ASH GENTLE & JOSH AMBERGER: TRIATHLON, T100 AND THE PREGNANCY THAT CHANGED EVERYTHING

[00:00] In the beginning podcast, counting you down to the T100 event happening right here on the Gold Coast in Courtney. Special event today. Special episode today, special edition today. For the first time in a long time, there's four of us here. Yeah, struggling with the camera is trying to get thought, but you know what, even more importantly, I think it's the first time we've had a couple in here. Yes, well, you've banned your wife from joining us on the podcast, so we've never been able to do the Atkinson's at home. But we are joined by the power couple of Australian triathlon, the one and only Ash Gentle and Josh Amberger.

[00:31] Good afternoon. Welcome. Did I get it right? Not really, I was close. We were having a giggle just before this about whether it was when you finished a race, or were presented on the podium after a race, that your surname got mispronounced. “Amberger”? It's just Amberger. I mean, that — still, I think the best part was Ash was the one who got most excited about that. Welcome, guys, thanks for coming in. No worries. Counting down to the T100, this first event of its kind here on

[01:01] the Gold Coast, launching the brand new series. Before we talk about the event specifically, what's it like being a couple, Both professionally racing are all around the world. I mean, Josh, we know you've just retired from as a professional racer, but how does that work? I mean, it presents some challenges, but it's also been amazing. I've absolutely loved the last few years. We spent so much time apart originally because I was, you know, going after my short course dream with the Olympics,

[01:32] and I was always with, you know, triathlon, Australia and a few different training groups. And Josh was chasing his own dreams, mostly in America first and then in Europe doing middle distance racing, kind of leaving short course super early on in his career. But once I stepped up to the middle distance, we've been able to travel and train together. And yeah, I've actually really loved it. But Josh just retired, so this will be a whole new chapter. Yeah, I guess for a long time it kind of felt cobbled together,

[02:05] our relationship. He I was here, you were there, But yeah, both doing the same sport, but essentially two different things. So made it work and we were talking a bit earlier. 15 years later I proposed. We're now actually married. So yeah. Well, that's, well, we were talking earlier about that cause Josh used to Josh obviously when he's racing, I was racing at the same time in Truflon and the room behind us here, we were just talking about, we used to, you know, go training and play PlayStation in the back here. And apparently I I kept Josh

[02:37] from Ash a few times, where he had to rush home and skip back to Brisbane. But how did you actually — I don't know this story — how did it actually start? What was the first time? How did you two meet? Well, not me, but — we don't need to get into it. No, no, no, come on — we're just excited there's a couple on the podcast, but come on, let's keep it going — when did the relationship actually start, exactly? 'Cause I'm serious, I don't know this story. We all know how it developed over time, but what was the actual — we started travelling together as

[03:07] juniors. You were there on that trip — Hamburg 2007, the ITU World Champs. I was only 16 then, that was my first ever Junior World Championships, but that would have been the first time we met. I was 17, for the record. We weren't dating then, but we probably met even before that — with the junior series in Australia, those races in Runaway Bay, Hobart and Canberra. I was living on the Gold

[03:39] Coast. I grew up here, yeah, not far from where we are now. And Josh was always in Brisbane. So we never really saw each other that much. But obviously when those junior camps happened or the the racing, we'd see each other. Yeah, you were quite exotic for me, being a Gold Coaster and being a frizzy boy in the private school system. So yeah. So how did you, well, how did, how did you end up it? So you've built a house in Brisbane together, Yeah, out on the north side. And how did you end up in Brisbane and not here on the Gold Coast? Yeah. So that I don't know we.

[04:09] Travel running's better. That is a big call. But the running is exceptional where we live. But yeah, so we were both, look, I was looking at places on the Gold Coast pretty early on. I think I was looking at them excluding Josh just for my own perusal. And then I was travelling a lot with Jamie Turner's squad. I was in Wollongong a lot that in Spain, and I guess we started to look a bit more seriously after that. And yeah, a piece of land came up northwest Brisbane and I

[04:42] don't know, we just went there and like, it just felt right. So we bought it and I'm really glad we did. We sat on the land for a little bit, but started building around 2:18. And I was familiar, familiar with the area because I used to go up to Brisbane a little bit to see Josh. It's the same suburb which he grew up in. So yeah, I'm, I'm really happy with that decision. And my brother and his wife and baby and my parents still live here. So it's really nice to come back. And and the Gold Coast has changed a lot, but it's still home for me and I love coming back here.

[05:12] So a lot of our audience obviously have been listening to us leading up to the T110K run. So there's a lot of runners who listen. Give us, I heard there's a little bit of debate here. Where is your NUM, your favourite spot in southeast Queensland to run? Give us your number one spot. I'd say starting at Einbach Gully or Samford Conservation Park, heading up Camp Mountain way down into the pony tracks in Samford and finishing back in in Einbach around Fanny Hills area, northwest Brisbane.

[05:44] You run that? No whatever. Really surprised, obviously now. Yeah, OK. What about you, Ash? Yeah, probably similar to be honest, like, yeah, well, I've probably done 1 billion laps of Pizzey Park in my throughout my childhood and teenage years. But yeah, when I was going up to Brisbane to see Josh and then obviously eventually moving there, Yeah, the running I loved so much, it's it's tough. I was used to running a lot of flats here on the Gold Coast and I used to run actually a lot

[06:14] with Emma Moffatt in Nerang. Those trails, trails there are pretty tough, but I always loved those sessions. So then, yeah, when I ran in Bunyaville and Samford Conservation Park, yeah, I I loved it. And yeah, I do it all the time now for my easy runs. I think there's a road trip coming. We. May have to go and get it. Well, we've got some. We've got some guides. Don't we? Full disclosure bias over here from Courtney Atkinson. The Nerang, the 17 K loop in there that is known on Strava as the goat loop is because of this podcast is becoming Courtneys loop.

[06:46] He has people referring it to him as Courtneys loop. So he's pretty proud of the Nerang loop at the moment. So there's a little bit of. Bias there. There's his bias. Yeah. So with, I mean Ashleigh with T100, you must nearly be the most you've won the most T100 races. Is that right? Has been going or. Between the PTO and T100, I think Taylor Knibb has won the most, but yeah, I've probably competed in most. You've competed in the most. Well, you've won, you've won not you've won plenty. Plus all those nooses we were just joking earlier on about which nooses a year you've won. She's just won every year, so she doesn't even have to think

[07:17] about it. But give us a background because we've been talking about T100 more about the run, but give us a little bit of an idea of where T100 started or PTO started, how it it began and then like where it is now here on the Gold Coast, because we know there's only a in the triathlon elite race, am I correct? It's only a women's race on here on the Gold Coast, Yes. So give us a little bit of a rundown the history. So I think the first race that PTO would have actually done would have been in Daytona. That was before I started doing middle distance.

[07:49] Not sure sure what year that was even 20/20/2020 it's. So good having you here, Josh. Yeah, because the dates are great. I'm appreciating this cause Courtney's memory is like a sieve so it's nice to have someone who remembers dates. We were sitting on Fraser Island on holiday October 2020 and the chairman of PTO wrote us an email. Hey guys, you came to come do the first first ever PTO over in Daytona. We've got 100K prize money and we're sitting here Australia

[08:20] like COVID lockdown, we can still travel within Queensland and we ran the numbers yeah, prize money is good, but two weeks hotel quarantine, No thanks. So. I don't actually even remember that, so it is actually really good. Showing off how? How? Do you remember date? So did you go No, no, no, no? Well, we couldn't. Like, I don't even think that if you, it was so hard to get out of Australia and even if you did, it was probably gonna cost you $100,000 to get there. It was so expensive to leave and then there you had to hotel quarantine on the way home. But yes, that was their first

[08:53] actual event that they raised the. It was a tough market for them to launch in like 2020-2021. 2022 was the first year. It was then called PTO and the PTO Pro series. No, they were called the PTO Open. So the PTO is the Professional Triathletes organisation. I guess that actually started with a group of athletes that wanted to see better conditions for people racing or athletes racing middle distance. They recognise that the the prize money wasn't that great.

[09:25] And, you know, it was, it was really tough because you could, you know, self fund yourself to go to some of these races and come back in, you know, worse than you went there. So yeah, it was just a lot of athletes that kind of came together and wanted to, you know, really advocate for the athletes and create something really exciting and people that people would want to follow for middle distance racing. So I guess it was really tough for them, you know, having that first race in COVID time. But then I guess the Olympics

[09:56] happened in 2021 and then I was looking for something different in 2022 and there was this PTO Opens and the first one was in Edmonton in Canada. And they'd said that there was going to be 3 races that year and they all had 100K US to win. So I thought to myself, well, if I'm going to do middle distance, you needed to be ranked inside the top 20 in the world to even get a start at this first race in Edmonton. So I looked at the calendar and the first race I could do was

[10:26] around March time where there was good points to try and get my world ranking up. So I looked at that. I did that one and I, yeah, I actually won that. It was kind of in between Olympic distance and the 100K distance. And then I went to Oceanside to the 70.3 there and I got 4th. But it was really highly ranked cause a lot of good athletes go there. And I found myself, yeah on the start start line of PTO Open Edmonton. And I somehow won there too.

[10:58] And I was able. And since then I haven't stopped racing these 100K events. It was crazy. What was the feeling of, I mean, ITU racing? So the Olympic racing obviously has it has prize money, right? If you do well, you get prize money, but then suddenly you're getting what's effectively life changing prize money, right. Yeah. How how does that, how's your thought process go through then of like where your career goes? So if I'm like 100% honest, it's not the first thing I thought

[11:29] about, like I had a really bad Olympic experience. I just feel like I performed so well at short course between the Olympic years and I really never nailed that Olympic race that I thought that I was capable of. And I think in hindsight, I really struggled throughout that COVID period and in the lead up with the delay and then the lead up to the Olympic Games, just really feel like I did not handle it well at all. And I just came off that period just so disappointed.

[12:00] I was thinking about quitting the sport, looking at something else to do. And in the back of my mind, I knew that I wasn't going to give up because I had this like, I don't know, somewhere deep inside of me, I knew that I still had a fire burning and a passion for the sport. And I really still wanted to show the world what I was capable of or just show myself. And I think being able to kind of have a scrappiness around of, you know, flying to America, just finding those races, even just getting myself on the start line of that PTO open, PTO open. And then to actually just be

[12:33] running down that finished shoot and realising that I was, I'd actually won, I'd put together one of the best races in years. I kind of just couldn't believe it. And then obviously I'm incredibly grateful for the $100,000 prize money that came with it. But it was just an absolute cherry on top because I was like, I will never forget the feeling of me thinking. I deep down I knew I could do this and I've just done it. I I couldn't believe it. Josh, what was that lot for you?

[13:04] Just hearing you speak about how you felt then during the Olympic stuff? Ash, what's the lot for you? You're in the middle of your own career and you see your partner going through what sounds like a pretty dark time with her career and and struggling with, she's like quitting the sport. How are you handling that? I, I had to sort of sit on the sidelines for a long time. Anyone who's married knows like can only really suggest things to their, their spouse, right? They can't sort of tell them what to do. So I sort of had to sit on the sidelines and Ash had to more or

[13:37] less work it out for herself and push herself in that direction. She'd seen me be moderately successful in 70.3 racing, Iron Man racing, really enjoying what I was doing and making a living doing it. And she was on the other side doing the short distance, just having great races, but then having, you know, some, some average ones and really sort of having a hard time finding that that balance of of enjoying what she was doing. So to to see her one make the

[14:11] choice to pivot her career and go to to 70.3 to 100 distance and have success at it and just really find a passion for the sport. That was something that was like I was really, really proud that she she talked about hitting the finish line at that that first PTA Canadian Open. I saw her emotional at the finish. It's not actually quite often you'd see Ash emotional at the finish every noose or try you'd think there'd be some emotion

[14:42] there and she's just like. It's just a goal. She finishes, she finishes the race. She hates being the centre of attention. She walks off the side. I can't even like give her a hug and pick her up. She's, I go to pick her up and she's like, put me down. So but just to see her like vulnerable in that moment going like, hey, I actually did that. Yeah. It was really rewarding for me. And I was, I was in Andorra in our base in the Pyrenees at that time. So I was up super late to watch

[15:13] her race. And the thing that the the PTO brought to the table for those races was full live stream, no ads free. And it was the first time in ages we could actually just watch the triathlon with good commentary, good coverage. And it was the one that Ash won. So it was just a real, yeah, amazing chapter in in her career. It was like the the A New beginning West. Yeah. So I was super proud. I remember I did a video of my

[15:46] reaction at the finish line. And PTI loved it. And they like, they just kept putting it out there. And then he and then he was clicking refresh on the bank account too as well. That's not dropping in. Well, yeah, we had our honeymoon that year that kicked it up and off. Yeah, exactly. We did prices. Pig Lodge is pretty expensive, so. But yeah, I mean, I was also, I've also been really inspired what Josh has done as well, because he's right. He can only tell me so much. I feel like I'm very driven and I'm, I also recognise that I'm

[16:17] very stubborn. So when I have an Olympic dream, like that's my dream and I wanna try and fulfil it. So I recognise I could have done some different stuff between the two Olympics that I went to being Rio and Tokyo. But I mean, we did do some great travels together to to Beijing to escape from Alcatraz and a few different things. But I really wanted to pursue that Olympic dream and that's just what I wanted to see through. So it was on my own terms when I decided to do something different because I also did for for most part have a really good

[16:49] time doing short course. It was just towards the end that things started to become quite difficult. I had a few terrible experiences and yeah, it was time for me to move on. And I always saw Josh very independent, you know, scrapping his way around the world early, you know, early on in his early 20s, no money, but just making it work and, and racing well, finding sponsors. And he had this amazing ability to create connections with people, and he worked it out. He's incredibly resourceful.

[17:20] And yeah, I saw that for my career, and I was always incredibly inspired by him. And the fact that we can now, you know, share that together in this kind of new career with both of us being there, has made it kind of all sweeter. I just retired though, yeah. Just I do want to one more thing there just about the Olympic thing and we are look, you've got this bright new future with these incredible success you've had at the middle distance. Have you let go of the Olympic disappointment, I guess from your perspective?

[17:51] I think I have now like maybe not ever truly because I, I really don't think that I showed what I was capable of. Like there was some races that did for the the 10 years previous where I feel like I showed that I was medal contention. And but that's what's special about the Olympics, right? I'll always have respect for anyone who can get there and get that gold medal or get on the podium because it doesn't matter what you do the 10 years before, you have to get on that start line and perform on that one day every four years. So respect the people that can

[18:23] do it. Yeah, no, I just, I find it so interesting, particularly we're talking not long after the end of the Winter Olympic Games and Scotty James such a a big lead up and big anticipation and he comes away with this another silver medal, then fails in term in his mind of landing that gold, which is so talked about at a Netflix series about. And I, I will never understand how an athlete like the three of you process that when the expectations are somewhere that you don't potentially get to and then you have to go away and

[18:54] continue your career in the Olympics. For people like me is what we see is the pinnacle. It's it's something I'll never understand. So I'm fascinated when I get to hear athletes like yourselves talk about that sort of stuff. I think the the Tokyo Games was particularly hard because it was the COVID Games and like, Ash was there by herself. I couldn't go. She didn't have anyone there to support her. You have to even wear a mask the whole time. You couldn't FaceTime each other out in the Olympic Village without like having your mask on.

[19:24] So like just that having that bad race and then not really being able to process it as well, that going straight into quarantine on the way home is rough. It was real. I mean, for everyone, obviously COVID was rough times, but for athletes and or anyone travelling the world, it was a particularly interesting time. You mentioned Andorra and you've end up there like I mean, I've you would have been in Aix-les-Bains at the times I was there

[19:55] then I'm sure you moved camps all over the world. Where did you train when you're in the States? Between Boulder and Bend. Boulder and Bend and and it sounds like Andorra is the place you've kind of ended up. How? Why? Because we hear so many athletes, I think was Matt, Matt Hauser told us. He. Did a camp there. He did a camp there. You got Cam Wurf, Hayden's up there. Like, what's the draw of this Andorra? Give us the insight I. I ended up in Andorra because I've always wanted to go to locations where there's no crowd. So I did Boulder early in my

[20:25] career and then filtered out of there 'cause it started getting popular. Ended up in Oregon and then kind of like the the shift of triathlon move from being predominantly American based like Ashleigh talked about early in my career, we were in America, you know, this Courtney when raised anything from lifetime and it just shifted to Europe. There's there's really nothing in America anymore. There's no big money races. It's kind of a little bit dead there. But everything in Europe is just popping off.

[20:56] Triathlon in Europe is insane. So we found ourselves over there and I went to Andorra early because Cam Wurf was there. He invited me there to train with him and no one was there. So I ticked all the boxes. No one's there. Someone's invited me to show me the ropes. That's how I ended up there. And I mean, it's the Pyrenees. It's it's a small city state. The the roads are Immaculate. There's yeah, there's mountains. It's beautiful. It's a three hours from Barcelona, so it's like far enough that keeps the crowds away, but still close enough

[21:30] that it's not too far removed from anything. If you go to Saint Marie, it's it's still 3 hours from from an airport. So yeah, it just kind of ticked all the boxes and Ash was keen on going there. I initially didn't, I was a bit apprehensive to ask Ash if she wanted to do the training can there because as a triathlete, it's a little bit inaccessible. Like the running is still quite limited. It's mountain. It's, it's the mountains. So you're basically running in valleys out and back, unless you wanted to go out there with your

[22:00] poles and do like hiking runs. But as a triathlete, like you don't have the energy for that. So yeah, yeah, it's just, it's a good spot the the pro cyclists use it for for cycling. So it's, it's a good training vibe. Like, if you're there as an athlete, you're serious about what you're doing and it's pretty easy to get the work done. I feel like too, though for us it's a bit different than some of those other examples. Like, yeah, Matt Hauser went there for camp, but some other people have actually relocated their lives there. But it's not something I'm interested in.

[22:31] I definitely love coming back to Australia and calling Australia home, but some people actually see the value as an Australian or a Kiwi actually moving their life over there just so the racing is more accessible. Obviously it is does get kind of tough travelling so much from down under, but that's why sometimes you just have to, you know, we get ourselves, we've got ourselves a different Airbnb each time, but it actually saves coming back to Australia, right all, all those times and on the

[23:01] jet lag, at least you know, you can set up there and pop over to the European race is just so much easier. I. Mean the just on that with the Australian scene that it's not thriving in America right now, it's big in Europe. We now have the T100 Wollongong which we had last year and with the T100 here on the Gold Coast. Where do you 2 see the Aussie triathlon scene? Where do you think it is? Obviously with this event is going to be great and it starts the hopefully for the future continues to stay here and and thrive and grow on all the rest

[23:31] of it. Where's the Aussie triathlon scene? Yeah, I've been advocating for AT-100 to be on the Gold Coast for four years now. So my excitement for the event is very high. I've been yeah, every time saying to the CEO, so Australia looks good. It's it's nice down there. So I'm very happy that we finally got 1 here in Australia and especially on the Gold Coast. And I actually think they did a really good job in Wollongong too. That was a very last minute change to get the race to Wollongong, but we were able to

[24:02] capitalise on the fact that, you know, the World Triathlon Grand Final was there and it was the best supported race that I did all year. So I actually haven't raced that much at all in Australia since going to middle distance. I've more so just done racing in in Europe and and a bit in America's. It's just a it's where the bigger races are. But Josh probably could talk more to that because he's has done a lot of the domestic races throughout his career. Well, we have a really rich history of racing in Australia, particularly the triathlon.

[24:33] Like if we go back to to his blue Foster's Accenture when you started your career, Courtney and then it kind of paid it out. We still have major events like Noosa try, I mean Cairns, but a real global event is something that we've missed in Australia for a while. Yeah. And yeah, we've got something back now. So it's it's amazing. And like, like I said, Wollongong to 100 Wollongong last year was insane. I raced that as my last professional race on Australian soil. I hadn't announced that at that

[25:03] time, but it was a really special race to finish on. Like when Aussies choose to get behind a race, it's a cracker. Like we we do it really well here. I think and I think the Aussies are gonna get behind this T100 event here on the Gold Coast. Thing's gonna be great. Yeah, I think that I mean, I, I see it. I was saying earlier the T100 brand brings like a little bit of a professionalism. I feel like it's got that that brand name now and we talk about we've been talking about for weeks. There's a 10K run on which is getting very, very close, maybe as when we release this it will

[25:34] be sold out. But you're talking like a lot of people over a weekend coming in for triathlon. It can only build it in in in the country. We are talking about Gold Coast. I had this one when you popped up. When the next Olympics rolls around, as SE Queenslanders, there's like being a little bit of debate over should the triathlon be on the Gold Coast and the marathon be on the Sunshine Coast or the sun or the marathon on the Gold Coast or vice versa. What's your where? Actually, Ash, I'm gonna get

[26:05] Ash for it. Let the Gold Coast. As as the Noosa Queen, yes, I'm I'm disputed Noosa Queen. Where do you think the triathlon should be for the Olympic Games? Well. Yeah, 'cause you know that Josh is just gonna say Brisbane and Brisbane. Good. Goodwill Games 2001 Brisbane River, I will say. Yeah, but you know, half of the field cheated that. Yeah, 'cause I couldn't get around the buoy. Oh, really? Yeah, Goodwill Games did. Can you remember? Yeah, it was the first professional trials that I watched. So I stood up at the street pole and and watched the race kick around South Bank. It was incredible. Yeah, so the, the the current

[26:36] was so strong in the in the river in front of South Bank as they swam, I think they swam up some of them just couldn't get around the buoy. Probably a different standard of athlete at the Olympic Games, but in 2032. But OK, that's. Pretty good too. It's it. But yeah, where would you want to see? Where do you think? Marathon triathlon? Where's the best location? If I had to split, they couldn't be on the. Same. No, They can be the same place if you want. Really. OK, I'm not sure. Well, I mean, I'm. Putting you on the spot, Ash. Yeah, it is putting me on the

[27:06] spot. But yeah, I obviously, no, I do think I I've got a few options because obviously I'm biassed. I love Noosa Triathlon. Obviously I've done it like a billion times, but yeah, like also Burley would be an awesome option as well. You've got like a beautiful beach. You can try and get some swell, get a bit of an advantage for the Aussie athletes you know. Heels on the bike. Yeah, heels on the bike as well. Could be a really, really nice, like hilly technical course down at Burley. But I don't know, I feel like

[27:36] there's so many options in the Southeast. I haven't heard Burley suggested yet. I like that. I feel like this could be. Yeah, yeah. Well, they I mean they off the back of the Gold Coast Pro, the surf event last year and it's I believe it's going back to Billy this year as well. That Amphitheatre set up that they create there with the stand, that event site off the back of having to move it from snapper last year, they are now infatuated with the experienced Gold Coast and now like we need to do more stuff here, which is why they're taking the surf event there.

[28:06] So if the Gold Coast could pitch the triathlon in there, it'd be amazing. And it would look beautiful on cameras. Like even if you could, yeah, do the swim at Belly Beach there and also ride at the back of Belly there, you've got some decent hills that are just so close to the water. So you could make a a pretty savage course and it would look incredible on on the camera. I'm I'm eyeing off around here because. You've got Josh's waiting page, No? Well, Josh is. Josh is now on the board. Of what are you? What's your most recent?

[28:36] I just joined the PTO athlete board. Pete, not that they've got too much to do with the Olympic Games, but. I think they're angling for it. Are they? But we'll see. They're angling for it. Yeah. They want T100. No. Well, I'm looking around Jake 'cause I'm thinking Ash has probably got some inside information on something I know I've got in my back pocket. So the only one. I'm not the only one who doesn't know anything. Great. I'm I'm just desperate to say I wanna see Matt Marathon in Brisbane. I think you could make an iconic marathon course in Brisbane. Michael Shelley's with you. Like it would be insane. Has to finish in the stadium. We can cross the river a whole

[29:08] bunch of times, have some hills like through some iconic pockets of town. I agree with that for sure. Yeah, but if it can't be in Brisbane, the gold. Coast No. So this is Michael Shelley. Didn't change my mind permanently on this because when we spoke to him last year, I was very much Gold Coast. Let's just have it on the Gold Coast. It'd be great. And then when Michael pitched the idea and said finishing in the stadium and running through, over the bridge, the story bridge and through and and immediately you talk about those, the camera scenes that Bailey could create for the triathlon, imagine the overhead

[29:40] look as you go through Brisbane. I've got goosebumps. It's. I did this it's it would be it almost is a non negotiable. It has to be in Brisbane, the marathon and. It's a blue ribbon event. Like give them the stadium, give them the attention they deserve. Like you know the last event of of the game games. It is the Brisbane 2032 games, sorry and give them that moment they deserve like run around yes. And into the stadium. And into the stadium, that would just be iconic. And for all those spectators,

[30:11] because let's be honest, Olympic tickets aren't going to be cheap, but for all those spectators who can't get to certain events, families being able to take their 4-5 kids and stand on the sideline and make the posters and all that, Yeah, it has to be in Brisbane. And I just, yeah, I do. I don't know, Josh, if you're on the board of the AOC, I don't know what other boards are on or if there's an inside knowledge going over there. Yeah, if it hasn't been sorted already sorted out. I just feel like we're talking about this now, we could still be talking about it in a few

[30:41] years time, so I don't. Know. We still don't. What about triathlon for you, Josh? What would you I would love to see Burly like when when the venues got originally announced when Brisbane won the bid. I saw Southport for the try and it was kind of bit of disappointment. You know, it's like, let's showcase the beaches, let's showcase a beautiful spot like Burley would be incredible. Yeah, I mentioned goodwill games like like the the absolute proud

[31:11] Brisbane night in May says like South Bank as a triathlon venue. But yeah, I'm just the river's, the river's like, Nah, let's just avoid that and go to bed. Let's. Let's get a good water quality. No issues. Let's stick with the ocean. Yeah. I mean, the, the the whole thing with parrot, like triathlon looked like a joke. Before Paris, we were, yeah, they were deciding whether there was going to be a swim in the Olympic Games, like literally right up to the day before the race. So on that let's go down this line cause I was just talking to Phil Clayton a few days ago and

[31:44] the Brits are out here training at the moment for LA Games in surf. What happens if Venice Beach in LA the LA Games is running a 5 foot surf? What? What's the difference between that and a well? I mean, we've done that many Mooloolaba tris back in the day, Courtney, where the Europeans drop their nuts and. Yeah, I'm not disputing it's not a good thing for the Aussies, but what happens if the surf? Yeah, and the same can happen at Burley, right? What happens when the surf is that big? It still creates the same. Issue you.

[32:14] You might, you announced the event, you know, four years ahead of time, maybe earlier. And then athletes have to prepare for it. That's that's the Olympics. But then if there is dangerous surf in a place like Berlin, you've got Tallebudgera Creek. So have a plan A and a Plan B and have that sorted years in advance. So if they make a decision, make the decision that if it's over a certain height of swell where it's deemed unfair or completely dangerous, you have you keep the course as is, but you've got an alternate swim course. That's what you should be able

[32:45] to do. You should always be able to have a Plan B so that athletes can swim, bike and run as they've trained for their whole life. Can we just check? I think Ash's mic might be cutting out just a little bit. Might just go in closer ash. There's just, it just was cutting out a little bit there. We've lost a bit of volume. All good. Just a little letter point for you, Courtney. You make organising Olympic events sound so simple, Ash. And yet it seems like what are these? Yeah, you're right, Josh. We could be talking about this in four years time and still be running around in circles. But the you need to be involved in the the the proud Brisbane

[33:19] night. I love this, this type you need, we need to get you involved in the organisation of these games at a more official. Level, I'd love to and I know that I know this, yeah. I know, I know, I'm the only one at this table who apparently doesn't have any contacts. You have the right contacts. Yeah, maybe. Yeah, yeah. I know the strength and weaknesses of Brizzy like quite happy to to put try down the Gold Coast and you know, look at sunny coast for other options too, like open water swimming. But yeah, there's do you have so many iconic events do. You think Surf Life Saving

[33:49] should be in? Yes, another chance to be the Brits or not. Like, let's do it. Well, if you're throwing a lot of yes, no. I'd I'd put it in. I'd put it in. You'd put it in on the Gold Coast. Young man by the name of Ethan Callahan, who will be 25 years of age at the Brisbane Olympics. Starting athlete. Oh, mate. Well, the handovers happened. Ali's retired. And I just bumped into Ali at the shops before I came here, actually. Yeah. Yeah, The handovers happened at the Shannon Eckstein Classic the other week.

[34:19] He's finished first, Ali — it's the changing of the guard. Put a medal around his neck. Yeah, yeah. Coming back to more the performance side, I'm interested, Josh, because you decided to finish up your triathlon career at what was the event — Patagonman Extreme Triathlon. Give us — unbelievable. Yeah, I mean, we've sat here and talked a lot about events, you know, the events I've wanted to tick off and do certain things, and this one, when I saw you over there, I'm like, that's something I would love to do. So give us — why did you choose

[34:49] that one to finish up on? And two, like, give us a rundown of what it is. So I'd I'd just seen that many triathletes have great careers and finished them not in boring ways, but not in just like not in a fun way. And that's really what I wanted to do with with my career is put a put a full stop on a, on a 20 year international career doing an extreme triathlon. So we're towing full distance, a 3.8 K swim 180. Sorry, should I start that

[35:20] again? 180 Oh, we don't need it mate. 103.8 K swim, 180K bike, 42K run. Ended up being 44K run. It's extreme. So you swim in cold water so the water can be as cold as 8. For us it was 14°. OK on the bike. You're riding through the Andes right? It's it's Patagonia. There's snow cat mounds. Very vulnerable. How much elevation on that one? It was 3 1/2 thousand, so it was, it was chunky. It was real chunky, windy like I've never ridden.

[35:52] Still on a TT bike though. Yep, Yep. And the run was entirely off road. So is a proper trail run, you know, hands on these hiking parts and 38 stations. You had to carry what you needed for the for the 44K. And I could, yeah, you have to have a cream in there. So it's a lot of my career, like Ashleigh and I, we've talked about we've been apart for a lot of it and that's just the way it is as a professional. Like we're not doing a sport where we can afford to bring a

[36:24] team with us. You know, we're not like the tennis players where there's 10 people in their players box. You know, it's not, it's not like that. So a lot of our races we've had to do a part by ourselves. Patagonman gave us a chance to do a race where you have to have a career, you have to bring someone. So I was like it it was that was the plan to bring to bring Ashleigh. She ended up having to 100 Qatar the next weekend. So it's kind of like a odd love to but she. Turned him down. So that's what I'm talking about, you know, like this is my

[36:54] retirement race. Ashleigh couldn't be there. She had her own thing going on and that's just, that's the the dynamic for a professional triathlete. So I got to bring my best mate. He hadn't travelled since 2019 since before COVID, so he was so stoked to come and we just had an amazing week together doing a crazy race. It was a non professional race that that was the other aspect to it. There's no prize money Costa bomb to do, but you know, but you. Can take all the peptides. I'm still on the I'm an, I'm an

[37:29] amateur cyclist, amateur gravel rider, and I'm still on the on the drug test. Are you still on the drug test? Still on the list That's that's a whole. I'm not on the list. I'm not suggesting just that. But yeah, it's just something I wanted to do for for myself and to like experience the the pure side of the sport, you know, away from big brands like Iron Man. We're talking about two 100, two 100's, a big brand. Yeah. With that comes a totally aspect, a totally different, like curated aspect of

[37:59] triathlon. Pentagon Man is something totally different. You have to be, you have to enter a lottery to do. It's cap, cap numbers, 250 people caps. Yeah. And it's like a logistic challenge. So just, yeah, it was just a such a fun experience. Awesome party at the end. We stayed like we got up at 2:00 AM to do the race. The race starts at 5:00 AM off a ice cold barge in the middle of the fjord in Patagonia. You swim to sure, it's dark. I don't know if anyone's seen

[38:30] the photos, but you're swimming in the dark. You've got an illuminated boy behind you. And then, yeah, you got a kid on your bike and ride 180 K through the mountains. But it's point. Everything's point to point. And we were still at the finish line, you know, 22 hours after we got up, cheering people coming on, coming up, like on everyone. And everyone is on their own own adventure for this race. You, there's no real finish line. It's just a bell. You, you rock up and you ring the bell. Really.

[39:01] That's cool. It's kind of the combination, right? Yeah, try adventure. So what? Yeah, For you not getting to be there as Josh Farewell's Professional racing, what was that like? Yeah, it was really hard. I mean, I wish I could have said yes to to crew in, but I knew that yeah, I did have the most important race of my year, you know, a week later as well in in Qatar, so on the opposite side of the world. But I knew that Josh bringing

[39:32] one of his best mates, which he started the sport with, was going to be extremely special. And I feel like that was a great opportunity for them to kind of go full circle. You know, we've known each other for so long and, and now we're happily married. But you know, he started off some barking and running with his mate Sweeney. And to see them together again and be able to support each other and Sweeney, to go over there to support Josh. And he kept us updated the whole entire way when he could, when

[40:02] when there was reception and we had a huge WhatsApp group with everyone following along. And yeah, I was extremely proud of him. I knew that Josh was never going to retire in a way that was standard. That's. Josh and Measure for You. He's always done things his own way and on his terms as well, so I was really proud that he kind of organised that too. Yeah, finish off a 20 year career in such a special and unique way in one of the most challenging races I've ever

[40:33] seen. That's it. Looks like Courtney, it's got you written all over at that race. Actually, oh, I was. I was watching along some of it. If anyone hasn't followed Josh on socials, it's absolutely hilarious too. Yeah, so go and go and I. Would say Alistair Brownlee came out of retirement just to do the race. Did. He yeah. At the same time. Yeah, he did padding on man. So it was actually awesome because originally it was going to be this non professional pure experience for me, right. And then two months before Alistair Brownlee was announced to do the race and it's like actually, OK, now it's on like

[41:06] British GOAT, like let's do it. Yeah. And so I did end up beating him. But then we got done. I got done by another Brit on the other side who we didn't know who he who he was before the race. So it was actually really fun race because but even a couple of days before the race, I was telling myself I wasn't going to race it. You know, I'm here for fun. Like I hadn't, in all honesty, I hadn't done the prep for a full distance. I'm in like Courtney, you've you've done one full line. You know how hard it is to train

[41:37] for it. I've done 22 in my career and the last one was a push, you know, like I didn't really want to prep for it. It's it's insane prepping for a full distance triathlon. But yeah, like just having Brownlee there, it was, yeah. Even just in the moment in the race, I didn't know where he was. There's no updates in the race. Like your crew can kind of tell you where people are. But it was enough for me to just that final rinse of the tower, you know, just the final rinse.

[42:08] Well, you say push myself to the limit. You say final rinse, but Courtney, how, how easy is it to turn off the? Competitive tap is it you never do. That's the that that is one of the it's the challenges, I suppose, is you never do. Some people maybe can others, but those sounds like Josh and the way he's talking. I don't think like you're gonna be, you'll be. Different challenges. He's right. Different challenges. He's he's got a match race in the 10K race at the T100 with Tim. Who's what's How's that looking? Well, I'm still behind. Josh has to start actually

[42:41] running first. I think he's been. Doing a little bit 6K yeah, yeah, 6K. So when? When you? What's next? Tell them about what you're doing in May and they'll decide whether they actually retire. So in May I've got the Unbound XL. So it's a gravel race in Kansas starting in Emporia, KS. Never been there. It's 350 miles so. Well, wow. Discontinue. Yeah, you're just right. How long? How long were you inspected? At cool loss. Where do you well? So like 520 kilometres, Yeah,

[43:15] that's what he's telling me. He's like, oh, I'm retired, but I've got this little thing that I wanna do. Now it's fun. What? What made what made you wanna go to that one? Because there's a lot of gravel racing around. Yeah, I, I don't know, just I see. So Heather Jackson, a good friend of ours, she retired from pro triathlon a few years ago and now she balances like ultra gravel cycling and ultra running. OK. And she won it last year and oh, it looked cool. So we'll, we'll keep talking about turning the tap off. It is difficult.

[43:45] But you stop, stop swimming. I. Suppose swim this morning. Actually 1st pool swim since I retired and I went out the 1st 50. I felt fresh and then I was caught. I was. Caught. Swimming, swimming, swimming hurts when you haven't done it in a while. Is it because your, your background swimming? And the same thing happened to me when I stopped. Of all things that you think you'd continue to do, it was probably the swimming. And I, that's the one thing I discontinued as well. So it'll be interesting to see if you, you know, pick that back up and you get down the track. I hate swimming just because I'm

[44:17] bad at it, yeah. So when Josh has retired, Ash, what are you, what, what's your end of the year look like? Like what? What were you up to at this stage? Well, it was a bit of a not so nice end of year for us, I guess, because when Josh was finishing his last race, I had a miscarriage. So I was kind of cheering him on from home and wanting to obviously support him for a far. But I actually had to tell him the day before that, yeah, he that I had a miscarriage.

[44:47] And yeah, it was really difficult because I was really cognizant of not kind of spoiling that moment for him, but I also didn't really want to feel isolated and completely alone because I was at home by myself and obviously in a pretty vulnerable state. So I knew that Josh would be OK. He's very like, he's very a very strong person. I knew that he would handle it all right and still be able to push on and have a good time with his friend in Patagonia.

[45:20] But yeah, it was pretty rough because then I still actually decided to get on a plane to Qatar the the next day to finish off the year at T100 Qatar. I'd committed to the T100 series and there was no expectation on then on then. I'm sure I hadn't even told them of my situation. I knew that they would have understood if I didn't go. But yeah, I made a commitment that I'd do that and I felt like I wanted to finish the year off and do it for myself as well. So yeah, it was a challenging end of year for us.

[45:52] But yeah, we got through it and it's one of those things I kind of look back on and yeah, I'm proud of what we achieved in a tough situation. That's I had, I mean, it's an unimaginable situation for you both to be in and you know, for there's miscarriages. I've had my wife and I went through a couple as well with going having our kids. And it's a lot more common than people probably realise that it's not very talked about. But then I remember when you put that post up on your socials saying that you'd gone through

[46:23] that. And I remember thinking at the time, it is not something we hear athletes speak about often. It is not a much discussed thing. Was that an online not an uncomfortable, but was it a difficult thing to choose to share with everybody? So I was completely naive. I was like I got I had a positive pregnancy test, I got the blood test and I was like I'm going to be pregnant, I'm going to have a baby. I was just so naive to how common miscarriages were as well. And I know lots of people, lots

[46:53] of my close friends and both my sister in laws had uncomplicated pregnancies and I didn't hear of them having any issue. But yeah, it's actually, once I shared it, I realised how common it is. And so many people reached out to me and were like, actually I was blown away with how many people are actually just grateful that I shared it. Because, you know, they said that they experienced the same thing and they felt like they just had to get back on the horse and they just had to go to work and not be able to tell anyone while kind of just suffering in silence really and

[47:26] not being able to express how the, the pain that they were in. So I don't know. I, I went to Qatar and I guess I had an expectation of myself always to perform 100%. And I knew that he would expect that of me too. And I kind of felt it as a way of just, I feel like I've been quite honest my whole career and sharing everything. So I was like, well, why should I feel ashamed to not tell people the truth now? And my whole career I've, you know, I don't share too much or on social media, but when I do,

[47:59] I do think it's authentic. So I'm like, well, why would I choose not to be truthful now in my situation? So I am really glad that I did that because I think it was true to who I am and myself. And I think, yeah, a lot more people appreciated that than I ever thought possible. So it also took a bit of pressure off me as well because I felt this like huge weight on myself. Like, of course, it was still my choice to get on the plane and going race, but I just and I was like, why am I here? Like I don't I'm going to get lapped.

[48:30] Like I could just do like terribly. So it was also actually just like a weight off my shoulders that I didn't have to carry that burden as such myself. And I felt that it was quite a healing thing for me as well. Jeez, Josh, you must have been. I mean, what? What was your mindset when you're so the night before this retirement race that you've chosen, you get that phone call? Yeah. Like when I left for Chile ashes, shoot, yeah, everything was on track and like we were

[49:02] going to be parents this year and that was kind of like part of my retirement plan. And I actually did another race a week before Patagonia. So I did 2 events in Chile and that was purely just to try and double up the experience and do I did what, my final professional race and then Patagonman the week later. So I'd already been travelling for a couple weeks. So Ash had already been by yourself at home and, you know, trying to get by before her

[49:34] final race of the year. And then I literally announced my retirement at the same time as Ash text me. She went for her first scan with her obstetrician and they couldn't find a heartbeat. And yeah, it was made. It just hit me like a tonne of bricks. Hey, it was like it was I was explaining to Courtney before I just announced my retirement and had probably more attention and you know, I love poured upon me than I have at any other time my career. And then yeah, Ash had a

[50:05] miscarriage and she's 1415 time zones ahead and already asleep. You know, it was it was wild trying to support her and and balance those emotions where I'd pretty much build my whole career up to this one moment where I could go out on my own terms and have a blast doing it. So I still found a lot of enjoyment in the race because I was I was very focused on what I was there to do. But then after the race, I had

[50:38] to get straight to Qatar to, to support Ash. And it was wild. Like we were just even trying to do logistics for Ash before she left on the plane. Like, OK, do it. Is there medical staff on the ground in Qatar? Like how do we do that? How do we balance like her needs, like physically and mentally before the race, before the grand final? Which isn't amazing. Yeah, it was crazy. And I arrived in Qatar and we just we we embraced and she was

[51:13] incredibly professional about what she was there to do. It was almost like she kind of in that moment had yeah, like refocused on to what you had to do. And there was a lot of a lot of positive chat before the race, like trying to get her into this headspace so she hadn't run for 10 days or something because of. Yeah, it was a while. Like she she hadn't run because of what was happening to her. And she's there about to do the 2100 grand final, having to run

[51:46] the 18K to finish off the race. And it's like, I actually, I haven't run. I don't know if I can do it. And it's like, it's kind of like Ash, like running is your thing. Well, yeah, it was actually really surprising. So I did a run with a friend of mine who's also she's a British competitor. And yeah, she was amazing because I told her the situation before I said anything to anyone else. So she got me out for a run. I was like, oh, now I haven't done a session in a while, but we'll give it a crack. And I was so thankful for her as well. For her as well, because yeah,

[52:16] she got me out the door. I got the, you know, I felt horrific, but at least I went through some of my pace ranges. And it's quite ironic that I ended up with the fastest run split in Qatar, which was kind of wild. Like I had one of my worst swims ever. I hadn't been feeling good in the water and hadn't actually swum that much as well that week. But yeah, it was just ironic that yeah, the run is the thing that's always kind of helped me in my career.

[52:46] I couldn't believe seeing how Ash was performing in the race. It was unbelievable. Like she got off the bike with a little deficit and then just got to work. And just seeing that that switch that she's able to go into like professional Ash mode and and race and do a thing. And that's the thing as a professional, you've got like outside expectations, but also personal expectations. Like if Ash is turning up to a race, she's giving it her best shot. It's the same with me and

[53:16] Patagonia. I told myself I wasn't going to ride, so just enjoy it. But you, you give your best. And as athletes, it's that's a a quality that we always take with us outside of sport. Once you finish sport it, you know, you apply yourself and everything you do. And yet seeing Ash on that day, just just turn, turn things around and and get the job done. It was incredible. Yeah, it's probably my proudest 6th place ever, so. And it's just yeah. And seeing Josh there too is

[53:48] super encouraging. It was a multi lap run course, so I got to pass him heaps of times. He was on a corner where I'd pass him a few times and we had multi laps. So I appreciated the fact that he had just flown a billion time zones from Chile to Qatar. And yeah, seeing him on the sidelines and I felt myself within that 18K like gaining momentum and I was like, I actually feel all right here. Let's just like, let's just do this. And yeah, across the line I was like, that's crazy. The. Fact that you finished 6th is insane.

[54:20] Like that is. I mean, yeah, it blows my mind. It. Truly blows my mind with what like just physical effects aside, the mental toll that you must have been injuring both of you. It's just, it's a truly remarkable story what you guys have been through. It's amazing. And then this year, what a what, what's 2026 look like for you then? Josh. Oh, I've I've announced I'm doing some bike racing.

[54:53] Yeah, well, yeah, I'll be actually taking it off triathlon because I'm pregnant again so. Yeah, congratulations. This is the the most amazing news you could hear right we've. I think Courtney, you and I have done an outstanding job of keeping quiet up until this point of the podcast because Josh and Ash mentioned it beforehand, but how are you feeling? Yeah, really good. I mean, as Josh mentioned, the last time I went to that first obstetrician appointment and it was found no heartbeat and it

[55:26] was pretty traumatising if I'm honest. So yeah, I went pretty early on to try and get some positive news, which I did. So yeah, yeah, a huge relief. I would just say like, I'm really proud of Ash. She's in the peak of her career by deciding to, yeah, take a year off and and have a child. It's it's something that is really hard to come to grips with. We're like, when is the right time? But yeah, like. It's one of the inherently

[55:56] unfair things about women's sport. Yeah, because it's like Josh is retiring. He's got so much time. Yeah, and I had much less talent too, so. I it, it, it is, I mean, we've seen it recently in in the woman's distance running. You've seen Genevieve Gregson and Jess Stenson and and these incredible female athletes who are it in their prime. And then they go away and they have babies and they've started

[56:26] a family and now both of those women and others as well have come back and competed. But we will never understand what it takes to a give birth, but then get your body back to an elite level of, of competition standards. So it's unfair, but it's an amazing, you guys have got an amazing year ahead. You must be, I mean obviously apprehensive still, but beyond excited. Yeah, those in Genevieve Gregson and and Jess Stenson, the two people I've actually looked up to a lot, I've seen them have a

[56:56] family and be able to come back to. And that's my dream is my dream is to continue racing. And it is really difficult. I think it's been on my mind for the last couple of years in the sense that I've always, I think I've always known I've wanted to be a mom. There's definitely been times where I've kind of been torn a little bit with the idea just, you know, within myself, just not knowing when it would be right. And it's just, it's so difficult because at the end of the day, I don't think there's never a perfect time.

[57:28] That's just the reality of it. And I just think I need to take a year off to fulfil dreams that are outside of triathlon and then I can keep trying to pursue my triathlon dreams. And I know that Josh is going to be extremely supportive and it's probably going to be easier now that he is retired so he can take on a bigger role next year when I want to try and yeah, come back to competition. And I think it's going to be a challenge, but, and, and it's still early on. I still have anxieties around it after what happened at the end

[57:59] of last year, but yeah, sadly it does mean I I miss T100 Gold I. Mean the the elephant that's been lingering in the room for this whole episode. Yeah, but I mean, that's overshadowed. Like, of course it's great. Absolutely amazing news. Great. So when's that? We couldn't be more when's? When's that gravel race again, Josh? Now. Actually, if you're around the around the due date. Is that the plan First break is not. Josh, Josh, no.

[58:29] Whatever you're looking at around the due date, no. That's already been cancelled. But no, it is still like pretty early on. But I wanted to, I did tell quite a few people in T100 early because obviously there was a lot building towards the Gold Coast event and I wanted to be honest with them and they were understanding. And I also wanted to make sure that I didn't stop another athlete getting a chance to race Gold Coast, but still stay stayed on the still on the start list. Maybe not by the time this podcast has come out, but as

[59:01] we're recording, just so I can have a chance to tell family and sponsors and just do all of those things that I need to do to before I announce. I just, I'm, I'm fascinated by this because it is an element of female professional sport that he's probably not discussed a lot, but it's just they're lingering when it comes to sponsors and things like agreements with races and all that stuff. Is there anything in the paperwork when it comes to this

[59:31] sort of thing occurring? Like is there anything do you, is that when you sit down with some sponsors to sign on for whatever you do? Is there a pregnancy clause for lack of better understanding? So yes, some of my sponsors have maternity clauses, which yeah, I'm really grateful for. And yeah, even those ones that don't, we've already had like the most incredibly like supportive messages from. So that's also something that's quite anxiety inducing though, because even with those sponsors that do have the maternity

[01:00:03] clause, like I'm well aware that they're paying me to train and race and. Like there's a kind of a sense of guilt and like I'm not going to be able to do that and represent them in the way that they originally want me to. But I also think it's just it's reality. Like I am a female and I do have the privilege of being able to carry a child. So it's something that I think I can hopefully take people along for the ride as well. And I will try and go back to support sport and the fact that

[01:00:35] my sponsors rather, you know, wanting to support me through that means I'm aligned with the right people because it's it is anxiety inducing. And I've always had doubts like the last few years whether that could work. Will everyone just want to drop me? I'll be like, I'll be not worth anything. But yeah, that's just not the right mine mine frame to be in. And Josh is being completely supportive too. He's actually my manager. So he, he's always been the one, kind of like talking to my sponsors and was able to put the

[01:01:05] the word out to them. And yeah, the feedback's been incredible. Yeah, I've never, we've never had replies to emails so fast. So yeah, that's good. Incredible to to have the support come in from from all our sponsors for sure. And that's like females gone before me too. And, and males like advocating for their partners or, you know, as a female advocating for themselves that, yeah, like we do lots of so many male athletes I know had the privilege to be able to have kids and just

[01:01:37] continue with their careers. And of course, it's a life changing experience for them. And there's absolutely things that would be really difficult about that. But they don't have to stop racing. Their body doesn't change. They don't have to give birth to the baby. So I was like, well, women have the right to, should have the right to also to experience that and still continue their career. Like they shouldn't be disadvantage because they're the ones that have to have the kid. They should also be given the support to continue. Yeah. It shouldn't be a full stop.

[01:02:07] Yeah, it shouldn't be. That full stop on. That if it, if you want it to be a full stop, it can be, but if you don't want it to be a full stop it, you shouldn't be forced to make it a full stop. So I'm also really grateful for all the athletes and and people who have advocated for maternity clauses in contracts and actually talked about pregnancy throughout their career and and their comebacks because it's given me inspiration to be able to do this rather than retire. Like that was the choice. It's like, have a kid and just

[01:02:38] retire because that's what there's no other option. Like it's not financially viable, but I don't want to retire. I want to keep going. So yeah, I'm excited. That's so encouraging and great to hear about the sponsors and and supporting right through so. Yeah, great news. This is so. Well, then the question is, what are you going to be doing on the weekend of T100? I mean, surely there's there's an ambassador. Are you waving the flag? What are we doing? Are we firing the starting gun? Yeah, so I'm going to be down definitely on the Gold Coast

[01:03:09] that weekend because I've actually got some friends racing in the age group race as well. They're super excited. So obviously there'll be a few people that were coming down to to support me, but with in within my friendship group still got some people racing. And obviously I want to be down there to support all the age groupers that are racing on the Sunday and obviously all the 10K runners. Because yeah, this is the event that I've kind of dreamed of for so long to have it here on the Gold Coast. So I still really want to be a part of it and be on the sidelines to kind of cheer everyone else on, Yeah.

[01:03:42] And and well, and obviously now you can crew Josh at this gravel race over in America. Yeah. Can you please come, Ashleigh? Actually, well, it's it is the perfect opportunity because I think I can by by that stage, I'll still be just doing my appointments every four weeks. So I've got like a four week window where his race actually is perfectly aligned. So I'm going to be the ultimate bad girl and just. There's the Cheshire cat grin on Josh right now. If you're not watching, you need

[01:04:14] to go and check the video on this. He's made out. Well, this is so exciting. I'm, you know, obviously this is a running podcast. We love talking about running. We've been building to this 10K run the T100 weekend. We're incredibly excited to have you both in to now get to talk about what you went through at the end of last year and then talk about this is is thrilling. It's generally thrilling. So I'm very, very excited for you both. I just did you mentioned Josh managing you Josh, how do you separate?

[01:04:44] Do you do you separate Ash the client from Ash, my wife at any point? Or is it, you know, do you find when you're sitting down negotiating with sponsors and everything else, is it? Do you get defensive? No, I've learned exactly what I need to ask Ash about and what I don't need to ask Ash about. Yeah, yeah, OK. I think Josh is pretty incredible the way he manages it. He has the ability to, yeah, like be my husband and then he can go into manager mode and,

[01:05:16] and speak the way he does so professionally with, with my sponsors that is. Yes, they know he is my husband, but he is Josh the manager when he's speaking to them. And I think I wouldn't trust anyone else in the world with that job because he does. He thinks, you know, he knows what I need and I want. And I think they really value that relationship too, because he's just not a a regular manager. He's there, yeah, advocating for me, but he's also quite reasonable and and easy to speak to, so. It's easier for me to be a

[01:05:46] manager than be a coach. We tried to put the coach's heart on once and it didn't work. So oh really, what happened? No, it was fine. No, what happened, just something happened. I can tell by the way, but you just. You just get, you just get told you got no idea what you're doing. What the fuck am I doing that? How much, how much do you do to get? How much do you do together? Like even now, Josh is there. We do how much? Training together, we do a lot of. We do a lot together and that's good. That's definitely manageable because that's US, you know, supporting each other out in the

[01:06:18] road, in the in the pool, especially in the pool. Like most these last few years, Josh has done a lot of my swim training and it's been amazing for me. He sacrificed a lot in his own swim to be able to like support me and be there and pace me and I can draught off him and had a little like mini squid squad going and that was amazing. But I think when it's like all encompassing and I think you need like a third party to come in and have that direction. For me, anyway, yeah. Yeah, well, I mean, yeah,

[01:06:48] husband, coach and manager might be. It's a little bit too much. Might be one too. Man, that's. A trial. Another kid in there and it's going to be a great Knicks. Well. Yeah. Hey, you know. Yeah. Well, you can start coaching the kid. What? Yeah. Yeah. Oh, look, I mean, we could sit here and keep talking with you guys forever. This is thrilling. We've had, we've really wrote, gone through the whole roller coaster of emotions here. Courtney, did you? I know you'd like to prep. Is there anything we've missed on your show? No, no, I'm, I mean, we, we could be asking. I mean, our listeners always love hearing favourite sessions and everything else. So maybe we'll have to talk to

[01:07:18] you again at some other stage to get into all that. But I just want to say one, congratulations 2. It's so exciting. And three, to watch you, you know, I've known both Josh and Ash for a long, long time and to see you now you know the full cycle of, you know, being together, kids, life and everything else. It's it's beautiful to watch so. To think if you hadn't sat here distracting Josh with Playstations. Could happened early. Exactly. No, seriously, Josh Ash, thank you both for making the time for

[01:07:49] us today and we look forward to seeing you on the sidelines for the T100. Yes, and we'll see you over the weekend though. Thank you so much. Thanks for coming in.