May 1, 2025 • 38 mins
Dale Grant is all about Possibility. A Paralympian in Swimming, a Triathlete and an Ironman who has conquered Kona, the greatest Ironman test of them all.
Underneath all of this is a family man who grew up in the suburbs of Melbourne, away from the water, yet had a passion for competition and a supportive family who encouraged him all the way.
Dale's unexpected invitation to compete at the greatest Ironman event in the world, Kona in Hawaii was a dream come true and an event that he and his family dug deep for as these opportunities don't come around often.
In this podcast we talk about drives Dale, how he got into swimming, what the turning point was for an Olympic campaign and how reimagining possiblilty and taking action can take you across the world.
We then switch gears and talk about Ironman events and his preparation and experience of tackling one of the greatest Ironman events at Kona in 2024.
We then switch gears again and talk about how It's All Possible, just not at the same time and the joy Dale is getting now from seeing his children grow up and tackle their own sports for the first time.
I really enjoyed connecting and getting to know Dale in this podcast and I am sure you will too.
You can find Dale on LinkedIn and on Instagram.
Underneath all of this is a family man who grew up in the suburbs of Melbourne, away from the water, yet had a passion for competition and a supportive family who encouraged him all the way.
Dale's unexpected invitation to compete at the greatest Ironman event in the world, Kona in Hawaii was a dream come true and an event that he and his family dug deep for as these opportunities don't come around often.
In this podcast we talk about drives Dale, how he got into swimming, what the turning point was for an Olympic campaign and how reimagining possiblilty and taking action can take you across the world.
We then switch gears and talk about Ironman events and his preparation and experience of tackling one of the greatest Ironman events at Kona in 2024.
We then switch gears again and talk about how It's All Possible, just not at the same time and the joy Dale is getting now from seeing his children grow up and tackle their own sports for the first time.
I really enjoyed connecting and getting to know Dale in this podcast and I am sure you will too.
You can find Dale on LinkedIn and on Instagram.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:05):
The most successful people in the world all have one
thing in common. They've learned how to think big by
developing a perspective of possibility. And the good news is
we all have the potential to apply the same strategies
to achieve amazing things.
Speaker 2 (00:20):
In our work and lives.
Speaker 1 (00:22):
Hi, I'm Rob Hartnett, and as you're a chief Possibility
officer and host, I'm here to inspire you to become
the star of your world as a person of possibility
through learning how people from all areas of life are
thinking big and chasing down their dreams.
Speaker 2 (00:40):
This is a big athletic episode, this one. I'm really
super excited.
Speaker 1 (00:43):
I'm going to bring you a triathlete, a paralympian, a footballer,
a surfer, and a super dad.
Speaker 2 (00:49):
His name is Dale Graham. Welcome to the show.
Speaker 3 (00:51):
Dale, Thanks Rob, thanks for having me. Really appreciate it.
Speaker 2 (00:55):
No worries. Dale.
Speaker 1 (00:56):
I've been a admiring you from a distance because you're
so faster than you do. It's only when you slow
down for coffee. I get to see the full day
on what he's like. But I was fascinated with your background.
I've been fascinated with what you've been doing and how
you've been competing for so long and doing amazing stuff,
and I was fascinating to get you on this podcast,
so thank you for coming on.
Speaker 2 (01:17):
Let's have a chat a look quickly though.
Speaker 1 (01:18):
So you're a paralympian, you did ConA last year, which
we'll get into more detail about, and you've been had
a disability I think since birth. You want to tell
us a little bit about that, and then we'll talk
about what you've done to basically have created these fantastic
elements of possibility because you're just living the dream. So
tell me about the disability and how that came about.
Speaker 3 (01:40):
Yeah, sure, Well I was born missing half of my
right arm below my elbow, just below my elbow, so
it's a congeneral congenital birth defect. It was a thing
called amniotic banding, which, to be honest with you, I've
never really gone into depth about what it is or
how it happened, or the reasons behind it or anything
(02:02):
like that, just because, to be honest with nothing I
can do about it. So it was more just you know,
I don't need to know about it, just get on
with it. So it was ya amniotic bank. It's basically
a situation where the amniotic sac. I believe it just
didn't allow my arm to go outside grow inside the
womb properly, right, something along the lines of that.
Speaker 1 (02:24):
That's so we need to know that's from birth. So
you've had this in birth, it just hasn't stopped it.
Which is what I love about this. We were talking
off you were telling me that all is great. You
pretty much did every sport, know on demand. It was
a school, so he went to regular school. He went
right through the school. But you also played like at
a grade level AFL.
Speaker 3 (02:41):
Football, right, yes, well a grade Ammo's football which is
in the Bafer Victorian umit a football association. But this
was we're talking back through the late nineties through to
mid two thousands. I played. I played over two hundred
games with Mazenoon were predominantly in B grade, but we
did have a year in a grade in two thousand
(03:04):
and one. I was I was. I was a good
twoes player, but I did play a couple of senior
games in a grade in two so I was pretty
pretty happy with that.
Speaker 1 (03:13):
That was very similar to me Dale. I was a
great DS player and occasionally I got to the C.
So I'm feeling you. Okay, I know you don't know
what you're getting.
Speaker 2 (03:23):
How did you?
Speaker 1 (03:23):
I mean, you've just obviously clearly you're a completely great,
fantastic kick football at marking.
Speaker 2 (03:29):
Was this so just one handed marks most of the
time'd be right?
Speaker 3 (03:32):
Oh, I know, Look my elbow. I've been able to
use it in so many different ways just having that
stump with the elbow. Like I swam with some other
guys who didn't have the elbow joint, and it's only
just a small, a small part. It's probably you know,
maybe three inches long past my elbow joint got. But
(03:54):
because it's like a lever that can move back and forth,
it just allows me to do so much with it,
which so i'd be able to lift, I'd be able
to take marks out in front of them, out in
front of me, yeah yeah, and sort of clamp my
hand and my yes, my stuff.
Speaker 2 (04:08):
You're showing me. Its some visual you're showing so I.
Speaker 3 (04:11):
Could take overhead marks and stuff. Look, yeah, I'm not.
I'm definitely no no gariblet Jnr. But like you know,
I was, I was. I was not a bad two's player,
let's put it out. I was no superstar. But you
know my friends and all that sort of stuff. Would
say that I could I could kick a foot him
like a footy handball. I was. I was a reasonable player,
but never going to make the AFL, which I wanted
(04:32):
to as a kid.
Speaker 2 (04:33):
That was of course we all have.
Speaker 1 (04:36):
I think it's there's a great I have you heard
heard of the actor called Jonah Hill and he's fantastic
act You've probably seen him if you thinks you were
really good moving on skateboarding in the ninety nineties and
someone said to him, so, Jonah, you're a big skateboarder.
He goes, oh, man, I love it. He said, let
me tell you a ten percent talent on hundred and
twenty percent passion. Sometimes the way it is, but we
use our use our talents in different ways. So how
(04:59):
did you get You didn't got any? So after football
got the swimming though. It was pretty serious at swimming
because you went to the Paralympics were swimming.
Speaker 3 (05:04):
Yeah, into that?
Speaker 2 (05:05):
What was the switch?
Speaker 3 (05:07):
Look, we went to My dad was always a super
keen sportsman, like he played football in the VFA and whatnot,
played golf all that sort of stuff. So he always
encouraged me to sport. And when the Sydney Olympic Games
came around, he was one of the first to go,
We're getting tickets, and so we got tickets to the
Sydney Games. And my wife, who was my girlfriend at
(05:29):
the time, she came along as well, so Brie and
we went off to the Sydney Games. And I was
just I just was in aura of the whole Olympic
Games situation and anyway, I didn't know anything about the
Paralympic Games. And that was two thousand and got back
from that, and then two weeks later I saw the
Paralympics on TV and I saw the swimming and I thought,
I've been a swimmer down at lawn in the nippers
(05:51):
and stuff like that as a kid growing up, and
did a little bit of very minimal swimming at school
like we do the school sports. I was pretty good,
like nothing special, but you know, like I wasn't the worst.
And so I thought, I reckon, I could do that.
I could can I could mix it with those guys,
you know. Anyway, So I went down, I did a
bit of googling, and I found a coach in Richmond
(06:13):
called Kathy A. Cox, and I turned up to her,
turned up to her swim squad one evening and sort
of tapped her on the shoulder and said, hi, on Dale,
and I'd like to I'd like to go to the
Paralympics of the swimmer and she sort of she sort
of looked at me and go, really you want to
do that? Do you? Well? You know, okay, well have
(06:34):
you got your goggles with you? And I said yep,
and she said, okay, when you get So I jumped,
I dived in and sort of swam up and backed
the pool and she said, okay, well you can swim,
but like there's a fair bit of work and you've
got to do and you know, are you sure that
that's what you want to do, what you want to do,
then you need to you need to come to training
six days a week. And so I drove. I would
drive from Mount Waverley into Richmond and swim with her after.
(06:59):
Like I I was working part time at that stage,
so I'd go in there, like I think it was
maybe four thirty, I think I can't quite remember it was.
And I was swimming with like eleven year old kids
and stuff like that, and I were like superfish. These
kids are all level swimmers and that sort of stuff,
and they were I felt a bit out of plays
because I was a twenty two year old guy, you know,
(07:20):
and stuff like that, and these are young kids, like
a bit odd. But anyway, so I dove into that
and one thing led to another. I did state championships
and then national champ I qualified for National Championships and
within twelve months I think I was ranked maybe second
in Australia in the S nine, which is my category.
(07:41):
From there, I got put on the Paralympic preparation program
for Athens, and so from there they sort of target
you to be a potential Paralympian. And so then I
did a couple of meets overseas where we went to
Germany and did a meat over there and in England
and where else do we go? And then from there
(08:02):
I did a couple of races and then went to
the World Championships in Argentina and I managed to get
fourth in the fifty freestyle, and so from there I
think they thought, well, this guy might be a chance
to represent Australia apparently, so I went to nationals in
the lead up to the Games and I managed to
scrape in by I think it was point oh five
of a second, So there were qualifying times that you
(08:25):
had to be able to reach in order. Because it
wasn't sort of first and second over the line like
they do in the Olympics and you're in it. You
had to you had to meet a certain target to
get in. So I just scraped in and yeah, got
myself a ticket to Athens as a fifty meter freestyler,
and I did do that, dabbled in the hundred freestyle
as well, and went over there. I was really disappointed
(08:49):
in how it went, so went ranked in fourth in
the world. I'm in a fifty freestyle. I had a
bad swim and ended up missing the final and I
came eleventh overall. Also from that, I was part of
the four by one hundred real a team, probably our
second string team, because they would have a heat heat
(09:09):
team and then it'd have a finals team, and we'd
a guy on our swim team called Matthew Cowdrey. He
went on to become probably the greatest Paralympic swimmer of
all time, but he was in my class, so he
was the one I couldn't beat him. He was amazing.
The funny thing was probably eight months before the games
I was beating him, but he just had this amazing
growth spurt and went on and did amazing things, won
(09:32):
gold medals and stuff like that. But I actually had
a shocker. I had a really bad one hundred meter swim,
and they gave this butterfly S nine athlete over there
a chance to have a crack at the real A team,
and he actually swammed me, and then he did the
heat swim. The team went on and won a gold medal,
(09:53):
and I missed out on a God. Yeah, from that,
I came back really dejected and obviously like pretty disappointed.
And I think that along with the fact that, like
I'm going into a long winded story, I'm giving also
at that time, only I think it was yeah, a
couple of years, no, sorry, two thousand and I'm getting
(10:16):
my ears mixed up. Yeah, two thousand and three, my
mum was diagnosed with cancer and given six months to live.
She managed to come over to Athens. I felt like
I disappointed her as well, which I know I didn't.
She was super proud of me and all that sort
of stuff, But deep down you're feeling a little bit like,
for sure, like I'd let her down and things like that.
And so I feel like because of all that I did,
(10:38):
I've never really got over it. And and I think
that's what spurred me on to continue to do these
sports that I do, Like I like start a try
and then go on and do iron Man and always
trying to prove myself. And I think I've been like
that my whole life, where I've really just always wanted
to prove myself. Maybe it's a small it's like I'm
(11:00):
a happy person, but yeah, keep on my shoulder, like
I can beat you, I can do whatever.
Speaker 1 (11:04):
You can do that well, sometimes it's a driver, isn't it,
you know, and absolutely making that making the olyp because
it's just such a huge thing. I know a lot
of people that happened who missed that cut to go
and you had a good run too.
Speaker 2 (11:15):
I when you had a good run, you kind of.
Speaker 1 (11:17):
I love the fact I just you know, I love
to take you back a little bit when you said I.
Speaker 2 (11:20):
Just reckon, I can do it.
Speaker 1 (11:21):
And I really love that start because a lot of
people don't get that place.
Speaker 2 (11:27):
And what I've found when I'm.
Speaker 1 (11:28):
Talking about possibility, especially, a lot of people go, yeah, yeah,
I can see how other people could do that. But
they very It's only a few a few small percentage
of people who are like you, who go, I reckon
I could do that is a big step right, And
my book I actually gave between it's sort of step
four out of five. Four is like, yeah, I can
(11:48):
see what's possible. But for other people, step five is
I can see what's possible. For me, it's a real gap.
And you kind of just went to that fight, which
I totally love.
Speaker 3 (11:56):
But then then you.
Speaker 1 (11:56):
Took action, which is the other big, big attribute of
people stability. They actually do shit, they do, they get something.
You went down and said, hey, by the way out,
this is who I am.
Speaker 2 (12:05):
I want to do at Paralympia.
Speaker 1 (12:07):
Reminds me of so much of Alyssa Kampler when she
was doing snow skiing.
Speaker 2 (12:11):
Tracked out a coach and said, hey, by the way,
I want to do.
Speaker 1 (12:14):
I want to do you a aeral ski aeral skiing
and ski jumping, and the coach said okay, fair enough,
and she goes now he goes to watch your first step, shed, well,
I want to learn to ski first. Because she had
actually been into a snowfield that particular point, and we
will know she want to go in a bronze, right,
But that that first step is saying I reckon I
could do it and then taking action.
Speaker 2 (12:33):
So that's huge, man, it's really big. In fact, you went.
Speaker 1 (12:36):
There, you know, ranking fourth, and you know there's you
have a bad We all have bad races, bad days,
but I think having a complication of your mother in
the background, that's pretty heavy, you know. I mean people
look pulled out of the beans because of that, and
you went through it, which is to your credit.
Speaker 2 (12:51):
So tell me.
Speaker 1 (12:52):
About this South of the Paralympics. When did you start
to get into the Iron Man Triathlons? When did that happen?
Speaker 2 (12:58):
How far.
Speaker 3 (13:01):
Hung in? I hung in swimming for a couple more
years after after Athens, and then I retired in two
thousand and six. But whilst I was doing that, I
still sort of I went back and played a bit
more footy because I just loved being around my mates
and swimming is obviously individual sport, you know, it's it's
very Yeah, very can be boring and be lonely. But
I've had a great group of friends around me that
(13:23):
you know, I loved being around, and so I went
back and played football at mazonod for a couple more years,
and I think it was just more Look, you get
to a period in your life where you just can't
keep playing footy. It gets a body and stuff like that,
and so I just wanted to look for what I
could do next. And yeah, I just decided to go
and do one of those local Gatorade races just for
(13:45):
like fitness wise and that and did that, and then
from there again similar sort of got bitten by a
bit of a bug and I thought, well, I am
a reasonable swimmer and I can swim. I enjoy running
because I've done that through my football life. And I
had done a little bit of bike riding up and
down Beach Road with a group of friends of mine
who introduced me to bike riding. And so because of that,
(14:07):
I just decided, look at the natural progression, I'm going
to have a go at triathon, which I did.
Speaker 2 (14:12):
Sorry slowly, I love the back. You said, Well, yeah,
I can run really well, I'm kind of swing right.
Speaker 1 (14:17):
Well, I grew up as a there bre, so I
have a couple of rides on beach right, So the
natural progressions triathlets.
Speaker 2 (14:22):
Not everyone does that. A special guy that's really cool.
Speaker 3 (14:25):
I don't know well, I'm honestly, I'm not a good runner.
I'm average, but like I'm prepared to go so and
then yeah, from that again similar like I think that
the thing with having a disability, it just opened so
many doors that I think a lot of people who
don't do disability sport they might have a disability, but
they don't think that they can do sport, don't realize
(14:47):
that the opportunity that's out there for people that do
have a disability, there's so many opportunities out there, and
it just yeah, as I said, it opens up a
lot of doors. And from doing that triathon, the local
Gatorade race, I then went and did the National Championships
which they would hold up at Penrith for a few
years then and I did that, and then I got
put on an Australian side that went over and did
(15:10):
the Sprint Championships over in Auckland in twenty twelve.
Speaker 1 (15:13):
I think it was what did you get into that?
Did they just see the form you were doing and
then picked you up?
Speaker 2 (15:17):
What was your props?
Speaker 3 (15:18):
Well, I think when you do nationals like you've got
to be classified in your stability classifications. I did that
and then you're on there kind of radar, I guess,
or wherever it might be. And then yeah, I was
chosen to go to do the one in Auckland, so
I did that race. But at that time in my life,
you know, I've got I've got a wife, I've got
a house, I've got mortgage. You know, it's I've had
(15:39):
my go at Apparalympic sport and I'm now I'm what
am I in my thirties and stuff like that, early thirties,
like thirty thirty, thirty three, thirty four or something like that,
not getting any younger. But I did enjoy I really
enjoyed that like outdoor active lifestyle that Triflon is. And
(16:00):
we actually moved down to bow Morris where you're from,
rob and and and as a result, like, as you know,
it's such a such a great place to do those
sports along beach road and whatnot. So I just continued
to continue doing the races. And then my friends who
were my bike riding mates, schoolmates, football mates, we decided
(16:20):
to do a half iron Man. Crazy enough, but we
did that, and we're pretty competitive amongst amongst one another.
I'll beat you and you beat me and all that
sort of stuff. So we met a crack at that
and we did the half iron Man and then one of.
Speaker 2 (16:30):
My where was that was?
Speaker 3 (16:32):
That was? That was challenge Melbourne here yep, and from
there like as soon as you do that, like you
do it at I Man half yeah, yeah, yeah.
Speaker 1 (16:44):
Well let's talk about that because I think the other
thing is and again yes, sorry I slow you down,
but you've got such gold in what you're saying.
Speaker 2 (16:51):
You haven't been a group of mates around you, right,
and he.
Speaker 1 (16:53):
Spur you on and you're all competitive that it is
such an important thing to have and are you you're
you're aware of the date which is which is which
the Strava Day, which is like kind of give up day?
Speaker 2 (17:06):
You know that one you know about that?
Speaker 3 (17:08):
That's what it is.
Speaker 2 (17:09):
It's basically it's called it's called essentially give up day.
Speaker 1 (17:12):
Give Up Day is around January nineteenth every year, right,
and you watch it on it and it's done by Strava, right,
and Strava because Strava watched the data. So year's year's date,
everyone opens up a Strata a gamp, gets a Strata
account or makes a comment on a Strata account, and
by January night it falls off the cliff. I see
falls up the cliff. But what their data shows is
(17:33):
that those who are riding or competing in a group,
are running in a group get back on the horse
within about five days because their mates will go.
Speaker 2 (17:42):
Hey, Dale, let's see you out there. Oh hey Rob,
you want to You were there for coffee right on
your own. You can't never get there.
Speaker 1 (17:48):
But their data shows that in a group, it looks
after you in a group that's collective, you're.
Speaker 2 (17:53):
Back on the horse.
Speaker 1 (17:53):
And they said the data attack off again and it's
a really interesting piece.
Speaker 2 (17:57):
So that's why I think it's really cool. You had
those guys you know, probably driving that sometimes, but.
Speaker 3 (18:01):
The at least for really competity and you're all.
Speaker 2 (18:03):
Pushing each other.
Speaker 1 (18:03):
Of course you do the half marathon, it's now like
hey guys, yeah, we're gonna do that.
Speaker 2 (18:06):
We're gonna a full line man.
Speaker 3 (18:08):
Yeah that's right. Yeah.
Speaker 2 (18:09):
So what happened after full lie man? Yeah?
Speaker 3 (18:12):
Yeah? So so I did. I did my first I
man over in Bustleton in twenty seventeen, and I was
I self trained myself. I literally got a training program
off the internet and just sort of followed that and
did it all by myself, and I remember like driving
from because we stayed in the place just south of Bustleton,
my wife and I and my daughter, and I remember
(18:34):
driving to the race and like I didn't know, like
I've done the short course distance races, if I knew
nothing about like nutrition or pacing or heart rate or
any of that sort of stuff that most most nine
men athletes would be well aware of. And I remember, yeah,
getting in the car and driving down and I'm like
absolutely shitting my pants, like I'm so scared, you know,
(18:56):
especially because I had no support about me. So I
did that first race, and then I completed that. Obviously,
I was like, I've got to do another one. I
want to do better than that. You know, I didn't
do this or I didn't do that right. So I
got myself a coach, which I think is really important.
Speaker 2 (19:10):
I kind of know also that you really enjoyed it.
Speaker 3 (19:12):
I think you when you enjoy it, you can you finishing.
Speaker 2 (19:14):
I want to do another one, that's right.
Speaker 1 (19:15):
I remember Robbie McEwen saying about you know, whether you
think if you don't know your a cyclist or not,
when you do an event and you're absolutely stuffed and
you're almost vomiting at the inter it you go, when's
the next one? Yeah, and so it's a really good
I think it's a good point is that you've got
these right, I'm going to get a coach.
Speaker 2 (19:29):
I'm going to go to get better. So that's what happened.
Speaker 3 (19:32):
Yeah, yeah, correct, So I got myself a coach, Julie
Teddy from a local trathlon club here and bym she's
very well known and great, great ladies. Really she's very
inspirational because she just she trains her butt off, you know,
harder than most of the athletes in our squad, you know,
and back to your back to your point before. Being
part of that club has kept me going. It's probably
(19:54):
the reason why I've done it since twenty seventeen to now,
is just being amongst that group of guys and we're
all like mine and we'll enjoy a beer, like we'll
train hard, but then we'll have a good time together.
So I think, like you're saying before, just having that
group of friends has really just kept me involved. So yeah,
doing that was probably the catalyst for me continuing on
(20:14):
in the sport. Just having that group environment again.
Speaker 1 (20:17):
Now, can I talk about something for people we might
be thinking about it, because I certainly was.
Speaker 2 (20:22):
You're doing that. What's your favorite part of a.
Speaker 1 (20:25):
Trifle on now or an im man? What's the is
it a swim to buy like the run? What's what's
it's a change and has a change? I guess, good question.
Speaker 2 (20:34):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (20:34):
It's completely different type of swimming to what I was
doing because I was doing sprint swimming, which was pretty
much with my disability to use my legs to kick
as hard as I could for like fifty meters, and
you know, my arms obviously came into it as well,
but it was predominantly like I had to have a
powerful kick. So this is completely different. Swimming three point
eight kilometers in a nine man is all upper body
and you're trying not to use your legs as much
(20:55):
as possible just to save them for what's coming ahead.
So I don't really enjoy the swimming part of it,
to be honest. I think I think really bike riding
is probably my strength. If I were to say what
was my strongest leg, I'd say the riding, just because
I've got two legs, and you know my bike, I've
(21:15):
got a comfortable setup and lots of stuff on this
so I don't have I don't feel like I'm at
a disadvantage bike riding or running. But I'd say bike ridings.
I enjoy the bike riding during the race. I enjoy
the bike riding. I don't do it as much during
the training because it is a few times, you know,
on the road to hanging and hanging on with one hand.
Speaker 1 (21:33):
Tell us about that. So have you got the bike
set up? Have you got like both brakes on one
handle back? How does that bed change for you?
Speaker 3 (21:39):
Yeah, so it's all obviously modified to have all my
gearing and breaks on the left hand side. But I've
got a break and gear set up on the aerobars.
But I've also got the same thing on the bull
bars on the outside as well. So yeah, it's just
modified slightly. So it's all on the on the left
hand side. So but as I said, I'm fortunate I've
(22:00):
got my elbow, my right elbow because I can rest
that on the other aeropad. That makes it fairly comfortable.
So I don't fire. I'm not uncomfortable riding.
Speaker 2 (22:11):
A bike on chilt like one side or no.
Speaker 3 (22:13):
It's more just if I'm going down a hill and
it's wet and the elbow pad gets hit. Bet, I
feel like it could be dated. I'm just slip off
all that sort of stuff. Yeah, I've got it. Yeah,
ride with caution. Yeah yeah, Okay, okay, fantastic. See they're
and there in the group, So take us through.
Speaker 1 (22:29):
Now. So you've been writing and doing the iron Man's
how did ConA come about?
Speaker 3 (22:34):
Well, I guess Look, I mean ConA is the race
that anyone that does triathlon the first question that I'll
ask you is, oh, have you done Conah? And so
of course, like it was always one that you know,
like I never thought I'd get to do it, but
always wanted to do it. And you know, that's the
same with all of my friends. You know, like we've
got quite a few guys in our club that have
(22:55):
done Coner and you say, oh, you can be like that.
And then anyway, so I knew that the recess was.
It's different to a bodied selection, so generally speaking, like
they'll allocate a couple of spots for the first two
across the line in each age group or something along
those lines, and if you come first or second and
it rolls down, you'll get in. But with the with
(23:16):
the it's called physically challenged category. So there's a whole
bunch of different disabilities that can that can compete like myself,
or there might be someone with whatever you name it,
different disabilities, right, But there's only five spots every year
that they'll allow in the physically challenged category. And it's
it's it's via a what's it called. It's via a
(23:41):
like a lottery, I guess, so essentially like you've had
to have done an IMN previously and then you submit
your history and what you've done and a bit of
a backstory and all sort of stuff, and it's a
selection thing, but it's yeah, there's only five five slots.
So I entered this last year and I got in
first time. So yeah, I couldn't believe it. Like I
was sitting in the backyard and I said, to my life,
(24:03):
I haven't heard back from whether the you know, the selection.
You know, it was supposed to be around about now.
And then I flick open my my mobile phone with
my with my email, and I said, oh, World Championship selection,
and I click on it and it says four other
names and the very last name on the list was
was me, And I said, I sort of took was taken,
and I turned it around and show my wife and
(24:23):
we're just.
Speaker 2 (24:23):
Like, ah, yeah, you count that down one.
Speaker 3 (24:27):
Yeah, just yeah. I couldn't believe it, but it was
a dream come true to get get in and get selected.
Speaker 1 (24:33):
Well, let me see you he's thinking for you out there, kids,
keep scrolling on your phone like Dale does, because you
never know what my pop up in the backyard.
Speaker 4 (24:39):
Right, yeah, correct, fantastic So when you got there, so
now so now you're in it con telling them what
happens for the prep because it's how far out? Yeah
did you find out that was?
Speaker 3 (24:52):
That was I had? I had about six months, which
is about right, like, because I've done a few, like,
I've obviously got a bit of a back around. If
you hadn't done one, you want a little bit more time,
but you wouldn't want to do much more than sort
of a five month leading So yeah, there's five months
of training, I guess. And yeah, towards the end, they're like,
right towards the end, you're sort of doing you know,
(25:13):
a bit of heat preparation and stuff like that because
obviously in Hawaii it's a lot hotter than and we're
coming out of a Melbourne winter, so you're going from
training in the cold to into the heat. So I
was spending time up in saunas and stuff like that,
around the corner at one of the local recovery places
and doing things like that. But it was probably just
a normal typical like yeah, like iron Man build that
(25:35):
I do. And again, like it's kind of hard because
you're jugging, like shuggling family life all that sort of stuff.
I'm not training pro hours, you know. I'm just doing
as much as I can to to make sure that
I have a good day on the day.
Speaker 1 (25:49):
Tell me about KNA that what's different about it? Give
us the give us the links of the swim and
the tackle and the run.
Speaker 3 (25:54):
Yeah, so it's the same. It's the same distances as
any iron Man, which is a three point eight kilometer swim,
one hundred and eighty kilometer bike ride, and forty two
point two kilometer marathon at the end. But the only
difference with CONE is it's a non wetsuit swim, whereas
most of the other ones are all you're allowed a wetsuit,
which gives you buoyancy. So the swim's a little harder
(26:15):
because it's an ocean swim. There's a bit more current
as well over there as well, so it's quite a
difficult swim for starters. Then you get out and you're
on the bike and you basically head out of town
and you head along this highway which is so well
known amongst the trathon fraternity. It's a Queen k highway
which is essentially through lava fields and on TV it
(26:37):
looks it looks quite flat, but it's a very undulating
cause and you do have a bit of elevation involved,
but it's more just the heat out there on the highway.
Speaker 2 (26:47):
So the heat are we talking about, do you record?
Speaker 3 (26:50):
I think you know, look, it ranges between I think,
you know, sort of twenty eight degrees maybe through to
about thirty three. But the humidity is what makes it high,
and I think the rating heat off the off the
surface of the of the road as well. But there's
no shade out there, so there's no trees or anything
like that, so you've got no there's no respite from
it all. So yeah, it's super high. Like you know,
(27:12):
twenty eight feels like you feel like you're in a sauna,
you know, when you when you're riding over there. So
it was pretty oppressive.
Speaker 2 (27:17):
Does it affect high pressures?
Speaker 3 (27:20):
I think it does. I think it does. But I
wasn't told to reduce my tire pressuring like that, so yeah,
I didn't look Again, maybe yeah, not really sure to
be honest on that one rod, but maybe yeah. So yeah,
really tough prints up bike ride. But then you get
out on the run the run course, and again you
(27:40):
you sort of head head out of town back onto
that highway and you head down to this section called
the Energy Lab, which is sort of like a downhill
section where you're sort of not far from the ocean,
but there's there's no wind out there anything like that,
so it's very exposed and you know, the wind sort
of will cool you off a little bit. And so
this part of the course is around about I think
it's around about twenty five to thirty kilometers into the run.
(28:03):
It's a tough part of the course. And then obviously
it's just a grind. It's just yeah, it's again it's
just the heat gets you. And so by the end
of the day you're pretty pretty spent and you've just
got to manage your nutrition and you know, yeah, try
and try and get the fluids in as much as
you can not that sort of stuff.
Speaker 2 (28:20):
So it's and what about tell me that the lead
just the lead up to it. I believe you.
Speaker 1 (28:25):
Went over with a good bit of time, like you
didn't just rock up and did The event was next day, Yeah,
over a couple of weeks beforehand, was that be right?
Speaker 3 (28:31):
Not quite yet? Nearly. I think we went over about
nine or ten days before and spent a bit of
time over there and tried to get a bit of
you know, heat adaptation. I guess while you're the heat
fliantize and whatnot. I had another guy from my tri
club who's done it four times with me, so he
was fantastic showing me the ropes and losing don'ts and
(28:54):
and all that sort of stuff. But in the lead
up I actually got I got food poisoning on the tuesday.
The race was on Saturday, Tuesday night. I'm up up
from seven o'clock till four in the morning with gastro
or kind of fruit poising such coming out of both
ends and badly dehydrated by the Wednesday and not the
perfect leaning and yeah, so that was an ideal and
(29:18):
that kind of affected me a little bit on race
day towards the end. But yeah, anyway, you do what
you do.
Speaker 1 (29:24):
Yeah, I obviously got it done. So with the nutrition,
what what what? What are you wanting to get into
your body during that? What are you avoiding when you're
doing those events?
Speaker 3 (29:33):
Look, it's just you want to practice what you practice
what you're going to have on race day in training regularly.
So I would just have like that, there's gels, which
which which obviously you'd be well aware of, but it's
more about like, yeah, making sure yeah you know what
you you know what you're you're going to have on
(29:55):
race day and that you practice it, so you know, yeah,
with gels and sports Dream and all sort of stuff.
But I would use a brand, not doing to pump here,
but I've got a brand called Infinite, which is just
it's just like a mix that I use and I
wouldn't take any any food like bars with gels. It
was just this liquid liquid form. Now on the run,
(30:15):
I have to have gels.
Speaker 2 (30:16):
So yeah, yeah, So for you, what was that?
Speaker 1 (30:18):
What was the I guess what was the hardest part
of Karna and was it different than what you expected?
Speaker 3 (30:25):
The hardest part? Yeah, Look, the runs obviously the hardest
part because it's the last the last leg, you're obviously
tired at that point, and it's really just Yeah, I
would say from probably about fifteen k through to about
thirty k is the toughest part of the race for me,
just because that's the time when you're questioning why you're
doing it, and then once you sort of get to
(30:47):
the thirty k mark, you're like, well, just like, I
can do this. I've done twelve k's, I do it
Tuesday night. I can get here from here. It's just
getting to thirty.
Speaker 2 (30:56):
Games, isn't it. It's really greats.
Speaker 1 (30:58):
It's my mind off off of works like I was
telling this amount now I've done that, or I ridden
written like I was just down the morning. I was
just down to Frankston. Yeah, it's it's interesting how your
mind works like that.
Speaker 3 (31:08):
Yeah, just biting off small tongues.
Speaker 1 (31:11):
Yeah, just chugging it down and just the big and
getting it done and your mind starts to play games.
I love that one where you're seeing, you know, why
am I doing this? Why did those sign up? I
remember doing doing a cycling race. I was going up
this hill that myself and this other guy were kind
of struggling up this hill and this smart ass was
sitting outside his house.
Speaker 2 (31:29):
Any case, Hey, you two just realize you're paid to
do this.
Speaker 1 (31:34):
And if I had had the strength of when to
go up and points his lives out, but he was
dead right, you kind of did.
Speaker 2 (31:40):
Let's keep going, you.
Speaker 3 (31:41):
Know you didn't.
Speaker 1 (31:42):
So, yeah, it's interesting because your mind starts to go
through I wanted to do this while I committed this
and something we can get over that though, isn't that
you're just onto that right next way? So when you
did kind did you? Was it everything you thought it
would be? And did you get you had your finish and.
Speaker 3 (31:56):
We had on how you went and yeah, no, look
it was it was everything that I did it be.
It's amazing. It's the most iconic race in Trithon, and yeah,
literally it was. I loved every second of it. I
loved just being there with my family. That was the
main thing. Like, the race was fantastic, but at the
end of the day, the best, the best part of
it was just having my wife and two kids there
(32:17):
with you.
Speaker 2 (32:18):
And you were some very photos.
Speaker 1 (32:19):
I remember seeing some photos of of you know, with
your wife Brie and the kids just watching you come
nish life. I remember a couple of really good ones
and that must have been so exciting for you.
Speaker 3 (32:30):
Yeah, that was the best part was when my kids
run up and jumped up on me and just said, Dad,
I'm so proud of you. And my little boys said Dad,
You're amazing, and you know that made it all worthwhile
for me, Like, yeah, that's what it's all about.
Speaker 1 (32:40):
Yeah, yeah, it's it is fantastic and that that part,
I guess that would have driven you along.
Speaker 2 (32:46):
Definitely doing that. So tell me what's what's up? What's
up next for you?
Speaker 3 (32:51):
Well, I'm taking a backward step from it all this
year because it's it's such a big thing, especially for
my life. Who's got to deal with you deal with
it all. And you know, we've got two kids and
trying to get through life as you know these days.
So I'm not going to not going to be doing
any iron Man's this year or anything like that. I've
got a five year old so I'm just enjoying and
(33:11):
a twelve year old girl as well, So I'm just
enjoying spending time with them on the weekend. I haven't
had I never missed my I might have missed one.
I rarely missed my daughter's netball games during the whole,
I always make sure i'd ride and get home for
that Saturday. But now my little boy's sort of starting.
I was kicking basketball and a that sort of stuff.
I want to be there for them this year and
(33:33):
next year and all sorts of stuff. And I've done
it now. And it's not that I'll never do another
one or I want to keep going and do other things,
but at the moment there my priority, and yeah, doing
that having a bit of time away from it. So
I'm doing swim run this new thing on Sunday which
is just local to bo Morris. So yeah, yeah, not
(33:53):
out to break any records.
Speaker 1 (33:55):
But you're keeping fit, and I think, but ye know
what you're entering into now I can tell them experience
you sort of put your own sporting thing on whole
for a little bit while you work with your kids.
And it's amazing because it's only a limited amount of time, right,
and they have about you know, give me looking at
the kids' age, it's about sort of five to seven years,
five to ten years of when you're with them, taking
(34:17):
them to sport and all sorts of sports. I've had
the pleasure of taking two of my boys to world
championships and yachting. One of them was in Argentina, funny enough,
and it's really exciting. And then in school sport, I
loved every basketball game I went to, in his football games.
But then obviously we're we did a lot of racing,
so taken them to regattas or across Australia and there's
(34:37):
a whole parents group and there's a lot of really
good fathers and mothers who are really great sailors and
they just now spared their kids and each must they
go through it. The kids get their own driver's licenses
or do whatever they do.
Speaker 2 (34:48):
You kind of come back to it.
Speaker 1 (34:49):
And so the same group are now doing master's stuff,
you know, at the elite level that really honestly, they
haven't really lost anything. In fact, they've actually picked it
up because they've been with their kids. The kids are
getting the most amazing coaching. You're kind of by us.
Most that start picking up things as well, which is
really cool. So you're ready for a really good ride.
And I think it's really admirable for you to do
(35:11):
that and spend that time with him because it is
an absolute joy and.
Speaker 3 (35:13):
It doesn't last that's right, Yeah, one hundred percent.
Speaker 1 (35:16):
So there so therefore, so so really team Dale is
Brie and the kids. Which is which is they've done
a fantastic job supporting you, and well done for you
for taking them too, because that's not you could have
gone across there and done it yourself with no question
about that. But the joy at the end I think
makes it makes it all worthwhile.
Speaker 3 (35:33):
Yeah. Look, I wouldn't do it. I wouldn't do it
without them. You know. They're the reason I do it,
you know, Yeah, the reason I, yeah, I do what
I do is because I want to impress my kids.
Speaker 2 (35:46):
So they call you a super dad. There's no question
about that.
Speaker 3 (35:49):
Of course.
Speaker 1 (35:49):
Of course Brie cycling now and when they got tell
me this, when did you Bree start cycling?
Speaker 2 (35:53):
When was that during COVID? Yeah?
Speaker 3 (35:57):
I think it was. Yeah. So my wife, she's not
really she wasn't really like an athlete as such, but
she picked up cycling and she she's a complain to me,
and so what do you know, I don't want you
going out there. It's dangerous out there. And next you know,
you know, a couple of her friends said, why don't
come on for a ride? And she's she's she rides
more than me, so she Yeah, she'll get up and
ride three or four mornings a week now and we
(36:18):
take turns and all sort of stuff. But I think
it's healthy because, like she she's also got a business,
an accounting business, so she's really busy, and it's that
you need your own time and to have that have
that outlet as well. So I love that she does it.
Speaker 2 (36:33):
Now, what do you do? You talk about work life
goals before tell us what are you doing work wise?
Speaker 3 (36:38):
Yes, I've got a family business with my dad. So
we've got a brand called Otway Footwear, which is like
a gum boot and work boot business. We also have
another brand called Cloggies, which are like sort of similar
to like your crocs. We do garden shoes and right, okay,
I know the brand. It's pretty cool. Yeah, So it's
it's a it's an important business. They're our own brands
(37:00):
and keeps us pretty busy. So we've got a warehouse
down in Camera Downs and you know, my dad's always
been in importing and footwear and stuff like that, so
I'm sort of doing that with him. We've been doing
it for about look, i'd say it's thirteen fourteen years
now going, so it's been going a while, but yeah,
keeps us busy.
Speaker 2 (37:18):
Yeah, and not too far not too far far away
from home as well.
Speaker 3 (37:21):
Right, Yeah, that's good, fantastic.
Speaker 1 (37:23):
Yeah, if people want to find out a bit more
about you with what's what's some ways they can contact
you or your socials or anything like that you want
to share. Yeah, the footwear stuff, that's okay, we can
do that.
Speaker 3 (37:34):
That's okay. I'm not big on Instagram and Facebook and
all sort of stuff, but I couldn't m tell you
my Instagram handle. But look, if you look up Dale
Grant on Instagram and Facebook, I'm sure I'm sure you'll
find me Dale Underscore Grant dot five something cool.
Speaker 1 (37:51):
So that you're only you're on LinkedIn as well. Yeah, yeah,
any questions around what you've been doing so look fantastic. Well,
thanks so much for joining us. A really insight in
the current, but also really insited to you and what's
what's driven you as well, and thanks for openly sharing
it's been it's been an absolute pleasure having a chat
and we'll catch up.
Speaker 3 (38:11):
Thanks very much, Rob, have it who on?
Speaker 1 (38:13):
Yeah, I hope you enjoyed this episode of the It's
All Possible Podcast. You can contact me at Rob at
Robhardner dot com or my website Robharder dot com, or
on LinkedIn. Remember to check out the previous seasons and
episodes of the podcast and the show notes for more details.
Speaker 2 (38:33):
On this episode's guest.
Speaker 1 (38:35):
For more inspiration, remember to check out the All Possibility
Plays on spotted by, which contains a collection upbeat, positive
music I use for inspiration in my live performances. Until
next time, live with passion and a perspective of possibility.
The most successful people in the world all have one
thing in common. They've learned how to think big by
developing a perspective of possibility. And the good news is
we all have the potential to apply the same strategies
to achieve amazing things.
Speaker 2 (00:20):
In our work and lives.
Speaker 1 (00:22):
Hi, I'm Rob Hartnett, and as you're a chief Possibility
officer and host, I'm here to inspire you to become
the star of your world as a person of possibility
through learning how people from all areas of life are
thinking big and chasing down their dreams.
Speaker 2 (00:40):
This is a big athletic episode, this one. I'm really
super excited.
Speaker 1 (00:43):
I'm going to bring you a triathlete, a paralympian, a footballer,
a surfer, and a super dad.
Speaker 2 (00:49):
His name is Dale Graham. Welcome to the show.
Speaker 3 (00:51):
Dale, Thanks Rob, thanks for having me. Really appreciate it.
Speaker 2 (00:55):
No worries. Dale.
Speaker 1 (00:56):
I've been a admiring you from a distance because you're
so faster than you do. It's only when you slow
down for coffee. I get to see the full day
on what he's like. But I was fascinated with your background.
I've been fascinated with what you've been doing and how
you've been competing for so long and doing amazing stuff,
and I was fascinating to get you on this podcast,
so thank you for coming on.
Speaker 2 (01:17):
Let's have a chat a look quickly though.
Speaker 1 (01:18):
So you're a paralympian, you did ConA last year, which
we'll get into more detail about, and you've been had
a disability I think since birth. You want to tell
us a little bit about that, and then we'll talk
about what you've done to basically have created these fantastic
elements of possibility because you're just living the dream. So
tell me about the disability and how that came about.
Speaker 3 (01:40):
Yeah, sure, Well I was born missing half of my
right arm below my elbow, just below my elbow, so
it's a congeneral congenital birth defect. It was a thing
called amniotic banding, which, to be honest with you, I've
never really gone into depth about what it is or
how it happened, or the reasons behind it or anything
(02:02):
like that, just because, to be honest with nothing I
can do about it. So it was more just you know,
I don't need to know about it, just get on
with it. So it was ya amniotic bank. It's basically
a situation where the amniotic sac. I believe it just
didn't allow my arm to go outside grow inside the
womb properly, right, something along the lines of that.
Speaker 1 (02:24):
That's so we need to know that's from birth. So
you've had this in birth, it just hasn't stopped it.
Which is what I love about this. We were talking
off you were telling me that all is great. You
pretty much did every sport, know on demand. It was
a school, so he went to regular school. He went
right through the school. But you also played like at
a grade level AFL.
Speaker 3 (02:41):
Football, right, yes, well a grade Ammo's football which is
in the Bafer Victorian umit a football association. But this
was we're talking back through the late nineties through to
mid two thousands. I played. I played over two hundred
games with Mazenoon were predominantly in B grade, but we
did have a year in a grade in two thousand
(03:04):
and one. I was I was. I was a good
twoes player, but I did play a couple of senior
games in a grade in two so I was pretty
pretty happy with that.
Speaker 1 (03:13):
That was very similar to me Dale. I was a
great DS player and occasionally I got to the C.
So I'm feeling you. Okay, I know you don't know
what you're getting.
Speaker 2 (03:23):
How did you?
Speaker 1 (03:23):
I mean, you've just obviously clearly you're a completely great,
fantastic kick football at marking.
Speaker 2 (03:29):
Was this so just one handed marks most of the
time'd be right?
Speaker 3 (03:32):
Oh, I know, Look my elbow. I've been able to
use it in so many different ways just having that
stump with the elbow. Like I swam with some other
guys who didn't have the elbow joint, and it's only
just a small, a small part. It's probably you know,
maybe three inches long past my elbow joint got. But
(03:54):
because it's like a lever that can move back and forth,
it just allows me to do so much with it,
which so i'd be able to lift, I'd be able
to take marks out in front of them, out in
front of me, yeah yeah, and sort of clamp my
hand and my yes, my stuff.
Speaker 2 (04:08):
You're showing me. Its some visual you're showing so I.
Speaker 3 (04:11):
Could take overhead marks and stuff. Look, yeah, I'm not.
I'm definitely no no gariblet Jnr. But like you know,
I was, I was. I was not a bad two's player,
let's put it out. I was no superstar. But you
know my friends and all that sort of stuff. Would
say that I could I could kick a foot him
like a footy handball. I was. I was a reasonable player,
but never going to make the AFL, which I wanted
(04:32):
to as a kid.
Speaker 2 (04:33):
That was of course we all have.
Speaker 1 (04:36):
I think it's there's a great I have you heard
heard of the actor called Jonah Hill and he's fantastic
act You've probably seen him if you thinks you were
really good moving on skateboarding in the ninety nineties and
someone said to him, so, Jonah, you're a big skateboarder.
He goes, oh, man, I love it. He said, let
me tell you a ten percent talent on hundred and
twenty percent passion. Sometimes the way it is, but we
use our use our talents in different ways. So how
(04:59):
did you get You didn't got any? So after football
got the swimming though. It was pretty serious at swimming
because you went to the Paralympics were swimming.
Speaker 3 (05:04):
Yeah, into that?
Speaker 2 (05:05):
What was the switch?
Speaker 3 (05:07):
Look, we went to My dad was always a super
keen sportsman, like he played football in the VFA and whatnot,
played golf all that sort of stuff. So he always
encouraged me to sport. And when the Sydney Olympic Games
came around, he was one of the first to go,
We're getting tickets, and so we got tickets to the
Sydney Games. And my wife, who was my girlfriend at
(05:29):
the time, she came along as well, so Brie and
we went off to the Sydney Games. And I was
just I just was in aura of the whole Olympic
Games situation and anyway, I didn't know anything about the
Paralympic Games. And that was two thousand and got back
from that, and then two weeks later I saw the
Paralympics on TV and I saw the swimming and I thought,
I've been a swimmer down at lawn in the nippers
(05:51):
and stuff like that as a kid growing up, and
did a little bit of very minimal swimming at school
like we do the school sports. I was pretty good,
like nothing special, but you know, like I wasn't the worst.
And so I thought, I reckon, I could do that.
I could can I could mix it with those guys,
you know. Anyway, So I went down, I did a
bit of googling, and I found a coach in Richmond
(06:13):
called Kathy A. Cox, and I turned up to her,
turned up to her swim squad one evening and sort
of tapped her on the shoulder and said, hi, on Dale,
and I'd like to I'd like to go to the
Paralympics of the swimmer and she sort of she sort
of looked at me and go, really you want to
do that? Do you? Well? You know, okay, well have
(06:34):
you got your goggles with you? And I said yep,
and she said, okay, when you get So I jumped,
I dived in and sort of swam up and backed
the pool and she said, okay, well you can swim,
but like there's a fair bit of work and you've
got to do and you know, are you sure that
that's what you want to do, what you want to do,
then you need to you need to come to training
six days a week. And so I drove. I would
drive from Mount Waverley into Richmond and swim with her after.
(06:59):
Like I I was working part time at that stage,
so I'd go in there, like I think it was
maybe four thirty, I think I can't quite remember it was.
And I was swimming with like eleven year old kids
and stuff like that, and I were like superfish. These
kids are all level swimmers and that sort of stuff,
and they were I felt a bit out of plays
because I was a twenty two year old guy, you know,
(07:20):
and stuff like that, and these are young kids, like
a bit odd. But anyway, so I dove into that
and one thing led to another. I did state championships
and then national champ I qualified for National Championships and
within twelve months I think I was ranked maybe second
in Australia in the S nine, which is my category.
(07:41):
From there, I got put on the Paralympic preparation program
for Athens, and so from there they sort of target
you to be a potential Paralympian. And so then I
did a couple of meets overseas where we went to
Germany and did a meat over there and in England
and where else do we go? And then from there
(08:02):
I did a couple of races and then went to
the World Championships in Argentina and I managed to get
fourth in the fifty freestyle, and so from there I
think they thought, well, this guy might be a chance
to represent Australia apparently, so I went to nationals in
the lead up to the Games and I managed to
scrape in by I think it was point oh five
of a second, So there were qualifying times that you
(08:25):
had to be able to reach in order. Because it
wasn't sort of first and second over the line like
they do in the Olympics and you're in it. You
had to you had to meet a certain target to
get in. So I just scraped in and yeah, got
myself a ticket to Athens as a fifty meter freestyler,
and I did do that, dabbled in the hundred freestyle
as well, and went over there. I was really disappointed
(08:49):
in how it went, so went ranked in fourth in
the world. I'm in a fifty freestyle. I had a
bad swim and ended up missing the final and I
came eleventh overall. Also from that, I was part of
the four by one hundred real a team, probably our
second string team, because they would have a heat heat
(09:09):
team and then it'd have a finals team, and we'd
a guy on our swim team called Matthew Cowdrey. He
went on to become probably the greatest Paralympic swimmer of
all time, but he was in my class, so he
was the one I couldn't beat him. He was amazing.
The funny thing was probably eight months before the games
I was beating him, but he just had this amazing
growth spurt and went on and did amazing things, won
(09:32):
gold medals and stuff like that. But I actually had
a shocker. I had a really bad one hundred meter swim,
and they gave this butterfly S nine athlete over there
a chance to have a crack at the real A team,
and he actually swammed me, and then he did the
heat swim. The team went on and won a gold medal,
(09:53):
and I missed out on a God. Yeah, from that,
I came back really dejected and obviously like pretty disappointed.
And I think that along with the fact that, like
I'm going into a long winded story, I'm giving also
at that time, only I think it was yeah, a
couple of years, no, sorry, two thousand and I'm getting
(10:16):
my ears mixed up. Yeah, two thousand and three, my
mum was diagnosed with cancer and given six months to live.
She managed to come over to Athens. I felt like
I disappointed her as well, which I know I didn't.
She was super proud of me and all that sort
of stuff, But deep down you're feeling a little bit like,
for sure, like I'd let her down and things like that.
And so I feel like because of all that I did,
(10:38):
I've never really got over it. And and I think
that's what spurred me on to continue to do these
sports that I do, Like I like start a try
and then go on and do iron Man and always
trying to prove myself. And I think I've been like
that my whole life, where I've really just always wanted
to prove myself. Maybe it's a small it's like I'm
(11:00):
a happy person, but yeah, keep on my shoulder, like
I can beat you, I can do whatever.
Speaker 1 (11:04):
You can do that well, sometimes it's a driver, isn't it,
you know, and absolutely making that making the olyp because
it's just such a huge thing. I know a lot
of people that happened who missed that cut to go
and you had a good run too.
Speaker 2 (11:15):
I when you had a good run, you kind of.
Speaker 1 (11:17):
I love the fact I just you know, I love
to take you back a little bit when you said I.
Speaker 2 (11:20):
Just reckon, I can do it.
Speaker 1 (11:21):
And I really love that start because a lot of
people don't get that place.
Speaker 2 (11:27):
And what I've found when I'm.
Speaker 1 (11:28):
Talking about possibility, especially, a lot of people go, yeah, yeah,
I can see how other people could do that. But
they very It's only a few a few small percentage
of people who are like you, who go, I reckon
I could do that is a big step right, And
my book I actually gave between it's sort of step
four out of five. Four is like, yeah, I can
(11:48):
see what's possible. But for other people, step five is
I can see what's possible. For me, it's a real gap.
And you kind of just went to that fight, which
I totally love.
Speaker 3 (11:56):
But then then you.
Speaker 1 (11:56):
Took action, which is the other big, big attribute of
people stability. They actually do shit, they do, they get something.
You went down and said, hey, by the way out,
this is who I am.
Speaker 2 (12:05):
I want to do at Paralympia.
Speaker 1 (12:07):
Reminds me of so much of Alyssa Kampler when she
was doing snow skiing.
Speaker 2 (12:11):
Tracked out a coach and said, hey, by the way,
I want to do.
Speaker 1 (12:14):
I want to do you a aeral ski aeral skiing
and ski jumping, and the coach said okay, fair enough,
and she goes now he goes to watch your first step, shed, well,
I want to learn to ski first. Because she had
actually been into a snowfield that particular point, and we
will know she want to go in a bronze, right,
But that that first step is saying I reckon I
could do it and then taking action.
Speaker 2 (12:33):
So that's huge, man, it's really big. In fact, you went.
Speaker 1 (12:36):
There, you know, ranking fourth, and you know there's you
have a bad We all have bad races, bad days,
but I think having a complication of your mother in
the background, that's pretty heavy, you know. I mean people
look pulled out of the beans because of that, and
you went through it, which is to your credit.
Speaker 2 (12:51):
So tell me.
Speaker 1 (12:52):
About this South of the Paralympics. When did you start
to get into the Iron Man Triathlons? When did that happen?
Speaker 2 (12:58):
How far.
Speaker 3 (13:01):
Hung in? I hung in swimming for a couple more
years after after Athens, and then I retired in two
thousand and six. But whilst I was doing that, I
still sort of I went back and played a bit
more footy because I just loved being around my mates
and swimming is obviously individual sport, you know, it's it's
very Yeah, very can be boring and be lonely. But
I've had a great group of friends around me that
(13:23):
you know, I loved being around, and so I went
back and played football at mazonod for a couple more years,
and I think it was just more Look, you get
to a period in your life where you just can't
keep playing footy. It gets a body and stuff like that,
and so I just wanted to look for what I
could do next. And yeah, I just decided to go
and do one of those local Gatorade races just for
(13:45):
like fitness wise and that and did that, and then
from there again similar sort of got bitten by a
bit of a bug and I thought, well, I am
a reasonable swimmer and I can swim. I enjoy running
because I've done that through my football life. And I
had done a little bit of bike riding up and
down Beach Road with a group of friends of mine
who introduced me to bike riding. And so because of that,
(14:07):
I just decided, look at the natural progression, I'm going
to have a go at triathon, which I did.
Speaker 2 (14:12):
Sorry slowly, I love the back. You said, Well, yeah,
I can run really well, I'm kind of swing right.
Speaker 1 (14:17):
Well, I grew up as a there bre, so I
have a couple of rides on beach right, So the
natural progressions triathlets.
Speaker 2 (14:22):
Not everyone does that. A special guy that's really cool.
Speaker 3 (14:25):
I don't know well, I'm honestly, I'm not a good runner.
I'm average, but like I'm prepared to go so and
then yeah, from that again similar like I think that
the thing with having a disability, it just opened so
many doors that I think a lot of people who
don't do disability sport they might have a disability, but
they don't think that they can do sport, don't realize
(14:47):
that the opportunity that's out there for people that do
have a disability, there's so many opportunities out there, and
it just yeah, as I said, it opens up a
lot of doors. And from doing that triathon, the local
Gatorade race, I then went and did the National Championships
which they would hold up at Penrith for a few
years then and I did that, and then I got
put on an Australian side that went over and did
(15:10):
the Sprint Championships over in Auckland in twenty twelve.
Speaker 1 (15:13):
I think it was what did you get into that?
Did they just see the form you were doing and
then picked you up?
Speaker 2 (15:17):
What was your props?
Speaker 3 (15:18):
Well, I think when you do nationals like you've got
to be classified in your stability classifications. I did that
and then you're on there kind of radar, I guess,
or wherever it might be. And then yeah, I was
chosen to go to do the one in Auckland, so
I did that race. But at that time in my life,
you know, I've got I've got a wife, I've got
a house, I've got mortgage. You know, it's I've had
(15:39):
my go at Apparalympic sport and I'm now I'm what
am I in my thirties and stuff like that, early thirties,
like thirty thirty, thirty three, thirty four or something like that,
not getting any younger. But I did enjoy I really
enjoyed that like outdoor active lifestyle that Triflon is. And
(16:00):
we actually moved down to bow Morris where you're from,
rob and and and as a result, like, as you know,
it's such a such a great place to do those
sports along beach road and whatnot. So I just continued
to continue doing the races. And then my friends who
were my bike riding mates, schoolmates, football mates, we decided
(16:20):
to do a half iron Man. Crazy enough, but we
did that, and we're pretty competitive amongst amongst one another.
I'll beat you and you beat me and all that
sort of stuff. So we met a crack at that
and we did the half iron Man and then one of.
Speaker 2 (16:30):
My where was that was?
Speaker 3 (16:32):
That was? That was challenge Melbourne here yep, and from
there like as soon as you do that, like you
do it at I Man half yeah, yeah, yeah.
Speaker 1 (16:44):
Well let's talk about that because I think the other
thing is and again yes, sorry I slow you down,
but you've got such gold in what you're saying.
Speaker 2 (16:51):
You haven't been a group of mates around you, right,
and he.
Speaker 1 (16:53):
Spur you on and you're all competitive that it is
such an important thing to have and are you you're
you're aware of the date which is which is which
the Strava Day, which is like kind of give up day?
Speaker 2 (17:06):
You know that one you know about that?
Speaker 3 (17:08):
That's what it is.
Speaker 2 (17:09):
It's basically it's called it's called essentially give up day.
Speaker 1 (17:12):
Give Up Day is around January nineteenth every year, right,
and you watch it on it and it's done by Strava, right,
and Strava because Strava watched the data. So year's year's date,
everyone opens up a Strata a gamp, gets a Strata
account or makes a comment on a Strata account, and
by January night it falls off the cliff. I see
falls up the cliff. But what their data shows is
(17:33):
that those who are riding or competing in a group,
are running in a group get back on the horse
within about five days because their mates will go.
Speaker 2 (17:42):
Hey, Dale, let's see you out there. Oh hey Rob,
you want to You were there for coffee right on
your own. You can't never get there.
Speaker 1 (17:48):
But their data shows that in a group, it looks
after you in a group that's collective, you're.
Speaker 2 (17:53):
Back on the horse.
Speaker 1 (17:53):
And they said the data attack off again and it's
a really interesting piece.
Speaker 2 (17:57):
So that's why I think it's really cool. You had
those guys you know, probably driving that sometimes, but.
Speaker 3 (18:01):
The at least for really competity and you're all.
Speaker 2 (18:03):
Pushing each other.
Speaker 1 (18:03):
Of course you do the half marathon, it's now like
hey guys, yeah, we're gonna do that.
Speaker 2 (18:06):
We're gonna a full line man.
Speaker 3 (18:08):
Yeah that's right. Yeah.
Speaker 2 (18:09):
So what happened after full lie man? Yeah?
Speaker 3 (18:12):
Yeah? So so I did. I did my first I
man over in Bustleton in twenty seventeen, and I was
I self trained myself. I literally got a training program
off the internet and just sort of followed that and
did it all by myself, and I remember like driving
from because we stayed in the place just south of Bustleton,
my wife and I and my daughter, and I remember
(18:34):
driving to the race and like I didn't know, like
I've done the short course distance races, if I knew
nothing about like nutrition or pacing or heart rate or
any of that sort of stuff that most most nine
men athletes would be well aware of. And I remember, yeah,
getting in the car and driving down and I'm like
absolutely shitting my pants, like I'm so scared, you know,
(18:56):
especially because I had no support about me. So I
did that first race, and then I completed that. Obviously,
I was like, I've got to do another one. I
want to do better than that. You know, I didn't
do this or I didn't do that right. So I
got myself a coach, which I think is really important.
Speaker 2 (19:10):
I kind of know also that you really enjoyed it.
Speaker 3 (19:12):
I think you when you enjoy it, you can you finishing.
Speaker 2 (19:14):
I want to do another one, that's right.
Speaker 1 (19:15):
I remember Robbie McEwen saying about you know, whether you
think if you don't know your a cyclist or not,
when you do an event and you're absolutely stuffed and
you're almost vomiting at the inter it you go, when's
the next one? Yeah, and so it's a really good
I think it's a good point is that you've got
these right, I'm going to get a coach.
Speaker 2 (19:29):
I'm going to go to get better. So that's what happened.
Speaker 3 (19:32):
Yeah, yeah, correct, So I got myself a coach, Julie
Teddy from a local trathlon club here and bym she's
very well known and great, great ladies. Really she's very
inspirational because she just she trains her butt off, you know,
harder than most of the athletes in our squad, you know,
and back to your back to your point before. Being
part of that club has kept me going. It's probably
(19:54):
the reason why I've done it since twenty seventeen to now,
is just being amongst that group of guys and we're
all like mine and we'll enjoy a beer, like we'll
train hard, but then we'll have a good time together.
So I think, like you're saying before, just having that
group of friends has really just kept me involved. So yeah,
doing that was probably the catalyst for me continuing on
(20:14):
in the sport. Just having that group environment again.
Speaker 1 (20:17):
Now, can I talk about something for people we might
be thinking about it, because I certainly was.
Speaker 2 (20:22):
You're doing that. What's your favorite part of a.
Speaker 1 (20:25):
Trifle on now or an im man? What's the is
it a swim to buy like the run? What's what's
it's a change and has a change? I guess, good question.
Speaker 2 (20:34):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (20:34):
It's completely different type of swimming to what I was
doing because I was doing sprint swimming, which was pretty
much with my disability to use my legs to kick
as hard as I could for like fifty meters, and
you know, my arms obviously came into it as well,
but it was predominantly like I had to have a
powerful kick. So this is completely different. Swimming three point
eight kilometers in a nine man is all upper body
and you're trying not to use your legs as much
(20:55):
as possible just to save them for what's coming ahead.
So I don't really enjoy the swimming part of it,
to be honest. I think I think really bike riding
is probably my strength. If I were to say what
was my strongest leg, I'd say the riding, just because
I've got two legs, and you know my bike, I've
(21:15):
got a comfortable setup and lots of stuff on this
so I don't have I don't feel like I'm at
a disadvantage bike riding or running. But I'd say bike ridings.
I enjoy the bike riding during the race. I enjoy
the bike riding. I don't do it as much during
the training because it is a few times, you know,
on the road to hanging and hanging on with one hand.
Speaker 1 (21:33):
Tell us about that. So have you got the bike
set up? Have you got like both brakes on one
handle back? How does that bed change for you?
Speaker 3 (21:39):
Yeah, so it's all obviously modified to have all my
gearing and breaks on the left hand side. But I've
got a break and gear set up on the aerobars.
But I've also got the same thing on the bull
bars on the outside as well. So yeah, it's just
modified slightly. So it's all on the on the left
hand side. So but as I said, I'm fortunate I've
(22:00):
got my elbow, my right elbow because I can rest
that on the other aeropad. That makes it fairly comfortable.
So I don't fire. I'm not uncomfortable riding.
Speaker 2 (22:11):
A bike on chilt like one side or no.
Speaker 3 (22:13):
It's more just if I'm going down a hill and
it's wet and the elbow pad gets hit. Bet, I
feel like it could be dated. I'm just slip off
all that sort of stuff. Yeah, I've got it. Yeah,
ride with caution. Yeah yeah, Okay, okay, fantastic. See they're
and there in the group, So take us through.
Speaker 1 (22:29):
Now. So you've been writing and doing the iron Man's
how did ConA come about?
Speaker 3 (22:34):
Well, I guess Look, I mean ConA is the race
that anyone that does triathlon the first question that I'll
ask you is, oh, have you done Conah? And so
of course, like it was always one that you know,
like I never thought I'd get to do it, but
always wanted to do it. And you know, that's the
same with all of my friends. You know, like we've
got quite a few guys in our club that have
(22:55):
done Coner and you say, oh, you can be like that.
And then anyway, so I knew that the recess was.
It's different to a bodied selection, so generally speaking, like
they'll allocate a couple of spots for the first two
across the line in each age group or something along
those lines, and if you come first or second and
it rolls down, you'll get in. But with the with
(23:16):
the it's called physically challenged category. So there's a whole
bunch of different disabilities that can that can compete like myself,
or there might be someone with whatever you name it,
different disabilities, right, But there's only five spots every year
that they'll allow in the physically challenged category. And it's
it's it's via a what's it called. It's via a
(23:41):
like a lottery, I guess, so essentially like you've had
to have done an IMN previously and then you submit
your history and what you've done and a bit of
a backstory and all sort of stuff, and it's a
selection thing, but it's yeah, there's only five five slots.
So I entered this last year and I got in
first time. So yeah, I couldn't believe it. Like I
was sitting in the backyard and I said, to my life,
(24:03):
I haven't heard back from whether the you know, the selection.
You know, it was supposed to be around about now.
And then I flick open my my mobile phone with
my with my email, and I said, oh, World Championship selection,
and I click on it and it says four other
names and the very last name on the list was
was me, And I said, I sort of took was taken,
and I turned it around and show my wife and
(24:23):
we're just.
Speaker 2 (24:23):
Like, ah, yeah, you count that down one.
Speaker 3 (24:27):
Yeah, just yeah. I couldn't believe it, but it was
a dream come true to get get in and get selected.
Speaker 1 (24:33):
Well, let me see you he's thinking for you out there, kids,
keep scrolling on your phone like Dale does, because you
never know what my pop up in the backyard.
Speaker 4 (24:39):
Right, yeah, correct, fantastic So when you got there, so
now so now you're in it con telling them what
happens for the prep because it's how far out? Yeah
did you find out that was?
Speaker 3 (24:52):
That was I had? I had about six months, which
is about right, like, because I've done a few, like,
I've obviously got a bit of a back around. If
you hadn't done one, you want a little bit more time,
but you wouldn't want to do much more than sort
of a five month leading So yeah, there's five months
of training, I guess. And yeah, towards the end, they're like,
right towards the end, you're sort of doing you know,
(25:13):
a bit of heat preparation and stuff like that because
obviously in Hawaii it's a lot hotter than and we're
coming out of a Melbourne winter, so you're going from
training in the cold to into the heat. So I
was spending time up in saunas and stuff like that,
around the corner at one of the local recovery places
and doing things like that. But it was probably just
a normal typical like yeah, like iron Man build that
(25:35):
I do. And again, like it's kind of hard because
you're jugging, like shuggling family life all that sort of stuff.
I'm not training pro hours, you know. I'm just doing
as much as I can to to make sure that
I have a good day on the day.
Speaker 1 (25:49):
Tell me about KNA that what's different about it? Give
us the give us the links of the swim and
the tackle and the run.
Speaker 3 (25:54):
Yeah, so it's the same. It's the same distances as
any iron Man, which is a three point eight kilometer swim,
one hundred and eighty kilometer bike ride, and forty two
point two kilometer marathon at the end. But the only
difference with CONE is it's a non wetsuit swim, whereas
most of the other ones are all you're allowed a wetsuit,
which gives you buoyancy. So the swim's a little harder
(26:15):
because it's an ocean swim. There's a bit more current
as well over there as well, so it's quite a
difficult swim for starters. Then you get out and you're
on the bike and you basically head out of town
and you head along this highway which is so well
known amongst the trathon fraternity. It's a Queen k highway
which is essentially through lava fields and on TV it
(26:37):
looks it looks quite flat, but it's a very undulating
cause and you do have a bit of elevation involved,
but it's more just the heat out there on the highway.
Speaker 2 (26:47):
So the heat are we talking about, do you record?
Speaker 3 (26:50):
I think you know, look, it ranges between I think,
you know, sort of twenty eight degrees maybe through to
about thirty three. But the humidity is what makes it high,
and I think the rating heat off the off the
surface of the of the road as well. But there's
no shade out there, so there's no trees or anything
like that, so you've got no there's no respite from
it all. So yeah, it's super high. Like you know,
(27:12):
twenty eight feels like you feel like you're in a sauna,
you know, when you when you're riding over there. So
it was pretty oppressive.
Speaker 2 (27:17):
Does it affect high pressures?
Speaker 3 (27:20):
I think it does. I think it does. But I
wasn't told to reduce my tire pressuring like that, so yeah,
I didn't look Again, maybe yeah, not really sure to
be honest on that one rod, but maybe yeah. So yeah,
really tough prints up bike ride. But then you get
out on the run the run course, and again you
(27:40):
you sort of head head out of town back onto
that highway and you head down to this section called
the Energy Lab, which is sort of like a downhill
section where you're sort of not far from the ocean,
but there's there's no wind out there anything like that,
so it's very exposed and you know, the wind sort
of will cool you off a little bit. And so
this part of the course is around about I think
it's around about twenty five to thirty kilometers into the run.
(28:03):
It's a tough part of the course. And then obviously
it's just a grind. It's just yeah, it's again it's
just the heat gets you. And so by the end
of the day you're pretty pretty spent and you've just
got to manage your nutrition and you know, yeah, try
and try and get the fluids in as much as
you can not that sort of stuff.
Speaker 2 (28:20):
So it's and what about tell me that the lead
just the lead up to it. I believe you.
Speaker 1 (28:25):
Went over with a good bit of time, like you
didn't just rock up and did The event was next day, Yeah,
over a couple of weeks beforehand, was that be right?
Speaker 3 (28:31):
Not quite yet? Nearly. I think we went over about
nine or ten days before and spent a bit of
time over there and tried to get a bit of
you know, heat adaptation. I guess while you're the heat
fliantize and whatnot. I had another guy from my tri
club who's done it four times with me, so he
was fantastic showing me the ropes and losing don'ts and
(28:54):
and all that sort of stuff. But in the lead
up I actually got I got food poisoning on the tuesday.
The race was on Saturday, Tuesday night. I'm up up
from seven o'clock till four in the morning with gastro
or kind of fruit poising such coming out of both
ends and badly dehydrated by the Wednesday and not the
perfect leaning and yeah, so that was an ideal and
(29:18):
that kind of affected me a little bit on race
day towards the end. But yeah, anyway, you do what
you do.
Speaker 1 (29:24):
Yeah, I obviously got it done. So with the nutrition,
what what what? What are you wanting to get into
your body during that? What are you avoiding when you're
doing those events?
Speaker 3 (29:33):
Look, it's just you want to practice what you practice
what you're going to have on race day in training regularly.
So I would just have like that, there's gels, which
which which obviously you'd be well aware of, but it's
more about like, yeah, making sure yeah you know what
you you know what you're you're going to have on
(29:55):
race day and that you practice it, so you know, yeah,
with gels and sports Dream and all sort of stuff.
But I would use a brand, not doing to pump here,
but I've got a brand called Infinite, which is just
it's just like a mix that I use and I
wouldn't take any any food like bars with gels. It
was just this liquid liquid form. Now on the run,
(30:15):
I have to have gels.
Speaker 2 (30:16):
So yeah, yeah, So for you, what was that?
Speaker 1 (30:18):
What was the I guess what was the hardest part
of Karna and was it different than what you expected?
Speaker 3 (30:25):
The hardest part? Yeah, Look, the runs obviously the hardest
part because it's the last the last leg, you're obviously
tired at that point, and it's really just Yeah, I
would say from probably about fifteen k through to about
thirty k is the toughest part of the race for me,
just because that's the time when you're questioning why you're
doing it, and then once you sort of get to
(30:47):
the thirty k mark, you're like, well, just like, I
can do this. I've done twelve k's, I do it
Tuesday night. I can get here from here. It's just
getting to thirty.
Speaker 2 (30:56):
Games, isn't it. It's really greats.
Speaker 1 (30:58):
It's my mind off off of works like I was
telling this amount now I've done that, or I ridden
written like I was just down the morning. I was
just down to Frankston. Yeah, it's it's interesting how your
mind works like that.
Speaker 3 (31:08):
Yeah, just biting off small tongues.
Speaker 1 (31:11):
Yeah, just chugging it down and just the big and
getting it done and your mind starts to play games.
I love that one where you're seeing, you know, why
am I doing this? Why did those sign up? I
remember doing doing a cycling race. I was going up
this hill that myself and this other guy were kind
of struggling up this hill and this smart ass was
sitting outside his house.
Speaker 2 (31:29):
Any case, Hey, you two just realize you're paid to
do this.
Speaker 1 (31:34):
And if I had had the strength of when to
go up and points his lives out, but he was
dead right, you kind of did.
Speaker 2 (31:40):
Let's keep going, you.
Speaker 3 (31:41):
Know you didn't.
Speaker 1 (31:42):
So, yeah, it's interesting because your mind starts to go
through I wanted to do this while I committed this
and something we can get over that though, isn't that
you're just onto that right next way? So when you
did kind did you? Was it everything you thought it
would be? And did you get you had your finish and.
Speaker 3 (31:56):
We had on how you went and yeah, no, look
it was it was everything that I did it be.
It's amazing. It's the most iconic race in Trithon, and yeah,
literally it was. I loved every second of it. I
loved just being there with my family. That was the
main thing. Like, the race was fantastic, but at the
end of the day, the best, the best part of
it was just having my wife and two kids there
(32:17):
with you.
Speaker 2 (32:18):
And you were some very photos.
Speaker 1 (32:19):
I remember seeing some photos of of you know, with
your wife Brie and the kids just watching you come
nish life. I remember a couple of really good ones
and that must have been so exciting for you.
Speaker 3 (32:30):
Yeah, that was the best part was when my kids
run up and jumped up on me and just said, Dad,
I'm so proud of you. And my little boys said Dad,
You're amazing, and you know that made it all worthwhile
for me, Like, yeah, that's what it's all about.
Speaker 1 (32:40):
Yeah, yeah, it's it is fantastic and that that part,
I guess that would have driven you along.
Speaker 2 (32:46):
Definitely doing that. So tell me what's what's up? What's
up next for you?
Speaker 3 (32:51):
Well, I'm taking a backward step from it all this
year because it's it's such a big thing, especially for
my life. Who's got to deal with you deal with
it all. And you know, we've got two kids and
trying to get through life as you know these days.
So I'm not going to not going to be doing
any iron Man's this year or anything like that. I've
got a five year old so I'm just enjoying and
(33:11):
a twelve year old girl as well, So I'm just
enjoying spending time with them on the weekend. I haven't
had I never missed my I might have missed one.
I rarely missed my daughter's netball games during the whole,
I always make sure i'd ride and get home for
that Saturday. But now my little boy's sort of starting.
I was kicking basketball and a that sort of stuff.
I want to be there for them this year and
(33:33):
next year and all sorts of stuff. And I've done
it now. And it's not that I'll never do another
one or I want to keep going and do other things,
but at the moment there my priority, and yeah, doing
that having a bit of time away from it. So
I'm doing swim run this new thing on Sunday which
is just local to bo Morris. So yeah, yeah, not
(33:53):
out to break any records.
Speaker 1 (33:55):
But you're keeping fit, and I think, but ye know
what you're entering into now I can tell them experience
you sort of put your own sporting thing on whole
for a little bit while you work with your kids.
And it's amazing because it's only a limited amount of time, right,
and they have about you know, give me looking at
the kids' age, it's about sort of five to seven years,
five to ten years of when you're with them, taking
(34:17):
them to sport and all sorts of sports. I've had
the pleasure of taking two of my boys to world
championships and yachting. One of them was in Argentina, funny enough,
and it's really exciting. And then in school sport, I
loved every basketball game I went to, in his football games.
But then obviously we're we did a lot of racing,
so taken them to regattas or across Australia and there's
(34:37):
a whole parents group and there's a lot of really
good fathers and mothers who are really great sailors and
they just now spared their kids and each must they
go through it. The kids get their own driver's licenses
or do whatever they do.
Speaker 2 (34:48):
You kind of come back to it.
Speaker 1 (34:49):
And so the same group are now doing master's stuff,
you know, at the elite level that really honestly, they
haven't really lost anything. In fact, they've actually picked it
up because they've been with their kids. The kids are
getting the most amazing coaching. You're kind of by us.
Most that start picking up things as well, which is
really cool. So you're ready for a really good ride.
And I think it's really admirable for you to do
(35:11):
that and spend that time with him because it is
an absolute joy and.
Speaker 3 (35:13):
It doesn't last that's right, Yeah, one hundred percent.
Speaker 1 (35:16):
So there so therefore, so so really team Dale is
Brie and the kids. Which is which is they've done
a fantastic job supporting you, and well done for you
for taking them too, because that's not you could have
gone across there and done it yourself with no question
about that. But the joy at the end I think
makes it makes it all worthwhile.
Speaker 3 (35:33):
Yeah. Look, I wouldn't do it. I wouldn't do it
without them. You know. They're the reason I do it,
you know, Yeah, the reason I, yeah, I do what
I do is because I want to impress my kids.
Speaker 2 (35:46):
So they call you a super dad. There's no question
about that.
Speaker 3 (35:49):
Of course.
Speaker 1 (35:49):
Of course Brie cycling now and when they got tell
me this, when did you Bree start cycling?
Speaker 2 (35:53):
When was that during COVID? Yeah?
Speaker 3 (35:57):
I think it was. Yeah. So my wife, she's not
really she wasn't really like an athlete as such, but
she picked up cycling and she she's a complain to me,
and so what do you know, I don't want you
going out there. It's dangerous out there. And next you know,
you know, a couple of her friends said, why don't
come on for a ride? And she's she's she rides
more than me, so she Yeah, she'll get up and
ride three or four mornings a week now and we
(36:18):
take turns and all sort of stuff. But I think
it's healthy because, like she she's also got a business,
an accounting business, so she's really busy, and it's that
you need your own time and to have that have
that outlet as well. So I love that she does it.
Speaker 2 (36:33):
Now, what do you do? You talk about work life
goals before tell us what are you doing work wise?
Speaker 3 (36:38):
Yes, I've got a family business with my dad. So
we've got a brand called Otway Footwear, which is like
a gum boot and work boot business. We also have
another brand called Cloggies, which are like sort of similar
to like your crocs. We do garden shoes and right, okay,
I know the brand. It's pretty cool. Yeah, So it's
it's a it's an important business. They're our own brands
(37:00):
and keeps us pretty busy. So we've got a warehouse
down in Camera Downs and you know, my dad's always
been in importing and footwear and stuff like that, so
I'm sort of doing that with him. We've been doing
it for about look, i'd say it's thirteen fourteen years
now going, so it's been going a while, but yeah,
keeps us busy.
Speaker 2 (37:18):
Yeah, and not too far not too far far away
from home as well.
Speaker 3 (37:21):
Right, Yeah, that's good, fantastic.
Speaker 1 (37:23):
Yeah, if people want to find out a bit more
about you with what's what's some ways they can contact
you or your socials or anything like that you want
to share. Yeah, the footwear stuff, that's okay, we can
do that.
Speaker 3 (37:34):
That's okay. I'm not big on Instagram and Facebook and
all sort of stuff, but I couldn't m tell you
my Instagram handle. But look, if you look up Dale
Grant on Instagram and Facebook, I'm sure I'm sure you'll
find me Dale Underscore Grant dot five something cool.
Speaker 1 (37:51):
So that you're only you're on LinkedIn as well. Yeah, yeah,
any questions around what you've been doing so look fantastic. Well,
thanks so much for joining us. A really insight in
the current, but also really insited to you and what's
what's driven you as well, and thanks for openly sharing
it's been it's been an absolute pleasure having a chat
and we'll catch up.
Speaker 3 (38:11):
Thanks very much, Rob, have it who on?
Speaker 1 (38:13):
Yeah, I hope you enjoyed this episode of the It's
All Possible Podcast. You can contact me at Rob at
Robhardner dot com or my website Robharder dot com, or
on LinkedIn. Remember to check out the previous seasons and
episodes of the podcast and the show notes for more details.
Speaker 2 (38:33):
On this episode's guest.
Speaker 1 (38:35):
For more inspiration, remember to check out the All Possibility
Plays on spotted by, which contains a collection upbeat, positive
music I use for inspiration in my live performances. Until
next time, live with passion and a perspective of possibility.
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