The Champion Within
This is a series with fascinating and inspiring people, and what it takes to be the best you can at whatever your endeavours may be.
We will learn from others as to how they have handled themselves in their own pursuits, and so that we can apply to ourselves.
We’ll talk about the necessary support and how important it is, to have the best and appropriate systems around us, so that we can be the best possible. We’ll discuss aspects of ourselves that we can all develop.
This is a show with inspiring people, including musicians, artists, athletes, medical specialists, business entrepreneurs and more…in the pursuit of excellence.
I’m Jason Agosta, a health professional and former athlete, and I'm fascinated in people’s stories, my own involves developing certain attributes over time, but also things that were not done well or were significantly missing.
Join me on The Champion Within in discovering that everybody has a story, and everybody has a message.
@the_championwithin
@jasonagosta
jason@ja-podiatry.com
The Champion Within
Ep.20 Steve Moneghetti: Marathon Wisdom...Personal Growth, and Competitive Spirit
Imagine lining up at the start line with your heart racing, the crisp morning air filling your lungs, ready to embark on the grueling yet exhilarating journey of a marathon. Now, imagine that feeling multiplied by the wisdom of decades spent perfecting the art of long-distance running. Join me as I sit down with Steve Moneghetti, an Australian marathon legend, who not only lived this experience but also shaped the very fabric of running in Australia and beyond. Steve takes us through a riveting exploration of his illustrious career, the profound impact of his coach Chris Wardlaw, and the universal relevance of goal displacement in sports and life.
Steve's candid tales traverse the path from the nerves and self-esteem hurdles of his youth to the poised champion standing on international podiums. His story is a masterclass in personal development through the lens of running, underlining the virtues of simplicity, self-awareness, and harnessing one's passion. As he shares his journey from a local runner in Ballarat to donning the national colors, he illuminates how embracing our heritage and seizing opportunities can catalyze unexpected growth. Steve's experiences underscore the transformative power of athletics, which extends well beyond the track, fostering a sense of community and shaping one's approach to life and leadership.
As we round out our conversation, Steve's wisdom continues to inspire as he discusses maintaining competitive spirit at 61 and confronting personal health challenges. He offers a treasure trove of insights into the mental and physical aspects of sports, the importance of a strong support network, and the complex dynamics of parental involvement in an athlete's career. Whether you're a seasoned marathoner or simply seeking motivation to excel in life's marathon, Steve's stories offer a rich tapestry of resilience, dedication, and the timeless pursuit of excellence.
@stevemoneghetti
@wardlaw_chris
@leetroop73
@athleticsaustralia
www.worldathletics.org
@the_champion within
@jasonagosta
Hi, there you're listening to the Champion Within Show with fascinating people with inspiring stories. I'm Jason Agosta. Thanks for tuning in. One of Australia's most consistent and decorated distance runners, steve Monagetti, joins me. Steve has been the face and personality of Australia's distance running scene for decades and has run a 2-8 marathon. He's a four times Olympic Marathonner and was fifth in the Seoul Olympics in 1988, running 2-11. Steve ran third at the Athens World Championships in 1997, which he considers the best race of his marathon career. Steve is the complete set of Commonwealth Games medals, with a first, second and third in the marathon, and Monaz has won both the Tokyo and Berlin Marathons. He sits on Athletics Australia board and the Commonwealth Games board, and Monaz was inducted into the Sport Australia Hall of Fame in 2021.
Speaker 1:He was coached by Chris Wardlaw, who can be heard in episode 12 of this show's series, which is well worth a listen either prior to or after today's show, and Monaz is the most generous guy of his time and forever approachable and always such a pleasure to meet with Steve Monagetti. I don't know whether you've listened to any of it, but I listened to the one with Chris. Well, he was hanging a bit on you when he was talking about gold displacement. Yes, but interestingly about that was the number of people who contacted me and said that episode and that these are people not in athletics or not runners, young people playing footy or netball or something, and that really resonated with him that comment about gold displacement and his remarks about that, and he gave your example about Rialto running that and so many young people made contact with me saying that made complete sense. I get it. I get it.
Speaker 2:Really Right. Yeah, I think it's just the end of that. That's sort of our standard joke when we catch up about having to go it was career changing and all that sort of stuff and made the right decision. I caught up with him, I had the particular six and we're talking about it with it's often a third party person, a conversation that we have with a third party person. So it's nice, that's it, yeah.
Speaker 1:But the reason why I started this, just so you know my favorite thing when I had the radio station or three triple R segment run like this doll something years ago, it was interviewing people and it's the same with work now. I'm just fascinated with people's stories and just the passion. It's just an interesting thing and if there's one thing that comes out of it, it's actually passing on stuff to other people to help them or get things in a good perspective.
Speaker 2:And if we can do that, that's a great thing, that's a bonus, because you know I do every podcast in the world and I don't get anything out of it. But it's just nice to share ideas and hopefully you think you're making a difference to someone along the line. Yeah, exactly yeah, which is good.
Speaker 1:A lot of people come into my radar, like climate people and fashion designers and all sorts of people you know.
Speaker 2:Right, right, it gives you the time to chat to them.
Speaker 1:So it's actually quite interesting here. And that's when I was, and I wasn't joking about getting Tanya on.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I was just trying to get some sort of stuff I know.
Speaker 1:I'd sort of guess that, but I'd love to speak to her because I'm interested in the stories behind the scenes which no one hears or sees, because, as you know, the cascading effect of your athletic endeavor is absolutely massive on so many people in that support network and people don't often hear about all that.
Speaker 2:No, exactly yeah, and it's like a village to raise a child, that's it Exactly.
Speaker 1:So I've got to start. I've got to ask you. I know you and I travelled on a few teams together World Cross and around the nation here. One thing that stood out to me I know you're a few years ahead of me was how relaxed you were, and is that something you think was played a big part in how you handled the big events? And your general relaxed demeanor had an impact on the quality of your running?
Speaker 2:What do you think? Probably just some perspective. Interestingly, that might be the external impression you were getting. Internally you're still dealing with shit and stuff.
Speaker 2:I was quite a nervous kid when I was younger. I didn't have a lot of self-confidence. I was a really good cricketer so I played, I captained, the ballerina under 14 cricket side and it was a bit. I was a bit uncomfortable with that. I always struggled to just find my place. When I was a kid I was pretty, had low self-esteem and just didn't quite feel like I deserved anything and all these sort of things and places I got. I didn't feel all that confidence.
Speaker 2:So when I found my running, running came natural to me and was easy for me and the projection as I kind of started making teams and improving, I just felt comfortable in my own skin with the running. So it was never something that I had to feel like I forced or found difficult to do. So obviously the turning point for my career was when I know you've interviewed Chris Wardlaw. So when he started coaching me he gave sort of a framework and direction to what I was doing and I never questioned it. I still don't. He coaches me as my mentor, my best mate or one of my close friends now, but he obviously doesn't coach me. But I don't get coached anymore.
Speaker 2:but we still align him and that framework was really important. So maybe when I then travelled because for me it's all about your preparation so I'd get to an event and I knew exactly what shape I was in, so I was never nervous or worried and unsure about the outcome, because I got to that event with perfect preparation.
Speaker 2:So, and I always did, and it just kind of so maybe I had that persona of being relaxed because I was comfortable with the training and comfortable in myself that I could deliver at this event. And the other thing, which is interesting, Jason, and I, like you know, obviously I'm very social and I love being around people. So I just I love being in that environment. So I was relaxed because I was happy and, yeah, actually happy, let's be honest. So, and I think then you know, I've got some leadership positions and that changed things up a little bit for me, because I was, I was less relaxed because I was thinking, well, I've got to.
Speaker 2:You know, people are expecting me to do this and do that, and that put me more out of outside my comfort zone. I just wanted to run and I just wanted to be in control of my own destiny. It's easy, it's actually quite easy to look after yourself. When you then start having to look after other people and and or not look after them, but give them some support and direction, that's hard and I'm I'm I'm a control freak, so when you're putting those positions, I can't control. So so you know, I'm mentoring you. I can't actually control what you do. I can help you and assist you and hopefully give you some advice that's useful, but you have to take it on board and if you don't, I sort of feel responsible for the outcome.
Speaker 2:And I'm like well, what happened there, and so it's. That makes me a bit more uncomfortable, whereas when you're in control of the situation, you know the outcome. I think is is a lot more expected, and maybe that was relaxed because I'd prepared well, got to the event, was happy to be in the in around my friends and and I delivered.
Speaker 1:I also can remember being on a team and we were overseas talking about you being social Mate. You're an awesome dancer, from what I remember, because we were out one night and you were flaring at a big time. No one would ever know that you're a great dancer, except Tom.
Speaker 2:And I've got to thank Tanya, my wife, of that, because I'm a bit self-conscious so I don't like dancing. I bet you I'd add a few beers that night, oh, probably. But my Tanya people won't know but my wife, tanya's she was a really good ballroom dancer as a kid One like trophies and stuff they're her trophies that match. But I was terrible dancer and I might you know the first the dance at your wedding or that stuff. I couldn't do an all that. So she's actually taught me to dance and given me the confidence so I have improved a bit, thank goodness.
Speaker 1:Beautiful Cause. I do remember that in France one night anyway.
Speaker 2:I'm always playing second.
Speaker 1:She's a good ball. It's interesting what you said about being a control freak. I mean coming across relaxed, but then you say you're a control freak. I mean, was that like the obsession of, or the compulsion to have everything perfect and in control for yourself? Is that what you're sort of getting at?
Speaker 2:That's right. Yes, Now that might be being a control freak, but what? What I do try to tell people and live myself is there are so many things in the world that you can't control and there are so some things that you can control. So what I do is I do all the controlled things so that then I have 100% capacity to deal with the things I can't control. What I find in the world is people are sort of don't have control of the simple things and then when there's a complicated thing comes along, they're just dealing with the simple things. So the complicated one big overloads them and they can't deal with it.
Speaker 2:So what I'm thinking is I'm traveling along at sort of normal speed, so when I hit a speed bump I'm ready for it and I've got 100% capacity in my car to actually deal with that speed bump, so I focus on it 100%. So that might be where I say on the control freak is in that I like to have so many things ticked off that when I do then come to a obstacle, I'm ready for it and I'm prepared to face it full on.
Speaker 1:I think I know this is true for myself. I'm not sure about you, but you're running or athletics sort of created some of that. As far as focusing on yourself and developing resilience and we have been talking about this a lot lately actually, with younger people coming through how, like what you just said you need to focus on the simple things that ground you and become stronger, confident, more resilient. Do you think that happened?
Speaker 2:for you, because resilience is one of those things that you can't sort of put a sort of a name on or a title on or an understanding on, but either have it or you don't. It's this funny thing, or you can develop it, but it's, you know, have to work on it. So I think that's probably not a bad. I'm a very simple person. I'm very analytical, because I'm an engineer, maths science teacher so and very visual. So I think I like to be able to picture a situation and see how I can fit into that picture. So that kind of that's how I.
Speaker 2:My resilience comes from not overthinking things and being in the moment and controlling the now and running great example of that.
Speaker 2:It's funny how many I will tell people.
Speaker 2:You know, when you're in a marathon, running along at the Olympic marathon, you are in the moment.
Speaker 2:If you're not in the moment, you miss your drinks, you miss when the leaders surge, you trip over a curb, you miss a turn, something.
Speaker 2:You have to be 100% focused and I quite like that, because half our life now is spent on, you know, looking at our devices, wondering what we're missing out on, what we're going to be doing tomorrow. You know, catching up with friends next week and watching someone who's on a deserted island having a great time and wishing you were being there, fomo and all that, whereas in a marathon you can't do that. So I like to bring that because life's about now Life. I can look at what I've seen and history and I can plan for the future, but the only thing I can control is in the now, and so I love the marathon analogy of actually being in the moment, and that's probably taught me to adapt that to life situations where you know you do all the training and all the preparation and that puts you in the place to be where you are right now in your life. Draw on that and you deal with it in the present.
Speaker 1:Yeah, it's interesting what you said about keeping things simple, but that sort of enables you to grow those personal attributes. And I think what you were saying is that we have all these distractions around us, don't we? Like every five minutes something's pinging away and you can be quite distracted. And I think in running, one of the things that has been a little frustrating to see, probably over the last 10 or 15 years, is people focused on you know the labels, or making sure they've got the latest shoe that's out or whatever, and instead just going a little internal and developing themselves.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I find that's and from a coaching point of view that's done really poorly, and parentally as well.
Speaker 2:Yeah, and that's kind of what you know. What I try to get people to do is you know, if you're not comfortable in your own skin, you can't help other people or you can't exist in a positive way in the community. So that's the first thing you have to deal with, and I think running gives you that chance because you can spend some time just with yourself and you know if you're running a virus not ladies, but in a safe environment wherever you go. You know. I think that means you are kind of very conscious of internally what's happening, and so you get a real awareness of yourself and your strengths and weaknesses and that kind of allows you to sort of develop who you are as a person, yes, sir and influence other people, because you know where you're at and what your strengths are.
Speaker 1:And.
Speaker 2:I mentor and talk to lots of groups of people, but I never, it's honest, I don't have adventure in I try. Someone will ask me a question and I try to give them an honest answer. If it's something I don't know, I kind of admit I don't know it. So I try not to get out of my comfort zone and try to please people, because a lot of the world now it's about pleasing people and if you're trying to please other people you're going to live a very unhappy life Totally.
Speaker 1:So it's interesting though, talking about that, because I think some of the focuses, of all the accolades that can come with sport these days and you know, whether it's sponsorship or money or that starts at a very young age and people lose sight of the development of you as an athlete. And one thing you just touched on in that development is education, and we always see the people who are well rounded, like you've obviously, you know, studied hard, you've trained hard, you've family friends, been really social, as you mentioned, and become a very well rounded person. And those attributes are very, very common in people who are in success, whether it's business or sport. And you would see the same that from a very, very young age, people don't focus on their sort of attributes within themselves and it's all one way and they sort of we were talking about gold displacement earlier, but they actually displace all the other really important things that go into your life, education and work and whatever it may be. Do you think that has been a really good sort of platform for you in the past?
Speaker 2:retrospectively, yeah, well, and I've kind of. Obviously, when I was younger I was a bit self-centered and it was all about me, and I think kids tend to be a bit like that and the more and I don't want to say sort of false success, but more that young success tends to. You know, other external people will pat on your on the back and tell you how good you are and pumping you up and you actually become more sort of self or not self-centered, but you become more conscious that it's all about you because everyone's talking about you and giving you the accolades and the price.
Speaker 1:Oh yeah, and I had that next best thing, this and that, and like everyone's all over you and then, and actually what was interesting, there was zero assistance or guidance in the development of you.
Speaker 2:Yeah, and that's fortunately for me, I wasn't. I mentioned this. I spoke to a group at Trans Urban yesterday and I said I wasn't at school. If people remember me from school, I wasn't a great runner and a champion. But if you say to people I should go to school with my yeah, yeah, what was he like? He said, ah, it was just running all the time. So I wasn't actually good, but they knew that I ran a lot. And by running a lot I kind of just kept involved in the sport and I learned. So that was my, my, my vehicle for the learning experience.
Speaker 2:So you know, running's been so important for me because you can learn so much from from something you're good at, but just any pursuit that you really have a passion for. If you've got a passion for something, it means it's not hard work, it means you will spend hours and hours doing it. I think of me in their bedroom playing guitar tunes and they spend hours and hours and then someone goes. God, I can't believe you. You know you've been in your, in your room for eight hours and they go. I really have a passion for it.
Speaker 2:And I'm like, oh God, exactly. I know, when you love something, the time doesn't, it's not an extended amount. So for me, you know my, so passion is your first thing. Find what you're passionate about, then, you know, you will spend time just at it and in perfecting it and getting better at it. But you also get massive learnings out of it. And as I improved my running, I got exposed to different situations and I joke about, you know, I became the best runner in Ballarat. I became the best runner in Victoria country and then I got Victoria best, you know, made Victoria team.
Speaker 2:But when you're making these teams, I was then expanding my horizons and getting put out of my comfort zone. So they were the learning experiences for me. I had to adapt to being around other people. I had to adapt to city kids who were different to country kids, and then you know. So all of these learnings, and just even just to you, I don't know. You know we're both got. We've got a multicultural background, you know, but I didn't even think of that. I was just an Aussie kid from downtown Ballarat, but you know Italian travel and people would say, oh, you got Italian, you know, and I'm actually Swiss Italian. So all of these learnings?
Speaker 2:Just by exposing myself through my running I was broadening my horizons, but it also provided me great platforms to learn which I soaked up. So some people deny them. For some reason I'm a bit risk averse, but for some reason opportunities have come along in my life and I've accepted. I don't know why I've accepted them. These have opened doors that have allowed me to put myself into different environments that I've also then had better chances to learn from. I look at again historically, using a run example. I was the last person picked on the 1986 Commonwealth Games team. I was terrible on the track, just snuck under the 10K team qualifying, got on the team.
Speaker 1:Knuck under by point. Was it point four of a second? Point four of a second. I was there that night, I might have even been in it, but I remember that night. But that was a great example, though, of how close an opportunity comes in and you've almost just got to snatch it. But that sort of started everything, didn't it? 86? It did.
Speaker 2:That was the role and Adam Holler was in the race, andie, andrew Garn, dr Andrew Dunn, whoever it was, he was pacing the race. And then we took over and we shared a couple laps and Hylie couldn't take any more. From about six to go I think he said no, I'm done. And I kept going and I snuck under the qualifying time. And Adam, you know great runner, but I'm not sure he went on and made teams after that because he sort of just didn't quite get under that qualifying time. And I saw Hylie not long ago and hadn't seen him for about 15 years and it was great to catch up. They're the friendships you make and what you have, mate. So and then so I went on and again Chris Wardlaw, you know, saw there was an opportunity in the men's marathon, said do I want to run in that? And got me in that. One of bronze medal in my career took off. So that was the first marathon, wasn't it?
Speaker 1:First marathon.
Speaker 2:Yeah, bronze medal, not that hard, mate. The moral of the story is then in 2010,. So then in 20, I retired in 2000,. In 2002, a guy called Perry Crosswhite, who was the head of the Commonwealth Games Association here in Australia. He said oh, good value, do you want to come to Manchester as an athlete liaison officer? I had lunch with Perry a couple of days ago here in Ballarat. His granddaughter is playing in basketball tournament up here.
Speaker 2:Anyway, I went, did a pretty good job and he said I think you'd be pretty good as a chef to miss. I said, mate, I could never be the team leader. That's an out of my. I've never, you know, traveled on lots of teams with that's two bigger tasks. I mean. He said, no, no, we're going to be good at it. You know I've done it three times.
Speaker 2:So in 2010, I was the first person picked on the Commonwealth Games team as a chef, the first person selected. So can you imagine that journey from 86 to 2010, where I could never have dreamed that I would be the chef to mission of it and Australian Commonwealth Games team and that journey was all about just broadening your horizons, opportunities coming along and before I knew it, here I was, you know, in this position. So I'm still the same person I was as a young kid in downtown Ballarat. So the person hasn't changed. But the environment and the perception and the leadership and the roles I could play someone's got to play them and myself out there allowed me to be in that position and apparently I did a pretty good job. I did got to do three of them and I'm now on the board of Commonwealth Games.
Speaker 1:Australia, very easily relatable. But you've embraced it, you've learned and you've grown, which is you know. That's all you want. That's all you want to have.
Speaker 2:Yeah, it's not. It's not. I'm trying not to you know, use, use this. Think about how those learnings. All I was was a kid from Ballarat who thought their first Ballarat athletic team was the biggest team they're ever going to make. I didn't know that I was going to go off and have this great chip. But little steps and just making little, you know, controlling, doing something today that can then have an outcome for tomorrow, that can have an outcome for next week, that can have an outcome for six months, can have an outcome for 10 years. I'm a living, breathing example of that Exactly.
Speaker 1:You are for sure, Stay on the Commonwealth Games for a minute, Obviously the in Victoria, here in Australia, the Commonwealth Games have come in and they've gone out and it's obviously had a massive impact on people's opinions of the Commonwealth Games and, more importantly, in in the on the environment, like where you are in Ballarat, where it was going to be one of the centres for some of the sports there. What's happened in the wash up of all that? Why?
Speaker 2:your region. Yeah, well, certainly there's such a flat feeling about the sport and the region because it was such a positive vibe, so looking forward to, and it was embraced by the whole community. What I think people don't realise, not just a bit. You know, a 10 day sporting event with. You know, for elite athletes it's so much more than that, with the, the, the families, the involvement of the volunteers, the economic benefit, the business community here in Ballarat, the regions, people coming from out of town to come here to see the world's best athletes, you know so all of that it's left a real gaping hole here. And you know, obviously then, worried about the future of the Commonwealth Games, because they've been so significant in my development, I would do anything for Commonwealth Games. That's why you know all these roles I've taken on and give something back to the movement that's given me my opportunity way back in 1986. So I'd be devastated if it doesn't have a future because it is such an important part of the Australian running door athletic development.
Speaker 2:Hopefully you know multi sport because it's the only multi sport event between here and Brisbane. So you know we have those events because there is something different about a multi sport event. You're not just your sports. It's not like going to an athletics world championships or gymnastics world championships. You're actually doing it as an Australian team, that's. That is a very different experience when you put on an Australian uniform in a multi sport event like the Olympics or the Commonwealth Games or the World Union Games. It's very different, josh. It's not. You aren't just representing your sport. You do feel like more that you're representing your country. It's, you do feel like you're representing your country at the Worlds in your specific sport. But when it's multi sport, there's far I don't know what it is, but it's a different level of real. Yeah, okay, don't want to make make levels of representing your country.
Speaker 1:No, I get that, though, because, like when we went to World Cross, it was just the cross country team, that's it, so I understand why that would be completely different. There's so many more people around you Talking about other sports, and you mentioned cricket. As you're growing up, what else have you been into? What else sort of takes your fascination?
Speaker 2:Yeah, you know you're a music man. I love my music, so, but from a sporting perspective, I probably basketball. You know, I think my favorite sport to watch would be track cycling. Now, that will amaze people, but I, as the chef, I got to get down into the, into the middle of the arena and see the teams preparing and the cyclists, you know, warming up and then going out, and then I got to stand on the edge of the track and watching the track cycling. Some of the argy bargy that goes on the bead, the angle, the heights that they're coming off because of the curve on the bends is unbelievable.
Speaker 2:Yeah, on the velodrome, yeah, I love my basketball on the number one ticket holder here in Ballarat for the NBL one side here, ballarat Miners. So we go to basketball a lot and yeah, just growing up really.
Speaker 1:And still into your heavy metal music, because that's what.
Speaker 2:I remember and I've sort of moved a little bit, you know, out of the Angels in midnight or more into a bit alternative stuff now and the national. And, would you believe, tonight we're going to the local live music venue here in Ballarat, Volta, Our daughter's support act for a couple of bands that are playing it there. So she writes and sings her own song. So she's got a couple of songs Beautiful.
Speaker 2:We want to get together. Plug out this Absolutely. We'd like to see your daughters and family members, you know, follow them sort of, and not in the sporting sense, but you know still the messages we've already spoken about. Yeah, she's living that in her own, extending yourself. I want to end up telling Peter that we're really proud of her.
Speaker 1:Yeah, that's so cool.
Speaker 2:So you mentioned all those singing ability from the? Oh Not, I got the worst singing voice.
Speaker 1:You mentioned Commonwealth Games. Obviously there was a few great runs there. Quite a lumpy was the first one, wasn't it? That's when you finished. Third was it.
Speaker 2:So Kuala Lumpur, I was third in the 10K.
Speaker 1:In the 10K. Yeah.
Speaker 2:That was my last Commonwealth Games in 1998, and I ran the 10K. I'd won the full set of Marathon medals, so I decided to go. That's right. Yeah, interestingly, troupi, who's my best mate, moved to Ballarat to train with me and one of the best distance runners in the world broke Clarke's 5K record. He was in that team and I snuck ahead of Troupi and got the bronze medal on the track in Kuala Lumpur. It was pretty hot, oh yeah.
Speaker 2:So it kind of helped me and I hadn't beaten him for about 12 months so he probably decided to set the bronze medal, to be honest. But I took that opportunity and snuck a bronze medal in there which I'd had a few injuries leading in. It was a bit of a. It was quite a. Personally, it was quite a satisfying run because I wasn't getting that great.
Speaker 2:And yet I delivered and got a bronze medal in the 10K, which is unusual. You know, people know me as a road distance runner. They probably don't recognize they. Even I don't recognize myself as a 10K track runner.
Speaker 1:The training would have been not much, yeah, but you have to be really good at that to run a great marathon. I think, was the old saying, wasn't it? Well, that?
Speaker 2:and it's interesting now people and Kenyans are going straight to the road. They're not even coming through the track. Yeah, I love you. Know, Chris Wardler, we're probably old school out training of having a differential. You know, if you're a fast 10K run, if you're a 28 minute 10K run and you're running 30 minutes for 14Ks back to back, then you should be able to do that because you've got that two minute differential. But yeah, if you're a 29, 30 10K runner and they go through the first 10K in 30 minutes, you're probably hanging on for grim death. So I find that hard. But apparently that's the training they're doing now and it's obviously got them down to two hours and forget the seconds. So, calvin Kipchoge, it's just fantastic. And the women's I mean the women's marathon time to 11,. That was what I ran up a day boo in in that 86 Commonwealth Games. I ran to 11, I think, 18 or 48, 18, I think. And that's that's what she ran to 11, 23. So she would have been five behind me, incredible so three minutes.
Speaker 1:The record was three minutes quicker. I think it was two 14 down to two 11 at Berlin, yeah.
Speaker 2:And then just recently a lady ran 28, 45 on the road potential. Yeah, that's it.
Speaker 1:Nominal, so don't know. We look back at your history. It's very easy to say your fifth place soul marathon, when you ran to 11, was probably the most outstanding, one of the most outstanding runs of your career. But what has been outstanding for you, and what I'm getting at, is it's not necessarily the, the time or the place that you finished, but where it all came together or you just felt like you've left it all out. There was there one that you can recall that you just have complete satisfaction.
Speaker 2:As the world championships bronze medal in 97 in Athens because we started at the town of Marathon. We traced the 1896 course, finished in the old stadium and I was 35, I was over the hill, it was hot. People said you from Ballerina can't run in the hot weather. So reasons why I couldn't run well that day and I delivered and I mean, I didn't win.
Speaker 2:I ran third. I was a minute behind the two Spaniards but it was pretty bloody good run and came into that old stadium and I just felt vindicated that I'd finally got my world medal like an Olympic bronze medal and yeah, yeah, my best result. But when you talk about completeness, this the one that sticks out that people won't even know. But here in the lap of the lake it's only six Ks, about 5,950 meters to be exact, and I'm not a 5k, 6k runner, so it's not sort of my distance. But one day I just cracked it and I had a great cracking day and I ran 16, 10. And that record still stands and I remember coming up the sort of last I was having a pretty good show.
Speaker 2:It was 1992 and I was ready to go to the Olympics and I was a perfect day and everyone was out there watching me as a good crowd around and I came up through the finish. I saw the clock and it said like 15 feet. I'm thinking God, how can I? Because the record before that was 1634. So I absolutely smashed it, ran 16, 10, crossed the finish line and I said if I never, ever in my mind I thought, if I never ever run another lap of the lake again. I don't care, because that's as quick as I know I can run, and I've sort of put that in the filing cabinet and closed it away and that record still stands. So it's, you know, 20 something years, 30 years, at 30 years, 31 years.
Speaker 1:But if you finish 50 Olympic games, third in the world titles. But the Lake Wendery left.
Speaker 2:The name, the track around there after me, and that record still stands. People go. Well, someone's going to break it, and I'd say I'll be the first person to go up and shake their hands when they break it, because I know I cannot run any quicker than that. So if the mouse runs quicker than me, why would I be worried? Why would I be precious about that? That means they're better than me. They ran well on the day and all that.
Speaker 1:So I'm delighted if someone does it.
Speaker 2:Hasn't quite happened yet, but it will. So you know that's a personal victory for me and something that you know I know was on that day I delivered 100% and in running races, as we all know, runners are bloody hard to please. You don't finish a race and be completely satisfied very often Right Once we're done?
Speaker 1:That was my next question. Was there a marathon that you've run where you can look back out and go you know, maybe could have done that differently, or and or was there a marathon where you thought, yeah, that's, it all came together perfectly?
Speaker 2:Boston was a bad one for me. I was 11th in Boston and remember I'm tactically very good, I have to say, not pumping up my own tires yeah, that's good. But in Boston I let the pack go and I was in pretty good shape this was 1996, since Henry Boston marathon, so 100th running and I was going well and let the pack go and I'm thinking I'm going great here. I was in the head of the second pack and we did all the downhill and got to sort of down the bottom and I'm feeling great. I'm thinking right, I'm going to surge now. And I took off, dropped all the pack, the second pack, and remember coming up three hills in Boston and the last one's heartbreak hill. And I came over heartbreak hill and I'm absolutely flying. I'm thinking how good I'm going to win this.
Speaker 2:And American guy on the side goes clapping. He goes good on you, I see looking good up to 18. And I thought 18. There's 17 canyons up the road. I've got about 5k to catch him. I've got 10k to catch him. I don't think I'm going to get this. So I took off and I ran down. I got up to about 7th and hit the wall and almost walked the last k and finished 11th, I think. So I got that one wrong, absolutely. I went with the leaders hung on and I would have finished, might have won, might have finished in the top three or four, because I was better than that. So I'm annoyed by that. So I've got that off my chest today and the one I've got from the wall.
Speaker 1:Keep going from those experiences, though that must have conveyed something for the next marathon.
Speaker 2:Yeah, well, hopefully 97. I got it right in 97. And Sydney was the one Sydney I decided to retire and I still going pretty well. Obviously, and I was 37 years of age I'd never ran a marathon in Australia, but to have the Olympic Games is my final race and to be able to deliver in that day Top 10. I was top 10 mate. I was 10th, but to finish 10th and be retiring and do that and have it. I was running on really strong. I was passing lots of people in the second half.
Speaker 2:Yeah, into the state and felt great and crossed the line there and that was just the perfect retirement race for me. I couldn't have planned that I'd written it any better. Sure, that was a lovely outcome.
Speaker 1:You've spoken about age a couple of times, like 35. When you ran an Athens and you just mentioned 37, was it in Sydney?
Speaker 2:Yeah, Sydney yeah.
Speaker 1:And just recently you brought the world record for over 6 years for 5K. What has kept you going all of these years? People would love to know. Yeah, I'm doing. I know there's no magic, but people would love to know your approach and your mindset.
Speaker 2:I think I love running. I'm quite competitive, so I like racing. So I would have said you might have heard me quoted on this. I sort of wished people couldn't train and we would just turn up at a race, because I just love racing. I like training that much because I like the outcomes and the feeling that you get of racing and nervousness beforehand, the preparation you have to do, then on the line and then the gun goes and it's man on man, a woman on woman, a person on person, and the end of the day you cross the line and you shake hands and you go well, you won today, or I won today or we did this, and I love that feeling and putting it out there and getting an outcome. So I love racing.
Speaker 2:So I've continued to do that and try to have at least one session a week and one long run. I've just sort of kept a routine. And when I retired in 2000, I was 10th in the world. Obviously it's still going pretty well. And then I actually made a career out of just going to events and I turned up at events and they'd go oh great to have you here, mona, so we'll get you starting the gun and if I'm the gun and then we'll get you presenting some prize and then I'd go actually, I'm still going. Okay, jase, I might run in the race and they'd kind of go. Oh yeah, okay, if you want to run in the race, of course I'd win and they'd all come and go. Oh, I didn't realise you're going to win. You know how good is that.
Speaker 2:So I kind of made this career out of turning up at events and still winning them and then obviously then I slowed down a little bit so but I'd still keep going to events and I'd be involved with them and I'd just been out of a career and that just kept me in shape. And you know, I've got. Personally, I'm just having some issues at the moment. I'm happy to tell you, I've got a bit of vertigo and I've got a thing called many years' disease and I've got to reduce my sodium and so, diet-wise, on having some challenges, but it's also affecting my running, so I've lost my superpower of running so I'll get that back and I don't feel like I'm enjoying my running quite as much at the moment.
Speaker 2:but thanks for reminding me about that world record. I'm 61 now and I'd like to think there's still some competitive races in these legs of mine.
Speaker 1:Oh for sure, Never stop because we're talking about longevity and it's a hard one to put your finger on, isn't it? As to all the things that go in, and you spoke about being passionate and loving being competitive, but I think the one thing we know is that as we get older, especially after the age of 50, you lose, on average, about 1% of your muscle mass per year, and by keeping running or staying in the gym or whatever people do, that is crucial in maintaining your overall muscle mass and strength, which is probably the best predictor of overall health as we get older, and you seem to have done that with being so consistent.
Speaker 2:Yeah, and that's definitely helped me. And whilst I've pushed too hard I don't think you know for people out there listening, I don't think I'm a great example because I'm really pushing my body and it's obviously starting to break down, but absolutely some exercise is very good for you mentally and physically, as you mentioned with the muscle mass, and I've got a good example. My parents are alive, just dad's 97 and mum's 92, but mum was very sedentary at home. Dad was always active. He worked on the Shire of Ballarat as garbage truck driver and had a farm and he'd worked at farm and he'd always be active and running around. He is physically in much better shape than my mum.
Speaker 2:My mum's got Parkinson's in a home and basically can't walk. She's very frail. Dad's 97 still lives at home by himself, so he's a classic example of being active has allowed him to have a greater quality of life as he's got older and that's a fact and I'm hopefully replicating that. I'm doing it. I'm trying to cut back a little bit and cross like to say, go to the gym and do a bit of other stuff, just to give my body a bit of loving along the journey. I love what I do and I'd like to think I can keep running for a few more years yet, and by doing those other things it's good self-management. I think managing is a really important thing as you get older.
Speaker 1:And changing things as you get older too. Isn't it Like sometimes you can't run the mileage you want or you have to cut back on the hard sessions or, like you said, introduce the bike or the gym or whatever it is? I won't get exactly adaption.
Speaker 2:I'm a great adapt. I'm not a great person. I like, as I say. I'm pretty conservative and like my frameworks, but I can adapt very well, so I move with the times. I've not been stuck in the past. I tend to not. We're talking a lot about my history, but I can send myself day to day less about my history and who I am and work on where I'm at now. So I've adapted and progressed and I'm not great. Technology is not my strong point, but I know I need to keep up and to embrace it, because you can't deny it's not going to leave me behind if I don't keep up with it.
Speaker 2:So you adapt or die is my.
Speaker 1:One other thing you mentioned is then, just quickly, there's a touch on going back a bit, being so competitive, which I think you've sort of radiated through this. I probably forgot about that, actually, how competitive you were.
Speaker 2:Well, if you're a bad guy, but don't write to me, it's true. We go to some races and people go, geez, troupie, you were going red. Oh, you know you're best mates. They say, yeah, well, not where we're on the line. Yeah, it's different, we're all competitors on the line and we have an agreement. We all go hard and if I don't win, I'd love him to win, but that doesn't mean I'm not going to try and kick his ass.
Speaker 1:So you were talking about that nervousness of competition and just lining up in the white line and letting it all out. Did you learn, or did you have anyone give you guidance about how to handle yourself before these big marathons, olympic, world titles, commonwealth Games level? Was there anyone there? Or did you sort of learn to just be so composed yourself?
Speaker 2:Obviously, I had conversations with Pete Howley. It was really good my physio, it traveled with me and Chris. I think I had some really intelligent conversations with Chris and I had some really reassuring conversations with Pete Howley, because I would always get sick, injured or have niggles leading into races, because it's kind of what you do, it's kind of part of the mental process. You would know this and I was as bad as anybody. I'd be in the greatest shape in my life two weeks out from an event. And then I know Chris Ward, laura and Pete Howley would be told they'd be going get ready, mona's going to get it this bloody, so-called injury or this thing, and get ready.
Speaker 2:Anyway, the next day I'd ring Pete and I'd go oh mate, pete, I was out on the run and I got really sore in this right knee and he'd go oh well, you better come in and see me. Oh, that's a surprise. It was no surprise. I'd go in and treat it. Anyway, I'd lead into the race thinking God, I'm not going to be able to finish this race because that knee is absolutely killing me. I'd warm up, I'd be shuffling around and be sore. I'd go, never thought of, saw it and I finished a race, and they'd go on. How would you?
Speaker 1:need.
Speaker 2:I go, what me Exactly? So, those having having one, one thing I did do extremely well, jason. This is this is probably a bit of a message for people I had I had a manager and the manager knew his job. Stephen knew not to interfere with other stuff. Here's my man, jet, and Chris was my coach. Pete Howley, my physio, tenure, my, my partner and life partner and Soulmate, my training partners. They were my track and they I trusted them implicitly. Once you're in my team, I didn't argue. Pete Howley said go and do it, handstand for ten minutes. I would do it, I wouldn't question, I wouldn't argue. They knew their place, they knew their specific Role and we all played that role really well. And surrounding myself with those people was so important and it just made, made the team gel together really well so that when I was on the start line, everything else was looked after and I could just focus 100% on getting this running performance for the day. And I reckon there's a message in that, just in life in general, to have you know, I'm so true.
Speaker 2:My friends and all that sort of stuff. Well, you need to have these people around you who have a specific role or task, or, if it's something I can't do, if one of my weaknesses, you cover that with a person that you trust. And so that's what I've been able to do Extremely well. And as a chef to mission, you know, I I didn't do anything. All I did was empower the team that was around me to do their job, and they delivered and made me look good, and that's just that's. The way to be successful in life is to, yeah, yeah, the strengths and weaknesses. Surround yourself with good people. Focus on the things that you're good at. Don't let leave any stone unturned. Really work hard in the action phase on. You know People.
Speaker 2:We're talking a lot today, but what I do do is I don't. I do talk a lot, but I then action the talk and get outcomes. And yeah, that's it so important. And I talk about verbs and nouns. People like nouns. You know, they want to be the Prime Minister of Australia. They want to be the winner of the Aria Awards. I want to win an Oscar, so they want to be an Oscar winner. You know what Nouns mean. Nouns and titles mean nothing. Yeah, it's the verbs, it's the actions and this is what I tell about. You know you're getting some gold here, because it's what I talk about when I speak at Functions is you know? You know I was born Steve Montagetti and in my life I'll pass on the Steve Montagetti. But what you do in between, the people see me differently because of the actions and my name has. But my reputation and my the, the person that I am, people have seen me develop because of the actions that I've delivered in my life and hopefully that's had a positive impact on the community.
Speaker 1:Oh, there's no doubt. Is it such a huge message? It's literally get off your ass and follow through. Basically. Yeah we'll do, and that's what you have to do.
Speaker 2:Yeah, and get out and talk all your wine. Exactly, you know the guy when get good people around you and it's very important thing.
Speaker 1:We have spoken about this on the show a little bit about the support team around people and how important that is to you. Know find those people, but when you get it, you stick with it and follow through and everyone's got to be on the same card and have the same sort of Inherency.
Speaker 2:Now, jason, for people to chop and change. You know they are not happy with that friend, so I'll find it. Yeah, it's that you're not the good friend. That's why you want to change your friends. You know I'm it's not me, it's not a good runner, it's my coach that's stuffing me around and I Don't know, yeah, and then we throw in the parents and we're 18 times, but it's not my fault.
Speaker 2:18's never been my fault. Surely that could so you know, just ownership of stuff like that. I think some people don't tend to own a lot of their no Making actions. Anyway, I'm on my and I'm not saying I'm perfect either, but I think there's some lessons that people can take on, totally, totally.
Speaker 1:I just want to say on that note quickly was we're touching on parenting and the elite athlete in the coming weeks, but one of the things that the parents get involved in is trying to be or facilitate that team around the athlete and that doesn't go so well Because it almost becomes about them thinking who the right person is, that they think not for the athlete. And one of the things that I spoke to Athlete manager in the States recently and she she said something very interesting to pass on as part of this conversation was the role of the parent is help create the team around the athlete. Don't get involved, just help create it and when it's done, that's it.
Speaker 2:Yeah, yeah, and that's that is absolutely fantastic advice, because and they want to do the right thing and it's not they just don't, they don't quite can't, can't see that, that full picture what their role is. And I think, yeah, they overstepped the mark in their role because they do want to obviously have a positive influence, but they think they have to control it themselves. So Sometimes interesting isn't it? It's it's letting control Go can be a quite difficult thing and, as I say, I'm a control freak. I don't like it either, but it's a powerful thing if you can recognize that and Give yourself in allowing it to happen.
Speaker 1:Yeah, so, just to finish off, melbourne marathon festival last year it was absolutely huge. I can't remember the numbers of people was like tens and tens of thousands of people. Then there was like just as many on the wait list. Yep, people listening to you and people have heard you speak will say well, how should I handle myself Going into a marathon? What should I think about and what are the important things that I need to focus on? And we're now. What are we? Eight months out? What would be the most important things, just quickly, that someone should be focusing on at this stage?
Speaker 2:I'll probably make it quick if I can. I like people to enter, so you've got a goal. But having said that, the quandary is your legs don't know that on the, I think, it's the 13th of October 2024 they're going to be running a marathon. So, whilst I like the mental goal of knowing that that date isn't going to move, it's a fixed date, so it gives you the Set gold. Your body doesn't know that. So kind of be flexible enough to know.
Speaker 2:You, you prepare as best you can, but if your legs let you down or aren't ready, then don't run at that date. So it you know, change to the half or run the ten or walk with your family, because it's your legs and the preparation that are so important to get you the outcome. So, and you can't predict that your legs don't know that that day Ending. So just do as much work as you can, and conservatively, the long run. You know your sessions, do it with a group, learn, take some information on board from you know Every expert online now can tell you how to train for a marathon and then suit Only, pick the things that are adaptable and suitable for you and then stick to it and then, hopefully, everything works out okay and you get to the start line ready to go, but if you don't, you've had a great journey and that the journey will continue whether you run that marathon or not and On the start line, what did you practice?
Speaker 1:What were you thinking that you can pass on?
Speaker 2:well I was. I was obviously thinking that the first half is just a relaxing and ticking off the case. And their bonus case If I'd get away with one, if I'd get between three and four, kind of go to that K-File, these are go fantastic. That's one in the bank for later because I know I'm gonna need to yeah, every one K in the back end. You need to because they're like to. And the other thing I always think about is the halfway. Once you get to halfway You're turning in your heading home and the crucial point for for the marathon is 28 K, because at 28 K that's about halfway, because the second or the third 14 K is harder than the first two and it's about halfway. So I reckon 28 K is about the halfway point because you're gonna get fatigued and tired in that back end and you need to realize that halfway is not really halfway because, yeah, yeah, what's up with the first half?
Speaker 1:and when the chips were down in the last 10 K, what were you thinking?
Speaker 2:I was thinking just the next one K, and if I can get through that, you know.
Speaker 1:Just half to K.
Speaker 2:Really little simple, achievable benchmarks and you know, oh, I'm gonna stick with this group that I'm around and you know you run the next one came. One person in that group drops off and you go oh yeah, there's one person I've been so just really little achievable, yeah, to get about the, the finish line, because that's a long way off and might seem unattainable. It's just little achievable goals and before you know you'll be there, perfect, perfect, great messages.
Speaker 1:Hey, enjoy tonight with your daughter singing and playing. Well, we love it. So, no, may not be the music of the angels or the oils for you, but I'm sure a couple of covers.
Speaker 2:Am I ever gonna see her face again? Oh great to chat.
Speaker 1:Just enjoyed it always. Steve, thank you so much for coming on champion within. Really appreciate your time and Always amazing catching up with you. Best of luck with Commonwealth Games and athletics Australia roles as well.
Speaker 2:Grisha that look forward to catching up in person soon, right?
Speaker 1:Yeah, speak soon. Thank you, bye, jase. Thanks for listening. You can check out more details of Monner's running achievements at worldathleticsorg. Be sure to check the show notes for all links. You can follow and support this show and find more details of this episode on the show notes. Thanks again for tuning in and I'll be with you again.
