:54:20,239 --> 00:54:22,399 Speaker 1: going to be the baddest of the bad and making 1158 00:54:22,440 --> 00:54:24,839 Speaker 1: a reputation. But when it's all said and done, who 1159 00:54:24,880 --> 00:54:28,560 Speaker 1: wants to be locked in the sell for eighteen hours 1160 00:54:28,600 --> 00:54:32,440 Speaker 1: a day? But we'll talk about that in part two, 1161 00:54:32,520 --> 00:54:34,600 Speaker 1: so we'll take a break down of course. 1162 00:54:35,000 --> 00:54:35,239 Speaker 2: Cheers,