Interview: Mike Power (Rerelease 2019)

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Brad catches up with Olympian and former 5000m star Mike Power, reflecting on a career that stretched from running laps in a school carpark to lining up at the Prefontaine Classic with a 3:58 mile and breaking the U/16 1000m World Junior Record. Their conversation traces Mike’s journey from Little Athletics in Dandenong to a scholarship at the University of Arkansas, offering insights into how the U.S. college system helped shape him during the pivotal transition from junior to senior competition.

They revisit Mike’s path to the Sydney 2000 Olympics—navigating the qualifying process, the build-up to competing on home soil, and the role Athletics Australia played in supporting him through that experience.

Mike also opens up about life beyond the Games: the struggle to find the right coach, the decision to step away from elite racing, and the emotional toll of a cancer diagnosis. Wrapping up, he shares his reflections on the U.S. collegiate running environment and what it's taught him about athlete development and culture.

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Opening and Closing Music is Undercover of my Skin by Benny Walker. www.bennywalkermusic.com

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