The Unforgiving60

Ashley Semmens is a former Royal Australian Navy Clearance Diver who served for 18 years, specialising in explosive ordnance disposal. He has deployed multiple times, including to Afghanistan, and participated in Australia's military withdrawal in 2021. After surviving trauma from an IED attack, a sniper incident, and a horrific shark attack aftermath in Sydney Harbour, Ashley was medically discharged due to PTSD. Now, he's preparing to swim the English Channel — not just any swim, but on his back, using fins. It's a fundraising mission for the Navy Clearance Diver Trust and a deeply personal journey into fear, resilience, and purpose. In this episode, Ash opens up about overcoming fear of the water, losing close mates, post-service mental health, and how he's turning pain into a platform for support and recovery. Key Moments 00:00 – Ben and Tim intro the episode and Ash's unique goal: finning across the English Channel 01:14 – Comparison to Sam Penny's Channel swim (Season 1, Episode 27) 01:40 – Ash's clearance diving background and fear of water after trauma 02:45 – Military and Afghanistan service; PTSD and recovery journey 04:00 – Ash joins the conversation, starts with early life and growing up in Adelaide 06:00 – Competitive swimming as a teen; early struggles and successes 07:45 – 2003: Racing against Grant Hackett at Nationals 09:18 – Backstroke vs freestyle debate; Ash's short course gold medal (with caveats) 10:00 – Natural transition to the Navy from competitive sport 11:01 – Joining as a direct entry diver and diver vs boatswain's mate decision 12:01 – Clearance Diver selection process explained — 10 days of being wet, sandy, and psychologically tested 14:07 – What Ash learned about focus, fatigue, and resilience during selection 15:00 – 2009 shark attack incident: Ash explains what happened to Paul de Gelder 17:34 – Ash's role in the aftermath: trauma from cleaning the boat, psychological impact 18:29 – Lingering fear of large bodies of water, even lakes 20:00 – Later incident at Jervis Bay: panic before dive leads to difficult team moment 21:12 – Realisation of responsibility and shame around not seeking help 22:30 – Stigma and lack of psychological support during service 23:45 – What clearance divers do: diving, EOD, underwater repair, and land-based ops 25:16 – How Ash ended up doing EOD work in Afghanistan despite being too junior 27:22 – Becoming the most junior sailor to deploy for combat operations in Afghanistan 28:46 – Motivation to deploy: “It's like a footballer wanting to play a grand final” 29:00 – Getting targeted by an IED during deployment 31:30   About the Bushmaster 34:42   Pressure builds up 39:30   PTSD, cracks, symptoms and care 44:00   ‘More to live for' – side story 49:10   Medical discharge… and there are no protective factors in the military uniform 51:00   Role identity fusion 54:30   Finning the channel- breaking it down     External Links Navy Clearance Diver Trust Paul de Gelder – Shark Attack Survivor & Advocate S1E27 – Sam Penny swims the English Channel Contact Us www.unforgiving60.com Email: debrief@unforgiving60.com Instagram & Twitter: @Unforgiving60   Music With thanks to: The Externals – available on Spotify

Jade MacDonald Razvi is a prominent Australian free diver and occupational therapist. She holds the second deepest dive in Australian history and recently won a bronze medal at the Free Diving World Cup. On this episode we talk about Jade's growing up and freediving- how it works and how she trains. As well as EH4AR (‘everything happens for a reason').   00:40       Starts with Ben's hijack! 04:15       Jade on her lineage and growing up. 07:15       Sign language demonstration for the podcast audience 11:45       Jade's swimming background- swimming into life! And swim times. And injuries. 19:00       What is an OT? 23:58       What is freediving? 25:20       Mermaids and Merbutlers 30:05       How Jade got into freediving and explaining competitions 39:00       How Jade rains for freediving…. without deep water. 46:30       Professional freedivers- are they a thing? 48:45       Breaking records! 1:01:33    How does Jade get herself through profound discomfort? 1:04:20    Applying a mantra and meditation in her diving 1:10:15    Can you lose the edge? 1:12:15    What is Jade's limit? 1:14:00    EH4AR… Jade explains 1:18:20    Book recommendations and audiobook 1:20:45    Jade's Power song and country music 1:23:25    Underwater predators       External Links Jade's Insta Martin McPhilimey episode is here   Contact Us   www.unforgiving60.com   Email us at debrief@unforgiving60.com   Instagram, Twitter: @Unforgiving60     Music …. With thanks to: The Externals – available on Spotify Mitchell Martin - available on Spotify  

We first had the privilege of meeting Leigh Anderson on the 2022 Resilience Retreat and have been stoked to stay in touch from there – particularly so given the recent publication of his book, ‘The Paramedic Mindset'.  In this episode, Leigh talk with us about that book, as well as his 14+ years as a paramedic.  Leigh discusses the ups and downs of the role including not only the amazing lifesaving assistance he has provided on countless occasions, but also those rare moments when his best wasn't good enough.  Along the way, he's developed some impressive practical tools for grappling with pressure, trauma and failure, which he shares with us as well.    06:00       Leigh's backstory – paramedicine via a close brush with professional rugby league! 11:15       Ben reveals his ignorance and asks ‘what exactly is a paramedic?!' 15:30       The human side of paramedicine 17:20       What DON'T you learn at paramedic school?! 19:20       What technique does Leigh recommend to stay calm and think clearly during high stress situations? 23:20       How partners can assist in high pressure situations 29:00       The (often unspoken) excitement of a really nasty job…and how paramedics can deal with continued exposure to trauma 34:00       An alternate (and brilliant) definition of success 37:00       Dealing with failure – and growth from trauma 40:00       The perils of role/identity fusion within paramedicine 46:00       Leigh's experience on the 2022 Resilience Retreat (on a related note, sign up now for the 2024 Resilience Retreat – 24-27 Oct 2024 in the Gold Coast hinterland!) 48:15       How does Leigh put trauma behind him? 52:00       What is Leigh's powersong?!  (Maybe not what you'd expect – check it out!)   External Links Leigh's website and Insta Buy Leigh's book or audiobook Monica Lewinsky's TED talk on shame   Contact Us   www.unforgiving60.com   Email us at debrief@unforgiving60.com   Instagram, Twitter: @Unforgiving60     Music …. With thanks to: The Externals – available on Spotify

Kat Rae is an artist who works across an incredible variety of media.  Her confronting work, Deathmin, was recently recognised as winner of the 2024 Napier Waller Art Prize and represents the fourth time Kat has been shortlisted for this prestigious award.  In this podcast, Kat talks about her artistic journey, including her first career within the Australian Army during which time she met her husband Andrew.  Tragically, it was Andrew's death that inspired her prizewinning piece and Kat very bravely talks to this devastating event and how she channelled this grief and frustration into Deathmin.    06:30       Kat's background and early years – how she got into art….and the Army! 07:15       Some of Kat's artistic inspiration included the ‘Angry Penguins' – many of whom had completed military service 07:40       Art and Army – does that mix?!  11:30       Kat's time at ADFA – the Australian Defence Force Academy 15:00       The Royal Military College Duntroon – not as much fun as ADFA…. 16:00       Into the big world of Army – Kat's military career, including a stint within the prestigious Australian Federation Guard 23:00       The tragic death of Kat's husband Andrew 29:00       Kat discusses her Napier Waller prizewinning piece, Deathmin 36:30        So what is the Napier Waller art prize?  And a little about Kat's previous entries, including… 40:30       Cloud Slide, Coming Home and Reckoning 48:00       How did it feel to win on her fourth submission? 51:00       With all that she's experienced – positive and negative – how does Kat now feel when she looks at the Australian Army? 1:02:40    What's next for Kat – including within the art space?   External Links Kat's website – katrae.net Kat's Insta - @kat_a_rae Kat's 2024 prizewinning Napier Waller submission   Contact Us   www.unforgiving60.com   Email us at debrief@unforgiving60.com   Instagram, Twitter: @Unforgiving60     Music …. With thanks to: The Externals – available on Spotify

This week we host Bill Lennan who will teach us how to be 40% better! He was a kit who was introverted and had social anxiety.. so Bill built his own toolkit.   As Bills tells his story...   Friend: How'd you get that role? Me: Talking with strangers. Friend: What? Talking with strangers is a gateway skill. It enables you to talk with team-mates, stakeholders, leaders, execs, and clients. It also makes interviews way easier.   Let's get into it     04:50       Bill growing up… and Tim needs to grow up (according to Ben) 06:15       Bill working on cars- Ferraris and more…. 07:30       More beautiful car ever made?                  Ferraris or Lamborghini? 10:15       Life after playing with supercars 12:00       Introversion and anxiety-  Bill's toolkit 13:45       Everything is a system…. And so understand the mental models 15:00       Dialectical behavioural therapy 20:40       Getting use to discomfort- that is about growth! 22:50       Critical thinking skills- is this unsafe or not. How do you look at scary things? 24:30       The value in physical risk 29:20       Talking AI and software. The future? 33:11       The phones not the problem. It's the absence of alternatives that is the problem! 34:20       Risks and growing up 36:00       Farming and how rural setting change our focus 38:15       Leaders- system, reps and recipes- ‘latticework's'. The big models for leadership development 44:15       What is kaizen and why does it work? 46:30       Talking people and performance 52:20       Making tough and unpopular decisions- how to do it if we are overly familiar? 55:50       What's in Bill's library 1:00:00    Bill's Powersong!                          External Links   Bill on Linked In   Contact Us   www.unforgiving60.com   Email us at debrief@unforgiving60.com   Instagram, Twitter: @Unforgiving60     Music …. With thanks to: The Externals – available on Spotify

Tim and Ben love breathing.  Not just for the fact that it keeps them alive (although that is undoubtedly a strong benefit…) but also for the opportunity it gives to tap into the body's autonomic nervous system and impact its emotional state.  In this episode, they speak with Martin McPhilimey – someone who was researching the impacts of breath long before it was cool - and find out how the differences between some popular breathing techniques and when these are best applied.   07:30       Breath as the ‘core of the dynamic interplay' between mind and body 08:30       Martin's background – how he got interested in stress, breathing and sleep 10:30       The link between breathing and sleep 15:00        The importance of being a scientist and a practitioner 16:00       How Martin starts with a new client 21:00       The impacts and requirements for oxygen and carbon dioxide within the body 22:00       What is air hunger, why is it so powerful and what triggers it? 28:50       The benefits of increasing our air hunger tolerance 33:20       Using wearables to monitor and improve your breathing 36:15       Martin's take on the utility and applicability of some of the more popular breathing techniques, including: 37:00       Box (or combat!) breathing… 38:30       …4-7-8 breathing… 40:25       ..and could 4-7-20 be better than 4-7-8?!... 41:00       …the physiological sigh, and… 43:45       Wim Hof or tummo style hyperventilation techniques 47:30       What Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu can teach you about breath 51:00       Tips and trick for increasing our tolerance to air hunger? 54:30       Martin's business – Performance Through Health 59:15       The Performance Through Health breath science certification 1:01:30    How to incorporate breathing techniques for children 1:04:00    What does Martin do for Martin?  (Including his jiu-jitsu practice with Ground Control Jiu-Jitsu) External Links Performance Through Health Martin's Insta – some great stuff on here, give him a follow Martin's LinkedIn   Contact Us   www.unforgiving60.com   Email us at debrief@unforgiving60.com   Instagram, Twitter: @Unforgiving60     Music …. With thanks to: The Externals – available on Spotify

Dr Andrew Bengsen talks to us this week about controlling ferals! Animals that is. Andrew has over 15 years' experience in pest animal management or research and has been with the NSW Department of Primary Industries, Vertebrate Pest Research Unit for a decade.  But also we discuss Andrew's first career in the military- including serving in Rwanda over the period of the tragic and confronting Kibeyo massacre.  We talk about luck- both good and bad. And perspective. As well as Andrews ‘role' (very poor choice of words Tim) in the recent NSW floods, where Andrew's family home was destroyed by the rising flood waters.     06:00       Andrew's growing up and not finishing school. Joining the Army 11:45       Operational deployments being rare. Enter Rwanda 15:00       The complexity and challenges of peacekeeping operations 20:24       22 April 1995, the Kibeyo Massacre 24:00       Post Rwanda study … even without finishing school. 27:20       Being a bouncer in Townsville and learnings 34:00       Continuing study and enter into feral research (zoology and tropical ecology). The impact of feral animals and how we control them 47:20       Complexity! 55:00       Talking about the impact of the NSW Floods 1:01:00    The importance of community during the disaster    More on NSW DPI and Andrews Work is here: https://www.dpi.nsw.gov.au/staff/profiles/andrew-bengsen https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrew-bengsen-b7913a193/   Contact Us   www.unforgiving60.com   Email us at debrief@unforgiving60.com   Instagram, Twitter: @Unforgiving60     Music …. With thanks to: The Externals – available on Spotify Mitchell Martin- available on Spotify

Ruth Clare, quite rightly, describes herself as a “multi-passionate human who doesn't fit neatly into a box!”  Her formal credits include being a TEDx and motivational keynote speaker, award-winning author, embodied speaking coach, performer, mental health and child voice activist, as well as a qualified scientist with demonstrated expertise in authenticity, resilience and change.  In this podcast, Ruth speaks with the boys about her traumatic childhood, which she captures in her truly moving memoir Enemy. But more than this, she also speaks about her growth from that point, and what she's learned about the mind, the body and human interaction along the way.    04:42       Opening with a sobering quote from Ruth's book 06:45       What was it like to be living as a child under the spectre of domestic violence? 10:30       Why Ruth wrote her book Enemy and what she's learnt about some of the drivers for her father's violence 16:30       Did Ruth ever feel safe at home? 20:30       How Ruth has worked to deal with the trauma that she suffered as a child, including focusing on her internal locus of control 27:00       Broaching the issues of PTSD with people who may be suffering…and the potential downsides of ‘trigger warnings' 37:15       Discussions on contemporary treatments for PTSD 47:30       Ruth's resilience tools 52:20       Ruth's power song!   External Links Ruth's website Ruth's Insta Ruth's book, Enemy   Contact Us   www.unforgiving60.com   Email us at debrief@unforgiving60.com   Instagram, Twitter: @Unforgiving60     Music …. With thanks to: The Externals – available on Spotify

CONTENT WARNING- This episode discusses mental health challenges and suicidal ideations as well as discussing the tragic death of a veteran. Adam Blum had a troubled start to life, plagued by health issues and enduring a debilitating series of surgical procedures. His school years were a torture. Experiencing health and weight issues and diagnosed with ADHD, Adam faced constant bullying. His self-esteem was shattered under the weight of the relentless taunts and physical abuse of his peers. The persistent bullying continued into adulthood and in the workplace. At the age of 22, while suffering from severe depression, Adam decided to take his own life. But one vision and then  a phone call changed his destiny.  We discuss forging fortitude, and how, Adam's life was saved to enable him to become Adam V2.0  Adam lives in the foothills of the Blue Mountains and is currently a firefighter with the NSW Rural Fire Service (RFS). He is the creator and host of a highly successful podcast called True Blue Conversations (Formerly True Blue History).  Adam is the author of ‘Easy Target' which he hopes will help others build their own inner strength and self-worth.    04:00       Adam talks growing up, health issues and bullying- and its impact 09:10       Adam's social networks to combat the negativity 12:30       Adams advice now to his high school self 15:05       ‘I'm not a victim'- the mindset 16:30       Adam talks about the catalytic moment that triggered his suicide attempt 26:13       The psychological angle and link to Adam's weight and physical appearance. 30:55       Losing fingernails in trying to get through repeated obstacles… what else was Adam doing outside the medical and psychological- the positive people 35:15       Happiness and people/ social connections. Where did Adam find his tribe? 39:05       Adam enabled and facilitated his own turn around- & the secret to success 41:50       Silencing the voice in your head…. And creativity 47:25       Creativity and inspiration- and discipline! 48:55       Why write the book? 49:33       Ben and Tim are two -thirds of an author 54:00       Talking about Nick Hill who Tim and Adam both knew             External Links   www.Adamblum.com.au https://www.bigskypublishing.com.au/adam-blum/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/adam-blum-b49249218/?originalSubdomain=au https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/true-blue-conversations-podcast/id1508857453   Contact Us   www.unforgiving60.com   Email us at debrief@unforgiving60.com   Instagram, Twitter: @Unforgiving60   Music …. With thanks to: The Externals – available on Spotify Mitchell Martin- song ‘Hope'

On Riana during SAS Australia: “She's a brilliant human. No bullshit, no ego, she just knuckled down and suffered well on the show” - Dr Dan Pronk  In this episode, Ben and Tim speak to television personality, SAS Australia candidate and all round superstar Riana Crehan- footnote that she is also a fellow West Coast Eagle supporter!  Brought up on a chicken farm Riana spent most of her childhood outdoors and dancing. In 2007 Riana got a work experience role with the V8 Supercars working on their onsite broadcast. The rest is (Supercars) history. She is a journalistic icon on the screens of motor sports in Australia. Married to Will Davison (Dick Johnson Racing Supercar driver), Riana balances work and life (including motherhood)-  juggling demanding travel schedules.   You will also have seen Riana when she took part as a contestant on SAS Australia, and she aced it.   And amidst it all Riana manages to also stay fit including through cycling and triathlon.   SHOW NOTES 03:00       On growing up on a chicken farm; dancing and playing sports 08:20       Riana decides to study nursing 09:45       How and where does car racing fit in?! 14:15       Riana the introvert- and talking about how many introverts occupy a ‘stage' 15:20       Leadership roles and natural talent- does it exist? 17:50       How does Riana deal with criticism- particularly social media warriors 22:20       How can one get interested in Supercars? What is it like? 24:40       Tim talks about working with a Supercars Team- athletes and high performance. Riana gives context? 28:20       The narrowing of sporting margins 31:00       Riana talks about her time on SAS Australia 36:10       Talking imposter syndrome… how to take stock of that. 38:50       Talking shared hardshop and team building 42:10       Dr Dan says that Riana knows about ‘suffering well'. Riana responds and gives context on how she suffers well and what got her through the difficult moments 50:30       On motherhood, and the juggling game of life 55:00       Riana's power song is here       External Links https://www.rianacrehan.com/about https://www.instagram.com/rianacrehan/?hl=en https://www.supercars.com     Contact Us   www.unforgiving60.com Email us at debrief@unforgiving60.com Instagram, Twitter: @Unforgiving60     Music …. With thanks to: The Externals – available on Spotify And Enjoy Band – available on Spotify

As a special Anzac Day release, please enjoy our chat with MAJGEN (ret'd) Jake Ellwood.  Jake is currently the Chief Executive Officer of the Queensland Reconstruction Authority, a role which puts him at the forefront of reconstruction and resilience within the state, particularly in the face of relentless natural disasters.  And he's definitely the man for the job, having spent a long, distinguished and varied first career within the Army, rising to the rank of Major General.  In this episode, Jake talks to the boys about his early days, the highlights of his Army career, his philosophy of leadership and character and what he thinks can make a community resilient.    05:20       Straight out of the gate – why ‘Jake'?! 07:30       Jake's military background, from a private in the Army Reserve….to a Major General in the fulltime Army (including run-ins with both hosts at various points in his career!) 12:00       From such a long, varied and distinguished career, what are the standout moments? 15:48       Jake's view on character as an indispensable leadership quality… and the role of ethics within this 27:30       Are ‘kids these days' less resilient than we used to be back in the day? 32:26       Jake's current role as the CEO of the Queensland Reconstruction Authority 36:30       What are communities doing well to ensure their resilience against – and during – natural disasters? 42:10       What does Jake do for himself? (Answer:  Running!) 45:05       The mental aspects of running – and how to overcome the mental difficulties of running 48:30       Jake on running the 2018 Boston Marathon (renowned as one of the most miserable Bostons ever! Check this out!) 52:44       Jake on Run Army, its beginnings and what it means to him 1:04:20    Jake looking forward to running the 2024 Run Army in a week's time (postscript – while Jake spoke about doing this race at a casual, enjoyable pace, it turns out his version of ‘casual' is probably different to most of ours – he came in the top 60 in just over 40 minutes!) 1:10:41    What is Jake's ‘power song'?     External Links Run Army Dr Simon Longstaff, Executive Director of The Ethics Centre Queensland Reconstruction Authority   Contact Us   www.unforgiving60.com   Email us at debrief@unforgiving60.com   Instagram, Twitter: @Unforgiving60     Music …. With thanks to: The Externals – available on Spotify

This week's guest is Dr Luana Main, a Senior Lecturer in Applied Sport Science at Deakin University.  An athlete herself, Luana's research focuses on optimizing human performance and, in particular, finding the sweet spot between optimal load and overtraining.  She has applied this research in areas including elite sport and the military and talks with Ben and Tim about how we can all apply some of these same concepts in our day-to-day lives.   04:45       Luana's background – and the third-year uni lecture that sparked her lifelong interest in overtraining syndrome.  07:00       First of all – what is overtraining?! 08:20       There's a number of biomarkers associated with overtraining, but what are the subjective indications that someone might be overtraining?  (PS – based on Luana's response, there is potential that Tim is overtraining……) 09:30       Are subjective measures of diagnosing overtraining as effective as objective measures? 13:00       How can we get better at the basics, when it comes to lowering our steady state stress load? 14:40       Heart rate variability as a measure of stress 17:00       Discussion on wearables 20:55       What are the non-negotiables when it comes to improving performance?  And how exactly do we do these? 25:15       Luana's work with the military 29:30       The impact of overtraining on cognitive function 33:50       Luana on ‘the good, the bad and the ugly' of stress 39:00       What areas of research would Luana love to get into next? 41:20        What does Luana do for herself?   External Links The Stroop Test – give it a go! Luana's LinkedIn Luana's research and publications Luana's work at Deakin University   Contact Us   www.unforgiving60.com   Email us at debrief@unforgiving60.com   Instagram, Twitter: @Unforgiving60     Music …. With thanks to: The Externals – available on Spotify

Ben and Tim try to remember what an 'RV' actually is.... reconciliation and reflection, before we talk about our respective travel. From Morocco, Barcelona, Chicago, Brisbane, Hobart .... and more! Then reflections on Jaz Diab, Dr Rob Barbour, Ian Prior and the Festival of Veterans Art.   Then as usual talking rubbish about the perfect Easter Egg, Popcorn from Chicago..... and encouraging outright criticism!   Music: With thanks to The Externals as well as Ben Frichot   Contact: www.unforgiving60.com debrief@unforgiving60.com     

In this episode, Ben and Tim speak to Rachel Vickery.  Rachel spent her formative years as a national level gymnast and Commonwealth Games representative for her native New Zealand before training as a respiratory physiotherapist.  Drawing from this unique background, Rachel now works to help people increase their performance in domains ranging from NBA basketball to the boardroom.  Rachel shares her thoughts on how to deal with stress, both in your daily life and at ‘go time' and provides a unique insight into some of the pressures faced by athletes and coaches at the elite levels of sport.  And to wrap it up, she gives us not just one, but four power songs!     05:11       As customary in season five, the boys bang on about how hot their podcast studio is – and ask Rachel is “Bikram Podcasting” is good for recovery?! 06:30       Rachel's background – personal, sporting and professional, including her exploits as a national level gymnast 10:40       Good for a Girl – excellent book by US middle distance runner Lauren Fleshman 11:15       The pressure of ‘Growing Up In Lycra' – training and competing in aesthetic sports, particularly as a female and particularly during puberty 16:00       The devastating impacts of RED-S (Relative Energy Deficiency in Sport) 24:24       A discussion of the importance and impacts of menstruation on female athletic development 28:30       Rachel's work on a report into the cultural problems inside NZ gymnastics 33:30       We've heard of athletes being bullied, but coaches are not immune from bullying either 39:50       The importance of maximising the buffer between steady state and ‘go time' by lowering your steady state stress – and the potential for ‘fear of success' 44:00       How do we lower both steady state pressure and ‘go time' arousal state? 48:30       Rachel talks to the negative impacts of alcohol on athletic performance – and Tim offers a powerful counter-factual! 49:30       Shifting the narrative from fear to gratitude – and the importance of doing the common uncommonly well 51:40       Getting rid of toxins – dietary and otherwise – from your life 54:00       Rachel's three point ‘get out of jail card' 56:20       The ‘three dickhead rule' (…or how to check if you're the dickhead!) 57:30       Rachel on the shortfalls on the current ‘breathwork' fad 1:12:30    What does Rachel do for herself? Including long-distance travel thoughts 1:18:00    The importance of conducting experiments on yourself to work out what is going to help your recovery 1:20:30    Rachel's power song(s)!!     External Links Rachel's website – https://rachelvickery.com/ Gymnastics New Zealand Independent Report – co-authored by Rachel Rachel's LinkedIn Rachel's Breathing Baseline Reset & Habit Breaker   Contact Us   www.unforgiving60.com   Email us at debrief@unforgiving60.com   Instagram, Twitter: @Unforgiving60     Music …. With thanks to: The Externals – available on Spotify

Do you believe that being creativity builds resilience? Well this week we aim to convince you so get ready. In support of the the upcoming www.fova.org.au we outline how: when you engage in creative activities, you increase your brain's capacity for creative thinking, pattern recognition, and developing visual-spatial skills. These skills enhance your problem-solving abilities in real-life situations From Ruth Richards (Harvard), “Engaging in creative behaviours, makes us more dynamic, conscious, non-defensive, observant, collaborative, and brave.” “Everyday creative activity is a path to flourishing”- Conner, DeYoung and Silvia  in the Journal of Positive Psychology. Recent experience sampling and diary studies have shown that spending time on creative goals during a day is associated with higher activated positive affect (PA) (flourishing) on that day. The real question isn't "How creative are you?" but rather "How are you creative?" says educational psychologist Donald Treffinger.   Intelligence Summary (INTSUM) 03:30       Announcement from Mark Johnson from anvam.org.au  04:20       What's the problem that means we need creativity? 05:50       What is flow state? 09:40       What does the research and literature say? 10:30       “Brave, non-defensive and collaborative” 14:50       Laminate your neural pathways! 18:00       From Tara Swart at MiT…. Expose your brain to novelty 20:20       What is creativity for Tim and Ben? 32:15       Why did Ben have a guitar in his backpack in the SAS (artists in foxholes) 35:00       SAS Band Tongue Charge play a cover of ‘Getting Away with It in Afghanistan'… and we talk why?! 44:30       Art and identity 47:00       How do we get going? Go join a pub choir! 52:00       Ben and Tim do galleries and museums 55:00       Tongue Charge play another song: “One Crowded Hour”   References:  www.fova.org.au https://www.anvam.org.au      Contact Us   www.unforgiving60.com   Email us at debrief@unforgiving60.com   Instagram, Twitter: @Unforgiving60       Music …. With thanks to:   Tongue Charge The Externals – available on Spotify Ben Frichot        

Ian Prior is MORE than just a professional rugby player with over a decade of ‘high speed collisions in confined spaces'. He's incredibly well read and researched. He meditates and practices journaling. He uses ice baths and loves the beach. He's about performance and optimisation, but uses that to improve his being a dedicated father and husband. This is also a story about tenacity. In the early stages of his career Ian was on the fringes of representative and  first class rugby. But his determination and commitment to self improvement got him playing across three Super Rugby Franchises for over a decade. He talks about ‘how' and ‘what' he does. We also talk wicked problems and how they apply to Australian Rugby. Intelligence Summary (INTSUM)     04:00       Start the Bikram Podcast 05:10       Growing Up including in Africa 06:00       Media hasn't been kind to Zimbabwe- what's it really like? 08:10       Ian describes his physical stature- and how that fits into rugby 08:50       Superbowl/ NFL v rugby comparison 11:50       Back to Australia after Zimbabwe- school and sport (more of the latter than the former!) 15:05       Are the best sports people generalists or specialists? 16:59       Ian Prior's three posters on his wall as a kid- Ricky Ponting, Matt Burke and Ben Pronk!? 20:32       Ian gets an opportunity in the Australian U20 rugby side 22:00       Ian Prior hangs up repeatedly on Queensland Red's coach Ewan McKenzie… and interviewing for the Reds. What three questions did Ewan ask Ian? 25:00       What makes the best players? 28:00       Ian joins the Reds and wins a series 30:00       Does playing a lot of footy together (or anything together) really matter in success? 32:00       Ian moves franchises to the Brumbies…. Why? Life in Canberra. 37:15       How does leadership work in a rugby club? 41:10       Resilience Shepherds in rugby- some good examples 44:20       Ian moves to the Western Force 50:10       Ian's journaling, meditation and grounding and its importance to performance 57:00       Ice baths? Stretching…. How to wind down 58:20       Talking strength and conditioning, loads and training blocks 1:06:00    Ian's leadership- how did he Captain the Western Force? 1:16:20    Talking Australian Rugby and wicked problems.         References:   About Ian Prior  Sydney Morning Herald Article on Australian Rugby ‘Wicked Problems' article Rittel and Webber ‘Positive Visualization and Its Effects on Strength Training'- Watkins and Turner https://westernforce.rugby       Contact Us   www.unforgiving60.com   Email us at debrief@unforgiving60.com   Instagram, Twitter: @Unforgiving60       Music …. With thanks to: The Externals – available on Spotify      

Get a medical degree and then do SAS selection – as a Doctor!? Sounds mad. Well listen in. Born in Kenya, Dr Rob Barbour spent his formative years in Australia gaining a medical degree and serving in the Australian special forces including on peacekeeping missions.Having never lost his love for his birthplace, Rob migrated to Tanzania to start a socially responsible and community conservation orientated safari operation and a private community conservation area. Rob subsequently joined Epic Private Journeys as a partner and private guide in Eastern and Southern Africa where he was able to share with Epic's guests his experience and passion for the natural world and local cultures, as well as his belief in poverty alleviation through conservation. Intelligence Summary (INTSUM)   03:05       Dr Rob Barbour tells the story of growing up in Kenya… and how his family got there! School, farming and childhood adventures. 09:25       Ben has to ask about running…. in Kenya…. And he asks a rugby player! 10:20       The Barbour family considers a move to Australia 11:50       What was eating the livestock!? 12:50       Culture shock- from Kenya to Perth 18:00       Rob is trying to work out what to do after school. Study medicine! 21:20       After medicine Rob thinks about joining the Army- and does! 23:40       Rob is a little lax on entry to the Army 26:20       Rob decides to undertake SAS selection… as a Doctor! 31:00       SAS selection in Rob's experience 33:33       Tim meets Rob on SAS Selection- Ben reckons it was in the Sick Bay 36:20       What tools does Rob use to keep focussed 29:30       Tools can be simple 41:30       Rob finishes his time in the SAS and moves back to Africa (via PNG) 54:20       Discussing poaching in Africa 58:20       How can you control the incentives against poaching 1:01:10    Similarities between PNG and Africa 1:04:20    Rob explains the migration and safaris 1:11:30    Any good movies on the silver screen that show Africa as it truly is? 1:18:10    Rob's power song…. Or not?!       More on Rob's Adventures Here:   https://epicprivatejourneys.com https://www.linkedin.com/company/epic-private-journeys/   https://www.linkedin.com/in/robert-barbour-6b696027/       Contact Us   www.unforgiving60.com   Email us at debrief@unforgiving60.com   Instagram, Twitter: @Unforgiving60       Music …. With thanks to: The Externals – available on Spotify Mitchell Martin- – available on Spotify      

In this episode, we continue our chat with Jaz Diab, the multi-talented former Commanding Officer of the Australian Special Operations Engineer Regiment.  Jaz reflects on her experiences as one of the first females in combat roles within Special Operations, before looking at her transition out of the military and subsequent focus on nuclear science.  Jaz then talks us through some of the difficulties in progressing the conversation related to nuclear energy in Australia, as well as her role as the President of Women in Nuclear – Australia.   01:30       Was Jaz forging a new path for women through her example in the Army? (Spoiler alert:  she absolutely was.  We just wanted to see if she thought she was at the time!) 03:50       Reflections on the parallels with Monika Georgieva's trailblazing role as a female within the infantry corps (check out our episode with Monika back in Season 2 Episode 3) 06:45       Jaz's role as an Explosive Ordnance Disposal technician – bomb disposal!  The pressure of the role – physical and psychological. And just how accurate is the movie The Hurt Locker?! 13:30       Ben goes off on a tangential rant about restocking the fridge when you take a cold beverage…. 14:00       Tim brings the conversation back on track by asking about Jaz's experience as an aide to the Chief of Army 15:00       Reflections from the top – the pressures on leaders of big organisations 21:45       Tim remembers trying to beat the Chief of Army in a run 22:40       Jaz leaves the Army – and gets even more interested in nukes!  Plus her reflections on why Australia has such difficulties considering nuclear power as a potential alternative to fossil fuels 26:30       The risks of nuclear power – are they overblown given modern technology?  And how can we safely dispose of nuclear waste? 31:30       The difference between fission and fusion – and how feasible is cold fusion? 32:30       Jaz's role as President of Women in Nuclear – Australia 37:00       Being a mum – harder than defusing bombs!  Jaz talks to her experience as the mother of a gorgeous little girl with achondroplasia – a form of dwarfism. 41:20       On finding out about her daughter's condition – and dealing with this news and what it meant for her child 46:00       How has Jaz and her partner worked through these challenges    External Links ANVAM – Australian National Veterans Arts Museum – www.anvam.org.au   Contact Us   www.unforgiving60.com   Email us at debrief@unforgiving60.com   Instagram, Twitter: @Unforgiving60       Music …. With thanks to: The Externals – available on Spotify

In this special double episode, we talk with Jaz Diab – a mum, a self-described ‘nerd' and crochet aficionado, who also happens to be a nuclear scientist and the former Commanding Officer of the Australian Special Operations Engineer Regiment.  Jaz talks us through her childhood, getting bitten by the science bug and her eventual entry into the military, as well as her experiences as a (very humble) trailblazer for females in combat roles.  And along the way, reflects on some of the key decisions she's made throughout her life and the potential crossover between Broadway actors and Army officers!     05:40       Ben inadvertently realises that the podcast's highest rating show was the one where he spoke the least! 07:40       About Jaz – early childhood, tragedy within the family and how close she is with her siblings 13:00       Jaz's parents.. or when an Egyptian guy meets a Finnish girl in Australia…. 15:00       On being a nerd 15:50       Career choices – Army or Broadway?! 17:45       As a leader – be authentic or ‘fake it ‘til you make it'? Plus public speaking as a leadership skill 26:00       When did Jaz get interested in science? 28:00       Jaz's entry into the Army – and her family background in the military 29:10       A quick exploration of the Finnish concept of sisu – courtesy of Jaz's grandfather 32:10       Jaz's experience at the Australian Defence Force Academy 34:00       The highlights of Jaz's military career 35:30       Jaz as a pioneering female in a combat corps – and how she found the environment there.  Plus her work within the Incident Response Regiment (IRR) 37:30       IRR's transition into the Special Operations Engineering Regiment – and its role in Afghanistan.  And Jaz's experience as the Commanding Officer of the unit.     External Links ANVAM – Australian National Veterans Arts Museum – www.anvam.org.au   Contact Us   www.unforgiving60.com   Email us at debrief@unforgiving60.com   Instagram, Twitter: @Unforgiving60       Music …. With thanks to: The Externals – available on Spotify

In this RV Ben and Tim discuss last year's events, why they didn't podcast last year, and where and what they have been up to.   01:00       Where have we been and why have we been off air? 01:50       Thanks to you and Vale Tim ‘Robbo' Robertson- an inspiration to us 06:30       Tim runs The Wine Marathon 09:30       Ben talks running 14:00       Talking about 2023 travel destinations 15:00       Languages…. And Emily drops in to give an opinion 26:30       Tim talks about losing his Dad in October 2023 30:00       Resilience Mentor courses 32:55       Case Study- Leadership- Imposter Syndrome 37:00       Case Study- Police Tactical Group- embracing new and novel solutions (change your prism/ change your game) 42:30       What are our plans for 2024? 44:30       Riding 1100km cross country- the Munda Biddi Trail 52:20       Ben's stencil art in the office. Ben explains.   Contact Us   www.unforgiving60.com Email us at debrief@unforgiving60.com   Instagram, Twitter: @Unforgiving60     Music …. With thanks to: The Externals – available on Spotify    

The Externals are 'Back on the Cans' .... as is the Unforgiving60 podcast. This is Season 5. New guests. New material. Same buffoon hosts. #unforgiving60 #podcast  

Ben and Tim are back for Season 5 of the Unforgiving60 podcast.....  some amazing new guests lined up as well as new format (albeit with the same old dudes).   debrief@unforgiving60.com 

This episode is a rerelease of our interview with Tim 'Robbo' Robertson. 'Robbo' was tragically killed in an aircraft accident in Queensland. Forever the professional. Forever the character. Forever the Chronic Overachiever. Forever in our memories. Vale Robbo. To where the Wandering Warriors roam.   ***** Tim Robertson is an ex F18 fighter pilot who got bored of that and then successfully completed the Australian Special Air Service (SAS) Selection course! Robbo then saw operational service in Afghanistan and the Western Desert of Iraq, before leaving the military to: Consult to the United Nations || Advise an oil company in Geneva || Raise a nationally sensitive aviation capability || Start his own aviation company || And return to flying fast jets. He is current on around 40 different fixed and rotary winged aircraft and a highly talented musician. But Robbo talks about defining your happiness, the importance of hard work and overcoming adversity.... 

In this RV Ben and Tim discuss the years events, trends and ‘best ofs' now that the world has opened back up and life has returned to having velocity. From books, global change, travel, music ….. and what challenges have the boys set themselves for 2023.   01:30       What is an RV? 03:15       Let's start with some stats 05:30       What is the 5th rated country by download? You'll be surprised! 07:00       Some of the guest episodes…. Reflecting 14:15       How guests fight back…. Maccas Christmas Card to the boys. 18:00       Musical interlude…. I on U by The Externals 18:45       What was the biggest world development in 2022? 25:45       Tim will be easy meat when AI take over the world 27:15       Best book read this year?                  Mastery by Robert Greene                 About Cicero                 Farnam Street Blog 37:45       Talking best travel in 2022 39:40       Project NEOM and the giga projects in Saudi Arabia 43:30       Music discoveries in 2023?                  And Enjoy Band play Mojos Bar in Perth on 28 January 2023        opening to Humble Armada 47:00       Ben's listens outside of Kpop….. back to the future- rediscovering albums 52:10       Coolest discovery in 2022? 53:00       About Gravel Bikepacking 56:30       About Snake Island 57:30       The privilege of Walking Country with the Nyamal Rangers 58:30       What about quitting? When is it right to quit? 1:07:15    Goals for 2023                  Bikepacking Mawson Trail and Munda Biddi Trail 1:09:00    Info on Tim's ‘Longest Marathon' is here 1:15:15    Sam Bloom dominating …. Her episode on the U60 is here. 1:17:00    Talking about the 2022 Resilience Retreat…..   Have a great holiday period…… don't forget to fill that unforgiving minute with 60 second worth of distance run!     Contact Us   www.unforgiving60.com   Email us at debrief@unforgiving60.com   Instagram, Twitter: @Unforgiving60       Music …. With thanks to: The Externals – available on Spotify And Enjoy – available on Spotify ….and playing Mojos Bar on 28th January 2023      

Ben and Tim are interviewed by Emily and Callum from Golds Gym. *********** The SAS guys with MBA's and Authors of the best-selling book 'The Resilience Shield' join us on the Gold's Gym podcast! Tim Curtis and Ben Pronk are leaders in their field and chat to us about all things resilience. You can also take their test to find out how resilient you are. Assess, understand and improve your resilience here: https://resilienceshield.com/assess-your-resilience/ Resilience is a lifelong individual endeavour and you can get active in your own rescue. Here's a brief overview of what you can expect to learn in this episode: What is resilience and why is it important? What is the Resilience Shield and what are the layers? How does stress affect your resilience? How do you foster an environment to develop resilient kids? Fitness vs Toughness Show me your friends, show me your future: Why this statement determines whether or not you are flourishing Can you train mindset? Gut microbiome Wim Hof breathing Transcendental meditation Being curious about who you are and surfing your thoughts How self-compassion and self-forgiveness is linked to meditation What is the secret to being successful? Transferability of techniques This is an episode you're going to want to listen to multiple times over to absorb all of the information. Download today! Find the guys on social media: @resilienceshield   Music by The Externals

Senator David Van is a Liberal Senator for Victoria, who was elected to the Senate in 2019.   As part of this, and arguably as the main reason many Australians might recognise him, David has recently been very prominent in his support for the people of Ukraine.  In this discussion, we speak with David about what this cause means to him and what the situation there might mean for all of us in Australia.  We also explore David's fascinating background, which includes time as a horticulturalist, in public relations and as a ski instructor, as well as his extensive interest in, and study into the current geo-political environment – David holds a Master of International Relations degree from Monash University and is undertaking a Master of Strategy and Security degree at UNSW at the Australian Defence Force Academy (ADFA). With all of this going on, we also ask David what he does for himself – exactly how does he stay healthy, happy and sane in the course of his busy and diverse life? 1:20         David's upbringing – and experience in horticulture, public relations and ski instructing (all, as it turns out, very useful preparatory skills for a career in politics!) 7:22         Why the career change into politics? (and how do you get into politics?) 10:00       David's support for Ukraine – and his frontline experience there 15:30       Is the conflict winnable (or loseable?) 18:30       What more should the West – including Australia – be doing? 22:30       What does the Ukraine situation mean for our region – and in particular, Chinese attitudes towards Taiwan?  And what should Australia be doing about this? 29:10       David's views on the current state of democracy – and its ability to stand up against emerging totalitarian regimes 32:00       David's reflections on the current state of the Liberal party 35:00       How does David stay sane, fit and healthy? 36:50       On Josh Frydenberg 39:40       David's reading recommendations… 41:40       …and his power song! 44:40       What's next for David?     www.unforgiving60.com   Email us at debrief@unforgiving60.com   Instagram, Twitter: @Unforgiving60   External Links   David's website   Music The Externals – available on Spotify Ben Frichot - available on Spotify  

TRIGGER WARNING. This episode discusses the 2002 Bali Bombing and involves content that some might find disturbing. ‘Macca' is a knock about Aussie guy who 20 years ago at 19 years old played some pretty sub amateur footy at Kingsley Football Club in Perth. In October 2002, they won the team's first premiership and 20 people flew to Bali for an end-of-season trip to celebrate their victory. But only 13 of the teammates made it home. The remaining seven were killed in the Bali bombings, a terrorist attack which claimed the lives of 202 people, including 88 Australians.  Macca remembers seeing and hearing the blast. He was sitting around a table in the Sari Club with some mates and some girls they had befriended that night. What happened in the aftermath, including his response, and the selfless response of his teammates is quite remarkable. This episode is powerful, but it also shows the caring side of Macca who has been profoundly affected by the incident. But it also shows his commitment to his own post traumatic growth.   07:30       Elite research on our guest 08:00       About Kingsley Football Club 08:30       Kingsley Football Club really sucked in 2001! 11:00       The win the Grand Final… and off to Bali they go! 14:00       Into the Sari Club…. Macca recounts the situation 19:00       Recall…. How our brains trick us…. Macca's brains response 22:00       The startling result at Macca's table. 8 metres from the bomb. Why/ How did Macca survive? 24:45       The Football Club refuse to leave…. Counting the cost. Trying to find their teammates. 26:30       How is Macca's emotional state? 28:20       How long before the realisation that mates had been killed? 33:25       Coming home 45:00       After year one… revenge or forgiveness? 51:00       Maccas advice to those going through trauma     Contact Us   www.unforgiving60.com   Email us at debrief@unforgiving60.com   Instagram, Twitter: @Unforgiving60       Music The Externals – available on Spotify Tongue Charge- not good enough to be available anywhere!! Mitchell Martin Nik Kali     Helplines.   For those who might be troubled here are some health support lines   Lifeline on 13 11 14 — 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Beyond Blue aims to increase awareness of depression and anxiety and reduce stigma. Call 1300 22 4636, 24 hours/7 days a week, chat online or email. Blue Knot Foundation Helpline is the National Centre of Excellence for Complex Trauma. It provides support, education and resources for the families and communities of adult survivors of childhood trauma and abuse. Call 1300 657 380, Monday – Sunday between 9am – 5pm AEST or via email helpline@blueknot.org.au. eheadspace provides free online and telephone support and counselling to young people 12 – 25 and their families and friends. Call 1800 650 890, 9am – 1am AEST / 7 days a week, chat online or email. FriendLine supports anyone who's feeling lonely, needs to reconnect or just wants a chat. You can call them 7 days a week on 1800 424 287, or chat online with one of their trained volunteers. All conversations with FriendLine are anonymous. Kids Helpline is Australia's only free 24/7 confidential and private counselling service specifically for children and young people aged 5 – 25. Call 1800 55 1800. Lifeline provides 24-hour crisis counselling, support groups and suicide prevention services. Call 13 11 14, text on 0477 13 11 14 (12pm to midnight AEST) or chat online. MensLine Australia is a professional telephone and online counselling service offering support to Australian men. Call 1300 78 99 78, 24 hours/7 days a week, chat online or organise a video chat. MindSpot is a free telephone and online service for people with anxiety, stress, low mood or depression. It provides online assessment and treatment for anxiety and depression. MindSpot is not an emergency or instant response service. Call 1800 61 44 34. SANE Australia provides support to anyone in Australia affected by complex mental health issues, as well as their friends, family members and health professionals. Call 1800 18 7263, 10am – 10pm AEST (Mon – Fri), or chat online. Suicide Call Back Service provides 24/7 support if you or someone you know is feeling suicidal. Call 1300 659 467. Open Arms — Veterans and Families Counselling provides 24/7 free and confidential counselling to anyone who has served at least one day in the ADF, their partners and families. Call 1800 011 046. Head to Health provides free advice, assessment and referral into local mental health services. Call 1800 595 212 between 8:30am to 5pm on weekdays (public holidays excluded).    

Through their work with The Resilience Shield, Ben and Tim have become fascinated with the topic – and in particular, with evidence-based research related to it.  A few months back, they saw an article talking about an Australian academic conducting a range of ground-breaking research into this exact topic and reached out to see if she would be interested in sharing her perspectives with the Unforgiving60.  Associate Professor Justine Gatt is Lead Scientist of the Gatt Wellbeing & Resilience Group at Neuroscience Research Australia and the School of Psychology, UNSW. In this capacity, she leads a research program looking at the neuroscience of wellbeing and resilience to stress and trauma, and the ways that wellbeing and resilience can be promoted via various intervention platforms.  In this episode, she shares some of these findings with Ben and Tim, including a range of practical methods of building resilience that anyone can adopt. 0:25         A very special introduction – some original poetry from Jackson, a participant in Rick Pedley-Smith's Rite of Passage program.  For more on Rick and the work he is doing to re-engage and support boys who are considered ‘at risk', see our discussion with him exactly two seasons ago, way back in Season 2, Episode 18. 7:05         Justine's background – and how she got to her current role as lead scientist of the Gatt Wellbeing and Resilience Group 10:10       Justine's definition of wellbeing and resilience 12:00       How much – and what parts – of our resilience is hereditary? Plus an explanation of Justine's COMPAS-W scale 17:24       The impacts of early life stress on our resilience (and the physical structure of our brains!) 23:00       What can we do in our own lives to increase our wellbeing and resilience? 30:30       Social media and resilience – how are our screens impacting our wellbeing (particularly amongst teens)? 34:45       The ‘goldilocks' effect at play in terms of screen time 38:30       Where to next for Justine? (And, importantly, can twins actually read each others' minds?!)   43:15       What does Justine do for her own resilience? 45:45       ….and how does she try to build resilience in her daughter?   www.unforgiving60.com   Email us at debrief@unforgiving60.com   Instagram, Twitter: @Unforgiving60   External Links   NeuRA (Neuroscience Research Australia), where you can find more about Justine's work, and register your interest for their soon-to-be-released app Justine's publications   Music The Externals – available on Spotify Ben Frichot - available on Spotify  

Our chat today is with world champion para-surfer Sam Bloom, and her husband Cam. Born on the Northern  Beaches of Sydney, Sam had everything she had always dreamed of. She'd travelled extensively, fulfilled her childhood dream of becoming a nurse and was a happily married mother of three young boys. But without warning, the dream turned into a nightmare when on a 2013 family holiday in Thailand, Sam fell through a rotten balcony railing and crashed six metres onto the concrete below. Lucky to be alive, she'd suffered devastating injuries, including severe damage to her spinal cord that left her paralysed from the chest down. Broken and hopeless, Sam reached her outer limits of physical and mental suffering. But with courage, determination and a little help from an unlikely feathered friend, she made her way back from the edge, scarred but undefeated. 'How' is the subject of this podcast episode.   6:00         Sam and Cam's background, and how they met… 11:30       Talking the importance of travel in the like of the Blooms 16:00       That fateful trip to Thailand 18:30       Moving hospital to hospital… to hospital 19:40       Sam's recollection of the incident 21:20       ‘Memories are so subjective' 25:00       When Sam realises the severity of the incident… 26:20       Cam is mopping up and trying to hold it together while Sam spends months in hospital 30:00       Sam arrives home… and its not how you think she would be 32:00       Enter penguin .. a fluffy magpie chick. Life changes 36:00       Cam and his accompanying photography. What he couldn't photograph 38:20       How about the impact on the boys? 43:00       How the book started 52:00       Recruiting the actors for the movie version of the book 54:10       Doing time with their Hollywood counterparts… and shooting in their own home 59:15       Sam reconnects with her passion of surfing 1:02:00    SurfLakes Yeppoon … artificial surf facility in Queensland 1:05:00    Australian Championships- Surfing …and what's next   External Links   https://sambloom.com.au https://www.facebook.com/sambloomaustralia https://www.instagram.com/samjbloom/   Contact Us   www.unforgiving60.com   Email us at debrief@unforgiving60.com   Instagram, Twitter: @Unforgiving60     THE RESILIENCE RETREAT INFORMATION Be guests of the authors of The Resilience Shield between 27-30 October 2022 on Fitzroy Island off Cairns, North Queensland, Australia Info and bookings here: https://resilienceshield.com/retreat/   Music The Externals – available on Spotify Mitchell Martin- – available on Spotify  

We first spoke to David way back in Season 3, when he was kind enough to dial in from Antarctica and talk about his experiences as an Australian Antarctic Division Station Leader.  At the time of that episode, David's team's trip had already been extended due to COVID, however at that point, he didn't realise just how long he would be on the ice for, nor what sorts of challenges his trip would present him with.  Turns out, the total deployment time was 537 Days, which ended up being the name of his outstanding new book.   In this episode, we catch up with David to talk about how the remainder of his time on the ice panned out and what leadership challenges he faced while deployed – including right up until the very last minute!  In the process, we'll ask him about the specific leadership challenges he faced, how to deal with an extreme medical emergency in such austere conditions and the significance of the midwinter celebration for expeditioners.  Along the way, we'll also explore how he found the writing process and find out what was the first thing he did when he got back to Australia.    5:00         Picking up where we left off (from our last chat with David, Season 3 Episode 3) 6:02         On the writing process – what was it like collating his experiences into his book 10:10       How did David break the news to his team that they wouldn't be going home when they expected to? 17:50       How do you galvanise the team after such disappointing news? 24:00       The importance of affiliative leadership in the AAD environment – plus the other leadership styles David found himself using 26:30       How can you achieve work-life boundaries when you are living at work? 28:30       The medical capability that David's team had – and how they used this during an emergency 31:00       The very real threat of a COVID outbreak on station 34:06       After 537 days on the ice, surely nothing else could go wrong?!  Incorrect – Dave talks about the fire on the vessel during his return journey 43:05       The significance of midwinter for expeditioners 46:30       What makes a good Antarctic expeditioner? 48:00       What are David's most memorable ‘#Antarctica' moments? 50:40       What was the first thing David did when he got back to Australia? 56:50       What's next for David?   www.unforgiving60.com   Email us at debrief@unforgiving60.com   Instagram, Twitter: @Unforgiving60   External Links   David's website Signed copies of David's book Media and reviews on David's book at these links:  here, here and here. Hear David's story at your next corporate function – click here for speaking engagements   Music The Externals – available on Spotify Ben Frichot - available on Spotify  

Beau Miles is an award winning filmmaker,  PhD, a poly-jobist, speaker, writer and oddball. His YouTube Channel houses his movies which have been watched millions of times. One short film, ‘Running a marathon a mile at a time' has been viewed over 4 millions times.  It's a bit better that our YouTube channel! We talk life and living. The importance of art and where Beau gets his mad ideas!  Tune in. Beau is certainly filling his unforgiving minutes with 60 seconds worth of distance run.    6:00         Who is Beau Miles…. And introduction 8:40         Giving kids space to find themselves 14:10       What is a poly-jobist? 16:30       Has Beau found his Ikigai? 18:30       Talking YouTube…. Crazy tasks and whacky ideas. What was the most punishing? 24:00       Do we have free will? Where are we relative to computers and AI? 28:15       Where do the ideas come from? 38:00       Talking art and pop. 40:40       Can you make it on YouTube? What's the recipe? 46:00       Talking about the book-  ‘The Backyard Adventurer' 50:00       How does the family keep up? 54:00       Talking music with Beau…..     External Links   https://beaumiles.com/books/ https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCm325cMiw9B15xl22_gr6Dw   Contact Us   www.unforgiving60.com   Email us at debrief@unforgiving60.com   Instagram, Twitter: @Unforgiving60     THE RESILIENCE RETREAT INFORMATION   Be guests of the authors of The Resilience Shield between 27-30 October 2022 on Fitzroy Island off Cairns, North Queensland, Australia   Info and bookings here: https://resilienceshield.com/retreat/     Music The Externals – available on Spotify  

When many of us think about marijuana, our immediate thoughts are of illicit use. But across the world, this attitude is changing as researchers uncover the benefits of medicinal marijuana across a range of conditions.  Progression within Australia has been relatively slow, however our guest this week aims to speed things up in this groundbreaking area.    Dr Michael Mumford started his career as an Australian Army engineer and saw operational service in Afghanistan with the Special Operations Engineer Regiment.  He then studied postgraduate medicine through the army and is now working to increase awareness of the medicinal benefits of cannabinoids, including for the treatment of PTSD in the veteran community.    5:05         About Michael – early years… 5:20         ..and into the Army as an engineer within the Special Operations Engineer Regiment, and then into postgraduate study as a doctor with the Army 14:50       How Michael got interested in the potential of cannabinoids as a treatment protocol (including perspectives from Michael's German Shorthaired Pointer!) 17:35       Given the amount of research supporting its use, why has it taken so long for medicinal marijuana to be accepted within medical applications? 19:05       How does medicinal marijuana differ from what you might buy on the street? 25:55       Current resistance within the medical community 30:30       Michael's research project with the University of Wollongong 35:30       What is the Veteran Access Scheme – and how can people can access it through the Provocatus website 39:50       What's next for Michael – and what he hopes to see in the medicinal marijuana space   www.unforgiving60.com   Email us at debrief@unforgiving60.com   Instagram, Twitter: @Unforgiving60   External Links   Provocatus   Music The Externals – available on Spotify Ben Frichot - available on Spotify  

Let's talk how to focus! Nir Eyal's is an incredible thinker- describing himself as a ‘behavioural design expert'- which is the point of intersection between psychology, technology, and business. Then add some behavioural economics, and a twist of neuroscience. Our conversation in this episode ranges from how to be ‘indistractable'- the title of Nir's book (and a word he invented), but also what tools and techniques can bring us to a pont of focus. And what about neurochemistry- is it real, or do we use it as an excuse? How can we correctly allocate time to things ….. and can we be bored!? Nir has a Stanford MBA  and is a best-selling author, who later went back to teach a course on product design at the Stanford University School of Engineering. Nir's books are Hooked: How to Build Habit-Forming Products and Indistractable: How to Control Your Attention and Choose Your Life.   Your toolkit to being Indistractable is after the timeline….   5:00         Nir's background and explanation of his expertise. 8:40         Old philosophy on distractions- everything old is new again! 10:00       The four pillars of becoming indistractable 17:25       Does neurochemistry  and the reward pathway drive our distract-ability? 19:50       The place of Locus of Control when considering distraction. Ben talks self awareness…. Curiosity instead of contempt 22:50       How do we get motivated? 29:50       Work, you and relationships- how they nest. 35:50       Psychological transitions and deliberate breaks. 39:45       How do we surf the urge? 48:10       How do customers get hooked on products? 51:20       What is Nir's power song!?   External Links   https://www.nirandfar.com/about-nir-eyal/   -Link to the book:: http://geni.us/Indistractable -Indistractable bonus content is here: http://nirandfar.com/indistractable -Indistractable summary article: https://www.nirandfar.com/skill-of-the-future/ -Distraction guide here: https://www.nirandfar.com/distractions/ -Habits vs routines article here: https://www.nirandfar.com/habits/ -Why schedules are better than to-do lists: https://www.nirandfar.com/todo-vs-schedule-builder/ -Time boxing article: https://www.nirandfar.com/timeboxing -Values article: https://www.nirandfar.com/common-values/ -Habit tracker - https://www.nirandfar.com/habit-tracker/ -Also, the schedule maker tool Nir mentioned is here: https://nirandfar.com/schedule-maker/     Contact Us   www.unforgiving60.com   Email us at debrief@unforgiving60.com   Instagram, Twitter: @Unforgiving60     THE RESILIENCE RETREAT INFORMATION   Be guests of the authors of The Resilience Shield between 27-30 October 2022 on Fitzroy Island off Cairns, North Queensland, Australia   Info and bookings here: https://resilienceshield.com/retreat/         Music The Externals – available on Spotify Ben Frichot - available on Spotify  

Mark Wales is one of our favourite guests – so much so that Ben can't remember how many times he's been on the show (turns out this is only the second).  But each time has been a great conversation, and this is certainly no exception.  Mark, fresh off his momentous half-million dollar Survivor: Blood and Water victory, joins Ben and Tim to talk all things reality TV, tough luxury, fathering, books, music, Anzac Day….and conspiracy theories.  A must-listen episode!     3:25         Welcoming Mark back for the second – or is it third?! – no, wait – second time! 5:30         On Survivor – second time around 7:00         The dangers of playing tactics on Survivor – with your wife! (or – can you leave all that stuff on set, or does some of it come home with you?!) 8:55         How does Survivor compare with the SAS selection course? 11:05       The trappings of reality TV fame – how often does Mark get recognised in the street?! 15:09       Mark's reflections on being an author 19:00       What does Anzac Day mean to Mark? 21:30       A quick detour into opinions on Australian defence capability 24:45       Mark on parenting – and on leaving his four year-old son Harry to play Survivor 29:51       Ben on helicopter parenting 32:00       Kill Kapture – has Survivor and Mark's book moved the needle on jacket sales?  Includes some great whiskey discussion – and some discussion about great whiskey, including WhipperSnapper (click here for our discussion with Jimmy McKeown, Master Distiller at WhipperSnapper) 38:30       A few questions and comments from the Instagram livestream 39:30       Mark's current fitness regime – and how did he prepare for Survivor – from a physical and mental perspective 44:30       What's Mark reading at the moment? 50:30       And then, somehow, the conversation shifts to UFO and conspiracy theories… 57:10       Ben explains more than anyone ever wanted to know about Little Bird – the song he recorded in Saddam's toilet in Iraq   www.unforgiving60.com   Email us at debrief@unforgiving60.com   Instagram, Twitter: @Unforgiving60   External Links   Kill Kapture – Mark's ‘tough luxury' company.  And home of the best leather jackets on the planet.   Music The Externals – available on Spotify Ben Frichot - available on Spotify Ben Pronk - not available anywhere (with good reason)

This is a very special episode of the Unforgiving 60 podcast.  Over the years, we've spoken with a number of people who have suffered from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder – and a number of people who are helping those who are suffering.  But while a lot of the focus is – rightly – placed on the individual with this diagnosis, it's rarely just that person who is impacted.  In this episode, we get to hear the perspectives of both an individual who has fought PTSD – as well as his amazing partner.   Cam Watts spent almost 14 years in the Australian Federal Police and as a result of his service, developed the symptoms of PTSD and was eventually diagnosed with the condition.  The one constant in this tumultuous journey was his wife Sharn.  In this episode, Cam and Sharn share their stories and talk about how they're now using their experience to help other families.      6:33         How Cam and Sharn met – and what Cam was doing at the time 11:55       A bit of a primer on the difference between the Australian Federal Police and the state police services 14:19       Sharn's backstory 18:19       Sharn's experiences setting up a small business 20:45       What makes yoga so important to Sharn? 23:45       What exactly is PTSD – and when did Cam realise that he had it? 28:00       Coming to terms with PTSD – from a personal and professional perspective 33:10       What brought on Cam's PTSD – was it a single incident, a constant series of traumas – or a bit of both? 38:30       Sharn's perspective – how she first became aware that something wasn't right.  Plus – the psychological dangers of over-flexing your ‘fine' muscle! 56:05       Getting a formal diagnosis – and what happened from there 1:06:05    The impacts on Sharn – ‘no-one was looking out for me!' 1:12:35    What advice would Cam and Sharn give to people going through similar experiences 1:23:18    Fortem – one of the ways that Cam and Sharn are using their experiences to help others.  And an organisation which works to support the families as well as the impacted individual   www.unforgiving60.com   Email us at debrief@unforgiving60.com   Instagram, Twitter: @Unforgiving60   External Links   Fortem Australia – supporting those who defend, protect and care for our community   Music The Externals – available on Spotify Ben Frichot - available on Spotify

WARNING- This powerful and inspiring episode also discusses eating disorders and related mental health struggles.  Liv Robinson's first few decades of her life were a huge struggle. She found it hard to fit in to ‘normal life'. She battled with anorexia and related mental health illness which left Liv fighting for her life on a number of occasions.  Sport, creativity & Art were Liv's invaluable tools to recovery. She now uses art as a form of therapy for others but also for team building and self awareness.     03:30       About Liv….. and insights from our tiny shower cubicle podcast studio. 06:50       The 800-pound gorilla in the room- battling anorexia 09:20       The pressure from school and expectations 12:10       ‘How hard can this be? Just eat something!'. Why that doesn't work for anorexia. 18:00       Cycling in and out of good-bad-good health and the culminating point 22:00       Liv reinventing Liv … the power to choose your own identity 26:30       Liv's mindset… noting that mindset can be negative and positive 29:00       Liv 2.0 arrives 32:15       Let's talk Art! The formal study…. 35:00       What piece of art has moved Liv the most in her life? 39:00       Female form and oceans 39:45       Working for UHNWI… and how to inspire workforces 42:20       How to use art as therapy 44:00       Massive murals….. how to do it! 47:50       Liv's dream for art 53:05       What about art to buttress resilience? 57:00       What does Liv do for Liv 58:30       What is Liv's Power Song! (See the U60 playlist on Spotify) 59:00       Is there a future collaboration……… ???     External Links https://www.artworksbyliv.com.au/about-me https://www.facebook.com/livrobinsonart/ https://bluethumb.com.au/livrobinson-artist     More About Us   www.unforgiving60.com   Email us at debrief@unforgiving60.com   Instagram, Twitter, Facebook & Linked In: @Unforgiving60     Music The Externals – available on Spotify Mitchell Martin - available on Spotify    

Shannon Polson was one of Americas first female gunship pilots. We talk flying and that incredible aircraft but also climbing, losing loved ones and grit and resilience. After a childhood in Alaska, Shannon studied English literature and art history at Duke University then commissioned into the Army to fly Apache helicopters, serving on three continents and leading two flight platoons and a line company. In the midst of school and flying came skydiving, scuba diving, big-mountain climbing and long-course triathlons. She climbed Tim's dream mountain- Denali. Now she devotes her work to speaking, research and writing, as well as online and bespoke facilitated leadership journeys for leaders at The Grit Institute.   Shannon has an MBA from the Tuck School at Dartmouth, and an MFA in creative writing.     05:00       Shannon's background…. And swimming in Alaska! 07:20       What is ROTC in the US… and how does that allow you to fly Army helicopters? 09:00       Learning to fly helicopters…. Rub your tummy and pat your head! 11:10       What are the roles and responsibilities in an Apache gunship…. Tandem seated! 12:10       How do two pilots in the same aircraft collaborate and cooperative? 14:50       Ben talks about receiving air support in Afghanistan 17:20       Shannon's advice for women wanting to fly in the military 20:00       Shannon climbs Denali….. the story J 25:00       Tragically Shannon loses both of her parents …. the story L 28:00       Interlude- Information on The Resilience Retreat off Cairns 29:15       What is resilience to Shannon? 33:15       Ego and self efficacy…. And grit and resilience 37:50       Talking transferrable knowledge from the military into corporates 40:30       Advice on determining purpose in work- Paths to Purpose at Tuck School 43:20       How can we separate role and identity? 50:45       Shannon's Power Song!       External Links   The Grit Factor book by Shannon is here Shannon's LinkedIn More about Shannon from her Instagram   More About Us   www.unforgiving60.com   Email us at debrief@unforgiving60.com   Instagram, Twitter, Facebook & Linked In: @Unforgiving60     Music The Externals – available on Spotify Ben Frichot - available on Spotify    

Melissa Wu is an Australian treasure- and of course Olympic, World and Commonwealth Games Diving medallist! Starting diving at 10, Melissa immediately fell in love with the sport… and here we are 20 years later. In 2008 she was the youngest Australian ever to win an Olympic medal in diving, and she is still medalling including in Tokyo 2020 Olympics where she won Bronze in the 10metre platform. But she doesn't much like water! We talk motivation and how Melissa remains focussed and in the moment. More recently she has been on SAS Australia, and she explains why a professional athlete would want to go on a reality TV show, and what she learned from the experience.    04:20       Melissa's dislike of water! 06:20       Melissa gets captivated by diving  08:30       Shout out to Ruby! 10:20       What about motivation?- how Melissa gets and stays motivated 13:10       What about failure? 15:00       Subjectiveness in diving 17:45       Emotional regulation techniques 21:50       Why Tim couldn't dive from the 10 metre tower 25:30       Poolside Sudoku! 27:20       How does synchro diving work- how do you prepare as a pair? 32:20       Tower, pool and venue differences 38:30       Talking SAS Australia- why did Melissa commit to the show? 40:40       Bodyweight and moving mass- how did Melissa go? 42:20       What Melissa learned about herself from the show? 47:40       When Melissa got gassed (tear gassed!) 50:00       How supportive were the instructors? 52:00       What happens on selection courses when people don't receive feedback? 56:20       What does Melissa do for Melissa? 1:01:10    The Plans for Commonwealth Games 2022     www.unforgiving60.com   Email us at debrief@unforgiving60.com   Instagram, Twitter and Facebook: @Unforgiving60   External Links   Melissa's LinkedIn More about Melissa from her Instagram   Music Mitchell Martin - available on Spotify The Externals – available on Spotify Ben Frichot - available on Spotify    

Breathing is something most of us take for granted.  But the more we've looked into it, the more there seems to be to this ostensibly simple practice.  You don't have to search far to find a wide range of advice on breathing – ranging from the obvious, to the counterintuitive, to the downright strange!  In this week's episode, Ben and Tim take a deep dive into Buteyko breathing with one of Australia's leading practitioners, Brian Firth.    Brian's own struggles with asthma led him to discover Buteyko breathing.  As Brian explains, Buteyko is not a breathing technique, but rather a method of re-training yourself to breathe better – for life.  Brian takes us through the principles behind the Buteyko methodology and along the way busts some of what he considers the biggest myths about breathing.   5:43         Breath by James Nestor.  A good read 6:00         Brian's issues with asthma, his history as a mouth-breather and his discovery of Buteyko 8:00         The history of Buteyko 10:00       How did it get so bad?!  Why would we need to be taught to breathe more efficiently? 11:50       Why deep breathing is NOT a good thing! 15:30       …and why this gets worse when we sleep 17:30       How complex is the Buteyko method? 21:00       Wider benefits of Buteyko 31:00       Buteyko and asthma 41:14       Mouthbreathing – bad!  But should you tape your mouth shut when you sleep? 44:40       Sleep apnoea 47:30       Buteyko is not a breathing technique per se; what are Brian's views on the myriad of techniques out there? 53:15       What about exercise?  Are there benefits to nasal or mouth breathing techniques during exercise? 1:01:09    What breathing advice should you give to someone suffering a panic attack?   www.unforgiving60.com   Email us at debrief@unforgiving60.com   Instagram, Twitter: @Unforgiving60   External Links   Get in touch with Brian More about Brian Brian's B&B   Music The Externals – available on Spotify Ben Frichot - available on Spotify

The 3-way….. (or is it 3-peat?) with Mick Neven is here! Either way for the 3rd time Mick joins us on the podcast. The first we were combatting the Zombie Apocalypse; the second Mick was Melon Head, and this time Mick is Fair Dinkum. We talk about the show and presenting in comedy festivals. How comedy IS a team sport. And the differences between festivals… including the uniqueness of Edinburgh Comedy Festival.   03:30.     The Stats on Mick Neven and the Unforgiving60 podcast. The etymology of 'Fair Dinkum'.... and why this fits Mick. 16:30       Is improv a bit scary? When you are short of material. 19:44       How far is too far when it comes to comedy…. And Chris Rock's recent experience. 22:11       What about the slap? 23:00       How much can you pick the audience member to work with them (without upsetting or insulting)? 24:40       The new show has some reflection- what are Mick's lessons learned? 26:10       Mick's second career in boxing… and is it post Will Smith self-defence? 28:40       Mick's running- park run times. 31:45       Who does Mick like across the new comedy talent? 34:00       Cultural differences between festivals. 35:30       Talking Edinburgh Festival- the magnitude of Edinburgh 39:00       Interlude with our amazing Emily…. 39:30       Is it still fun? 41:40       Talking Mick's tattoos 45:50       Mick's power song 47:00       Tim's power song 48:01       Ben's power song (via Mon Georgieva) 48:30       Mick's left field option…. And Mick's celebrity hall pass 49:00       Where is Mick next? 50:00       Google MickNeven.com.au …. It's broken! Websites will never take off!         www.unforgiving60.com   Email us at debrief@unforgiving60.com   Instagram, Twitter: @Unforgiving60   External Links   Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mickneven/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mickneven/?hl=en   Music The Externals – available on Spotify Ben Frichot - available on Spotify   *Other music snippets with thanks to Guns N'Roses, Jimmy Barnes and Sound of Madness

In Ben and Tim's book The Resilience Shield, they refer to Kev Toonen as a ‘superstar Army PTI (Physical Training Instructor)' - and certainly when they first met him, that's exactly what Kev was – a thought leader in the development of special operations physical capability, who helped evolved SAS training methodologies, as well as prepare the amazing Monika Georgieva (see Season 2 Episode 3 for more on Mon!) for her pioneering attempts at the SAS selection course.   Since that time, Kev has taken his passion and knowledge for human performance to clients ranging from some of Australia's most beautiful and recognisable celebrities to elite sporting teams.  In this episode, Kev talks to what he learnt from his military service, how he saw the military approach to physical training change over the years and what he currently considers the key requirements for optimising the human body.    In this second part of a special double episode, Ben and Tim chat to Kev about helping Mon prepare for SASR selection and then his transition out of uniform into the much more beautiful world of celebrities, models and professional sportspeople, including his work with Candice Warner prior to her appearance on SAS Australia.    1:30         On Monika Georgieva's workup to being the first female to attempt SASR selection 3:00         The significance of the infamous 3.2km webbing run – and why it's such an important component of SASR selection 5:30         …and why this was a particularly difficult test for Mon 11:00       Mind-body connection, how it impacts selection performance and what potential candidates don't do well in their preparation and on the course 12:15       Kev's input into modernising the pre-selection training program 21:05       How did the lessons that Kev learnt in uniform translate into his current roles? 22:30       From the predominantly very ugly demographic of SASR to a ‘gym full of celebrities and models' in Sydney's trendy suburb of Darlinghurst 26:10       Building a fitness app – how hard/expensive can it be?! 27:00       Meeting rugby legends Ben and Owen Franks – a pivotal moment for Kev's transition into supporting elite sports 33:20       What's the difference between developing physical programs for Special Operations and elite sports and preparing them for the wider population? 40:30       Preparing Candice Warner for SAS Australia 47:00       What are Kev's current personal fitness goals? 48:50       The future of 98 Gym - the business of fitness 52:30       On Crossfit and F45 – the pros and cons of fitness movements like these 55:00       What's Kev's powersong – to fire him up when he needs to deadlift 250kg   www.unforgiving60.com   Email us at debrief@unforgiving60.com   Instagram, Twitter: @Unforgiving60   External Links   98 Gym   If you want some great black and white photos of Kev squatting the equivalent weight of a small car (and who doesn't?!) check out his Insta.   Music The Externals – available on Spotify Ben Frichot - available on Spotify    

In Ben and Tim's book The Resilience Shield, they refer to Kev Toonen as a ‘superstar Army PTI (Physical Training Instructor)' - and certainly when they first met him, that's exactly what Kev was – a thought leader in the development of special operations physical capability, who helped evolved SAS training methodologies, as well as prepare the amazing Monika Georgieva (see Season 2 Episode 3 for more on Mon!) for her pioneering attempts at the SAS selection course.   Since that time, Kev has taken his passion and knowledge for human performance to clients ranging from some of Australia's most beautiful and recognisable celebrities to elite sporting teams.  In this episode, Kev talks to what he learnt from his military service, how he saw the military approach to physical training change over the years and what he currently considers the key requirements for optimising the human body.    In this first part of a special double episode, Ben and Tim chat to Kev about his background, his early years in the Army and then his time at SASR, during which he was instrumental in changing elements of the unit's physical preparation program to better meet the demands of campaigning in Afghanistan.   4:30         Kev opens with……a sweat lodge story! 6:11         Kev's early years – school and joining the Army (after being tricked by a recruiter!) 8:45         Into infantry corps and the parachute battalion 11:30       East Timor 16:30       The million-dollar East Timor question – did Kev make it to the Kylie Minogue concert? 17:50       Back to East Timor for a second trip (in violation of the age-old Army rule – never volunteer for anything!) 19:40       …and a third trip to Timor! 20:00       12 months out of uniform – was the grass any greener on the other side? 21:00       Back into uniform – and why?  21:30       The highs and lows of sniper course 25:00       Marriage!  And a career transition to become a PTI, including reflections on the training involved 26:00       The evolution of thinking in military physical training 33:40       Getting posted to SASR in Perth 35:00       Influences at SASR, including Danny Cooper and Harry Moffitt 37:00       (Why friends shouldn't let friends skip leg day) 37:30       Impressions of physical training at SASR, and how this changed over the period of campaigning in Afghanistan 40:10       The potential downsides of a ‘never quit' mindset     www.unforgiving60.com   Email us at debrief@unforgiving60.com   Instagram, Twitter: @Unforgiving60   External Links   98 Gym   If you want some great black and white photos of Kev squatting the equivalent weight of a small car (and who doesn't?!) check out his Insta.   Music The Externals – available on Spotify Ben Frichot - available on Spotify

For the second time Ben and Tim talk to psychologist Al Hill.  The first time Ali interviewed Ben, Tim and Dr Dan Pronk…. And Ben and Tim nicked the audio! This time around they interview Ali on ‘Stand Out Lives'. Talking ‘working from anywhere', psychological transition and what leaders need to be aware of in this brave new world! Also- what are your moments Ali is CEO of AFR Fast 100 company Pragmatic Thinking, Ali is a Psychologist, an award-winning business woman, an influential keynote speaker, producer and host of Stand Out Life podcast, regular on mainstream media, and a best-selling author.     4:30         What has Ali done since Christmas? More health and adventure! 08:00       How Ali manages business partner and life partner (the same person!)- and psychological transitions from work to home? 09:50       Multi-tasking is a myth… how to work from anywhere…. But not work from everywhere 15:00       How will the COVID working experiment play out? The importance of face to face working….. can we risk losing it? 17:25       What does a hybrid look like? 19:25       The new challenges for leaders…. Are there any? 24:40       Dealing with the tough stuff- having difficult conversations 28:30       How do we find the moments of magic? 31:10       Moments that matter …. Decipher these in your life. Our first sporting analogy (in this episode)! 34:45       Our second sporting conversation-  on cricket and training mindfulness in order to be very attentive 38:50       Tuning into the little things…. Becoming a virtuous circle. 39:45       The author's journey. Ali talks about writing. 44:30       Ali's 6 must reads for 2022…. The window into Ali's soul 48:10       How would I know I was wrong about this? 50:50       What is Ali's powersong?       www.unforgiving60.com   Email us at debrief@unforgiving60.com   Instagram, Twitter: @Unforgiving60   External Links   https://www.alisonhill.com.au     Music   Mitchell Martin available on Spotify The Externals – available on Spotify Nick Kali- Available on Spotify Ben Frichot - available on Spotify    

Dean Fechner is a tough human.  From a first career as an Air Force Physical Training Instructor, through subsequent work in law enforcement in places ranging from the Australian Parliament House to the battlefields of Southern Iraq, he has demonstrated an incredible amount of character and resilience.  But his toughest challenge came not in uniform, but on the operating table.  In this episode, Dean chats with Ben and Tim about how he built his resilience and how it was tested through the medical challenges that he has faced – and how he is now using the lessons that he has learnt through his life to help other people.    04:22       Dean's background – joining the military, training as a sparky and then – becoming a Physical Training Instructor! 06:42       Secrets of the ADF Physical Training Instructor course – is it more than just learning how to shave your legs?! 10:00       Working as a PTI at the Australian Defence Force Academy 11:40       Leaving the Air Force and becoming one of the pioneers in the personal training industry 12:00       …and into the police force – a lifelong ambition 13:45       What are the differences between police and Defence Force training? 15:00       Balancing the competing requirements of policing – the ‘three block war' concept 17:53       Transitioning into security roles within Courts and Parliament 19:45       Into Southern Iraq and a training role in their National Police Academy 23:50       What did a normal day in Iraq look like? 25:45       Did Dean feel he was making a difference in Iraq? 28:40       Dealing with the stressors of life in a combat zone 31:00       Over and above the meaning of the work, how important was the money? 33:00       Work after Iraq 36:00       Unexplained health issues, culminating in the identification of a massive heart blockage 38:00       ‘The Widowmaker' – a medical diagnosis you don't want to receive 40:10       Bouncing back – physically and mentally 43:20       How did Dean keep going through it all? Mental and physical strategies 46:25       But then things started to plateau – and the headaches began… 47:40       …which were then diagnosed as a brain tumour 50:10       The importance of hope 51:00       Breathing, meditation – and studying psychology 58:00       Breathing techniques, including from Brian MacKenzie and Andrew Huberman 1:01:30    The value of Stoicism 1:03:25    Where to from here?   www.unforgiving60.com   Email us at debrief@unforgiving60.com   Instagram, Twitter: @Unforgiving60   External Links Dean's current work includes his role with Front and Centre, who provide bespoke solutions and support in the areas Sales Training, Leadership Training, Client Experience, Presentation Skills and more.   Music The Externals – available on Spotify Ben Frichot - available on Spotify

Tom Moore is the CEO of WithYouWithMe (WYWM) a social impact company, founded by Veterans – it was started with the sole mission of solving veteran underemployment. Indeed when transitioning from the military to civilian life, Tom struggled to gain meaningful employment. WYWM now includes neurodivergent, gender-diverse, military spouses, and Indigenous populations. They support veterans and others (for free!) by offering our testing, training, and job search function (once again, for free!) on their platform to help identify their best matched career path, learn their job-ready skills, and land their first job.   We talk with Tom about his life in uniform and how WYWM delivers value to employers.   In 2019, WYWM won Deloitte's Tech Fast 50 and Tech Fast 500 programs because of its explosive growth rate of 13,361 per cent…..  unbelievable success and you'll love the philosophies that they implement and embrace.     04:25       Tom gives his background in the Army and what led to him leaving. 06:00       Why the resume approach is broken. 10:20       Why veteran resumes are misunderstood…. And how to better represent military skills. 15:00       How to showcase how people can do things…. That people didn't think they could! 20:20       What were the nature of Tom's injuries? 22:55       If Tom wasn't happy in the military why did he want to stay? 30:00       What was transferrable from the military? 35:10       What keeps Tom going through the tough times? 43:00       Founders and vulnerability, fear and focus 45:20       Is there a shift in hiring stigmas? 49:10       How does WYWM make sure that there aren't too many generals?   Find out more here: https://withyouwithme.com       www.unforgiving60.com   Email us at debrief@unforgiving60.com   Social Media (Instagram, Twitter): @Unforgiving60   External Links   Music The Externals – available on Spotify New tunes from And Enjoy ….. check them out on Instagram @AndEnjoyBand

Harry Garside is all about challenging stereotypes.  So let's start by challenging some of yours.  What do you think of when you think ‘champion boxer'?  Is it someone who dances ballet?  Who paints their nails?  Who augments their training with meditation, juggling and Schulte tables?  If you answered no to these questions (or if you simply want to know what a Schulte table is!), this episode is for you.  Fresh from his bronze medal performance in Tokyo, Harry joins Ben and Tim to open Season Four of the Unforgiving60 with an amazing reflection on his life to date – inside and outside of the boxing ring.    04:25       Reflections on an Olympic Bronze Medal at Tokyo 05:30       On mellowing (now wallowing!) in loss – a lesson from Tim Grover        10:45       On identity and role – how to ensure you are more than what it says on your business card 13:40       The beauty of being human – in all its weirdness and individuality! 14:40       Ballet as boxing preparation – lessons from the Gold Medal Ready Program, including ‘getting comfortable being uncomfortable' 17:30       The importance of mentors – and a close inner circle - in Harry's life 21:00       On negativity bias 22:30        Dealing with fear 24:00       What does a normal training day look like for Harry – and how is it meditative?! 25:35       Ben asks the dumb question – what are the Olympics like? 27:41       …and did COVID ruin the experience at all? 30:15       The (semi-)mandatory U60 question – what's Harry's power song? 32:00       Harry's Hall of Fame – and why Harry has these people tattooed on his leg (hint:  it's not just because they're great boxers) 34:40       Should you encourage your kid to get into boxing? 37:52       Tim takes the opportunity to bring up the time that Ben got absolutely smashed by the great Chris Collard…. 38:45       On vulnerability – there's nowhere to hide in a boxing ring! 40:30       What does Harry need to reach his next goal? 44:30       What's Harry reading at the moment? 45:31       How can Schulte Tables make you a better boxer? 49:05       What's changed for Harry since the Olympics – and what's next   www.unforgiving60.com   Email us at debrief@unforgiving60.com   Social Media (Instagram, Twitter): @Unforgiving60   External Links Tim Grover, Relentless   Music The Externals – available on Spotify Ben Frichot - available on Spotify

Ben and Tim look back at 2021…. What a wild year it was and they give the key takeaways …. to takeaway! Plus, listener and guest feedback. ** We also talk about Shannon Lemanski who on 12 Mar will be conducting the Better-at-Life Sprint Triathlon as part of the Mooloolaba Triathlon festival. This will see him attempt a 750m open water swim in combat cams, a 20km bike ride in body armour, and a 5km run with an 18kg pack – symbolising the 18+ Veterans lost to suicide in 2021.  Sponsor him at: https://www.gofundme.com/f/betteratlife-triathlon Or learn more about Swiss8 at: https://swiss8.org/the-app   As always, please let us know what you think.  We'd love to hear from you – please email debrief@unforgiving60.com.       www.unforgiving60.com     Music … with thanks to: The Externals … Available on Spotify Ben Frichot from Frichot Design Factory        

Ali Hill is a professional ‘head-mechanic' (aka psychologist) and has worked with big businesses and small to improve performance. In this episode Ben and Tim are joined by Dr Dan Pronk to chat to Ali on her Standout Life Podcast. We talk resilient minds and psychological drivers to being more (or less) resilient.   More on Ali Here: https://www.alisonhill.com.au/ https://www.alisonhill.com.au/standoutlife       Our Website: www.unforgiving60.com   Email us at debrief@unforgiving60.com   Social Media (Instagram, Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn): @Unforgiving60   Music… with thanks to The Externals and Mitchell Martin – available on Spotify

This week Ben and Tim cross into America and join Randy Powell and guests on the Lessons in Leadership Show. We talk leadership, resilience and how Prince Harry got shot in the bum! Each week Randy has conversations with leaders who have started businesses, founded charities, gone away to war, endured unimaginable hardship, and taken on breathtaking challenges, and through it all developed grit, perseverance, determination, and resilience.  Ben and Tim haven't done much of any of that! Enjoy!   More on Randy here: https://randallwpowell.com       Our Website: www.unforgiving60.com   Email us at debrief@unforgiving60.com   Social Media (Instagram, Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn): @Unforgiving60   Music… with thanks to The Externals – available on Spotify  

This week we plagiarise some content – and have an episode without Tim!  Ben was recently invited to participate in a podcast with the Mission Critical Teams Institute discussing the potential links between creativity and the kinds of people who end up in Mission Critical Teams.  This is an area of significant interest for Ben.  There is an old saying that there are no atheists in a foxhole - while we're not sure about that, Ben has noticed that there seem to be a bunch of artists in foxholes!  On every deployment he has been on, he has been surprised by the amount of people who start writing poetry, drawing or playing a musical instrument.  This podcast explores some potential links in this regard.   Former Unforgiving60 guest Harry Moffitt chairs the conversation, which includes Ben and Professor Kate Stevens, a cognitive scientist and Professor in Psychology whose work investigates how humans interact with each other, their environment, and with technology. Enjoy!   www.unforgiving60.com   Email us at debrief@unforgiving60.com   Social Media (Instagram, Twitter): @Unforgiving60   External Links The MCTI website, including their overview of this episode Music Jamaica Scream The Externals – available on Spotify Ben Frichot - available on Spotify

In Part B of the Hamish Blake interview we talk resilience. As well as how Hamish practices mindfulness, meaningful challenges, the mind-body connection and The Melbourne Football Club! We also talk about how to crack open a safe!    Intelligence Summary (INTSUM) 01:50       Hamish completes our Resilience Survey 06:40       Presenting the data on resilience 08:00       Resilience is more than strengthening your one-legged table 08:45       Friends v family 12:00       Picking an activity to be bad at! Enter the wheelie! 14:30       Talking status and ego & mindset              18:30       The principle of locus of control 27:00       Hamish's advice to teenagers 31:10       Physical exertion as ‘mindfulness' 36:50       The mind-body connection…. weaving aspects together 38:50       Hamish and his relationship with The Melbourne Football Club 52:00       Hamish and safe cracking 57:30        SAS explosive calculations…. The ‘how to' guide 59:00.       On the TV show SAS Australia   External Links   https://www.hamishandandy.com     Contact Us   www.unforgiving60.com   Email us at debrief@unforgiving60.com   Social Media (Instagram, Twitter): @Unforgiving60     Music The Externals – available on Spotify Ben Frichot- – available via: https://www.designfactory.com.au