Western Bulldogs 2016 AFL Premiership player and mental health advocate Tom Boyd joins the boys for a super insightful chat different to most of our others so far. Tom provides us with great insight into his journey as a professional athlete, the impact the pressure had and the fantastic work he does now to support mental health.   

During an AFL Football career littered with individual and team success, fame and a $7 million fortune, Tom went through the most difficult time of his life. Suffering severe insomnia, depression and anxiety.  

After years of struggling, Tom walks us through how he used different tools and strategies that helped him cope and ultimately turn his life around.  

Nowadays Tom is a passionate mental health advocate, father, author, ambassador doing incredible work to smash the stigma that is still out there around mental health. 

If this Talkin Tough episode has struck a chord with you and you could do with some extra support, please reach out to a trusted mate or professional or call Lifeline on 13 11 14. You can also try the Suicide Callback Service on 1300 659 467 or TIACS on 0488 846 988. 

To check out more about Tom Boyd or to book him to speak at your next event - https://www.tomboyd.com.au/ 

Grab a copy of Tom’s book, No Where To Hide here – https://www.tomboyd.com.au/noweheretohide 

Follow Tom on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/tomboyd17/# 

To learn more about Talkin Tough and access transcripts visit - https://www.talkintough.com/ 

Follow the Talkin Tough Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/talkintoughpodcast/ 

Follow Legless & Blind on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/legless_and_blind/ 

Follow Ski For Life Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/skiforlife.aus/ 

Check out the Ski For Life website - https://www.skiforlife.com.au/ 

The Talkin Tough team wishes to acknowledge the Traditional Custodians of the lands in which this podcast is developed, recorded & listened to. They recognise & honour the rich cultural heritage, deep connection to Country and that First Nations Peoples were first in language, first in story telling & first in sharing knowledge.

Fireman & father Mike Longshore, who also happens to be Mike’s brother in law, joins the boys to share his journey from Texas in the USA to how he ended up here in Australia and everything in between.  

We make sure to hit Mike with the hard questions around his career including how many cats has he saved and is there actually a fireman pole in the station! As well as answering these tough questions, Mike also shares openly how his experiences as a fireman has impacted not only his own mental health, but has impacted his family, diving into what he has learned and what he now does to manage it all.   

Plenty in this one for us all to learn something from and as always if you enjoy it, make sure you drop us a rating, leave a review and be sure to share it with your mates! 

If this Talkin Tough episode has struck a chord with you and you could do with some extra support, please reach out to a trusted mate or professional or call Lifeline on 13 11 14. You can also try the Suicide Callback Service on 1300 659 467 or TIACS on 0488 846 988. 

To learn more about Talkin Tough and access transcripts visit - https://www.talkintough.com/ 

Follow the Talkin Tough Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/talkintoughpodcast/ 

Follow Legless & Blind on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/legless_and_blind/ 

Follow Ski For Life Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/skiforlife.aus/ 

Check out the Ski For Life website - https://www.skiforlife.com.au/ 

The Talkin Tough team wishes to acknowledge the Traditional Custodians of the lands in which this podcast is developed, recorded & listened to. They recognise & honour the rich cultural heritage, deep connection to Country and that First Nations Peoples were first in language, first in story telling & first in sharing knowledge. 

A great mate of the fellas, Matt Underwood, welcomes Mike & Ben along with all of the poddy gear into his home for a yarn while they were on the road recently in the Barossa Valley, South Australia. When it comes to managing mental health, Matt is open to giving anything and everything a crack if it can potentially help. From meditation through to hypnosis he has tried it all and it all came about after a simple sleepless night. Enjoy as Matt walks us through his childhood, right through to today with plenty we can relate to and learn from if we have an open mind. 

If this Talkin Tough episode has struck a chord with you and you could do with some extra support, please reach out to a trusted mate or professional or call Lifeline on 13 11 14. You can also try the Suicide Callback Service on 1300 659 467 or TIACS on 0488 846 988. 

To learn more about Talkin Tough and access transcripts visit - https://www.talkintough.com/ 

Follow the Talkin Tough Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/talkintoughpodcast/ 

Follow Legless & Blind on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/legless_and_blind/ 

Follow Ski For Life Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/skiforlife.aus/ 

Check out the Ski For Life website - https://www.skiforlife.com.au/ 

The Talkin Tough team wishes to acknowledge the Traditional Custodians of the lands in which this podcast is developed, recorded & listened to. They recognise & honour the rich cultural heritage, deep connection to Country and that First Nations Peoples were first in language, first in story telling & first in sharing knowledge. 

Mary O’Brien from Are You Bogged Mate? sits down on the couch with the fellas for this episode and talks all things mens mental health. After spending her whole life working in rural and remote Australia, Mary knows country blokes. She’s worked with them, for them, and beside them and mostly importantly she knows how to talk to them. This unique perspective inspired the launch of Are you bogged mate? which is aimed help connect country men with support services and breakdown the stigma associated with seeking help. 

Talkin Tough is a podcast proudly brought to you by Ski For Life, an Australian charity committed to promoting mental health, wellbeing & suicide prevention. 

If this Talkin Tough episode has struck a chord with you and you could do with some extra support, please reach out to a trusted mate or professional or call Lifeline on 13 11 14. You can also try the Suicide Callback Service on 1300 659 467 or TIACS on 0488 846 988. 

Check out what Mary is all about over at https://areyouboggedmate.com.au/ 

And follow Mary on socials at https://www.instagram.com/areyouboggedmate/ and https://www.facebook.com/areyouboggedmate/ 

To learn more about Talkin Tough and access transcripts visit - https://www.talkintough.com/ 

Follow the Talkin Tough Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/talkintoughpodcast/ 

Follow Legless & Blind on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/legless_and_blind/ 

Follow Ski For Life Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/skiforlife.aus/ 

Check out the Ski For Life website - https://www.skiforlife.com.au/ 

The Talkin Tough team wishes to acknowledge the Traditional Custodians of the lands in which this podcast is developed, recorded & listened to. They recognise & honour the rich cultural heritage, deep connection to Country and that First Nations Peoples were first in language, first in story telling & first in sharing knowledge.

The innocuous decision to leave work one morning to go and give his wife a hand to change a flat tyre ended up changing everything! One moment Wardy was going through the motions of changing the tyre and in a split second, jumping through the air before being hit by an out of control truck hurtling down the freeway. 

Dan Ward, AKA Wardy, catches up with the fellas while they were in South Australia recently to recount the day he was collected by a truck and the huge impact that day had on every aspect of life moving forward. Dan’s whole identity was challenged with no more working on the tools and no more playing footy which was at that time his whole life. Strap yourself in for a story that would best fit in the scene of an action film with plenty of laughs and lessons along the way.

Talkin Tough is a podcast proudly brought to you by Ski For Life, an Australian charity committed to promoting mental health, wellbeing & suicide prevention. 

If this Talkin Tough episode has struck a chord with you and you could do with some extra support, please reach out to a trusted mate or professional or call Lifeline on 13 11 14. You can also try the Suicide Callback Service on 1300 659 467 or TIACS on 0488 846 988. 

To learn more about Talkin Tough and access transcripts visit - https://www.talkintough.com/ 

Follow the Talkin Tough Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/talkintoughpodcast/ 

Follow Legless & Blind on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/legless_and_blind/ 

Follow Ski For Life Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/skiforlife.aus/ 

Check out the Ski For Life website - https://www.skiforlife.com.au/ 

The Talkin Tough team wishes to acknowledge the Traditional Custodians of the lands in which this podcast is developed, recorded & listened to. They recognise & honour the rich cultural heritage, deep connection to Country and that First Nations Peoples were first in language, first in story telling & first in sharing knowledge. 

Meet Jane Kellock, a 4th generation farmer from South Australia and a founding member of Ski For Life. Jane wears many hats and the fellas have the absolute pleasure of chatting with her about all the different roles she plays in her life and the lives of others. Life on the land can be tough and this is an especially tough conversation considering the drought that South Australia is currently experiencing, a period that Jane describes as the toughest one she and her family have faced in over three decades of running their family farm. 

Talkin Tough is a podcast proudly brought to you by Ski For Life, an Australian charity committed to promoting mental health, wellbeing & suicide prevention. 

If this Talkin Tough episode has struck a chord with you and you could do with some extra support, please reach out to a trusted mate or professional or call Lifeline on 13 11 14. You can also try the Suicide Callback Service on 1300 659 467 or TIACS on 0488 846 988. 

To learn more about Talkin Tough and access transcripts visit - https://www.talkintough.com/ 

Follow the Talkin Tough Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/talkintoughpodcast/ 

Follow Legless & Blind on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/legless_and_blind/ 

Follow Ski For Life Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/skiforlife.aus/ 

Check out the Ski For Life website - https://www.skiforlife.com.au/ 

The Talkin Tough team wishes to acknowledge the Traditional Custodians of the lands in which this podcast is developed, recorded & listened to. They recognise & honour the rich cultural heritage, deep connection to Country and that First Nations Peoples were first in language, first in story telling & first in sharing knowledge. 

In this episode of Talkin Tough, the fellas have the pleasure of sitting down and having a yarn with the founder of Veterans In Construction and ex-SAS soldier, Dave Farrell. Dave shares some mind-blowing stories from the SAS selection course to the battlefield that speak to the old-school definition of tough as well as the experiences of some of his courageous comrades who displayed the ultimate act of bravery by putting their hand up to admit that they were not okay. 

Talkin Tough is a podcast proudly brought to you by Ski For Life, an Australian charity committed to promoting mental health, wellbeing & suicide prevention. 

If this Talkin Tough episode has struck a chord with you and you could do with some extra support, please reach out to a trusted mate or professional or call Lifeline on 13 11 14. You can also try the Suicide Callback Service on 1300 659 467 or TIACS on 0488 846 988. 

To learn more about Talkin Tough and access transcripts visit - https://www.talkintough.com/ 

To learn  more about Dave and Vets In Construction visit - https://veteransinconstruction.com.au/

Follow the Talkin Tough Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/talkintoughpodcast/ 

Follow Legless & Blind on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/legless_and_blind/ 

Follow Ski For Life Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/skiforlife.aus/ 

Check out the Ski For Life website - https://www.skiforlife.com.au/ 

The Talkin Tough team wishes to acknowledge the Traditional Custodians of the lands in which this podcast is developed, recorded & listened to. They recognise & honour the rich cultural heritage, deep connection to Country and that First Nations Peoples were first in language, first in story telling & first in sharing knowledge. 

In this episode, Mike ‘Legless’ Rolls & Ben ‘Blind’ Pettingill walk their talk, asking one another how they are really going as they navigate every day life. From business to new babies, the fellas chat and catch up openly and honestly. 

Talkin Tough is a podcast proudly brought to you by Ski For Life, an Australian charity committed to promoting mental health, wellbeing & suicide prevention. 

If this Talkin Tough episode has struck a chord with you and you could do with some extra support, please reach out to a trusted mate or professional or call Lifeline on 13 11 14. You can also try the Suicide Callback Service on 1300 659 467 or TIACS on 0488 846 988. 

To learn more about Talkin Tough and access transcripts visit - https://www.talkintough.com/ 

Follow the Talkin Tough Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/talkintoughpodcast/ 

Follow Legless & Blind on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/legless_and_blind/ 

Follow Ski For Life Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/skiforlife.aus/ 

Check out the Ski For Life website - https://www.skiforlife.com.au/ 

The Talkin Tough team wishes to acknowledge the Traditional Custodians of the lands in which this podcast is developed, recorded & listened to. They recognise & honour the rich cultural heritage, deep connection to Country and that First Nations Peoples were first in language, first in story telling & first in sharing knowledge. 

After a successful 11 episode Season One of Talkin Tough in 2023, the fellas are back! Mike & Ben are picking the podcast microphones back up and sharing how they and their guests are challenging what it means to be tough by talkin through the tough stuff. 2024 was a huge year for both of these guys; they each welcomed daughters in to their families, they spent a ridiculous amount of time on the road facilitating mental health community tours on behalf of Ski For Life and they, as always, navigated the challenges that come with being a double amputee and blind. Enjoy Episode 1 of Season 2 where the fellas talk through all of this and more. 

Talkin Tough is a podcast proudly brought to you by Ski For Life, an Australian charity committed to promoting mental health, wellbeing & suicide prevention. 

If this Talkin Tough episode has struck a chord with you and you could do with some extra support, please reach out to a trusted mate or professional or call Lifeline on 13 11 14. You can also try the Suicide Callback Service on 1300 659 467 or TIACS on 0488 846 988. 

To learn more about Talkin Tough and access transcripts visit - https://www.talkintough.com/ 

Follow the Talkin Tough Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/talkintoughpodcast/ 

Follow Legless & Blind on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/legless_and_blind/ 

Follow Ski For Life Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/skiforlife.aus/ 

Check out the Ski For Life website - https://www.skiforlife.com.au/ 

The Talkin Tough team wishes to acknowledge the Traditional Custodians of the lands in which this podcast is developed, recorded & listened to. They recognise & honour the rich cultural heritage, deep connection to Country and that First Nations Peoples were first in language, first in story telling & first in sharing knowledge. 

As the first year of Talkin Tough comes to a close the boys sit down to reflect on where and why it all started and what we have learned along the way. Join them as they take a look back at   the incredible conversations they have had, acknowledge the rawness and relatability that the everyday legends shared with us and unpack some of the words of wisdom we can all take away. The mission was to redefine what it means to be tough. With the help of the stories that we have heard, they have settled on the new definition of tough and they believe it now needs to be updated in the dictionary!  

Talkin Tough is a podcast proudly brought to you by Ski For Life, an Australian charity committed to promoting mental health, wellbeing & suicide prevention.

If this Talkin Tough episode has struck a chord with you and you could do with some extra support, please reach out to a trusted mate or professional or call Lifeline on 13 11 14. https://www.lifeline.org.au/

To learn more about Talkin Tough and access transcripts visit - https://www.talkintough.com/

Follow the Talkin Tough Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/talkintoughpodcast/

Follow Legless & Blind on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/legless_and_blind/

Follow Ski For Life Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/skiforlife.aus/

Check out the Ski For Life website - https://www.skiforlife.com.au/

The Talkin Tough team wishes to acknowledge the Traditional Custodians of the lands in which this podcast is developed, recorded & listened to. They recognise & honour the rich cultural heritage, deep connection to Country and that First Nations Peoples were first in language, first in story telling & first in sharing knowledge.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.