EPISODE 11 : Gronya Somerville

Gronya is a star of Australian badminton. A shining light for Australia to challenge some of the more recognised badminton nations.

Her rise to the top has been rapid given her talent and dedication to be the definition of a 24/7 athlete.

She’s had a steady rise to the top, travelling the globe and winning competitions. Though bad luck has been the reason she hasn’t yet been to an Olympics.

2016 Rio Olympics was halted by the absence of her playing partner and 2020 Tokyo Olympics has been postponed with COVID 19. Her dedication to keep getting better puts her in good stead to challenge for a medal in Tokyo next year!

It’s a great insight into the life of a badminton star.

YouTube | https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCIPPcqPXijc8OJiABJZBAiA?view_as=subscriber (https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCIPPcqPXijc8OJiABJZBAiA?view_as=subscriber)

Apple Podcasts | https://podcasts.apple.com/ph/podcast/the-athlete-diaries/id1520349424 (https://podcasts.apple.com/ph/podcast/the-athlete-diaries/id1520349424)

Spotify | https://open.spotify.com/show/1cIPVUiBJpZgvHuoY4souR (https://open.spotify.com/show/1cIPVUiBJpZgvHuoY4souR)

Producer and Social Media | Matt Whyte

Designer | Samuel Kenny

We’ve finally got a basket baller on who is not only a great NBL player but also a genuinely ripping bloke!

Kyle Adnam has had an amazing career so far at just 25. He’s a journeyman that’s been able to experience different teams and some amazing leaders on the way.

He’s taken some qualities and picked the brains of some great leaders which he now uses toward his own leadership skills.

Always wanting to give back, Kyle is now working with the NBL to develop young players off the court and being their point of call if they are struggling.

There’s some really cool stories in this one, especially in Kyle’s chance to team up and play with the Dallas Mavericks.

He sheds light on how Dirk Nowitski became a hall of famer and showed Kyle how hard the greats work!

Youtube | https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCIPPcqPXijc8OJiABJZBAiA?view_as=subscriber

Instagram | TheAthleteDiaries

Host | Guy Walker

Social Media and Digital | Matt Whyte

Design | Samuel Kenny

Mark has surfed the worlds biggest waves.

Nazare, Jaws and the middle of the ocean. 🌊

Some of the waves he has surfed are beyond 80 foot which is incredible in its own right but what makes it even more spectacular is he’s done it at night in pitch black.

He’s been the first in the world to accomplish lots of events like surfing Jaws (Maui) at night and jump out of an army plane to get to the middle of the ocean where the biggest waves are. 🛩

What’s incredible is Mark’s intense training to accomplish these events. From paddling into the ocean at night and free diving at a shipwreck filled with sharks to eradicate his fear of them and then being blindfolded to complete an underwater obstacle course. 💧

His mindset is so fascinating, the way he has been able to minimise stress and fear over the years has been credited to understanding how the mind works. 🧠

He now focuses on helping other minimise stress and fear with his program @theoceanwarrior where he has worked with Kelly Slater to minimise his fear whilst being under water for upwards of a minute in the big surf.

Link for free course | https://www.theoceanwarrior.com/offers/2jNHGRFs/checkout (https://www.theoceanwarrior.com/offers/2jNHGRFs/checkout)

Link for paid course ($49) | https://www.theoceanwarrior.com/a/11540/t2Q447QU (https://www.theoceanwarrior.com/a/11540/t2Q447QU)

Instagram | mark_visser

Instagram | TheAthleteDiaries

Youtube | https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCIPPcqPXijc8OJiABJZBAiA?view_as=subscriber (https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCIPPcqPXijc8OJiABJZBAiA?view_as=subscriber)

Host | Guy Walker

Producer and Social Media | Matthew Whyte

EPISODE 8 | THOMAS DENG 👟

Kenyan born Thomas Deng has gone on to achieve many wonderful things in his short career. Which includes representing Australia and also captaining the Olyroos to help them qualify for the 2020 Olympics. This was the first time since 2008!

Thomas is already a true leader at such a young age that has had to overcome and sacrifice parts of his life to achieve the success he has had.

We speak about:

Moving from Kenya at a young age and leaving family behind 🌍

His journey through football playing for Melbourne Victory, PSV Eindhoven, Urawa Red Diamonds and Australia 💫

Leadership and Resilience ✨

Graham Arnold’s impact on Thomas’ career. Thomas and fellow Kenyan born Awer Mabil who were also childhood best friends made their Soceroos debut together where Thomas helped set up Awers’ debut goal in a 4 nil win! ⚽️

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theathletediaries/

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCIPPcqPXijc8OJiABJZBAiA/videos?view_as=subscriber

EPISODE 7 | LEE GRANTHAM 👟

Talk about a man who chased his dreams! Lee gave up everything to become a professional ultra athlete.

We speak about:

The record he holds in the 50KM race in Granada, Spain (check out Subida Granada pico Veleta 50KM) It's also at high altitude!

Mindset and Gratitude 🌏

Running 4 minute K’s for 100kms 🏃

How being vegan has helped his recovery process 🍃

Link in the bio!

JOHN HASTINGS | EPISODE 6 👟

What a pleasure to be able to speak to a former teammate and all round legend, The Duke, John Hastings!

This chat is hilarious, John shares some cracking stories from his playing days!

We speak about:

IPL auction 💰

Test Debut 🏏

T20 Circuit 🌎

Coughing Blood 🩸

Loved every second of this one, enjoy it legends!

Link in bio.

Chari has an incredibly powerful story of grit, determination and passion which has helped her reach the pinnacle of her sport.

I've been lucky enough throughout my career to share a locker room with some amazing athletes and see what being a true "24/7 athlete" is. Listening to Chari's dedication to her sport and life I don't think I've ever seen anything like her before in terms of professionalism.

She has also shown incredible resilience to get to where she is now both in her career and personal life. Chari has overcome severe anxiety which heavily impacted her performances on race day and is now thriving.

She has been very brave and open about sharing her story to help others going through similar difficulties in her life. Tune in for a truly inspiring story.

Max Gawn is the pinnacle ruckman of the competition. A personality on and off the field who has taken on the responsibility of captaining Melbourne this year.

Throughout the chat, Max shares some hilarious stories. He touches on leadership, his journey, life away from sport and the importance of being your unique self.

His early career was mainly spent on the sidelines dealing with injuries, which he credits to helping him grow as a person.

Spending his whole career at Melbourne Max has been through the ups and downs of professional sport. He addresses the drastic change in Melbourne's season last year.

I was lucky enough to see first hand what a inspiring leader Max is. He is an approachable captain that encourages his players to be themselves, which he credits Jim Stynes for in his early years at the demons.

The overarching theme from Max is how incredibly important it is for people to be themselves. The pressure in society to fit in can often get in the way of accepting who you are. This episode gives a much needed reminder that it's okay to be your unique self.

Stay safe!

theathletediaries.net

On the field, Will Pucovski is the brightest prospect in Australian Cricket. Off the field, Will’s openness to share his story and challenges has provided an inspiring insight into the world of mental health.

In this episode Will's bravery to be so vulnerable about the challenges he has had to face is inspiring. His attitude throughout it has also been an incredible testament to his character.

Not wanting to accept the way he was feeling Will has read a number of books, worked with performance coaches, practised mindfulness and taken breath work courses to find how he can manage and thrive in his life.

Not only has Will helped himself throughout the last couple of years but he is also on the path to help others going through their own challenges.

We speak about mental health, resilience, his journey to the top and what it feels like to get named in Australia's test squad, stay safe and enjoy!

Jordan Berry has a very unique story that has seen him reach the pinnacle in the NFL. Born and bred in Australia Jordan's career started in college for Eastern Kentucky before beginning his career with the Pittsburgh Steelers.

He is one of the longest consecutive punters in Steelers history and has peeled off many records. The resilience he has shown to achieve his dreams has been quite extraordinary.

Not getting drafted out of college meant Jordan had to return to Australia to keep improving his game before getting his break with the Steelers. We speak about life in the US, contracts, being a Pittsburgh Steeler and how brutal the NFL can be!