1 00:00:00,040 --> 00:00:03,280 Speaker 1: Welcome to Healthy Thank you tuning in listeners, Nice to 2 00:00:03,320 --> 00:00:05,640 Speaker 1: have you. You are listening to the daily podcast from 3 00:00:05,680 --> 00:00:08,320 Speaker 1: Body and Soul. I am Felicity Harley and it is 4 00:00:08,440 --> 00:00:12,239 Speaker 1: Para Olympic time and to celebrate, I am joined by 5 00:00:12,400 --> 00:00:16,480 Speaker 1: one of our most successful Paralympians, Jared Clifford. He's about 6 00:00:16,520 --> 00:00:20,360 Speaker 1: to embark on his third Paralympics. He is already a 7 00:00:20,400 --> 00:00:24,000 Speaker 1: three time Paralympic medalist, two times world champion Nike athlete. 8 00:00:24,040 --> 00:00:27,080 Speaker 1: He's a vision impaired middle distance athlete, and today he 9 00:00:27,160 --> 00:00:29,720 Speaker 1: is going to talk all about how his race rolls out, 10 00:00:30,120 --> 00:00:32,480 Speaker 1: his excitement for Paris of course, and the lessons he's 11 00:00:32,560 --> 00:00:36,320 Speaker 1: taking into his third Paraalympics. Make sure you listen in 12 00:00:36,320 --> 00:00:39,320 Speaker 1: to our other sister podcast, Extra Healthy Ish as well, 13 00:00:39,440 --> 00:00:42,160 Speaker 1: where he shares his full story and how he fell 14 00:00:42,280 --> 00:00:45,360 Speaker 1: short of his dreams in Tokyo and how he's using 15 00:00:45,400 --> 00:01:01,840 Speaker 1: that to inspire his races in Paris. Jared, thank you 16 00:01:01,920 --> 00:01:04,920 Speaker 1: for joining us today on Healthy Is. How are you. 17 00:01:04,959 --> 00:01:06,320 Speaker 1: How's it all going over there? Yeah? 18 00:01:06,360 --> 00:01:07,160 Speaker 2: No, thanks for having me. 19 00:01:07,240 --> 00:01:09,880 Speaker 3: It's I'm really excited to have a chat, and yeah, 20 00:01:10,000 --> 00:01:11,040 Speaker 3: it's been good. 21 00:01:11,000 --> 00:01:12,040 Speaker 2: Coming over to Europe. 22 00:01:12,040 --> 00:01:15,600 Speaker 3: Missing the Australian winter and training has been ramping up 23 00:01:16,000 --> 00:01:16,640 Speaker 3: not long ago. 24 00:01:16,760 --> 00:01:18,000 Speaker 2: Now it's all getting real. 25 00:01:18,160 --> 00:01:19,840 Speaker 1: Yeah, thanks for rubbing that in For the rest of 26 00:01:19,880 --> 00:01:23,760 Speaker 1: us who are who aren't having growth summer, How are 27 00:01:23,800 --> 00:01:26,600 Speaker 1: you feeling about Paris? What are the nerves like are you? 28 00:01:26,680 --> 00:01:28,800 Speaker 1: Are you getting there? Are getting excited? 29 00:01:29,000 --> 00:01:35,920 Speaker 3: I'm overwhelmingly the emotion is excitement. It's nervous excitement for sure, 30 00:01:35,959 --> 00:01:38,040 Speaker 3: but it's the kind of nerves that you can harness 31 00:01:38,120 --> 00:01:41,200 Speaker 3: for you know, a good performance, Whereas I definitely have 32 00:01:41,720 --> 00:01:46,320 Speaker 3: approached Paralympics in the past with a lot of nerves 33 00:01:46,319 --> 00:01:50,000 Speaker 3: that might be cast as a burden. So I'm just 34 00:01:50,080 --> 00:01:53,080 Speaker 3: so excited to be able to have another opportunity to 35 00:01:53,200 --> 00:01:56,400 Speaker 3: chase the dream. So, you know, I've kind of gone 36 00:01:56,400 --> 00:01:58,680 Speaker 3: in with this mantra that when I stand on the 37 00:01:58,680 --> 00:02:01,240 Speaker 3: start line, it's the any place in the world that 38 00:02:01,280 --> 00:02:03,840 Speaker 3: I want to be in that moment, and so I'm 39 00:02:03,880 --> 00:02:07,080 Speaker 3: really feeling like that's going to come true when I 40 00:02:07,120 --> 00:02:08,000 Speaker 3: do stand on the line. 41 00:02:08,040 --> 00:02:10,600 Speaker 2: So yeah, just overwhelmingly excited. 42 00:02:10,840 --> 00:02:14,040 Speaker 1: Tell us a bit about your Paralympic event. What is 43 00:02:14,040 --> 00:02:14,639 Speaker 1: it exactly? 44 00:02:15,040 --> 00:02:18,040 Speaker 3: Yeah, so I'm a Paralympic middle and long distance runner, 45 00:02:18,160 --> 00:02:21,239 Speaker 3: so I compete in the fifth hundred meters in the 46 00:02:21,280 --> 00:02:24,520 Speaker 3: five thousand meters predominantly. I did do the marathon a 47 00:02:24,560 --> 00:02:27,560 Speaker 3: couple of years ago at the Paralympics, but that's been 48 00:02:27,600 --> 00:02:28,959 Speaker 3: put on the back burner for this one. 49 00:02:29,000 --> 00:02:30,200 Speaker 2: So we're just on the track. 50 00:02:30,480 --> 00:02:33,360 Speaker 3: So I compete in the category that is T twelve 51 00:02:33,440 --> 00:02:38,120 Speaker 3: slash thirteen. That means that I'm visually impaired, and I 52 00:02:38,160 --> 00:02:42,280 Speaker 3: compete against other athletes that are visually impaired. Athletes that 53 00:02:42,320 --> 00:02:46,000 Speaker 3: are totally blind to compete in a separate category against 54 00:02:46,200 --> 00:02:50,400 Speaker 3: similarly impaired people, So at the Paralympics, we only compete 55 00:02:50,400 --> 00:02:54,520 Speaker 3: against people of the same or similar disability, and so 56 00:02:54,600 --> 00:02:56,720 Speaker 3: for me, that's visually impaired. So some of my competitors 57 00:02:56,760 --> 00:03:00,360 Speaker 3: have tunnel vision where they can see quite far but 58 00:03:00,440 --> 00:03:06,160 Speaker 3: not peripherally, and then I am someone that has I 59 00:03:06,240 --> 00:03:09,799 Speaker 3: have poor central vision but good peripheral vision. So we 60 00:03:09,840 --> 00:03:14,400 Speaker 3: get clumped together because we do have some good site 61 00:03:15,160 --> 00:03:17,400 Speaker 3: and so yeah, that's kind of what makes me eligible 62 00:03:17,440 --> 00:03:21,800 Speaker 3: for the Paralympics. And distance running, I find is one 63 00:03:21,840 --> 00:03:25,280 Speaker 3: of the most freeing sports to do having a visual 64 00:03:25,280 --> 00:03:27,960 Speaker 3: impairment because it's a one hundred meters straight followed by 65 00:03:27,960 --> 00:03:30,239 Speaker 3: a one hundred meters event. Repeat it over and over, 66 00:03:30,400 --> 00:03:31,640 Speaker 3: so it's not too bad. 67 00:03:32,280 --> 00:03:35,080 Speaker 1: So because some of those events have people running with them, 68 00:03:35,120 --> 00:03:36,120 Speaker 1: but you don't. 69 00:03:35,920 --> 00:03:39,280 Speaker 3: Do you. Yeah, So my category has the option to 70 00:03:39,360 --> 00:03:41,760 Speaker 3: use guide runners. So in the fifteen hundred meters, which 71 00:03:41,800 --> 00:03:45,800 Speaker 3: is a lot faster and shorter than say the five k, 72 00:03:45,960 --> 00:03:49,080 Speaker 3: I'll run that solo. But in the five thousand meters 73 00:03:50,000 --> 00:03:52,600 Speaker 3: at these games, I'll be using two guide runners. They'll 74 00:03:52,640 --> 00:03:56,400 Speaker 3: switch it halfway and we're connected by a fifteen centimeter tether, 75 00:03:56,560 --> 00:03:59,080 Speaker 3: so we have to be in sync, almost like a 76 00:03:59,120 --> 00:04:01,920 Speaker 3: three legged race, but connected at the hand. 77 00:04:03,280 --> 00:04:04,640 Speaker 2: And so they will. 78 00:04:04,600 --> 00:04:09,320 Speaker 3: Give me all the information that an everyday runner would receive. 79 00:04:10,760 --> 00:04:11,520 Speaker 2: Just by looking. 80 00:04:11,640 --> 00:04:13,800 Speaker 3: So they'll tell me things like what position I'm coming, 81 00:04:13,880 --> 00:04:16,760 Speaker 3: laps to go splits, which athletes are in front of me, 82 00:04:16,800 --> 00:04:19,960 Speaker 3: because that will dictate what tactics I do, the gap 83 00:04:20,040 --> 00:04:24,279 Speaker 3: between athletes are on the track, and just making sure 84 00:04:24,279 --> 00:04:29,520 Speaker 3: that I can get absolutely everything out of myself without 85 00:04:29,680 --> 00:04:33,359 Speaker 3: needing to think about seeing to get around the track, 86 00:04:33,400 --> 00:04:36,040 Speaker 3: and I get to run without any hesitancy or run 87 00:04:36,080 --> 00:04:39,520 Speaker 3: without any fear into this hard to see space in 88 00:04:39,560 --> 00:04:42,720 Speaker 3: front of me, and I can do that just going 89 00:04:42,720 --> 00:04:44,960 Speaker 3: absolutely all out because I know that the guide next 90 00:04:45,000 --> 00:04:46,760 Speaker 3: to me will have my back if I need. 91 00:04:46,920 --> 00:04:49,640 Speaker 1: Yeah, you must have an incredible amount of trust in them. 92 00:04:49,800 --> 00:04:50,880 Speaker 2: Yeah, it's definitely trust. 93 00:04:50,920 --> 00:04:54,359 Speaker 3: So the two guys like Tim Logan, who's been training 94 00:04:54,400 --> 00:04:58,120 Speaker 3: with me since I was twelve and I'm twenty five now. 95 00:04:58,240 --> 00:05:02,480 Speaker 3: So we've run I think we've calculated thirty to thirty 96 00:05:02,480 --> 00:05:06,440 Speaker 3: five thousand kilometers together. He lives with me, he is, 97 00:05:06,760 --> 00:05:10,640 Speaker 3: you know, we've spent a lot of time together, and. 98 00:05:09,920 --> 00:05:11,640 Speaker 2: I definitely you know, when I cross the. 99 00:05:11,720 --> 00:05:16,840 Speaker 3: Road and I'm running with him, I'm quite literally trusting 100 00:05:16,880 --> 00:05:18,400 Speaker 3: you with my life when we do that. And so 101 00:05:19,000 --> 00:05:23,600 Speaker 3: the other guide is Matt Clark. He's an Olympian and 102 00:05:23,640 --> 00:05:26,120 Speaker 3: he'll be going to his second Olympics in the steeple chase, 103 00:05:26,160 --> 00:05:30,000 Speaker 3: and so he's doubling back. He won't be celebrating too hard, 104 00:05:30,080 --> 00:05:32,920 Speaker 3: too quickly because yeah, he'll be coming to the Paralympics 105 00:05:32,920 --> 00:05:35,240 Speaker 3: as well. So you know, we're all best mates, all 106 00:05:35,279 --> 00:05:37,840 Speaker 3: three of us. So it's just such a special thing 107 00:05:38,400 --> 00:05:40,320 Speaker 3: that I get to do. You know, there's not many 108 00:05:41,080 --> 00:05:43,800 Speaker 3: runners that get to, I guess stand on the start 109 00:05:43,839 --> 00:05:46,080 Speaker 3: line with one of their best mates. 110 00:05:46,279 --> 00:05:48,920 Speaker 2: But beyond the same team, I think it's really exciting. 111 00:05:48,960 --> 00:05:52,200 Speaker 1: That's phenomenal. Now you've been to Rio in Beijing. Oh sorry, Tokyo. 112 00:05:52,680 --> 00:05:55,800 Speaker 1: What learnings are you going to take from those Paralympics 113 00:05:55,800 --> 00:05:56,560 Speaker 1: into Paris. 114 00:05:57,240 --> 00:05:58,960 Speaker 2: There's so many different lessons, you know. 115 00:05:59,040 --> 00:06:01,240 Speaker 3: I was seventeen when I went to Rio, and it 116 00:06:01,320 --> 00:06:04,200 Speaker 3: was all about soaking up the atmosphere, learning as much 117 00:06:04,200 --> 00:06:07,840 Speaker 3: as possible. I remember putting my foot down on the 118 00:06:07,839 --> 00:06:09,880 Speaker 3: start line when we called to our marks, and you 119 00:06:10,160 --> 00:06:13,120 Speaker 3: kind of put weight through that front leg before the 120 00:06:13,120 --> 00:06:15,000 Speaker 3: gun goes, and I couldn't put any weight through it 121 00:06:15,040 --> 00:06:16,640 Speaker 3: because it was shaking so much. 122 00:06:17,000 --> 00:06:18,560 Speaker 2: That's how nervous I was, and. 123 00:06:18,640 --> 00:06:21,200 Speaker 3: Never run in front of the crowd like that. All 124 00:06:21,240 --> 00:06:23,680 Speaker 3: I could think about was, you know, what if I 125 00:06:23,800 --> 00:06:24,320 Speaker 3: come last? 126 00:06:24,320 --> 00:06:26,280 Speaker 2: What happens if I fall over? What are the kids 127 00:06:26,320 --> 00:06:27,240 Speaker 2: at school got to say? 128 00:06:27,279 --> 00:06:30,680 Speaker 3: Because I was still in like year eleven and I was, 129 00:06:30,720 --> 00:06:32,320 Speaker 3: you know, thinking a lot about that and it was 130 00:06:32,360 --> 00:06:33,360 Speaker 3: a great experience. 131 00:06:33,440 --> 00:06:35,839 Speaker 2: But the lesson from that was that. 132 00:06:37,600 --> 00:06:40,799 Speaker 3: I've got to think about the process, not the outcome, 133 00:06:41,040 --> 00:06:43,880 Speaker 3: Like that's got to be how I think about things, 134 00:06:43,920 --> 00:06:46,400 Speaker 3: because if you focus on the process, the outcome will 135 00:06:46,440 --> 00:06:49,599 Speaker 3: sort itself out, So that was the big lesson from that, 136 00:06:49,640 --> 00:06:51,159 Speaker 3: and then the big lesson from Tokyo. I went in 137 00:06:51,200 --> 00:06:55,000 Speaker 3: his favorite in three events as either reigning wheel champion 138 00:06:55,080 --> 00:06:58,680 Speaker 3: or world record holder, and I came away with two 139 00:06:58,680 --> 00:07:02,560 Speaker 3: silvers and a bronze, which I was obviously super proud of, 140 00:07:02,680 --> 00:07:05,719 Speaker 3: but did fall short of the dream that I'd held 141 00:07:05,760 --> 00:07:08,640 Speaker 3: since I was a kid. So, you know, the lesson 142 00:07:08,720 --> 00:07:10,800 Speaker 3: from that was that I needed to make sure I 143 00:07:10,840 --> 00:07:13,880 Speaker 3: was enjoying the sport and not that I make sure 144 00:07:13,880 --> 00:07:15,240 Speaker 3: the sport wasn't just a means to. 145 00:07:15,200 --> 00:07:17,880 Speaker 2: An end, the end being the dream. 146 00:07:18,400 --> 00:07:21,920 Speaker 3: I had to remember that I actually have this dream 147 00:07:22,280 --> 00:07:24,680 Speaker 3: because I had fallen in love with the sport as 148 00:07:24,680 --> 00:07:27,640 Speaker 3: a kid, So the falling in love with the sport 149 00:07:27,640 --> 00:07:31,080 Speaker 3: had actually come before the dream, and so I guess 150 00:07:31,080 --> 00:07:33,920 Speaker 3: it was just reminding myself of that and going back 151 00:07:33,960 --> 00:07:35,960 Speaker 3: to the basics and why I loved it and making 152 00:07:36,000 --> 00:07:41,440 Speaker 3: sure training wasn't just yeah, it means to an end, 153 00:07:41,440 --> 00:07:43,480 Speaker 3: it was actually something that I enjoyed doing. So I 154 00:07:43,480 --> 00:07:46,600 Speaker 3: think over the last three years, I've definitely done that. Yeah. 155 00:07:46,680 --> 00:07:50,120 Speaker 1: Now, we did well meet at the Nike Running Summit, 156 00:07:50,160 --> 00:07:54,320 Speaker 1: and you gave an incredible answer to a question there 157 00:07:54,960 --> 00:07:58,840 Speaker 1: about the Paralympics and the Olympics being one event. What's 158 00:07:58,880 --> 00:07:59,600 Speaker 1: your view on this. 159 00:08:00,120 --> 00:08:02,280 Speaker 3: Yeah, it's something we get asked quite a lot, particularly 160 00:08:02,320 --> 00:08:07,120 Speaker 3: off the back of the Commonwath Games recently appearing to 161 00:08:08,120 --> 00:08:13,480 Speaker 3: kind of synthesize the two events, which isn't quite true. 162 00:08:14,480 --> 00:08:18,880 Speaker 3: The Commonwath Games have a tiny, tiny amount of power 163 00:08:18,920 --> 00:08:22,440 Speaker 3: events and the Gold Coast twenty eighteen that wasn't actually 164 00:08:22,480 --> 00:08:24,360 Speaker 3: a new thing. It was just that the medals counted 165 00:08:24,400 --> 00:08:25,840 Speaker 3: to the metal tally for the first time. 166 00:08:26,000 --> 00:08:29,480 Speaker 2: So I don't think they should be combined. 167 00:08:29,600 --> 00:08:32,679 Speaker 3: I think that the Paralympics on its own is very 168 00:08:32,760 --> 00:08:35,840 Speaker 3: important for sport, very important for the world because it 169 00:08:35,960 --> 00:08:39,960 Speaker 3: is the only time where disability is front center for 170 00:08:40,040 --> 00:08:43,880 Speaker 3: two weeks. Is it's not overshadowed by Yusain Bolt or 171 00:08:43,920 --> 00:08:44,720 Speaker 3: Simone Biles. 172 00:08:45,280 --> 00:08:50,560 Speaker 2: It is prime time just focus on disability. 173 00:08:50,600 --> 00:08:54,040 Speaker 3: And because I think it's important because the Paralympics as 174 00:08:54,280 --> 00:08:58,560 Speaker 3: a sporting spectacle also provides us a two week window 175 00:08:58,600 --> 00:09:01,440 Speaker 3: into how the world should be for all people with disabilities. 176 00:09:01,480 --> 00:09:05,600 Speaker 3: The Paralympics shows us what people disabilities can do when 177 00:09:05,600 --> 00:09:07,959 Speaker 3: they're given the support and resources to excel. 178 00:09:08,360 --> 00:09:09,520 Speaker 2: So if it shows it. 179 00:09:09,520 --> 00:09:11,680 Speaker 3: If we were to give the support and resources to 180 00:09:11,720 --> 00:09:16,040 Speaker 3: people's disabilities to excel in all aspects of life, all 181 00:09:16,080 --> 00:09:18,720 Speaker 3: throughout society, not just the ones that love doing sport, 182 00:09:19,120 --> 00:09:21,480 Speaker 3: then imagine what's possible. And if the Paralympics and the 183 00:09:21,520 --> 00:09:26,120 Speaker 3: Olympics were combined, we would lose, we would lose that 184 00:09:26,280 --> 00:09:29,800 Speaker 3: window that we get given into this kind of utopian 185 00:09:29,880 --> 00:09:32,520 Speaker 3: world that I think does have a chance to exist. 186 00:09:32,559 --> 00:09:36,199 Speaker 3: So I think it's very important that the Paralympics stays 187 00:09:36,880 --> 00:09:40,880 Speaker 3: unique to itself. We have our own symbol, our own name, 188 00:09:41,960 --> 00:09:44,080 Speaker 3: and yeah, it's just our chance to show the world 189 00:09:44,120 --> 00:09:45,000 Speaker 3: what we can do. 190 00:09:45,559 --> 00:09:49,880 Speaker 1: Well. Thank you for championing us at the Paralympics and. 191 00:09:49,880 --> 00:09:52,280 Speaker 2: For coming on healthy, Thanks for having. 192 00:09:54,880 --> 00:09:57,680 Speaker 1: Hey, thanks for listening to this chat with Jared, and yes, 193 00:09:57,760 --> 00:10:01,000 Speaker 1: make sure you watch his races the Paralympics on now 194 00:10:01,360 --> 00:10:04,840 Speaker 1: on Channel nine on nine. Now I know where I'll 195 00:10:04,840 --> 00:10:06,880 Speaker 1: be glued to this weekend, and I hope you will 196 00:10:06,920 --> 00:10:09,360 Speaker 1: be too. If you did enjoy this chat, rate and 197 00:10:09,440 --> 00:10:12,080 Speaker 1: review it or of course subscribe to this podcast anything else, 198 00:10:12,080 --> 00:10:14,679 Speaker 1: head to bodyansoul dot com dot you grab our print edition, 199 00:10:14,720 --> 00:10:16,559 Speaker 1: which is out in your local Sunday paper and make 200 00:10:16,600 --> 00:10:20,800 Speaker 1: sure you are following us across social media, and until tomorrow, 201 00:10:20,840 --> 00:10:24,000 Speaker 1: hopefully next time you listen, go Aussie and stay healthy.