Real Risk

S3 E12 Standing Tall - with Gill Hicks AM MBE

In my view, the very embodiment of courage and resilience is my friend Gill Hicks.  As a young woman Gill travelled to London to find adventure and a new life. She found success and everything she had hoped for in that wonderful city. But that all changed in "a breath", when she was just meters away from a detonating suicide bomber on the London Underground in July 2005.  The ghastly physical impact was just the beginning of a journey that would lead her on a quest to literally promote world peace. Gill is articulate, kind and outspoken about her vision of what humanity could look like. I need to sit down with her for a few more hours to hear more of her philosophies!Gill's book "One Unknown"

S3 E11 Sideways Around the Globe with Rally Champion Molly Taylor

To see lots of Molly's thrills and spills, be sure to watch the interview on YouTube under Real Risk Podcast.For the last episode of the series, I bring you a chat with an extraordinary Australian who is currently dominating in the highly competitive world of rally driving. After winning the Australian Rally Championship in 2016 (as both the youngest competitor and the first female), the hugely skilled and very personable Molly is now finding success in multiple disciplines within the sport.  And she's not to shabby in front of the camera either after starring in the Australian SAS series as well as working as a motor sport commentator. Molly's career looks set to go from strength to strength, so I was lucky to catch her before her next big year! 

S3 E10 February Dragon Came Early - Fire and Rescue Commissioner Greg Mullins

Check out the video version on YouTube under Real Risk Podcast. The 2019/20 bushfire season in Australia was the worst on record. The first ever recorded "giga-fire" that burnt across multiple states. And Greg Mullins was one of the experts who knew it was coming. Greg fought his first bush fire as a young lad alongside his father. It was the start of what would become a lifelong career not only fighting bush and structure fires on the front line, but studying the science behind what seemed to be making them worse with every passing decade. In his last position as the Commissioner of NSW Fire and Rescue, nobody could question Greg's expertise.In this conversation Greg Mullins AO AFSM relates harrowing stories from the fire fronts. But it is his predictions for our future that are really frightening if we fail to immediately act on the impending climate disaster. For more information Greg's book Firestorm is a well referenced, balanced account from a subject matter expert.

S3 E9 Muay Thai Magic with Carly 'Cupcake' Gangell

See the video of Carly's interview on YouTube under Real Risk Podcast.At 24 years of age, Adelaide Muay Thai and Karate expert has already won national and world championships. She is a successful business woman and has a passion for enabling women to be confident, strong and safe on the streets and in life in general. Her latest venture is to promote the prestigious Pride Fight Series with the ultimate goal of seeing the fight card equally balanced with male and female athletes. In a time where many contact sports are increasingly being scrutinised due to the evolving concerns around Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE) which can follow repeated minor head injuries, Carly explains why such adversarial contests are still relevant in the modern era. In fact the growth and promotion of mixed martial arts would suggest combat sports have never been more popular.Whatever your view, Carly is an articulate and intelligent woman, as well as an impressive athlete. Her stories about her life in the sport are fascinating.Carly's gym www.femalesfightingforward.com.auPride Fight Series pridefightseries.com.au

S3 E8 MotoGP and the Man Behind the Winners - Jeremy Burgess

Enjoy the video version on YouTube at Real Risk Podcast.At the top end of town in motor sports - Formula 1 and MotoGP, the budgets are eye watering. The technology is beyond comprehension and the competition to get a seat or a ride is extraordinary with countless young wannabes vying for a tiny number of opportunities. So when the red lights go out and the racing starts, the need for not only speed but also reliability is obvious. A tenth of a second here or there gained through tyre choice or suspension setup will win races. Much of this is in the hands of the crew chief, the person responsible for coordinating the different teams who look after all the different systems and who can also interpret the feedback from the racer.In motor cycle Formula 1 (the MotoGP), the best of these crew chiefs was Australian Jeremy Burgess.  "JB" looked after some massive names - Randy Mamola, Freddy Spencer, Wayne Gardner, Mick Doohan and Valentino Rossi. JB earn't the nickname "The Kingmaker" through his involvement with over 15 World Championships! It was a delight to chat with one of Adelaide's own who made it big on the world stage.