The Perfect 10 Podcast

Category: Sport

  • Ep: 65 Ali Day – From Kiama to King of the Coolangatta Gold

    Ep: 65 Ali Day – From Kiama to King of the Coolangatta Gold

    Few athletes in surf sports history have dominated like Ali Day.

    Raised in Kiama, Day chased his surf lifesaving dream north — first to Mooloolaba, and eventually to the powerhouse Surfers Paradise Surf Life Saving Club, where he has built one of the most remarkable careers the sport has seen.

    Day became the undisputed king of the legendary Coolangatta Gold, winning the gruelling endurance classic 11 times— an extraordinary record in one of the toughest races in sport.

    But his legacy stretches far beyond the Gold. A World Ironman Champion, a six-time winner of the Ironman Series, 4 x Australian Ironman champion, Day has spent more than a decade at the very top of the sport.

    Now, as he prepares to bring the curtain down on a stellar career just shy of his 36th birthday, Day has delivered one more remarkable chapter — claiming this year’s Shaw and Partners Ironman Series title in spectacular fashion at Miami Beach.

    And there’s one last chapter to be written. In a fortnight, he’ll chase another National Ironman crown at The Aussies at North Kirra.

    In this episode of The Perfect 10, Ali reflects on the journey from the South Coast to the Gold Coast, the mindset behind dominating the Coolangatta Gold, and the moments when even he wondered if the streak might end.

    He also speaks about life beyond the surf — and the support of his family, wife Kel and their two boys Danny and Andy.

    It’s the story of endurance, evolution and one of the greatest careers surf sports has ever seen.

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  • Ep:64 Victory Lap: Matt Graham After Milano Cortina

    Ep:64 Victory Lap: Matt Graham After Milano Cortina

    He carried the flag for Australia at the Opening Ceremony in Milano Cortina — and then delivered another unforgettable Olympic campaign.

    Mogul skier Matt Graham returns to The Perfect 10 Podcast for what might just be a well-earned victory lap.

    After narrowly missing the podium with a fifth-place finish in the singles event — on a night when teammate Cooper Woods stunned the world with gold — Graham admits the emotions were mixed. But champions respond.

    Just days later, “Mogul Matt” produced one of the finest performances of his career to claim bronze in the Dual Moguls — the second Olympic medal of his remarkable journey.

    It was also a historic podium, shared by three fathers: Graham, Canadian legend Mikael Kingsbury, and Japan’s Ikuma Hiroshima.

    In this episode, Matt reflects on leadership, resilience, and the pride of helping guide Australia through what has been its greatest ever Winter Olympic Games.

    And he’s far from finished.

    Fresh off another World Cup victory in Japan, Graham is now locked in a thrilling battle with Hiroshima for the Crystal Globe heading into the season finale in Azerbaijan.

    At 31, and skiing the best moguls of his life, one question remains…

    Could a fifth Olympic Games still be ahead?

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  • Ep: 63 The Road to Milano Cortina: Abbey Willcox on the Olympic Stage

    Ep: 63 The Road to Milano Cortina: Abbey Willcox on the Olympic Stage

    At 29, Abbey Willcox is about to live out a lifelong dream — qualifying for her first Winter Olympic Games in Aerial Skiing.

    But this story is about far more than Olympic qualification.

    It’s about devastating injuries.
    Losing funding.
    Battling fear, depression, and the very real thought of walking away from the sport she once loved.

    Abbey opens up about the moments when everything felt too hard — and how setting small, manageable goals helped her rediscover joy, confidence, and belief. That process has led to career-best results, including a top-five finish in the world, a current top-ten world ranking, and one of the most extraordinary nights in Australian winter sport history.

    At Deer Valley, Abbey stood on the podium as part of a historic Australian clean sweep — Laura Peel gold, Danielle Scott silver, Abbey bronze — with fellow Aussie Airlie Frigo finishing fourth. A result that may never be replicated.

    With just weeks until she takes on the world at the Milano Cortina Winter Olympics, Abbey says she’s already proud of how far she’s come. But as this conversation reveals — when she’s at her best, anything is possible.

    This is a story of perseverance, perspective, and chasing the dream — one aerial run at a time.

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  • Ep:62 At His Peak: Matt Graham and One Last Run at Olympic Gold”

    Ep:62 At His Peak: Matt Graham and One Last Run at Olympic Gold”

    From the NSW Central Coast — a place better known for surf breaks than snow — Matt Graham has carved out one of the most remarkable careers in winter sport. Now on the brink of becoming a four-time Winter Olympian, Matt reflects on a 16-year journey at the very top of moguls skiing, highlighted by a Crystal Globe title in 2020/21, Olympic silver at PyeongChang, 29 World Cup podiums and five World Championship podiums.

    Off the snow, life has never been better. Matt is now a proud father to his 18-month-old daughter Ada, and last year married his soulmate Jess — a grounding presence that’s brought fresh perspective and renewed motivation as he enters the next chapter of his career.

    He’s opened this Olympic campaign in scintillating form with a win in Ruka, Finland, stamping himself as one of the hot favourites in Livigno. But to claim gold, there’s one familiar mountain to climb — the GOAT of moguls skiing, Mikaël Kingsbury of Canada.

    In this episode, we also hear from Matt’s biggest inspiration — his brother David, a former World Cup skier himself, who will be in Livigno cheering Matt on in what could be a fitting swansong on the sport’s biggest stage.

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  • Ep: 61 Pam McClelland – Six Titles, One Final Chapter

    Ep: 61 Pam McClelland – Six Titles, One Final Chapter

    This episode features Pam McClelland — a multiple National and World Boxing Champion whose journey is as inspiring as her results.

    In the past 12 months alone, Pam has claimed two Australian professional boxing titles across two weight divisions, holding both the Australian Super Featherweight and Australian Lightweight belts. In total, she now boasts six professional titles.

    What makes her story even more remarkable is the path she took to get here. Pam turned professional in 2019 at the age of 37, following a decade competing at elite amateur level, where she won multiple NSW and National titles.

    A lifelong local from the northern end of the Coast, Pam is a mother of three, works full-time in education, and is also a dance teacher — all while competing at the very top of her sport.

    Now on the verge of retirement, Pam is determined to go out with a bang — and to give back to the sport that has given her so much.

    With an infectious personality and extraordinary mental strength, this was a conversation I genuinely loved. An incredible story of resilience, belief, and balance.

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  • Ep: 60 Jemma Smith – Endurance, Excellence & Going One Better

    Ep: 60 Jemma Smith – Endurance, Excellence & Going One Better

    Some athletes explode out of the blocks.
    Others grow stronger the longer the race goes.

    Jemma Smith belongs firmly in the second category – and in my opinion, she is one of the most under-rated athletes in Australia.

    A two-time World Ocean Ski Champion and winner of the iconic Coolangatta Gold, Jemma knows what it takes to endure — physically, mentally, and emotionally. In this episode, she reflects on one of the most defining moments of her career: her second-place finish at the 2019 Coolangatta Gold, the closest finish in the event’s history.

    For many, that moment could have been a lifelong “what if”.
    For Jemma, it fuelled the fire, and drove her to a new level of excellence.

    She opens up about how that narrow defeat sharpened her resolve, reshaped her preparation, and ultimately drove her to go one better on one of surf lifesaving’s most unforgiving stages.

    At just 26, Jemma continues to redefine consistency and longevity. She is the winner of an extraordinary 12 Champion Lifesaver titles at the Australian Championships, a record that speaks volumes about her all-round mastery of the sport.

    Away from competition, Jemma is already giving back, coaching the next generation of sprint kayakers through her role at the NSW Institute of Sport.

    This is a conversation about patience, perspective, and the power of using disappointment as a turning point — with one of Australia’s finest endurance athletes.

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