5 With A Digger Podcast

Episode 98 and I’m joined by Chad. Chad served as an Army Infantry Soldier from 2017–2021, earning his DFSW qualification and stepping up as a Fitness Leader during his time in uniform. Known for his relentless work ethic and high standards, he capped it off by taking out Best at Physical Training at Singleton, a massive achievement in any soldier’s career. Life after Defence hasn’t slowed him dow...

Episode 97 and I’m joined by Grant from Rippys Clothing. Grant might not be a veteran, but the values behind Rippy’s align strongly with what this podcast stands for: resilience, mental health, accountability, and backing your mates. Built from the ground up, Rippy’s isn’t just a clothing brand. It’s a platform for real conversations and real stories, especially the ones that often go unheard. Thi...

As we roll into the New Year, we’re dropping a few “best of” episodes, The biggest laughs, the hardest conversations, and the moments that reminded us why this podcast exists. These episodes are a look back at the year that was: Real stories Real people Real conversations Plenty of laughs and plenty of heart Perfect listening whether you’re on leave, on duty, on the road, or just stealing five qui...

As we roll into the Christmas break, we’re dropping a few “best of” episodes, The biggest laughs, the hardest conversations, and the moments that reminded us why this podcast exists. These episodes are a look back at the year that was: Real stories Real people Real conversations Plenty of laughs and plenty of heart Perfect listening whether you’re on leave, on duty, on the road, or just stealing f...

As we roll into the Christmas break, we’re dropping a few “best of” episodes, The biggest laughs, the hardest conversations, and the moments that reminded us why this podcast exists. These episodes are a look back at the year that was: Real stories Real people Real conversations Plenty of laughs and plenty of heart Perfect listening whether you’re on leave, on duty, on the road, or just stealing f...

Episode 93 and I’m joined by Crowy. This is our final guest episode for the year, and we’re closing it out with Crowy, returning for the third time. This one’s about Christmas on deployment, the highs, the lows, missing home, and the mateship that fills the gaps when you’re in cams instead of boardies. The toll it takes on our servicemen and women, and the amazing families at home holding everythi...

Episode 92 and I’m joined by Colleen. Colleen is a former RAAF Aeronautical Life Support Fitter turned professional natural bodybuilder, mindset coach, and founder of The Adventurous Muse. After a decade holding her own in a hyper-masculine military environment, Colleen now teaches high-performance discipline through a feminine lens, blending strength, strategy, and deep self-awareness. She’s...

Episode 91 and I’m joined by Josh. Josh has packed plenty into both service and civvy life. He enlisted in 2009, smashed out IETs as a Steward at HMAS Cerberus, posted to 5RAR, then back to Cerberus to play footy and re-trade as a Cook before heading to 7CSSB. He discharged in 2015, but kicked off his own business within 3 months and has been very successful in the PT and the sports science field!...

Episode 90 and I’m joined by Zian. Zian enlisted in 2010 at just 17, kicked off her paperwork at 16, and hit the ground running. She was thrown into Artillery straight out of Kapooka, hated it, got sick, and fought her way back to clerks where she felt she belonged. From 2CER to HQ 1 DIV/DJFHQ, she found her passion for policy and keeping the Army machine moving. A deployment on Op Hawick in 2014,...

Episode 89 and I’m joined by Blake. Blake is the son of a veteran who served 13 years in the Australian Army, and a young bloke already showing the same strength and character. He’s a premiership-winning Maroochydore Swans under-12s footballer who lives and breathes the game, but what really sets him apart is what he stands for off the field. Blake is passionate about raising awareness around teen...

Episode 88 and I’m joined by Pete. Pete kicked off his Army journey back in July 2002 and went on to serve right through to 2019, a massive 17-year career that took him across some of the most specialised and demanding roles in the ADF. Pete started out in the Royal Australian Artillery with 108 Battery, working as a gun number before stepping forward into the FO world. In 2007 he completed a Cler...

Episode 87 and I’m joined by Chris. Chris enlisted in January 2001 at just 19 years old. After finishing school and trying a few different jobs, he joined the Army as an Infantryman with 5/7 RAR in Darwin. Soon after, he was part of Operation Relex following the Tampa boat incident, right around the time of 9/11. He went on to deploy to East Timor in 2002 as an assault gunner, then to Iraq in 2004...

Episode 86 and I’m joined by Matt. Matt served with 7RAR as a grunt, and like a lot of veterans, his time in the Army came with a few bumps along the way. Matt faced some pretty serious disciplinary issues during his service, challenges that ended up shaping the man he’s become today. After leaving Defence, he completely rebuilt his life from scratch. That journey led him to create Skol Beard Co,...

Episode 85 and I’m joined by Tim. Tim took a bit of an unconventional path through the Defence Force. He went through the Accelerated Training Option, which meant months of back-to-back courses, starting with a stint at Edinburgh Airbase, then on to Kapooka, Simpson Barracks, and Puckapunyal. He served a couple of years before deciding to step away to focus on what really drove him, his passion fo...

Episode 84 and I’m Joined by Ryan. Ryan is a retired professional fighter who’s turned his own battles into a mission to help others. Ryan used fighting and martial arts to keep his mental health in check, and that journey gave him the confidence to speak up about the struggles he once kept silent. It also inspired him to create One Round Wars, a movement for men’s mental health built around the p...

Episode 83 and I’m Joined by Locky. Locky served in the Australian Army from 2008 to 2019. He deployed to Timor in 2009 with 2RAR, and later to Afghanistan in 2013 with 7RAR. After years in the infantry, he spent time at CTC in training and support roles before finishing his service with 7RAR and discharging medically in 2019. Locky calls his career “pretty average” — but that’s exactly what we lo...

Episode 82 and Im joined by Andrew “Tenno” Tennant, who began his Army journey back in ’95 with 41RNSWR in Port Macquarie. Over two decades of service, Tenno took on roles from Mortarman to Assault Pioneer, serving on major operations including Op Gold (Sydney 2000 Olympics), Rifle Company Butterworth, and Op Acolyte (Melbourne Commonwealth Games). From NSW to QLD, Tenno built a career defined by...

Episode 81 and I’m joined by Kara Robinson. Kara served as a truckie in the Australian Army from 2006 to 2010. While her service record might read “no deployments, no promotions, no honours,” Kara’s story is far from uneventful. After leaving Defence, she carved out a career in civil aviation doing a variety of jobs including simulation instructor, all while balancing the demands of motherhood. Th...

Episode 80 and I’m joined by J. At just 19, he joined the Cavalry and served four years in the Australian Army, with postings in Adelaide and Puckapunyal. Even before enlisting, he had a passion for helping others traveling to Papua New Guinea with a church group to help build vital infrastructure. After his time in uniform, he spent several years in construction while raising a young family. Dete...

Episode 79 and I’m joined by Brodie. Brodie enlisted in the Australian Army in September 2008. Following initial training he was posted to B Squadron, 3rd/4th Cavalry Regiment, B Squadron and deployed to Afghanistan as part of MTF-3. During the deployment, he operated in various roles including driver, rear gunner, and support within HQ MSS and 2 Troop MSS across multiple FOBs. Post-deployment, he...

Episode 78 and I’m joined by Jessica. Jess has been married to a veteran for 8 years. I met Jess’s husband Matt when he appeared on the show in episode 38. We talk about life married to a veteran, and the highs and lows she has experienced. It was a really eye opening conversation and I’m hoping to add some more veterans partners to my episodes so we can learn more about this side of the veteran j...

Episode 77 and I’m joined by Jimmy Judge! Jimmy is a personal trainer turned food challenge legend! Growing up in North Queensland Jimmy had a keen eye for boxing where his love for fitness and nutrition pushed him to study to become a personal trainer. We sit down for a quick chat on health, fitness, nutrition and of course the insane eating challenges he is now known across the world for! Hosted...

Episode 76 and I’m joined by Adel. Adel is an Egyptian born Australian who migrated to Australia with his family in 1970. He joined the Australian Regular Army in 1974. Throughout his 38 years of service, he attained every Non-Commissioned Officers rank, and became a Warrant Officer in 1990. He also became an Advanced Arabic Linguist within the Australian Defence Force. After he retired from Defen...

Episode 75 and I’m joined by PK. Retired Warrant Officer Peter Kennedy is an ex C130 Loadmaster with over 32 years service in the Royal Australian Air Force. PK has conducted multiple tours to Iraq, Afghanistan and East Timor. He was also involved in extensive deployments to support humanitarian and disaster-relief missions throughout the world. Pk is the President of Young Veterans Sunshine Coast...

Episode 74 and I’m joined by Shaun. Shaun joined the Clearance Diving branch in 1994 and was posted to HMAS penguin where he finished his basic training in 1995. He was then posted to Team 4 in WA and started his career that over the years slowly streamed into Explosive Ordnance Disposal. He went on operations to the Solomon Islands, PNG, Kiribati, the African coast, the Middle East, Afghanistan a...