Surviving Sexual Abuse, Now Fighting for Reform

This week, Dave sits down with Sam Troth from ‘Road To Healing Aotearoa’ for one of the most powerful conversations we’ve had about survival, healing, and turning pain into purpose.

After experiencing sexual abuse as a child, Sam opens up about the spiral that followed — violence, addiction, prison, and years of carrying pain in silence. But instead of letting it define him, he chose to fight for others walking the same road.

Sam has now walked & cycled over 5,000kms fighting for reform. He has walked from Bluff to Cape Reinga (2,073km), cycled around the South Island (2,000km), and recently walked from Cape Reinga to Parliament (1,064km) — calling for a minimum 8-year sentence for sexual offending.

Please support Sam. One of his petitions is currently working through government:

✍️ JOIN +17,500 OTHERS — REMOVE GOOD CHARACTER REFERENCES SEXUAL OFFENDERS

SIGN HERE: https://petitions.parliament.nz/cf986021-083d-40b6-a30f-08dd63dfe70d

Massive shoutout to Sam for coming onto the podcast: https://www.instagram.com/theroadtohealingaotearoa

Let us know what you thought of the conversation in the comments!

This week, Dave sits down with Anthony Tina from Lifewise — for a powerful kōrero about rebuilding his life after homelessness, and finding meaning again.

Anthony opens up about going from hitting rock bottom, addiction and prison to finding community, connection and purpose — and why empathy matters more than judgement, when it comes to homelessness in Aotearoa.

Leading up to Lifewise’s Big Sleep Out on 25th June, we want to help raise awareness for people experiencing homelessness — so if you want to support the cause, head over to www.bigsleepout.org.nz and get involved.

This week, Dave sits down with Jenny-May — former Silver Fern, broadcaster, and one of Aotearoa’s most respected voices — for a powerful kōrero about legacy, identity, and the balance between ambition and family.

From growing up in Piopio and knowing at just 10 years old she would become a Silver Fern, to breakfast television, motherhood, and raising her own whānau — Jenny-May opens up about the pressure of chasing big goals while still being present for the people who matter most.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week, Dave sits down with Ladi6 — artist, storyteller, and one of Aotearoa’s most respected voices in music — for a raw kōrero about the life behind the music.

From growing up in Christchurch with social worker parents who gave everything to their community, to navigating trauma, anxiety, and learning how to separate her own identity from the stories she inherited, Ladi opens up about the work of healing and figuring out who you really are.

She shares how music became both her outlet and her purpose, and how journaling, self-reflection, and building strong boundaries helped her survive the chaos that can come with success. A powerful conversation about healing, family, and finding yourself beyond the noise.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week, Dave sits down with Ezra Hirawani — co-founder of Nau Mai Rā — for a powerful kōrero about business, purpose, and building something that actually helps people.

After telling his nan he was starting a power company, she shared that she would sometimes sit cold and alone, afraid to turn the heater on because she couldn’t afford the power bill. That moment changed everything.

Ezra turned that into Nau Mai Rā — a Māori-owned power company built to fight power poverty, keep whānau warm, and make sure families never have to choose between food and power. A real conversation about entrepreneurship, responsibility, and using success to create change.

Massive shoutout to Ezra for coming onto the podcast: https://www.naumaira.nz/

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week, Dave sits down with Chris Hipkins for a straight kōrero about what people are dealing with right now — the cost of living, rising fuel prices, the genocide in Gaza and the war on Iran, and how it’s impacting Kiwis here at home.

From growing up in Lower Hutt to finding his way into politics, Chris also shares the perspective behind how he sees these issues — and why understanding the root causes matters.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week, Dave sits down with Tammy Davis — actor, radio host, and storyteller — for a raw kōrero about the life behind the public image.

This is a side of Tammy you haven’t seen before. From growing up in a small town to struggling to find his place after moving to Auckland, he opens up about getting caught up in drugs, alcohol, and violence — and how close he came to a path he might not have come back from.

He also speaks for the first time about what really happened at George FM, and how being let go after eight years forced him to reset. Through it all, this is a story about perspective — understanding where you come from, and finding purpose in telling real, everyday stories people can actually relate to.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week, Dave sits down with Dean Clarkson — founder of Wana, New Zealand’s first men’s refuge for domestic violence — for a raw kōrero about his life, and surviving domestic violence as a man.

Although Dean grew up in a loving family, he lived through sexual abuse from both male & female family friends during his adolescence. As an adult, his 20-year marriage turned violent, leaving him feeling trapped with no where to turn to.

Those experiences are what led him to create Wana — so men have somewhere to go, something he never had. While most domestic violence is experienced by women, this conversation highlights the reality that men can be victims too — and why more people need to feel safe to speak up and get support.

Massive shoutout to Dean for coming onto the podcast: https://www.wana.services/

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week, Dave sits down with Irie Love — global artist and storyteller — for one of the most powerful and wide-ranging kōrero on Unfiltered. From growing up in Hawai‘i, to navigating the highs and lows of the music industry — Irie opens up about trauma, identity, and finding her way back to herself.

She speaks on surviving some of her darkest moments, including battles with mental health, and how she transformed that pain into purpose — using her voice to empower women, reconnect with culture, and lead a movement of healing and self-worth. This is a deeply honest conversation about resilience, reclaiming who you are, and choosing peace in a chaotic world.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week, Dave sits down with Tyndale (Tee) Fiso — AKA The Sound of Tee — radio host and MC, for a raw kōrero about growing up around violence, addiction, and chaos in South Auckland. From hiding in his room as a kid, to almost going down the same path himself — Tee opens up about the moments that nearly broke him. 

He shares how he hit rock bottom — stuck in addiction, waking up and getting high every day, and losing sight of who he was as a father — before a turning point that changed everything. From coaching local teams, to speaking in schools, to building his own platform and eventually landing on radio — this is a story about breaking cycles, finding purpose, and proving it’s never too late to turn things around.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.