I got a team. It's Harps, it's Tiff. It's Harry, or, as I call him, the Big h the big deal. He's all of that. Hi, Tiff, how are you?
I'm good aaps. How are you?
Oh bloody fantastic. I've had my coffee and I drank all of it, unlike you.
Half your luck, mate, half your luck. Mine's spilled across the floor and the desk and the computers everywhere.
We're about three minutes before pressing the go button and you just sat down with your coffee and spilled it everywhere.
And it wasn't a little one. Look how big that was was in my big true protein cap. It was huge. It was well everywhere.
No caffeen for you for the next forty five or fifty minutes. You might not off, Harry, and I'll keepe you well awake and entertained and amused. You better, Harry, Hi mate, Welcome to the You project.
Yeah, thank you so much having me on. I'm very excited with you now.
You said before we rolled that you've listened to a few episodes before Tiff even reached out to you. Where did you hear about the show or you just stumbled on it?
Yeah, I think it was. It was like about two years ago. I was suddening across the Instagram one of my Instagram stories and someone who I followed I reshared one of your podcasts. So, yeah, I think you have an amazing podcast and I'm pretty honored to be on.
We're on a tab you you're bloody, You're, like I said, you're a big deal. How's life been since the Olympics.
Yeah, it's been interesting, mate. I've spoken about this openly. There was like a period part the Olympics where I felt really numb. Yeah, not much was giving me life, not much was giving me energy. The only thing that was was my partner. And yeah, it was a weird feeling like we trained for things for so long and it just happens like that and win, lose or draw.
We all have goals and we all have yeah places we want to be and that gold medal was what I wanted and unfortunately I stumbled right at the last hurdle. And yeah, it was like a weird sort of couple of months coming to terms of it. But I feel like myself again and I just set bigger goals and different goals and I'm really excited for the future now, But it was an interesting couple of months. I won't like what was.
The I mean, this is kind of a kind of a dumb question, but I want the answer. And I know you could talk for a now about this, but can you give us a snapshot of you know, like last year was Oh it wasn't last year, it was the year before. I was thinking the twenty twenty, you know, because we were in the throes of COVID. It was chaos globally. What was the Olympic experience like for you? There's like, is there two or three vivid memories that come out of that or feelings?
Yeah? Absolutely. I actually had a different qualification to other boxes from Australia and there were six boxes that qualified. All five others besides myself, they all qualified at the start of twenty twenty before COVID hit and I failed on two different occasions and there was a bit of uncertainty through twenty twenty. Am I going to go to your peach? Is my Olympic dream over you? And that whole year of not being able to travel, not being
able to train properly. I was in Melbourne throughout the tough lockdowns, It was an interesting year twenty twenty. Looking back in retrospect, though, I'm really grateful that happened. I got to spend a lot of necessary time and needed time with my family. I rekindle the relationships with my two brothers, and I spent a lot more time with my mum and dad, which is great with my dog. So there were some really really good things for twenty twenty for me, but it was also very very challenging.
Of course, not being able to train, not being able to compete. Am I going to go to the Olympics, all these thoughts coming up, and Yeah, to finally get the opportunity to represent our beautiful country in twenty twenty one, I was absolutely over the moon.
There was there a moment when you got to the Olympic village or anywhere along the journey where you be able to pinch yourself, or there was maybe many moments, but where you kind of went this is.
Incredible, absolutely mate. I've spoke about this just recently. On the second or third night, I remember it so vividly. I was sitting in my apartment and Japan at that time of year is beautiful, the night sky was it was on dusk and it was a beautiful It was about thirty degrees. It's really nice weather. And I never
forget I was sitting there. All I could hear was singing, dancing, people laughing, joking around, and I just thought to myself, this is what humans can achieve when we put our heads together in a positive way and seeing all the cultures of life and walking through the athlete village, Like it was truly like a moment where I was like, I was just so great. It sounds a bit corny and cheesy, but I was just so grateful to be human in that moment. And yeah, I'll never forget that moment.
That was about the second or third night, And yeah, truly, like pitch myself now thinking about.
It, it doesn't sound cheesy, it sounds fucking great. I love that I'm with you. I think you and I are both both a bit deep and philosophical. Where does that that kind of sensitive, empathetic kind of global consciousness, philosophical kind of mindset about the world and humanity and people and culture and happiness.
Is that?
Is that something that's evolved in you?
Or is that you? That's a good question. I think I'm trying my best to become that and and you know you're never going to get there, always on the journey, and I think I'm really blessed. My mum is a medium, she talks to dead people, very spiritual, and my dad's a roof tiler, a tradesman and hard working as a man. And having them growing up together, they really a compliment each other. I saw the world from my dad's eyes of a hard working man. You show up and you
provide for your family. And then my mom on the other side, was very flowy and spiritual and always had tarot cards, crystals and all that who we're doing sort of stuff, and yeah, and I love seeing that growing up. And I was always really curious about the world and what's right what's wrong because my parents were almost very different and they're two amazing people. And then when I
was sixteen, the Reach Foundation enter my life. And some people may know the Rich Foundation, but it's a youth organization and it's all about giving young people a platform to realize their full potential. And through that journey, I
really doolved into myself and they really learned. They really taught me sorry to love myself for the good the bad, and the ugly, and yeah, probably from Reach, I really sort of viewed the world in a different sense, and I'm really grateful that they come into my life.
What was happening with you at that stage that you and Reach intersected. Were you dealing with stuff?
Yeah, I was about sixteen at the time, so I think every young person around that age is going through their own stuff. Their body is changing, the world's changing. I remember in high school, you thought you had a problem, You thought it was the end of the world, And yeah, I was a little bit of a roads. Prior to that moment, I lost more fights than I had won in boxing. I hadn't won a national event. I was
having a lot of failure and being unsuccessful. And after meeting Reach and first being a participant and then becoming a crew member, I won my first nationals within the first year and the rest is history. And it's not a coincidence. I don't think that the more that I delved into myself and the more that I understood about myself and the world, the better I become as an athlete. I don't think it's a coincidence at all. And I've just noticed each time I sort of delve into myself
and try my best to become a better human. I just naturally become a better athlete as well.
I feel like there's this, well, very insightful for someone so young, but I kind of I kind of got onto this later where I realized I was kind of being what I thought I was meant to be for everyone, you know, because we grow up being programmed in a way and taught and told and trained by culture and society and media and these days social media about how we're meant to be. But sometimes in the middle of being what I'm meant to be, I'm not actually being me at all. So was that a part of that?
Who the fuck am I? Was that part of it? Who am I? And beyond what everyone expects of me? Who is Harry? Was that part of it?
Absolutely? Mate? And I'm still on that journey as we speak. I think I'm slowly but surely becoming a lot better at understanding who I am truly and trying to live my most authentic self. I actually did something just over the weekend, just gone, and I really realized it's pretty present in my life. A lot of people pleasing and it's something that often, like I feel like I sacrifice myself sometimes in order to make sure the people around me are feeling good. And that's not a bad thing
at all. I don't criticize myself for that, but just also being aware of what are my needs, what do I really want in this moment? What do I really
need in this moment? And I spoke openly. It was a breath work course openly about I feel like like when I was younger, my grandparents were sort of not very present, and they were really sort of open about that and made me very aware that they didn't want to be present in my life, both sides, grandparents, and it made me really sort of think that I wasn't worthy enough. When we're young, we don't really understand that, you mean, there's family issues going on. We think that
it's our it's our fault, we're so young. And yeah, I think I sort of made me realize the weekend that I'm chasing all this glory and fame and all this stuff in a sense to sort of gain their approval and make make them love me, which which was a quite powerful realization for me to have. And yeah, it was an interesting thing. As I said, it was through a breathwork thing that I did, and that sort of come up and it's still sort of something that I'm navigating, so I can't really talk too much on.
That, but I made that's super super bravery you. And do you know what it's like? What are you twenty four?
Yeah?
I mean I know fifty four year olds that are still trying to get their parents' approval or they're trying to. And it's really interesting that idea of because you're very empathetic and very kind, and you think about others and worry about others. I'm guessing I've known you for eight minutes, but that's what I'm kind of sensing, I reckon. The challenge sometimes is to be kind and be empathetic but
also know where the line is. It's like, my mum's super kind and generous and loving and a bit fucking terrifying, you know, and it's so trying to manage that. You know, you can still be strong and powerful and assertive and know where your boundary is and not be a people pleaser, but at the same time be very giving and generous and kind. And I think it's trying to keep that balance where you're still loving people and serving people if that's part of what you want to do, but you're
not compromising your values or yourself. You know you can do both. And that's I mean, mate, that's a that's an ongoing quest and an ongoing lesson.
Yeah. Absolutely, and it really it stems from I think it stems from a really good place. Like we obviously care about other people. We want them to make sure they're happy, and especially if we love on the door, we want them to be happy in at times, as I said, I feel like I may put their needs before mine. And it's true. I'm just going to get
better at setting boundaries. And that's one of my goals this year is that just had a few better boundaries and stick to them, not just set there and really stick to them. And yeah, it's it's February and I'm slowly but surely sort of getting better at it.
Good for you, I read that you had and you mentioned this already, but in your first eighteen fights you lost ten, which is I would have lost eighteen, so you still did well, right, And then you spoke about your time with Reach. Was that the was that the real kind of cognitive and emotional turning point in terms of you having a bit of I don't know confidence or like, what what change that you went from losing more than you were winning to is it nine times
national champion? Yeah, Commonwealth Games gold medalist and Olympian with a bronze medal?
What? Like?
What was the significant Because lots of people are listening to this, who are identifying with you? Right, because we're all we all overthink virtually, everyone's a fucking overthinker. Everyone's scared of something. We all want to be love, needed, wanted, valued, connected, We don't want to be alone. We want people to care all of those things. But at the same time we want to be strong and powerful and resilient, and sometimes they don't all go together. Like what was the
turning point? What happened with you to go from the guy who was getting beaten to the guy that we all know now and that it's got a national profile and is a champion.
Yeah. I think there's numerous moments in my life. I remember so significantly when the first Nationals that I won. As I mentioned prior to that, I had no success at the national level, and reach had just come into my life probably about a year before my first national win and through the journey of being involved with REACH. They really sort of allowed me the space to sort of realize my full potential and truly believe in myself a lot more and have a more confidence with myself.
And I remember saying to myself before my first national win, I'm going to dedicate everything to these next twelve weeks prior. I'm going to do everything. When I wake up early, I'm going to train, I'm going to go to bed early, I'm going to I'm going to do all the things that possibly can to make sure that I'm ready for this moment. And that feeling before that nationals being able to look myself in the mirror and know that I never once turned my back on myself like that feeling
is quite electric. And I've only felt that four or five times in my life, and the Olympics Calm Games will one of them as well. And that feeling is quite amazing. When you haven't turned your back and yourself once you showed up every single session, I only know you. Only you know that you've done that. People may think that you've done that, but only you really know if you've turned your back or cut corners or stuff like that, and that feeling of been I looked myself in the
mirror was quite amazing. And I finally won my first Nationals and the rest was history. But I think that was the point. Reach gave me the space to realize my full potential and believing myself. And then I dedicated twelve weeks in my life to make sure that I was ready for the first Nationals, and as I said, the rest was history.
Apart from apart from the stuff you've done in boxing, what for you? And it doesn't need to be significant to anyone else at all, but what for you has been among your biggest accomplishments personally Where you look back and you go, I've overcome that, or I've improved that, or I've learned that. Like what are you most proud of other than you boxing stuff? Personally?
That's a that's a really good question. I think the stuff that I do when no one's looking, Yeah, that's that's the stuff that I'm most proud of. And I don't need to go and try and bignote myself here, but I know when there's no one looking and there's no one around, I'll always try my best to do the right thing. And I credit that to my parents. They're really good people. So although like fame, sporting success,
it all kind of means nothing. I think at the end, at the end of the day, we're all just going to be We're all just human and I'm going to be buried six feet under when I'm older and no different to anyone else. And I always just try my best to have human connection and be a good person. And I'm really proud of myself for that.
Fantastic And how are your mum and dad around? Did they realize you're a big deal or is it just man?
I think it might be just you At the end of the day, I'm just a little boy. And yeah, it's quite interesting. I remember through the Olympics it was quite funny. I would always call my parents. I'd like so because I try my best to stay off my phone just so I can really focus on my mission. And I would call my mom and like, yeah, so how you go, and just like, oh, we just had sunrise over. We're talking to the Herald Sun Channel seven's
coming over that. I'm like, oh that you guys are good tool more than I A yeah, But I absolutely loved it and really embraced it and it's good that they're getting a bit of limelight. Every family sort of wants and craves a bit of attention, and yeah, I think me the reason is to why one of the reasons is to why I'm chasing thing so hard. As well as my family, I always felt people judge and criticize my family growing up, and because of that, I felt like we weren't good enough, and I just wanted
to prove that we are. And it's great that they're getting a bit of spotlight as well.
As much or as little as you want to share, What did you feel that were critical of your family about?
There's numerous things. Always my dad really presented it's just a tradesman, and he and I often felt people were laughing at him, not with him. Right, he was a bit of Alarican, but as I mentioned, people were sort of like laughing at him. He played this bit of a role and I played that for a lot of
my life as well. And I just felt then the other side, my mom's side, they're a bit well off and rich, and my dad's side is really the opposite, and my mom's side often criticized us for being like like I get, I guess a bit more lower class to them, and I felt that who knows that this is just a story in my head, but I felt that, And there was people the football club always sort of looking down at my feel I felt that looking down at my family, and yeah, it's just great that when
my parents go to the shops now and this sounds a little bit weird, but when my parents go to the shops now and people ask, jeez, how how are we going? You know, proud? You know how proud? That makes me. It makes me so proud, and I know my mom and dad would be so proud. And yeah, I'm not doing it because of that, but it's a great feeling.
Yeah, mane, it's amazing. It's amazing. How does I feel like having a high profile and being I don't have to write words famous, but let's go with really well known? That probably sits better with you. How does that sit with you? Do you like that? Do you tolerate it? Is it a platform for you to share messages? What do you feel about being really well known?
Yeah, it's been really interesting. Prior to the Olympics, like no one knew me besides my mom and dad, I think, And yeah, it's been like really interesting. No one can really prepare you for that stuff, Like you walk down the street and some young person runs up to you and shakes your hand or gives your knuckles or something like that. Like I'm at the end of the day, I'm still just that young boy who watched Grant Hacket in two thousand and seven and dreamt of being a
sporting hero like he was. And yeah, I just try my best and never lose sight of who I really am and staying really grounded. And yeah, at the end of the day, as I said, I'm no different to any other human. We're just humans at the end of
the day. And I try my best always show integrity and show character and always give especially young people the time of day, because I really do think that if one young person shakes my hand or gives me knuckles or watch me on TV and he goes to maybe the twenty thirty two Olympics and wins a gold medal, then I'll be so proud.
Yeah, it's amazing, mate, tell us about We probably can't chat to you without talking about your nail polish at the Olympics. Was that something orchestrated? Did you think about that for a long time or was it just a spur of the moment thing and what was it about for you?
Yeah?
That was sorry to ask you that question. I know you've been asked one thousand fucking times. I tried to avoid it, but I thought, oh, well, let's hear about it.
It's a good message, I think, And yeah, that was something that was. The nail polish itself was quite impulsive. I was going to wear a dress originally to the opening ceremony, but I'm pretty grateful I didn't do that just because I didn't want to grab the spotlight away from the rest of the team. It's about the whole team and also as well, like prior to A can't imagine, that could have went a million different ways, and prior to A can't you sort of you don't want too much.
You just want to make sure you're focusing. And the nail a polish was the message behind that is you're trying my best to show young people, especially that you don't have to fit this mold that society tells you, your family tells you, your friends tell you. You can be whatever you want to be as long as it feels right to you and as long as you're not hurting anyone else, and it really doesn't matter. You don't even have to explain why you love something. And I
never thought that a young Timid. I was a young Timber boy growing up. It was nothing like my talder brothers that I was going to start boxing and fall in love with it. I was a lot more close to my mum's energy. But I took the leap and I fell in love with the sport that there was nothing like my personality. And yeah, it just shows how different,
unique and change and beautiful we are as individuals. And I just hope that a young person sees that and try something different and try something unique, try something that their friends or family aren't, because you never know, you might fall in love with him and spend the rest of your life chasing it. It is.
It is almost like an odd pairing you and boxing, because you're your energy and it's such a brutal sport and you're so not a brutal bloke.
Trauma best not to me. I often think as well, like boxing has probably been the thing that's allowed me to be more relaxed and know myself more. And you may think as boxes as being rough and but I also think that because we do combat, we're confident in ourselves, we know our ability, and we're a lot more relaxed because we're always releasing energy and more negative energy. And the boxing community, I've met so many amazing people. And there also is of course bad people, but there's bad
people in all industries. And yeah, I think there's a majority of really really good people in the boxing world.
Tell us about your tats.
Yeah, I've covered got a big right right leg sleeve full of my favorite boxers. So all of them except for one went to the Olympics and representing their country and did well and then termed professional and people like Muhammad Ali for Salimamchenko, Sugar and Leonard Roy Jones Jr. Bernard Hopkins some of the best boxes of all time and some of my favorites.
Yeah, I love that. And also there was a couple of notable exclusions based on kind of your value system. Can you because some people have asked, you know why you didn't get Mike Tyson or Floyd Mayweather, And if I've got this right, the reason was that because Tyson was convicted of rape and Mayweather was I think convicted of domestic violence or beating his partner up. Is that right?
Yeah, that's correct, and not taking anything away from them as athletes. They're unbelievable athletes. And I just think our society, I think we've got to try and change the narrative. And just because someone has a lot of money, or they're good at a sport, or they're famous or something like that, that doesn't mean that if they do something wrong they should be looked any differently. And yeah, I don't support or respect people like that. As I said that,
I always try my best as well. I'm a pretty caring person. I always trying my best to give people empathy and understand people grow and people evolve. And and Mike Tyson, that happened almost twenty thirty years ago, happened a long time ago, and who knows, you could be a completely different person now, and same as Flo Maeather. But I'm not supporting that, and I'm not supporting anyone who supports that. And yeah, I'm no disrespected to them too.
As I said, we all grow as humans, we all evolve, and we all change. But yeah, as I said, I don't want to get people like that on my leg.
Okay, I'm going to take a left turn. Tell me about your spiritual life, because you've got a spiritual mum. I'm sure there's something going on. Do you have a particular kind of practice or philosophy that is kind of there's some kind of routine around that a life or is it just a mindset or nothing at all.
Yeah, I'm sort of really figuring that out. So me and me and my partner this year, we really set a few goals to like we're at the fresh part of our relationship, and I said, this year, I really want to sort of I'm understand myself a lot more. Only twenty four, I'm still sort of learning a lot about the world and myself. And there's nothing really that I do. I meditate daily, my journal like that, they're
not really that spiritual. But yeah, I attended last month with the philosophy meet up group and I was the youngest by about thirty years, and that was quite amazing. But yeah, I always just try my best and always try different things and unique things. And as I mentioned, I did a breathwork thing over the weekend, and this year I really just wanted to spend a lot of time doing a lot of self discovery and self growth, and yeah, I don't know if you've read Green Lights
by Matthew McConaughey, great boy, No I haven't. Yeah, it's a fantastic book. And there's moments in his life that he felt it. I'm not saying I feel flat right now, because I don't, but in his life where he felt a little bit stale and flat and he's acting, and he went overseas and he lived in the Amazon for a period of time. He also lived in different places for a period of time, and you and I love that. And he really sort of just delved into himself and
spent time by himself and understood himself more. And then he come back and now he's one of the most famous actors of all time. So yeah, if that happens this year, maybe, who knows.
I think it's did you say it's called green Lights?
Green Lights? Correct?
All right, I'm going to get it. I'm going to get it on audible today. I'm just writing it down.
This is not very good for a podcast, but stuff. Yeah, I feel like that being able to spend real time away from your normal life, like whatever your normal life is, to get completely away from it and even from the people that you spend time with, not because they're good or bad, but I think being in a different environment, different energy, different schedule, different responsibilities for the day, where you're totally out of your normal groundhog dayess of existence,
I think that it can give you a perspective that you can't get when you're in the middle of your life. You know, I had this kind of almost well, I would call it an epiphany when I was in my thirties and I had all these businesses Harrian and everything was going well, and I had five businesses. Life was good, I was making good money, I had lots of staff. But in the middle of it, I wasn't particularly happy.
And I'm sorry to bore my listeners who have heard this, but the quick version is I went away and spent ten days by myself. So I didn't work and I didn't have a phone call, and I didn't have a conversation, and I didn't have a computer, and I didn't like I didn't do anything that I normally did, and I spent ten days alone and not sitting in a room.
But I.
Was on the beach, in nature. I was doing a whole lot of things, but I did everything by myself. And I didn't actually other than ordering a coffee or something, I didn't have a conversation at all with anyone. And it was the most profound ten days of my life in terms of.
It.
And I wish everyone would all, particularly everyone who's trying to kind of in inverted commas, find themselves or understand themselves a bit more. I think you can never do that better than when you're away from your normal life and situation and relationships and commitments, because you get a level of clarity and awareness that you can't get when
you're in the middle of it, you know. And it reminds me of there's a guy called Gerber who wrote a book years ago called The e Myth, and he talks about not being able to work on the business while you're in the business, and I feel like it's like that with your life. When you're in the middle of it, it's hard to find the perspective that's really going to be powerful, and when you're away from it,
you see things that you can't see, you know. So I definitely recommend, and I know ten days is a lot, but I recommend people do even yearly, annually, even two days where you're by yourself for two days and you're not you're not reading newspapers, and you're not online, and you're not looking at your phone, you're not looking at a computer. You don't have distractions. At the best you have is a pad and a pen so you can get shit out of your head and your heart and
down onto a book. But yeah, I definitely think that that that there's a real potential for us to live unconsciously where you kind of wake up in a minute and you go, oh and now I'm thirty Oh fuck, what have I been doing? Oh I'm thirty five? Shit, rather than creating the life that you want. Like so many people I've spoken to over the years have said
a version of this to me. You know, they sit in front of me, we're doing a coaching session or having a chat lor whatever, and they go, they're forty five now or forty or fifty or whatever, and they go, this wasn't my plan. But when you unpack it, they didn't really have a plan as in a structure and a process and a timeline and a due list. They just really had an idea of how their life would
end up. You know, because life's going to happen anyway, and you're either going to be the driver or you're going to be the passenger. And most people think they're the driver, but they're the passenger, I believe, And so it's about swapping seats and taking taking control again. But I'm banging on and I don't know why I'm telling
you all this, but maybe it's relevant. I want to ask you, though, what would you like to be happening when you're so you're twenty four now, I think I'm looking at what would you like to be happening when you're thirty? If things go great?
Yeah, just just on what you're speaking about as well. I think us as humans that the longest relationship we have is the relationship we have with ourself, And as you mentioned, I think a lot of people will sometimes have a pretty poor relationship withself because they don't really understand themselves. And I realized recently I'm purely just I'm chasing happiness. I want more good days and bad days, as simple as that. And of course bad days are
inevitable and they make the good days even better. But boxing makes me really happy, and if it didn't make me happy, I'd probably do something else. It's all I know, don't get me wrong, but it still makes me extremely happy. And yeah, that's what I realized. I think I'm chasing happiness rather than chasing success or fame or anything like that. And that stuff just comes when passionately and you show up every day and you consistent with what you're doing.
But thirty, what do I want to be when I'm thirty? Where do I want to be? I think I definitely want to be a father one day. I've never said that publicly, but yeah, I always growing up, I never really thought that I really wanted kids, And then you get to an age and I think something's just spark in your head and you go, I want to I want to try my best to be a good father like my dad was. And yeah, so one day I when I have kids, hopefully by the time I'm thirty,
and I want to be world champion. I want to have a business on the side as well. And yeah, I would love to open a boxing gym one day. Maybe not by the time I'm thirty, but maybe more when I'm forty to fifty and have it in like a low SoC circond on the area and have it
like free for kids. Imagine somewhere in Victory. I don't know where you're from originally, but somewhere like Dandinong or somewhere in Sydney in the West Mount Droug or something like that, having a boxing gym and really showing young people like life lessons. Not really, I couldn't really care less about creating champions, but just creating like life lessons and good people.
That's such a good buddy goal. Well, mate, if you ever do that, hit me up. If I'm still alive, I could be well dead by then, but anyway, I'd love to support it. Where are you at at the minute with training and competing and like, what's what's to go about now?
Yeah, I'm currently about six seven weeks out from a competition, so I'm fighting in March at the end of March, start of April, so they haven't really finalized a date yet, but I'm just in deep training at the moment. Made and I'm feeling good. I'm feeling really good. I had a good break over Christmas, and last year was pretty full on for everyone and obviously with COVID, and it's still sort of lingering a little bit, but yeah, I had a really good break and I'm happy for that.
I feel really refreshed this year and just excited to knock out this next fight and then have a big year.
Did you get much kind of international attention or interest when after the Olympics, Like, I don't know how it works. Do people hit you up for fights and to bring you out and all of that.
Yeah, so we have like contracts, so like they give you boxing contracts and post Olympics, I had three contracts offered to me, one from USA, one from UK, and then one from Australia, and all obviously difference in money and time and fights and stuff like that. But yeah, I chose to stay in Australia purely for two reasons. My partner and her are really fresh, and I just you've got to follow your heart. As similar as that, I moved too much from Melbourne to Sydney to follow
my heart, and I made a good choice. I think it's going really well so and as well in the Amateurs, I traveled more more times than I stayed at home, So to be only two hours from my family in Melbourne by a flight, it's a lot better than always traveling. And yeah, eventually I want to go to the States or UK, but at the moment, I'm saying in Australia because this is my home. And yeah, I chose this contract because it was the best for me and my family and partner.
Are we allowed to ask about the partner or do we have to stay covert and dark?
Of course, ask away. She's a legend.
Tell us about her.
She's beautiful's a little bit older than me, so I'm twenty four, she's thirty three, which is probably I think what I needed. Yeah, someone who's she's definitely made me. She challenged me in ways I've never been challenged before, and I think every relationship does that. And she's super ambitious, she's super switched on. Has her own thing called hit like a Girl, and it's all about women empowerment, and she's really passionate about it. And I just love someone
living their true self. And she left her job in HR and the corporate world and she started this business like a Girl and she's doing so well. And as I said, she's so passionate about it, and I can it oozes off and I really sort of spills into my cup as well. How passionate and motivated she is for what she's doing. And yeah, I'm over heels made. It's a honeymoon stage. You don't get me wrong, but it's bloody. I love and old Goo Goo's really exciting.
Oh that's awesome.
What's her name, Ashley Ruscoe? All Right?
Her hit up on Instagram. Give her a bit of a follow everyone and give her a little bit of love and support. Do you and her train together?
I never forget out there. They were both very competitive and the first training session we ever did together was a run and I never forget this. We s out of like, yeah, we're just found like four minute and thirty k's. By the end of it, we're like sprinting downhill. We're both going so hard. But she's really she really fit, really healthy, and we love training together. She's she's awesome.
And what how does she compliment you?
Like?
What does she? I mean, apart from the fact that you love each other, which is an ace of course, what does she How does she keep you in check? Does she monitor your bullshit? Does she you know? Does she keep you in line?
Absolutely? And I think, like I've realized I've had your success and failure and sport family dramas we all have them, and nothing challenges you more than a relationship, because they really sort of they come into a space that not many people can see and they're the closest one to you times. And don't get me wrong, sometimes comps, I'm super sort of uptighted, I'm anxious, I'm nervous, I'm fearful,
there's a lot going through my body. And yeah, sometimes I can be a bit of a jerk and she really put me in place and it's good, and same goes on both ends. Sometimes she's irritable and stuff like that. But we really sort of have the best communication, and I think we've set a really good foundation for the rest of our relationship. And we communicate really well with each other and nothing's off limits, and when we're feeling things, we try best to say it instantly rather than letting
it linger and maybe build resentment eventually. But yeah, I'm really sort of happy and proud of both of us for as I said, the foundations that we've built so far in the last six seven months.
Good for you, man, Well, I hope that's a long, happy, healthy relationship. Now a few more minutes, if you'd be so generous, tell us a little bit. Obviously, my background part of my background is working with teams and athletes and in conditioning sports science. Tell us about your according to the things that I read, anyway, somewhat unique approach to conditioning and training like ballet and army training and karaoke. Karaoke? Is that training?
Yeah? It was. So we did this program called the gold met Already program. It was with the Commander Regiment and the AUSTRALNGE Board and the biggest thing I took from it was get comfortable being uncomfortable. And since the start of twenty nineteen, so the last three years, I've been doing challenges and I've done things like start ballet, karaoke, had really hard conversations with my family and family and friends, and thirteen hours straight in the bike, so many other things.
Philosophy met up with it last month. There's so many things that I've done and each seeing I've learned something new from And yeah, I encourage anyone if there's something that you find uncomfortable, whether it be this really simple one. As I go to a dance class, we all feel uncomfortable.
We all feel nervous, we all feel anxious. Before that, we all feel like we're going to get judged or embarrassed, but that feeling after you accomplish that is quite amazing and and you feel like you can run through a brick wall. And there's only growth from situations like that. And I'm really grateful for the Goldment Ready program.
Yeah. Well, I mean the truth is, I love that idea and it's a philosophy of mine that I teach as well, is that like, we can't build strength without getting uncomfortable, right, Like you're literally working against resistance in the gym, working against resistance in life. And you know, our body adapts, our mind adapts, our emotional system adapts, and the thing that used to scare us doesn't scare us. Eventually, the thing that was hard becomes easy, the thing that
was uncomfortable becomes comfortable. And it's not because it's changed, but rather because we've changed. And it's it is interesting too because when you especially something I was thinking about, when you're talking about doing ballet, you talk about dance or something, I'm thinking, well, one, I'd be terrible at that, obviously. Nonetheless, like I think I would have to overcome my ego
and my insecurity. And it's like, because my ego is ridiculous, and I'd have to beat that bitch into submission just to even think about walking in the door, right, And I'm like, yeah, that would scare me more than get That would scare me more than me. And you're getting in the ring and you go HAPs I'm going to punch the shit out of you. I'd almost rather that than going and doing a ballet class. Not because I mean, ballet is fucking fantastic, but I realized how humiliated I'd be.
It's quite amazing, mate. Honestly, that feeling. Me and my partner we did a contemporary classes recently and we're both nervous, anxious, fearful, all the emotions that are running through your body before or something like that. But then, as I mentioned before, like that feeling after. Honestly, we both felt like we could run through our chesters art where out with confident there's only growth from periods from situations like that, you know what.
I love also with the different things that you know, like with dance and like we're doing the army training and doing the philosophy class. I want to find all group. But also one of the things you said was having kind of hard conversations. I mean, that's a whole different thing without telling us what it was about. But who was that with friends family where you had to sit down and go deep on stuff.
Yeah, there's been There's been numerous ones, So I think I've done probably five all out. One with the next partner, and then there was one of my dad, one with my brother, and then the rest of my family. And these are just raising things that were like really sort of getting to me, making me really tense and anxious and nervous. And yeah, probably the hardest one was one with my dad. Me and my dad went through a period where a little a bit turmoil for a period
of time. And every family's got their stuff, and I never forget. I wrote it on his birthday card saying happy birthdays, and I wrote like a little message on the bottom saying I really want to fix this and I love you all my heart and I've missed her over the last couple of years. And I gave it to him and just watching he always has his bottom quiver, and yeah, that was like a really sort of beautiful moment.
But then we went to breakfast and really spoke about what we both were going through, and yeah, I'm so happy that I built the courage and did that because now me and my dad had a really strong relationship and in order to just take from just taking up to building the courage and binding the bullet and even if it doesn't work out, like just going there and knowing that you've tried your best and you can look yourself in the mirror going I tried and that's all you can do.
That's amazing, mate, Good for you. It's like things don't fix themselves, do they? Never that things will work themselves out? That's bullshit everyone. Just in case you didn't realize, did I also realize that you're a plumber or something?
Did I? Sorry?
Did I read that?
Yeah? I am mate. After I left school, I started working my dad as a roof tiler. Roof tiling is extremely physical and trying to manage boxing and roof tiling was hard. So I then got a job as a plumber and I work for my brother every opportunity I get. But at the moment I'm in Sydney and he's in Melbourne, so I'm out of shovel duty at the moment, which is great.
Oh you enjoying that all right? Well, you're an absolute delight. And it's been really nice chatting to you. How do people find you and follow you and connect with you? And is there anything you want to point people towards that you would like my listeners, our listeners, I should say to support.
The Reach Foundation is a really powerful organization. As I mentioned, they come to my life and I was at a bit of a crossroad. So and now I'm the person I am now pure because of myself, of course, but also from the help of Reach and my family. So Reach is awesome. And that uncomfortable challenge if you can think of anything, as I mentioned, dancing is a really really good one because it makes everyone uncomfortable unless you're a dancer. They go try it out and see how amazing you feel after.
We'll give it a go. I just quickly did I did omit one thing, and that is I wanted to ask you. This is terrible podcasting, harps, but everyone will cope. I'm your coach, is it Brian Levier? Is that how I say his name? Give us a quick He's been integral to your journey.
Yeah, so he's seventy nine years old. This year he fought Johnny Fama Shan Lamrose back in his day, and he's based in Melbourne and I'm up in Sydney at the moment. But he'll always be on my team and will always be my coach. And I'm really grateful that I walked into that gym a young, timid boy who felt nothing like my brothers, so I lacked a little bit of confidence and he sort of fed me like Gustine Maato Mike Tarson's coach. He fed me with a
lot of positivity. You're gonna be world champion one day. Your footwork's so good. And I mean, every young person wants to feel special. I was nine years old and every young person wants to feel special. And I'm really grateful that I found him because he made me feel special and I showed up every single day because I wanted to impress him. And yeah, I love him with all my heart. And as I said, he's seventy nine, so he's coming to the end of his boxing career, but he will always be my coach.
That's beautiful mate. All right, how do people find you and follow you on socials? What's your what's all your handles and stuff?
Instagram? It was just Harry Understall Garside and Facebook is Harry Garside, and then I think I got Twitter. I don't very rarely use it though I don't understand it that much, but it's Harry Garside too.
Well, mate, we appreciate you being on the You project. You're a good man. Good luck with everything moving forward, good luck with that relationship. Well done on everything you've achieved. You're a fucking inspiration.
Thank you so much for it's really.
Oh mate, you'll I love you. You're awesome. Thanks, stay there, say goodbye offair Tiff fellow boxer. Did do you know that Tiff has punched a fair few people in the ring herself.
Let's go. I love that.
What did you tell? Tell Harry what you won? No, it's not an Olympic bronze, but certainly not.
But I won I won twice, the novice Victorian title and then v abl in twenty nineteen Victorian title.
Yes, couple of little stint. I do love it and I do miss it.
Yeah, I was gonna say, you're still doing it?
No, no behind the mic now throwing punches here?
How do you reckon? You go again?
Harry?
I reckon you are your speed and foot work. I reckon you might have.
Him okay, at least eight or nine nine oh seconds longer than your seven. Maybe just because I'm quick to run away.
Well, you definitely go better than me. Let's just say goodbye to everyone and then i'll say goodbye to you. Off there mate. Thanks everyone, Thanks Harry, Thanks Tiff,