The Perfect 10 Podcast

Tag: NSWIS

  • 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: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: 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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