Beyond Sport with Fiona Stewart

Levi Maxwell // professional triathlon, balance outside of sport and mental health

Welcome to the last episode of season 1. This week's guest is professional Australian Triathlete Levi Maxwell. Throughout the few years I’ve been watching Triathlons – I’ve always admired Levi, so it's an absolute honour to be joined by him for a chat.
In this episode we discuss Levi’s introduction to the sport as an adult and how he transitioned from a beginner who had to teach himself how to swim to taking out the Age group Ironman world championships two years running. And then making his mark in the professional arena. Levi also shares some of the injuries and mental challenges that he’s faced as part of his journey in the sport.
This episode is open and raw, and does discuss panic attacks, so if this something triggering to you please skip ahead. Levi’s insightful and humble attitude is the perfect way to wrap up the first season.
Thank you so much for joining me along the start of this journey – if you’d like to find out more you can find us at Beyond Sport with Fiona Stewart on facebook and Instagram. Season 2 will be launching in 2021, but keep an eye out for bonus content in the meantime. If you’ve liked this episode please leave a review, it helps make this podcast more discoverable. If you are someone who’s benefited from participating in sport and would like to share your journey – please shoot me a message via our facebook or Instagram page or send me an email at beyondsportwithfionastewart@outlook.com
 
If you're interested in Levi's coaching services, you can find out more information here; http://www.levi-maxwell.com/coaching/

Todd Buschkuehl // couple chat, endurance sports and 12 hour ride debrief!

Today’s guest is my incredible fiancé Todd Buschkuehl. Todd’s participation in sport started at a young age as he followed his big brothers footsteps into motocross. He later found a love and passion for cricket but in his own words…lacked the ability to do well at it. Eventually making his way to endurance sports such as Triathlon and Road Cycling.
Todd’s achievement in both sports are not just reflective of his performance, but the lessons he has learnt in overcoming the injuries and obstacles. Todd touches on some of his sporting highlights as well as some of the challenges that have come up along the way.
Without turning this into a love story, you could say the reason Todd and I initially bonded was because of our love, passion and dedication towards our sport. Something that a lot of our guests are touching on is the social benefits of participating in a sport, and I couldn’t preach it enough how beneficial it truly is.
We recorded this episode 6 days after Todd’s 12 hour ride to raise money for Brain Injury Australia, so we discuss why Todd chose do this, the eventful lead up and what was going through his head in the later stages of his ride. You can find the fundraising link in the show notes.
Thank you to all the weekly listeners, I really hope you’re enjoying this podcast…if you are, it would mean the world if you share it with someone who you think would also like listening.
 
https://www.gofundme.com/f/todd039s-campaign-for-brain-injury-australia-limited?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=m_pd%20share-sheet&fbclid=IwAR2j_wE-KBesXiHc2QwzFG6n59_YLsv7qc-A727PKFKcpfWlamm0PbaZpss
 

Callan Brooks // deaf basketball, discovering the sport in his 20's

Today we are joined by Australian basketballer Callan Brookes.
Callan plays for the Goanna’s, who is the national deaf basketball team for Australia. Playing basketball at a local level in regional Victoria, Callan who was unaware of the pathways just wanted more and lead him to search the internet where he found the Goannas in his early 20’s. For more information about the Goanna’s or deaf basketball Australia you can find links in the show notes.
In 2015, Callans first year in the team, they won a gold medal at the Asia Pacific Deaf Games. Through playing with the Goannas Callen has not only discovered that he is capable of anything he can set his mind toward, but he has also found a family in the team.
Having to fund their training camps and competition expenses themselves is an additional pressure that the Goanna’s face.
Before we jump in, as we are recording remotely the audio is not at it’s usual quality – however, there is a lot of important information found in this chat that would also be beneficial for the hearing impaired community. So you can find a transcript for this interview on our Facebook page, Beyond Sport with Fiona Stewart.
https://www.facebook.com/australiangoannas/
https://www.deafbasketballaustralia.org.au/goannas

Emily McKie // women's afl coach & important life lessons

Today’s episode is with Emily McKie. Emily and I met during our uni studies and bonded over our passion for our sport, and I’ve always felt inspired by her ability to chase her dreams. Emily created and managed what is now one of the biggest female junior football leagues in Victoria - the Eastern Region Girls Football League.
But she didn’t stop there… she then went on to coach the National Women’s AFL team in Germany. Emily is still coaching a high-performance women’s team, and is a VET Sport and Rec teacher, passionate about creating generational change.
I hope you by the end of this chat you are feeling as inspired by Emily’s passion as I did.

Matt Haanappel // Paralympic Swimmer, transitioning from athlete to change maker

We are joined today by Australian Paralympic swimmer Matt Haanappel.
Matt not only has held a place on the podium at multiple international swimming competitions, but is also establishing himself as a remarkable change maker for inclusion within the sport of swimming in Victoria.
Matt’s passion and dedication for everyone to have access and be included within swimming really shines through in this chat. I certainly feel inspired to make a change and I hope you are too.

Brooke Buschkuehl (Stratton) // olympic long jumper, commonwealth games silver medallist, coeliac disease & injuries

Today’s guest is Olympic Long Jumper Brooke Stratton.
Brooke takes us on the rollercoaster journey of being a professional athlete. The devastating injuries and the incredible comeback to become the current Australian and Oceanic record holder. There is a strong theme of resilience in this chat, and in the last 4 years I’ve been able to witness up close how resilience has seen Brooke overcome many obstacles.
You may hear some barking in the background, at the time of recording we had a hungry golden retriever asking for her dinner.  Shoutout to my adorable puppy niece Winnie who’s the first furry friend to make an appearance.

BONUS EPISODE // 25 Lessons I've Learnt Through Sport

Welcome to our first bonus episode. I’m Fiona Stewart your host and to celebrate my 25th birthday I’ve put together a list of 25 things I’ve learnt through sport. This is a little bit of a different episode, so I hope you enjoy it. If you are enjoying this podcast, it would really mean a lot if you could leave a review. Remember to subscribe or follow us so you don’t miss an episode!
AQUATIC MENTORS PODCAST...
https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/fiona-stewart/id1511267552?i=1000491842688
 
25 things I’ve learnt through sport
How to work hard
How to prioritise
The value of a good coach
The value of a bad coach
How amazing it is to be passionate about something
When to listen to my body
When not to listen to my body and push it further
What commitment is
Always be 15 minutes early
Sleep is important
You need to fuel your body if you want it to function
Spectating is hard work
Volunteers do a lot of unpaid work behind the scenes
Value of the process rather than performance
How to bounce back
Motivation doesn’t last, however discipline does
Make sport your outlet, not your everything
Surround yourself with good people
How to step up and be a leader
How to train smart
Just go to the physio
Not all sports are created equal
When to walk away
How to in believe myself
At the end of the day…some people will never understand

Nathan Taylor // Youth Olympics to coaching

Today’s guest is Nathan Taylor, an Australian swimmer who was the youngest finalist in the 200 Individual Medley at the 2000 Australian Olympic Trials.
Nathan was a member of the Victorian Institute of Sport and a part of the gold medal relay team at the 2001 Youth Olympics. After hanging up his competitive swimming cap, Nathan found his way back to the sport in role of swim teacher and coach.

Steve Foster // professional triathlete to coach - 36 years in the sport

Today we have an Australian legend in the sport of Triathlon. Steve Foster competed on the world stage in the 80’s and 90’s, finishing 3rd at the 1990 ITU World Championships.
Steve not only has multiple Australian titles to his name, but also an impressive coaching career. Steve shares with us what hardships have taught him throughout his 36 years in the sport.
This chat is not one to miss.

Mitch Pratt // Commonwealth Games Swimmer & what happens behind closed doors

Today’s guest is Australian swimmer Mitch Pratt. Mitch competed for Australia in multiple international competitions, including the 2014 Commonwealth Games.
He takes us on his journey to becoming a high performance athlete and the lessons he has learnt along the way.