The Pool Room with Tony Armstrong

Les Darcy was a boxing champion and a national hero…until he wasn't. At the height of the First World War, he secretly boarded a ship to avoid impending military conscription. His destination? The glitz and glamour of New York's professional boxing scene. But by the time he arrived, the world had turned its back on this rising star.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Dennis Bergkamp was one of the greatest footballers of his generation. By his early 20s, he was a star in the making. But in 1995, Bergkamp's contract negotiations with Arsenal hit a snag when the club learned about his greatest fear - a serious phobia that threatened to disrupt Dennis' football career. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Being called "the Lionel Messi of…" anything is a badge of honour. To be that good at your chosen sport is an incredible achievement. But Gary Hunt is the best in the world at a sport so extreme, that one wrong move could cause serious spinal injuries…or even death.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In 1896, Arthur Richardson became the first person to cross the Nullabor on a bicycle. It was his first taste of the open country and it left him wanting more. Four years later, Arthur set his sights on another record – to be the first person to circumnavigate the entire continent on a bike. But the adventure quickly turned into a race, when three other blokes just so happened to be attempting the...

Curling is a sport that's usually associated with cold places, like Scotland, Canada or New Zealand. So, just how did Australia, the driest inhabited continent on Earth, manage to produce an Olympic-qualifying curling team?   See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A 16-year-old Wilma Rudolph was the youngest athlete in the United States Olympic team at the 1956 Games in Melbourne. Representing her country on the world stage was a proud moment for the high school student. Even the bronze medal she took home was a huge achievement, considering Wilma was once told as a child that she would never walk again. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The 1991 Canadian Grand Prix was a race full of surprises. Despite winning the first four races of the season, Ayrton Senna had qualified in third. That made way for Williams duo Riccardo Patrese and Nigel Mansell. By the last lap, Mansell had taken pole position...but a spur-of-the-moment decision would put his entire race in jeopardy. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In 1967, salesman Des Renford is enjoying a few drinks with his mates down the pub, when one of them proposes a mighty dare: to swim across Port Phillip Bay...the very next morning. What happened next, unexpectedly propelled Des into a new athletic career.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The name Michael Buffer might not mean much to you, but you definitely know his voice. He’s probably the world’s most recognisable ring announcer, in boxing and professional wrestling. But the story of how he went from fight night favourite to American cultural phenomenon, is all thanks to a family secret that remained hidden for decades.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The annual Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race is one of the longest of its kind in the world. Sailors from around the globe make the trip to Sydney each year to compete in this iconic event. But when it was first established in 1945, it wasn't supposed to be a race at all.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

If you don’t associate squash with sporting legends, you just haven’t met Heather McKay. Heather came from a sports mad family and squash wasn't her first choice - she took up the sport to maintain her fitness while playing hockey. But Heather quickly learned that she was pretty good at squash, and after entering her first competition, she never looked back. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy...

Bill Roycroft might just be Australia's greatest Olympian you've never heard of. He competed in five consecutive Summer Games, winning several medals. But his debut at Rome 1960 was the scene of a remarkable feat, when not even severe injury could keep Bill down. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The name Karl Power is not synonymous with great sporting heroes, and yet, it has graced Wimbledon's Centre Court, the Formula 1 podium at Silverstone, and the hallowed turf of Headingly Cricket Ground. That's because Karl Power is better known as Britain's greatest impostor. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

They say you should never meet your heroes, but what if you beat your heroes? That's the conundrum Mark Taylor faced in 1998, when he became just the fourth Australian to score a triple-century in Test cricket. But dare he surpass the Aussie record of 334 not out, held by Sir Donald Bradman since 1930? See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

If you’ve ever taken a stroll down the top end of Melbourne’s Flinders Street, you might have noticed the Hotel Lindrum, fire-engine red, with fancy swirls and arch windows. The hotel is closed now, but the building was named after a family who became known for their dominance of the local billiards scene. Walter Lindrum, in particular, was so good they had to change the rules to stop him. See omn...

You've heard the stories about Phar Lap. He was Australia's greatest-ever racehorse. A national treasure. So much so, that his unusually large heart, which is thought to be the source of his incredible abilities, is famously on display in Canberra. But the thing is...that heart sitting in a museum might actually be a fake.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It’s June 12 1970. Pittsburgh Pirates versus San Diego Padres in Major League Baseball. Pitcher, Dock Ellis, is on the mound for the Pirates, but he isn’t exactly having his best game. He’s throwing pitches in the dirt, he’s hitting batters, he’s all over the shop. Because right in the middle of a professional baseball game, Dock Ellis is high on LSD. Know a great sports story that you want to hea...

When it comes to nicknames, most Aussie sports teams typically choose from one of two options: Animals, which don’t play sport, or words to describe great warriors. Like, the Magpies or the Power. The Sea Eagles or the Force. But behind every team name is an origin story that can tell you a lot about their communities and the place they call home. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy informatio...

Footy comes from the country. It’s a community sport, born and bred in towns where your dad’s the coach and your best mate’s dad is the umpire. But how it came to be there is another question. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Routine is an important part of being a pro athlete. But sometimes there's a fine line between ritual and irrational. Whether it’s Rafa Nadal refusing to walk on tennis court lines or Tiger Woods always wearing a red shirt on Sundays, for some reason, athletes are a superstitious bunch. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the 28th of September 1918, Ballarat played host to a historic sporting event. With the end of the First World War in sight, the construction of a commemorative Arch of Victory and Avenue of Honour were proposed to pay respects to all the lives lost. But how to fund such a significant project? That's when a group of trailblazing women came together to stage one of the earliest known women's foo...

Frank Hayes had always loved horses. From a young age, he dreamed of becoming a jockey. At 20, he worked as a stable hand but always longed for the thrill of race day. Then Frank came across a horse that he immediately felt a connection with - an old mare named Sweet Kiss that had never won a race. It seemed like everyone had given up on her…but not Frank. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy i...

Motorsport is chock full of great rivalries. In Australia, we have cherished decades of Ford vs Holden, with legendary names like Peter Brock, Dick Johnson and Bob Jane. They all had their heated moments but one duo gets pole position when it comes to argy-bargy: Mark Skaife and Russell Ingall. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It's 1964 and the Tokyo Olympics are drawing to a close. The Aussie team is in party mode and the celebrations stretch into the early hours of the morning. But one Olympic champion isn’t having the best night. Instead of enjoying the party, she’s being questioned by police. It’s gold medalist, Dawn Fraser. Dawn is due to be Australia’s flag bearer in the closing ceremony the very next day. But fir...

Athletes can spend their entire careers in pursuit of medals and trophies…only to misplace them in a moment of excitement or lose them while moving house. And other times, these shiny objects are outright stolen, right under the noses of armed guards. Today on the show, tales of missing medallions, compromised security and lost dreams. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.