The Sevan Podcast - #54 - Kara Saunders

Episode Date: June 23, 2021

The Sevan Podcast EP 54 - KARA SAUNDERS & BRIAN FRIEND @KARASAUNDO @BRIANFIRENDCROSSFIT @SEVANMATOSSIAN The Sevan Podcast is sponsored by http://www.barbelljobs.com Follow us on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/therealsevanpodcast/ Sevan's Stuff: https://www.instagram.com/sevanmatossian/?hl=en https://app.sugarwod.com/marketplace/3-playing-brothers Support the show Partners: https://cahormones.com/ - CODE "SEVAN" FOR FREE CONSULTATION https://www.paperstcoffee.com/ - THE COFFEE I DRINK! https://asrx.com/collections/the-real... - OUR TSHIRTS ... Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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It's like 5.30 in the morning here, so I'm like, I don't even know what's going on. Hopefully I can make it work. Why are you up so early? Because you asked me so nicely, and I just wanted to say, Hey, you're the best. And what time do you normally get up? At the moment, about six 30. It just depends on child and dogs permitting, you know, if they like to bark at something outside or something random, but I've trained myself to sleep till 6.30.

And what time do you go to bed? About 9 o'clock. And how many dogs do you have? Two. And one of them is a puppy, right? Yeah, he's like six months old. He's a terrorist. Do you know Brian?

No, not really. old. He's a terrorist. Do you know Brian? No. Not really. I don't think we've ever met. I think... I'm not trying to think if we've even ever been at the same competition before. I don't know if that gave you...

I was saying you should talk, Brian. 2018 games is probably the only competition that we've ever been at together at the same time. Oh, you know. I didn't do any work with you that year. No. So nice to meet you. Brian looks like a human being,

but really he's an encyclopedia of games knowledge. Oh, really? He probably knows more than I do. Oh, man. Hecyclopedia of games knowledge. Oh really? We met on Instagram. Oh man. He knows more than he knows more than anyone knows. He knows more than he knows. And, uh,

and we met on Instagram and, and I've been courting him ever since. It frees up a lot of space in my brain. Cause then I don't have to remember all that amazing stuff. He knows. Um, he knows all of the, all all of the random like facts and the workouts I'm like man as soon as it happens I forget it and Maddie's your husband yeah and you have one husband I do yeah and two dogs and how many kids and how many kids do you have just Just one right now. Just one. I thought you just had one, but in a couple shots, I saw two babies.

Like I saw you training, and there were two babies in the kid jail thing. Yeah. I've been training at Zeke Grove's gym, and he's got two little kids. So there's always like, yeah, there's a little kid's jail, and then there's always small people in there from either his or mine or somebody else's in the gym. So they just like, yeah. And from the sound of your voice, I'm going to guess you're Australian. I am, yes.

And tell me about the city you're in. Are you allowed to leave your house for more than two hours a day? What city are you in? Yeah, I'm on the Gold Coast now. So I've lived in Brisbane my whole life. And then in November, we moved down to the Gold Coast, which was like just over an hour south on the coast. And it feels like almost like nothing's wrong here.

We're super lucky. Like life is kind of just ticking over as normal. We can go out pretty much anywhere. You know, gyms are open. Like there's nothing. We go to the beach. We can go to cafes. There's no masks at the moment.

There obviously have been like periods of time that are a little bit stricter and a little bit weird, but on the Gold Coast it's been like super relaxed. God, I love hearing that because you know how the media works. The media just makes us think that Australia has lost its fucking mind. No, there's like, there's like Victoria and that's pretty much it. And then, um, there's, I mean, the country as a whole, like not being able to leave, like we're pretty much like much like hey you just can't leave the country so um that is crazy that is like ridiculous but then like in the states everything's pretty like from what i've seen of other people overseas like we kind of just like go about our day um so it's a bit bizarre yeah it's really bizarre here, too.

The same night that we had the world's largest indoor boxing match with 73,000 people packed into a stadium with no masks. Our president was telling us we have another month or two of like full masks and lockdowns. And it's just like, dude, like what is it split politically? Like it is it is in the united states also are people like wearing a mask based on like their political ideology there's a portion of it i think i think in general like australians are like pretty relaxed like you kind of know that everything's sort of like just a little bit more chill um but there's definitely been at times when things were a little bit more heated, I guess, where people do feel a bit entitled, I guess. And, you know, they kind of want to send a message and they kind of want to tell everyone how they should or shouldn't do it, even when things were, you know, up to your discretion.

So there's like, there's, and I mean, there's certain people too, where like, you know, there's, there's a lot of, if I see masks now, it's more so just that like certain elderly people who are a little bit afraid. And if they're kind of they're kind of trying to they're kind of trying to do the right thing and they go by what they see on the news and they go to get their groceries and they put their masks on and they kind of don't bother anyone and just do their thing and they protect themselves and their eyes and that's all they're worried about. And then for everyone else, like I don't – I can't remember the last time I saw someone in a mask now since the last time, you know, something went haywire. But there was definitely, I guess, that little bit of a, yeah, like tension.

It was like tension between people going like you should wear a mask, you shouldn't wear a mask, or like I don't have to wear a mask and like no you have to wear a mask like you know people get really really strong and forceful about their opinions the way here's in the united states for the most part i mean this is obviously a massive sweeping generalization but there's a group that wants everyone to wear the masks and there's a group that says hey let everyone do whatever they want to do. If you want to wear a mask, wear one. If you don't want to wear one, don't wear one.

And then the gray zone is kids. Yesterday I went to a cafe and a lady walks up and she's not wearing a mask. And her two-year-old daughter is wearing a mask. And she walks up to us and she's just a typical shy two-year-old girl. And the mom looks at me and my three boys and says, of course we never wore a mask during this whole thing and she says to us oh i'm sorry if my daughter's acting weird she hasn't seen other kids or really been out of the house in over a year and i'm just like holy shit no it's crazy hey like my daughter's two and i can't, I can't, man, I can barely put like a sweater on that girl, let alone get a mask on her. Like, you know, she's going to have a meltdown

because she just doesn't want to wear clothes. Um, but yeah, clothes are silly, pointless. They're ridiculous. Especially if you're in Australia on the gold coast. Yeah, exactly. Right. And I'm just the worst person in the world for trying to put them on her. But, um, clothes are pointless for you on the Gold Coast too. Yeah. That's true. We, um, it's funny though. Like she goes to daycare two days a week now, um, mainly because we don't have any other children. We're real busy and it's like really good for her socialization and stuff like that. She absolutely loves it at this age. And in the peak, when we had like a really big setback with COVID and it was, you know, everything was a little bit stricter, you know, we couldn't go into the

facility and drop her off without masks. So we had to sanitize at the door and we had to put a mask on to walk into the facility, but none of the children wore masks in there. And they all like put their fingers in each other's mouths and noses and share drink bottles and do anything. And then they come home back to us again. And then I'm like, it's just crazy. They're like sneaks all over. It was, it's, I think the, the biggest thing for us here has just been, there's like, there's never been any consistency, you know, it's just that like, well, how come it's like that? Or, and you know, Matt's a firefighter. And so they were like, oh, you have to wear, he was working in Brisbane and there was an outbreak in Brisbane at one point.

And they were like, he can't come in. He can't drop her, you know, at daycare until this period of time. And he has to wear a mask in the car on the way home from Brisbane. And I'm like, and I said, you realize he's coming home and sleeping in my bed next to me with me and then I'm like, and I said, you realize he's coming home and sleeping in my bed next to me with me. And then I'm going to walk her in. I'm like, I'm going to kiss him. We're going to cuddle. I'm going to like, going to be all over him. I'm like, it just makes no sense. You may even do more than kiss him. You may even do more than kiss him.

Look, if he's lucky, we might. Some, some organization in the UK gave guidelines on positions that were safer than other positions for COVID spread. Did you see that? It was amazing. It was like dead serious. It was amazing. I was like, holy shit. You can only do it doggy style in the UK. I'm moving. I'm moving. Hey, if it's in the news, it's real. Yeah. Um, when, when, uh, for those of you who don't know, um, and I'm sure everyone does know is listening in my, don't know, and I'm sure everyone does know who's listening, in my opinion, and I'm sure Brian has an opinion on this too, Kara Sounders is the most dominant CrossFit Games female athlete in the history of the world

outside of her colleague in the same country, her countrywoman, Tia Toomey. There's clearly years that, I think it was, was it 2014 you had your injury at the games? Yeah. And I think she was on track. I think at the time she pulled out, you could even look at the numbers and she basically could have sat out a couple of the workouts and still won the CrossFit Games. Do you have the numbers on that, Brian? Sorry, we didn't prep for this, but I always just drop bombs on Brian and see what he's got. No, I don't have the exact numbers of her points relative to the field when she had to withdraw. I think it was on the Sunday morning event.

But, you know, I always, right when I talk about her as a potential contender to win the games now, I always reference the fact that she would have been the fittest woman on earth in 2014 if she were able to finish the competition. Do you know how many points you were ahead when you pulled out? No, I don't remember the exact points. I remember the situation. So I'd been in the lead from day one. It was the only year I'd held the leader's position from day one all the way through to that point. Um, and I went into the Sunday morning event and it's where the injury

I'd been kind of like managing and hadn't given me grief so far to that point. Um, it blew up on the Sunday morning event and, um, I like almost just couldn't do the event. It was all over the place. It was a disaster. And then I had to- It was a neck injury, right? Yes, I compressed the nerve like through my neck. And so we ended up, what ended up kind of pushing me over the line was we had handstand walking in those unbroken sets

and an overhead lunge, but the handstand walking, putting weight on the one bad side on its own and not having the support of my other arm was just too much. And I kept like handstand walking like out of my box. I couldn't even walk straight. And then it just, I kept trying and trying and then my arm went numb again and it was just, yeah, it was over. So, um, I, I had to withdraw before the final. So there was the final, um, Sunday event, which was totally my jam too. It was like heavy overhead squats and stuff. It was so good. Um, I remember when I was like, I was like, I went out, I'd withdrawn and, uh, I went out into the

stadium and I was like, I'm going to be a good sport and not just like go cry in a room somewhere. I'm going to sit out here and cheer the final girls on and like be a part of it. And they announced the final and I just burst into tears. I'm like, I can't watch this. I'm going to sit out here and cheer the final girls on and like be a part of it. And they announced the final and I just burst into tears. I'm like, I can't watch this. I would have dominated this workout. I was like, I have to leave. I went and watched it in the tunnel. And, um, yeah, so all I remember was somebody said to me, cause the games team advised me to withdraw. I spoke to the medical team. They're like, you know, this could be something more severe. Like could be, um, more to do with the disc. It could, yeah, there's a lot of things that could have happened. You're in your early stages of your career. You're quite young. It's

not really worth doing damage. So they told me to withdraw. They dropped me to like 31st place, which was like under the line. So it was like top 30 that were like doing it, you know, and that was the line that cut. So they dropped me immediately to 31st because I withdrew rather than giving me the points. So even if they said if later on, they said, if I had to just walked out onto the competition floor and like touched the equipment, I think I would have placed like seventh and I wouldn't have, I didn't have to do any work. So that was like really disheartening to find out later, um, that they had said like, no, we would like you to withdraw type thing. And I was like, you know, classic me. I'm like, I'll do the right thing, you know, like it's okay. And

but then, yeah, to be dropped to like 31st was like pretty gut wrenching because I'd like, I'd held the lead that whole time. And when you look back on history, it just goes, oh, she came 31st and withdrew that year. Like it doesn't, it just kind of like disappears. And then then you know you look at it too and you're like you could look at what happens to the mindset of somebody who wins or you know that you change once you get a taste for the blood you know you like you come after it like how would i be as an athlete now if that had to happen but then also how would i be as a person now if that hadn't happened like there's it's uh yeah it's one of those things, but it is what it is.

Who won the games that year? Camille. Then I guess the other question is, is how would it have changed her life if you would have won the games? Yeah, that's right. She should send you a thank you card. I know, I know. It's crazy. No, she doesn't talk to me.

She doesn't speak to me. She, cause like she me because, like, she had a – I posted – I wouldn't speak to you either. I don't want you to go away. In 2018, I think it was, at the regionals, I got interviewed and I said something. I was, like, all fired up or something. This reporter, journalist or whatever just had been, like, pressing me and Tia all weekend, like, trying to get us to say something nasty about each other. And it was getting really

irritating. And I, um, I guess I let my guard down and I said something about like, I referenced, you know, I've almost won one year or blah, blah, blah. Someone sent it to, and I was heated. I never specifically named names or did anything. And, um, I was just passionate. Someone sent it or like Camille saw it and thought that I was like directly attacking her as though like I should have won and you didn't deserve to win. When I said like, Oh, I almost, I all but one, like I pretty much won that year or whatever. And, um, she was like, nah, which is fair, which is fair. Yeah. And I was like, but, but in saying that, so I messaged her and I said, Hey, I totally understand how this

video has come across. Um, when I've rewatched it back, um, this is like what happened. I just wanted to say, I'm not taking anything away from you. Like you want it. I pulled out. That's the way the cards fell. And she never applied, never spoke to me again. And I was like, I've done my part. I was like, I, I, it's a, that's, that's media and how people interpret it. And we're like along a far distance away. So you can't like really talk to someone in person. And I'm like, Oh look, I didn't mean anything by it. I'm like, this dude had just been pressing me and pressing me and pressing me.

And then I was, I like kind of snapped and then I learned not to do that again. Yeah. It's,'s, I mean, the story is the story is the story. I mean, I understand how it might hurt her feelings, but the story is the story is the story. It's not your fault. It's not her fault. I mean, you show up at the games, you dominate. I don't think there's anyone, if we said, hey, we're going to pick a workout out of the hopper,

it's Camille at her best and Cara Saunders at her best. Who's going to win? You have a million dollars to bet on. No one bets on her. I mean, that's not your fault. That's not her fault. It's just two different athletes. Yeah, yeah, that's right.

Ryan, you look like you're digging for gold over there. What do you got? Depending on the workout, I would bet on her. There's a couple workouts I definitely would favor her in. And it was actually a little closer than I thought between Camille and Cara when she had to withdraw. The complication is the event prior to that was push pull which also demanded a lot of strict deficit handstand push-ups and so cara's placement that was pretty poor as assuming that it was affecting her to go from strict deficit and stand push-ups directly into a handstand walk probably

the two things that aggravated the most so she got points for both those events it was just very like 33rd and 37th place points relative to a bunch of top 10 finishes and everything else obviously showing that she just wasn't at 100 for those movements and what place did camille take in the final event so after um she took 12th and fifth the overhead squats wasn't actually the final if you remember they announced a second workout, double grace, and Cara, that's probably what caused her to go into tears because I bet that she would have also probably won that one. It was double grace and then it was like a rope climb overhead squat, I think.

It was like a two-part situation. Yeah, yeah. I'm looking at the Torian Pro. That's where Cara did her semifinals. She beat the second-place athlete, who is world-class, Laura Clifton, by 96 points, almost an entire event. And Cara took a first, a sixth, a first, a second, a second, and a first. Brian, is that the most dominating performance

we saw from an individual in any of the semifinals? I'm just talking about women only. Sure, men, women. Carr deserves to be compared to all of them. Cats, dogs. There were a couple other really

good performances, but I feel like there was always someone else that was pretty close. I think that was probably the biggest gap between first and second without having the numbers in front of me. How was that semifinal for you, and how long had it been since? Is that your first competition back since you had a baby? No. So I did the Australian CrossFit Championships,

which was one of the sanctioned events when my daughter was like 10 months old. So I did the Australian CrossFit Championships, which was one of the sanctioned events when my daughter was, like, 10 months old. I think that was my first one back on the competition floor, and I won that, and that was I'd already qualified for the Games for that year for 2020, but that was, like, another way that I thought I was going to have to do it. I didn't expect to qualify through the Open. So, um, I did that one. And then I did the rogue invitational, the online event does it,

not quite the same as the online events. Like don't, it's just not the same. Although in saying that out of all the online events, the rogue invitational was legit. Um, that was, except having to do it in the middle of the night was not ideal, um, because of our time change. But, uh uh that was gnarly and then yeah this was my you know like I kind of like those ones I was like oh they're in like the postpartum like that first year it was kind of like just finding my way back out there I'm like this sort of felt a little bit more like me I guess kind of um not having you know kid little baby having a child

instead so it was a good event, having a child instead. So it was a good event. It was a really, really good event. They stepped up. They definitely stepped up because they ran that event before they turned it into a semifinal or a sanctioned event. And, yeah, they did a really good job. It was fun.

Why do you say that? Why was it a legit online qualifier? Why do you say that? The Rogatational? Yeah. Oh, just the way that it was managed and the way that the team executed it on the other side and the communication was just seamless. It was like someone was assigned to everything. Everything was so consistent and so fair, you know, like all the bullshit that you have in like all the online stuff where like they did, like we saw it in this last one, you know, with the whole like Briggsies region

situation where like, you know, they're touching barbells and not touching barbells and blah, blah, blah. And things aren't clear. Like that just didn't happen. It was like, this is the rule. This is the box. You're this many inches from this side and this side, this is your barbell. We send you all of your equipment in a box. So everyone's using the exact same gear. bell we send you all of your equipment in a box so everyone's using the exact same gear like everything was like wow it was it was like yeah it was that it was run tight like it was easy did they also provide judges for that yep so they provided a judge in your local area so i had a judge assigned and then she had like one person that she would communicate with directly. And then I had to assign someone to do the, um, like the recording. And that was Maddie.

And he was like my logistics guy. And then he had someone that he reported to directly, totally separately. And there was just never a doubt. Everyone always had someone to speak to, um, to ask any questions. Everything was like, I think it was probably, it was definitely hands down the most fair online competition. Like I hate, I hate competitions being about like strategy and like loopholes like that. It's like my pet peeve. All I want to do is turn up and fucking throw down and go, who's the best? Like, you don't want to think about all of the other stuff. Like I hate that. And this just felt a little bit more like that. It was like, there is no way to cut corners or do this and that. It's just go. Like there's, you face that way, you turn that

way. Like everyone's equipment was the same. Like, and, um, so it felt like I placed third in that. I think, um, I was, uh, gosh, how old was Scotty? I don't even know. It was May. She was maybe like, she was little anyway. And I think it was May, so she might have been one or around one. And I felt like it was just, it was a really fair representation of where I was at, like working hard in a really fair environment. And, yeah, no discrepancies, no, it was good.

It was good. I couldn't really speak high more highly of it and and the caliber of athletes competing was very good as well it was yeah yeah it was such a good opportunity for me because i could really see where i was at against like the girls that i'm normally against, you know, like I think Tia won it. I think maybe Sarah came second. Um, you know, you still had like a lot of the other top girls that I normally could, that I would have last competed against in like say 2018. So, um, yeah, it was, it was a legit competition. That's interesting by the way, let me throw one comment out there and then I'll give it to you, Brian. Uh, that's interesting that Sarah took second because I think she also falls in this unique category that only you and her fall into of two very, very dominant female athletes that we just for some reason haven't seen go all the way. If there's two women that definitely I would have guessed would have won the games by now, it would be you and Sarah. Sorry, Brian.

Go ahead. No, I was just looking at the lineup. I thought you might enjoy enjoy so it was Tia, Sarah, Cara and then it was Jamie Jamie Simmons she's a games podium athlete Laura Horvath who's been second at the games sixth place is what I think you'd like seven was Carolyn Prevost in that event oh and Carolyn Prevost was ahead of Amanda Barnhart, Haley Adams, Kristen Holta, Brooke Wells, Christy O'Connell, Sam Briggs, Katrin David's daughter was 13th. So it was a really stacked field. Like I agree with Cara, it was about as good of an online competition as you could run.

And that result, doing it in the middle of the night, placing third against that field, was the first time I really saw a woman come back from pregnancy in this modern era where we have a lot of girls doing that. I thought, wow, they can come back and be world-class, like podium contenders at the Games after having a kid. That was only 10 months after your birth, Cara? I think it was maybe about 12. I think she was born in May, and I think that competition was around May. So I think she just turned one or was almost about to turn one.

And it was very like, as Jim was kind of shut down, it was like riding COVID. Cause I had to sneak into the gym in the middle of the night, like midnight starts. Well, this is, this end of this is a really broad question,

but when you, after you had your baby, how long before you started training again, did you take two months off one month off? Like where you just do like walking? No, I, so I didn't, I was funny. A lot of people walk that didn't feel good for me. So, um, I had, I started doing like breath work rehab, like regaining connection to my like deeper inner core, lying down, drawing my belly in, like just kind of, I get building that relationship back with my body again, like instantly that week. Um, I pretty much, it was

just one day, I think I was standing out on my deck in the sun and I was like, Oh, I might start now. I just felt like I could. So I started just doing my breath work and then I would just go to the gym probably even like a week or two later, Maddie would go to the gym and I would just go to the gym, probably even like a week or two later, Maddie would go to the gym and I would just go with him, with Scotty. And I would just like, I don't know, we'd just hang out, right? We were in like our maternity leave, hanging out. We're in this love bubble, like oxytocin bloody everywhere. So we were like just hanging out and I would just go with him. And then one day I was like, oh, she was crying and I had her strapped to me, like wrapped up in my chest. And I was like, I might just sit on the bike. And, um, I just sat on the assault bike. It went really slow for like 20 minutes. And then I did that for like a couple

of, uh, maybe a couple of weeks. And I did just like postural stuff. So pretty much almost instantly. I just, when I say I sat on a bike for 20 minutes, like I'm talking like 45 RPM, like my kids on me, I'm trying not to sweat too much and make her sweaty. So like, I was just chilling, um, and just breathing. But that would have been like maybe week two. And, um, and then I started just doing like postural accessories, you know, like really just like trying to reset my posture and reactivate muscles. So like a, kind of like a warmup I did like from like week two, week three. And then, um, it was, I took longer to do a lot of things, to do a lot of real things. I didn't do a workout, like a proper workout for probably three months, um, maybe longer before I did an actual workout,

but I was just doing like, you know, turn stuff back on like positional warm-up type stuff earlier um like an air squat here an air squat there one or two strict pull-ups here yeah even then i didn't do strict pull-ups or anything because i had to wait for like my abs to kind of like repair and i really wanted to take that time i didn't want to like mess up my body long term especially if i wanted to compete again um so like even the air squats were like i would sit on a sandbag type thing, like hovering just above my air squat and do like breath work and move my pelvic floor and then slowly stand up. Like it wasn't even, yeah, it definitely wasn't like sexy exercise. That's for sure. It was just, um, yeah, it was just, did you ever start bleeding again? Did you ever do anything where you're like, Ooh, I pushed too hard. No, no, no, no. I never had any, um, yeah, I don't, I don't think I ever

aggravated anything like that where there was like any bleeding again, for sure. There was, I did a workout. I think probably the first workout I ever did had burpees and it was like burpees over the bar. And I think it was concept to bike. And it was just like kind of intervals. And I felt so good. I was so ready. I'm like, it's been months. I'm just like hanging for a workout. And, uh, after the burpees, I felt great doing it. I ripped in, I went so fast. And then afterwards, later on, I had like a bit of tension in, like, I guess it was my pelvic floor felt like a bit achy. And I was like, okay, it's too soon, um, to go that hard. And that was probably like one thing I was like, okay, I got a little bit carried away and it's more of like how I'm going to feel later. I felt good

during, but not later. And so I dialed it back a little bit and, um, was much more controlled and, but I never had any like, uh, yeah, any kind of major setbacks or anything like that. And I did a lot of slow lifts. It was quite a while before I did like Ollie lifts. And then I pretty much, I pretty much didn't do a lot of things until the open that year. So I started that open 2020 at like four and a half months postpartum. And a lot of the movements in that open, I was doing for the first time, um, pretty much everything. And, um, yeah, because I'd done all the work and taken my time, like I just took ages and just didn't put any expectation on it. I was like, I don't know how this goes. This is the first time I've ever had a kid. I don't know how it feels. I was just like,

I don't want to mess up my body forever. So I'll just like be really, you know, I'm like steady Sue. I'm like real careful. So, um, I just like took my time. And then when, when I got into the open, I was able to kind of unleash. And there was only like, you know, I was still bad at a lot of things. Don't get me wrong. They felt really bad. But there was the only thing that made me feel vulnerable. She took 12th place worldwide in that open.

I did. I did. Yeah. The only workout that I felt like. Ryan, do you have your mic pointed the right direction? You're so quiet today. Yeah, I do. Okay. All right. Sorry. Go ahead, Cara. Yeah. The only workout in that open where I felt quite vulnerable that I didn't feel ready for was double unders, dumbbell squat, and toaster bar. The combination of those three movements had me feeling a little bit distressed

on the double unders. And I didn't... That was the only time in my whole postpartum journey where I felt like really kind of stressed about my pelvic floor and um I'm like way too proud like I definitely didn't pee myself I'm way too proud to pee myself but I was like I was holding on for dear life just trying to do this workout well trying to get through it and it was like 20 minutes long or something it was such a long workout on repeat and that was the only thing so I didn't do double unders again for months. I did like a lot more work and, um, rehabby type stuff before I touched that again. I was like, I'm just going to, I'd only been doing like sets of 10 or something before that point. You're, you were 24 years old in 2014. You're 31 years old now. you're 31 years old now can the 24 year old car saunders car web beat the 31 year

old car saunders can the young one beat the old one is that what you're saying so he said yeah yeah um yes ma'am oh i don't know i mean no i'm better i'm better now i'm definitely better i'm definitely better now i am sorry sorry you think you hurt her feelings so yeah sorry um no i mean that's a natural evolution i should probably be getting better i know a lot more now um it just depends on the things that change you're not necessarily like you keep working harder and you keep getting better but um like your priorities change like a lot of times i You're not necessarily like you keep working harder and you keep getting better, but, um, like your priorities change. Like a lot of times I think half the reason that you look at Tia, right. And like, she's just an animal. She's just like,

so after it, she like does everything in her life that she needs to do to dedicate to her, her goal. And, um, I'm like, just not willing to do a lot of those things. I'm like, Oh, look, I want to like hang out and chill and do stuff like that. Like I'm just not as like, I'm like not, I don't quite have that same fire. Like I do, but I don't. Like I, yeah, so it just, it just, it depends on like what you want, right? Like I think if you want it, then you can kind of make it happen. Like if you really want it and you really do the things,

you can kind of make it happen. But a lot of the times I'm like, oh, I probably just don't want it as much. Is the baby a distraction? Oh yes. And I don't mean that in a negative, I don't mean that in a negative way. I just mean just like factually. Oh, like a hundred percent. She's worse now. Like as a baby, when they're little, it's hard work because you're like, um, fixing your body pretty much from like carrying a person and pushing them out. That takes time. So that's the struggle and breastfeeding, right? Like huge demands. And so, but like mentally, like you can kind of keep showing up and they kind of stay in one spot

and you know, they go to sleep a lot more. And then now she's two and she's wild. She doesn't stay still. She jumps off everything. She wants snacks every 30 seconds. She wants to do what I'm doing. And like, so that's like way more. She's like a massive distraction. So you've got to like keep her safe. Also not neglect her as her parent. I don't want to just be like, go sit in the corner and just watch TV for two hours while I exercise.

So I'm like super conflicted by that. Um, and forever striving for that balance of like, I wanted to see what I do and be a part of that and understand like, cause I think what I do is awesome. Um, and so I want her to like, no, that is kind of normal. And I want her to be a part of it, but I'm also like, okay, it's my turn now. Can you just like, you have a turn, I have a turn. Like we're just juggling back and forth. It's hectic. If Maddie's around, it's a little bit easier because he can help juggle her. We can do teamwork. But when he's at work, it's just a massive distraction. If I go to the gym, I've got to pack an insane amount of stuff to keep her entertained and keep her fed. They have moods so like someday she's really cool

and she'll just sit there and say go mommy and she'll have a turn in between the other day she's like no and we have to leave and go get a juice so it's just yeah there's all these great women in the field i'm going to presume that most of them know that they know they're vying for second place, that Tia has it locked up. For some reason, though, I don't think that about you. I think that maybe you may be the only one who truly believes, yeah, she's human. I can get her. Yeah, look, I don't I've never believed that I can't win. I can't win. Um, uh, the only thing that I guess is like what I said before that holds me back is I'm just, I'm also super realistic about like how, like all of the factors that have to come into

play for a person to win. You know, you talk about like me and Sarah, how likely I truly believe that Sarah, I could win at any moment in time, but there's something missing and it's not athletic ability. So it's something outside of that, you know, and I think for me is like, I have always had distraction. I, you know, I've, I know that CrossFit will end one day. So I've tried to never, ever sacrifice the rest of my life and how I'm like, you know, I do my business and my family. Like I was never not going to have a child like, and put that on pause. I was like, I want to have a baby. I put that on pause I was like I want to have a baby I'm going to do that and then come back because um you know like I just yeah it could have waited and then maybe I would have done better by now or I don't know but like I don't know I kind of flow with like my intuition

and stuff with what I want and I've just never been willing to I'm not I please don't take that as though I'm saying Tia sacrifices her other life, but she obviously just has like, um, like different goals and wants and a fire for certain things that maybe I have a bit of a fire. My fire is divided a little bit more evenly in other areas. And, um, so like, that's probably like, they're real things, right? Like I train less, I'm interrupted more, maybe a little bit more tired, you know, get less sleep. I don't know, like, you know, and that's, and that's all cool. And that was all my choice, right? Like I chose to have a child. So, um, that's not, that's definitely not anyone else's fault or anything like that. Like I wanted that and I'm super stoked with where I am, but you know, maybe

that'll stop me from winning the games and whatever. It's not my everything. Would you, would you have liked to have her at the Torian pro this year? Yeah, I was actually pretty bummed that her and Jamie both weren't coming because, um, I like value them as really good athletes and quite different athletes too. And, uh, even more so just for my mindset, um, to, to be alongside them and have to like grind a little, I think I would have had to definitely like grind and dig deep and get a lot more uncomfortable than I had to get. Like I was definitely pretty comfortable at Torian and I need

to be pushed into that discomfort because otherwise I will be a little bit too careful and just like cruise along. So, yeah, I'm not like as sort of cutthroat. So I was really hoping that they'd be there and I would have that opportunity and that if I earned a spot to the Games that it was like a little bit, like I had to sweat a little bit more on it. But it was still like in saying that the competition was really fun because we had all like Aussie and Kiwi girls and everyone was like,

it was probably the best vibe in a competition that I've ever had. Everyone was really relaxed and it was like actually enjoyable. But yeah, it would have been really cool to have them and yeah, be next to them, especially before the games. I was, you know, mostly curious if you, you know, I thought you might say something like that. I wonder, because we talked to Noah Olson and he said that this past competition weekend, it just took him a couple of events to get like warmed up to being pushed that way. Do you think that's going to be a tough thing for you to turn on like day one of the games or are you just like excited for it and you think it'll come back right away? Classically, I've always been pretty bad at that. It's always taken me a little bit to ramp up.

It depends on what the first event is. If we're out on the beach and we're in the water I'm like yeah I'm at home yeah and then I'm good and I'm on really quickly um but if it was like it depends on the workout for sure but it usually takes me a little bit to get going um so yeah and that's sort of that's definitely a a flaw of mine um that I it kind of gets a little bit too late that I'm trying to like accumulate points over the weekend to get a position rather than sort of being fiery at the start. I'm like a bit in preservation mode usually too. I'm like, oh, don't go too hard too soon. You know, don't want to blow out. It's a big weekend. Like, so that's kind of always been a bit of a, um, a floor, a fault of mine, I guess. Um,

a bit of a flaw or fault of mine, I guess. But yeah, I'm hoping, so I think I'm going to go train with Dan Bailey for a little bit prior to the games. And maybe if we do some workouts together or whatever, that might help me dust off the cobwebs a little bit. Cause otherwise, yeah, I'm training at the moment, like I'm in a rental cause we just bought a new house and I'm in a single car garage with like a toddler and, you know, like just like this cramped little, like terrible space. And you just get like lost in your bubble. Like I barely get dressed properly most days. Sometimes I don't have shoes on. And then you've got to step out onto the big competition floor and be ready for like judges and all the kind of crazy stuff. So I kind of probably, I probably need to do a little bit

of a simulation. But that's why that semifinal was, that was good. i probably need to do a little bit of a simulation uh but that's why that semi-final was that was good it was because it was a little bit more legit it um it helped me to remember what it feels like why dan bailey isn't he a master's athlete yeah so i can be in okay uh no he just just he's a he's a good dude and he's like takes in a takes it an Aussie stray every now and again and it's like uh yeah it's just a I don't know I explained to Matty I just think he doesn't really have like a bad bone in his body I feel pretty like chill just working out around him it's like a good vibe and um awesome but it also will like push me and stuff. So, um, he's actually Scotty's godfather. So he, um,

yeah, super random. So I stayed with him back in 2017, maybe he helped me out. Like when I like left my old gym and he was like helping me write workouts, like before the, before I was on the podium for the first time. And, uh, yeah, he kind of took me under his wing and I stayed at his place and yeah, it was just a real good vibe. So I'm like, yeah, well, let's bring back those 2017 vibes because that was a good year. When do you come out? So I'm trying to organize a flight. I was meant to do it yesterday and did not. I'm hoping about the 14th of July. I would normally get there a little bit earlier but i really just don't want to be away from home that long um so um yeah i think about the 14th of july which will give me about two weeks beforehand and then i'll just head home straight

away afterwards brian are you concerned about that she was supposed to do it yesterday she didn't she was outside barefoot on the gold coast she's coming on the 14th brian well brian you have like travel travel anxiety for these guys i i mean there's some things that are that make me nervous about the international athletes coming in the case of cara i think this is your 10th games isn't it it's my what 10th i think so yeah no i think it's my what? 10th. I think so. Yeah. No, I think it's my ninth. I think next year will be my 10th. Um, I don't know.

What's the more incredible you've done nine or Brian got something wrong. I think it's nine now. I'm like 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17,

18. Then I sat out 19 did 20. Yeah. So, Oh yeah, this will be my ninth. Yeah. So she's got a lot of experience of traveling here before so i think you know i feel more confident that she'll be ahead of the ball on that than some

other athletes yeah i'm not worried about i know the process it's just the at the moment it's just a pain like i had to obviously get an exemption to leave the country because we're not allowed to leave the country um it's a lot more relaxed now than it was say six months ago. So I got that pretty quickly. I've done my visa. I've got like all of that stuff. I just literally, I think I've just been half procrastinating on the flights because I'm dreading transferring that much money to flights because it's so expensive. And I just, I had to make the very, very tricky decision to leave my daughter behind. So. And I just, um, I had to make the very, very tricky decision to leave my daughter behind. So I've been just avoiding the decision of like booking

the flight. So I think that's all it is, but, um, there's flights, there's flights there. And there's a couple of ways I can get over there. It's just a bit of a nightmare this year, really. It's just, uh, it's a mess. It's a, it's a bit of a mess, but at least I can get there and do something. I have to step away for one second but at least I can get there and do something. I have to step away for one second. Brian, you have a good question for her. Don't ask her your best question. I'm gone.

I'm going to wait for you to leave. You know James Newberry pretty well? Yeah. Has he already come over here to the u.s yeah i think maddie told me he came over to do the last chance qualifiers i think because he's like with the proven team now um so i think he was just kind of went into like a lockdown thing of just like training and doing that for his best chance to qualify because he missed out at the torian pro um that's just i don't really, keep up to date with a lot of stuff. That's Maddie passing information on to me, so hopefully it's right.

But, yeah, just – he went over there real quick. Yeah, that's what I thought, and we've been, you know, trying to talk to as many athletes as we can because some countries have pretty, like, it's a very, it's more difficult for them to get here than others. But I knew that he had done it. I thought he had done it pretty early on. And I, I've been kind of vocal about, you know, if you think you have a real chance in the last chance qualifier and you have to come internationally, it might be a good idea to try to do that here because otherwise, you know, it could be something

completely irrelevant to do with your fitness that prevents you from from making it to the games like to actually physically be at the games yeah well that's right and i mean i've been super realistic pretty much along this whole process that you know i had people asking me all the time going like oh are you gonna get over there what's gonna happen i'm like i literally just have been realistic going anything could happen at any time i've had no expectations to be at the Games or not be at the Games or be at, like we almost could have had our semi-final shut down because there was an outbreak in Victoria and all these athletes came from Victoria and they had a lockdown and they actually had to turn some people away and send them home

and the whole procedure had to change. Like it could have just ended then and we could have just not even had a qualifying event. So, you know, I just like, I'm not stupid. You know, I know how the world is. And I'm just like, look, at any moment in time, like I still fully expect that I could book a flight. It could be canceled. I could be turned around. I could get COVID when I get there. I could, you know, like it's not done and I'm not there until I'm there. So I'm kind of just like ready for anything. And if it happens, it happens. It's like, there's no point stressing about it because like, I can't control it. I can't control it. It's just like the world's

just a little bit crazy. So I just like do each step at a time. I mean, our exemptions came through really quick. All of us athletes, it took three days. Um, and, and they were approved for us to leave the country whereas beforehand a couple of months ago i was told people were getting knocked back one or two times before they were getting approved and it was taking quite a long time and then my visa literally from the moment i made the payment to apply for the visa it came into my inbox three minutes later and i was like in 2000 and i tried to get to the games. I think it was, what would it have been? 2018, I went to get on a plane and I thought my visa was still valid and

it wasn't. And then they're like, and I, so I applied for it at the airport. It's normally really quick. And back then there were so many people traveling. They said it takes up to 72 hours. I had to go home, get on a flight the next day, hope it had come through like, and this time was three minutes. So like that, that's definitely changed a lot. Um, but yeah, like flight prices and all that, but then, yeah, like, um, there's a lady here that, um, brings her little boy to gymnastics with my daughter and, uh, her husband's a professional boxer and he has to travel to the U S and everything. And, um, he's like so paranoid cause he's like, you know, you can

get over there and then you get COVID, you test positive and you can't even fight. You don't even do your competition. So I'm like, look, anything could happen. I mean, they're going to test me about 5 million times from when I leave to before I compete. So, but yeah, they could literally go, no, you've got it. You need to go home. And I've traveled all that way and spent all that money for nothing. And it just is what it is. I, you know, I could make the choice to stay. I could not come. You know, I said to Maddie, if, if I was, if this was a lot earlier in my career, you

know, if it was like 22, 23 year old me, and I wasn't really doing too well yet, I probably would just stay home. Um, I'd just go, look, it's not worth it. It's not worth taking, you know, like taking that risk, taking all the, you know, all the cash and whatever. I'll just sit out a year. But I'm definitely in the later half of my career. I've worked so damn hard to like earn the spot and, you know, like after everything. So like, I wouldn't, you know, I wouldn't miss it, but it could still be, you know. And you could do really well.

Yeah, I could do really well. And, you know, I, I worked really hard for it all year and I'm like, oh, I could come get some cash and come back and, you know, renovate my house a bit more, pay my bills. So is anyone coming with you from Australia or are you coming alone? No, I'm going to be totally solo. So, so um we just like couldn't what yeah it's it's going to be will you have a will someone from the united states like a coach or anything be there at the games you're just doing it carl yeah so so nick will be there um as as my coach um i haven't actually spoken to him about like the whole process there. I'm not sure if he has other athletes that will be competing that he'll be managing as well, but otherwise, yeah, I'll be solo. Um, it just, we just Fowler with brute. Okay. Is it okay. He was in Vegas. I didn't say hi to him, but I did see him there. Yeah. Um, Ryan from Romwood like sent me a photo. He's like,

I found your coach at the airport or something. I took a selfie with him. I'm like, oh, sick. Um, but yeah, he's, he's good. So he'll like obviously be there in like a coaching capacity, but, um, but otherwise I'll be doing, yeah, I'll just be doing a trip. I have to put my big girl pants on and I've like spoken to my naturopath and like, I had a call with her last night about like getting me some herbs and stuff to make sure that I'm like emotionally grounded while I'm there so I don't have meltdowns because I've like traveled by myself. I'm jet lagged. I've left my husband and my daughter. And I'm like a super emotional person too.

I'm very, very like attached to my family. So I'm just going to, in my eyes, I'm just going to come in, do my job and leave. Like that's, don't mess around, get it done, get out. Um, people, this is, um, this is tripping me out because when you go to the games, the top 10, top 20, I don't know, maybe all of the competitors, they have someone there with a cooler. They have someone who says they grabs the athlete and says, so the athlete doesn't have to think and be like, okay, go take your ice bath. Okay. Here's your towel. Okay. Go close your eyes. I'll wake you up in 20 minutes when it's time to

warm up. I mean, you need a handler for these events because these, yeah. And the reason why you do is because the these they're running these athletes hot i mean they're all experienced athletes but they're really being pushed to these weird all the things that you think in light you think you look at the competition you just think it's this physical exertion it's not it's an intellectual and emotional beat down and so you need to be like conserving every tiny bit of energy you can. And you basically need someone just to like you're a horse. Just move you around from event to event.

Make sure you have hay in your stall and it's the right temperature. I'm shocked that especially someone who can run as hot as you. You have in the past thrown a brick on your gas pedal. have in the past um put thrown a brick on your gas pedal um your emotional and intellectual capacity is in your will is stronger than even your physical which is kind of bizarre to even wrap your head around because i think most athletes are the other way around um what's matt is maddie concerned for you is he like jesus you're she's a she's a ferrari and she's going to go out there and throw a brick on the gas pedal and then just put her head down and drive off a cliff the only thing he like he wants me to get someone to like yeah to be my slave for the week like be my person run around but i'm like and they

need to be strong they need to be strong you are a bull too let's not fucking kill ourselves you are a fucking bull yeah so i i just said no i'll be fine i'm like i'm i kind of like i don't like people helping me see people she's already saying no that's what i mean this this is not a she needs someone strong who says yes she needs maddie to be like no yes you do and fucking put hit the button on her shot caller the um so like the only thing he you know he normally like kind of runs, he usually just like keeps me chill, right. And runs and gets me a coffee and random stuff.

But like the thing he's more concerned about is we always joke about that. Like probably one of the main reasons that I've never won the games is because I always stuff up the logistics. So I'll always forget like, oh, you have to move that or do that. Or like, you know, like there's always these little like logistics things in a workout that might be really short. It can cost you places because you've made some kind of critical error. And I've made lots of critical errors.

And he's always a guy that's like, remember to set your assault bike seat height before you go out there. I'm like, seat height, seat height. Like he's the last thing I hear before I go out. But I have been like mentally preparing for weeks for like, yeah, the whole process and how I need to like, how I need to see it and how I need to step up. And I'm kind of like, not just going in like normal me. Um, I've got Dan there too.

So if I need to ask like random stuff or whatever, like, you know, he might help me out and I'll have Nick obviously. Um, and he can kind of like, you know, in the way of strategy, all those things to remember or whatever. And then the rest of it, honestly, I kind of like am excited by it because for one, I always do better in times of like adversity when things are a little bit like of a struggle, I do better. Like I was an only child for a very, very long time. My mom was a single parent who worked all the time. I learned how to do things by trial and error. I've made all the mistakes and that's where I thrive. So if I have

too many people around me, I actually don't like it. Like I do worse. I'm a bit of like, Maddie said to me, I'm like, not, I'm not really a team player. I'm a solo. Like that's how I ride. So, um, you know, obviously then there's just like my family, but I still, everything I do, I I'm pretty independent in it. So, um, yeah, I'm kind of excited by the, just kind of going with my intuition a little bit. Like I know, like I know how to eat. I know how to, I know what to do. Yeah. I just have to do it. I just have to have a plan and I need to like test my like resiliency and my attitude and like to stay level. Um, plus technically I usually have me and my daughter, so I have way less to think about. I have so much more head space. I've

freed up a whole person. So, um, yeah, I don't have to, that's a good way to look at it. I think it's all about your perception. And even, even the moving, for those of you who haven't been to Madison, it's, it's it's um it's a remarkable event but they move the athletes around so much and there's so much access to the athletes and it's even just having someone there who's like well people are trying to take pictures with you or i mean that or get your autograph or whatever that you're going to get mobbed there because of who you are um do you almost need a handler to play the bad cops, just grab you by your hand and drag you through from, you know, I mean, I know they do a pretty

good job at that, but part of the experience there is to let all the fans get really, really close. You know, after every event, people can grab you, touch you, ask for pictures. I mean, man, I'm thinking about going and just being your handler. Jesus. Yeah. I've done, that was one thing I was like kind of worried about. Cause I, um, was setting up our, like my business is going to be there, um, setting up our eyewear and they were like, Oh, you know, my partners were like, Oh, can you go to the stand and, you know, do an appearance at some point? And I was kind of like, Oh fuck. No, probably not. Um, like I don't want to, I said, you know, they, I mean, Madison, there's so much access. I would have to get there

by myself. I'm like, I wouldn't even have Maddie there. So I'd just want to, I said, you know, they, I mean, Madison, there's so much access. I would have to get there by myself. I'm like, I wouldn't even have Maddie there. So I'd just be like wandering around the, you know, the village, the vendor village or whatever by myself. Um, so that was definitely one thing. Cause people do, they get like, yeah, you can't do that. You'll get, you'll get crushed. You could never go into vendor village.

You would get, you would never make it out to the next event. I know. So I was like, and it would, that would, And they'd pull the clothes off of you and shit. Like the Beatles, they'd rip your clothes off. You show up to the next event naked. Yeah. That would be stressful. So yeah, I, um, I'll just like, we'll stick with some, I'll just like, I don't know, third

wheel on like a little group or whatever when they walk. I'm not like, and the other thing too is like, yeah, you kind of need, I know it's part of the experience to like see the athletes. And if I have the ability to, like, if I'm not like hustling to an event or anything like that, you know, I'll smile and wave and be friendly or whatever, but like, realistically, we're there to do a job too. Right. Like, and you, um, I think it's important that the, the spectators and the fans understand that, like for them to have a show to watch, they have to let us do our process. And every athlete is really different. Um, and there's no, like, I always say this, like, cause people always go like, Oh,

is one athlete like nicer than the other behind the scenes? And I'm like, well, like, yeah, kind of, but everyone has their own process. Like some people need to be real kind of like bitchy and in the, in the zone, other people are like real, they cope by laughing and, you know, telling jokes and whatever. I'm like, there's no right or wrong. It's just like, whatever they need to get the most out of themselves for that weekend in that environment. Um, and then, you know, we're different people like outside that, but like, you just got to do what you got to do to like do something better than most people in the world can. And, um, so like if I have to be a little bit bad cop and be like, sorry, I can't stop right now. Like, I just got to do that.

Like I'm here to do a job. I'm not going to waste, I'm going to leave my family, the most important people to me and come over to please everyone else. Like I'm coming over to do that. Like I'm here to do a job. I'm not going to waste, I'm going to leave my family, the most important people to me and come over to please everyone else. Like I'm coming over to do me, like not waste it. And like I said, get home. Like, you know, those people too, like they're the fans and they're definitely a huge part of like our sport. Obviously no sport would exist without the fans and without them. But, you know, I'm also the one that's the only one in the gym training every day, you know, like doing all that crap. So, you know, I kind of deserve that. I have three questions for you, and I don't want to forget any of them. I want to talk about the eyeglasses and about what it's like, um, starting a business and let alone having the business be at the games. I want to talk about,

uh, the sacrifice, kind of the obligation you also have to work your hardest, um, because of how much your family has. I don't want to say a sacrifice cause I hate that word because it kind of compartmentalizes your life and it's not not compartmentalized. You guys are all in this ride together, but you are the horse that they've invested so much energy in, including your newborn daughter. But I want to start with this question. You say that you're an only child and that you're okay doing the solo thing. But actually, as I recall from hanging with you at the games,

what is very unique about you is you do hang with the other athletes but you hang with the dudes i would remember you hang with the dudes you're seeing you're more one of the dudes than you are one of the chicks yes is that is that an accurate assessment yeah is that an australian trait or is that a car sanders trade or what's the deal there oh yeah probably more just a me trait i um i definitely i don't think i necessarily like consider myself i'm very much uh like yeah maddie way says i'm very much a girl like i still am like outside of the fact that i'm always like you know sweaty and gross and training and throwing down doing a very like masculine activity for lack of a better term um I am very much a girl and like girly things but I definitely um feel a lot more like chill

and just comfortable and me around boys because there's less drama I just don't cope with the drama um and clumps of women like just I don't know I it's not even just drama. It's like a lot of female chat is like just really like shallow and I don't know, just like I'm always like in my head, I'm always busy. I'm always doing something. And so like, I just don't have time for like random stuff. I just like that. I don't know. I feel more comfortable around men, I guess, because they're kind of like it just is what it is. And if they've got nothing to say and they're over it, they're just like, I've got nothing to say and I'm over it. And I'm like, okay, cool. I'll pay that. Um, it doesn't bother me. There's no like emotion behind it. Um, and so I think, yeah,

that's why I feel, and that's why like I have definitely have girlfriends and there's, there's girls that I feel a little bit easier. Like it's a little bit easier for me to connect to because they're kind of, they're like that too. Like, you know, your Briggsies, you know, she's just like, it's how she is, you know, take it or leave it. It's cool to be, it's okay to be different. You don't have to be the same, but yeah, that's probably, that's probably the only reason why I just, I just generally like generally get along with men a little bit better. You are, I watched a ton of your videos on your YouTube

channel. You definitely very feminine. You always have the beautifully waxed and lotion legs and you have all the fucking beautiful girly clothes that make you look, make your body look insane. Yeah. Um, and your videos, the editing of your videos where a lot of the women are going for like this, this sort of techno hard hitting, I'm a badass. And I like those. I'm not, I'm not digging those. Yours is kind of more like, like romper room or peewees playhouse. You have like, you're trying to do a handstand workout that's serious. And there's a dog biting you and a baby grabbing you. And it's got like this really like chill music that's like pianos like something like you played for your kid while they're you know coloring and so you have that your videos have this mom vibe to it not this savage athlete who just has the crazy bass bass bass line you know yeah well like so you are doing that i think like uh like the the savage athlete is already there like it's already in me right that's why i do what i do like that you know if i need to bring the heat and need to throw down i can bring it so i don't really need anything on

the outside to get me going if i did i probably am not like i'm not like a i'm not an athlete. Like in my eyes it's in me. And then but like I do my best when I'm chill. Like if I'm like have no stress, like no expectations, and I'm just chill and I do me, like I'm really fit, I'm real strong, I train hard. So if I can just show up in my most like just chill and level, like as my most chill and level self that's when I do my best when I stress or things are like too angsty I just don't do very well um I've I've got a lot of like internal fire and like energy and it just like revs me too high so normally I

just kind of like bring everything down and that's yeah that's where I like to be and then yeah like I have you know dogs around and a kid around that's not that's not for the that's not for youtube like that's just real that's just how it goes and um yeah i know like people are always like oh like how do you do it or you don't like well you just you just do like you just that's just what i have with me so i'm gonna i'm not gonna stop i like what i do and it's my job. So, but yeah, it's definitely more true vibes. I'm going to say something that's going to piss some people off here. And I realize it's my biased one-sided opinion, but the chatter amongst the women at the games is significantly more superficial and driven by nervous energy.

There's a lot of like uncomfortable giggling. There's a lot of like just talk that's like feel that feels like it's just to talk, to feel, fill the silence where I don't get that from the men's side. If they want to be quiet, like someone like Ben Smith, they're quiet. If they want to talk,

fuck, they'll just look right over at you and be like, fuck you. Like in the warmup area, they'll just look over and be like, Hey, you're doing your warmup squat wrong. You think you're going to win the game game put that and they just rip on each other

i mean it's just fucking savage back there yeah it's just real though right like it's just nice yeah yeah yeah yeah i'd agree with you on that i think for sure and i think it's just that's just kind of like how girls are a little bit more. And if they get a little bit nervous or whatever, they just like, and I think I noticed too, what happens is like a lot of the, I think it would happen more so in like the, in the like rookie girls every year, like maybe some haven't been there as much or whatever. They're more concerned about having the other girls like them and like being, you know, like pals or whatever, then like, and like, don't get me wrong. Like, yeah, I definitely don't want to like go and be rude to anyone, but I'm like, Oh, it's cool. Like,

you can not like me. That's okay too. Like, you know, whatever it takes for you to win. Yeah. Like I'm just, I'm whatever mindset you want. Yeah. And then like, when we get off it, like I'm just doing what I'm going to do. And then like, you know, if we go to a dinner or whatever, like after the games, I'm going to be like, Hey, and then still some people just don't like some people and that's okay. That's not bad. Um, like that's why, that's why some people like click and date or whatever and others don't, you know? Um, so yeah, that's, that, that's sort of like one thing I sort of observe and I'm like, Oh man, I just like, I just, I'm just there kind of like doing me doing my own thing. If someone asks me a question or whatever, I'm not going to

not answer it. I'm not going to like be rude and snap or like you know tell them the fuck off or anything like that but um but yeah the boys are definitely just a little bit more like they just they just it's like it's like so it's basic like dudes are basic i feel this so i'm just gonna do this girls are like this big complex like just it's it's not are there any girls who fall in are there any women who fall into that category with you i was going to throw a name out there of another another female but i don't want to say it until you say it i mean i'll tell you who i think it is who's also just like holy shit she's real as fuck and she's cool as shit is there anyone you can think of where you're just like

yeah that chick's got it. She's more like me. Like currently competing? I think she's currently competing. I think she's going to have to go through the last chance qualifier. I don't know. It's Sam Briggs. Oh, yeah. Sam Briggs seems so comfortable in her skin to me. Yeah, yeah.

Briggs is just like – she's – yeah, she 100% is and I think – And she's English, ironically. Yeah, we have like a very similar like – I guess a similar nature. We're different but like Aussies and then, yeah, people from like the UK have like a really similar kind of character, similar humor and things. So, yeah, I yeah, she's, I feel like she's super easy to be around. Cause again, she just does, she's kind to everyone, but she does what she just needs to do. She's, we always joke around about it. I'm like, there's so much nicer. Like when people come in, when she's like, you know,

is training with me at the gym or whatever. And people come and ask her for photos and stuff and they interrupt her and they'd be a pest. And she's just, like, so patient and goes along. She's like, it's all good, and I'm like, fuck, that's so annoying. I'm in the middle of the set. Like, I'm the cranky one. And I'm like, oh, fine, like, you know, we joke around, but she's just like, yeah, she's just good. She's just herself and just cruises along,

and, you know, she'll be still competing at, like, 80 years old or something, just crushing goals. She has, like, she'll be still competing at like 80 years old or something, just crushing goals. She has like a, she has like a motherly vibe. I would think that every year she's been there, she should have won the spirit of the games. I mean, I've said that before, but like, she does, she seems to be, yeah, she definitely has like a, she's just so like, um, she's like, like patient and wise, you know, like she's just super patient, just like, and she just like is really dedicated. Nothing bothers her. Like, you know, like I said, like I'm kind of like erratic. I'll be like, Oh, I'm fucking sore. And this is falling apart. I'm

cranky today. And you know, like, and she's just like, turn up, did my work. It's all good. Life's good. Nice to people. Like just, she's just so good. She definitely has like a, yeah, just like a real chill, like kind of nurturing vibe. And then she's like so good she definitely has like a yeah just like a real chill like kind of nurturing vibe and then she's like an animal in the workout it's so funny so you have a sunglass business yes are those your two primary things you're a you're a you're a crossfit athlete and you're running a global sunglass sung? Yeah, yeah, that's pretty much the main thing I'm doing. We kind of like set that up. I always wanted to do something outside. So I made a call back in my early days of CrossFit.

I didn't complete my university degree and I stayed with CrossFit. And I just chose, I always said, I was like, I'm just going to ride this wave. And I was like, look, I can come back to it if I ever want to come back to it. So it's not a problem. Um, and I actually did try and study when Scotty was like really little and Maddie was like, something's got to give, you can't stay up late and study and then get up with a baby and then train. Like it's too much. It's not the time. Um, but, uh, I gave that up and I wanted something like outside of this sport. Cause like I said, being an athlete for one, it can end at any time. Um, you know, like there's no, you could get injured or just not be good enough anymore or whatever. And then like the party

stops. So, um, I never wanted to like, yeah, just sort of like be stressed and like, can not have anything to go to not have something else that's like driving me and something else to do and something else to like bring in obviously income is like a huge thing like a job so I pretty much um yeah set it up as something that was really fun that I really enjoy and also set myself up a job for um you know post CrossFit and how is that how is the business I mean tell me about it it's good how old is it do you do you love? How did you choose sunglasses? Did sunglasses choose you? A little bit of all of the above. So we are just coming up to our first birthday. So we launched right in the middle of the peak of the pandemic in July. So everything kind of went ass up in

March. And then we had these plans to launch that kept getting pushed back, pushed back. Cause you know, something always gets in the way it's like renovations and they drag out and, uh, we sort of sat down and had to make a call. And I was like, let's go full steam ahead. We've put all this work in. I said, um, let's just make it really fun when we launch, let's give, um, people something to get excited about. We did these, like, I can't remember how many there were, but we did like a ton of really big giveaways, um, with like assault runners and random stuff. And we were like, people are online. They're scared. They're like, you know, it's a really uncertain time. We're like, let's just make it really fun and make ourselves like memorable as well. Um, since we're launching in a really, really tricky time where people don't know whether

to spend money or not spend money or whatever. And, um, and we're like, look, and let's give them also something to like their sunglasses to work out. So if they're at home in the garage and they're not feeling motivated, we'll like give them out to people and, and all that kind of stuff. So we went ahead in July, we're coming up to our first birthday. Um, we're doing really well. We've got a small team. It started pretty much with a guy that I met years and years ago, very entrepreneurial, has other businesses, does really well. Also just like a really good human. He's a dad of three. He like is a very hands-on dad. His kids are at work with him all the time and he's, you know, out doing outdoor activities with them all the time, just like a really, really good human. And, um, and he kind of like, we just sort of clicked on like a, on a personal and a business sort of level. And then, um, you know, we're talking

about maybe doing something. And then one day he was like, you know, he was trying to do his dad workouts out the front of his garage and he's doing GHDs and his sunnies are coming off. And, you know, it was like really bright and he's like, oh man, this is really annoying. And then he's called me, always calls me with these random crazy ideas. Like 99% of them are just wild and never go ahead. And then this one, I was like, yeah, man, I love it. I'm like, that's cool. Let's roll with this. And, um, and we live in Australia. It's like always sunny. And obviously like we're in the sport of like fitness and we were like, let's do this. So we just threw ourselves in and we've got like a really tiny team.

We need more people. We're busy. We need more hands. At some point I'm going to need to go into it a little bit more and work it more because I have so many ideas and so much stuff I can drive, but there's just only so much I have of me to give right now. And we're very understanding of that within the business for the moment that I'm still doing my competing and, and all of that kind of stuff. That's really important. Um,

and then, yeah, I'll kind of like, eventually I will step over to that, like in a, in a greater capacity and then, yeah, like steer that ship essentially. So, but it's doing really well it's being well received we could if i was there more if i had more time we'd probably be doing even better again but we're just working with what we have um and yeah it's good it's fun as far as the business goes like sunglasses it's not what's the name of the sunglasses company active it's activ active i wear um and what's the guy's name? The guy with the three kids?

Dan. There's another Dan. Dan? What's his last name? Elena Duff. I struggle to say it. He sounds like the me of the podcast world. Yeah.

I'm the world's greatest dad who has a podcast. Yeah, that's pretty much it. He's always turning up with one to three of the children it just depends on which one or two or three that you're gonna get depending on what his wife needs to do and whatever like he's he's good he's kind of like and he's he's tired he's a tired man he's working really hard he's working he's scaling his other business and still like you know dedicating time with his wife and trying to get in little moments away wherever they can and still raise their kids. And, um, yeah, he's good. So like, they're the kind of people that I guess I align with. And, um, so yeah, we just do the best we can. And we're definitely like a family, a family oriented business. We have another

partner. Um, then there's two other people that have come in, and we all have kids. So one of the other guys has three boys, and then AJ, who works our day-to-day, he has two little girls that he looks after. So we're all like – we all kind of just help each other out where we need to. We kind of can pick each other up, pick each other's slack up wherever we need to and get things done. So, yeah, now we're going to be at the CrossFit Games, which is super exciting. Was it difficult to get get things done. So, yeah, now we're going to be at the CrossFit Games, which is super exciting. I didn't sort of expect that to happen.

Was it difficult to get a spot at the Games or how did you – was that process tough? Honestly, I've had absolutely no part in that process. I've done none of it. So Dan and AJ did all of that kind of stuff. They've sort of set up that connection and all of those kind of stuff. Um, they've sort of set up that, that connection and all of those kinds of things. So, um, I, at the moment they're kind of letting me just go and do my thing. And, um, which is really hard for me to write because like my business is going to be at the games for

the first time, but I know I'm the only person there. They're not going to be there. I'm not going to have anyone. And I know that my business is over sitting there, but like I need to compete. So that's where I'm like, I, you know, it's like, it's like your like your baby it's your baby like over sitting in the area and you've got to just leave it and trust that it's okay um but they've set all of that up and i'm just like yeah cool active's here um i think you're smart i think you you don't make a commitment ever to go to the booth you fucking completely blow it off and then when you get there after like the third event that you you won you fucking something clicks in your brain and you run over there and you're like oh my god you guys i'm so excited to have you at my sunglass booth and you know what i mean but you just

yeah you know i mean i do that all the time i'm not gonna do this i'm not gonna do this i'm not gonna do this knowing somewhere that like i might do it but i can't have the commitment in my brain no no no that's what i said i'm like yeah i said look i can't have the commitment in my brain. No, no, no. That's what I said. I'm like, yeah, I said, look, I can't. And like the way the games goes too, like they could be like, I don't know if I'm going to have three hours break. I don't know if I'm going to have one.

I don't know what events I'm going to do to the final hour. I don't know if I'm going to go get drug tested in between there and go, oh, I've committed to, no, it's too much. It's too much. So like they, they're fine. They understand that they had to ask the question and I have to like educate them on my process because they don't really know what that game's process is like um and then and maybe you'll test positive for covid and you can spend the entire time in vendor yeah legit i'll just be like crying through my sunglasses

i just think it's funny that you can test positive but then go to the village is that is that legit? I mean, for me it is. I wouldn't give a fuck. Fuck you. I take care of myself. I think you could drink a gallon of SARS-CoV-2 and be fine. What were you strongest at the last time you were at the games?

What would be like your ideal workout? And is that the same kind of workout you'd like now? Like, would you like, you know? I typically do. Or have you changed? So back then I would typically do well in like chipper style workout, something with like, I get bored easy. So things that change a lot is good.

I hate like the repetition of like five rounds. I like, cause you know, I always say to Maddie, I like my pain to be entertaining. Like I, I, I need the workout to be kind of fun. And like, while I'm hurting to kind of like get lost in it, if it's really like repetitive, that's why I hate long runs. I could probably be a lot better at long runs. Like not, not too much better because I'm definitely not really built for it. But, um, but I just am so bored. Like I'm just, but you're still good, man. I've worked on it a lot. You're so good at long. You're so good at long workouts. I've worked, um, regardless, I've definitely worked on that a lot. Um, but yeah, typically I like, I like a chipper. My favorite CrossFit workout of all time at the

CrossFit games was a triple G chipper. It was one of the only times that I think I could ever say that I was in the zone, like really in the zone where like, I didn't know, I knew everything that was around me, but I wasn't paying attention to anything. Like, but somehow I knew, like, it was just this most like blissful, like memory, like the most blissful feeling, like I think I've ever had in competition. Um, and I love, I love that kind of workout. I still love that kind of workout for sure. Something that really

like progresses along the field and you do one thing and then you do a new thing and you keep, keep going that way. Um, I typically do well with, um, so always I still do well, whether I like it or not, I don't necessarily love it, but I do well when there's a barbell cycled at a relatively like slightly heavier weight. I'm not, I don't have the super heaviest one RMs, but like that just under like that heavy weight, I can just go until I die. Like I can just keep turning it over and over and over and my body just never stops. Um, so something like that paired with something else. So, you know, with something high skill or, um, with something else. So, you know, with something high skill or, um, you know, like with a bike or something like that, or a row is, is kind of something that's, or I'm randomly like pretty

good at chest to bar pull-ups. That's, that's, yeah, it's like, if it was like a chest to bar pull-up and, you know, barbell cycle, like snatch or something, that's probably a pretty, pretty good workout for me still to this day, whether I train it or not, it's just what my body likes. By a couple at one, the last event you won at the CrossFit Games. Yeah, that was by a couple. It was that the – oh, yeah, it was like – it was light snatch though, right? It was kind of like a power snatch and then it had like chest to bars and then the other one had like snatch and bar muscle-ups or something.

Yep. Is that that one yeah I remember why I won that one too was um the other girls got caught up in a race and they didn't see me coming and I remember I was just like cruising and doing my thing and they they were like making each other frantic and they were like battling the two of them and they just like they got so caught up looking at one other competitor that they forgot that there were another eight on the field and um and I was like just doing my strategy and i knew where they were and they were like kind of pushing to like um you know and and technically like it's it's an edge that i don't have because

they'll be like really competitive and they're like i'll i'll try the one more i'll take the risk and just go but it backfired and then i was down the side and went, Ooh, and like just came through. So, um, that was fun. Who were the two girls? I think it was Tia and Katrin maybe. I think they like, they will like battling. And like, I do say this too. I definitely will give them credit for like a, I guess a competitive skill that I lack is that I'm not always really great at going like, I'll take the gamble and I'll push that last thing. Sometimes it'll come out in me every now and again, but I lack that fire. I still am like, oh, I'll be a little bit cautious and, you know, play to my strategy. And then like, you know, say at Torian Pro, the event where I came sixth, I was way too cautious. And then I finished the workout and I was like, Oh, that was stupid. I'm like, I like, I'm not even tired. I just expected myself to blow up and I wasn't

willing to take a risk. And so I ended up just being slow. Um, what, what does Maddie say about that to you? Um, yeah, like, I mean, he, or what does Nick say to you? Uh, nothing really too much. I don't think, uh, you know, Maddie just kind of like listens to my stories and then he'll like, sometimes he'll be like, yeah, like he, he'll kind of tell me like, I'm better at something. Like I've, I struggle when I've improved at something to realize I've improved at it. And I'll always like live off the hang up, like the hang up of that. I wasn't as great at it. And so, um, you know, I had a conversation with Nick after Tori and about that workout specifically. I said, I need a couple of things in training that pushed me out of my comfort zone with like, um, with kind of like reckless

abandonment kind of feels, you know, like I need you to like make me have to do something unbroken and then go into something else because I need to know my body and understand where my limitations are a little bit more where I can't strategize. And so I've, uh, since then he's like, yep, that that's good. That makes perfect sense. I give him that feedback and then he'll give me workouts where like, you know, it's 15 or so muscle ups straight into something where like I have to go unbroken and then try and perform and then see if I actually can. Cause in my brain I go, okay, I'll break that up into like two sets, have a quick break. And then I'll be able to do the handstand push-ups quicker. But in reality, I do them unbroken and then I get down

and I do the handstand push-ups the same speed and I didn't need that break. But I don't know that until I test that. So, yeah, I just have to understand that weakness in myself and then I just tell Nick and then he adjusts my program accordingly based off my feedback and then obviously what he's viewed from the outside in. Carl, when I was watching the Touring in Pro, I was pretty impressed with Ellie Turner.

But also as I was watching her, I was thinking to myself, this reminds me of like almost a young Cara Saunders or Cara Webb. And then I look back at the results from the weekend and actually your results and hers mirrored each other very much in the sense that events you did well on, she did well on, and events that you had your worst performances on were her worst performances. So one, I was wondering if you noticed that or not at all. And two, have you gotten any sense or feel from her or any of the other young

Aussie girls that they're, like, excited to be out there competing with you? Have they told you they look up to you or were inspired by you to get into this sport? So to answer the first question, yeah, I definitely did notice that there was, like, a little bit of the same kind of strengths and weaknesses with Ellie. I kind of just put it down to she seems seems like a bit of like a heavier set. I don't know how you call a female, like heavier set without like being offensive in CrossFit. It's like, we're a bit thicker, right? We're a bit thicker, a bit heavier, like she's strong. And so I definitely kind of resonated with that. So then things like climbing up the rope, especially cause she's so young, she just needs time. And you kind of get better at those things but then when you're a little bit heavier like I've always been like around 10 kilos or like 25

pounds heavier than all the other girls in the field bar a very select few so I've had to work pretty hard to over time to either I had two options either become a lot less strong and try and be as light as possible without dying or just get strong and be able to move my body weight around. And that just has taken years and years and years and still like something like a legless rope climb or whatever. I'm just going to be a little bit behind cause I'm just real heavy. Um, and I think Ellie's a little bit like that in the earlier days. So she'll just kind of like get better and just excel and, um, and she'll, she'll be good, but she's also naturally like quite strong in certain things as well. Like, you know, she was sitting next to me on a roller and she was just like in the,

um, like triathlon event and she was just beasting it. You know, she was just so strong on that thing. Um, cause I was like looking over at her page, I was like, I can't keep it. Um, and, uh, yeah, so she's, she's kind of crazy, you know, it's a 45 minute workout and she beat you by 12 seconds. So it was like a pretty close race for a long workout. Yeah. Yeah. It was, uh, um, it was close. We were all like super similar. I actually, um, so that was the only workout I did in training that I practiced. And it was mainly just for pacing. Cause I hadn't sort of tested something like that in a while. Um, but in training the row, when I got to the row, it was like really easy. And I was like, oh, this row feels amazing. And I was like pulling the thing real hard.

And then out in the event, I got, you know, I don't do well in heat. We know 2015, I didn't do well in heat. The sun was like beaming through the stadium on the run. I was right in the middle and everyone's like, oh, you poor thing, you needed your sunnies out there because it was like just beaming down on me on that and the bike because I was in the middle lane. And it was just the time of day that it came through the stadium. And then I just felt like so cooked and so hot by the time I got to the row. And I was just like, oh, I was like so lethargic and I was like struggling to pull a decent pace at all. I think maybe I probably didn't fuel accordingly too. I think being the first event, we sat around a lot in the day. I don't think I fueled properly like right before the event

and that affected me a little bit. And so I kind of like my tank emptied by the time I got to the row and she was so strong on the row, she just had more to give. And so she kind of made up a fair bit of time there too. But yeah, and then so for part two of your question, um, I don't know when like I sort of said that they've like watched me or looked up to me. I mean, I don't think, I don't know if anyone does. I think you kind of feel too nervous or whatever anyway, or I don't know if they do. Like, I don't know. Um, yeah, I, I, yeah, I don't know.

I don't, I definitely don't think about that. Brian, they were comparing Danny Spiegel to Cara a lot on the commentary at the West Coast Classic. Do you think that's a fair comparison? For some reason, I didn't think that that was a very good comparison well i mean you heard ricardo just said she's usually competing you know 15 to 25 pounds heavier than the average girl at the field and danny spiegel is definitely going to be in the same category at least in terms of that metric yeah it's probably those similarities that i think that we get that we get likened to like that we have that same kind of like, we're in that category.

Like I said to Maddie when she was like almost not qualifying, I was watching the leaderboard. I'm like, I need you to qualify because I need you to come and like wedge some points between certain events for me in like some of those like similar where we will be able to like, you know, maybe move a heavier barbell on repeat or whatever.

It's like weight moves weight too, right? And what's interesting in 2015, um, that, that was the year you did cross the finish line. Um, that was that Murph that you crashed the finish line and blacked out and you had to be stretched off. Yeah. And what's interesting, I guess, and to, to counter my argument at what in the run event, I don't know if you saw what happened to Danny Spiegel. I still haven't seen the video. I've only heard reports. But basically, it was a bunch of 1,500-meter runs with ruck runs carrying heavier and heavier weight with each 1,500 meters.

And in the final ruck run of 1,500 meters where she couldn't – I guess when she picked up the 40 pound bag, the medical staff saw her look punch drunk, I guess. And she was, uh, she was taken off. They didn't let her finish. I'm looking right here. She was capped. So that's interesting. I guess the difference is, is you made it across either the medical staff was worse at the games that year and they didn't pull you off in time or, or you have a little more in the gas tank than Danny Spiegel. Yeah, there's like, it's funny. I did so much research after that. I got really, really sick when I got home after that.

Like I was not, like I finished the games, obviously. And when I went to see my doctor, I had like all these kind of random symptoms and stuff. And she was like, you pretty much have like cooked your internal organs and they're just not working the way that they're supposed to work now. And so I still am quite heat sensitive. Like I'm still really mindful of it because I've done damage in that workout and I did a bit of research about it about people with like more muscle mass like we're obviously just generating so much more heat and in an event like that especially like every time I turn my

legs over that way like like, you know, a lot of my body weight between my legs is so heavy. Like I have so much muscle mass in my legs. Um, and through my body is it just, it was just like cooking me. Like, I think we're just, when you're a little bit heavier, you literally are just, you're generating so much heat. Um, and, uh, there's obviously a lot of other factors involved, but, um, yeah, that was, that was not fun. So I can definitely like sympathize with her on that. I listened to a, I don't know if I was listening to an audio book or it was something I was listening to anyway. And they were talking about, um, you know, how your body has like a mechanism to just like shut you down to obviously keep you alive if stuff is going down um and you will like

normally stop and then there's um oh yeah it was this professor from Harvard he like did this he does these like YouTube videos I can't remember his name off the top of my head and he was talking about like heat and cold treatment for um performance and stuff like that and then he said and then there's some people who have this ability to overwrite that, like that mechanism to like shut your will down where like deep down you're like going to go anyway. And he's like, and they're the people that like that can hold their breath and they'll actually pass out instead of most people will hold their breath and they'll go

like, and they'll gasp for air. And I feel like I unfortunately have the first one where I can like override and then something like Murph. Yeah. It probably would have been nice in hindsight if someone had to come and drag me off. But, um, they were obviously like, we're running out away from everyone. So I just don't know, like someone sees you for a second and then you disappear. And then, um, yeah, it was just like a little too late. But that was, yeah, that was not fun. That was. We woke you up at 530 this morning.

Five. I was up at five. It's now 7 a.m. Sorry, at five. So you could get your face on all that makeup and hair. Clearly. Hair work you had done. I'm still in my pajamas under here.

Yes, yes. Amazing. Um, thank you so much. Thanks for having me. It's nice to see you again. I apologize. Yeah.

Great seeing you too. I apologize for all the difficulties it took to set this up. Um, you will be, I, when I, when I watched the games, I only watched the heat to the people that I really like.

And I will make sure to watch the heats you're in because I really like watching you perform. So thank you crying in the heats you're in because I really like watching you perform so thank you I see you crying in the backstage but I like all the versions of you I like all the versions you gotta feel your feels Ryan now you say something oh yeah this is great

I'm really happy to hear that all the athletes you said in Australia have gotten you know at least the first steps going to be able to get over here. I'm hopeful that they'll all come. I think that each of them has a unique thing to offer to the games field this year. And, you know, certainly excited to have you back out there. It's been a couple of years since we've seen you compete, you know, live against the best woman in the world. And I can't wait to see what you can do. Thank you. I'm so keen. Can't wait.