81 | Doin It For Dippa: Turning Pain Into Purpose

This week we sit down with Lenny — an ex-shearer riding around Australia for suicide awareness.

After losing his best mate “Dippa” and his uncle to suicide, he turned pain into purpose… creating “Doin’ It For Dippa.”

From a 24-hour shearing marathon raising $45K, to taking on the country solo — this is a story of grief, resilience, and speaking up.

Real talk, real struggles… and a bit of classic shearer vs tradie banter to finish.

If this hits home, share it. You never know who needs it.

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Transcript

SPEAKER_03 0:00

We had no white no white monsters. No, I'm gone. Fresh out.

SPEAKER_00 0:05

I know white cats.

SPEAKER_03 0:06

Monsters are not good for you, man. That stuff ruins my guts.

unknown 0:09

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 0:10

We run on here.

SPEAKER_05 0:11

As you can see by the uh massive collection of cats. Oh, I didn't even notice. And I can confirm it ruins their guts as well.

SPEAKER_04 0:19

Was that a pun intended? Can confirm.

SPEAKER_05 0:23

Oh. Oh.

SPEAKER_04 0:24

Well done. I'm always under these things.

SPEAKER_00 0:30

Welcome back to the Intersec Podcast, the number one trading podcast in Australia. We've got a very different um guest on for today. And I'm I'm just super excited to just dive straight into this one. So Lenny. Good, mate. Good. Give us a bit of a backstory on uh on you and what you're doing.

SPEAKER_03 0:50

Yeah, well, um at the moment I'm I'm cycling what's called a recumbent trike around Australia. It's basically a lounge chair on wheels, three-wheeled thing where you lay back and you pedal forwards. So um I'm about 9,000 Ks in, and um I'm doing this for mental health research, uh raising money for the mental uh breakthrough mental health research foundation based in Adelaide, and they um they they they work closely with Flinders University, who um and they're trying to get early in early interventions in place for mental health issues and stuff. Um and I started this journey probably five years ago. Uh I lost one of my best mates, Stipper, to suicide, and um we were shearers together, so I'm an ex-shearer I don't shear anymore, but back's cactus. But um back then we did what's called a a shearathon. Me and a friend Declan Hardy Corby got together and we shore sheep for a 24-hour period and raised$45,000 almost for mental health research. So my back's cactus, and I still wanted, you know, I still had a passion for for mental health and and raising awareness and get people talking about, you know, their issues and that. So yeah, I just came up with this idea one night with the boys about riding a bike around Australia, and they said I couldn't do it, so here I am, about 9,000 Ks in.

unknown 2:06

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 2:06

Wouldn't that happen to be over a few bevies, was it, with the boys? Yeah, man. Yeah, yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_03 2:11

How old God is way too many red tins, and um, yeah, they said I couldn't do it. There's a few choice words thrown around, and I just said, well, Righto, here we go.

SPEAKER_06 2:21

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 2:21

And I had a Facebook group called Doing It for Dipper, and there's about 1,200 members in the group then, and and I just like told them, and sort of, you know, you can't really tell the world and then go back on it, can you? I woke up dusty with vague recollections of something stupid mentioned, and yeah, I got reminded pretty quick. So here I am.

SPEAKER_00 2:41

So what was it? Um, what actually made you get on on that three-wheeled lounge chair, as you called it?

SPEAKER_03 2:47

Uh well, like I said, I did the Shirasan thing about four years, four and a half years ago. Um, and I just felt I wasn't done um trying to help people. I had such a positive outcome from that, and and like I say, we raised nearly$45,000 in in 24 hours. So, you know, you can't knock that. There's obviously a positive thing there. So um, yeah, I I I understood I wasn't finished, but my shearing career was. So yeah, I just remembered when I was about nine, used to live in a in Leaderville down in Perth. There was an old fella in the neighborhood who had one, and I was just like, that's cool, man. It's really cool. But obviously, inner child comes out after a few beveries, and yeah, I said to the boys, I showed them a picture and everything, I got one up on Google. I'm like, I want to ride one of these around Australia, right? It's gonna be cool. And they no, you won't. You won't. No, you won't find it.

SPEAKER_06 3:33

You won't find it.

SPEAKER_03 3:34

Not at all, not at all. So yeah, yeah, yeah. Here I am, nine and a half, no, nearly nine and a half thousand Ks in. Yeah. It is, yeah. It's um um turns out Australia's got a few hills too, here and there. I think so.

SPEAKER_00 3:49

Yeah, maybe a few.

SPEAKER_03 3:50

Um Tasmania? Yeah. I did do that. I'd never been there before, and yeah, yeah, I'd seen photos there, you know, it looks beautiful. Yeah, oh snow up there. Didn't put two and two together really thinking about that. Oh, snow equals altitude equals hills. Less oxygen, yeah. You've less oxygen when you're gasping, trying to put a push a hundred K's up a hill sitting on your bum, you know. But um, yeah.

SPEAKER_05 4:16

I've driven around Tasmania and that was hell. Just having a in a manual car, just having to change gears on slopes. I can't imagine doing it on a on this bike thing.

SPEAKER_03 4:25

Yeah, well, I've I've I've I'm not really well known for thinking about things before in game, you know, like I'll I'll open my mouth and then I'll think, oh, yeah, what do I do there? You know, but yeah, I've got to back it up.

SPEAKER_00 4:37

So I think um so the first time you went to Tassie was on a bike riding the bike.

SPEAKER_03 4:44

Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. That's what yeah, yeah, yeah. Well, like I say, I I'd never even I hadn't ridden a bike since I was about 15, you know. Um didn't even know if I could still ride a bike. And I got onto this, I'd never even sat on one of these things, so I didn't know what they were like. Um, and yeah, I think I got it I don't know, it was only about two months out from leaving when I got the bike, actually. So I got to ride it, get a bit of practice up, and um, yeah. Yeah, so it was basically training on the job for me. The first day in, I was, yeah, 68Ks after a bit of an all-night of catching up with the crew before I left, you know. And um 15 minutes in, I had mad craps all up and down my legs. I was like, shit, what have I done? Yeah, I'm not gonna make it. What have I done?

SPEAKER_00 5:29

I mean, look, sometimes the best things to do is to not think about it too deep and just go for it. And then and then you learn as you're going. 100%, yeah. It's just it's just just jump in the deep end, yeah.

SPEAKER_03 5:40

Yeah, otherwise, you know, you think too much about it, you'll probably back out.

SPEAKER_00 5:43

Yeah, absolutely. It's just, I mean, especially fucking riding around Australia, that shit's scary. And then with all the like road trains and quads and all that type of shit.

SPEAKER_03 5:51

Yeah, and getting up this way, I've noticed I'm starting to get into the ones with the big four trailers and that. I've seen them heading into the port. So, you know, that's um that's a fair bit more to deal with. Yeah, my head sitting on that thing, it's a my head's about wheel nut height on the road trains, you know.

SPEAKER_04 6:07

So it's a little bit so scary. Imagine a hundred sets of tires going over, Jesus, yeah.

SPEAKER_03 6:14

Yeah, yeah, yeah. Yeah, it's um, you know, some especially in Tasmania, there wasn't you you've been to Tasmania, obviously. Um, you know how narrow some of those roads can be and windy, and then you know, you got a logging truck coming down the other way towards you, and you've got three or four cars piled up behind it. It's like, oh man, where do I go? Yes. So it's quite quite interesting.

SPEAKER_00 6:37

Mate, I I can see that there's a question brewing in that brain of yours.

SPEAKER_04 6:40

Um, yes, I wanted to get into you mentioned you had a large group from the shareathon already of 1,200 members.

SPEAKER_03 6:48

Uh yeah, it was 1,200 members at the time when I made the call to drive around Australia. Now I'm sitting on about uh a bit over 2,700. Jeez, so you're nearing the 3,000. Yeah, getting working up towards it. I seem to keep getting new members almost daily. So it's it's really cool.

SPEAKER_04 7:03

It's it's uh Does that give you like constant motivation to keep going essentially?

SPEAKER_03 7:07

There's no better motivation, you know. And and just um random messages and and stuff from people I've never even met, just members of the group or um, you know, someone that knows someone that knows what I'm up to. And um it's just things like that from someone I've never met to to message me, take the time and thank me for what I'm doing and tell me it's helping them. Um it's mind-blowing. It's it's so humbling. It's um yeah, that that that's an amazing motivation for sure.

SPEAKER_04 7:38

And would you say they're your biggest supporters in this, or are there other people backing you?

SPEAKER_03 7:43

Yeah, just random people I meet um travelling through, you know. They I I get so much love from a lot of people. Um, even people like, because on the back of my bus, I've got a little old, so I go to High Ace uh 12-seater school bus, you know, and and that's all been painted up. Um got the big blue tree on one side and and all stickers down the other side. Lots of people have signed the blue tree, and um on the back I've written Cycling Australia, raising awareness for suicide and mental health. And quite a few times I've people have read that where I've been stopped in town or they've been driving behind me, and um they've come up to me, like for instance, one day I was in Victoria Victoria somewhere, I can't remember the name of the town, but um, I was parked outside the uh post office, it was lunchtime. I'm just getting a bit of fluids into me, sweating and sitting in the side of the bus. And this lady's come up, she was already in tears, and she just like she handed me a$20 note, give me a bit of a hug. And and her her son had taken his life at I think 14. Um and she was just in town, she lived out of town, she was just there to get her mail, and and today, that day happened to be her son's birthday. Um, and she just happened to be in town the exact time I was there, and she's yeah, she could barely speak. Um, but for her to come at that point in time, feeling the way she did, to thank me and give me a wee hug, make a donation, you know, that's that's yeah, it's a beautiful thing. Um and yeah, it's just it was quite obviously really, really hard for her, you know, to to speak, and she had to take off. She couldn't, it was just yeah, it overwhelmed her. You know what I mean? Um that makes me want to cry. Fuck yeah. Well, I'm holding back to tears now. Um it is, it's uh there's been a lot of tear-jerking moments for sure. And that's just that's just one of many, you know.

SPEAKER_00 9:27

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 9:27

Um, and it is, it's hard, hard to not cry yourself, you know.

SPEAKER_00 9:31

Um suicide, unfortunately, is one of those things where you can you can try as hard as you can, but if the person's in that in that darkest point, there's not much that can get them out of it. No, that's right. My like I was speaking to you before, like my dad in his alcohol thing, he's tried to top himself multiple times. Luckily, he hasn't.

SPEAKER_02 9:53

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 9:53

Um, but yeah, bro, like suicide, it's no joke. And like we can all we can joke about it and we can bring light to it, but deep down, it's fucking sad, and it is like it needs to change, and it's not it's not just like men's mental health, and it's not just women's, it's everyone's mental health. 100%. So um that like if someone were to ever come up to me, bro, I would cry with them. I would they'd give me$20, I'd give them$20 back and just fucking give them a hug and cry and you know, yeah, yeah. Fucking cry, vomit, and do like whatever because it's sad, it's so sad.

SPEAKER_03 10:32

It is um it's a it's a different different type of grief. You know what I mean? Like, you know, at least, you know, say cancer or car accident or heart attack. There's there's an explanation as why with with suicide, um, it's there's so many questions left unanswered, and there's always that, especially the people closest, like, why didn't I see? What could I have done? And and then that's probably the worst thing you can do to yourself as well, after someone that you loved has has has gone that way, you know. Um I mean, I found myself like that with my my uncle, he was the first person I knew that took his own life, and and he was like a father to me. He took me in. My old my own real father is not a good person, you know. Um and this fella, he took me under my wing, under his wing, and um yeah, I just really I got I got angry when he did it. I didn't understand it. And yeah, yeah, my mate Tipper was probably five years later. Um five or six. And yeah, I I sort of there's gotta be something more to it. I I started looking into it and um and I I came up with the idea of the shirt on was about six months later and um I asked his wife, Simon's wife was Eloise, uh still is, you know. Um and I asked her where she'd like when she agreed to the idea, I asked where she'd like the the funds to go, what any sort of particular foundation. And that's when she came up with the breakthrough mental health research foundation. That was someone that Simon had closely followed and really liked. So I chose them, and that's when I started getting talking to them. And um they do a lot of mental health first aid courses um and get them out into uh into the workplace, into different industries and and and companies. Um, and they were giving free runs on Kangaroo Island because it was not long after big fires over there as well. So there's a lot of people struggling. Um I went and did that two-day course over a weekend, and I was a big eye opener. I learned a lot about myself as well as you know, the mental health thing. Um for instance, I always thought I was a shy person. My mates used to laugh at me, like, you're not shy. Um turns out I was anxious, anxiety, really bad. Um, I just didn't understand what anxiety was. Took me until I was 43 years of age to realise that I was just just you know, mad anxiety, and and and that's why I struggled getting out in public places and meeting new people and things like that. Um yeah.

SPEAKER_00 12:48

How how have you felt with the anxiety? Because you'd meet a lot of new people. Yeah, yeah. Has that helped with your mental health? Uh sorry, with your anxiety?

SPEAKER_03 12:57

Uh, I think it has a bit, yeah, yeah, yeah. Cause um, you know, you've touched on alcoholism before, and and and I've had massive struggles with alcohol and drug addiction most of my life. Um, I'm pretty good on the drug side of it nowadays, but I still drink a bit, you know. Um and and I think that like I realized early on in the piece that that the alcohol sort of just took that edge off, you know, and and and I've often joked saying alcohol's the lubrication that helps me slide through life. But it's a fairly true statement, you know. Um it does, it just does help me get out and just take that edge off and you know, meet new people, be in large crowds. I'm I'm big crowds, I'm terrible. Like I'm no good at a concert. Shit, no, too many people in one place. It's like, nah, no, I've got to get out. Um so yeah, it's yeah, but doing this, it definitely has helped because it's it's got me out of my comfort zone. And I'm you know, I've done a bit of public speaking here and there, uh sports clubs and um high schools. Um high school for me is a terrible place. That'd be scary. Man, and I was like, I'm going back to high school. Yeah, that's an evil place, you know. But um, thankfully it's been pretty good. It's been pretty good. Like, they haven't really laughed at me, so yeah, haven't pulled my pants down or give me a give me a royal flat or none of that, perhaps, you know.

SPEAKER_00 14:21

Oh mate, could you imagine if you actually did that? That'd be fucking humiliating. Oh god, that's the next level.

SPEAKER_03 14:28

100%. And I have learned that over the years, you know, if you you gotta take learn to take life with a pinch of salt and have a bit of a laugh at yourself. If you can't laugh at yourself, you're kind of buggered, really. You know, um, yeah, life is a serious sort of thing, and and it can be a battleground, but at the same time, you can't really take it too seriously, otherwise things just get too dark. Yeah, it just gets too dark. Yep, yep, yep. And that's um yeah, I've been in that dark place, you know, and and to the point where I was, you know, not just locking myself in my house, I was locking myself in my bedroom in my house with the curtains shut, the doors locked, and you hear someone knock at the door, who car come down the driveway, and I turn all the things off, turn the lights off, shut again. Like, that's no way to live, you know. Um sitting in the house, in a dark house feeling lonely and sorry for yourself, but unable to go outside and be around people and lighten your mood, you know. It's um it's not a not a not a nice place to be.

SPEAKER_00 15:29

What from that point, what was it that made you get out of that whole right?

SPEAKER_03 15:37

Um good friends, you know, I I had good mates around me and and sort of supporting me. Um and I got to a point one day I I I rang with mate up. I was like, mate, up to you, can I can I come around? I just I just need to get I I need to come around. And they they knew just by because I never asked if I could come around, I'd just rock up, you know. And I was like, Yeah, yeah, come around, come here, come in. And um just having a good chat to them this one day, and and something clicked that one of them said something, can't remember exactly what it was, but something just clicked, I was like, I need to go home. Because I was living on Kanger Island then at the time, South Australia. Um I'd been there for about 16 years, 15 years. Um obviously I'm originally from WA and I was like, I just yeah, I need to go home. I'd um I'd had my youngest son there full time for l nearly four or five years, um, and he'd gone back to his mum over the last few years. And that was in New Zealand, so that was just before COVID hit. COVID hit, it's like couldn't see him, you know, they locked all the borders, so I didn't see him for a while, and then we just didn't come back. And me and his mum, we don't get on that well. So, like, um there were some dramas there, and then I'm like, I just started going downhill, downhill, darker and darker, and hitting the drugs and hitting the piss. And um yeah. Just talking to my mates that day, something clicked. I'm like, I need to go home, I need to be around family. So that was like, I think it was a Sunday. Um I hadn't been working much, I was injured, I'd I'd also been injured, I couldn't shear anymore. So that was, you know, that was my passion for a lot of years. When your passion's taken away, it sort of hits you hard too. And um, so yeah, I I got on the phone to someone, one of my family, I was like, Can I borrow some money, buy my ticket? I need to come home. Three hours later, I had a plane ticket for Wednesday. That was the Sunday, so Wednesday I was just gone. I was renting a house there. I just packed up, didn't even do my dishes, man, left them all in the sink, locked the house up, got on a plane and left. Came back about three months later, kept paying my rent. Came back about three months later, packed up and you know, yeah, moved, drove back to WA. 18 months after that, I was I was on a bike riding around Australia. So yeah.

SPEAKER_00 17:44

It's crazy how fast things can change. Hey. Well, what was the what was the reason you you you felt like you had to leave to get out of that?

SPEAKER_03 17:54

I felt like I was in a rut. I was definitely in a rut. Like I say, I'd I through injury, um, I was unable to shear anymore. And I'd been a career shearer for over 26 years, yeah, 25, 26 years. Um, and and that was my passion. I I used to compete. There's, you know, competitive world and shearing as well. So I used to get right into that when I was younger. And, you know, I've I've shorn all over Australia, New Zealand, the UK, done a lot of traveling, met a lot of people, and and and when that's taken away, something like that, your passion, like being a high high, like being a you know, an elite athlete or whatever, you get that taken away through injury, it's it does things to your head, you know, it's your whole world's changed, it's all falling apart. Um into that, you know, my son, I couldn't see my son anymore, and um my best one of my best mates took his own life. Everything just sort of was compounding and and just all hitting me at once. So um yeah, it just things got really dark for me, and I didn't see it coming. You know what I mean? All of a sudden, I just like I just I I did have a realisation one day, I'm like, shit, you know, you gotta stop this, mate. Right, because I was I was pushing the limits, you know, I wasn't I was I was hitting the drugs, I wasn't sleeping for days on end, I was hitting the grog, still working, you know, or trying to work, you know, driving to work, just lining up trees, you know what I mean? Like, oh there's a nice tree, that's pretty solid, and just those dark thoughts slipping in, you know, and yeah, not cool, not cool. It's a horrible, horrible way to it's a horrible, horrible realisation to come to, but I'm I'm glad I came to it and realised that you know I've got to change, something's gotta give, something needs to change. Um yeah, so thankfully I had good mates that helped me come to that realisation and um other good family and good people that could, you know, help me put it into play and and and do what I needed to do, be where I needed to be. So yeah, that that that that Sunday, I think that Sunday saved my life.

SPEAKER_01 19:56

100%. Uh I don't think I'd be here otherwise.

SPEAKER_08 20:00

Do you think you would have gone down that darker path of suicide if you didn't leave it?

SPEAKER_03 20:07

Um I would have done something stupid. I don't I'm I'm not I don't I don't think I've got the balls to actually make that step and do it myself, but I would push the boundaries and and we'd get to that point, I'd do something stupid. I'd just go, Oh, there's a tree or just compulsive. Drive drive drive off a jetty or you know, something dumb, you know. Yeah, just just uh a compulsive split second decision that would change my life completely forever. Does that scare you? 100% it scares me. Fucking terrible thing to think about, hey. It is, and and those when those dark thoughts creep in, it's like, yeah, so where did that come from? It could be just a flash instant like that. So shit, that's not good. It's not good.

SPEAKER_00 20:47

And I I also feel like if you're not in that right, stable, like you you could you could think that you're down, but you would there would be some type of like stable uh part of your brain where you're like, no, that's done. But if you're if you've just slightly gone past that point, that one thought and that one uh compulsive thought could just end it within a second.

SPEAKER_03 21:09

100% That's where that drug mix of drugs and alcohol and mental health is such a dangerous, dangerous mix, you know. It's um scary because you know alcohol is a depressant anyway, and and and drugs, you know, like yeah No, they're no good.

SPEAKER_01 21:27

They do bad things to your head. Um yeah.

SPEAKER_03 21:33

Not a part of my life I'm proud of, you know, that whole path I took, but if it wasn't for that path I took as well, I don't I wouldn't be here doing what I'm doing today either, I don't think.

SPEAKER_01 21:42

So scary as it's been at times, um I don't think I'd change much in my life, you know, decisions wise.

SPEAKER_03 21:52

Probably like to probably take a few less substances and things, but you know I say I'd I probably wouldn't be here talking to you guys today. I might be I don't know, it could be somewhere totally different. Um it is what it is. You gotta you take it for what it is, and and I'm just glad I've come out the other side and now I've got the opportunity to try and help others through through their darkness, you know? Um, which is you know the mission I'm on at the moment. And is that the Yen Right? It is, yeah. Yeah, you're on a lone ride. Um, yeah, so that was uh gifted to me down in Tasmania when I was cycling around there. Um yeah, like like this one here, that's the QR code for donations link. Umfortunately, it doesn't work. Old mate melted his mind as well, but it yeah, it just doesn't scan, unfortunately. Gut it, but yeah, that would have been cool, right? How do I donate? Oh, just bang. Um, I think it probably needed in hindsight to be on a bit of a flatter area skin, maybe a little smaller. It's a bit too much curvature, I think. My big, you know, my big guns.

SPEAKER_00 22:55

I really want to whip uh I'll whip out my phone and just try and scan it.

SPEAKER_03 22:59

Yeah, everyone's tried it, it hasn't quite worked. The only thing I haven't tried is putting under a piece of glass or maybe flatten her out. Ah, yeah. But the sun I've sort of darkened up a wee bit over the I was gonna say you're tan. I mean fucking I actually had an Aboriginal fella down in waging at the servo. He asked me if I was an Aboriginal, I'm like, no, but I'd just been out in the sun affair, but he thought we might have been related, I'm not sure.

SPEAKER_00 23:23

Yeah. QR code as a tattoo, that's fucking brilliant.

SPEAKER_05 23:28

I can't imagine they would work very well, and if they did, it's not for very long.

SPEAKER_03 23:32

Yeah, I have read about them working before, but it does definitely need to be on a flat area.

SPEAKER_05 23:36

Yeah, yeah. The thing with ink is ink uh spreads, doesn't it? Yeah, yeah. After time, especially if the lines are close, I would imagine it will be a very limited time thing. But I mean it's not about it working, is it? It's the message behind it. I think it's awesome. I think that's such a good idea.

SPEAKER_03 23:52

Yeah, yeah. No, um, yeah, it's pretty cool.

SPEAKER_00 23:55

And before we keep going, so that QR code, that donation thing is active now.

SPEAKER_03 24:00

It is, yeah, yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_00 24:01

So where where can people go to donate it?

SPEAKER_03 24:04

On my Facebook page, um doing it for Dipper. Um there is in the featured section at the top of that, there's there's a link to the donations page there. Beautiful. Yeah, and that's a that's a that's a safe secure link set up for the by the Breakthrough Foundation. Yep. So the money goes straight to them. So I don't touch it.

SPEAKER_00 24:20

I'll I'll chuck all that in the links. Yeah, nice one. Nice. That's fucking wicked.

SPEAKER_03 24:24

Appreciate it. Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 24:26

Um I wanna one thing that I want to touch on is um you mentioned wanting more services in rural areas. Um, what like what are what are people out there actually missing when it comes to mental health in those isolated?

SPEAKER_03 24:43

Well, I know one thing I found when I was on Kangar Island going through my my issues. I um they had good services there, but they didn't seem to have enough staff, you know. And and the ladies I spoke to, I spoke to two separate ladies, and it was easy to tell they were both overworked, um, they were tired, and and just the body language, and I I I felt like they didn't want to be there, they're they're tired, you know, yawning and and when you're going to see someone for help, you sort of it's not it's not the feeling you want to get from. You want to feel like they're engaged and and they actually want to help and listen, you know. Um I think they need more staffing, and um also some of the remote areas don't have anything, you know. I was talking to someone uh I went to Headspace here in Gerton um when I f on on Wednesda last Wednesday when I first got here. And and they were saying like the outer areas, you know, say like um uh Juriam Bay, Lanselin, um Northampton and that, they they don't necessarily have so much services there. So if they want a counselling session or whatever, they've got to drive down here and you know, uh say farmers, people with kids, people working that, they don't necessarily have the time to do that. Come drive all that way for an hour session and drive back. So quite often, you know, it it might not get done, you know. Um so I was talking to them and and they were getting into doing visiting sessions, you know, calling out to the to those smaller communities and stuff and and bringing the services to them rather than them having to travel to to where the services are, which I think is a great thing. Um yeah, you know the cities they've got they've got you know they've got all the services they need there. You know, there's there's plenty of people, but yeah, remote remote areas definitely need something more.

SPEAKER_00 26:33

I I definitely agree.

SPEAKER_03 26:35

You know, um even in the shearing industry, I've noticed there's a there's a lot of a lot of people take their own life um and and farming industry, you know, they're well they're just at the beck and call of the bloody weather and and and and the government really. Um I mean, you get droughts, you get fires, and now they got this fuel exercise, they can't get diesel, can't get fertilizers. Um it's crazy. So, you know, there's a lot of pressure on people like that. And in those remote areas, they need help. They need they need access to these services. Absolutely, they do.

SPEAKER_05 27:07

What do what do you think about um like telehealth services, remote services? Do you find them suitable or do they miss it?

SPEAKER_03 27:13

I think they're a good thing, yeah. Um you know, I I've spoken to people about these. Myself personally, I think I'd rather sit down like we are now and have face to face. You know, you a bit of bodied anguish, you can pick up a bit more. You just it's it's more of a uh a personal setting. Whereas telehealth, I didn't find, you know, it's a bit impersonal. I mean, yeah, you can still see their face and that it's it's a good thing. Um and if you've got no access to anything else, you know, buddy oath, it's awesome. Um some people prefer it than rather than going in and sitting across the table from someone. Um they they feel less pressured, I think. But um so I guess that's all a personal preference too, and and how you feel yourself. Um at the end of the day, as long as the person that needs help feels comfortable in that setting, that's half the battle one. Because no one's gonna open up if they don't feel comfortable. So I think I think there's there's pros and cons to both, you know, definitely. Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 28:11

Along your ways, have you ever met anyone in the rural sections where they've come to you and gone, yo, what you're doing is sick, I'm struggling with this, and spoken to you about their story?

SPEAKER_03 28:22

Yeah, mate. Um, at the end of the day, it's quite amazing how much people will open up to an absolute stranger, more so than say, one of their mates at work or their brother-in-law or their, you know. Um you've seen my bike when I rode in and that, you know, the replica saw the German helmet, it's um you see it riding down the road, you're like, gonna have a look, aren't you? Like, have a look at this bloke.

unknown 28:45

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 28:46

So especially out in the middle of fucking no exactly quite a few times.

SPEAKER_03 28:50

I've been out in the middle of Bumfuck, I've been riding 80 K's or 100 K since the last town, and you might pull in at lunchtime and um out the front of the you know, beer garden at the pub or something, and everyone's looking at you, it's like this is the spot. You wander, I wander in, you know, take my shoes off, take the silly hat off, and hobble on in. Usually you got a bit of a hobble up by a few K's, you know, and grab a beer, sit down outside, and it doesn't take long, the questions start. You see them looking at you like someone asks soon enough, like, mate, what are you up to? Where do you come from on that side? Exactly, exactly. Yeah, and then it's like I start telling them what I'm up to and why, and that just opens the gates for a conversation, you know. And it's quite a beautiful thing, really. Yeah, um, that just how comfortable and how easily people open up after that once I tell them what I'm up to. It's um yeah, it blew me away when I first started doing it, that's for sure.

SPEAKER_00 29:42

I guess it's hard because you did say um it's amazing how uh some people will open up to randoms rather than like their workmates and stuff. Yeah, I I think it's because like as soon as you go, Oh, I'm riding around Australia for mental health, they go, Oh fuck, this dude actually cares about a mental health as well. On a work site, they don't know what their mate thinks. So if they if they do open up, that their mate could just go, uh shut the fuck up or yeah, get back to work or whatever. Yeah, then half an up princess.

SPEAKER_04 30:14

Yes, it's so of um what is it, like rumors being spread and like the judgment you receive constantly. Which is if it's a no one, you're never gonna see them again. Like you didn't try, yeah, yeah. There's no like you know, downpour of that essentially. Like you know that's not gonna come back around. That's like small towns. You obviously get the stigma of oh, that guy's been going there. Yeah, yeah, small towns, it spreads quick, like there's nothing you can do about it.

SPEAKER_03 30:38

A small town mentality, it's a bit it's a bit shit at times. It's um yeah, yes, but that's you know, uh having these conversations is slowly changing people's mindsets, you know. I one thing I've noticed, um I said, you know, like us older fellas, it's it's kind of hard to reprogram something rather than program it. So that's getting these younger generations to to think about early, it's it's much easier to one of better words to program them than to reprogram us old fellas, you know.

SPEAKER_00 31:09

Um if you try and tell some old fella to do it, it'll probably punch in the fucking air too. Yeah, yeah. Go away, fairy.

SPEAKER_02 31:16

Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_03 31:18

Put your tutu on, get back to work. Um, but yeah, you know, I I have noticed that change in the younger generation. Like my oldest lad, he's 25, and and him and his cousins and all my nieces and nephews, they're so much better at checking on their mates and giving their mates a hug, telling them they love them, you know. It's not gay. It's not, it's not, it's not wussy. It's definitely absolutely not gay. You know, you don't grab them on the ass, maybe if they push back, it's a bit weird, but that's right. Yeah, yeah, that's right. So um, you know, it's it's yeah, that that's just checking on your mates, it's it's not hard to do. Yeah, absolutely. You know, and um, and just because the mate says, Yeah, I'm good, I'm going right, yeah, yeah, here you go. I don't know how you really go, mate. That that that double back, that that re-check, especially if you if you have got concerns about them, you know. A lot of people like, yeah, how you going, mate? Yeah, I'm good. Oh, yeah, good. Yeah, what yeah, yeah, let's go for a bill, you know.

SPEAKER_06 32:17

Yep.

SPEAKER_03 32:18

So just skip past the Yeah, yeah, yeah. Because they've they've got the answer they wanted to hear.

SPEAKER_06 32:23

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 32:24

But the answer might not always be what you want to hear, but it's it's it's probably an important answer to get out of here. Yeah, absolutely. You know, so yeah, it's it's it's not always easy conversations, but it's conversations that are necessary, that's for sure.

SPEAKER_00 32:38

Yeah, that definitely need to be had as well. Yeah. And even if you don't have like if you don't have the answer that they need, even just being an ear for someone is all they need.

SPEAKER_03 32:48

You don't have to say anything, just sit there and listen. Yep. There's a there's a lot of power in that. Absolutely. Just to sit and listen and just let someone air their emotions, air their feelings. Yep. They're not looking for an answer, they're just looking to be heard. And quite often saying it out loud, you come up with your own answer, or you you just yeah, rather than sitting there thinking about it in your own head, echoing, echoing, rolling over, ruminating.

SPEAKER_06 33:09

Yep.

SPEAKER_03 33:09

That's the definition of thinking out loud, isn't it? Yeah, yeah, yeah. 100%. There's there's it's a it's a powerful thing. It is.

SPEAKER_00 33:17

There's so I want to jump back to because you lost two people.

SPEAKER_03 33:21

Uh yeah, a few. Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_00 33:23

How did that experience shape you? Because I know um I've lost not from suicide, but like my nether and pop, and they're all very, very close to me. Yeah. Um how did losing those two people like that obviously opened up your mind to like mental health needs to fucking change? Yeah. Um, but you as a person, how did you going through that experience how did that change you?

SPEAKER_03 33:47

Yeah, well, I like I say when I lost my uncle, who was like he was like a father to me, really. I lived with him for years, took me under his wing. I I got angry and I didn't understand it, and and I and I sort of stayed angry for a fair while about it. I was like, oh you coward, you know, how could you do that? You know, left your kids, your grandkids, blah blah blah. And um I just sort of never never really got past that. And then when my mate visited there was a lot more talk about it through other mates, and and a few mates noticed that I was going downhill, you know, and so there was conversations had, and and um the Breakthrough Foundation they actually because it was not long after the big fires on Kangaro Island, half the island burnt, you know, so over 80 houses lost, and there's a lot of people struggling in the farming sector, and and even you know, just everyone was struggling. Um so the Breakthrough Foundation, they came and they were doing a few workshops and giving people tools, you know, how to manage and deal with mental health and um so I started, you know, understanding a bit more about things and and and and asking myself questions, I guess.

SPEAKER_01 34:53

Um and I think I'm never really comfortable with saying this, but I think losing my mate in some way it saved my life, you know what I mean? Um Yeah, I went dark and I and I and I and I um I nearly lost myself, but it it triggered something inside of me to want to look to want to look deeper and um and understand more, I guess.

SPEAKER_03 35:28

So in doing that and in taking that path, even after we did the cheerathon and and I was running this mental health support group doing it for Jipper, um I was still very dark and and and uh struggling a lot, you know. But it definitely definitely helped through the group, through talking to people, um helping other people, it it it uh sort of gave me the kick in the ass I needed to get out of my rut, I think.

SPEAKER_01 35:55

Um sad it took losing a mate for that to happen, you know.

SPEAKER_03 36:02

So I guess I guess that's why I fucking excuse me. I saw the swear jar on swear it's gonna cost me. Yes, sweet. Oh I'll just empty that jar into that one. Um but yeah, just I can't remember where I was going now. But yeah, um it it it definitely it gave me the kicks kick in the ass that I needed to to to get out of my hole to to do something to save my own self, you know.

SPEAKER_01 36:30

Um yeah.

SPEAKER_00 36:33

Yes, I am as shit as it is, I don't like you may not know, and we definitely don't know, but the amount of lives that you have potentially saved from losing one mate and going through all that heartbreaking experience and all that, like we will never know if we have helped someone. You will never know if you've but they're like you could have just helped one person, you could have helped 10, 20, 30.

SPEAKER_03 36:59

That ripple effect is amazing.

SPEAKER_00 37:01

Yeah, so out of that, what'd you say, 2700 people, yeah, you could have helped a hundred people from unfortunately going through that shit experience.

SPEAKER_03 37:10

And um it's taken me a bit to realise that, but I'm slowly realizing and not so much realising, accepting that um realization, you know, just because like I think I mentioned to you before, before we started the podcast, um I get quite a few messages from people I've never even met, um, just thanking me for what I'm doing. Um and that they've it's helped them through their struggles. Um so many people watch my little videos daily, you know. Um and and to myself, I think, you know, rambling here. Yeah, I'm rambling, I'm gonna go over because I still feel like a bit of a bit of a dickhead, you know, getting on front of the camera and just talking to myself, you know. It's like um it took me a lot to get used to that, and I don't think I ever will get used to it. But um yeah, some of the some of the ramblings I cut coming out with, um yeah, obviously people relate to it, so you know, yeah. When you get people messaging, you don't know thanking you for something you're doing, it's you're hacking and walk away from that, you know. It's you can't I can't stop it. It's just it's a no-brainer for me. I just gotta keep going.

SPEAKER_00 38:20

Plain and simple, yeah. It's a very big emotional thing.

SPEAKER_03 38:23

Massive, massive. And I've oh mate, I've been on some emotional roller coasters, you know. It's um yeah, it's definitely taking me places. Ups and downs, just like riding down the highway, you know. Lots of ups and downs. Yeah, yeah. We got something to look forward to.

SPEAKER_04 38:39

It gets a bit flatter up north.

SPEAKER_03 38:41

Yeah, yeah. Yeah, that's true. I'm a good tassy, so I'm you know, I I surely I can do fair bit fair bit more.

SPEAKER_04 38:48

Yeah, I guess it'll be longer stretches without towns.

SPEAKER_03 38:51

Yeah, yeah, well I don't I don't mind that either. It's it gives me a you know, gets a few more K's under my belt. When there's more towns around, I tend to stop more often and have yak, have a yak to people, pull into coffee shops and hotels and sporting clubs, whatever. Try and fight like this morning. I went um caught up with Mr. Perfect, the um community barbecues that gets blokes out and about talking to each other. So that was pretty good to um be involved in that this morning. Um, you know, a good good bunch of guys. It's only just started in in Gelton here. Mr. Perfect. Yes. I think he said he's been gone for two, maybe three months. Oh um once a month event.

SPEAKER_00 39:29

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 39:29

Yeah. Saturday of every month. Yes. Sunday, I think.

SPEAKER_00 39:33

I think we definitely got a uh Sunday, yes. You are correct.

SPEAKER_03 39:36

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_00 39:37

Yeah. No, that's wicked.

SPEAKER_03 39:38

Yeah, but uh it's it's a great initiative. I think it I think old mate was saying it started in Melbourne. Um, I first saw him popping up down around Perth before I started on the ride. So it's a good thing all around the place.

SPEAKER_00 39:51

In in your messages when when we were messaging uh first off, there was a uh something that caught my eye, and it was um you said that you're just a normal bloke.

SPEAKER_03 40:02

Yeah. And well I think, well, as normal as normal can be, yeah, yeah, yeah. Define normal.

SPEAKER_00 40:07

Like as in just like a you're just a normal dude that just is living life and you've been through like heartbreaking experiences and all that type of stuff, you know, losing friends and stuff. Why is that message that you're just a normal bloke so important?

SPEAKER_03 40:19

Well, I think most people that do something like this or I'm doing, you know, especially riding a bike or or you know, running or whatever they do, they they're kind of athletic to start with. I mean, yeah, I was a shower for over 25 years. That takes a fair bit of um athleticism itself, but um man, I hadn't ridden a push bike since I was about 15, and I thought certainly hadn't ridden one like this. Um and and I I think I think that's just what makes me a bit more relatable to people as well, you know. I'm just like I swear, I curse, like I drink, I um you know, I'd just be one of the lads you'd meet down the pub and talk a bit of shit with, you know. Um and I just one day after a few beers got on got an idea of getting a bike and riding around Australia, and that's when the boys told me I couldn't, that's just what I went and did, you know. So and I and I and I think wherever and when I tell that story, people usually laugh at it. It's like, yeah, all right, I good on you, mate. Hold my beer, yeah, sweet. And and they do, they like that sort of side of it, I think. Um and yeah, it's just that, yeah, I suppose a bit of an Aussie Larrican, you know? People appreciate a bit of an Aussie lad, you know, just just out there having a crack.

SPEAKER_06 41:26

Absolutely.

SPEAKER_03 41:27

I mean, yeah. And that's you know, like I said, my mates told me I couldn't do it. You ain't full of it, you're full of it. And that's just fuel of the fall. All the motivation I need, mate. I've always been personally you can't do that. It's oh okay. It's the true Aussie way, isn't it? You wouldn't.

SPEAKER_02 41:45

I'll be back in five.

SPEAKER_03 41:48

Yeah, so you know, it's um yeah, and those and I and and those doubters, they're still following along today. They always will. Urging me on, urging me on, come on, mate, you got this, you know. So it's um, it's a good thing. It's a good thing.

SPEAKER_04 42:03

Um, I'm gonna jump to the not so serious side of things. Yes, right. You said cheering for 25 years, 26 years, something like that. Around that, yeah. That's a long time. Yeah, would you consider that one of the hardest trades? Um, yeah, it gets all over a mechanic, mate.

SPEAKER_03 42:21

The mechanics one about uh you know, the best trade around the thing you said. Something stinker up.

SPEAKER_02 42:31

Come on, in the toilet after the mechanic, it's pretty nasty, there's grease everywhere.

SPEAKER_00 42:37

I fucking love that. Absolutely.

SPEAKER_03 42:41

Would you say we would struggle trying sharing? Ah mate, anyone that hasn't done it would struggle. I mean, I'm not a mechanics arsehole. Like, if as a mechanic, I'd make a good wrecker. I'll give you a lot of work, you know. Um, but you know, it's like anything, you know. If I try my hand at electrics, I'd I'd probably burn myself, fry myself, you know. So, you know, everyone's gonna start somewhere. It is hard work, but you do after repetition, you know, you get used to it, you do get better at it. But yeah, it does take some time, and it does bloody hurt. So you've got to it's that sat pain barrier, sort of, you know. Yes, yeah. Well, my first I started in the shearing sheds at 15, and after my first week, just as a shared hand, we asked about picking up the wool, sweeping the floors, you know. Fuck this, I'm not coming back. I could hardly walk, mate. I'm no way am I coming back next week. And up until then, my biggest check for a week had been like 250 bucks. Old mate hands me a uh a check for$650 Friday afternoon. I'm like, see you Friday, see you Monday, mate. I'll be and that that was it, mate. You know, you know, I just I got taste for the money, and yeah, I was away. Once I prove myself, the boys got you know, you get a bit more recognition and you sort of they look after you a bit more. So it's quite An accepting industry. There's people from all walks of life. Um, one thing I did like about the sharing industry is tickheads soon get sorted out, and everyone's accepted, you know. Everyone, yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_00 44:12

So what because you said that you've done shearing all over the world, uh, not all over the world, but I have I I've sort of Australia, um, most states in Australia. And it was New Zealand and UK, yeah.

SPEAKER_03 44:22

I was sure in the UK and New Zealand, yeah. Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 44:25

So what what was it about the competitive side of shearing that you that like locked you into doing it? Was it like, oh, I can shear a fucking sheep in like 30 seconds?

SPEAKER_03 44:34

It was um it's not just about shearing them fast, you've got to be clean and not cut them and that as well, you know. Less cuts and try and get all the wool off in one length. And there's a bit of an art to it. Um, but every day at work is a competition, you know. You want to be quicker than the bloke next to you, yeah, yeah. Next to you there, you know. It's a dick thing, yeah, yeah. Straight up, straight up. Um, so you know, I suppose, yeah, you know, you go in the pub, you got the urinals, you know, get the little ones down here. It'd start off a little bit, it'd be the mechanics' urinal, then it'd be right the builders' urinal, then the shearer's urinals up here, you know. Where would you put a floor in this? A floor? Floor layer. A floor layer? Um, well, someone's got to put the floor down for us to shear shape on. So, you know, they're important.

SPEAKER_00 45:22

So without asked, you guys aren't doing jobs.

SPEAKER_03 45:24

Um I I always thought they were all lesbians, like just tongue and girl.

SPEAKER_00 45:30

I can say that I'm on my knees a fair bit. Yeah, it's not for the things that you think it is. Okay.

SPEAKER_03 45:36

A lot of splinters, though, I would imagine. A lot of what? Splinters. No. In the knees. No?

SPEAKER_00 45:40

No, knee pads. Yes. I'm smart, I'm smart. Yeah, yeah, yeah. No, surprisingly, um, floor laying is is quite a hard trade on your body.

SPEAKER_03 45:51

It would be, yeah, knees and back and that. Right.

SPEAKER_00 45:53

My hip, my hip is fucking cooked.

SPEAKER_03 45:55

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 45:55

And he's not even a floor layer, but he can't bend for shit. And that's just a natural thing. Mechanics, man.

SPEAKER_03 46:00

They don't bend. I've got a lot of bills for mechanics, there's no bend there at all.

SPEAKER_00 46:05

No good whatsoever. So yeah, now flooring's fucking hard, man. But like we've we've spoken, we actually had uh an ex share on. Unfortunately, the the episode didn't come out due to our stupidity. We didn't have Toomy here. Um and we did that episode, I think, twice and both times we failed. Even even he was saying that it was like uh a lot of shearers, um, like you said, a lot of the dickheads get fucking like put out. But also, one of the other things that not many people know is that uh I I don't know if you did, but he was saying that a lot of shearers also get addicted to substances and stuff as well. Yeah, yeah, okay.

SPEAKER_03 46:43

Yeah, Lane, I I I I used to get on the gear for years, mate, um, a long time. And that um you know, it started off recreational, and then I I I realised that sort of uh there's a thing that shuts your head up as well when you're doing that, and and then there's there's also the pain, like a lot of pain. So, you know, it it helps with that drugs and alcohol, and but then also, you know, after years of abuse, it it it creates a lot of pain and yeah mental anguish as well. Um so yes, unfortunately there is a massive amount of that in the shearing industry. Um it's it's it's getting cleaned up nowadays a bit. Um the industry is getting more and more professional all the time. Um testing is coming into it and workplace health and safety is coming into a lot more because it has been a bit of an archaic industry when it comes to OH and S side of things. So but it's slowly getting cleaned up, you know. Um changes because it can be, you know, you've got a a handpiece in your hand with 13 razor sharp teeth spinning it. I think it's like four and a half thousand revs at the handpiece in your hand. Or it takes you get that kicked out of your hand, and you know, it can quite easily is it not like a I there's cheap hairdressers.

SPEAKER_00 48:02

This is probably good. I genuinely thought it was like a uh like a head head clippers.

SPEAKER_03 48:08

I think it's the same principle, similar principle, but the teeth, you know, on your hair clippers, the teeth are quite close together. There's not much gap. There's there's a bit of a gap like like that in between the teeth, sort of thing. There's 13 of them about this wide.

SPEAKER_06 48:20

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 48:21

And and there's a cutter on top with four four teeth that go like that.

SPEAKER_06 48:24

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 48:25

So it's you know, shoo shoosh across the top like that.

SPEAKER_06 48:27

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 48:28

Um, it's quite easy to cut off nipples, ears, pistols like it, like a ramp a rampick, you know. If it gets in the way, it comes off. Yeah, you you've got to exercise some caution. Um, you know, there was a few years ago there's a young fella in South Australia on out near Streaky Bay. Um, he actually he actually got killed. A sheep kicked the ham priest and it went up and got him in the jugular and he but bled out on the floor there and then in the shearing shed. So yeah, man, bad things can happen really quickly. So you know, it's um it's good to see a bit of IH and S coming in and and drug testing and that and because that you know, those sorts of things play a big part of it. Oh, that's fucking wild. That's pretty hectic, yeah, yeah, yeah. Mate of mine, he's been going through work cover for three and a half years now. He was actually one of my drivers in South Australia. Um, sheep kicked and he cut his bicep in half.

SPEAKER_00 49:21

Now are they that sharp that they'll just very sharp.

SPEAKER_03 49:25

Yeah, uh I wish I had some. Oh, I haven't even got my bus here, but I'd be out of Australia. But yeah, yeah, they're they're pretty sharp. And like I say, there's four and a half thousand revs at the hand press itself. So that's that's for less motor. Yeah, it doesn't take much. Yeah. How many nipples have you cut off? I have some. Some? A few. I've got I've got a wee box, but like end to end, you know? Yeah, nipples and noses and things like that.

SPEAKER_00 49:52

Fuck man, yeah. I I I honestly didn't think like they were like I kind of knew that they were sharp to cut through, especially how quick you are you guys.

SPEAKER_03 50:00

Yeah, well that's right, you know, like um I think the record, I said something like 800 and something sheep or something, you know. But um That's your record. No, no, no, no, no, no. My best day was just under 400.

SPEAKER_06 50:12

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 50:12

So you know, that that's that's that's a lot of sheep, you know. It's um that's a lot of a lot of meat, a lot of weight to drag across the floor as well. Yeah, because you've got to catch them, wrestle them, and drag them out. Yeah, some are pretty buddy heavy. Um so you know, it's it takes its tolls, and it and you're moving that quick with something that dangerous, it's it does take a fair bit of training, so it's not a yeah, it takes a bit of skill to to not kill them, you know.

SPEAKER_00 50:38

I was watching uh I was watching a video, this was on like uh like barrel making, but like one of the things that he said was like he he has been doing his trade for so long, and it got like he was so cautious about like when he's uh trimming the uh wood or whatever the fuck he he calls it, and he's he's uh never cut himself until the day where he got a little bit too confident, yeah and it just didn't click, and then he chopped the his whole pinky finger off and it just went straight through it. And he's just like those are the days that you need to remember because if you don't, yeah, then shit goes wrong.

SPEAKER_03 51:11

Yeah, and the most dangerous thing is to become complacent in what you're doing, yeah. Um just because you've done it a million times, yeah, exactly. It doesn't pay to drift off in your head, you know. Yeah, just keep focused.

SPEAKER_00 51:23

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 51:24

Yep, yeah.

SPEAKER_00 51:25

Yeah, man, that's fucking absolutely wild.

SPEAKER_04 51:28

Um, I'd say we're nearing on the end of our episode. We've been rambling a fair bit, which is it's good. You're a man with a lot of stories and doing a good cause. Yeah, appreciate it. Um we asked this question away, I guess, just because we want to get a little insight. Yeah. What are like five things you do that improve your mood? Just for you personally. It can be anything. The list is long.

SPEAKER_03 51:50

Well, you met me little Kelpie out there. Lucky, I uh I like Tate. She she's she's she's my best mate. Um uh yeah, spend a bit of time with her. I mean, she triggers me, she pushes me buttons, she's cheeky, she talks back, but she's probably the best mate I've ever had, don't you?

SPEAKER_00 52:06

Kelpies normally do that.

SPEAKER_03 52:07

Oh, yeah, she's she's smart mouth little bugger.

SPEAKER_05 52:10

Um I wasn't sure what we were talking about for a second. Dog.

SPEAKER_03 52:13

Yeah, yeah, that little red one out there. Oh, I didn't see her on the way out. Oh, she's tied up to old mates, you uh um another thing.

SPEAKER_01 52:22

Hello, laughing. I write a bit of poetry.

SPEAKER_03 52:25

Oh and that's something fairly recent. I started doing it last oh just before I started on this ride. So that helps me a lot make sense of things in my head. Um yeah, so a lot of a lot of them are focused on on mental health and and and uh uh the demons I deal with and and the drugs and the alcohol and things like that. So um but does help me make sense of of a lot of things in my head. So and I've started sharing some of those with my group on Facebook and I uh I've had to start warning people that um I'm okay. Yeah, yeah, yeah. It's just how I process things and um because I after a couple of them I put up and people are like I get all these messages. Are you okay? What's the matter? What's going on? It's just it's just how my brain works, it's just how it helps me process stuff.

SPEAKER_00 53:12

The fact that you also have that support too is is amazing. It's amazing.

SPEAKER_03 53:15

Yeah, mate, it's it's I'm I'm bloody lucky with that, yeah. Yeah, so um I do turn to that. I've got some pretty special people. I um if I'm if I'm just having a shit day, I'm like, I'll bring this bugger up. Yeah, it might be one of the boys, I'll ring him up and shit stern, which will make me feel better. Or you know, I'll just just ring one of your mates, just have a talk yarn about anything, anything, you know, it doesn't have to be heavy. Um yeah. And that bike, surprisingly enough, exercising, you know, like just getting out there burning a bit of energy. That's that's so good for your mental health. Um and and being on that bike, I've noticed when I've had times where I've got to wait for a driver or you know, I've been stuck somewhere through weather or whatever. Um I start getting a bit inside my own head. I was like, get on the bike, mate, just get out there, ride the bike past two, whatever, take the dog for a run. That's um it's good just to get out there and just look around and yeah, you know, on the foreshore here. Stop and have a chat to people, people with dogs, you know. Dogs always gotta sniff each other's bums. So you know, you get out there and let the dogs have a bit of a bum sniff and you end up talking to the owners and that's um that's pretty good.

SPEAKER_01 54:23

Um I don't know, what else?

SPEAKER_08 54:26

Yeah, two more.

SPEAKER_03 54:27

Two more. He's over there.

SPEAKER_05 54:30

Yeah, he is almost most of the to me jokes that could ever exist, but that was a new one. That was good. Um, that was quick too. Yeah, yeah, yeah. It took me a second.

SPEAKER_03 54:45

I was like, um yeah, geez, I don't know. What else?

SPEAKER_00 54:56

Well, while while we're thinking of those, I just I haven't even wanted to ask this question. I know that's normally the last question, but when you're out there and you're in the middle of literally bumfire, there's there would have obviously been a point where you're just like, fuck this, I don't want to keep going. Well, there's been a few. What keeps you what's the one thing that keeps you going?

SPEAKER_01 55:16

Um I I I quite often I I think about me mate Gipper.

SPEAKER_03 55:26

Um But he was uh he was a he was a footy man through and through local footy Kangaroo Island. He played for the Dougley Eagles. And every time when when he passed, his two sons um were in the we're in the A-grain semi-final, and um it'd been raining all day. And and when that game started, the oval, just over the oval, big sky opened up, blue skies just over the oval, and there was one big eagle, Wedgetail, just circling the oval for the whole game. And yeah, that's me, mate, that's the Bo Dipper, you know? Um and quite often when I'm I don't know how it works, but when I'm having struggles, aren't we going up a big ass mountain in Tassie or something like that? I look up and there's a buddy eagle circling around. I'm like brother, yeah, yeah. Yeah, yeah, you know, that that happens more times than I can remember. It's um little things like that. Um, you know, a bit of banter over the two-way with whoever's driving. Depends on who's driving. Yeah, yeah, it's um funnily enough. Um I had one my ex-missus that my my oldest son's mum, she drove from me for one day at the early stages, and um I wasn't exactly fit then. It was probably about the fourth day in. And we're going up a bit of a hill, she got on the two-way, she says, Oi! I won't tell you exactly what she said. Oi, if I've got to change down into first gear, I'm fucking running you over. You have no idea how motivating it is to hear your ex-missors say that, mate. I found a couple more coals, I steamed up that hill. Yeah, yeah. So, you know, it's um little things like that's quite motivating, you know, a bit of banter. Um, but yes, it just in the back of my head, um, just thinking about all the people behind me and the and the messages I get, and you know, maybe the eagle in the sky, or there's a lot of things that motivate me. Either that or if it gets real bad, I generally think back to that night with the few cans and the mates saying, You're full of shit.

SPEAKER_00 57:22

Yeah, yeah, yeah. Ronda, I've got to go.

SPEAKER_03 57:25

Fuck your dog. Yeah, yeah. Damn you guys, I'm not gonna let you be there. Yeah, it's awesome, man. 100%.

SPEAKER_00 57:30

Well, you've got two more, mate. Two more shit. Uh and then we'll wrap her up.

SPEAKER_03 57:35

Yeah, mate. You know, I just beaches, water, rivers, you know. I love that. I I love getting out, get the shoes off, get outside, you know. There's something to be sad for walking around with no shoes on, you know, grounding, they call it, you know, it's a massive thing, you know. Um, I you can't beat it. Um I love gardening, but being on the road, I don't get much of a chance to garden. I've always had a veggie garden. If I've been stable somewhere, always had a veggie garden. Get out there, stand there with a hose, dig get your hands in the dirt. Yep. Yeah, it's something something something therapeutic about that. That's um that's definitely a good one. Always been a fave.

SPEAKER_00 58:14

I know, I I know why it's not therapeutic when you're unloading fucking like five tons of dirt out of your bag. Yeah, that's what I've been doing the last few days. Yeah, right, okay. Fucking bullshit. I mean, mind you, it it is kind of my fault. I kind of let it get shit and yeah, yeah, yeah. So it had to be done, and it was my missus told me you gotta do this, so I've done it. Yeah, yeah. Happy life. That's right. Yeah, now I get to go home and do more stuff. Yeah, that's it.

SPEAKER_02 58:39

Now you've cleared a space, I've got an idea.

SPEAKER_00 58:42

Well, she was that was her yesterday. I think we should put a garden here and like maybe build another retaining or something. Fucking let me finish this job first. Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_03 58:51

And a nice deck over there seems how you're good at flooring.

SPEAKER_00 58:57

Yeah, well, mate, I I just want to thank you for coming on. Um, it has genuinely been uh absolutely amazing to hear your story and you you talk about the things that you've been through.

SPEAKER_03 59:07

And uh mate, I I I appreciate the opportunity to come on and just just share my story and you know, get what I'm up to out to a bit of a wider audience, you know? Yeah, it's um everything helps, mate. Everything helps.

SPEAKER_00 59:19

Absolutely, it does. If you guys want to jump over to Lenny's Facebook page, uh give it a follow. Say uh I don't know, Shear is a gay or something like that, that'd be awesome. Um, and then yeah, just give this absolutely amazing bloke some uh some love because what he's doing, not a lot of many people could do. I mean, I definitely couldn't, not that long.

SPEAKER_03 59:39

People said I couldn't too, brother. But yeah, true, very, very true. Uh no, mate, no, you couldn't do it. There's no way you could do it.

SPEAKER_00 59:45

Mate, I'm gonna be psyched with fucking funny.

SPEAKER_03 59:47

No chance, mate.

SPEAKER_00 59:51

Yeah, and also uh jump over to all of our forms of social media um Instagram, YouTube, Facebook, all that type of stuff. Uh, all the links are below, and Lenny's Facebook page is also below. Thank you guys for listening.

SPEAKER_03 1:00:02

Appreciate it, legends. Thanks, heaps. Love your work. Awesome.