The Short King of the Physie Floor - Episode 12

This week on That Physical Culture Podcast, Renee is flying solo while Jussy lives her best holiday life in the US, and honestly… it's rone-ry! There’s a strange energy in the studio without her emotional support co-host, but the show must go on.

Renee talks through her latest “Physie Anywhere” photos, as well as the late-onset online banter with the BJP Powers-That-Be.

Then, in news that has sent Renee into a full-blown journalistic conniption, she reveals she’s made contact with none other than THE Lisa Wilkinson. Yes, that Lisa Wilkinson. Australian media royalty. Poise. Presentation. Power suits. The woman who basically raised half of us through breakfast television. To celebrate, the girls are launching a little Physie Book Club and reading Wilkinson’s incredible book, The Titantic Story of Evelyn, which took Wilkinson three years to complete.

Then we move into the main event: our chat with Jake from Bangor Georges River Physie in EP Physie. Or as we now know him, The Short King of the Physie Floor.

At just 12 years old, Jake is one of the very few boys doing physie in Australia, and honestly? He’s an absolute superstar. We chat about how he got started, what it’s like being a boy in a traditionally female sport, the support he’s received from his club and community, and his incredible success so far. Jake is funny, humble, determined and completely loveable, and by the end of the episode we had collectively decided he must be protected at all costs.

Long live the king 👑

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Transcript

SPEAKER_01 0:07

Hello and welcome to that Fusy Podcast. I'm your host, Renee Walker, and there ain't nobody else here with me because Justine, my co-host, is on holidays in San Francisco. It feels very weird to be recording without my little buddy.

Can't do this thing on my own long term

SPEAKER_01 0:24

Um, but I'm so glad to be seeing her doing her Fizzy Anywhere posts, and we are both loving the bands from BJP. A little bit of fun, you know, a little bit of back and forth. Don't don't hate that, actually love it. Um, the other thing I'm just reeling about this morning, so it's usually very unlikely that we would record so close to the episode going out just because there's so much editing that goes into it. But I just couldn't help myself today hearing from the Lisa Wilkinson after my post

THE Lisa Wilkinson... SHUT UP

SPEAKER_01 0:57

about Australian celebrities that have done fizzy. I couldn't get over how many of the celebrities were actually journalists. I just think the correlation between doing a comms degree and doing fizzy must be so high, and I am actually one of them. So yeah, I am just so stoked. She is literally an idol of mine and has been for a long time. Just a great Aussie chick with a lot of humility, and she's been texting you back and forth and just such a legend. So I did tell her that I would give her a bit of a shout out for her new book that she's got out at the moment. It's Australia's number one best-selling book, actually. So I thought we could do a book club for the Fizzy Pod. So if you all want to get on and

Physie Book Club!

SPEAKER_01 1:47

read it, I'll give you heaps of time to read it. But once I've finished reading it and just might get along for the ride too, we'll have a little chatty chat about the book. So it's a true story called The Titanic Story of Evelyn

The Titanic Story of Evelyn by Lisa Wilkinson

SPEAKER_01 2:00

about a brave young nurse from South Australia. She was a champion rower who became the only Australian-born survivor of the sinking of the Titanic. It's all about her life, her courage, and her tireless efforts to save lives that night, and the beautiful love story behind it all. And it's taken Lisa three years to write the book. And in my chatty chats with Lisa, I said, You will not believe how these women get around a fizzy girl, so I'm putting it on the pod tomorrow. And um don't borrow it from the bloody library, go out and buy it, download it onto your Kindle. Anyway, that's a wrap on that one. Moving on to our interview this week, which Juss and I both spoke to Jake a couple of weeks ago before she went on holidays. Uh Jake is 12 years old from Bangor Georgia's River Fizzy. Um, and we talked to uh Jake about what it's like to be the pretty much one of the only boys in Fizzy competing with Edith Parsons. So tune in now, have a listen, and uh enjoy.

SPEAKER_02 3:07

This episode of that Physical Culture Podcast is proudly brought to you by Instinctive Health.

SPEAKER_01 3:12

Instinctive Health is all about evidence-based integrative care with a big focus on gut health, hormones, energy, and overall well-being.

SPEAKER_02 3:21

They're not about quick fixes or symptom band-aids. They're focused on getting to the root cause of what's really going on in your body.

SPEAKER_01 3:28

Which honestly feels pretty on brand for fizzy mums because we like to understand the why of things work, not just to be told to push through.

SPEAKER_02 3:36

So if you've been feeling flat, foggy, run down, or just not quite yourself, Instinctive Health offers gut health testing and personalized support to help you get back on track.

SPEAKER_01 3:46

You can check them out at instinctivehealth.com.au. Trust your gut, nurture your health. Today on the pod, we're chatting with someone pretty special. Jake is 12 years

This podcast is brought to you by InstinctiveHealth.com.au

SPEAKER_01 3:58

old in year seven and lives in the Georgia's St. George area. He's been part of Bangor, Georgia's River Fizzy for the past four years, and in that time he's

Introducing Jake from Bangor Georges River Physie

SPEAKER_01 4:09

built quite the reputation. Jake is one of the very few boys doing fizzy in Australia and in the world of Edith Parsons' School of Physical Culture. He's already making a serious impression. He's known for being determined, energetic, and passionate, but what really stands out is how he carries himself. He's friendly, humble, and one of those dancers you just remember. And the results do back it up. Jake has placed at almost all the interclubs he's been in since he started, was a state finalist at just 10 years old and 11 years old, and even took out his first interclub win around that age. He's a consistent award winner and grand finalist. Uh, he was named marching winner at his club competition in 2024 and the most improved last year. So, yes, he's giving Fizzy a go, and he's absolutely flying. And we're so excited to talk to you. Um, and um your mum Jo has given us a bit of information about what it's like to be one of the only boys in Fizzy um and what you love doing about it and um why other boys should be getting involved.

SPEAKER_02 5:23

So, welcome to the podcast! Can we just have that massive round of white?

SPEAKER_01 5:29

Oh my god.

SPEAKER_02 5:30

You good matching?

SPEAKER_01 5:31

I would love to have a rap sheet like that.

SPEAKER_02 5:33

Can you teach us how to march? Because I wouldn't mind that accolade. You you're my CV. You could be our coach. Yeah, do you want to coach it? Do you want to coach it?

SPEAKER_01 5:43

Yeah, we'll come to Bangor.

SPEAKER_02 5:45

We'll come to you.

SPEAKER_01 5:47

You're in a my St. Georgia La Wara patch, which we shouldn't really talk about at the moment because we're a wooden spooners at the moment.

SPEAKER_02 5:54

Do you follow, do you follow the NRL, Jake?

SPEAKER_00 5:58

Uh sometimes, but no, not really.

SPEAKER_01 6:01

Yeah, I bet everyone in that area is not really following the NRL at all.

SPEAKER_02 6:04

Yeah, we we're both dragon supporters, so we're not doing very, very well. No, sad.

SPEAKER_01 6:10

So, um, buddy, let's kick off with the questions. How did you first get into fizzy?

SPEAKER_00 6:16

Well, I had a friend that wanted

How did Jake get into Physie?

SPEAKER_00 6:19

to do fizzy, and so she offered me if I wanted to join her, and I did.

SPEAKER_01 6:24

Oh, awesome! That's so good. I love getting an invite. That's how I started Fizzy too. One of my mates was like, get in here.

SPEAKER_02 6:31

So what so your friends invited you? So what made you want to give it a go? What did she tell you anything about it?

SPEAKER_00 6:39

Um, well, I thought it would just be like a good opportunity for me to try something different. And I wanted to see if I would enjoy it or not.

SPEAKER_02 6:47

Yeah? Did you had you done any like dancing beforehand or gymnastics, or you just thought, oh, why not give it a crack? Oh, that's good. And what was your dance in? What did you do? Were you tap, were you jazz, were you jazz, were you all?

SPEAKER_00 7:01

Contemporary, lyrical, and j of hate.

SPEAKER_02 7:04

Um and what one?

SPEAKER_00 7:06

J of hate. What's that? It's like hip-hop.

SPEAKER_01 7:10

Oh cool.

SPEAKER_00 7:12

Jazz combined.

SPEAKER_01 7:13

Oh, love that. Oh, I love that. Because I like I feel like hip hop doesn't have enough jazz in it for me to want to sign up, but if it's got a bit of jazz hip hop, then you know, I'd be all about that.

SPEAKER_02 7:25

Oh, amazing.

SPEAKER_01 7:27

Um, I do believe you and I might have started Fizzy in the same year if this is your fourth year.

SPEAKER_02 7:33

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 7:34

Yeah, I think um Fizzy must have had just a real like onslaught of legends signing up.

SPEAKER_02 7:40

Yeah, they thought, wow, we've hit the jackpot between EP and BJP. Where's your rap? Why don't you have all these podcasts?

SPEAKER_01 7:47

I've got no accolades. The podcast is my only accolade. Um, so you've been doing it for four years? Yeah. Yeah, wow, that's amazing. Um, and what do you love most about doing fizzy?

SPEAKER_00 8:05

Well, I love meeting new friends and definitely competing.

SPEAKER_02 8:08

Yeah, what do you love the most about competing? What's your favorite part of it?

SPEAKER_00 8:13

Um, probably finding out what place I come and to see like how I did.

SPEAKER_01 8:17

Oh, that's awesome. Waiting for that number to get called out.

SPEAKER_02 8:22

Yeah. Are you like Renee? You already know your number, you've got it drilled into your head.

unknown 8:27

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 8:27

Yeah,

We KNOW our numbers

SPEAKER_01 8:28

me too. Yeah, I'm waiting. I've never heard it get called out, but I'm definitely waiting to hear the number.

SPEAKER_02 8:34

Do you have a do you have a lucky number? Do you walk up and go, oh, I really hope I'm like number 17?

SPEAKER_00 8:41

Really?

SPEAKER_02 8:43

I don't really think of it like that, but Oh, that's a good one. Yeah. See, I do. I walk up and go, come on, number 13, and I never get it. Which it's probably not the luckiest number in the world.

SPEAKER_01 8:55

It's not good. I just like it. Why I don't feel good if I don't get an even number. I get I start getting the yips if I don't have an even number. Really? Yeah, it's gotta be even. Oh. Don't like odd numbers.

SPEAKER_02 9:06

You just gotta be like Jake, just don't even know. Yeah, just don't even think about it. Think about it. So tell me, what's it like being one of the only boys doing fizzy?

SPEAKER_00 9:17

Well, first

What's it like to be one of the only boys?

SPEAKER_00 9:18

of all, for me, I feel like it's a privilege to be doing fizzy with AP. Um, but when I first started, it did feel a bit awkward being an only boy. Um, but I've gotten used to it now and I've made a couple friends.

SPEAKER_02 9:31

Amazing. So you friends so um friends from other clubs as well.

SPEAKER_00 9:37

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 9:38

Oh, love that. And is that like at the vibe when you're in the in backstage at competitions, you're just all hang out? Yeah, we just talk, yeah. Oh amazing. I love that.

SPEAKER_01 9:49

You must have felt like a bit of a celebrity at the start, right? Like being like one of the only guys, it's like everyone's super interested like us.

SPEAKER_00 10:01

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 10:03

Oh, that's awesome. Do you think b more boys should get into it?

Should more boys do Physical Culture?

SPEAKER_00 10:09

Yeah, I think they should. Um, it would be a good opportunity for them, I think, if they like to dance.

SPEAKER_02 10:15

Yeah, most definitely. We were um your mum sent us a photo. You have got the most amazing extension. Oh, the muscles I've ever seen. Yes, the muscles are amazing. Have you always been able to get your leg up here? Uh, pretty much, yeah. Okay. So can I ask Joe? Joe, how does one how do you train this? What was he doing? Can you teach?

SPEAKER_01 10:41

Can you teach us? And what's your big goal for this year? Wow, you'd be really good at gymnastics. Yeah, you would be. Yeah. We're gonna be there, buddy. Yeah. Come. Yeah, yeah. We'll come to what we've taught. You just would one day you're like, I reckon I could do it.

SPEAKER_02 10:58

Will we be allowed if we come to Grand? Yeah, can we not try loud until we get it? Do we do this? I'm gonna be insistent. It pays off. This is what our fizzy teacher tells us to really loud within them. We don't grow up. Yeah, we want to wait and get our legs cut in. But you are etiquette. We're not gonna do it. We're not gonna do that.

SPEAKER_00 11:21

I bet you you think you're gonna keep doing fizzy? Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 11:25

Uh, yeah, it's her white whale. That was a great interview so well. What like I mean,

Is there anything he can't do?

SPEAKER_01 11:36

love to really have been over there and having chat to like really hard for you. Like, is there a how do we get hold of a skill that you are still working on?

SPEAKER_00 11:46

Probably my diet balance.

SPEAKER_01 11:48

I was like, how appropriate is it for me to chase down a kid to just trouble to good thing mum was on the case. Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_00 11:56

And like I kind of wobble to like.

SPEAKER_02 11:58

Oh, thanks so much for getting this on your on your single leg balances.

SPEAKER_01 12:04

No worries. Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 12:05

Do you know our friend Ash gave us a really good tip?

unknown 12:09

Really?

SPEAKER_02 12:10

We wouldn't know what our tip was. She told us to pull up. So picture, you know, your quadricep up here. Yeah, picture your kneecaps pulling up and breathe out.

SPEAKER_01 12:23

Breathe out. I'm always trying to breathe in, but it's to balance.

SPEAKER_02 12:28

We do it wrong, but we've learned to to not do it. So I'm trying to mind. Oh yeah. Okay. So for it it doesn't have to be just for this year, because I know we're all still learning all the syllabus, but what's your um what's been your favorite dance or routine? So over the years and

What's your favourite routine?

SPEAKER_02 12:48

also this year?

SPEAKER_00 12:50

Definitely the dances.

SPEAKER_02 12:51

The dance? Definitely, yeah. Oh yeah, because Nikki was telling us, so you do, so you do the dance at the end of your routine. The last one. The last one. And do you do um what's the one called? Do you do the lunge as well?

SPEAKER_01 13:13

Do you do jump? Is it called jump and um rhythm or no?

SPEAKER_02 13:19

I think you do rhythm. No, I don't I think because you do lunge, they I think they do jump. Because you don't um the younger years, they don't do lunge. Is that right? So when you're younger. And what was that called? Jump. Jump, that's it, yeah. Yeah, see that's what I'd just stay in. If I was doing EP, I just would never do the lunch. Alright, so dance. And what's the song that you're doing the dance to this year? Do you remember?

SPEAKER_00 13:47

No, I don't. I don't.

SPEAKER_02 13:49

We'll have to look that up.

SPEAKER_00 13:50

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 13:52

You guys won the music. We love all of your music this year. We think EP has the best music. We need to lift. We um we love what's your favorite, what's your favourite music out of all of your routines this year?

SPEAKER_00 14:09

Um, probably my floor music.

SPEAKER_02 14:13

Ooh, we'll have to look that up. Because what what year are you? You are competing in 12s?

SPEAKER_00 14:19

Yes.

SPEAKER_02 14:20

We'll have to look up what um what the music is and we'll have a little we'll have a little listen.

SPEAKER_01 14:26

Do you feel like the competition's getting harder as you get older?

SPEAKER_00 14:30

Uh definitely, yes.

SPEAKER_01 14:32

Work's getting harder, right?

SPEAKER_00 14:34

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 14:35

What did you think about the workout when you saw it first time this year? Well, were you serious?

SPEAKER_00 14:40

Serious? Yeah, I usually do think that like kind of every year. When I learn it, when I learn it, I'm like it even pretty easy.

SPEAKER_02 14:50

Yeah, yeah. So do you tell do you tell your friends and things who've just started EP like we do and say just stick with it, you'll get it.

unknown 14:59

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 15:00

Yeah. Because we all know that part, don't we, where we're learning it and it's just not clicking.

It will click... eventually!

SPEAKER_02 15:05

It does happen eventually.

SPEAKER_00 15:08

Yeah.

unknown 15:08

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 15:09

So you were telling me how um you love competitions. Do you get nervous? Or you just uh you're just pro now?

SPEAKER_00 15:17

It's kind of like a mix, kind of. Like I feel like I get nervous before going on stage and like I get nervous like while performing. And then at the end I kind of get excited to say like what place I come.

SPEAKER_02 15:29

Yeah. Yeah, that's awesome. Do you do you have to do it more than once at in your competitions? Yep. And then each round you get through, do you feel more confident? So when you've done your heat, yeah, you get that first round out of the way, don't you?

SPEAKER_01 15:45

Yeah, the first heat's just uh it's nerve-wracking and you get the riddles. And then when you get into the final, not that I ever have. But I believe that it's a lot smoother on the last run.

SPEAKER_02 15:58

Yeah, you've you've it's really exciting because you know it's like the last time you're doing it that day. Yeah. And what um what's been your faux favorite comp moment for your whole fizzy career? What was your favorite thing?

SPEAKER_00 16:12

Definitely when I made it to Grand. Yeah. Yeah, Jake!

SPEAKER_01 16:18

I knew you were gonna say that.

SPEAKER_02 16:19

I was like, it can't look like that. Incredible. How incredi and so how old were you when you made it to Grand?

unknown 16:27

Um, 11.

SPEAKER_01 16:28

Oh, so that was just last year. Yes, and I got sent a video of you marching in. We have to put that up. I know. I've got to get my hands on that video.

SPEAKER_02 16:37

How incredible.

SPEAKER_01 16:39

That's so cool.

SPEAKER_02 16:40

Oh my goodness. And Renee and I kept saying, Should we come to Grand this year? Yeah, I think we should.

SPEAKER_00 16:47

Should we come and watch? Yeah, Lily. She does make it.

SPEAKER_01 16:52

Oh yeah. Yeah. So do kids do the kids and the adults do um their days on the like on the same time? Because the same time is a split.

SPEAKER_00 17:03

Yeah. It goes for like the whole day.

SPEAKER_01 17:06

Oh struggle! Yes, I'm gonna come for the yeah, I'm loving that. We will be there.

SPEAKER_02 17:12

That is very, very efficient because BGP don't do that. We're all on different days.

SPEAKER_01 17:19

Yeah. And um, how do you feel supported at your club and just by the fizzy community?

SPEAKER_00 17:26

Um, I've pretty supported. My friends support me, my family support me, um our teachers, Jack and Maureen support me.

SPEAKER_02 17:34

Oh, that's nice. I love it. Have they been your teachers for a while, or have you changed teachers now you've moved up?

SPEAKER_00 17:40

Yeah, we've had them for a while, yeah.

SPEAKER_02 17:42

Oh, I love how good are fizzy teachers. Oh, they're the best.

SPEAKER_00 17:45

They're the absolute best.

SPEAKER_01 17:47

They must have been so excited when you started to have a boy in the class. I would be so excited. I know it's so nice. Um, and who do you think helps you the most with your fizzy?

SPEAKER_00 18:02

Definitely my teacher, um Miss Jack.

SPEAKER_01 18:05

Miss Jack.

SPEAKER_02 18:06

Shout out to Miss Jack. Love it. And what's the um what's some really good tips that she tells you?

SPEAKER_00 18:14

Um, well, definitely when I do my thigh high balance, she tells me to like lock in. Like you just lock in the leg when you're balancing.

SPEAKER_02 18:24

Yep. Yeah. Love that. Um And does she give you any good advice when um you're feeling a little bit nervous?

SPEAKER_00 18:33

Yeah, definitely.

SPEAKER_02 18:34

What does she say? I need I need this. I need to.

SPEAKER_00 18:38

Well, um, when I go on stage, um, she kind of just says, like, don't get nervous like you've got this kind of thing. Yes. And have fun.

unknown 18:51

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 18:52

Miss Jack. Maybe we'll ring up Miss Jack. Yeah, I need a pep talk from Miss Jack. And um what do you think about the do you okay, so your performance swear, do you get to pick your colours and everything like that as well?

SPEAKER_00 19:08

Um, well, at the start I was only wearing black. And for grand, they let me wear a different colour and I wore navy. And there was like some gems and sparkles or whatever.

SPEAKER_02 19:19

Oh, awesome! And do you get to wear whatever colour you want this year? Or is it only when you make it to grand?

SPEAKER_00 19:26

I'm pretty sure, but I'm not sure.

SPEAKER_01 19:29

Oh, that's right. Nice one. We um we had a good chat to someone from EP Nikki, and um, she was telling us all about how you guys are allowed to pick whatever colours you want and put sparkles on it, and I'm like, we are missing out. I know, so cool. So much fun. Um, and and what's your big goal for this year?

SPEAKER_00 19:54

Uh definitely to make it to Grand again.

SPEAKER_01 19:56

Yes, we're gonna be there, buddy. Yeah, we're gonna come. Yeah, yeah. We'll come on to watch. We'll come give you a backstage pet talk.

SPEAKER_02 20:04

Will we be allowed if we come to Grand? Can we like cheer really loud? Do we do this?

SPEAKER_00 20:11

Usually they do, yeah. Usually they do, yeah, because it's like a big thing.

SPEAKER_01 20:14

Great, because we're really loud. But do we have to wait till the end, don't we, after the dance?

SPEAKER_02 20:20

Yeah, you have to wait till the end? Okay. Okay. We we'll have to control ourselves. We'll have to know the etiquette. Okay, we're not we're not big. And do you think you're gonna keep doing fizzy?

SPEAKER_00 20:31

Definitely if I'm allowed to.

SPEAKER_01 20:33

Oh nice one.

SPEAKER_00 20:34

Amazing!

SPEAKER_01 20:35

Yeah, good work, buddy. That was a great interview. You did so well. But we've loved chatting to you. Yeah, I've been hoping to have a chat to you for ages, and I'm like, hmm, how do we get hold of him? I was like, how appropriate is it for me to chase down a kid to talk to? Good thing mum was on the case.

unknown 20:56

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 20:58

Well, thanks so much for your time. And thanks to after listening to that. I mean, come on. I think Jake just needs to be protected at all costs. What a little sweetie! I just he was just so lovely and sweet. Um, and look, we did try to get in contact from Simon from Riversby, um, Josh from Ranwick. Uh a little harder to get hold of than Jake. Um, but boys, you want to come on? Let's dance. Have a great week, everyone. This episode was recorded on Dark and Jung Country. We pay respect to the traditional owners of the lands that we call home. We honour the Dark and Jung elders, past and present. Always was, always will be, Aboriginal land.