Seven weeks until Ironman, and the training is getting real. In this week’s Spiral Up Diaries, we dive into the Major Marathon Project and the road to Busselton. From a sprint tri with Annabelle, to fueling across four training sessions, a new Factor bike fit, and swim sessions shifting between pool and ocean. Plus, on the podcast: last week’s chat with Jacqui Loud and Tim Berkil, and this week’s guest — Chris Barns.

Rose: the new bike arrived 🚴‍♂️ Bud: breathwork focus 🌬️ Thorn: puppy sitting chaos 🐶

Seven weeks until Ironman, and the training is getting real. In this week&rsquo;s Spiral Up Diaries, we dive into the Major Marathon Project and the road to Busselton. From a sprint tri with Annabelle, to fueling across four training sessions, a new Factor bike fit, and swim sessions shifting between pool and ocean. Plus, on the podcast: last week&rsquo;s chat with Jacqui Loud and Tim Berkil, and this week&rsquo;s guest &mdash; Chris Barns.
Rose: the new bike arrived 🚴&zwj;♂️ Bud: breathwork focus 🌬️ Thorn: puppy sitting chaos 🐶

Ever wondered what drives the world’s top athletes beyond the scoreboard?

Former professional NRL player Keegan Hipgrave uncovers the untold truths about mental health, resilience, and redefining success - one candid conversation at a time.

Ever wondered what drives the world&rsquo;s top athletes beyond the scoreboard?
Former professional NRL player Keegan Hipgrave uncovers the untold truths about mental health, resilience, and redefining success - one candid conversation at a time.

Keegan and Company

#135 SPIRAL UP DIARIES: HARDER THAN I THOUGHT

Matt Hauser is an Olympic triathlete from the Gold Coast. He came home from his first Olympics not satisfied and decided he needed to go all in if he was going to compete at the top of the sport. A few months after we recorded this, he became World Champion.

In this episode Matt and I talk about the choice he gave himself, grow up or step away, why he stopped calling any of it sacrifice, and the question his partner sent in that he struggled to answer. Describe yourself as a person without using triathlon.

We sat down with Matt in early 2025. We are re-releasing this section now as a Moments episode because it is the part people keep coming back to.

This podcast is supported by Denza. Thanks DENZA Gold Coast for getting behind the show. https://www.denzagoldcoast.com.au/

Listen to the Full episode here:
#96 Matt Hauser: Triathlons, Tackling Challenges & Finding Community: Spotify · Apple · YouTube The full conversation this came from.

For more just like this:
#155 Jeremy Howe: More Than AFL: Spotify · Apple · YouTube

#83 Jordan Kahu: Balancing Family & Business, Life after NRL, and Mental Health: Spotify · Apple · YouTube Life on the other side of the sport, which is where Matt's question is pointing.

Listen and subscribe Spotify Apple Podcasts YouTube

Follow for more Podcast Instagram Keegan's Instagram TikTok

Matt Hauser is an Olympic triathlete from the Gold Coast. He came home from his first Olympics not satisfied and decided he needed to go all in if he was going to compete at the top of the sport. A few months after we recorded this, he became World Champion.
In this episode Matt and I talk about the choice he gave himself, grow up or step away, why he stopped calling any of it sacrifice, and the question his partner sent in that he struggled to answer. Describe yourself as a person without using triathlon.
We sat down with Matt in early 2025. We are re-releasing this section now as a Moments episode because it is the part people keep coming back to.
This podcast is supported by Denza. Thanks DENZA Gold Coast for getting behind the show.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.denzagoldcoast.com.au/">https://www.denzagoldcoast.com.au/</a> Listen to the Full episode here: #96 Matt Hauser: Triathlons, Tackling Challenges &amp; Finding Community:&nbsp;<a href="https://open.spotify.com/episode/2jLwqSWc0xhyjkY1798rtm">Spotify</a>&nbsp;&middot;&nbsp;<a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/96-matt-hauser-triathlons-tackling-challenges-finding/id1695873736?i=1000699343506&amp;uo=4">Apple</a>&nbsp;&middot;&nbsp;<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P2WdGWWEQi8">YouTube</a>&nbsp;The full conversation this came from.
For more just like this: #155 Jeremy Howe: More Than AFL:&nbsp;<a href="https://open.spotify.com/episode/4zrIwsbzyQY5mDUF2G1OM8">Spotify</a>&nbsp;&middot;&nbsp;<a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/155-jeremy-howe-more-than-afl/id1695873736?i=1000748734880&amp;uo=4">Apple</a>&nbsp;&middot;&nbsp;<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eAYxOlradtQ">YouTube</a>
#83 Jordan Kahu: Balancing Family &amp; Business, Life after NRL, and Mental Health:&nbsp;<a href="https://open.spotify.com/episode/6OCqSJlgPMUOmSoA41uDNC">Spotify</a>&nbsp;&middot;&nbsp;<a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/83-jordan-kahu-balancing-family-business-life-after/id1695873736?i=1000680404469&amp;uo=4">Apple</a>&nbsp;&middot;&nbsp;<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zWjTLRrDNeA">YouTube</a>&nbsp;Life on the other side of the sport, which is where Matt's question is pointing.
Listen and subscribe&nbsp;<a href="https://open.spotify.com/show/4L7zyEBXeNYBDK4rRjBK0K">Spotify</a>&nbsp;<a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/keegan-and-company/id1695873736">Apple Podcasts</a>&nbsp;<a href="https://www.youtube.com/@Keeganandcompany">YouTube</a>
Follow for more&nbsp;<a href="https://www.instagram.com/keeganandcompanypodcast">Podcast Instagram</a>&nbsp;<a href="https://www.instagram.com/keeganhipgrave">Keegan's Instagram</a>&nbsp;<a href="https://www.tiktok.com/@keeganandcompany">TikTok</a>

Matt Hauser on Going All In on What You're Good At & Identity Beyond Sport | Moments #24

Gretel Bueta grew up on the Gold Coast playing everything she could get her hands on. She signed her first professional basketball contract at 17, played three junior world championships and was named WNBL Rookie of the Year. Then she got glandular fever, stopped enjoying it and walked away from the sport entirely. Three months later she started playing netball socially with school friends, and did not make the district team. She went on to play more than 100 games for the Queensland Firebirds and over 50 for the Diamonds, won Commonwealth Games gold and the Liz Ellis Diamond as the best player in Australian netball, and came back after her first child playing some of the best netball of her life. She is now a mother of three. Grateful she came in and talked about all of it.

In this episode Gretel and I discuss what happened when she came back to netball after having Bobby and found she was hungrier than she had ever been, why she decided she would either come back and be the best or not come back at all, burning out at 17 and her parents telling her to go work at the local bank and be happy, the netball trial she did not get picked for, how trying to play the perfect game cost her a Commonwealth Games, the quote she used to force selection, the 15 minutes a day nobody ever saw, her mum running the house as the family CEO, and whether motherhood is harder than professional sport.

This podcast is supported by Denza. Thanks DENZA Gold Coast for getting behind the show. https://www.denzagoldcoast.com.au/

For more just like this:

#191 Charlotte Caslick: 3x Olympian Rugby 7s Player on Training Through Pregnancy & Why Trying Hard Is Cool | Apple | YouTube

#33 Allie Smith: Swifts Cult, Perfectionism and Building Confidence | Apple | YouTube Another netballer on perfectionism, and the New South Wales Swifts, the club Gretel played for in 2014.

#27 Kelsey Browne: Journey with Body Image, Clinical Depression, and a Glass Half Full Perspective | Apple | YouTube A former professional netballer on what the sport took out of her.

Listen and subscribe: Spotify Apple Podcasts YouTube

Follow for more: Podcast Instagram Keegan's Instagram TikTok

Gretel Bueta grew up on the Gold Coast playing everything she could get her hands on. She signed her first professional basketball contract at 17, played three junior world championships and was named WNBL Rookie of the Year. Then she got glandular fever, stopped enjoying it and walked away from the sport entirely. Three months later she started playing netball socially with school friends, and did not make the district team. She went on to play more than 100 games for the Queensland Firebirds and over 50 for the Diamonds, won Commonwealth Games gold and the Liz Ellis Diamond as the best player in Australian netball, and came back after her first child playing some of the best netball of her life. She is now a mother of three. Grateful she came in and talked about all of it.
In this episode Gretel and I discuss what happened when she came back to netball after having Bobby and found she was hungrier than she had ever been, why she decided she would either come back and be the best or not come back at all, burning out at 17 and her parents telling her to go work at the local bank and be happy, the netball trial she did not get picked for, how trying to play the perfect game cost her a Commonwealth Games, the quote she used to force selection, the 15 minutes a day nobody ever saw, her mum running the house as the family CEO, and whether motherhood is harder than professional sport. This podcast is supported by Denza. Thanks DENZA Gold Coast for getting behind the show.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.denzagoldcoast.com.au/">https://www.denzagoldcoast.com.au/</a>
For more just like this:
<a href="https://open.spotify.com/episode/0Jr18jW0iNzMi3XeRiXl9z">#191 Charlotte Caslick: 3x Olympian Rugby 7s Player on Training Through Pregnancy &amp; Why Trying Hard Is Cool</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/191-charlotte-caslick-3x-olympian-rugby-7s-player-on/id1695873736?i=1000774525187&amp;uo=4">Apple</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YXkMlk7li9Y">YouTube</a>
<a href="https://open.spotify.com/episode/1uzUcgEr4I31W3N52IIm42">#33 Allie Smith: Swifts Cult, Perfectionism and Building Confidence</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/33-allie-smith-swifts-cult-perfectionism-and-building/id1695873736?i=1000645732829&amp;uo=4">Apple</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xAvsOoSZoec">YouTube</a>&nbsp;Another netballer on perfectionism, and the New South Wales Swifts, the club Gretel played for in 2014.
<a href="https://open.spotify.com/episode/5lpEGjUHTQtr2Lej7ysrH0">#27 Kelsey Browne: Journey with Body Image, Clinical Depression, and a Glass Half Full Perspective</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/27-kelsey-browne-journey-with-body-image-clinical/id1695873736?i=1000642022204&amp;uo=4">Apple</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UPXCqMHwCG4">YouTube</a>&nbsp;A former professional netballer on what the sport took out of her.
Listen and subscribe:&nbsp;<a href="https://open.spotify.com/show/4L7zyEBXeNYBDK4rRjBK0K">Spotify</a>&nbsp;<a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/keegan-and-company/id1695873736">Apple Podcasts</a>&nbsp;<a href="https://www.youtube.com/@Keeganandcompany">YouTube</a>
Follow for more:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.instagram.com/keeganandcompanypodcast/">Podcast Instagram</a>&nbsp;<a href="https://www.instagram.com/keeganhipgrave/">Keegan's Instagram</a>&nbsp;<a href="https://www.tiktok.com/@keeganandcompany">TikTok</a>

"Be the best or I don't come back at all" Gretel Bueta Motherhood, Burnout & Commonwealth Games #204

In this episode I get into bids for connection, the Gottman Institute's term for the small moments when your partner reaches out to you, and why how often you turn towards them is one of the biggest predictors of whether a couple stays together or gets divorced. I go through the newlywed research that followed couples for six years and sorted them into masters and disasters, and the part that actually matters, which is not catching every bid but going back to repair the ones you miss. I talk about the emotional bank account, Alexis Fernandez's tennis ball, the bird theory trend and Robert Irwin's answer to it, and why the phone is the biggest killer of all of it. I go into the year I spent making big grand gestures while missing the small ones, and what changed in the two weeks before I recorded this.

This one was made with Denza. We packed the B5, drove up into the hinterland and set camp for the night, and that is where the episode was recorded. The cooler in the centre console kept the sandwiches cold on the way up, the boot is spacious and fits everything we need and this car is just such a pleasure to drive. Thanks DENZA Gold Coast.

For more just like this 
#186 Alexis Fernandez The Neuroscience of Connection, Creativity & Heartbreak: 
Spotify · Apple · YouTube 
The conversation this whole episode came out of, and where the tennis ball comes from. 

#190 The Psychology of Monotasking: Why Being Bored Makes You More Creative: 
Spotify · Apple · YouTube 
The companion to the phone half of this one. 

How to Help People Feel Comfortable | Episode 179: 
Spotify · Apple · YouTube 
The instinct I did not have a name for until this one. 

#146 Harry Garside: Masculinity, Vulnerability & Boxing: 
Spotify · Apple · YouTube

Listen and subscribe Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4L7zyEBXeNYBDK4rRjBK0K Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/keegan-and-company/id1695873736 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@Keeganandcompany

Follow for more Podcast Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/keeganandcompanypodcast/ Keegan's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/keeganhipgrave/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@keeganandcompany

In this episode I get into bids for connection, the Gottman Institute's term for the small moments when your partner reaches out to you, and why how often you turn towards them is one of the biggest predictors of whether a couple stays together or gets divorced. I go through the newlywed research that followed couples for six years and sorted them into masters and disasters, and the part that actually matters, which is not catching every bid but going back to repair the ones you miss. I talk about the emotional bank account, Alexis Fernandez's tennis ball, the bird theory trend and Robert Irwin's answer to it, and why the phone is the biggest killer of all of it. I go into the year I spent making big grand gestures while missing the small ones, and what changed in the two weeks before I recorded this.
This one was made with Denza. We packed the B5, drove up into the hinterland and set camp for the night, and that is where the episode was recorded. The cooler in the centre console kept the sandwiches cold on the way up, the boot is spacious and fits everything we need and this car is just such a pleasure to drive. Thanks <a href="https://www.denzagoldcoast.com.au/">DENZA Gold Coast</a>.
For more just like this&nbsp; #186 Alexis Fernandez The Neuroscience of Connection, Creativity &amp; Heartbreak:&nbsp; <a href="https://open.spotify.com/episode/4aEvYogj3q6LtvxcyGrswz">Spotify</a>&nbsp;&middot;&nbsp;<a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/186-alexis-fernandez-dyfm-the-neuroscience-of/id1695873736?i=1000771520615&amp;uo=4">Apple</a>&nbsp;&middot;&nbsp;<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rEXGVLbRuYg">YouTube</a>&nbsp; The conversation this whole episode came out of, and where the tennis ball comes from. #190 The Psychology of Monotasking: Why Being Bored Makes You More Creative:&nbsp; <a href="https://open.spotify.com/episode/3oL0GqyvmaU7czOyEVZG0B">Spotify</a>&nbsp;&middot;&nbsp;<a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/190-the-psychology-of-monotasking-why-being-bored/id1695873736?i=1000773849742&amp;uo=4">Apple</a>&nbsp;&middot;&nbsp;<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uWLkPjWrBDU">YouTube</a>&nbsp; The companion to the phone half of this one. How to Help People Feel Comfortable | Episode 179:&nbsp; <a href="https://open.spotify.com/episode/6w09Bq6aFSApFjCTVkI4S4">Spotify</a>&nbsp;&middot;&nbsp;<a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/how-to-help-people-feel-comfortable-episode-179/id1695873736?i=1000766108014&amp;uo=4">Apple</a>&nbsp;&middot;&nbsp;<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XHtgxvL07Hc">YouTube</a>&nbsp; The instinct I did not have a name for until this one. #146 Harry Garside: Masculinity, Vulnerability &amp; Boxing:&nbsp; <a href="https://open.spotify.com/episode/5J1knjZmt0vdzLXsgNKczY">Spotify</a>&nbsp;&middot;&nbsp;<a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/146-harry-garside-masculinity-vulnerability-boxing/id1695873736?i=1000741193468&amp;uo=4">Apple</a>&nbsp;&middot;&nbsp;<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0BqstMQIArw">YouTube</a>
Listen and subscribe&nbsp;Spotify:&nbsp;<a href="https://open.spotify.com/show/4L7zyEBXeNYBDK4rRjBK0K">https://open.spotify.com/show/4L7zyEBXeNYBDK4rRjBK0K</a>&nbsp;Apple Podcasts:&nbsp;<a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/keegan-and-company/id1695873736">https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/keegan-and-company/id1695873736</a>&nbsp;YouTube:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.youtube.com/@Keeganandcompany">https://www.youtube.com/@Keeganandcompany</a>
Follow for more&nbsp;Podcast Instagram:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.instagram.com/keeganandcompanypodcast/">https://www.instagram.com/keeganandcompanypodcast/</a>&nbsp;Keegan's Instagram:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.instagram.com/keeganhipgrave/">https://www.instagram.com/keeganhipgrave/</a>&nbsp;TikTok:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.tiktok.com/@keeganandcompany">https://www.tiktok.com/@keeganandcompany</a>

#135 SPIRAL UP DIARIES: HARDER THAN I THOUGHT

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