Rise Above with Dayne Weston

From an early age, Luke Croker was exposed to drugs, violence and chaos that no child should ever experience. His childhood was shaped by a father addicted to heroin, in and out of jail, where “quality time” often looked like riding bikes to the local dealer’s house. By the age of 11, Luke was already helping package drugs to sell. Instead of learning how to love, Luke learned how to survive. At 1...

In this episode, Lidia and I sit down and go deeper than we ever have before about leading your family and what that has actually looked like in our marriage. Over the past few months, we’ve both shared parts of our journey on social media, the struggles, the growth, the lessons. For a long time, we struggled. A lot of that came down to my leadership, my lack of accountability and the areas I need...

In this episode, I sit down with Josh Hupfeld to unpack what purpose really looks like when life doesn’t go the way you expected. Josh grew up in a loving family environment with strong relationships, which sparked an early interest in people and human behaviour. That curiosity led him toward studying psychology before pivoting into becoming a social worker. Working in child safety, Josh was expos...

AJ Williams - Surviving domestic violence to raising daughters with love At just 14 years old, AJ was forced to make a choice no child ever should, live in fear or step in to protect his mum. For years, Thursday nights meant violence, alcohol, and survival. Watching his stepdad abuse his mother became a grim routine… until one night AJ intervened. That decision cost him his home. Aj left with his...

In this episode, I sit down with Adam Free — a retired Green Beret from the U.S. Army Special Forces and a man fully surrendered to Jesus. Adam doesn’t just speak about faith, he lives it. His journey is marked by obedience, conviction and a willingness to tell the truth without softening it. I met Adam through our wives, who work for the same company and over time we’ve built a genuine friendship...

In 2013, the world lost a beautiful young man, Dwayne Lally to suicide, a loss that shocked many and revealed a silent battle few could see. Dwayne lived with depression and bipolar disorder. He felt like a burden in a world where all he wanted was to be happy and make others happy too. Despite having the world at his feet, he was fighting battles deeper than most could understand. From this loss,...

Lidia joins me as we open up our story, the highs, the heartbreak and the hidden battles that shaped our marriage. We talk about her upbringing, the weight she carried from a young age and the pain we both brought into the relationship. Two broken people trying to build something whole… and at times wondering, “Is this really God’s plan for us?” This isn’t a polished love story. It’s real. It’s ra...

While travelling and living in Canada, Jason Apps had a snowboarding accident that left him a quadriplegic at just 20 years old. But that’s not where his story ends. In this episode, we dive into Jason’s journey, growing up in Bega, moving to Newcastle, his dream of travelling and living overseas, and the moment everything changed. But more importantly, we explore what’s happened since. What inspi...

This one’s personal. 
In our very first episode, I open up about my journey, from the highs of an NRL career to the lows of battling anxiety, depression and the pain of starting over. My wife Lidia joins me to share her perspective and what it was like walking beside me through those seasons. We talk about childhood trauma, performance-based love and the pressure of chasing success while silently...