1 00:00:00,560 --> 00:00:04,200 Speaker 1: This episode is brought to you by Victoria Police. Are 2 00:00:04,240 --> 00:00:07,360 Speaker 1: you made for more search police careers? To find out? 3 00:00:10,560 --> 00:00:14,600 Speaker 1: At The Female Athlete Project, we often talk about female 4 00:00:14,640 --> 00:00:18,280 Speaker 1: athletes who should be household names because of the incredible 5 00:00:18,320 --> 00:00:21,680 Speaker 1: things that they have achieved. Amanda Hardy is one of 6 00:00:21,720 --> 00:00:26,920 Speaker 1: those athletes. She is a sporting legend. She competed at 7 00:00:27,000 --> 00:00:31,000 Speaker 1: two Olympic Games in badminton. She won two Commonwealth Games 8 00:00:31,160 --> 00:00:34,559 Speaker 1: bronze medal. She had a number five world ranking. Her 9 00:00:34,640 --> 00:00:39,120 Speaker 1: journey spans across forty five different countries. She joined the 10 00:00:39,200 --> 00:00:42,160 Speaker 1: Victoria Police in nineteen ninety seven, where she now works 11 00:00:42,200 --> 00:00:46,360 Speaker 1: as a senior sergeant. She would fly overseas for tournaments 12 00:00:46,400 --> 00:00:49,800 Speaker 1: on six days off after finishing her night shifts and 13 00:00:49,880 --> 00:00:55,040 Speaker 1: showed incredible resilience and dedication throughout her sporting career. Amanda 14 00:00:55,080 --> 00:00:59,080 Speaker 1: shares some incredible stories. She's a ball of energy and 15 00:00:59,080 --> 00:01:01,920 Speaker 1: at absolutely loved the chance to chat to her. I 16 00:01:01,960 --> 00:01:07,880 Speaker 1: hope you enjoyed this one, Amanda, Welcome to The Female 17 00:01:07,920 --> 00:01:08,800 Speaker 1: Athlete Project. 18 00:01:09,200 --> 00:01:10,680 Speaker 2: Thanks, Joe, really happy to be here. 19 00:01:10,959 --> 00:01:13,440 Speaker 1: I'm we've been chatting a little bit off air beforehand. 20 00:01:13,480 --> 00:01:15,679 Speaker 1: I feel like you've got some very cool stories from 21 00:01:15,720 --> 00:01:18,000 Speaker 1: your life already to share with us, So I'm excited 22 00:01:18,040 --> 00:01:20,600 Speaker 1: to get into this one. But can you take us 23 00:01:20,680 --> 00:01:24,039 Speaker 1: back and describe what Amanda was like as a little kid? 24 00:01:24,440 --> 00:01:26,000 Speaker 2: So a lot of energy. 25 00:01:26,319 --> 00:01:28,800 Speaker 3: In fact, I was probably one of those kids that 26 00:01:28,880 --> 00:01:31,920 Speaker 3: got report cards that would say yes, gets on with it, 27 00:01:31,920 --> 00:01:34,399 Speaker 3: but disruptive with everyone else. It'd be nice if she'd 28 00:01:34,480 --> 00:01:38,720 Speaker 3: let everybody else get on with it as well. And yeah, 29 00:01:38,760 --> 00:01:42,040 Speaker 3: so I played lots of sports. I was fortunate. I 30 00:01:42,080 --> 00:01:45,200 Speaker 3: grew up in an area in the Western Suburbs where 31 00:01:45,400 --> 00:01:49,960 Speaker 3: an opposite a school oval, so I was always either 32 00:01:50,000 --> 00:01:54,160 Speaker 3: playing soccer mainly with the boys at that time on 33 00:01:54,240 --> 00:01:58,240 Speaker 3: the school oval, or cricket, or running athletics, or hitting 34 00:01:58,280 --> 00:02:01,840 Speaker 3: a tennis ball against the wall, pretty much anything. I 35 00:02:01,880 --> 00:02:04,320 Speaker 3: think my parents would say, now, worries as soon as 36 00:02:04,320 --> 00:02:07,200 Speaker 3: it was light, off you go. And then they would 37 00:02:07,240 --> 00:02:09,840 Speaker 3: just be after dark. I'd be riding back on my 38 00:02:09,880 --> 00:02:12,080 Speaker 3: bicycle and they'd be like, it's probably better if you 39 00:02:12,120 --> 00:02:16,480 Speaker 3: come back during daylight. But let's hope that she's used 40 00:02:16,520 --> 00:02:17,399 Speaker 3: all that energy up. 41 00:02:19,240 --> 00:02:23,840 Speaker 1: And was there any particular reason that you loved sport 42 00:02:23,880 --> 00:02:24,920 Speaker 1: and being so active? 43 00:02:25,440 --> 00:02:28,320 Speaker 3: Oh, look, I come from a family who were quite sporty, 44 00:02:28,360 --> 00:02:31,839 Speaker 3: so both my sisters played sport. They were really good 45 00:02:31,840 --> 00:02:35,280 Speaker 3: at netball and they rode horses and things like that. 46 00:02:35,400 --> 00:02:39,520 Speaker 3: My parents my dad played rugby union in England. 47 00:02:40,639 --> 00:02:41,600 Speaker 2: My mum was. 48 00:02:41,960 --> 00:02:44,480 Speaker 3: Very athletics, so she's really good at athletics, but also 49 00:02:45,520 --> 00:02:49,280 Speaker 3: both in service industries in the Air Force and she 50 00:02:49,639 --> 00:02:51,600 Speaker 3: was a go kart champion for instance in. 51 00:02:52,639 --> 00:02:54,440 Speaker 2: The Air Force, also rode horses. 52 00:02:54,560 --> 00:02:59,280 Speaker 3: So and then yeah, I think just being opposite the 53 00:02:59,320 --> 00:03:05,320 Speaker 3: school and at playtime, just wanting to get amongst it 54 00:03:05,440 --> 00:03:07,680 Speaker 3: rather than sort of sitting around reading and things like that. 55 00:03:07,800 --> 00:03:10,320 Speaker 3: And so they got me into bat tennis programs early 56 00:03:10,400 --> 00:03:14,560 Speaker 3: and I got pretty good hand eye coordination and was 57 00:03:14,680 --> 00:03:17,760 Speaker 3: quite quick, so don't put me in anything in to endurance. 58 00:03:17,800 --> 00:03:21,880 Speaker 3: But yeah, I think that was how I ended up 59 00:03:22,280 --> 00:03:23,480 Speaker 3: doing it, and it was the best way to keep 60 00:03:23,520 --> 00:03:24,160 Speaker 3: me out of trouble. 61 00:03:24,320 --> 00:03:27,120 Speaker 1: And can you tell us a bit about what was 62 00:03:27,120 --> 00:03:30,560 Speaker 1: called the Big m Little League in South Melbourne, your 63 00:03:30,600 --> 00:03:32,040 Speaker 1: experience with footy as a kid. 64 00:03:32,360 --> 00:03:35,720 Speaker 3: Yeah, so going across the school across the road, I 65 00:03:35,760 --> 00:03:37,560 Speaker 3: walked across here with the boy who lived next door, 66 00:03:37,600 --> 00:03:39,840 Speaker 3: and I remember walking up to the people who were 67 00:03:39,880 --> 00:03:43,520 Speaker 3: running the football program there and I said, hey, look, 68 00:03:43,520 --> 00:03:45,640 Speaker 3: we'd like to play, and look, if you won't let 69 00:03:45,640 --> 00:03:47,800 Speaker 3: me because I'm a girl, can you let him play? 70 00:03:47,920 --> 00:03:50,360 Speaker 3: So at least I was not just thinking about myself 71 00:03:50,400 --> 00:03:54,520 Speaker 3: at the time, but yeah, so they said, yep, everybody 72 00:03:54,560 --> 00:03:56,640 Speaker 3: comes to and plays here. So we were playing, and 73 00:03:57,320 --> 00:04:00,360 Speaker 3: we play each week at different schools and they said, look, 74 00:04:00,360 --> 00:04:03,280 Speaker 3: we're going to try and see if we can get 75 00:04:03,320 --> 00:04:05,520 Speaker 3: you into the beginme Little League because back then girls 76 00:04:05,520 --> 00:04:07,200 Speaker 3: didn't play in the begining of Little League. And this 77 00:04:07,320 --> 00:04:09,560 Speaker 3: was a long time ago because it was South Melbourne 78 00:04:09,600 --> 00:04:13,320 Speaker 3: and not Sydney. And I remember being on the ground 79 00:04:13,480 --> 00:04:16,760 Speaker 3: at Seaholme Primary School and the runner came out to 80 00:04:16,839 --> 00:04:20,880 Speaker 3: myself and my best mate Kate and said they've agreed, 81 00:04:20,920 --> 00:04:21,800 Speaker 3: you guys. 82 00:04:21,680 --> 00:04:23,679 Speaker 2: Are allowed to play when your girls are allowed to play. 83 00:04:24,480 --> 00:04:27,680 Speaker 3: And we were so excited, and so we fronted up 84 00:04:27,720 --> 00:04:29,919 Speaker 3: at the Western Oval back in the day when you 85 00:04:29,960 --> 00:04:33,040 Speaker 3: played the whole ground, and they didn't have a change 86 00:04:33,080 --> 00:04:35,839 Speaker 3: room for us, of course, so we had to be 87 00:04:36,120 --> 00:04:39,200 Speaker 3: changed get changed in the umpire's room. We didn't care 88 00:04:39,200 --> 00:04:40,720 Speaker 3: where we changed as long as we were allowed to 89 00:04:40,760 --> 00:04:44,720 Speaker 3: wear the same shirt, you know. So I was number 90 00:04:44,720 --> 00:04:48,560 Speaker 3: eleven Mark Browning back then and really excited. 91 00:04:48,680 --> 00:04:50,760 Speaker 2: Kicked a point but we got flogged, So. 92 00:04:52,520 --> 00:04:54,479 Speaker 1: The score doesn't matter. You got to play. That's the 93 00:04:54,520 --> 00:04:55,479 Speaker 1: best part, right. 94 00:04:56,720 --> 00:04:59,720 Speaker 3: Ah, And that really is the big thing. And I 95 00:04:59,720 --> 00:05:05,039 Speaker 3: know when the AFLW was realized and all that. In fact, 96 00:05:05,080 --> 00:05:07,960 Speaker 3: it makes me emotional now because back then I played 97 00:05:07,960 --> 00:05:11,840 Speaker 3: in the school team, and we played in the primary 98 00:05:11,839 --> 00:05:13,600 Speaker 3: school team, and then both of us played in the 99 00:05:13,640 --> 00:05:16,679 Speaker 3: high school team. And literally I can still remember then too. 100 00:05:17,960 --> 00:05:21,080 Speaker 3: Both of us would offer me in the best few 101 00:05:21,120 --> 00:05:25,080 Speaker 3: on the ground and one week we were playing, and 102 00:05:25,120 --> 00:05:27,520 Speaker 3: the next week it was determined we weren't allowed to 103 00:05:27,520 --> 00:05:30,640 Speaker 3: play because we'd reach that cutoff age and there was 104 00:05:30,680 --> 00:05:33,880 Speaker 3: nowhere to go. And so we would still kick footies 105 00:05:33,880 --> 00:05:35,640 Speaker 3: with each other, and the boys still love to kick 106 00:05:35,640 --> 00:05:40,080 Speaker 3: footies with us. You know, they didn't care, but the 107 00:05:40,120 --> 00:05:44,919 Speaker 3: rules kid. So when I saw AFLW realized and for 108 00:05:45,000 --> 00:05:50,000 Speaker 3: these girls, I just get so excited. It's a huge 109 00:05:50,040 --> 00:05:50,599 Speaker 3: step forward. 110 00:05:50,839 --> 00:05:53,320 Speaker 1: It's really interesting. And I think for me because I 111 00:05:53,400 --> 00:05:56,240 Speaker 1: now get to play afl W, I grew up in 112 00:05:56,279 --> 00:05:58,919 Speaker 1: Sydney where it wasn't a big thing. I grew up 113 00:05:58,920 --> 00:06:01,719 Speaker 1: in a rugby family, so footy wasn't something I ever 114 00:06:01,760 --> 00:06:05,320 Speaker 1: really knew about or understood, and so it's really cool, 115 00:06:05,360 --> 00:06:08,479 Speaker 1: I think because one of the biggest reasons that I 116 00:06:08,520 --> 00:06:10,960 Speaker 1: saw AFLW on the TV and wanted to try it, 117 00:06:10,960 --> 00:06:12,920 Speaker 1: it was because I thought they did such a good 118 00:06:13,000 --> 00:06:16,120 Speaker 1: job of this storytelling piece and for me to understand 119 00:06:16,120 --> 00:06:18,880 Speaker 1: this idea that there were so many incredible women who 120 00:06:18,880 --> 00:06:21,400 Speaker 1: had played the game for decades who never got the 121 00:06:21,480 --> 00:06:23,719 Speaker 1: chance to play at the highest level. So it's really cool, 122 00:06:23,720 --> 00:06:25,280 Speaker 1: Like it's a real honor to have the chance to 123 00:06:25,360 --> 00:06:28,080 Speaker 1: chat to women like you who I can imagine might 124 00:06:28,120 --> 00:06:30,560 Speaker 1: have been a best in fais in the AFLW if 125 00:06:30,560 --> 00:06:32,039 Speaker 1: you had your time at that top level. 126 00:06:32,200 --> 00:06:33,600 Speaker 2: We love it have done my best, you know. 127 00:06:34,760 --> 00:06:37,240 Speaker 3: Yeah, it's and that's the thing, and i'd look, one 128 00:06:37,240 --> 00:06:40,480 Speaker 3: of the things is whilst we don't want the barriers, 129 00:06:40,839 --> 00:06:44,880 Speaker 3: and we've had barriers for far too long, our adaptability 130 00:06:44,920 --> 00:06:47,720 Speaker 3: to go from sport to sport because at times, because 131 00:06:47,720 --> 00:06:50,599 Speaker 3: at times we have to be because we just have 132 00:06:50,760 --> 00:06:56,640 Speaker 3: that resolution that we're playing, you know, and we want 133 00:06:56,640 --> 00:06:58,760 Speaker 3: to achieve and we want to test ourselves and challenge 134 00:06:58,760 --> 00:06:59,800 Speaker 3: ourselves just as much. 135 00:06:59,839 --> 00:07:02,640 Speaker 2: So for me, it didn't mean that I. 136 00:07:02,600 --> 00:07:06,599 Speaker 3: Was quite adaptable with other sports and then moved into lacrosse, 137 00:07:06,640 --> 00:07:08,400 Speaker 3: you know, And at first I played in the boys team, 138 00:07:08,480 --> 00:07:11,400 Speaker 3: you know, until I wasn't allowed to play the boys 139 00:07:11,400 --> 00:07:13,320 Speaker 3: team anymore and there wasn't a local girls team, and 140 00:07:13,320 --> 00:07:16,680 Speaker 3: then so I revisited that later. But I think we're 141 00:07:16,680 --> 00:07:20,760 Speaker 3: more readily able to adapt our skills across because we 142 00:07:20,920 --> 00:07:22,400 Speaker 3: have to, and we just won't accept that. 143 00:07:23,920 --> 00:07:24,680 Speaker 2: You know, You've got this. 144 00:07:24,680 --> 00:07:30,960 Speaker 3: Whole kit that you can dig into, but certain rules, 145 00:07:31,080 --> 00:07:34,000 Speaker 3: or certain cultures or certain things are going to say, well, 146 00:07:34,000 --> 00:07:36,040 Speaker 3: we'll we'll decide when you can pull those out, you know. 147 00:07:36,240 --> 00:07:41,080 Speaker 3: So and I've got to say along the way, people 148 00:07:41,080 --> 00:07:46,840 Speaker 3: have been very good to try and fit in, fit 149 00:07:46,920 --> 00:07:49,720 Speaker 3: you in where they could. But it's nice to be 150 00:07:49,760 --> 00:07:54,640 Speaker 3: able to not have to consider gender or any of 151 00:07:54,680 --> 00:07:56,720 Speaker 3: those things to say whether I'm going to go out 152 00:07:56,760 --> 00:07:57,920 Speaker 3: and play some sport tomorrow. 153 00:07:58,000 --> 00:07:58,160 Speaker 2: You know. 154 00:07:58,840 --> 00:08:02,480 Speaker 1: Yeah, absolutely. It's it's really interesting that idea of the 155 00:08:02,600 --> 00:08:05,320 Speaker 1: versatility piece, because I think, as you touched on, it's 156 00:08:05,320 --> 00:08:09,800 Speaker 1: something that so many female athletes have almost because they've 157 00:08:09,920 --> 00:08:12,440 Speaker 1: had to not necessarily by choice. Like I love the 158 00:08:12,480 --> 00:08:15,800 Speaker 1: freedom of choice that we have, but I think sometimes 159 00:08:15,800 --> 00:08:17,680 Speaker 1: our hand is almost a little bit forced because of 160 00:08:17,720 --> 00:08:19,239 Speaker 1: other barriers that have been put in place. 161 00:08:19,600 --> 00:08:21,040 Speaker 2: I think that's absolutely the case. 162 00:08:21,120 --> 00:08:23,680 Speaker 3: And I think, and you know, we might be able 163 00:08:23,680 --> 00:08:25,120 Speaker 3: to say that some of the males would be just 164 00:08:25,120 --> 00:08:28,800 Speaker 3: as adaptable, but they didn't have to so so they therefore, 165 00:08:29,000 --> 00:08:34,440 Speaker 3: like I loved tennis, you know, I absolutely loved playing tennis, 166 00:08:34,520 --> 00:08:38,160 Speaker 3: but just by way of we'll probably get being burnt out. 167 00:08:38,160 --> 00:08:41,960 Speaker 3: Actually it's a tennis player because my coach will opportunity 168 00:08:42,000 --> 00:08:45,600 Speaker 3: and really sort of progressed me to quickly to the 169 00:08:45,600 --> 00:08:48,000 Speaker 3: point where it just wasn't fun anymore, and all of that, 170 00:08:48,040 --> 00:08:50,200 Speaker 3: but being able to adapt those skills and then go 171 00:08:50,320 --> 00:08:54,160 Speaker 3: and play badminton, which is a completely different sport, but 172 00:08:54,559 --> 00:09:00,760 Speaker 3: there are aspects that are similar with the sort of 173 00:09:00,840 --> 00:09:05,960 Speaker 3: the hand eye coordination. But then I absolutely think playing 174 00:09:05,960 --> 00:09:08,640 Speaker 3: the football and the lacrosse and the cricket and playing 175 00:09:08,720 --> 00:09:13,040 Speaker 3: soccer and maybe Brandy at lunchtime with the other kids 176 00:09:13,080 --> 00:09:16,079 Speaker 3: and all that it teaches you elements of cross training, 177 00:09:16,440 --> 00:09:19,120 Speaker 3: and to me, that's probably what's helped later on in 178 00:09:19,160 --> 00:09:22,640 Speaker 3: my career when I was more serious and looking for 179 00:09:22,679 --> 00:09:25,120 Speaker 3: world standing and all of that was yours looking for 180 00:09:25,160 --> 00:09:27,240 Speaker 3: that edge. Because it's great to win games and do that, 181 00:09:27,240 --> 00:09:30,079 Speaker 3: but yours. Know you can do better, and if we 182 00:09:30,280 --> 00:09:34,319 Speaker 3: just stick to what the traditional program is for your 183 00:09:34,360 --> 00:09:38,160 Speaker 3: one sport, then you know, I find that limiting. So 184 00:09:38,200 --> 00:09:40,520 Speaker 3: I think early on where I just went, well, if 185 00:09:40,520 --> 00:09:42,400 Speaker 3: they're going to let me play this this week, I'll 186 00:09:42,400 --> 00:09:46,240 Speaker 3: play something something different next week later on in life, 187 00:09:46,240 --> 00:09:48,320 Speaker 3: where I've had to be quite adaptable and agile, not 188 00:09:48,400 --> 00:09:51,560 Speaker 3: just in sport but in work, I have no issue 189 00:09:51,559 --> 00:09:56,040 Speaker 3: with that because that's actually life for me. So yes, 190 00:09:56,040 --> 00:09:59,079 Speaker 3: it's I think it's we've progressed because you can stay 191 00:09:59,120 --> 00:10:01,320 Speaker 3: in the same sport and not have to fight just 192 00:10:01,360 --> 00:10:03,640 Speaker 3: to be allowed to play your own sport. But it 193 00:10:03,679 --> 00:10:05,880 Speaker 3: doesn't mean that you can't bring in these other elements 194 00:10:06,080 --> 00:10:08,720 Speaker 3: that you can learn from all walks of life. 195 00:10:08,920 --> 00:10:12,480 Speaker 1: Yeah. Absolutely, I'd love to hear the story about how 196 00:10:12,600 --> 00:10:15,640 Speaker 1: you got to the point of choosing to pursue badminton. 197 00:10:16,360 --> 00:10:16,600 Speaker 3: Yeah. 198 00:10:16,760 --> 00:10:19,720 Speaker 2: So I was a tennis player. I loved it. 199 00:10:19,760 --> 00:10:21,840 Speaker 3: As I said, I used to wait with my bare 200 00:10:21,880 --> 00:10:27,000 Speaker 3: feet in the car park opposite in the school opposite 201 00:10:27,600 --> 00:10:29,840 Speaker 3: and wait for all the teachers to move their cars 202 00:10:29,840 --> 00:10:31,480 Speaker 3: so I could actually hit against the wall. So I'd 203 00:10:31,480 --> 00:10:33,199 Speaker 3: stand there on my bare feet with my big tennis 204 00:10:33,280 --> 00:10:34,880 Speaker 3: racket which was half the size of me and my 205 00:10:34,920 --> 00:10:36,960 Speaker 3: tennis ball and just stand there with a long face 206 00:10:37,120 --> 00:10:39,120 Speaker 3: looking at these teachers, going please move your cars. 207 00:10:39,120 --> 00:10:41,000 Speaker 2: It's after school, go home so I can hit. 208 00:10:42,040 --> 00:10:47,480 Speaker 3: And then, as I say, I started getting intoed in 209 00:10:47,520 --> 00:10:49,800 Speaker 3: a lot of tournaments and well above my age group 210 00:10:49,840 --> 00:10:51,480 Speaker 3: and playing adults and all of that at ten to 211 00:10:51,520 --> 00:10:54,880 Speaker 3: eleven and got burnt out really pretty young, to the 212 00:10:54,880 --> 00:11:00,520 Speaker 3: point where it wasn't as enjoyable. So my parents, seeing 213 00:11:00,559 --> 00:11:03,040 Speaker 3: that I wasn't playing tennis anymore, just thought she could 214 00:11:03,040 --> 00:11:06,839 Speaker 3: become a problem here because her energy. So I was 215 00:11:07,000 --> 00:11:11,839 Speaker 3: entered in a badminton tournament at school and I remember 216 00:11:11,880 --> 00:11:15,280 Speaker 3: them saying, oh, the teacher saying, your parents have suggested 217 00:11:15,280 --> 00:11:17,920 Speaker 3: you planned this badminton time. I'm like, I'm a tennis player, 218 00:11:18,040 --> 00:11:20,040 Speaker 3: not a badminton player, you know. And they said, oh, 219 00:11:20,040 --> 00:11:21,640 Speaker 3: you get the day off, And I said, okay, okay, 220 00:11:21,800 --> 00:11:26,920 Speaker 3: all right, I can do that. And so I won 221 00:11:26,960 --> 00:11:30,200 Speaker 3: the under fourteen school girls championships with all tennis strokes 222 00:11:30,240 --> 00:11:34,200 Speaker 3: and played in bare feet there as well on concrete. 223 00:11:34,880 --> 00:11:37,080 Speaker 3: And there was some talent scouts I suppose you could 224 00:11:37,080 --> 00:11:41,920 Speaker 3: call them for the under sixteens badminton selection trials that 225 00:11:41,920 --> 00:11:44,960 Speaker 3: were coming up coincidentally at Altona not far from home, 226 00:11:45,880 --> 00:11:48,479 Speaker 3: and they said, look, we got these under sixteen tryouts 227 00:11:48,520 --> 00:11:51,920 Speaker 3: for the badminton team. And I was like, tennis player, 228 00:11:52,160 --> 00:11:54,680 Speaker 3: not badminton player. And they said, I will give you 229 00:11:54,720 --> 00:11:58,160 Speaker 3: a racket and I was like, okay, yeah, no worries, 230 00:11:58,200 --> 00:12:01,400 Speaker 3: I'll be there. That meant a bit to me to 231 00:12:01,440 --> 00:12:03,920 Speaker 3: be able to get to be given a racket. So 232 00:12:04,400 --> 00:12:08,600 Speaker 3: turned up to the selection trials and made the team 233 00:12:08,720 --> 00:12:12,840 Speaker 3: and played in Ballarat first and then the next year 234 00:12:12,880 --> 00:12:16,720 Speaker 3: because I was sort of still only fourteen, so played 235 00:12:16,760 --> 00:12:20,679 Speaker 3: in New Zealand the next year and look kicked off 236 00:12:20,679 --> 00:12:21,080 Speaker 3: from there. 237 00:12:21,120 --> 00:12:21,600 Speaker 2: It was. 238 00:12:23,160 --> 00:12:25,800 Speaker 3: Again, as long as I'm active and I can be challenged, 239 00:12:25,920 --> 00:12:27,120 Speaker 3: I'm a pretty happy person. 240 00:12:27,160 --> 00:12:30,160 Speaker 1: And you sent through before the interview, you sent through 241 00:12:30,200 --> 00:12:33,160 Speaker 1: some really cool stats about badminton. Do you know them? 242 00:12:33,200 --> 00:12:35,120 Speaker 1: Off by hard orsh I read them out about the 243 00:12:35,240 --> 00:12:37,360 Speaker 1: fast being the fastest racket sport in the world. 244 00:12:37,520 --> 00:12:40,800 Speaker 3: Yeah, most babys and players will know this because we'd 245 00:12:40,800 --> 00:12:42,720 Speaker 3: love to throw it in the faces of any other 246 00:12:42,800 --> 00:12:46,680 Speaker 3: racket sport or bad sport. So yeah, so fastest shot, 247 00:12:46,760 --> 00:12:48,679 Speaker 3: I believe at the moment is about five sixty five 248 00:12:48,760 --> 00:12:54,800 Speaker 3: kilometers an hour. That's out of roll, which is a smash. Yeah, 249 00:12:55,240 --> 00:13:00,000 Speaker 3: and it's great, isn't it? And so the Beauty with Baby. 250 00:13:00,240 --> 00:13:01,640 Speaker 3: So a lot of people think that the height of 251 00:13:01,640 --> 00:13:04,000 Speaker 3: the net is something like a volleyball net, but it's not. 252 00:13:04,120 --> 00:13:08,560 Speaker 3: It's actually one point five to five meters, so one 253 00:13:08,720 --> 00:13:11,400 Speaker 3: sixty five so net sort of is about here, which 254 00:13:12,240 --> 00:13:14,320 Speaker 3: means that you can jump, smash, do that, but it 255 00:13:14,320 --> 00:13:17,280 Speaker 3: also means if you're here that you're also not protected 256 00:13:17,320 --> 00:13:18,080 Speaker 3: from those smashes. 257 00:13:18,120 --> 00:13:18,840 Speaker 2: So I have copped a. 258 00:13:18,800 --> 00:13:25,400 Speaker 3: Few and they will sit you on your backside. So yeah, 259 00:13:26,040 --> 00:13:28,560 Speaker 3: and I think that's the thing when you compare it 260 00:13:28,559 --> 00:13:30,360 Speaker 3: to say tennis and squash, and people say you're at 261 00:13:30,360 --> 00:13:30,800 Speaker 3: the courts. 262 00:13:30,840 --> 00:13:32,680 Speaker 2: You know that courts much more than. 263 00:13:32,960 --> 00:13:35,560 Speaker 3: Tennis court, but you can be within a meter of 264 00:13:35,600 --> 00:13:38,319 Speaker 3: your opponent when they actually, you know, get onto that smash. 265 00:13:38,400 --> 00:13:42,760 Speaker 3: So and depending on the humidity overseas of the courts, 266 00:13:42,800 --> 00:13:46,000 Speaker 3: it really affects the shuttle. So in a colder area, 267 00:13:46,000 --> 00:13:48,240 Speaker 3: the shuttle will actually squeeze tighter, so it will get 268 00:13:48,240 --> 00:13:52,439 Speaker 3: faster when you've hit it. When it's when it's warmer 269 00:13:52,559 --> 00:13:56,079 Speaker 3: than it will actually expand. So then it's you know, 270 00:13:56,400 --> 00:13:59,160 Speaker 3: that affects it. In some locations where we play, we 271 00:13:59,200 --> 00:14:01,560 Speaker 3: have to consider air conditioning, so you might be aiming 272 00:14:01,600 --> 00:14:03,880 Speaker 3: a meter and a half outside the court to bring 273 00:14:03,920 --> 00:14:05,760 Speaker 3: it back in. You might be kicking with the wind 274 00:14:05,840 --> 00:14:08,559 Speaker 3: or against the wind, so that changes your tactics as well, 275 00:14:09,520 --> 00:14:11,280 Speaker 3: and that can happen at Olympic games, so you can 276 00:14:11,320 --> 00:14:14,000 Speaker 3: be playing in a venue that you might maybe only 277 00:14:14,040 --> 00:14:17,840 Speaker 3: hit up for thirty minutes in all up as part 278 00:14:17,880 --> 00:14:20,120 Speaker 3: of your leader and you've got to try and work 279 00:14:20,120 --> 00:14:24,960 Speaker 3: at air conditioning, lighting, anything that's distracting around the court. 280 00:14:25,520 --> 00:14:28,680 Speaker 3: I've played overseas and had an entire crowd wear white 281 00:14:28,760 --> 00:14:32,720 Speaker 3: shirts behind their oppositions or behind their player so that 282 00:14:32,760 --> 00:14:35,680 Speaker 3: the opposition would lose the shuttle in their shirts and 283 00:14:35,720 --> 00:14:39,880 Speaker 3: then get up halfway through and change ends. And yes, 284 00:14:39,920 --> 00:14:40,800 Speaker 3: it's all part of the fun. 285 00:14:41,120 --> 00:14:42,800 Speaker 1: Wow, that's quite incredible. 286 00:14:43,120 --> 00:14:45,560 Speaker 3: Yeah, yeah, yeah, they're pretty And one of the big 287 00:14:45,560 --> 00:14:48,760 Speaker 3: differences too between that I love it. I think it's 288 00:14:49,640 --> 00:14:51,760 Speaker 3: the well it is probably the hardest sport I've played 289 00:14:51,800 --> 00:14:54,440 Speaker 3: because you don't really get that advantage like in tennis 290 00:14:54,440 --> 00:14:56,920 Speaker 3: with a big serve to serve aces and win easy points. 291 00:14:56,960 --> 00:15:02,400 Speaker 3: Because it is an underarmed serve. But also too is 292 00:15:03,080 --> 00:15:05,440 Speaker 3: we don't do the quiet please and please turn your 293 00:15:05,440 --> 00:15:07,360 Speaker 3: mobile phone off and all of that sort of stuff. 294 00:15:07,360 --> 00:15:10,440 Speaker 3: There's none of that in badminton. They will be noisy 295 00:15:10,480 --> 00:15:12,800 Speaker 3: throughout the entire point overseas, so you might have a 296 00:15:12,840 --> 00:15:14,800 Speaker 3: crowd of you might play in Malaysia and have a 297 00:15:14,840 --> 00:15:17,960 Speaker 3: crowd of fifteen thousand and they will be banging on drums, 298 00:15:18,000 --> 00:15:20,440 Speaker 3: they'll be yelling out, they'll be calling out to their 299 00:15:21,280 --> 00:15:24,560 Speaker 3: Malaysian players to leave shots, which is completely illegal. But 300 00:15:24,600 --> 00:15:28,760 Speaker 3: how he stop fifteen thousand calling out? And we have 301 00:15:28,800 --> 00:15:32,040 Speaker 3: electronics school boards because you can't hear the umpires and 302 00:15:32,120 --> 00:15:35,880 Speaker 3: sometimes you can't hear your doubles partner, you know, talking 303 00:15:35,920 --> 00:15:38,920 Speaker 3: tactics with you and that. But you go a season 304 00:15:38,920 --> 00:15:41,120 Speaker 3: play with that, and then you come back to Australian 305 00:15:41,120 --> 00:15:42,760 Speaker 3: and you might play in front of a few parents 306 00:15:42,760 --> 00:15:44,680 Speaker 3: and they're telling him to be quiet, and you're like, 307 00:15:44,720 --> 00:15:47,000 Speaker 3: please don't tell them to be quiet. It's all part 308 00:15:47,040 --> 00:15:50,000 Speaker 3: of the atmosphere of playing Badmint's like a soccer crowd, 309 00:15:50,040 --> 00:15:50,240 Speaker 3: you know. 310 00:15:50,400 --> 00:15:53,040 Speaker 1: That's really cool. And one of the other interesting stats 311 00:15:53,080 --> 00:15:55,520 Speaker 1: that you sent through about it being wide, they reported 312 00:15:55,520 --> 00:15:58,000 Speaker 1: that it's the second most participated sport in the world 313 00:15:58,040 --> 00:16:00,520 Speaker 1: and the second most watched Olympic sport. Yeah. 314 00:16:00,600 --> 00:16:04,520 Speaker 3: Yeah, So that's been a sort of a long held belief, 315 00:16:05,240 --> 00:16:09,120 Speaker 3: and mainly because the Asian countries are so supportive of badminton. 316 00:16:09,160 --> 00:16:12,840 Speaker 3: And it's funny because like I lived in China a 317 00:16:12,880 --> 00:16:15,000 Speaker 3: couple of times and at one stage for six months, 318 00:16:15,040 --> 00:16:17,800 Speaker 3: and you come back and people say to you, oh, look, 319 00:16:17,840 --> 00:16:21,760 Speaker 3: we've got this player from from China and he's looking 320 00:16:21,760 --> 00:16:23,400 Speaker 3: to play. We don't sure to put him in a grade, 321 00:16:23,400 --> 00:16:25,480 Speaker 3: and that he says, he's played in a stadium. And 322 00:16:25,880 --> 00:16:28,000 Speaker 3: of course in Australia and England and places like that, 323 00:16:28,000 --> 00:16:30,600 Speaker 3: everyone plays in stadiums, and I'm like putting them in 324 00:16:30,640 --> 00:16:33,480 Speaker 3: a grade, at least in a grade. And because in 325 00:16:34,040 --> 00:16:36,520 Speaker 3: overseas they will have a lot of outdoor courts and 326 00:16:36,600 --> 00:16:44,880 Speaker 3: everybody is playing. So in China, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, you know, 327 00:16:45,080 --> 00:16:47,960 Speaker 3: it's it's huge. And then but then other places like 328 00:16:48,040 --> 00:16:52,200 Speaker 3: Denmark and England big supporters as well, India another place. 329 00:16:54,320 --> 00:16:58,600 Speaker 3: So and then so they participate and then in terms 330 00:16:58,640 --> 00:17:02,080 Speaker 3: of watching the Olympic Games, they really dominate that those 331 00:17:02,120 --> 00:17:04,000 Speaker 3: crawds too, and only second behind soccer. 332 00:17:04,200 --> 00:17:07,240 Speaker 1: Yeah, it's quite It's quite something, isn't it. I'd love 333 00:17:07,320 --> 00:17:12,080 Speaker 1: to talk about your Olympic experience and was it something 334 00:17:12,119 --> 00:17:14,040 Speaker 1: that as a kid you ever dreamt of? 335 00:17:14,440 --> 00:17:16,639 Speaker 3: Probably not as look for my dream when I was 336 00:17:16,640 --> 00:17:18,359 Speaker 3: a kid, And I remember when I made my first 337 00:17:19,800 --> 00:17:22,320 Speaker 3: Australian team and said, I think said to my cousins 338 00:17:22,320 --> 00:17:24,480 Speaker 3: that I made a badminton a strange team. They said, oh, 339 00:17:24,480 --> 00:17:25,880 Speaker 3: but I thought you were going to go to Wimbledon 340 00:17:25,920 --> 00:17:28,919 Speaker 3: and playing the finals there for tenants. So I was like, well, 341 00:17:29,040 --> 00:17:33,280 Speaker 3: I suppose that that was my dream. 342 00:17:32,800 --> 00:17:32,960 Speaker 1: But. 343 00:17:34,440 --> 00:17:36,520 Speaker 2: I didn't no, I didn't know. 344 00:17:36,640 --> 00:17:41,040 Speaker 3: I'd actually stopped playing badminton and was studying and got 345 00:17:41,080 --> 00:17:44,480 Speaker 3: a job And remember being at my job and in 346 00:17:44,520 --> 00:17:47,240 Speaker 3: my gap year from UNI and then thinking, you know, 347 00:17:47,359 --> 00:17:51,399 Speaker 3: I may never be that good at something again, and 348 00:17:51,480 --> 00:17:53,359 Speaker 3: so I went off and sort of trained in secret 349 00:17:53,359 --> 00:17:56,720 Speaker 3: because I was possibly not as fit as I needed 350 00:17:56,760 --> 00:18:00,960 Speaker 3: to be. And then yeah, and you start playing the 351 00:18:01,040 --> 00:18:06,879 Speaker 3: circuit and then that opportunity because Olympics, I think a 352 00:18:06,920 --> 00:18:08,119 Speaker 3: lot of people think that you just got to be 353 00:18:08,160 --> 00:18:09,679 Speaker 3: the best in Australia, you get to go that if 354 00:18:09,680 --> 00:18:11,000 Speaker 3: you're the best in your country, you get to go 355 00:18:11,080 --> 00:18:13,240 Speaker 3: but I may have won sort of six or seven 356 00:18:13,280 --> 00:18:15,560 Speaker 3: Australian titles, but that didn't mean that I was going 357 00:18:15,560 --> 00:18:17,879 Speaker 3: to be definitely going to the Olympics. You have to 358 00:18:17,960 --> 00:18:21,040 Speaker 3: there's a twelve month qualifying period, so you need to 359 00:18:21,080 --> 00:18:23,080 Speaker 3: be world ranked a certain world ranking at the end 360 00:18:23,119 --> 00:18:26,520 Speaker 3: of that twelve months and then say no Australian or 361 00:18:26,560 --> 00:18:31,520 Speaker 3: no one from your continent or you're sorry your local 362 00:18:31,560 --> 00:18:34,600 Speaker 3: area to including New Zealand, Fiji. If no one has 363 00:18:34,640 --> 00:18:38,080 Speaker 3: qualified out right, then then it's the top one or 364 00:18:38,080 --> 00:18:40,560 Speaker 3: the top pair from that area who will qualify. So 365 00:18:41,560 --> 00:18:44,959 Speaker 3: there's no guarantees. So it was look, it was an 366 00:18:44,960 --> 00:18:49,320 Speaker 3: achievement to qualify, and I definitely wanted to qualify outright. 367 00:18:49,359 --> 00:18:51,200 Speaker 3: I didn't want to get in by what I felt 368 00:18:51,200 --> 00:18:54,360 Speaker 3: was a bit of a back doorway. But it does 369 00:18:54,400 --> 00:18:57,680 Speaker 3: mean for twelve months, every time you go on the court, 370 00:18:57,720 --> 00:19:00,159 Speaker 3: a win is a break, even a loss is a 371 00:19:00,160 --> 00:19:02,680 Speaker 3: calibration of what tournament do I go to now? Who 372 00:19:02,720 --> 00:19:05,239 Speaker 3: do I need to beat now? There were a lot 373 00:19:05,320 --> 00:19:09,560 Speaker 3: of formulas around a number of tournaments versus the points 374 00:19:09,560 --> 00:19:11,879 Speaker 3: that you'd won the players you beat above you, because 375 00:19:11,880 --> 00:19:14,600 Speaker 3: you get bonus points for beating people above you. But 376 00:19:14,600 --> 00:19:18,280 Speaker 3: of course of people below you beat you. So it 377 00:19:18,359 --> 00:19:21,720 Speaker 3: was interesting when I was training in China. I can 378 00:19:21,720 --> 00:19:24,040 Speaker 3: remember playing the China Open, and I was the only 379 00:19:24,200 --> 00:19:27,920 Speaker 3: Westerner playing in the China Open because it's their one 380 00:19:28,040 --> 00:19:31,840 Speaker 3: chance as a wider population to be able to show 381 00:19:31,840 --> 00:19:33,480 Speaker 3: their select is what they can do to then be 382 00:19:33,480 --> 00:19:34,959 Speaker 3: allowed to go and play overseas. 383 00:19:35,560 --> 00:19:36,640 Speaker 2: So you literally could be. 384 00:19:36,560 --> 00:19:39,040 Speaker 3: Beaten by somebody in China that's not on the ranking list, 385 00:19:39,119 --> 00:19:42,600 Speaker 3: and that's not good in a not good in a 386 00:19:42,680 --> 00:19:46,439 Speaker 3: World championship or an Olympic year. So but because I 387 00:19:46,520 --> 00:19:49,920 Speaker 3: was training there, I wanted to support their event and 388 00:19:50,119 --> 00:19:53,040 Speaker 3: they the Chinese were nice enough too that they split 389 00:19:53,160 --> 00:19:56,760 Speaker 3: up their World Junior Championship pair to give me one 390 00:19:56,760 --> 00:20:00,119 Speaker 3: of their players as a partner for ladies doubles, as 391 00:20:00,119 --> 00:20:04,359 Speaker 3: I was specializing in doubles. So you know, it's interesting 392 00:20:04,760 --> 00:20:08,120 Speaker 3: when you play sport and it can be pretty cut throat, 393 00:20:09,640 --> 00:20:11,320 Speaker 3: and I can go to an area like China who 394 00:20:11,359 --> 00:20:15,880 Speaker 3: have got just an amazingly talented pool, but they were 395 00:20:15,960 --> 00:20:17,640 Speaker 3: just as invested in my career. 396 00:20:19,240 --> 00:20:22,720 Speaker 2: As I was, So yeah, it's really lovely. 397 00:20:24,000 --> 00:20:27,159 Speaker 1: What was the experience like for you in Atlanta in 398 00:20:27,240 --> 00:20:28,240 Speaker 1: nineteen ninety six. 399 00:20:28,520 --> 00:20:28,760 Speaker 2: Yeah. 400 00:20:28,760 --> 00:20:32,160 Speaker 3: So it's interesting, isn't it, Because I can see almost 401 00:20:32,240 --> 00:20:37,000 Speaker 3: why people don't stay in the village. And I almost 402 00:20:37,000 --> 00:20:38,959 Speaker 3: think you have to go to one Olympics to experience 403 00:20:39,000 --> 00:20:42,000 Speaker 3: an Olympics because for a lot of sports, and you 404 00:20:42,040 --> 00:20:46,120 Speaker 3: might have experienced a little bit the same when you're 405 00:20:46,160 --> 00:20:48,199 Speaker 3: in Australia in a badminton play. Not many people know 406 00:20:48,320 --> 00:20:51,359 Speaker 3: much about badminton in Australia and a lot of the 407 00:20:51,400 --> 00:20:54,639 Speaker 3: tournaments you go about your business, whereas when you get 408 00:20:54,680 --> 00:21:00,200 Speaker 3: to the village, it's a whole community and there's such 409 00:21:00,200 --> 00:21:04,080 Speaker 3: an energy and there are amazing people walking around with you, 410 00:21:04,320 --> 00:21:10,520 Speaker 3: and it can actually be quite sapping of energy but 411 00:21:10,640 --> 00:21:14,600 Speaker 3: also distracting. You really have to adapt to your training 412 00:21:14,760 --> 00:21:18,840 Speaker 3: and that, like I mentioned before, we got thirty minutes 413 00:21:18,880 --> 00:21:20,560 Speaker 3: to train on the actual courts we were going to 414 00:21:20,560 --> 00:21:22,760 Speaker 3: be playing the biggest matches of our lives. All the 415 00:21:22,760 --> 00:21:25,639 Speaker 3: rest of the training happened elsewhere Atlanta. They had some 416 00:21:25,680 --> 00:21:29,159 Speaker 3: issues with transport, so bus drives weren't sure where they 417 00:21:29,200 --> 00:21:32,480 Speaker 3: had to go, so the thirty minutes we were supposed 418 00:21:32,520 --> 00:21:35,240 Speaker 3: to get they were late to get us there. Each 419 00:21:35,359 --> 00:21:39,320 Speaker 3: court had a different aspect, so at times we had 420 00:21:39,400 --> 00:21:42,760 Speaker 3: six to eight people on the court at one time, 421 00:21:42,880 --> 00:21:44,560 Speaker 3: just trying to hit them, move across to the next 422 00:21:44,600 --> 00:21:46,000 Speaker 3: court to just try and hit, just to get a 423 00:21:46,040 --> 00:21:48,160 Speaker 3: feel for the court. What was the air conditioning doing, 424 00:21:48,200 --> 00:21:53,240 Speaker 3: what were the lights like? But look my first game 425 00:21:53,520 --> 00:21:55,600 Speaker 3: when we get introduced and they say please put your 426 00:21:55,600 --> 00:21:59,639 Speaker 3: hands together for you know, the top sixteen players in 427 00:21:59,640 --> 00:22:04,840 Speaker 3: the world, that really hits home because it's you are 428 00:22:04,880 --> 00:22:07,480 Speaker 3: being measured along with all these other sports, along with 429 00:22:07,520 --> 00:22:13,879 Speaker 3: these other amazing people who've arrived there, and you've got 430 00:22:13,920 --> 00:22:18,280 Speaker 3: to perform, and it's yeah, look, it felt like a 431 00:22:18,280 --> 00:22:21,719 Speaker 3: great accomplishment to get to Atlanta, and then Sydney felt 432 00:22:21,720 --> 00:22:24,879 Speaker 3: more like what an Olympics is supposed to be because 433 00:22:24,880 --> 00:22:27,639 Speaker 3: at Atlanta, as well being in the village, you pretty 434 00:22:27,720 --> 00:22:29,479 Speaker 3: much didn't travel outside of the village. 435 00:22:29,520 --> 00:22:30,360 Speaker 2: You know, it's. 436 00:22:31,800 --> 00:22:34,399 Speaker 3: It was a different experience. Sydney was, Yeah, it was 437 00:22:34,480 --> 00:22:36,240 Speaker 3: that Disneyland Olympics. 438 00:22:37,720 --> 00:22:40,800 Speaker 1: Get more from your job with a career at Victoria Police. 439 00:22:41,440 --> 00:22:44,119 Speaker 1: The freedom to go on more holidays with nine weeks 440 00:22:44,119 --> 00:22:47,400 Speaker 1: and you'll leave, more connection with your community where you'll 441 00:22:47,400 --> 00:22:50,280 Speaker 1: make a difference every day. The chance to meet more 442 00:22:50,320 --> 00:22:53,720 Speaker 1: people where workmates become your best mates. Get all of 443 00:22:53,720 --> 00:22:56,800 Speaker 1: this and more with a career at Victoria Police Search 444 00:22:56,880 --> 00:23:01,840 Speaker 1: Police Careers Today authorized by the Victorian Mint Melbourne. I 445 00:23:01,880 --> 00:23:04,880 Speaker 1: want to get to just before you actually got to Sydney. 446 00:23:05,600 --> 00:23:08,000 Speaker 1: So you talked about the fact that you had pretty 447 00:23:08,000 --> 00:23:13,280 Speaker 1: good hand eye coordination. You shot, would we say, shot 448 00:23:13,280 --> 00:23:17,840 Speaker 1: an Olympic qualifying score for Sydney in shooting? Where did 449 00:23:17,840 --> 00:23:18,560 Speaker 1: that come from? 450 00:23:19,480 --> 00:23:22,520 Speaker 2: Yeah? Yeah, so in. 451 00:23:24,080 --> 00:23:26,760 Speaker 3: Atlanta and once I was out of my event, so 452 00:23:26,880 --> 00:23:31,200 Speaker 3: out of my event, may have gone out to a 453 00:23:31,320 --> 00:23:33,640 Speaker 3: venue with some other athletes who I knew who were 454 00:23:34,480 --> 00:23:38,960 Speaker 3: Olympic shotgun shooters, and maybe as a result of a 455 00:23:38,960 --> 00:23:40,440 Speaker 3: bit of it, well, I may have made a backhand 456 00:23:40,440 --> 00:23:43,639 Speaker 3: comment where I said about are you really athletes? May 457 00:23:43,640 --> 00:23:45,639 Speaker 3: be pretty good at bending the elbow and all that 458 00:23:45,680 --> 00:23:49,879 Speaker 3: sort of thing. So and they said, oh yeah, ef 459 00:23:49,920 --> 00:23:52,400 Speaker 3: I handled a gun. I wasn't a police officer then, 460 00:23:52,720 --> 00:23:55,480 Speaker 3: had nothing to do with guns. No, And they said, oh, 461 00:23:56,040 --> 00:23:57,720 Speaker 3: one hundred dollars to see if you can hit a 462 00:23:57,840 --> 00:24:03,000 Speaker 3: target and pressure on you know what it's like as 463 00:24:03,040 --> 00:24:06,000 Speaker 3: a sportsperson. You don't never back away from a challenge 464 00:24:06,040 --> 00:24:10,879 Speaker 3: like that. So get back from Atlanta and I think, Jeeves, 465 00:24:10,880 --> 00:24:13,800 Speaker 3: I've got to actually go through with this frightened. Frightened 466 00:24:13,840 --> 00:24:17,320 Speaker 3: of them go out to Werribee Range, name Russell Mark 467 00:24:17,920 --> 00:24:20,080 Speaker 3: from Western Suburbs and I feel better go and have 468 00:24:20,119 --> 00:24:22,359 Speaker 3: a look and see whether I've got any chance of 469 00:24:22,400 --> 00:24:25,320 Speaker 3: doing this. And one of the Olympic skeeed shooters was there, 470 00:24:25,359 --> 00:24:29,159 Speaker 3: and he knew about the bet and said, look a 471 00:24:29,200 --> 00:24:31,520 Speaker 3: better teacher about actually holding a gun, so you don't 472 00:24:31,800 --> 00:24:34,600 Speaker 3: smash society, your face, well your shoulder with the recoil. 473 00:24:36,320 --> 00:24:39,359 Speaker 3: Set me up on thankfully the easiest station in the 474 00:24:39,400 --> 00:24:43,960 Speaker 3: Olympic skeeep. So they move around a semi circle and 475 00:24:44,000 --> 00:24:46,600 Speaker 3: shoot targets that are coming out of two towers that 476 00:24:46,640 --> 00:24:49,080 Speaker 3: are opposite each other, and so as you move around 477 00:24:49,119 --> 00:24:52,520 Speaker 3: the stations, it changes the angle how much lead you 478 00:24:52,560 --> 00:24:54,560 Speaker 3: have to give on a target. So he set me 479 00:24:54,600 --> 00:24:57,040 Speaker 3: up on a pretty easy target where the target was 480 00:24:57,080 --> 00:24:58,520 Speaker 3: just going to go away from me and I just 481 00:24:58,560 --> 00:25:03,760 Speaker 3: had to point straight and I looked over towards the clubhouse. 482 00:25:03,760 --> 00:25:05,840 Speaker 2: So of course I don't know anyone else there. I'm 483 00:25:05,880 --> 00:25:06,360 Speaker 2: knew to the. 484 00:25:06,280 --> 00:25:09,600 Speaker 3: Two Olympians who were there, and there are thirty people 485 00:25:09,800 --> 00:25:12,880 Speaker 3: standing outside because they've all heard about this bet now 486 00:25:12,920 --> 00:25:17,159 Speaker 3: as well, and Luckily I managed to just snip the 487 00:25:17,280 --> 00:25:23,560 Speaker 3: end of the target off. Everybody saw it, so my 488 00:25:23,720 --> 00:25:28,080 Speaker 3: reputation was intact there. But then I had decided to 489 00:25:28,160 --> 00:25:31,480 Speaker 3: join the police force and my training had been about 490 00:25:31,480 --> 00:25:34,240 Speaker 3: forty hours a week playing badminton, and I just wasn't 491 00:25:34,280 --> 00:25:35,680 Speaker 3: sure I was going to be able to maintain that 492 00:25:35,720 --> 00:25:38,560 Speaker 3: and certainly going through the first bit of training. So 493 00:25:38,600 --> 00:25:41,520 Speaker 3: we looked at shooting and I had a bit more 494 00:25:41,560 --> 00:25:44,879 Speaker 3: of a goet and really enjoyed the reaction speeds of it, 495 00:25:45,119 --> 00:25:49,480 Speaker 3: and women's skeet shooting had just been put into the 496 00:25:49,480 --> 00:25:54,080 Speaker 3: Olympic Games as well, so it meant there was opportunity. 497 00:25:54,119 --> 00:25:57,480 Speaker 3: As we said before about being being able to pivot our. 498 00:25:58,880 --> 00:25:59,560 Speaker 2: They hadn't. 499 00:26:00,080 --> 00:26:04,720 Speaker 3: They didn't have a lot of shooters who'd been given 500 00:26:04,760 --> 00:26:06,600 Speaker 3: opportunity to really hone those skills. 501 00:26:06,640 --> 00:26:09,040 Speaker 2: So yeah, So. 502 00:26:09,000 --> 00:26:16,439 Speaker 3: I went to a selection for the AIS for a 503 00:26:16,480 --> 00:26:19,840 Speaker 3: clinic there and I just changed guns a couple of 504 00:26:20,840 --> 00:26:22,440 Speaker 3: It just sounds funny I think of saying it like that, 505 00:26:22,480 --> 00:26:25,119 Speaker 3: but I just changed guns a couple of weeks before 506 00:26:26,040 --> 00:26:29,479 Speaker 3: and had whacked myself in the face, so I had 507 00:26:29,560 --> 00:26:32,760 Speaker 3: ended up with bruising in a bit of a stress 508 00:26:32,800 --> 00:26:36,560 Speaker 3: fracture through my face and went and shot and shot 509 00:26:36,960 --> 00:26:39,200 Speaker 3: twenty two out of twenty five and they said, look, 510 00:26:39,280 --> 00:26:41,240 Speaker 3: you've made the AOS. Just please stop shooting because that 511 00:26:41,280 --> 00:26:43,960 Speaker 3: looks so painful. So I just stopped doing You've made 512 00:26:43,960 --> 00:26:48,560 Speaker 3: the OOS camp. Come along to that, and then shot 513 00:26:48,600 --> 00:26:51,280 Speaker 3: in an event and shot sixty six, which is was 514 00:26:51,320 --> 00:26:54,200 Speaker 3: fairly low, but that because it was an introduction into 515 00:26:55,119 --> 00:26:57,480 Speaker 3: skeat shooting sixty six out of seventy five was the 516 00:26:57,560 --> 00:27:00,760 Speaker 3: qualifying score. It's probably about seventy I reckon out of 517 00:27:00,800 --> 00:27:05,920 Speaker 3: seventy five now, so and then went up to the AIS. 518 00:27:07,280 --> 00:27:11,560 Speaker 3: But at the same time badminton we're also saying, well, 519 00:27:11,600 --> 00:27:13,840 Speaker 3: why won't you come back and play with us. You 520 00:27:13,960 --> 00:27:15,520 Speaker 3: still got the skills to be able to do it. 521 00:27:15,600 --> 00:27:19,600 Speaker 3: So they had a selection tournament up in Canberra at 522 00:27:19,640 --> 00:27:22,400 Speaker 3: the same time. So I literally played a badminton tournament 523 00:27:22,840 --> 00:27:26,160 Speaker 3: on the weekend and won the badminton tournament, and then 524 00:27:26,160 --> 00:27:28,280 Speaker 3: everybody else was coming back to Victoria to go back 525 00:27:28,280 --> 00:27:30,000 Speaker 3: to the Victorian Institute of Sport, and I stayed up 526 00:27:30,040 --> 00:27:33,440 Speaker 3: there and went to the shooting camp at the AIS 527 00:27:34,320 --> 00:27:39,879 Speaker 3: and enjoyed that. And look, they picked one person for 528 00:27:39,960 --> 00:27:43,040 Speaker 3: the Australian team. There was one qualifying spot for Australia 529 00:27:43,119 --> 00:27:44,639 Speaker 3: and a fantastic shooter. 530 00:27:44,440 --> 00:27:49,520 Speaker 2: Lauren Mark ended up going in that spot, and I 531 00:27:49,560 --> 00:27:52,879 Speaker 2: mean she was brilliant for that sport. So it was 532 00:27:52,920 --> 00:27:53,359 Speaker 2: good fun. 533 00:27:53,600 --> 00:27:56,680 Speaker 1: That's quite It's quite incredible you make it. Was it 534 00:27:56,800 --> 00:27:58,720 Speaker 1: sixty six out of seventy five? You made that sound 535 00:27:58,800 --> 00:28:02,560 Speaker 1: quite casual. I don't imagine many people could just rock 536 00:28:02,640 --> 00:28:03,720 Speaker 1: up and do that. 537 00:28:04,040 --> 00:28:05,639 Speaker 2: Yeah, it's do you know. 538 00:28:06,040 --> 00:28:09,399 Speaker 3: I think shooting, the more you think about it, the 539 00:28:09,400 --> 00:28:11,040 Speaker 3: harder you can make it. So I think while I 540 00:28:11,119 --> 00:28:13,679 Speaker 3: was I was it was almost the honeymoon period for me. 541 00:28:14,440 --> 00:28:17,600 Speaker 3: The more I was just letting my natural reactions just 542 00:28:17,680 --> 00:28:20,399 Speaker 3: go with it and shoot, the more than I started 543 00:28:20,400 --> 00:28:23,560 Speaker 3: trying to think about why I was hitting or trying 544 00:28:23,560 --> 00:28:28,679 Speaker 3: to hit it better, I started to miss. So you 545 00:28:28,720 --> 00:28:29,520 Speaker 3: can overthink it. 546 00:28:30,240 --> 00:28:33,840 Speaker 1: Yeah, absolutely. I'd love to go into now a little 547 00:28:33,840 --> 00:28:38,440 Speaker 1: bit more about your career with VIC Police and probably 548 00:28:38,440 --> 00:28:41,080 Speaker 1: some parallels that existed. You touched on this idea of 549 00:28:41,320 --> 00:28:43,840 Speaker 1: when you were a kid playing footy, being the only 550 00:28:43,880 --> 00:28:46,000 Speaker 1: girl or two girls in the team and having to 551 00:28:46,440 --> 00:28:49,320 Speaker 1: use the umpire's chain room when you first started with 552 00:28:49,440 --> 00:28:51,120 Speaker 1: the police, was it a similar story. 553 00:28:51,320 --> 00:28:51,880 Speaker 2: Yeah, it was. 554 00:28:52,840 --> 00:28:56,120 Speaker 3: So I arrived at Cheltenham Police station and there were 555 00:28:56,160 --> 00:28:59,440 Speaker 3: two other females there at the time. I think probably 556 00:28:59,520 --> 00:29:05,360 Speaker 3: the strength of the station was around fifty So we 557 00:29:05,400 --> 00:29:07,520 Speaker 3: didn't have a change room as such. It was a 558 00:29:07,560 --> 00:29:11,840 Speaker 3: converted storeroom and to the point where you opened up 559 00:29:11,880 --> 00:29:14,400 Speaker 3: the doors and to make sure that when you opened 560 00:29:14,400 --> 00:29:16,840 Speaker 3: the doors up you didn't pretty much expose the other 561 00:29:16,920 --> 00:29:19,280 Speaker 3: female to the males walking past to go to the 562 00:29:19,360 --> 00:29:21,880 Speaker 3: chain rooms, there was a locker set up there and 563 00:29:21,920 --> 00:29:23,760 Speaker 3: on a quick change over, because you would sleep at 564 00:29:23,760 --> 00:29:27,480 Speaker 3: a police station, sometimes on a quick changeover, we would 565 00:29:27,680 --> 00:29:31,960 Speaker 3: throw a mattress down on the floor there. But that 566 00:29:32,040 --> 00:29:33,800 Speaker 3: means no one could get in the door because literally 567 00:29:33,800 --> 00:29:34,560 Speaker 3: there was no other room. 568 00:29:34,640 --> 00:29:35,040 Speaker 2: So once a. 569 00:29:35,040 --> 00:29:38,120 Speaker 3: Mattress was down, and if the other female had to 570 00:29:38,160 --> 00:29:40,120 Speaker 3: come on duty, whether it was bad like they probably 571 00:29:40,200 --> 00:29:42,240 Speaker 3: took change in a toilet somewhere or. 572 00:29:44,240 --> 00:29:44,360 Speaker 1: So. 573 00:29:44,400 --> 00:29:48,880 Speaker 2: That's what it was like in policing back then. 574 00:29:49,080 --> 00:29:52,760 Speaker 3: And thankfully we've we've got some changes. We've still got 575 00:29:52,800 --> 00:29:54,960 Speaker 3: a little bit to go, but I think we're up 576 00:29:55,000 --> 00:29:58,640 Speaker 3: to around about the twenty nine thirty percent now representation. 577 00:29:58,880 --> 00:30:01,480 Speaker 1: And what has your aggression being like to get to 578 00:30:01,520 --> 00:30:04,120 Speaker 1: the point where you're now a senior sergeant. 579 00:30:04,600 --> 00:30:10,000 Speaker 3: Yeah, so I've been in twenty six years. And it's 580 00:30:10,000 --> 00:30:12,600 Speaker 3: funny too, like it's great being a senior sergeant, but 581 00:30:12,680 --> 00:30:17,480 Speaker 3: I never probably like sport for me. I've got to 582 00:30:17,560 --> 00:30:20,600 Speaker 3: enjoy it. I've got to be challenged. It's got to 583 00:30:20,680 --> 00:30:22,960 Speaker 3: utilize all this energy up. I haven't changed even though 584 00:30:22,960 --> 00:30:27,880 Speaker 3: I'm now fifty two. I'm still that energetic pain. So 585 00:30:28,440 --> 00:30:30,760 Speaker 3: as long as I'm being challenged with work, I'm happy. 586 00:30:30,840 --> 00:30:34,520 Speaker 3: So I was frontline uniform for a long time, work 587 00:30:34,520 --> 00:30:35,720 Speaker 3: in the divisional van and. 588 00:30:37,920 --> 00:30:40,760 Speaker 2: Funnily enough, as much as I never really. 589 00:30:40,680 --> 00:30:42,760 Speaker 3: Put express into interesting to goe to other places, I 590 00:30:42,800 --> 00:30:44,760 Speaker 3: was often approached to say, hey, look, we really need 591 00:30:44,800 --> 00:30:47,760 Speaker 3: someone to go to be a detective for a while. 592 00:30:47,760 --> 00:30:49,600 Speaker 3: You reckon you could go and do that, And I'm like, yeah, sure, 593 00:30:49,680 --> 00:30:52,880 Speaker 3: no worries. And it's like, oh, traffic, do you think 594 00:30:52,920 --> 00:30:54,440 Speaker 3: you could go and work in the traffic area? Yet 595 00:30:54,560 --> 00:30:58,880 Speaker 3: absolutely I can do that. And so I've probably in 596 00:30:58,920 --> 00:31:05,440 Speaker 3: my twenty six years spent i don't know, seventeen eighteen 597 00:31:05,520 --> 00:31:09,400 Speaker 3: years secondered off doing other things. But what it meant 598 00:31:09,400 --> 00:31:11,600 Speaker 3: for me too was I never really I never even 599 00:31:11,640 --> 00:31:14,120 Speaker 3: got sick of the van to be honest working that 600 00:31:15,960 --> 00:31:17,520 Speaker 3: because as you can say, I'm a bit of a talker. 601 00:31:17,760 --> 00:31:22,680 Speaker 3: So getting to talk to the community and hearing their 602 00:31:22,760 --> 00:31:28,320 Speaker 3: stories and being able to interact with the community is 603 00:31:28,360 --> 00:31:29,440 Speaker 3: the important part for me. 604 00:31:29,520 --> 00:31:31,320 Speaker 2: That is why I joined. 605 00:31:33,000 --> 00:31:34,640 Speaker 3: So I've been lucky there and then I was getting 606 00:31:34,640 --> 00:31:36,840 Speaker 3: pushed a lot to go for promotion and I was 607 00:31:36,920 --> 00:31:43,440 Speaker 3: upgraded a lot without going for positions, and then yeah, 608 00:31:43,800 --> 00:31:46,880 Speaker 3: I applied for sergeant. And so I've worked as an 609 00:31:46,880 --> 00:31:49,840 Speaker 3: analyst as well. I've been in charge of analysts just 610 00:31:49,840 --> 00:31:52,760 Speaker 3: to understand and in a lot of strategy roles as well, 611 00:31:52,800 --> 00:31:57,520 Speaker 3: so writing strategies hopefully to not just combat crime, but 612 00:31:57,840 --> 00:32:04,440 Speaker 3: prevent crime. Those parallels are with the sport. Whilst we 613 00:32:04,520 --> 00:32:06,840 Speaker 3: have crime, whilst we have road trauma and other things, 614 00:32:06,880 --> 00:32:08,920 Speaker 3: and also working conditions through our people. Whilst we have 615 00:32:08,960 --> 00:32:11,400 Speaker 3: all those things and our jobs, we've always got a 616 00:32:11,440 --> 00:32:14,600 Speaker 3: job to do and you know, to be better, and 617 00:32:14,640 --> 00:32:16,640 Speaker 3: that for me, sports are same unless you're number one 618 00:32:16,680 --> 00:32:18,840 Speaker 3: in the world, and even then trying to hold on 619 00:32:18,880 --> 00:32:21,000 Speaker 3: to number one in the world, you've always got to 620 00:32:21,000 --> 00:32:24,720 Speaker 3: be developing and improving. So that's what I really love 621 00:32:24,760 --> 00:32:27,880 Speaker 3: about this job. If you want to be motivated enough, 622 00:32:28,120 --> 00:32:30,840 Speaker 3: there's always something to do and always somewhere to go 623 00:32:30,880 --> 00:32:32,040 Speaker 3: to do something different as well. 624 00:32:32,040 --> 00:32:33,880 Speaker 2: If you if you need to change. 625 00:32:33,640 --> 00:32:36,520 Speaker 1: How did that work for you while you were preparing 626 00:32:36,680 --> 00:32:40,880 Speaker 1: for the Sydney Olympics, balancing your training and your work. 627 00:32:41,240 --> 00:32:47,720 Speaker 3: Yeah, so obviously when I decided that I would try 628 00:32:47,760 --> 00:32:50,680 Speaker 3: and qualify for Sydney, so that the qualification is exactly 629 00:32:50,760 --> 00:32:54,800 Speaker 3: the same, So still a year of playing tournaments. But 630 00:32:54,800 --> 00:32:57,120 Speaker 3: obviously I couldn't go and live overseas for six months, 631 00:32:57,160 --> 00:32:58,560 Speaker 3: which is what I would do when I would be 632 00:32:58,560 --> 00:33:01,320 Speaker 3: playing the European circuit or playing the Asian circuit. So 633 00:33:01,880 --> 00:33:04,040 Speaker 3: I really had to pick and choose the tournaments I 634 00:33:04,080 --> 00:33:06,080 Speaker 3: was going to play. It really had to perform at 635 00:33:06,080 --> 00:33:09,120 Speaker 3: those tournaments. But I was brand new into the police 636 00:33:09,160 --> 00:33:12,480 Speaker 3: as well, so it wasn't a case of being able 637 00:33:12,480 --> 00:33:14,320 Speaker 3: to go to the request book and say I need 638 00:33:14,320 --> 00:33:16,280 Speaker 3: all these off to play tournaments, because I had a 639 00:33:16,320 --> 00:33:18,080 Speaker 3: job to do and that's what they were paying me for. 640 00:33:18,840 --> 00:33:25,040 Speaker 3: I was really fortunate at Cheltenham where the other members 641 00:33:25,080 --> 00:33:29,400 Speaker 3: there knowing that I never pressed to. I didn't think 642 00:33:29,400 --> 00:33:31,560 Speaker 3: it was an entitlement for me to have time off 643 00:33:32,720 --> 00:33:35,800 Speaker 3: or have certain shifts. They would often offer them to me, 644 00:33:35,920 --> 00:33:38,200 Speaker 3: so they would they really worked in and said, oh, look, 645 00:33:38,240 --> 00:33:40,560 Speaker 3: we see that you haven't been able to get to 646 00:33:40,600 --> 00:33:43,200 Speaker 3: your training as much. Here would you like me to 647 00:33:43,280 --> 00:33:44,320 Speaker 3: take your afternoon shifts? 648 00:33:44,360 --> 00:33:45,160 Speaker 2: Here? 649 00:33:45,600 --> 00:33:48,120 Speaker 3: I did what we call a minimum break night shift, 650 00:33:48,160 --> 00:33:50,320 Speaker 3: which means that every twenty eight days I would be 651 00:33:50,440 --> 00:33:53,400 Speaker 3: on night shift. And the reason for that was when 652 00:33:53,440 --> 00:33:55,600 Speaker 3: you did a stint of night shift, you then got 653 00:33:55,680 --> 00:34:00,320 Speaker 3: six days off, which meant that I could then fly 654 00:34:00,520 --> 00:34:05,800 Speaker 3: to a closer tournament, whether it be in Fiji, New Zealand, Australia, 655 00:34:06,760 --> 00:34:10,799 Speaker 3: not worth as many points as your Japan opens and 656 00:34:10,880 --> 00:34:13,319 Speaker 3: all England's and World Championships and all of those, but 657 00:34:13,400 --> 00:34:14,719 Speaker 3: it did mean that I could at least try and 658 00:34:14,800 --> 00:34:16,600 Speaker 3: tick over. I meant I had to win them. And 659 00:34:16,960 --> 00:34:18,760 Speaker 3: sometimes you know, there's no mean feet when you've actually 660 00:34:18,760 --> 00:34:22,719 Speaker 3: been on night shift, so sleeping during the day, I 661 00:34:22,800 --> 00:34:24,439 Speaker 3: get on a flight. Now you've got to win five 662 00:34:24,920 --> 00:34:29,880 Speaker 3: five games to win the championship. But I had a chance. 663 00:34:30,280 --> 00:34:33,959 Speaker 3: So my work colleagues were fantastic in that they gave 664 00:34:34,000 --> 00:34:38,560 Speaker 3: me the chance to qualify. And then I will say 665 00:34:39,160 --> 00:34:41,080 Speaker 3: I'm not a big one for people carrying round mobile 666 00:34:41,120 --> 00:34:42,560 Speaker 3: phones and doing all that lots of stuff, but I 667 00:34:42,600 --> 00:34:46,040 Speaker 3: did on the opening ceremony. I did take my phone 668 00:34:46,800 --> 00:34:48,879 Speaker 3: and the station called me while I was going around 669 00:34:48,880 --> 00:34:50,919 Speaker 3: in the opening ceremony and just so they could be 670 00:34:51,080 --> 00:34:51,719 Speaker 3: a part of it. 671 00:34:53,719 --> 00:34:56,640 Speaker 2: And then I bought T shirts for everybody at the station. 672 00:34:56,920 --> 00:35:00,959 Speaker 1: That's really cool because I love this idea, like whether 673 00:35:01,000 --> 00:35:05,200 Speaker 1: you're playing in a team sport or you're an individual athlete, 674 00:35:05,360 --> 00:35:09,280 Speaker 1: there's always like teams within teams, right, and your colleagues 675 00:35:09,320 --> 00:35:11,360 Speaker 1: at that station were part of that journey for you 676 00:35:11,440 --> 00:35:13,000 Speaker 1: to be able to go there. So that's really cool 677 00:35:13,000 --> 00:35:14,440 Speaker 1: that they could be a part of that moment in 678 00:35:14,440 --> 00:35:15,440 Speaker 1: the opening ceremony. 679 00:35:15,960 --> 00:35:18,640 Speaker 3: I wouldn't have qualified if it wasn't for what they 680 00:35:18,680 --> 00:35:22,279 Speaker 3: did for me. So and that's the thing. And they've 681 00:35:22,320 --> 00:35:25,200 Speaker 3: all got busy lives, they've all got their own priorities, 682 00:35:25,239 --> 00:35:28,759 Speaker 3: you know, their kids going to school or bringing up 683 00:35:28,840 --> 00:35:30,799 Speaker 3: kids and going to pick people up from childcare and 684 00:35:30,840 --> 00:35:34,360 Speaker 3: doing all of those things, where no, absolutely no less 685 00:35:34,640 --> 00:35:37,720 Speaker 3: as important as me trying to qualify for an Olympic Games. 686 00:35:37,760 --> 00:35:42,080 Speaker 3: But they knew how important it was to me. So yeah, 687 00:35:42,120 --> 00:35:46,279 Speaker 3: I really owe that that appearance of that Olympics to them. 688 00:35:46,760 --> 00:35:49,880 Speaker 1: Can you share a favorite story of your time with 689 00:35:50,000 --> 00:35:51,720 Speaker 1: the Victoria Police. 690 00:35:52,040 --> 00:35:55,080 Speaker 3: Oh wow, okay, So obviously we go to some pretty 691 00:35:55,080 --> 00:36:01,040 Speaker 3: serious ones. I do a lot of emergency management, fires, floods, 692 00:36:01,040 --> 00:36:04,400 Speaker 3: all of those sorts of things. But actually something that 693 00:36:04,440 --> 00:36:08,200 Speaker 3: would be an interesting one was going to a report 694 00:36:08,280 --> 00:36:12,200 Speaker 3: beleved of a cow on the Gippsland Highway. So you think, 695 00:36:12,480 --> 00:36:15,600 Speaker 3: cow on the Gippsland Highway, no worries. I come from 696 00:36:16,000 --> 00:36:18,520 Speaker 3: farming areas, I know how to deal with cows. But 697 00:36:18,560 --> 00:36:21,640 Speaker 3: when I got there, we realized that this wasn't a cow. 698 00:36:21,719 --> 00:36:23,440 Speaker 3: This was a bull that was on the middle of 699 00:36:23,440 --> 00:36:25,880 Speaker 3: the Gipsland Highway in the middle of peak hour traffic. 700 00:36:26,360 --> 00:36:30,960 Speaker 3: And yeah, so that kind of changes the circumstances a little. 701 00:36:30,760 --> 00:36:32,600 Speaker 2: Bit, but we still had to deal with it. 702 00:36:32,760 --> 00:36:37,279 Speaker 3: So there were a set of gates nearby and they 703 00:36:37,320 --> 00:36:40,640 Speaker 3: went to a golf course and so there was myself 704 00:36:40,680 --> 00:36:45,200 Speaker 3: and the ranger out there, and so we started to 705 00:36:46,560 --> 00:36:51,040 Speaker 3: try and push this bull quietly in the middle of 706 00:36:51,040 --> 00:36:53,480 Speaker 3: peak hour traffic towards the set of gates, and we 707 00:36:53,560 --> 00:36:57,239 Speaker 3: got them through the set of gates. But of course 708 00:36:57,239 --> 00:36:58,480 Speaker 3: then you've got to deal with the fact that you've 709 00:36:58,480 --> 00:37:00,319 Speaker 3: now pushed them into a golf course area. You can't 710 00:37:00,320 --> 00:37:03,399 Speaker 3: just leave them on the golf course. We can't leave 711 00:37:03,400 --> 00:37:04,400 Speaker 3: the bull on the golf course. 712 00:37:04,960 --> 00:37:07,000 Speaker 2: And as we were. 713 00:37:06,760 --> 00:37:09,719 Speaker 3: In the entrance way, there was a sign, you know, 714 00:37:09,800 --> 00:37:11,680 Speaker 3: speed hump sign, so he got speed hump. There's a 715 00:37:11,680 --> 00:37:13,840 Speaker 3: speed hump sign. And I kid you not, it was 716 00:37:13,920 --> 00:37:17,359 Speaker 3: like out of a cartoon where this bull that did 717 00:37:17,400 --> 00:37:22,680 Speaker 3: have horns walked up to the speed hump sign and 718 00:37:22,800 --> 00:37:27,879 Speaker 3: started roughing its horns up against the speed hump sign. 719 00:37:27,960 --> 00:37:30,080 Speaker 3: So it literally looked like a cartoon that this thing 720 00:37:30,160 --> 00:37:32,919 Speaker 3: was trying to sharpen its horns. And then it turned 721 00:37:32,960 --> 00:37:36,320 Speaker 3: around and looked at both of myself and the ranger 722 00:37:37,160 --> 00:37:39,640 Speaker 3: and decided, nah, I'm not done with you to you 723 00:37:40,200 --> 00:37:43,640 Speaker 3: and started coming back towards us. And I just thought, 724 00:37:44,480 --> 00:37:46,600 Speaker 3: how was this and how do we ever explain this 725 00:37:46,680 --> 00:37:50,680 Speaker 3: to anyone that this has happened. So we got out 726 00:37:50,680 --> 00:37:54,120 Speaker 3: of the way of the bull, and it started to 727 00:37:54,320 --> 00:38:01,279 Speaker 3: just head butt into the gates, and funnily enough, a 728 00:38:01,400 --> 00:38:04,319 Speaker 3: person who's fence because we've got quite the audience now, 729 00:38:04,320 --> 00:38:07,080 Speaker 3: because we had a heap of houses that backed onto 730 00:38:07,120 --> 00:38:09,480 Speaker 3: this driveway and they're all lined up on the fence 731 00:38:09,480 --> 00:38:13,200 Speaker 3: so great, and a guy with a whip stock whip 732 00:38:13,320 --> 00:38:16,680 Speaker 3: came out and cracked his stock whip and drove the 733 00:38:16,680 --> 00:38:19,600 Speaker 3: ball further on into the golf course and there was 734 00:38:19,600 --> 00:38:20,759 Speaker 3: a bit of a paddic there and we put it 735 00:38:20,800 --> 00:38:22,640 Speaker 3: into those gates and as far as we're consumed, we 736 00:38:22,680 --> 00:38:25,640 Speaker 3: had contained that bull and we left it to somebody else. 737 00:38:25,680 --> 00:38:27,960 Speaker 1: So someone else's problem. 738 00:38:28,239 --> 00:38:30,719 Speaker 3: Yeah, but yeah, I mean, animals are just interesting when 739 00:38:30,760 --> 00:38:33,120 Speaker 3: it comes to being a police officer ol packers. I 740 00:38:33,160 --> 00:38:35,959 Speaker 3: have been chased by an ol packer as well over 741 00:38:35,960 --> 00:38:38,919 Speaker 3: a fence and apparently only oneted us defeateed apples which 742 00:38:38,920 --> 00:38:41,880 Speaker 3: it was used to. We didn't we didn't quite know 743 00:38:41,960 --> 00:38:43,640 Speaker 3: that we were there just to serve some paperwork. 744 00:38:44,440 --> 00:38:49,759 Speaker 1: But You've lived a very exciting life so far, and 745 00:38:49,280 --> 00:38:52,200 Speaker 1: I've really loved getting the chance to chat to you 746 00:38:52,200 --> 00:38:54,120 Speaker 1: today and hear some of your stories. Thank you so 747 00:38:54,239 --> 00:38:56,239 Speaker 1: much for your time and for sharing those with us. 748 00:38:56,440 --> 00:39:00,000 Speaker 3: Are you welcome, Chloe, And I've really appreciated the opportunit 749 00:39:00,000 --> 00:39:02,800 Speaker 3: you need to talk about those careers amazing. 750 00:39:04,160 --> 00:39:06,560 Speaker 1: Thanks so much for listening. If you got something out 751 00:39:06,560 --> 00:39:09,040 Speaker 1: of this episode, I would absolutely love it if you 752 00:39:09,040 --> 00:39:11,120 Speaker 1: could send it on to one person who you think 753 00:39:11,239 --> 00:39:15,080 Speaker 1: might enjoy it. Otherwise, subscribe, give us a review, and 754 00:39:15,160 --> 00:39:17,480 Speaker 1: make sure you follow us on Instagram at the Female 755 00:39:17,520 --> 00:39:20,520 Speaker 1: Athlete Project to stay up to date with podcast episodes, 756 00:39:20,640 --> 00:39:24,120 Speaker 1: merch drops, and of course, news and stories about epic 757 00:39:24,160 --> 00:39:25,200 Speaker 1: female athletes