Burning Bridges Podcast

Send us Fan Mail This week on Full Volume Episode 5. Lets start hearty - with a Maori Haka. This week, we spent the day at the Old Ngā Hau E Whā Māori Rugby League Tournament in Beenleigh, and what a day it was. Footy. Food. Plenty of mana. Big energy. And, of course, the Haka Off. We got into the conversation around the judging — how the Best Haka award was decided, whether the process was fair,...

Send us Fan Mail In Part 2 of our deeply emotional conversation with Melika Ackinclose, Melika reveals what she describes as one of the most devastating betrayals of her life. After years of experiencing domestic violence and abuse from her partner and the devastating effects of alcoholism, Melika was already carrying more than most people could imagine. But then came the discovery that changed ev...

Send us Fan Mail We are back for Full Volume Episode 4. We kick off with what we've been up to lately — including the Lomipeau Tongan and Māori Cultural Day: the food, the people, the culture, and why days like that matter more than we sometimes give them credit for. Then we get loud about the heavy stuff. What happens when parents keep a secret from their kids — the kind of secret that doesn...

Send us Fan Mail Melika Ackinclose takes us into a childhood filled with love, connection and family — memories of a dad who showed up for her through sport and built a lasting impression of what it takes to dig deep. At a young age Melika became a mum, and what she believed would be a life built around love and family slowly turned into something much darker. During her pregnancy, the cracks bega...

Send us Fan Mail Happy Father’s Day from the latest episode of Full Volume!  This one is for the dads — the good, the great, the struggling, the absent, the stepdads, and the fathers who simply wish they could be with their children today. We’re getting real about the highs and lows of fatherhood: what it means to be a dad, the heartbreak of not having access to your children, the impact that sepa...

Send us Fan Mail Welcome to another episode of Full Volume, the segment of Burning Bridges Podcast where we turn it up and get into it! This one's coming to you live from onboard the Carnival Encounter, docked in Alotau, Milne Bay Province, Papua New Guinea. 🚢🌴 Taimana and Renee are talking all things cruise ship life this episode — the ups, the downs, and everything in between when it come...

Send us Fan Mail Meet Jason Tupou - Tongan-born, raised in New Zealand.   Today, he’s a father, a co-founder of Active Heros, and a man on a mission to unlock the potential in every individual through sport. His message is simple but powerful: Creating Possibilities for All Abilities.  But Jasons journey took a terrifying turn when he was struck down by sepsis and put in an induced coma for over 2...

Send us Fan Mail This is Full Volume, where Renee & Taimana get loud  In our first episode, we talk about our first year on Burning Bridges Podcast. - the guests we've had, the challenges we've faced, and everything in between. Pull up, give us your topic, and get our honest take - we might get loud about it next time. Trigger Warning: This episode may contain stories, experiences, o...

Send us Fan Mail Jahzia Puohotaua grew up in Whanganui, New Zealand, chasing a father he barely knew into the gang world — until his mother made the call that changed everything, sending him to Brisbane at 11 to start again.  At 19, he returned to Brisbane for good, weighing 137kg and squeezed into 4XL pants, fully convinced he’d become a world champion boxer. What followed was “Allegiance Boxing”...

Send us Fan Mail In this powerful episode, Shaymus Edwards opens up about a childhood marked by rejection, feeling passed between family members, unseen, unsafe, and disconnected.  Those early wounds followed him into adulthood, where unresolved trauma led him down the path of meth addiction, poor decisions, and nearly losing everything that mattered most. As a father living in Australia, Shaymus...

What happens when you take a chance on love... with someone on the other side of the world? In this heartwarming episode of Burning Bridges , Anthony and Bella share their incredible journey from meeting online—Anthony in America and Bella in Australia—to building a beautiful life together on the Gold Coast with Bella's two children. Their story is filled with laughter, honesty, and valuable...

Some people are defined by what happened to them. Others decide to rewrite the story. Born and raised in Porirua, New Zealand, Tehira Nargino's journey has been anything but ordinary. Carrying the weight of his childhood trauma, he left home and ventured into a world few would expect—travelling internationally as a performer with one of Australia's most renowned male entertainment groups...

What does it take to challenge centuries of accepted law and change a nation forever? In recognition of Mabo Day, Burning Bridges travelled to Melbourne to sit down with Bryan Keon-Cohen, the junior counsel who stood alongside Eddie Koiki Mabo and the Meriam people throughout the historic 10-year legal battle that culminated in the 1992 Mabo decision. From 1982 to the landmark High Court decision...

In this episode, we sit down with Andrew Blucher — Indigenous boxing coach, father, and mentor — to talk about his life both inside and outside the ring.  Andrew opens up about his upbringing, the sports he loved growing up, and the deep pain of losing his father. Now a father himself, Andrew has channelled his experiences into coaching alongside Benny at All Star Boxing, where he proudly trained...

Born in Brisbane and raised in the rough streets of Sydney’s west, Ben “The Beast” Hussain’s story is built on struggle, identity, and raw survival. With his father deported and raised by a single mother, from a young age, he struggled to find his voice, both literally and in the classroom, making it hard to learn, connect, and fit in.  That struggle made him a target, and the bullying only fueled...

In this episode, we dive deep into Luke Brown’s story—the highs, the lows, and everything in between. Raised in a small Australian country town, Luke built a successful life on the outside—a thriving business in the agriculture industry, a strong family foundation, and lifelong friendships. But behind the success, there was struggle. As a young man, Luke battled a drinking problem—blackouts, troub...

In this raw and emotional episode, Vika Pasefika opens up like never before. From growing up in a tough Samoan household to arriving in New Zealand unable to speak English, Vika shares the pain of being bullied—and how that pain turned him into the bully. Behind the violence was something deeper. Untold trauma. Abuse by someone trusted. Silence that followed him for years. From fighting in the str...

This episode we speak openly to Aperehama-Rua, Coley, and Haati Bei about the journey to set things right after the past Hīkoi of Iwi Whakamahu – Heal the Nation, and the path they are now walking through UTU.   Discussing personal thoughts, experiences, and actions behind two of the organisers Aperehama and Coley, and the movement that began with the intention of healing our people.  And Haati Be...

From growing up in Aotearoa surrounded by family to stepping into new territory on the Gold Coast, Corbin and Ella share their journey of ambition, adversity, and unwavering commitment to each other. Together, they reflect on the setbacks that forced them to level up — not only individually, but as partners.  We talk love, leadership within a relationship, navigating hard conversations, and buildi...

Uncle Tamahae Elkington was born in Porirua, Aotearoa, with spina bifida at a time when doctors didn’t know how to support children and their families with disabilities.  Being hospitalised for two years from a baby, early institutionalisation planted a seed of anger he didn’t yet understand — an anger that followed him into adulthood. Growing up tough, learning to fight in boys’ homes, surrounded...

We step inside the mind of Benny Harrington, owner and head coach of All Star Boxing, as he shares his raw and inspiring journey. From growing up in a working-class Brisbane household to building champions in the ring. With a childhood grounded in all types of sport, Benny excelled early, earning victories in squash, cricket, AFL and finding his true calling in boxing. Now a husband, proud father...

Born in Aotearoa, Corbin Mita carried a heavy weight no child should bear. After surviving sexual abuse, he found the courage to speak up—and the strength to heal through discipline, community, and combat.  His mother did what she could with Western healing methods, but the real breakthrough came when he discovered martial arts—a space where pain turned into power, and silence turned into purpose....

Shubz first ever in person interview, he reveals his Manager Skye & they both delve deep into their own journeys, trauma, lessons and the plan to Heal The Nation - Iwi Whakamahu. In this raw and deeply emotional episode, social creator Schubz opens up about growing up in New Zealand under the shadow of abuse — and how those wounds still shape his adult life. With thousands watching, Schubz use...

In this heartfelt season finale, we sit down with the inspiring Keilah Sauni—a woman who turned her childhood need for approval into a powerful drive for growth, healing, and success.  Growing up in Auckland, Keilah always felt like she had to prove her love to be seen.  Now living in Australia, she shares her powerful transformation story—from emotional struggle to building a thriving successful...

The Cuzzys: Love, Kai & Real Talk w/ TJ & KrystalIn this heartwarming and unfiltered episode of The Cuzzys, we sit down with TJ & Krystal — partners in life, love, parenting, and business. From navigating the highs and lows of building a blended family to creating a home where their tamariki come first, this kōrero is full of laughs, hard truths, and deep connection. They open up about...