September 30, 2025 • 8 mins
From finish line bling to faceplants... welcome to Runbelievable. In this pilot episode, Joshie and Matty lace up for the very first time to share why they run, what keeps them going, and how the podcast will celebrate the weird and wonderful world of everyday runners. It’s part warm-up lap, part participation award, and all about finding the joy (and the mishaps) that make running truly Runbelievable.
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Got a Runbelievable story or interested in being a guest on the show? Hit us up on socials or email us at joshua@runbelievable.au
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Josh (00:00):
Did I tell you about my third nipple?
No.
So I decided about a month agoto shave my chest, you know,
look really, really nice forNatty.
Yeah.
After I was running, I thinkthat day, and then all of a
sudden I noticed I had theseweird bumps appear on my chest,
like sweat or whatever.
One of them just got worse andworse and it swelled to the
point it was like having a thirdnipple and it's still there.
(00:23):
Yeah.
Hello everybody and welcome toRun Believable, the podcast
where everyday runners sharetheir not-so-everyday stories.
I'm your host Josh Rishon andI'm here to bring you some
stories of grit, glory andovercoming adversity.
Each episode we'll dive deepinto what first got people
(00:44):
running and what keeps themlacing up day after day.
From the laughs and the lessonsto the unplanned toilet stops,
we're here to share what makesrunning a truly human
experience.
Now since this This is our veryfirst episode.
I want to give you some briefcontext about my inspiration for
Run by the Ball.
I'm a 46-year-old bog-standardrecreational runner with a
(01:07):
growing list of participationmedals.
But still, every medal I'veearned carries a memory, a story
of resilience, of joy, and ofwoe.
I've never won a race, not evenan underrepresented park run.
I did get close to a podiumonce, but I got out-sprinted at
the finish line by someone atleast 10 years my senior.
(01:30):
I've been confronted bykangaroos, had fishing line
caught across the neck and evenmistook deep heat for a gel.
So why do I keep running?
Probably for the same reasonthat you do.
It's the connection, thecommunity, the friendships, the
stories, and most importantly,Strava Kudos.
My heroes aren't the elites,they're everyday runners.
(01:54):
People who lace up before work,are after work, or sometimes
even cheekily during work.
And that's what's inspired meto start this podcast, to
capture those tales becausethey're simply too good to not
share.
Now, I won't be doing thisalone.
With me is my co-host, MattPerry.
He's here to keep me honest andto keep me in check when I dare
(02:16):
to cross the lines ofappropriateness.
Matty, welcome.
How does it feel to be part ofthis exciting new project?
Matt (02:23):
Yeah, thanks, Joshy.
I'm honoured to be part.
I think I'm And the reason fordoing this podcast and touching
on everyday runners' stories, Ithink, is invaluable.
There's so many people outthere that run for different
reasons, and their stories arequite inspirational.
Josh (02:44):
Yeah, they really are.
I don't know about you, butwhenever I've run an event, even
just the park run, I sometimesjust pause and think, I wonder
what all these people's journeysare.
And so I've few people and it'sjust incredible just how
diverse people's experiences areand what keeps them what keeps
them going now let's declarethis up front maddie we're not
(03:05):
elite runners ourselves andwe're certainly um not going to
be giving any advice as such onthis podcast uh perhaps aside
from helping listeners find thenearest toilet on a long run i
think we are well equipped tohelp with that
Matt (03:18):
yeah definitely
Josh (03:20):
and look we've certainly got some incredible guests lined
up but before we start bringingthem in let's give listeners a
quick sense for who we are.
Matty, what would you like totell people about your running
origin story?
Matt (03:34):
So my story is basically I hated running and I have pretty
much my whole life and Idecided to start walking to lose
some weight for my mentalhealth and then I added some
running in and next thing youknow I was hooked.
I entered an event so that Icould run with other people and
(03:56):
when I complete that event, theatmosphere and the positivity
that was there on the day wasunbelievable.
And I thought to myself, thisis me.
This is what I want to do.
And the rest is history,really.
What was that event, Matty?
So that was Brisbane MarathonFestival.
I ran the 10K and my plan wasto walk and run because that's
(04:21):
all I'd ever done.
But I ended up running thewhole thing, which to my
surprise I felt amazing fordoing so.
So that was the firstcontinuous run I ever did.
Josh (04:32):
Yeah.
You know, I've sort of read alot about the concept of the
runner's high and it's only, Iguess, when you take it up
yourself that you can trulyrelate to that
Matt (04:42):
experience.
Oh, 100%.
And it's real.
Josh (04:44):
Yeah.
Yeah.
Thanks, Matty, for taking thetime to share your story.
Mine's kind of similar in asense.
Like I grew up not reallyenjoying running.
running at all.
I was never a runner.
My dad had me participate inLittle Athletics and I sucked.
I was terrible at pretty mucheverything except the discus.
(05:06):
I'll have to see if I can findat some stage for listeners a
photo of, I think it's one photoof me from Little Athletics and
I'm at the back of the pack,smiling away, really, really
didn't care what was going on.
And not much really changedafter that until I took up boot
camp, which was 2001.
20, I think, or 2021.
(05:29):
And yeah, I noticed that I wasquick.
Whenever we had oval laps aspart of our bootcamp sessions,
you know, I ran quite quick, butI was gassed after 300 meters
or thereabouts.
And yeah, people startedtalking to me about parkrun.
And I'll be honest, I wasriddled with anxiety at the idea
(05:51):
of going even just to somethinglike that.
I think I flirted with theconcept for six months before I
finished eventually went, youknow, bugger it, I'll go and do
it.
And so, yeah, I think once youcomplete that first 5K or even
just getting off the couch andrunning eight kilometers,
because I remember trying to runwith the kids, getting to a K
and a half and having to stop.
(06:11):
And I just, how am I ever goingto run 5Ks?
But I just persisted.
And I know there's a lot ofother people out there that have
similar stories about theanxiety of even just turning up
and getting to the start line.
And yeah, it's perfectly normalto feel that way.
Matt (06:29):
Yeah, no, definitely.
And I was the same.
When I kind of got intorunning, I was getting a bit
sick of running on my own.
So I decided that I'd look upsome run clubs and I did that
for so long.
And I found in training and Iwas like, yeah, I'll go.
No, I won't.
Yeah, I will.
No, I won't.
The anxiety of putting myselfout there, I think, and not
(06:54):
being as fast as other people orwhatever it may have been, but
I eventually joined and the bestthing I've ever done.
Josh (07:02):
Yeah, that's fantastic.
Now, as I mentioned a bitearlier this season, we've got
some truly inspirational gueststhat are going to be joining us.
We're talking about peoplewho've collapsed with a finish
line in sight, people overcomingaddiction and some truly
amazing comeback stories fromhealth and injury-related
issues.
Yeah, along the way, Matty,we're going to share plenty of
(07:25):
laughs because behind all theseriousness every runner has an
epic adventure that they'redying to share and that's why
we're here to celebrate theweird and wonderful world of
running so if you've got a runbelievable story big or small
we'd love to hear it so hit usup on socials or email us all
the details are in the shownotes and if you're enjoying the
(07:48):
show tap follow leave us aquick rating and spread the word
to your running buddies andthat's the finish line for today
Matt What do you think?
Matt (07:58):
Yeah, good.
Really good.
I'm really excited.
I think this is something thisformat is or this type of
podcast touching on people'sstories is something that's
probably missing from thoserunning podcasts.
And I think sharing thesestories is going to be great.
It's inspirational, really.
Josh (08:18):
Yeah, we're going to have a lot of fun, Matty.
I'm really looking forward toit.
Can you believe that evenbefore we jumped on the call, I
was busting for a wee and i havebeen the whole time that we've
recording so i might have tosign off in a tix i'm not
entirely sure that i kept it allin
Did I tell you about my third nipple?
No.
So I decided about a month agoto shave my chest, you know,
look really, really nice forNatty.
Yeah.
After I was running, I thinkthat day, and then all of a
sudden I noticed I had theseweird bumps appear on my chest,
like sweat or whatever.
One of them just got worse andworse and it swelled to the
point it was like having a thirdnipple and it's still there.
(00:23):
Yeah.
Hello everybody and welcome toRun Believable, the podcast
where everyday runners sharetheir not-so-everyday stories.
I'm your host Josh Rishon andI'm here to bring you some
stories of grit, glory andovercoming adversity.
Each episode we'll dive deepinto what first got people
(00:44):
running and what keeps themlacing up day after day.
From the laughs and the lessonsto the unplanned toilet stops,
we're here to share what makesrunning a truly human
experience.
Now since this This is our veryfirst episode.
I want to give you some briefcontext about my inspiration for
Run by the Ball.
I'm a 46-year-old bog-standardrecreational runner with a
(01:07):
growing list of participationmedals.
But still, every medal I'veearned carries a memory, a story
of resilience, of joy, and ofwoe.
I've never won a race, not evenan underrepresented park run.
I did get close to a podiumonce, but I got out-sprinted at
the finish line by someone atleast 10 years my senior.
(01:30):
I've been confronted bykangaroos, had fishing line
caught across the neck and evenmistook deep heat for a gel.
So why do I keep running?
Probably for the same reasonthat you do.
It's the connection, thecommunity, the friendships, the
stories, and most importantly,Strava Kudos.
My heroes aren't the elites,they're everyday runners.
(01:54):
People who lace up before work,are after work, or sometimes
even cheekily during work.
And that's what's inspired meto start this podcast, to
capture those tales becausethey're simply too good to not
share.
Now, I won't be doing thisalone.
With me is my co-host, MattPerry.
He's here to keep me honest andto keep me in check when I dare
(02:16):
to cross the lines ofappropriateness.
Matty, welcome.
How does it feel to be part ofthis exciting new project?
Matt (02:23):
Yeah, thanks, Joshy.
I'm honoured to be part.
I think I'm And the reason fordoing this podcast and touching
on everyday runners' stories, Ithink, is invaluable.
There's so many people outthere that run for different
reasons, and their stories arequite inspirational.
Josh (02:44):
Yeah, they really are.
I don't know about you, butwhenever I've run an event, even
just the park run, I sometimesjust pause and think, I wonder
what all these people's journeysare.
And so I've few people and it'sjust incredible just how
diverse people's experiences areand what keeps them what keeps
them going now let's declarethis up front maddie we're not
(03:05):
elite runners ourselves andwe're certainly um not going to
be giving any advice as such onthis podcast uh perhaps aside
from helping listeners find thenearest toilet on a long run i
think we are well equipped tohelp with that
Matt (03:18):
yeah definitely
Josh (03:20):
and look we've certainly got some incredible guests lined
up but before we start bringingthem in let's give listeners a
quick sense for who we are.
Matty, what would you like totell people about your running
origin story?
Matt (03:34):
So my story is basically I hated running and I have pretty
much my whole life and Idecided to start walking to lose
some weight for my mentalhealth and then I added some
running in and next thing youknow I was hooked.
I entered an event so that Icould run with other people and
(03:56):
when I complete that event, theatmosphere and the positivity
that was there on the day wasunbelievable.
And I thought to myself, thisis me.
This is what I want to do.
And the rest is history,really.
What was that event, Matty?
So that was Brisbane MarathonFestival.
I ran the 10K and my plan wasto walk and run because that's
(04:21):
all I'd ever done.
But I ended up running thewhole thing, which to my
surprise I felt amazing fordoing so.
So that was the firstcontinuous run I ever did.
Josh (04:32):
Yeah.
You know, I've sort of read alot about the concept of the
runner's high and it's only, Iguess, when you take it up
yourself that you can trulyrelate to that
Matt (04:42):
experience.
Oh, 100%.
And it's real.
Josh (04:44):
Yeah.
Yeah.
Thanks, Matty, for taking thetime to share your story.
Mine's kind of similar in asense.
Like I grew up not reallyenjoying running.
running at all.
I was never a runner.
My dad had me participate inLittle Athletics and I sucked.
I was terrible at pretty mucheverything except the discus.
(05:06):
I'll have to see if I can findat some stage for listeners a
photo of, I think it's one photoof me from Little Athletics and
I'm at the back of the pack,smiling away, really, really
didn't care what was going on.
And not much really changedafter that until I took up boot
camp, which was 2001.
20, I think, or 2021.
(05:29):
And yeah, I noticed that I wasquick.
Whenever we had oval laps aspart of our bootcamp sessions,
you know, I ran quite quick, butI was gassed after 300 meters
or thereabouts.
And yeah, people startedtalking to me about parkrun.
And I'll be honest, I wasriddled with anxiety at the idea
(05:51):
of going even just to somethinglike that.
I think I flirted with theconcept for six months before I
finished eventually went, youknow, bugger it, I'll go and do
it.
And so, yeah, I think once youcomplete that first 5K or even
just getting off the couch andrunning eight kilometers,
because I remember trying to runwith the kids, getting to a K
and a half and having to stop.
(06:11):
And I just, how am I ever goingto run 5Ks?
But I just persisted.
And I know there's a lot ofother people out there that have
similar stories about theanxiety of even just turning up
and getting to the start line.
And yeah, it's perfectly normalto feel that way.
Matt (06:29):
Yeah, no, definitely.
And I was the same.
When I kind of got intorunning, I was getting a bit
sick of running on my own.
So I decided that I'd look upsome run clubs and I did that
for so long.
And I found in training and Iwas like, yeah, I'll go.
No, I won't.
Yeah, I will.
No, I won't.
The anxiety of putting myselfout there, I think, and not
(06:54):
being as fast as other people orwhatever it may have been, but
I eventually joined and the bestthing I've ever done.
Josh (07:02):
Yeah, that's fantastic.
Now, as I mentioned a bitearlier this season, we've got
some truly inspirational gueststhat are going to be joining us.
We're talking about peoplewho've collapsed with a finish
line in sight, people overcomingaddiction and some truly
amazing comeback stories fromhealth and injury-related
issues.
Yeah, along the way, Matty,we're going to share plenty of
(07:25):
laughs because behind all theseriousness every runner has an
epic adventure that they'redying to share and that's why
we're here to celebrate theweird and wonderful world of
running so if you've got a runbelievable story big or small
we'd love to hear it so hit usup on socials or email us all
the details are in the shownotes and if you're enjoying the
(07:48):
show tap follow leave us aquick rating and spread the word
to your running buddies andthat's the finish line for today
Matt What do you think?
Matt (07:58):
Yeah, good.
Really good.
I'm really excited.
I think this is something thisformat is or this type of
podcast touching on people'sstories is something that's
probably missing from thoserunning podcasts.
And I think sharing thesestories is going to be great.
It's inspirational, really.
Josh (08:18):
Yeah, we're going to have a lot of fun, Matty.
I'm really looking forward toit.
Can you believe that evenbefore we jumped on the call, I
was busting for a wee and i havebeen the whole time that we've
recording so i might have tosign off in a tix i'm not
entirely sure that i kept it allin
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