The Chase Your Greatness Podcast

This is a special episode for me. A while ago I had an idea to sit down with my 95 year-old Vecamam (Latvian for "Grandmother") and have her tell me her life story, and recently, was lucky enough to be able to do so. I knew she had a pretty interesting upbringing but had no idea on the particulars. Growing up in Latvia, I was aware she escaped the clutches of WW2, managed to flee to New...

Damon Lowery is probably known to most of us as a media personality within the NBL on ESPN. He has an incredible professional career under his belt with almost 200 NBL games, a championship with the Wollongong Hawks and a highlight reel that puts most to shame. Today, he is the head coach of the Gangurrus, Australia's 3X3 Women's team who punched their ticket to the Paris 2024 Olympic Game...

We've all gone through rough patches in life. Work, relationships, family... Whatever it is, life has a funny way of getting in our head and weighing us down from time to time. What do you do to pull yourself out of those slumps? And what do you do if you don't realise just how big of a slump you're in? Today I sit down with Jeremy Diamond, a key cog of The Power In You Project (PIYP)...

John Brown is a 2nd Degree Black Belt in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu as well as a 2nd Degree Black Belt in Shootfighting. He owns and operates his own MMA school (Prevail MMA) and has worked closely with the Australian Defence Force Academy (ADFA) to deliver specific Adrenaline Stress Response Training. Today we dive deep into how a devastating personal tragedy led him through the doors of Red Cat Academy...

On December 15, 2023 at 9:00am, Charlie Perks and I embarked on one of the most physically and mentally demanding challenges either of us had ever done. A circuit consisting of a 2km Ride, 1km Row, 1km Ski and a 1km Run on repeat for 24 hours straight. Along with completing 110km on the bike, and 55km on the Row, Ski and Run respectively, we managed to raise just over $6000 for Lifeline Australia....

Stephanie Blicavs has played over 300 games in the WNBL, won 3 championships, is a Defensive Player of the Year Winner, has a Commonwealth Games Gold Medal and is a WNBL Life Member. According to her, the greatest achievement she has ticked off is becoming a 2 time mum. The mother to my 2 beautiful kids, Steph takes us into the mentality of a woman who not only combined her role as an athlete with...

Today's guest is good friend of mine, Matt Johns. Born and raised in Geelong, Johnsy is now currently playing basketball for the Brisbane Bullets in the NBL. In today's conversation we discuss Matt's background and how he found himself in love with the game of basketball from a very early age, his transition through the ranks of junior hoops, into the Basketball Australia Centre of Exc...

Today's conversation is with my younger sister, Sara. A professional basketball player, she has more than 200 WNBL games, 2 championships and numerous national commitments under her belt, and has represented the Opals at the highest level, the Olympic Games, in Tokyo in 2021. This isn't your usual chat around sports performance. While we touch on the physical aspect, Sara and I spend the m...

Christian Woodford is a pioneer of Strength and Conditioning in the private sector in Australia. Having started his business Woodford Sports Science Consulting in 2012, he was determined to deliver education and an awareness around the importance of physical preparation for athletes from all backgrounds. If you're in the fitness industry and know what you're doing, Christian Woodford shoul...

Amanda Paschal is a professional basketball player currently representing Wyndham Basketball Association in BigV's Championship Women's Division. Averaging close to a triple double, AP is leading the way in the MVP race this season. Originally from Brooklyn, NY and growing up in Chipley, Florida, AP found herself staring down the barrel of a lifetime of doing nothing but getting up to no g...

Mike Snelling is a physiotherapist with over 30 years of experience in high performance sport. Starting his career with the Adelaide Crows in the AFL, he has spent time with Fulham FC in the EPL, England's National Rugby Team, Geelong Cats in the AFL and the Milwaukee Bucks in the NBA. Working alongside some of the world's most elite athletes, Mike has seen all there is to see when it come...

Jack McVeigh is a Small Forward for the Tasmania JackJumpers in the NBL. For those that have watched him play, he's been a beacon of energy, passion and enjoyment on the floor. But for Jack, basketball hasn't always been fun. Dealing with the pressure to perform, from his NCAA career at Nebraska to his Rookie season with the Adelaide 36ers, and now with the Tasmania JackJumpers, Jack's...

In what proves to be an amazing follow up to last week's episode with Mark Blicavs, today I sit down with Geelong Cats Legend, Matthew Scarlett. Scarlo played 284 games in the hoops, a 6-time All-Australian, triple premiership player and AFL Hall of Fame Inductee. Once retired, he returned to the Cats in a coaching role, having great success in building one of the most formidable defences in t...

Today I get to sit down with my younger brother, Mark. Currently, he is a key member of the Geelong Cats Football Club, has played over 200 games a two-time winner of the Carji Greeves medal for the Club Best and Fairest and played a significant role in Geelong's 2022 AFL Premiership. In our conversation, we visit Mark's unique back story around how he transitioned from elite athletics to...

Have you ever been inspired to do something incredible? What was it that inspired you? Did you follow through and complete that feat or did you leave it purely as thought? Inspiration can come in many forms. For some, it's family and wanting to lead by example. For others, it's the stories of others that kick them into gear. Regardless of the catalyst however, inspiration can lead to some...

The benefits of movement have been well documented. From improved cardiovascular and musculoskeletal health, to injury prevention and a reduction in the chances of cancer and diabetes, consistent exercise is a vital aspect of living a much longer and happier life. Not just from a physical standpoint either. The effects of good movement on mental and emotional wellbeing are almost, if not more impa...

As a society, we naturally romanticise professional sport. The bright lights, big money contracts, game winners and championship celebrations. What's not to love? Professional athletes are seen as celebrities, living the good life being able to travel the world playing a game they love, but what really goes into the life of a full time athlete? And how does it look when the lights go out? Ryan...

Bec and Gary Cole are not like your stereotypical "Father-Daughter" combo. Not only have they represented Australia in their respective sports, Bec with Basketball, and Gary with the Socceroos in Football, but together they have overcome situations which would undoubtedly shake individuals and families to their core. Throughout her basketball career, Bec has won championships, Internatio...

We often look at those who succeed and wonder how they do it. From those who are at the top of their game in the sporting arena to those who have built incredibly successful businesses, we see this and tend to fall victim to comparison. People can use these successes as motivation, as stories to fuel their fire for achievement and wake up the next morning full of drive to succeed. Alternatively, t...

Passion can be defined as "an intense desire or enthusiasm for something". It's often a term that gets thrown around when setting goals or contemplating career change, but very few manage to truly find the thing that fuels them each and every day. For me, I still haven't found it. I'd say I'm passionate about lots of different things, but am still searching for that one t...

While it may seem like Covid-19 has become a thing of the past, the lingering effects are still well and truly being felt today, and nobody is dealing with this more than our youth. It feels as though the constant, seemingly never-ending lockdowns have exacerbated school refusal, affected social interactions and had a significant impact on physical and mental health. So what do we do? How do we ge...

One of the first things Jamie Medved ever said to me was, "It's good to see good people." A statement which resonates with me to this day. So much so I actually started and ended my speech on Steph and I's wedding day with it. It's a statement that helps me remember those whom I keep in my circle, and those in my circle I'd go above and beyond for. Sometimes however, we l...

Where do you get reliable information from nowadays? We've all seen the shift in how our news has been delivered over the last few years, with our lives transitioning into a world dominated by technology. But what does this mean for mainstream media? And more importantly, in a society where it seems anyone and everyone portrays opinion as fact, who can we trust to deliver the truth that we des...

In the debut episode of The Chase Your Greatness Podcast, join Kris Blicavs as he discusses his life to this point, the creation of his wellness journal "Chase Your Greatness", and the lessons learned along the way.  Kris is an nationally accredited strength and conditioning coach, qualified teacher and sportsperson of 25 years. In this episode, he goes through aspects of his personality...