Retiring from elite sport, transitioning and welcoming a newborn baby are three of life's most monumental shifts. Ellia Green tackled all of them in the space of three months. Facing a wave of global media attention, the Olympic gold medallist found clarity and courage in the simple act of holding his new daughter, realising he never wanted her to think he was too scared to tell the world he was her daddy.

Rob and Marcus sit down with Ellia to hear about his journey from dreaming of being Australia's fastest sprinter to winning gold with the Australian rugby sevens team, and ultimately finding his greatest role yet as a father. Ellia shares how the muscle memory of the rugby pitch surprisingly translated to holding a newborn and changing nappies, and reflects on the unique, beautiful bond he shares with his daughter.

The dads also swap stories about the harsh realities of taking kids to highly anticipated events. From Marcus dropping eye watering amounts on theatre tickets only to leave fifteen minutes in, to Ellia's encounter with a terrifying eight foot Elmo in Philadelphia, it seems no amount of planning can predict what a toddler will actually enjoy. Throw in a butchered dad joke and a stiff pour of whiskey, and it is just another day of navigating life on the other side of kids.

Chapters

00:00 The rugby ball baby hold
01:04 Introducing Ellia Green
03:08 Chasing the 100 metre sprint dream
04:29 Leaving the cinema at half time
05:57 A terrifying eight foot Elmo
07:42 Scary parades at Movie World
09:12 The shared experience of being a dad
10:26 Growing up adopted from Fiji
12:57 Transitioning and becoming a father
16:11 Navigating mental health and retirement
19:58 Applying elite sports skills to parenting
21:33 Breaking the baby news to the team
22:48 Reconnecting with the rugby sevens family
27:34 Living in the moment with your kids
29:51 Finding a community of trans dads
32:15 Butchering the lactose intolerant cow joke

Our guest

Ellia Green is an Olympic gold medallist who played for the Australian rugby sevens. Born in Fiji and adopted by a Polish and English family, he transitioned and is now a proud father to his five-year-old daughter.

Read more on Man of Many

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10 Best Dad Blogs for New Parents
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Ozlo Sleepbuds: The Father's Day Sleep Upgrade Dad Will Actually Use
How to Fix Australian Rugby

What to listen to next

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Becoming a Grandpa at the Age of 37 | Matty Acton

Support: If anything in this episode brought something up for you, help is available. Lifeline 13 11 14. Beyond Blue 1300 22 4636. MensLine Australia 1300 78 99 78. PANDA, for expecting and new parents, 1300 726 306. In an emergency call 000.

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Credits
Hosts: Rob Stott and Marcus Hurley
Producer: Amelia Navascues
Videographer: Jordan Yankov
A Man of Many production. New episodes every Thursday.