The Perfect 10 Podcast

Category: Sport

  • Ep: 71 Dream It. Believe It. Live It. Olympic Medallist – Mariafe Artacho del Solar 

    Ep: 71 Dream It. Believe It. Live It. Olympic Medallist – Mariafe Artacho del Solar 

    The Perfect 10 welcomes one of Australia’s most admired Olympians, Mariafe Artacho del Solar.

    A three-time Olympian and a medallist on the World’s biggest stage, Mariafe takes us inside the unforgettable journey that saw her and Taliqua Clancy claim silver in Tokyo, falling only to what she describes as the “perfect performance” from the United States in the gold medal match. She also reflects on Paris, where Australia finished fourth after an epic three-set battle with Brazil—a contest Mariafe ranks among the greatest matches of her career.

    Born in Lima, Mariafe arrived in Sydney with her mum as an 11-year-old, unable to speak English, she quickly found her place through sport.

    It didn’t take long for the volleyball world to notice. After filling in alongside her older brother at a tournament at Manly, the teenage prodigy earned selection in Australia’s Under-19 team for the World Junior Championships—at just 13 years of age.

    Her rise wasn’t without obstacles. Mariafe was told she was too short to succeed at the highest level, but her talent, determination and competitive spirit proved impossible to ignore.

    In this inspiring conversation, Mariafe also reveals the power of dreaming big. As a little girl, she wrote down every goal she hoped to achieve, turning them into posters. Today, she believes those dreams became reality because she dared to imagine them first.

    Admired throughout Australia and especially cherished within the Latino-Australian community, Mariafe has become an icon well beyond the volleyball court. With her love of fashion, effortless elegance and authentic personality, she’s built a loyal following on social media while remaining grounded and deeply connected to her family.

    Could there be one more Olympic chapter in 2028 Summer Olympics… or even a home Games in 2032, Mariafe hasn’t closed the door. But for now, her greatest joy isn’t measured in medals.

    It’s her young son, Luka.

    This is a conversation about resilience, belief, family, and chasing your dreams – from Peru to the Olympic podium.

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  • Ep: 70 Liesl Tesch – The Paralympic Legend Who Changed The Game

    Ep: 70 Liesl Tesch – The Paralympic Legend Who Changed The Game

    Before there were professional pathways, before wheelchair basketball received the recognition it deserved, Liesl Tesch was changing the game.

    A five-time Paralymian in wheelchair basketball, a three-time Paralympic medallist, and later a two-time Paralympic gold medallist in sailing, Liesl’s sporting résumé is almost impossible to comprehend. She became the first woman in the world to play professional wheelchair basketball, competing against men in Europe and helping pave the way for generations of female athletes who followed.But medals and milestones only tell part of the story.

    Liesl joins The Perfect 10 to reflect on a remarkable journey that has taken her from regional New South Wales to the world’s biggest sporting stages. She shares the challenges of growing up with a disability, the mentors who shaped her life, the evolution of Paralymic sport, and the lessons she’s learned from a lifetime of resilience, courage and determination.This is a conversation about breaking barriers, redefining what’s possible, and using sport to create lasting change.

    Liesl Tesch AM is one of Australia’s greatest Paralymians, a sporting pioneer who rightly sits in both the Basketball Australia and Sailing Australia Hall of Fame.

    Liesl now serves as the Member for Gosford in the New South Wales Parliament, where she continues to champion inclusion, opportunity and community.

    This is an episode you’ll never forget.

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  • Ep:68 Lisa Weightman – The Wonder Woman of Australian Marathon Running

    Ep:68 Lisa Weightman – The Wonder Woman of Australian Marathon Running

    Four-time Olympian. Commonwealth Games medallist. World Championships representative. And now one of the very few athletes on the planet to complete all 7 World Marathon Majors.

    This week on The Perfect 10, Lisa Weightman joins award-winning host Steve Allan for a fascinating conversation about resilience, longevity and performing at the highest level for more than two decades.

    Lisa reflects on the coaches and mentors who shaped her journey — including the legendary Dick Telford — the influence of her Dad, balancing elite sport with a successful business career, and why so many are now calling her ‘Wonder Woman.’

    While 2024 presented enormous challenges, this conversation focuses on perspective, growth and the remarkable chapter Lisa is writing right now.

    An inspiring and honest chat with one of Australia’s most respected athletes.

    Discover more episodes and conversations with champions at The Perfect 10 website https://www.theperfect10.com.au

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  • EP:67 “The Wingless Warrior” Kerry-Lee Gockel

    EP:67 “The Wingless Warrior” Kerry-Lee Gockel

    Born Without Arms. Built Without Limits

    Kerry-Lee Gockel — known as The Wingless Warrior — is living proof that resilience isn’t a buzzword, it’s a way of life.

    In this extraordinary episode, Kerry-Lee shares her journey of growing up with congenital amelia and refusing to let it define her. From developing a love of swimming to conquering marathon distances—spending over six hours in open water—her story is one of relentless determination, grit, and courage.

    But this isn’t just about endurance. It’s about mindset. It’s about community. It’s about the tribe that lifts you when it matters most.

    A double degree in law and business. An in-demand public speaker. A driver—using her feet. And a human being who redefines what’s possible.

    This isn’t just a conversation. It’s a perspective shift.

    “The Wingless Warrior” might just change the way you see your own limits.

    Discover more episodes and conversations with champions at The Perfect 10 website https://www.theperfect10.com.au

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  • Ep: 66 From Ironman Champion to Coaching King

    Ep: 66 From Ironman Champion to Coaching King

    From a kid growing up in Tannum Sands, chasing surf and competition with 12-hour round trips, to standing atop the sport as both an athlete and coach—this is the story of Michael King.

    A champion Ironman in his own right, Michael conquered the Coolangatta Gold and claimed the Ironman Series against one of the strongest fields ever assembled. But it was a pivotal move to Sydney that helped shape the next chapter of an already remarkable career.

    As a coach, his journey has been anything but linear.

    At Mooloolaba, he worked alongside some of the greatest names in surf lifesaving and built the foundations of the King Ironman Academy. There were highs… and there were challenges. His stint at Currumbin Vikings marked the lowest point of his career—but it also set the stage for one of the great comebacks.

    Now at Burleigh Heads Mowbray Park, Michael has cemented his reputation as one of Australia’s elite coaches. The result? An historic clean sweep in the Open Ironman at the National Titles—something never achieved in 111 years.

    This is a story of passion, resilience, and a life-long love for the sport.

    Discover more episodes and conversations with champions at The Perfect 10 website https://www.theperfect10.com.au

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  • 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.

    Discover more episodes and conversations with champions at The Perfect 10 website https://www.theperfect10.com.au

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  • Ep:64 Victory Lap: Matt Graham after claiming Winter Olympics bronze

    Ep:64 Victory Lap: Matt Graham after claiming Winter Olympics bronze

    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?

    Discover more episodes and conversations with champions at The Perfect 10 website https://www.theperfect10.com.au

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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.

    Discover more episodes and conversations with champions at The Perfect 10 website https://www.theperfect10.com.au

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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.

    Discover more episodes and conversations with champions at The Perfect 10 website https://www.theperfect10.com.au

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

    Ep: 61 Pam McClelland – Six Boxing 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.

    Discover more episodes and conversations with champions at The Perfect 10 website https://www.theperfect10.com.au

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