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Straight from the I'm A Celebrity Jungle, Harrison Reid, our very own Hero Lifeguard.
15 Plays1 month ago
Today on the Live Learn Survive podcast, we’re joined by none other than Professional Lifeguard Harrison Reid.
Born and raised in Christchurch, New Zealand, Harrison moved to Sydney to pursue his dream job of becoming a lifeguard and worked hard to earn his spot among the elite Waverley lifeguards, now working at Bondi, Bronte and Tamarama beaches alongside Maxi and the team.
The spotlight and Bondi Rescue followed, making sure this inspirational lifeguarding career patrolling one of the world’s most famous beaches was well documented, including many of the incredible rescues, medical incidents and countless lives that Harrison has saved keeping locals and tourists from all around the world safe in the surf.
On a self-confessed mission to get out of his comfort zone Harrison recently swopped the beach for the jungle appearing on I’m a Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here and we could not be prouder to say that Harrison chose us, Live Learn Survive as his nominated charity.
Today we could not be happier to welcome him home and have him here with us for his first exclusive chat about life in the jungle and what the future holds for him.
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Transcript
Introduction and Podcast Overview
00:00:09
Speaker
G'day, I'm Trent Maxwell.
00:00:11
Speaker
And I'm Lee Mason.
00:00:12
Speaker
I want to welcome you to our Live, Learn, Survive podcast.
00:00:14
Speaker
Since 2018, Lee and I have traveled the globe, met face-to-face over 36,500 children in six countries across three continents.
00:00:21
Speaker
We created a series of award-winning children's books, a global online education program, and the founders of the Live, Learn, Survive charity, all focused on teaching children and young adults' life skills that will not only help themselves, but help others too.
00:00:32
Speaker
We're on a mission to spread awareness about fire, water and first aid education to inspire the next generation of first responders.
Meet Harrison Reid: Lifeguard and Celebrity Experience
00:00:38
Speaker
So join us for the next half an hour with some fun, inspiration and kindness and we'll try and learn something too.
00:00:44
Speaker
How are you this week, Lee?
00:00:45
Speaker
Welcome to the podcast.
00:00:47
Speaker
I am good, Maxine.
00:00:49
Speaker
We're starting the week.
00:00:49
Speaker
It's Monday morning, bright and early.
00:00:52
Speaker
Monday morning and we've got a special guest this week.
00:00:55
Speaker
Hey, we've got an exclusive.
00:00:58
Speaker
Exclusive.
00:00:59
Speaker
So it's good to have Harrison here.
00:01:02
Speaker
All the people on YouTube already know that because they can see it, but the people listening are waiting.
00:01:07
Speaker
I've got it.
00:01:09
Speaker
My hair is going to drive me mad for this.
00:01:10
Speaker
Let's sort that out.
00:01:12
Speaker
Yeah, exactly.
00:01:13
Speaker
It's all right.
00:01:14
Speaker
Took it in the glasses.
00:01:16
Speaker
Yeah, the people on YouTube already know he's here, but the people listening, you just gave a...
00:01:21
Speaker
Sneaky peek who's joined us.
00:01:23
Speaker
Yes.
00:01:23
Speaker
Our special away.
00:01:25
Speaker
First, post-jungle, the exclusive.
00:01:28
Speaker
Yes, it was a big couple of weeks watching Harrison in the jungle.
00:01:31
Speaker
He did a great job.
00:01:33
Speaker
And we're going to be finding out about, you know, lifeguarding the jungle and what's next for Harrison.
00:01:39
Speaker
So do you want to do the honest?
00:01:41
Speaker
Absolutely.
00:01:41
Speaker
Okay.
00:01:42
Speaker
Drum roll, please.
00:01:43
Speaker
Let's intro the main man.
00:01:44
Speaker
So, Maxie, today on the Live Learned to Live podcast, we are joined by none other than professional lifeguard, Harrison Reid.
00:01:54
Speaker
So for people that may not know, Harrison was born and raised in Christchurch, New Zealand, and he moved to Sydney to pursue his dream job of becoming a lifeguard and worked hard to earn his spot among the elite Waverley lifeguards.
00:02:08
Speaker
Now working at Bondi, Bronte and Tamarama beaches alongside yourself, Maxie and the rest of the team.
00:02:15
Speaker
So the spotlight and Bondi Rescue followed and making sure this inspirational lifeguard in Korea, patrolling one of the world's most famous beaches, was well documented, including many of the incredible rescues, medical incidents and countless lives that Harrison has saved, keeping locals and tourists from all around the world safe in the surf.
00:02:39
Speaker
On a self-confessed mission to get out of his comfort zone, Harrison recently swapped the beach for the jungle and appeared on the Australian I'm a Celebrity Get Me Outta Here.
00:02:51
Speaker
And we could not have been prouder, almost to the point of tears, when we learned that Harrison had nominated All to Live, Learn, Survive as his nominated charity.
00:03:01
Speaker
Today, we could not be happier to welcome him home and have him here with us as the first exclusive chat
00:03:09
Speaker
about life in the jungle and what the future holds.
00:03:12
Speaker
Harrison, welcome home.
00:03:15
Speaker
You're back.
00:03:16
Speaker
I know.
00:03:17
Speaker
It's good to be back.
Harrison's Lifeguard Journey and Challenges
00:03:18
Speaker
I can go to the fridge and help myself to food whenever I want.
00:03:21
Speaker
I'm not restricted to camp.
00:03:24
Speaker
Please tell me you've got rice and beans in your pantry.
00:03:27
Speaker
Just a very cool moment of that snack.
00:03:35
Speaker
After speaking to Harrison the last week, I don't think rice and beans is on his menu for the next, probably forever.
00:03:42
Speaker
Ever.
00:03:42
Speaker
The rest of his life.
00:03:44
Speaker
Yeah, I feel it.
00:03:45
Speaker
Mate, I was getting to the stage where I had to force it down me because the beans were the only kind of protein we were getting.
00:03:51
Speaker
And to the stage where I was actually getting sick.
00:03:54
Speaker
I reckon I had a week in there with no beans.
00:03:56
Speaker
I was just having rice for lunch.
00:03:58
Speaker
Wow, so just plain rice.
00:04:00
Speaker
Nothing.
00:04:00
Speaker
Oh, my gosh.
00:04:03
Speaker
Can you imagine the hangry?
00:04:05
Speaker
Yeah, a little bit of hangriness.
00:04:10
Speaker
I know that I probably would have been a bit hangry.
00:04:12
Speaker
I'm sure other people around Australia would have been hangry.
00:04:16
Speaker
Oh, me too.
00:04:17
Speaker
That would be a disaster.
00:04:19
Speaker
I would have been like, to keep your...
00:04:22
Speaker
calm but we'll we'll we'll talk about all of this and we'll unpack all of this but we'll what are we going to start with we're going to get into the lifeguard in first so um let's do um justice to your stellar career harrison first before we start all of that so i'll roll in with question one how did your journey as a lifeguard begin and what's been the biggest lesson for you along the way
00:04:49
Speaker
I think for me, I've always, ever since I was very young, I was interested in lifeguarding and kind of first aid, you know, ambulances, paramedics, that first responder kind of feel.
00:05:03
Speaker
I got to a stage when I was really young, I had a fascination with first aid kits.
00:05:09
Speaker
So like the parents went on holiday, you know, everyone wanted to come, you know, you want to get, people wanted, if your parents got went away on holiday, wanted to, you know, get, bring back a prison.
00:05:16
Speaker
Mum and dad would bring back a first aid kid every time.
00:05:20
Speaker
So I went like, so I started with that and then really started doing nippers when I was younger, really got into lifeguarding there and got to the stage where I think it was like,
00:05:33
Speaker
I don't know how old I was, maybe six or seven of these photos of me sitting by the pool when I used to put all my teddy bears on boogie boards.
00:05:41
Speaker
And I think that photo was just shown on TV.
00:05:44
Speaker
Everyone saw it.
00:05:46
Speaker
And by six hours, and so, you know, it was good.
00:05:50
Speaker
So, you know, cheap babysitting.
00:05:52
Speaker
When the wind picked up, did they fall in the pool?
00:05:54
Speaker
You're straight in there?
00:05:55
Speaker
Tell you what.
00:05:55
Speaker
Did you ever give a little bit of a pool to them?
00:05:58
Speaker
No, no, Tweety Bird nearly went in one day, but it was fine.
00:06:01
Speaker
And I remember there was also another photo of me.
00:06:04
Speaker
I went like, I saw like, you know, like Baywatch and like the risky tubes and the cans, but nothing like that.
00:06:09
Speaker
So we had like a broken vacuum cleaner.
00:06:14
Speaker
It was like a bit of the middle pole.
00:06:16
Speaker
It was like that big and then tied the rope around it.
00:06:19
Speaker
That was like my rescue tube used to walk around with.
00:06:21
Speaker
But like we went on holiday somewhere, like especially if you went to the Gold Coast, I would just sit at the bottom of the lifeguard tower, you know, and this is, you know, you know, since I was, yeah, I was going to see probably about seven years old maybe.
00:06:33
Speaker
And I think for me it's like,
00:06:37
Speaker
Say, speaking, coming from New Zealand, like, you know, like a young kid's dream was to, you know, become an all black, you know, if you're a rugby player.
00:06:46
Speaker
Yes.
00:06:47
Speaker
Yeah.
00:06:47
Speaker
Getting to a stage where I love lifeguarding, you know, we don't have professional lifeguard services in New Zealand.
00:06:54
Speaker
They have like a regional lifeguard program, which they pay, you know, some uni kids, you know,
00:07:01
Speaker
which we did in Christchurch for about four weeks over the Christmas break in Christchurch, but it wasn't a full-time job.
00:07:08
Speaker
So I was doing that.
00:07:09
Speaker
I didn't have really any social life, didn't have a social life through that period of 16 to 18,
00:07:16
Speaker
really want to become a lifeguard.
00:07:17
Speaker
And, and, you know, back to when I said, you know, a Kiwi kid, you know, you're, you know, you want to become an all black, the best in your field.
00:07:24
Speaker
And I think my dream was knowing that I wanted to work at the one of the world's busiest beaches.
00:07:29
Speaker
And, and that was, that was Bondi.
00:07:31
Speaker
And that's, you know, you really can test yourself.
00:07:33
Speaker
And, and they, they used to do a holiday academy, which you remember.
00:07:38
Speaker
I remember that.
00:07:39
Speaker
Yeah.
00:07:39
Speaker
I used to come over.
00:07:40
Speaker
It was like in the June school holidays and,
00:07:43
Speaker
And it was quite funny.
00:07:45
Speaker
You rocked up there and, you know, had all the Aussie kids and, you know, they're all, cause they train all year round.
00:07:50
Speaker
They're first and all that.
00:07:51
Speaker
And, you know, there's me, but I was just so keen.
00:07:55
Speaker
And, and I was like, Oh, I've got no chance here.
00:07:58
Speaker
But I remember, and, and Maxie will vouch for, and, um,
00:08:02
Speaker
And Hoppo said, you know, like you could be the fittest person in the field, but if you can't spot them in trouble, you're no good to them, you know.
00:08:11
Speaker
The state or the situational awareness that comes with being a lifeguard.
00:08:17
Speaker
Exactly.
00:08:18
Speaker
And I think, you know, that was something, you know, one of my skills I was proud of, you know, is always being able to spot someone before they get into trouble.
00:08:25
Speaker
And it's great because, you know, the way I described the lifeguarding down there is, you know,
00:08:31
Speaker
it's kind of like a footy team you know you've got all these you know different positions and no one's the same everyone brings their um their different strengths to it you know like as you know we've got you know maxi you know i know he was a lifeguard before but you know the skills from being a firefighter now you know guys who are uh paramedics down there you know we've got people that are you know big wave surfers unbelievable in the water
00:08:55
Speaker
And then you've got guys who are great with, you know, dealing with people and kids and families and all that.
00:09:00
Speaker
And so, you know, we always come together and make a great team, which is pretty special.
00:09:05
Speaker
Yeah.
00:09:06
Speaker
So then, yeah, then I did the academy and then I think they got desperate that year and put me on the training show.
00:09:12
Speaker
Yeah.
00:09:13
Speaker
I moved home from New Zealand and moved straight into Maxi Spiro.
00:09:17
Speaker
I moved in with Harrison back when Harrison turned 18 and we lived together for about two and a half, three years, which was an awesome time.
00:09:28
Speaker
You can imagine what we got up to being, I was 21 at the time, Harrison 18, and we had a lot of fun.
00:09:34
Speaker
But, yeah, how long has it been now?
00:09:37
Speaker
How many seasons?
00:09:38
Speaker
It's my 12th year.
00:09:39
Speaker
12th year.
00:09:40
Speaker
So, you know, in any job, you know, 10 years plus is amazing, but 12 years, you know, it's –
00:09:48
Speaker
And it's credible as well because, like, you're saying those, you know, your story there with, like, you watching the pool and all the rest of it, it's like you, Maxie, with the keeping the garden hose under your bed because you've got boots ready for the fire alarm going.
00:10:02
Speaker
Yeah.
00:10:02
Speaker
I used to sleep with fire gear under my bed when I was a kid.
00:10:06
Speaker
I love that.
00:10:07
Speaker
And after one time I went on school camp, across the road a car got firebombed and there was a fire truck parked in there.
00:10:13
Speaker
Yeah.
00:10:14
Speaker
in our driveway and I remember crying for days because the one time there was a fire in my street, you know.
00:10:20
Speaker
He was away.
00:10:22
Speaker
He missed it.
00:10:23
Speaker
The big one, Harrison, and he missed it.
00:10:26
Speaker
Heartbreaking.
00:10:27
Speaker
I remember lived with Maxi and we lived on old South Head Road, which is a busy road and there one night and these sirens and sirens were going past.
00:10:36
Speaker
So many sirens, like this is big, something's going on.
00:10:39
Speaker
We looked at each other like, we've got to go and see what's going on.
00:10:42
Speaker
So we just went for a drive and then found the street where the fire was.
00:10:47
Speaker
And then we drove down there and I was in my car and then unfortunately I ended up getting parked in so we had to wait for the whole incident to be finished, which took a couple of hours.
00:10:55
Speaker
Yeah, it was like 11 o'clock at night.
00:10:57
Speaker
Yeah, yeah.
00:10:58
Speaker
So here we
Advice and Reflections on Passion and Pressure
00:10:59
Speaker
got the, you know, the fiery, the paramedic, couple of lifeguards just in case, you know, like...
00:11:06
Speaker
Remember that there was that hair salon across the road one day and we were sitting watching TV.
00:11:10
Speaker
A big car accident.
00:11:11
Speaker
And we heard this.
00:11:13
Speaker
The noise was incredible.
00:11:14
Speaker
Ran out and a car driven straight into the hair salon.
00:11:18
Speaker
And we ran across there.
00:11:19
Speaker
Norm Sporting was the ambulance inspector, which we knew from the training at the beach.
00:11:24
Speaker
And he kind of got us involved in a way where we'll kind of help and preserve the scene.
00:11:29
Speaker
Yeah.
00:11:30
Speaker
You know, you're handy blokes to have in the apartment block, if you're honest.
00:11:36
Speaker
You know, let's like, you know, if there's something going off, you'd be knocking on your door.
00:11:40
Speaker
Like, you know, like, so that's just brilliant.
00:11:45
Speaker
And it's so like those seeds are almost there, aren't they, when you're really young.
00:11:50
Speaker
I ended up in fashion.
00:11:51
Speaker
I used to unpick my doll's clothes.
00:11:54
Speaker
and then hand sew them back together.
00:11:56
Speaker
Cause I wanted to know how garments fitted back together.
00:12:00
Speaker
So I think I was the only kid that got the dolls dress and then unpicked it all and laid it all out.
00:12:07
Speaker
And then like wanted to put the jigsaw back together.
00:12:10
Speaker
Kids, you know, one thing I say to people, listen to kids, because they are probably subconsciously telling you whether they're like, want to be a first responder, want to be helping people, want to be creative, whatever.
00:12:25
Speaker
you know, like all those different things.
00:12:28
Speaker
So cool.
00:12:29
Speaker
And the signs are there, aren't they, from so young.
00:12:32
Speaker
They are.
00:12:32
Speaker
They definitely are.
00:12:33
Speaker
And rolling off from that question, what's the most intense or rewarding save you've ever made and how did it unfold?
00:12:44
Speaker
I'm sure there's thousands.
00:12:45
Speaker
Yeah.
00:12:45
Speaker
But if there's one that comes to mind.
00:12:48
Speaker
Sticks in your mind.
00:12:50
Speaker
Oh, God.
00:12:51
Speaker
Yeah.
00:12:52
Speaker
There's so many.
00:12:53
Speaker
It's quite funny.
00:12:54
Speaker
Yeah.
00:12:56
Speaker
I was actually thinking about this when I was in the jungle and it's something I wish, you know, I did when I, um, before I started lifeguarding, I had a book and then when he made you just write it down and then just, and that day and the date, and then I could go back to it, you know, down the track and just go, Oh, this, that's when that happened.
00:13:16
Speaker
And it is different things because, you know, we're very lucky we do get successful resuscitations and all that.
00:13:23
Speaker
Um,
00:13:24
Speaker
But then you get the, you know, the strange ones.
00:13:27
Speaker
I remember the guy drove the car onto the beach.
00:13:29
Speaker
Yeah, I remember that.
00:13:31
Speaker
You know, like I, you know, you go back to my first day at work and then, you know,
00:13:38
Speaker
When a lady, and I didn't know where anything was, new to the area, and we were short, and it was in the winter, and a lady fell over.
00:13:45
Speaker
It was up at the North Bondi when you walked through up the grassy knoll, and they had that concrete octopus in the playground.
00:13:52
Speaker
And she was carrying her baby, and then she tripped over one of the tentacles and pulled her arm out to block the baby, and it landed on one of the other tentacles and fully compound fractured her arm.
00:14:02
Speaker
Her arm.
00:14:03
Speaker
And I'm up there and like, you know, like, geez, like really out of my depth here the first day.
00:14:09
Speaker
And then Eric is quite funny every time I walk past that there now.
00:14:12
Speaker
Like I remember these incidents.
00:14:14
Speaker
But yeah, I think for me,
00:14:18
Speaker
is probably the resuscitations of the big ones, you know, or even the near resuscitations where, you know, they're out, they're unconscious, but just breathing.
00:14:26
Speaker
I think the other ones that do resonate with me, I think, um, because, you know, we do do a lot of rescues down there and, and majority of the time, you know, that that's pretty sweet.
00:14:37
Speaker
You get them before it gets bad or, um, you know, very lucky down there with the locals.
00:14:42
Speaker
I mean, uh, you know, we would have a lot more drownings.
00:14:44
Speaker
It wasn't the local.
00:14:45
Speaker
I mean, on a busy day, there's six lifeguards to 30,000 people.
00:14:48
Speaker
We know we can't be everywhere at once.
00:14:51
Speaker
So we kind of rely on that team effort.
00:14:54
Speaker
And then, yeah, I think it's probably resuscitations for me.
00:14:58
Speaker
Resuscitations, for sure.
00:14:59
Speaker
Yeah, yeah.
00:15:01
Speaker
And, you know, I mean, I've been there when I've seen one.
00:15:05
Speaker
Well, I've been there when you've not been working, Maxine.
00:15:07
Speaker
We've been together and you've like, hang on, I'm going to go.
00:15:10
Speaker
You know, the boys need help.
00:15:11
Speaker
You're almost like when things happen after hours, you...
00:15:14
Speaker
you all just turn up, don't you?
00:15:16
Speaker
You just... There's always someone around.
00:15:18
Speaker
There always seems to be someone around.
00:15:20
Speaker
It's pretty bizarre.
00:15:21
Speaker
All the major incidents, you always see someone coming from, running from somewhere, driving past or, you know, you just have good situational awareness.
00:15:28
Speaker
You know your beaches pretty well and in the past, the guys have said messages on the WhatsApp group, anyone down in Bronte, you know, for late rescues and we all kind of team up and get down there.
00:15:40
Speaker
Yeah.
00:15:41
Speaker
Yeah.
00:15:42
Speaker
And they'd be staying with you because it's not just the person or the patient.
00:15:47
Speaker
They would have friends around them.
00:15:49
Speaker
There'd be family with them.
00:15:51
Speaker
You know, it's like, yeah, it's full on situation.
00:15:54
Speaker
And particularly somewhere at Bondi, you actually always have a crowd as well, which like wouldn't happen at probably anywhere else.
00:16:00
Speaker
But, you know, you get the...
00:16:02
Speaker
people just standing around as well and it's like you know um hats off to you for doing all of that because it's not um it's not an easy job to do in the first place and you're doing it under a microscope and off you know some parts of the year you're having it filmed as well so um you know a lot of pressure there so um
00:16:23
Speaker
So going back to when you knew Harrison with the teddies in the pool and the summer rescue situation in New Zealand, did you talk to people at school?
00:16:35
Speaker
Did you go to school with this and say, this is what I want to do?
00:16:38
Speaker
Did you get good advice or did you kind of work your own path out?
00:16:43
Speaker
Yeah, I mean, I was lucky.
00:16:45
Speaker
I kind of worked my own path out.
00:16:47
Speaker
And then for me, I kind of stayed in my own lane.
00:16:50
Speaker
I'd probably describe it.
00:16:52
Speaker
Like I was just happy.
00:16:53
Speaker
I didn't really, nothing really fazed me.
00:16:56
Speaker
And I think my teachers knew that as well.
00:16:59
Speaker
Like my parents joked with me saying, I kind of just went to school to eat my lunch.
00:17:03
Speaker
And you know what?
00:17:05
Speaker
They're not wrong.
00:17:07
Speaker
It was funny, but it's also hard because when I was in New Zealand and Christchurch, it's not really the climate for beaches.
00:17:14
Speaker
So when I said I wanted to be a lifeguard, people kind of looked at me and go, well, you can't do that forever, you know, like it's especially.
00:17:19
Speaker
Yeah.
00:17:21
Speaker
There's another 11 months of the year.
00:17:23
Speaker
How are you going to fill that?
00:17:24
Speaker
Yeah.
00:17:25
Speaker
Exactly.
00:17:26
Speaker
And I remember we, last year at school and I,
00:17:32
Speaker
I remember I was at like an end of year thing and was meeting the parents coming through for their kids were starting the next year, year nine, they were coming to our house.
00:17:44
Speaker
And they'll ask me, oh, so like, every question was, what university are you going to?
00:17:50
Speaker
And I said, I'm not going to university.
00:17:53
Speaker
I was going to be a lifeguard.
00:17:54
Speaker
They go, yeah, but that's just for the summer.
00:17:56
Speaker
Like what uni is that?
00:17:57
Speaker
And I said, no, it's full time.
00:17:59
Speaker
And they kind of give you this weird look, you know.
00:18:01
Speaker
Um, and, and by all means, if I, um, if I wanted to get into finance or, you know, be an architect or a doctor by all means, you know, that you go to university and that's great.
00:18:13
Speaker
Um, a thing for me, which I look back on now is like, I knew a lot of people that didn't know what they were going to do and they just automatically I've got to go to university.
00:18:24
Speaker
And so, um,
00:18:26
Speaker
they're in uni, they hate it, they spend all this money, then they chop and change to another one, you know?
00:18:31
Speaker
And the next minute, you just, you know, they just spent all this money and they don't know what they're gonna do.
00:18:37
Speaker
And for me, I think that's, if you don't know what you're gonna do, that's fine.
00:18:41
Speaker
Don't jump into something just because you feel that pressure or whatnot.
00:18:43
Speaker
I think that was one that, that was a big one for me.
00:18:48
Speaker
And on top of that is, you know, it's easy for me to say because I've worked, you know, found love for my passion of work, you know, and I love my job.
00:19:01
Speaker
I honestly say that I haven't worked for 12 years, you know, like because I love rocking up, you know, Maxie was the same way.
00:19:08
Speaker
We used to get to work about an hour early, you know, and then, you know, everyone's like, what are you doing here?
00:19:12
Speaker
Like, I'm ready for work.
00:19:13
Speaker
You know, like, this is shit for, you know, a few of the guys, like, mate, but, you know, we didn't take lunch, I remember not taking lunch breaks, you know, when I was a trainee.
00:19:21
Speaker
So I was so scared I was going to miss something or miss a rescue that the guys were going to do.
00:19:24
Speaker
And I wanted that one.
00:19:27
Speaker
So, you know, for me, I haven't worked 12 days of my life and by all means there are some tough days, but you know, we thrive on those days, you know?
00:19:36
Speaker
And so I think,
00:19:39
Speaker
I know it's hard to say that people think, oh, there's not a passion, you know, you know, there's not a, sorry, a job for my passion, but you just never know what that can lead to.
00:19:47
Speaker
And, you know, for me, lifeguarding, you know, in New Zealand to beaches, you know, that they get, you know, maybe a hundred people there on a busy summer's day.
00:19:57
Speaker
I followed through and I'm here at Bondi and, you know, it was pretty relentless.
00:20:01
Speaker
And I think that's just, yeah, it's,
00:20:03
Speaker
you know if you do what you love you know you never yeah and i think you know you know what you just said something that's so important there's so much pressure put on 16 17 year olds to what do you want to do you might not work that out till you're 35 you know it's like the pressure to go to uni if you you know if that's like you know
00:20:28
Speaker
You've got the grades, there's the expectation, you know, you've got the smarts, you've got the grades, you've got the, you know, you need to go.
00:20:35
Speaker
And there's so much pressure put on young people.
00:20:38
Speaker
And it's almost like your grades don't define you.
00:20:42
Speaker
What you do in those first few years don't define you.
00:20:46
Speaker
And, you know, you are both examples of doing something that you love.
00:20:51
Speaker
And that made life so much easier because, you know, if you're in a job that you hate,
00:20:57
Speaker
when that alarm goes off in the morning, you don't want to be there an hour earlier.
00:21:02
Speaker
So it's like, find your passion, find what you love.
00:21:06
Speaker
And if you don't know that it looks like it's a job as such as a lifeguarding, you might like reading, you might like writing, you might like working with numbers, you might like working in a desk, you might hate working at a desk.
00:21:22
Speaker
There's all these little things that give you signs that,
00:21:26
Speaker
You know, write things down.
00:21:28
Speaker
You know, I think that's such an important lesson because 16 years old, seriously?
00:21:36
Speaker
you've got a million things you can try and you can always change.
00:21:41
Speaker
And even the better thing too, you know, at school I didn't really necessarily like history or, you know, languages or math.
00:21:48
Speaker
But, you know, as you get older, like I kind of like some of those things.
00:21:50
Speaker
I like learning about history.
00:21:52
Speaker
I like doing some math Sudoku and stuff like that.
00:21:55
Speaker
Like,
00:21:56
Speaker
You're constantly evolving and changing.
00:21:58
Speaker
So, you know, find your passion.
00:22:00
Speaker
You might want to do something when you're in your 20s, but then when you get to your 30s, you might have a completely different outlook on life and you can follow your passion.
00:22:07
Speaker
I was like you, Harrison.
00:22:08
Speaker
I went to school for hockey and netball.
00:22:11
Speaker
I'd forget my books, but you bet I'd never forget my hockey kit or my netball kit.
00:22:15
Speaker
You know, it's like school's really tough and it's, we say it all the time at Live and Survive.
00:22:22
Speaker
And when I did the speech, I spoke about it.
00:22:24
Speaker
It's, it's,
00:22:25
Speaker
very difficult because an education system tries to be a one size fits all and we're all so different and there's jobs coming out now that weren't even on the radar 10 years ago and the jobs that 16 year olds will have in 10 years time aren't even invented yet
00:22:46
Speaker
Yeah, exactly.
00:22:47
Speaker
And one thing I do think is now like I look back on my school and I'm like, you know what, I do kind of take that for granted.
00:22:54
Speaker
Like I wish I applied myself a bit more.
00:22:57
Speaker
And as I said, no, the hindsight's an amazing thing.
00:23:00
Speaker
But, you know, a little thing is like that you forget is,
00:23:04
Speaker
School's so easy, you know, you get dropped off, you know, you bike to school and then you're with your friends every day, you know, and then when you leave, you're like, oh, you know, you're in the real world now, you know, so, you know, it is a good time school and yeah, for sure.
00:23:18
Speaker
Yeah, yeah, no, brilliant, brilliant wisdom in there, Harrison.
00:23:23
Speaker
So when you were in the jungle, we did catch up with KB and Kevin.
00:23:27
Speaker
And this next question, I remember having a good chat with Kevin and your dad and he gave me some good advice with some one-worded sayings and stuff like that.
00:23:36
Speaker
But what's the best piece of advice you've ever been given and how has it shaped you?
00:23:40
Speaker
It doesn't have to be from your dad, but it's just like that sort of – has someone given you good advice and how has it shaped you to be right now?
00:23:50
Speaker
The one that –
00:23:53
Speaker
ones that dad drilled into me was always be humble, I think.
00:23:57
Speaker
Just, you know, there's always someone bigger and better and, you know, you know, the taller you are, the harder you fall.
00:24:04
Speaker
And there's, you know, so just, and I think I've taken that back into kind of like lifeguarding as well, you know, just, you know, there's some, when I came to that job, it's just, just be a sponge and take all the information you can because, you know, you,
00:24:21
Speaker
There's been great people around us.
00:24:23
Speaker
A big one for me is as well as just treat other people how you want to be treated, which I think is a big one.
00:24:30
Speaker
I think through lifeguarding, I think I've really, you know, leant into that one.
00:24:37
Speaker
Reason being is because
00:24:40
Speaker
you know, we deal with all sorts of things down there, as you know.
00:24:44
Speaker
Um, and, um, it's, it's quite interesting.
00:24:48
Speaker
I was, um, a friend of ours, uh, you know, that we know, who's a police officer is, you know, he said, it's a great, a great thing is, um,
00:24:56
Speaker
you know, someone's had a bad scenario that happens to someone could be completely different, could be nothing to someone that had, you know, sorry, completely different to something that happened to another person.
00:25:10
Speaker
But everyone's different, you know, and that's why they treat them differently.
00:25:14
Speaker
And so, for example,
00:25:17
Speaker
someone's lost their car, you know, you can't remember where they're coming from.
00:25:20
Speaker
You know, for us, that's nothing because we're dealing with, you know, people drowning.
00:25:25
Speaker
But that could be the worst thing that could happen to those, you know, that person.
00:25:28
Speaker
And then so I'll treat them the same as if someone's drowning.
00:25:33
Speaker
And then the reason why I enjoy that, you know, treat other people how you want to be treated is because,
00:25:40
Speaker
if that was my parents or my loved ones and they're in that situation, I hope there was someone like me that can help them out in that situation if they're overseas and whatnot.
00:25:50
Speaker
Yeah, absolutely.
00:25:52
Speaker
You know what?
00:25:52
Speaker
You've just, you've just said something that reminds me of, um, you, you, you know, moved overseas to find your passion, you know, me the same.
00:26:02
Speaker
And you can't always be there when it's your family or something.
00:26:07
Speaker
And exactly that Harrison, you think,
00:26:09
Speaker
your mom or your dad or, you know, my relatives or one of my best friends, you think you're not on the end of that phone.
00:26:17
Speaker
Somebody will be there and you hope that they get treated how you would want to be treated.
00:26:22
Speaker
That's, you know, and you're right to one person missing a train could be another person's
00:26:31
Speaker
You know, literally worst day.
00:26:34
Speaker
Yeah.
00:26:35
Speaker
And you don't know what people are going through and that might just be the thing on the day that escalates it.
00:26:42
Speaker
Yeah, exactly.
00:26:44
Speaker
Brilliant.
00:26:44
Speaker
So the most high stress moment of your career so far, not the most high stress of the jungle and we'll come to that shortly with the rice and beans, high stress moment of your career so far.
00:26:59
Speaker
And how do you handle that stress?
00:27:03
Speaker
I think, I don't know Max, yeah, it'd be interesting.
00:27:09
Speaker
it's for us, it's the jobs where we get the phone calls, you know, I think, you know, like you get a phone call, you know, you might be, you know, we used to have a phone called the bat phone, which is like, we used to have two phone lines.
00:27:22
Speaker
So one was just like a general one and the other phone was for emergencies.
00:27:27
Speaker
And then there's a certain, you know, ring to it.
00:27:30
Speaker
Like, you know, that it had that, you know, that alarm that goes, and when you get that, like all of a sudden you're, you know, everything's heightened.
00:27:38
Speaker
Is that when you go, Macy, we're on, we're on air, we're on air?
00:27:43
Speaker
It's either a jet ski job or someone up in the park.
00:27:46
Speaker
It's usually something that's not really what you can see in front of you.
00:27:49
Speaker
It's something that's either around the rocks or around the corner or up on the road or up in the park.
00:27:56
Speaker
Right.
00:27:57
Speaker
So yeah, so it's when usually when one three surf ring you or the police ring you.
00:28:01
Speaker
Yeah.
00:28:02
Speaker
Yeah, you're on.
00:28:04
Speaker
And every time that went, you're like, all right, it's a good job here.
00:28:06
Speaker
And it's majority of the time it was a jet ski job, which is like, you know, it's you get the job, someone's on the phone call and then they'll look around at you and then like be police and they just nod and point to the life jackets, meaning, all right, get suited up for the jet ski.
00:28:22
Speaker
I think which we love, like, you know, we're in there, all right, we're on here, this is proper.
00:28:27
Speaker
Because when it's a jet ski job, it's life and death and it's something that seconds can count.
00:28:32
Speaker
And it's the ones where it's big surf and it's normally big surf.
00:28:36
Speaker
It's normally always raining.
00:28:38
Speaker
We get those ones.
00:28:39
Speaker
And yet back in your mind, it's a rock fisherman, I think.
00:28:43
Speaker
And when you do get a call to a rock fisherman, you don't know if they're wearing a life jacket or not.
00:28:48
Speaker
You know it's a big surf, they're being washed off.
00:28:50
Speaker
So seconds do count, but it also takes a while to find them because we can cover Bondi over to Quo Valley, but then we've got a big stretch Bondi up to South Head around the heads of the harbour.
00:29:04
Speaker
That could take us sometimes 20 minutes, half an hour to get up there, but it's pretty big.
00:29:07
Speaker
Depends on the winds.
00:29:08
Speaker
And we know it can take 20 seconds for someone to drown.
00:29:13
Speaker
So I think when you're getting suited up, you're getting the, you know, you're getting information from the police or one through surf.
00:29:20
Speaker
We're kind of looking at the map.
00:29:22
Speaker
All right, who's the informant?
00:29:23
Speaker
When they phone from, you know, where are the crossroads?
00:29:25
Speaker
Try and work out roughly where this person can be.
00:29:28
Speaker
What's the surf doing?
00:29:29
Speaker
If you've got a big south swell or north east swell, it could be another kilometer by the time we get there.
00:29:33
Speaker
So you try and work that out.
00:29:35
Speaker
and then putting the ski in and for that it's like, you know, your adrenaline's pumping, but also controlling that adrenaline.
00:29:43
Speaker
Cause you know, you gotta go slow, you don't wanna miss anything.
00:29:45
Speaker
You wanna make sure if it's right.
00:29:47
Speaker
I think there was one where it was, the surf was massive and we had to go down to the North corner and get out on the jet skis, how big it was.
00:29:55
Speaker
and we were punching with one of the guys.
00:29:59
Speaker
And I remember we went down and the jet ski was like a submarine off the back of this way.
00:30:04
Speaker
It submerged, we both went underwater.
00:30:06
Speaker
And it was with one of the boys, Jess, and he came back out and I was on the back.
00:30:10
Speaker
And his head went back because the water slapped and my tooth went into the back of his head like a towel and split him.
00:30:16
Speaker
And we got all the way there.
00:30:18
Speaker
And for some known reason, we just happened to come across this guy.
00:30:22
Speaker
And he had this homemade life jacket.
00:30:24
Speaker
And we just saw his head.
00:30:26
Speaker
But his eyes were closed, so I thought he was dead.
00:30:29
Speaker
So I jumped off the mat and grabbed him.
00:30:33
Speaker
And then knowing that he was dead, then his eyes opened like that.
00:30:38
Speaker
And it scared the shit out of me.
00:30:42
Speaker
I think I might've, you know, like screamed and it was also a good thing as well.
00:30:46
Speaker
And, and like, it's got to the stage where he'd probably just given up.
00:30:51
Speaker
And the, the, the surf was so, it was so rough.
00:30:55
Speaker
It was huge.
00:30:56
Speaker
The swells and you got the swells when you got the backwash from the, the rocks as well.
00:31:01
Speaker
And there was so much going on and we didn't realize at this stage while I was in the back of the map with them, we had the chopper had arrived.
00:31:09
Speaker
we didn't realize that the chopper had abseiled some, you know, down.
Managing Stress and Charity Involvement
00:31:15
Speaker
And next minute, I'm just seeing this guy with a full snorkel, like scuba Steve on, mouth on, hooked up to the chopper.
00:31:20
Speaker
And he just goes, like, hand the guy to me.
00:31:22
Speaker
And I just went, like, threw him over, strapped him in.
00:31:24
Speaker
And he just gave me a nod.
00:31:25
Speaker
It was like something out of Michael Gardner in the Coast Guard movie.
00:31:28
Speaker
And just, you know, gave me a nod and just got winched up.
00:31:30
Speaker
And that, like, those ones are pretty cool.
00:31:33
Speaker
And I think, yeah, they're the ones that, you know, your adrenaline's pumping.
00:31:36
Speaker
You know, you know, it's...
00:31:38
Speaker
you know, seconds do count.
00:31:40
Speaker
Yeah.
00:31:42
Speaker
And adding onto that, the stressful, the blood's pumping, how do you deal with your stress?
00:31:46
Speaker
Yeah.
00:31:46
Speaker
I was going to say you get back on the beach and then, you know, how do you process and deal with that?
00:31:52
Speaker
That you're on your days off too.
00:31:54
Speaker
Like, well, how do you deal with stressful situations?
00:31:57
Speaker
I never, I used to like kind of embrace that adrenaline.
00:32:00
Speaker
I think when I was younger, you kind of got back on the beach and you, you kind of pump, you know, you've done that and you know,
00:32:06
Speaker
um, the adrenaline still going.
00:32:08
Speaker
I didn't really, like you still pump, like you still wide after a big day when you get home and it's strange.
00:32:16
Speaker
And I used to kind of enjoy that till it got to a stage.
00:32:19
Speaker
And then I realized, Whoa, this is actually no good because it does take a toll on the body.
00:32:24
Speaker
And it's, um, it's, um,
00:32:27
Speaker
It's only recently till we started doing those, an induction with Alan, who I know has been here.
00:32:34
Speaker
Yes, Alan, what an incredible chat we had with Alan, Alan's box.
00:32:38
Speaker
And it was great.
00:32:39
Speaker
And then just the breathing, just that box breathing.
00:32:44
Speaker
Was it four seconds up, four seconds hold?
00:32:48
Speaker
Four flat, four out.
00:32:49
Speaker
Yeah, that's what I do if I'm in a turbulent flight.
00:32:53
Speaker
Yeah, gotcha.
00:32:54
Speaker
And that's what I can kind of do, you know, after a big day.
00:32:58
Speaker
Like, oh, gather my, you know, sort my breath out.
00:33:03
Speaker
It's amazing how it calms your nervous system, isn't it?
00:33:06
Speaker
When you just slow your breathing or focus on it.
00:33:10
Speaker
Yeah.
00:33:11
Speaker
And then I even found that that was great for me in the jungle.
00:33:14
Speaker
Yeah.
00:33:14
Speaker
Which, you know, we touched on later, but that's something I took out of it and actually told our mates and they were using it too.
00:33:20
Speaker
And they found it work.
00:33:21
Speaker
Which we've done the next question we're going into the jungle, but just quickly, I do want to add that me and you, you know, we work together, we just live together, but in the last probably six to eight months, we started training most days together again down at, down at Rose Bay.
00:33:37
Speaker
For me, I have stressful days and training and seeing you and a few of the other regular guys helps me de-stress.
00:33:45
Speaker
Do you reckon training de-stresses you as well?
00:33:47
Speaker
Yeah, 100%.
00:33:48
Speaker
I think it's – and for me – I know you go for walks too.
00:33:52
Speaker
Yeah.
00:33:52
Speaker
For me, I find which helps is a routine.
00:33:57
Speaker
And it's hard because as I'm the same as Maxie, I'm a casual lifeguard.
00:34:02
Speaker
So I don't have set days, you know, I might do, you know, seven days in a row.
00:34:07
Speaker
I might do one day a week.
00:34:08
Speaker
It just depends.
00:34:09
Speaker
And I think for me having that routine keeps me somewhat sane.
00:34:14
Speaker
Like before I went overseas, I did the 5am every morning and I knew
00:34:20
Speaker
And for me, it was just, I felt better that I did that or, and then I also go, we go for our walks and just wrap that up.
00:34:27
Speaker
And I just, you just switch off from life for a minute.
00:34:31
Speaker
You rock up, someone tells you what you have to do.
00:34:34
Speaker
You get put in the hurt locker and you don't even have to think about it.
00:34:37
Speaker
And you come out feeling so good.
00:34:38
Speaker
You'll have a swim.
00:34:39
Speaker
Yeah.
00:34:40
Speaker
And it's great.
00:34:40
Speaker
And there's like-minded people there.
00:34:42
Speaker
And I can not feel like training.
00:34:45
Speaker
And that's why I do the 5 a.m.
00:34:46
Speaker
Because when I'm off, I don't have to think about it.
00:34:49
Speaker
I just fall asleep, get there.
00:34:51
Speaker
Then I get there, I'm like, what am I doing here?
00:34:53
Speaker
Where for me, I can't train in the afternoon because I know it's 30.
00:34:58
Speaker
I have to be out, you know, straight in.
00:35:03
Speaker
I've been walking a bit.
00:35:06
Speaker
My back's been playing off a bit.
00:35:07
Speaker
So I've just been walking with podcasts.
00:35:10
Speaker
And I've actually loved it, really loved it.
00:35:12
Speaker
I'm walking a bit further because I don't even realize I'm walking because I'm interested in what I'm listening to.
00:35:17
Speaker
But I'm the same up, straight out, because then the monkey's off my back.
00:35:22
Speaker
You know, you have got no hope of me doing anything at four o'clock in the afternoon.
00:35:27
Speaker
I am like, you know, like I'll be out at five o'clock every day of the week.
00:35:33
Speaker
And it does set you up for the day, I reckon.
00:35:36
Speaker
It really, if you can do it, not everyone can be a morning person, but if you can do it, it's so good for like just clarity of the day as well.
00:35:46
Speaker
It really does just get your mind in the right space.
00:35:49
Speaker
Definitely.
00:35:52
Speaker
Brilliant.
00:35:53
Speaker
We are going to the jungle side of the chat.
00:35:55
Speaker
I know there's probably a few people out there that are curious to hear about your experiences and about the jungle.
00:36:00
Speaker
But first things first, you picked Live, Learn, Survive as your charity on I'm a Celebrity AU.
00:36:05
Speaker
What made it so meaningful for you?
00:36:08
Speaker
For me, picking Live, Learn, Survive was a no-brainer.
00:36:11
Speaker
I think...
00:36:15
Speaker
From the work that we do, we can understand how, you know, children can be very, you know, helpless.
00:36:22
Speaker
It's very, you know, like the way I look at it, and this might sound a bit ridiculous, but, you know, when we rescue someone that's hung their towel on one of our dangerous current, you know, dangerous current signs, you know, thinking they're bigger and better than they are, and they get into trouble, you know, you see like, mate, what an idiot, like,
00:36:41
Speaker
Yes.
00:36:42
Speaker
And you know, because these older people, you know, they know the difference between right and wrong.
00:36:48
Speaker
Like they can help themselves.
00:36:50
Speaker
They chose to make that decision.
00:36:52
Speaker
And for me, I'm like, you're an idiot.
00:36:55
Speaker
But for children, they don't know a lot of these things.
00:36:59
Speaker
And I think what you guys are doing is...
00:37:03
Speaker
you know, preparing people for their worst days.
00:37:07
Speaker
And that's what I said to people in the jungle.
00:37:09
Speaker
Like it's, you actually don't, like we, for some reason at Bondi stuff happens all the time.
00:37:16
Speaker
We don't know why.
00:37:17
Speaker
Yeah.
00:37:18
Speaker
That's why they made a TV show out of it.
00:37:20
Speaker
Cause people, you just can't believe what happens down there.
00:37:23
Speaker
But a lot of people go throughout their life without, you know, a lot of bad things happening, you know, like,
00:37:30
Speaker
But when it does happen, I tell you what, like it happens quickly.
00:37:35
Speaker
And, you know, we know people, you can do a first aid course and that can still go out the window, everything you learned in there.
00:37:43
Speaker
And when we do this stuff every day, it's muscle memory for us.
00:37:47
Speaker
So I think it's important for especially kids to understand, you know,
00:37:52
Speaker
life's not perfect there are going to be some things happen like you might be driving you come across a car accident or you know your friend cuts their finger or you know like you know around the community you know who in Australia there's bushfires you know natural disasters that's like me in New Zealand like I was lifeguarding you know you know I used to do you know CPR first day but chuck an earthquake in there and you know I think that's one thing when I was lifeguarding when I was younger you know to like this is what we need to get done you know you kind of have to think on your toes and
00:38:22
Speaker
I just, from seeing what I've seen, I just want to make sure that kids are ready.
00:38:30
Speaker
A big one for me, which I did say to the others in the jungle is it's very intimidating to call triple O or the emergency service number from wherever in the world you are.
00:38:45
Speaker
it's even when you're in the tower and you call AAA, you're like, all right, yeah, and they go, police, fire, ambulance.
00:38:51
Speaker
And it's about getting that information right.
00:38:54
Speaker
Yes.
00:38:54
Speaker
And that's daunting for kids.
00:38:56
Speaker
Absolutely.
00:38:57
Speaker
And for me thinking that, you know, if, God forbid, something happened to, you know, one of their family members and they can't make that call, it's going to be the kids to make that call.
00:39:07
Speaker
And seriously, that can save a life.
00:39:09
Speaker
Absolutely.
00:39:09
Speaker
Absolutely.
00:39:10
Speaker
We know firsthand when we get a call and we don't know where they are, we haven't got a good location, that could add an extra 20 minutes, half an hour from police to get there.
00:39:27
Speaker
We saw it one time when we were...
00:39:31
Speaker
It was after hours, we'd just finished.
00:39:33
Speaker
And then I think we might've been having a drink across the road and police started rocking up, ambos, everything.
00:39:40
Speaker
We ran across the road and we spoke to the police, they go, someone's just been pulled from the water.
00:39:45
Speaker
And we're like, mate, there's no one down here.
00:39:47
Speaker
Like we haven't seen anything.
00:39:49
Speaker
They're like, yeah, we've got the call.
00:39:51
Speaker
And then the choppers rocked up.
Jungle Experience and Personal Growth
00:39:54
Speaker
And then anyway, what we found out, there was a place up or down the coast, sounded like Bondi, but it's like Bombay or something.
00:40:01
Speaker
And they got it mixed up and they weren't clear about it.
00:40:04
Speaker
So they pulled someone out of the water from here, but then they made it sound like Bondi and they've all got there.
00:40:10
Speaker
So I think that's just one thing I think that, you know, it's a great thing for kids to have.
00:40:15
Speaker
Well, cross streets and that as well.
00:40:16
Speaker
Yeah, cross streets.
00:40:17
Speaker
I've known you cross streets, known you're suburbs.
00:40:19
Speaker
You know, you could always say in schools, you've got a place called Pacific Beach.
00:40:22
Speaker
It could be five kilometres long.
00:40:25
Speaker
you say Pacific Beach there's a chance they might send the emergency service to the wrong part of the beach so learning information science knowing the exact locations using smartphones if kids have access to them and yeah I met a guy on Friday at a lunch and I was saying what we did and I and he got like little kids and he said you know well you know what do you do and I said well
00:40:47
Speaker
We teach kids simple skills to survive, you know, their worst day.
00:40:51
Speaker
And he goes, oh, my life.
00:40:53
Speaker
He goes, I send my kids to school in the morning.
00:40:55
Speaker
I can get them to school.
00:40:57
Speaker
I can do that.
00:40:58
Speaker
He goes, my biggest, biggest thing is are they all right getting home?
00:41:03
Speaker
I'm at work.
00:41:03
Speaker
The day gets busy.
00:41:05
Speaker
And I said, well, something like as simple as they probably know to ring triple zero.
00:41:11
Speaker
Do they know what they're going to be asked?
00:41:13
Speaker
And do they know where they are?
00:41:15
Speaker
Yeah.
00:41:15
Speaker
If they just know what they might be asked and they can give a location, if they don't remember any of the rest of it, that second count, that might just be enough.
00:41:28
Speaker
So this guy was like,
00:41:31
Speaker
give me you know give me your number and this guy works in a really good marketing opportunity and I and he told me what he did and I actually said to him look I'm a terrible client for you because I'm a charity and we want everything for free and he said well I've got this huge billboard and
00:41:49
Speaker
that's visible for 110,000 people a day.
00:41:53
Speaker
And he goes, I give stuff to people like you for free.
00:41:56
Speaker
And I was like, right, let's get my number, you know.
00:41:58
Speaker
So, you know, it's like, as a parent, that would be...
00:42:04
Speaker
your worst nightmare that they are on their own and they don't know what to do.
00:42:10
Speaker
And that's a big one that I did say in camp as well when I talked them through like some basic CPR, you know, like, and it's also not for me, not putting pressure on kids.
00:42:21
Speaker
It's just one thing I like is like doing something is better than doing nothing, you know?
00:42:26
Speaker
And we've seen that when I forgot the story along the lines of a brother found a
00:42:34
Speaker
his other brother face down in the pool.
00:42:37
Speaker
And because he had seen Bondi Rescue, he'd never done a first aid course before.
00:42:40
Speaker
He was up and down or something.
00:42:42
Speaker
Yeah, he just had to pump on the chest.
00:42:44
Speaker
And he did that and he ended up saving his brother's life, you know.
00:42:47
Speaker
And that was just through watching Bondi Rescue, which is great.
00:42:52
Speaker
But for people that haven't watched that and haven't done a first aid course and just doing nothing, and then you'll have to live that for the rest of your life, you know.
00:42:59
Speaker
So that's why...
00:43:00
Speaker
Yeah, even in schools with the resource dummy, just teaching kids to clap to the beat, they might just remember that beat.
00:43:10
Speaker
You don't know what bit of information they're going to remember.
00:43:14
Speaker
And yeah, it's like you never know when it might just come in handy because we also met a family in England, 15-year-old lad, really lovely, lovely, lovely lad, really hot day.
00:43:31
Speaker
in England, which quite unusual, went straight into the sea and ended up drowning underneath the pier.
00:43:38
Speaker
You know, just a 15 year old that just did not know what to do in that moment to just even what you say, watch the water.
00:43:48
Speaker
like literally hot day went straight in, you know?
00:43:52
Speaker
So, so no, absolutely.
00:43:55
Speaker
You know what, Harrison?
00:43:56
Speaker
And I said it when I rang you, when you came out, I like, thank you.
00:43:59
Speaker
Thank you.
00:44:00
Speaker
Cause what you did for us with the awareness, just followers, we got some donations.
00:44:06
Speaker
People now know about us that didn't know about us before.
00:44:10
Speaker
Honestly,
00:44:12
Speaker
It was just, yeah, so, so, so grateful.
00:44:16
Speaker
So let's, people will want to know a bit about this jungle.
00:44:22
Speaker
What was the most unexpected or shocking part about it?
00:44:28
Speaker
And to quote you, are you kidding me?
00:44:33
Speaker
I think the funny thing was me going into the air, like I knew it was going to be tough.
00:44:40
Speaker
The things that...
00:44:42
Speaker
I thought was going to be tough.
00:44:43
Speaker
I actually found a bit easier.
00:44:45
Speaker
The things I thought was going to be easier, I really struggled with, which is quite a funny way to do it.
00:44:51
Speaker
Um, one of the ones was, I was really nervous about my sleep going in there.
00:44:55
Speaker
I mean, you know, I've got a great bed.
00:44:58
Speaker
I sleep well at night, no issues.
00:45:00
Speaker
But going into like a single small canvas stretcher, uh, in the jungle, someone that hates insects, spiders and snakes and no protection.
00:45:10
Speaker
I'm like, I'm going to really struggle with this, but I've never slept so good in my life.
00:45:15
Speaker
It was strange.
00:45:16
Speaker
They call that the cicadic rhythm where when you're in there, you don't have, you don't have your phone with you.
00:45:22
Speaker
They take your phone off you.
00:45:24
Speaker
You're not sitting there.
00:45:25
Speaker
You're not scrolling.
00:45:27
Speaker
And then you go to sleep.
00:45:28
Speaker
When the sun goes down, your body automatically does that.
00:45:31
Speaker
And you just listen to the sounds of the animals and insects, which is very cool.
00:45:35
Speaker
And it took me like jet lag aside a bit of time to recover and getting back to sleep normally here.
00:45:45
Speaker
The other thing which I love, like I love being around people and, you know, the campmates I was with, they were great, great people.
00:45:53
Speaker
But then for me, I still need my downtime and I didn't really think about that.
00:45:57
Speaker
And since you're in a confined area, you just didn't get your downtime.
00:46:01
Speaker
Yeah.
00:46:02
Speaker
You did say that you're the only person, which I mean, funny, they didn't show much of it.
00:46:07
Speaker
Every day you went for a swim at the waterfall.
00:46:09
Speaker
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.
00:46:10
Speaker
You're the only person that did.
00:46:11
Speaker
It was Maddie and I and we're like,
00:46:13
Speaker
we never, we never kind of turn down a waterfall trip.
00:46:16
Speaker
It's just, it's a walk, you know, 200 meters, 300 meters to the waterfall over quick swimming.
00:46:22
Speaker
You know, the depleting you of, of, of food there, you know, we're only getting 800 calories a day unless we won the challenges.
00:46:29
Speaker
So, you know, we had about a few spoonfuls of oats in the morning, rice and beans for lunch, and then hopefully, you know, a meal at night.
00:46:35
Speaker
So you are like exhausted and you had to walk around for safety, these steel cap boots because of all the snakes and whatnot.
00:46:42
Speaker
And like, we'll walk up for the Tok Toki, which is where we did the interview and it was like eight flights of steps.
00:46:48
Speaker
to get in there.
00:46:49
Speaker
And I was huffing and puffing in there.
00:46:52
Speaker
Really, eight flights of stairs to get, is it up the top?
00:46:55
Speaker
Oh yeah, stairs, like just on the slope kind of thing.
00:46:58
Speaker
And I was... Because it kind of seems it's like...
00:47:01
Speaker
Yeah, up three steps.
00:47:02
Speaker
Yeah, it looks like it's just way to the left.
00:47:05
Speaker
When Max was screaming and yelling with the bugs and stuff that are in there.
00:47:10
Speaker
Yeah.
00:47:11
Speaker
No, there's two Tok Tokis.
00:47:13
Speaker
Oh, okay.
00:47:13
Speaker
Yeah, so there's one there and one there.
00:47:15
Speaker
Okay.
00:47:15
Speaker
When Max was yelling, there was one down below and we thought something.
00:47:20
Speaker
I've seen that face I've seen way too many times.
00:47:23
Speaker
You're on.
00:47:25
Speaker
You're on.
00:47:25
Speaker
And the way you move, you're out of there.
00:47:28
Speaker
You're on.
00:47:29
Speaker
But yeah, man, that's cool.
00:47:32
Speaker
I've had it luckily to have a couple of chats with you while we've been training and after for coffee and stuff like that.
00:47:37
Speaker
So I suppose going down to that waterfall was like your...
00:47:42
Speaker
Sorry, Maxi, I bought it in there and I didn't mean to put it in.
00:47:45
Speaker
I was going to say, yeah, like hearing some of the stories that Harrison said, talking about the waterfall and de-stressing and stuff like that, I didn't realise that you had good sleeps and stuff like that.
00:47:55
Speaker
Yeah, and the waterfall is fine because the canopy of the jungle is so thick.
00:47:59
Speaker
You didn't see it.
00:48:00
Speaker
When we're there, it's like 40 degrees and like it's so hot.
00:48:05
Speaker
And the whole time, so I was in there for 27 days.
00:48:08
Speaker
in the camp and all you have is warm water the water's warm and then so but you have to get it down you and after about four days you just you're over it but yeah it's very important then you don't you don't get any sun because of the canopy so we're going to go to the waterfall and there's sun we would honestly and hughesie was funny because he's like the guru when you just put it in the day for 20 minutes half an hour it made me feel so much better and happier yes
00:48:32
Speaker
Like I said a few times, people are hyping up about the tan.
00:48:36
Speaker
We all know that you love the sun and you're out in the outdoors.
00:48:40
Speaker
But I think Max or someone ripped into you about being a little tanned or something like that.
00:48:46
Speaker
Vake tan, yeah.
00:48:49
Speaker
I reckon if you've got all of that, the...
00:48:51
Speaker
the people and the, the chatter and, you know, cause probably, you know, the only time it was completely quiet is when everyone's gone to sleep.
00:49:00
Speaker
So if you're able to go to the waterfall, even just float and have your head on the water or something, just have a bit of silence.
00:49:06
Speaker
Yeah.
00:49:06
Speaker
Um, I know that would be important to me cause I'm a really social person, but same, I need to move my retreat cause that's how I refuel.
00:49:17
Speaker
Yeah.
00:49:18
Speaker
You know, it's really, really hard.
00:49:20
Speaker
That's interesting.
00:49:22
Speaker
So anything else that you thought was going to be easy that was really hard?
00:49:27
Speaker
No, I went, I honestly took this approach as, I'm scared of everything, by the way.
00:49:32
Speaker
Yeah.
00:49:33
Speaker
I caught her in and moved with friends in New Zealand and like, I can't, I can't even hold a fish.
00:49:38
Speaker
So I'm like, ugh, like it's just so slippery and slimy.
00:49:41
Speaker
And we caught a fish.
00:49:43
Speaker
This is, this is like seriously five days before I went in and I went to hold it and it just wiggled and I just dropped it and the fish fell in the water and I pretty much shit myself.
00:49:53
Speaker
And they thought it was the funniest thing.
00:49:54
Speaker
They're like, you go into the jungle, you can't even hold a fish.
00:49:57
Speaker
And I'm like, it was that realization like, oh, like I'm, I'm in the deep end here.
00:50:01
Speaker
This is not good.
00:50:02
Speaker
um but then you know first day going in there i got bitten by snake five times you know like and having that but it was amazing because it's when you're in that situation where you have to do well so you can't make it you know camp mates have to eat where that was just for me i'll be like screw this i'm out but when you have the friendship you gotta you know get food for the camp it's like it's funny you find another gear which is pretty cool and
00:50:27
Speaker
Having to put your hand back in there knowing there's a snake and you've been bitten before.
00:50:33
Speaker
The mental games that get played in your head are horrible.
00:50:39
Speaker
And then my next time I went on a trial,
00:50:43
Speaker
which was on this train and they had those Heidi whole boxes there as well.
00:50:48
Speaker
The lions.
00:50:50
Speaker
I got bit and then no one had to do it again.
00:50:52
Speaker
It's just, yeah, it makes its toll big time.
00:50:56
Speaker
Yeah.
00:50:56
Speaker
Yeah.
00:50:57
Speaker
Literally you, you were like incredible that I, I don't think I've ever seen anyone enter the jungle and get bit like that.
00:51:06
Speaker
Like literally that was just a, what a welcome.
00:51:10
Speaker
That's Nate literally.
00:51:13
Speaker
Like insane, insane, insane.
00:51:17
Speaker
You next, Maxie, number eight.
00:51:19
Speaker
Yeah, so what's something the cameras didn't show that the fans would love to know?
00:51:24
Speaker
That you're able to tell us probably.
00:51:29
Speaker
Yeah, I think for us it's like we're in there for a long time and there's also a lot of downtime.
00:51:36
Speaker
I mean, if you're not going –
00:51:38
Speaker
on a trial, you're there, you know, you might go on a trial every three or four days, you don't know when you're gonna go.
00:51:44
Speaker
And the downtime was massive.
00:51:46
Speaker
And,
00:51:49
Speaker
It was just having to rely on your campmates to keep you occupied.
00:51:52
Speaker
Otherwise, it's a long day in there.
00:51:54
Speaker
But it's also, as well, conserving your energy.
00:51:57
Speaker
We kind of went in there the first one or two days, had this gym set up.
00:52:01
Speaker
We'll have a train, the guys.
00:52:04
Speaker
You're in there with a couple of footy players.
00:52:06
Speaker
You try and prove your worthiness.
00:52:09
Speaker
Then after day three, you're like, I cannot go in there.
00:52:12
Speaker
Because you're so exhausted.
00:52:14
Speaker
You've got nothing in the tank.
00:52:16
Speaker
You got no protein to, you know, you got the strength to do it.
00:52:20
Speaker
Yeah.
00:52:20
Speaker
And the other thing is, is like, um,
00:52:23
Speaker
which they don't understand is, is how you're feeling as well.
00:52:27
Speaker
Like people don't understand.
00:52:28
Speaker
They're kind of what you watch someone like, Oh, wow.
00:52:31
Speaker
That's it.
00:52:32
Speaker
It's not that bad and all that, but you get depleted of everything.
00:52:35
Speaker
So you're, you know, a lot of the guys who drink coffee, you know, they come off caffeine for me, sugar.
00:52:41
Speaker
Like, you know, it was amazing coming off sugar and the, and the lows that you hit day four.
00:52:47
Speaker
I was in such a dark place.
00:52:48
Speaker
I was going to read it.
00:52:48
Speaker
I was like,
00:52:50
Speaker
I'd already told myself that I was leaving tomorrow, day five.
00:52:54
Speaker
You know, it was so tough.
00:52:55
Speaker
Then day five, I woke up and I was a bit better.
00:52:58
Speaker
It was just what your body does is amazing.
00:53:01
Speaker
And then like, like I only reason why I train is so I can eat whatever I want.
00:53:07
Speaker
Like I love my food as maxi or voucher.
00:53:10
Speaker
And, um,
00:53:12
Speaker
pre jungle, give me a packet of Tim Tams.
00:53:14
Speaker
I could probably, you know, polish off the whole packet, you know, and I didn't touch the sides, but being off sugar for two and a half weeks and having one single Tim Tam, I can't even explain the feeling it was like, just like it was, it was ridiculous.
00:53:26
Speaker
And I think, you know, and then, you know, you're, you're hungry and you go to these trials and some mind games and people don't really know, you know, like how you're actually feeling it and it takes its toll.
00:53:39
Speaker
And the other thing I would probably say as well is, you know, is the smells.
00:53:43
Speaker
When they watch it on TV, they cannot smell the smells.
00:53:46
Speaker
But like, for example, every morning we have to change the long drops over and the toilet's blank.
00:53:52
Speaker
And then also the food challenges.
00:53:55
Speaker
Oh my God.
00:53:56
Speaker
Like when you rock up there, by the time you get there, you're blindfolded the whole time.
00:54:00
Speaker
So you don't know where you are.
00:54:01
Speaker
When you leave camp, you get blindfolded.
00:54:04
Speaker
Really?
00:54:05
Speaker
Okay.
00:54:06
Speaker
And then so that really screws up your head as well.
00:54:09
Speaker
And then you rock up to the set and all you can do is just smell everything and it smells disgusting.
00:54:16
Speaker
And the flies, the flies are all around you and you walk in there and you're looking at this food and you try and tell yourself, I can do this or try and relate it to another food.
00:54:26
Speaker
Like, you know, the testicle, you're like, oh, it's a meatball.
00:54:29
Speaker
The goat's anus looks like calamari.
00:54:31
Speaker
I'm having calamari.
00:54:32
Speaker
But the smell, I'd have that Norwegian delicacy, that drink.
00:54:37
Speaker
It was like that fish hearing blended up.
00:54:40
Speaker
And you see the eyeballs and having to drink that.
00:54:42
Speaker
But the smell was 10 times worse than actually seeing it.
00:54:46
Speaker
So I think that was a big one for me.
00:54:49
Speaker
I can't even begin to imagine, Harrison.
00:54:52
Speaker
I just can't begin.
00:54:55
Speaker
So that all said, did you go in with a strategy or did you just go, I'm going to go with the flow?
00:55:02
Speaker
Yeah, my goal was to, I've never really been out of my comfort zone.
00:55:06
Speaker
And this opportunity came up.
00:55:09
Speaker
And it's funny, like we've had chats in the towers in those rainy days.
00:55:14
Speaker
We talk a lot of rubbish.
00:55:15
Speaker
And they're like, if you go any reality TV show, what would it be?
00:55:19
Speaker
And then, um, it was always my mom was to go on that show.
00:55:22
Speaker
Like, um, cause I've never been out of my comfort zone.
00:55:26
Speaker
Um, I wouldn't go on anyone like alone when they drop you off in the wilderness, like it's a bit too aggressive.
00:55:32
Speaker
Um, but yeah, I think I just wanted to challenge myself and
00:55:38
Speaker
if I was going to do it, if there's a camera in front of you, you've got, you really got to step up.
00:55:43
Speaker
And, um, yeah, I think that was it.
00:55:45
Speaker
I was fortunate enough to get that opportunity.
00:55:47
Speaker
And I'm like, I don't care.
00:55:49
Speaker
I'm not here to prove myself.
00:55:52
Speaker
Um, I think it got to like day 12 and I said to myself, if I got eliminated now, I'm like, I'm,
00:56:01
Speaker
I'm happy.
00:56:01
Speaker
Obviously, I love to get in when, you know, the money is advised.
00:56:06
Speaker
Oh, we weren't letting you out quickly, Harrison.
00:56:10
Speaker
Maxie jumped out of every bush in Sydney that he could find.
00:56:14
Speaker
I love that.
00:56:16
Speaker
That's the thing they showed me when I got out of the jungle too.
00:56:19
Speaker
The pop-up team kind of gave me a rundown of what's been happening because I've been cut off in an outside world.
00:56:25
Speaker
I love that.
00:56:26
Speaker
That was your favourite.
00:56:27
Speaker
Yeah, and I think they, you know, I think we got a bit of respect, Maxie, didn't we, for our little effort of Live, Learn, Survive?
00:56:35
Speaker
Because we knew we were small, but we were going to be fighting well above our weight of, like, you know,
00:56:40
Speaker
I'd got the ironing board out and the sheets.
00:56:43
Speaker
And I was just like, because I know my mates know that I'm an idiot and they'd be laughing at me.
00:56:48
Speaker
And I'm like, I don't laugh at me, but vote for Harrison, please.
00:56:51
Speaker
It was like, it was, no, it was so much.
00:56:55
Speaker
We were not letting you out soon.
00:56:58
Speaker
There was no way that was happening.
00:56:59
Speaker
No, it was good.
00:57:02
Speaker
But on that for me, it was just like, I think it was like day 14.
00:57:05
Speaker
I'm like...
00:57:07
Speaker
Well, I was actually sitting there and I'm pretty proud of myself what I've done.
00:57:10
Speaker
Like, there's no way I thought I could do that, do those things, you know.
00:57:14
Speaker
And, yeah, honestly, I came out of there and achieved what I wanted to achieve, which is pretty cool.
00:57:20
Speaker
Amazing, mate.
00:57:21
Speaker
Look, you can catch up with Robert Irwin and ask, you know, how many snakes have bitten him.
00:57:26
Speaker
And, you know, and then, you know, you've got that story for the dinner party for the rest of your life, Harrison.
00:57:32
Speaker
That's like, you know, you will always have that story at a party.
00:57:36
Speaker
So brilliant.
00:57:37
Speaker
I was thinking about Rob as well because so many snakes there.
00:57:42
Speaker
And Robert, you know, deals with snakes all around the world.
00:57:47
Speaker
But I think, like, it was part of that where, like, they had to get the actual snake catch to them from South Africa because a green snake in Australia is –
00:57:55
Speaker
There's, you know, a tree snake and they're the most harmful ones.
00:57:59
Speaker
But a green snake in Africa is one of the most venomous ones.
00:58:03
Speaker
Like in a brown snake in Australia is our worst snake.
00:58:06
Speaker
Yeah.
00:58:07
Speaker
Brown snake in Africa is fine.
00:58:11
Speaker
I remember the first day I arrived, I had like three days in holding.
00:58:15
Speaker
I was staying there and they took the phone off me.
00:58:18
Speaker
And we're at this, the accommodation with a holding me at the channel 10 guy to come and shoot some stuff for their socials.
00:58:26
Speaker
He goes, look, we just go to the bush on the side here and just get some things.
00:58:29
Speaker
I'm like, yep, sweet.
00:58:31
Speaker
And I remember looking down and seeing these bunch of rocks going, I mean, that'd be a perfect place for a snake to hang out.
00:58:38
Speaker
And I looked up and in the tree next to me, like not even half a meter away was the snake hanging on a branch, just looking at me.
00:58:46
Speaker
I was like, oh shit.
00:58:48
Speaker
I'm like, she kind of caught me off guard.
00:58:49
Speaker
And the guy filming hated snakes.
00:58:51
Speaker
He goes, we're getting out of here.
00:58:52
Speaker
Let's go.
00:58:53
Speaker
And I had a chaperone stay with me as well.
00:58:56
Speaker
So everywhere I went, she had to go.
00:59:01
Speaker
I went back and I was talking to her about what I'd seen.
00:59:06
Speaker
I saw a snake.
00:59:06
Speaker
She said, oh, which one was it?
00:59:07
Speaker
I'm like, oh, it's kind of dark the color.
00:59:09
Speaker
It had this white line going down the side all the way.
00:59:12
Speaker
She goes,
00:59:13
Speaker
oh my God, that's one of our most venomous snakes.
00:59:16
Speaker
And I'm like, all right, I'm in the jungle now.
00:59:18
Speaker
This is probably... Yeah, here is my welcome.
00:59:21
Speaker
Yeah.
00:59:22
Speaker
But, you know, yeah.
00:59:24
Speaker
I, you know, you kind of think, you know, there would be a whole crew.
00:59:29
Speaker
They wouldn't surely expect Robert Irwin to be picking every snake.
00:59:34
Speaker
But he's a handy bloke to have around, isn't he?
00:59:36
Speaker
You know, he's like, what a legend.
00:59:38
Speaker
Legend.
00:59:39
Speaker
Robert was the biggest legend.
00:59:40
Speaker
And...
00:59:42
Speaker
And Julia, like, you know, when you go to trials, which is bloody daunting, but they were there and they put a smile on your face and just took your mind off, you know, whatever you were doing for a second and had a lot of time.
00:59:55
Speaker
I actually think they are brilliant, a brilliant duo.
01:00:00
Speaker
I think Robert Irwin is going to be a megastar of the future.
01:00:04
Speaker
He's literally only 21, isn't he?
01:00:08
Speaker
Yeah, 21, 22.
01:00:08
Speaker
He's so young.
01:00:10
Speaker
Insane.
01:00:12
Speaker
I obviously watched his dad, Steve, when I was younger, growing up and loved him.
01:00:17
Speaker
It was a religion of mine to watch every Crocodile Hunter show.
01:00:23
Speaker
And then I remember I was doing my...
01:00:26
Speaker
I was doing my second trial and I was finished.
01:00:31
Speaker
I kind of looked around and I saw Thierry Owen get into the car.
01:00:37
Speaker
So she was there the whole time watching as well for the whole period.
01:00:40
Speaker
Yeah.
01:00:40
Speaker
I remember when I left, I saw her, I just gave her the biggest hug.
01:00:43
Speaker
I'm just like, you know, it was weird because you watch these people so, you know, when you grow up on TV.
01:00:48
Speaker
So it was pretty special seeing those.
01:00:50
Speaker
Maxie and I had an appointment about two years ago.
01:00:54
Speaker
You might not remember, Maxie.
01:00:56
Speaker
We were in the lobby of Queensland Parliament.
01:00:58
Speaker
I remember Terry and Bindi were talking to some people behind us.
01:01:03
Speaker
And I was like, oh, you know, when you want to just say hello and like, you know, just say, say hello.
01:01:08
Speaker
And then you just think that's not cool.
01:01:10
Speaker
Leave them be.
01:01:10
Speaker
They're in a meeting.
01:01:11
Speaker
You know what I mean?
01:01:12
Speaker
But like, I, I, um, I think they're an incredible family and Australia Zoo is a massive, massive, um,
01:01:20
Speaker
You know, like they've just opened up the Crocodile Hunter Lodge next to it.
01:01:24
Speaker
I've actually been a drive by and seen it because it's only about an hour away from me.
01:01:28
Speaker
And it's that zoo is just phenomenal.
01:01:32
Speaker
And, you know, just massive respect for the whole, all of them.
01:01:37
Speaker
Brilliant.
01:01:39
Speaker
Mate, on to the next question.
01:01:41
Speaker
Who is the biggest legend in the jungle and why?
01:01:45
Speaker
Look, everyone was great.
01:01:47
Speaker
And, um, you know, like the way, you know, I spoke earlier about the lifeguards being like a footy team.
01:01:52
Speaker
Everyone brings your own little bit of, uh, of magic to the team.
01:01:56
Speaker
Um,
01:01:58
Speaker
Sam Friday was for me one of the biggest legends just cause you know, it was so selfless, you know, he helped everyone.
01:02:05
Speaker
He was like the cat's dad and you know, nothing fazed him in there.
01:02:09
Speaker
But then, you know, I got him really well with Matty J. We had a lot of fun.
01:02:13
Speaker
He's a familiar face from, you know, Bondi.
01:02:17
Speaker
Husey as well.
01:02:19
Speaker
he just he just made us laugh and it's great to have someone like that when you go through those dark days you know and someone just uh just uh just to brighten the mood but everyone was good everyone's different everyone helped out which is great it seemed a really nice bunch yeah and this was so emotional when the um uh when the eliminations happened because like this started to go ripped apart yeah it's amazing isn't it how quickly you form a bond
01:02:47
Speaker
And then you're like, you know, it's, it's, you know, as humans, we're all about, you know, connections and people and how quickly you do form that bond.
01:02:55
Speaker
And it's like, you can't imagine them leaving.
01:02:58
Speaker
Exactly.
01:02:59
Speaker
Yeah, exactly.
01:03:00
Speaker
So what did you miss the most?
01:03:03
Speaker
You probably kind of covered this.
01:03:04
Speaker
So don't, don't stress too much.
01:03:06
Speaker
Food.
01:03:08
Speaker
Food and probably family and friends as well.
01:03:12
Speaker
Yeah.
01:03:12
Speaker
I think that was, that was a big one for me.
01:03:14
Speaker
Yeah.
01:03:15
Speaker
Yeah.
01:03:16
Speaker
And, and yeah, like I know how much you love your food.
01:03:18
Speaker
I love my food too.
01:03:20
Speaker
But, uh, the fact that you will survive enough rice and beans every day.
01:03:23
Speaker
Oh yeah.
01:03:24
Speaker
Amazing effort.
01:03:25
Speaker
Exactly.
01:03:25
Speaker
When we did, when, um, did win some trials, it was good.
01:03:29
Speaker
I think there was one day in there towards the end we won some McDonald's and it was funny because like,
01:03:35
Speaker
Yeah, the burger was good.
01:03:37
Speaker
But I tell you what, after drinking water for three weeks, warm water, having a cold Coke with ice, like I can't even describe that sensation of that going down your throat.
01:03:48
Speaker
It was just so nice.
01:03:49
Speaker
Yeah, a cool drink.
01:03:51
Speaker
Yeah.
01:03:51
Speaker
And, you know, we did win some good food.
01:03:53
Speaker
We won some steaks and all that.
01:03:55
Speaker
But, like, one of the ones who won –
01:03:58
Speaker
when there's chicken, there was no meat in it whatsoever.
01:04:00
Speaker
So you only got a bit of square.
01:04:02
Speaker
Yeah.
01:04:03
Speaker
Yeah.
01:04:03
Speaker
So it was a big, never a dull moment, mate.
01:04:05
Speaker
Never a dull moment.
01:04:06
Speaker
Brutal.
01:04:07
Speaker
Brutal.
01:04:09
Speaker
I know you're really close to your family, but this is probably part of your answer, but how do you feel about no contact from the outside world and not having your phone?
01:04:20
Speaker
It's tough because like a phone's a big part of your life now, isn't it?
01:04:23
Speaker
Like, it's weird, you know, you set an alarm in the morning, you look at it, you know, then you go off.
01:04:31
Speaker
And the first three or four days, I remember like waking up and you're on this horrible stretcher.
01:04:36
Speaker
And like you automatically start doing those ones.
01:04:38
Speaker
When you lift your stuff up, where's my phone?
01:04:40
Speaker
I don't have it here with me, you know, which is quite funny.
01:04:44
Speaker
And then after, you know, coming up to a week, you don't even think about it.
01:04:49
Speaker
yeah and for me um you know there's a few things that i'm taking from the jungle back to the i call the real world is like this thing now does my head in but i i hate my phone yeah um i now have um my notifications turned off unless i get a text message or um
01:05:14
Speaker
I used to think going into it like, oh, for example, on Instagram, like I've got to have it on case someone's getting in touch with you.
01:05:23
Speaker
Then I end up scrolling just to wasting time.
01:05:27
Speaker
One thing I learned coming out of the jungle, I got my phone.
01:05:31
Speaker
Nothing bad had happened.
01:05:33
Speaker
It's still there.
01:05:33
Speaker
I'm eventually going to get back to people.
01:05:35
Speaker
But if someone really needs to get to me, something major, they're going to ring.
01:05:40
Speaker
So I think that was one thing.
01:05:42
Speaker
And the amount of times I look at your phone and just – I know that sounds really cliche because I've heard it before and they go, I want to be free.
01:05:50
Speaker
I want to be in the moment.
01:05:51
Speaker
I just shut up.
01:05:53
Speaker
But, yeah, it kind of makes a lot of sense.
01:05:55
Speaker
So I think that was a big one for me.
01:05:57
Speaker
I think that is like, and that was one of the things when I rang you, I was really curious to know.
01:06:03
Speaker
And I actually, I've moved some of the, what I call the prime suspects, Instagram, doom scrolling.
01:06:10
Speaker
I've moved them off the front page of my phone.
01:06:14
Speaker
And I've put notifications off because I don't have alerts or anything.
01:06:17
Speaker
But, you know, the badge where you can know there's a message.
01:06:20
Speaker
And I've put some of the notifications off because if you see a number on that, you're clicking on it.
01:06:27
Speaker
There's no way, you know, you're clicking on it.
01:06:30
Speaker
And it's interesting how it's made me stop.
01:06:34
Speaker
And what you said, Harrison, as well.
01:06:37
Speaker
I know if it's urgent, text me.
01:06:40
Speaker
If it's urgent enough, someone's got my phone number, so text me.
01:06:44
Speaker
Even if WhatsApp, I might not have looked at WhatsApp for hours.
01:06:48
Speaker
If it's urgent, text or ring me.
01:06:51
Speaker
And if not, I'll pick it up when I pick it up.
01:06:53
Speaker
And I think if younger people listening...
01:06:59
Speaker
take one thing from you is that you like are going to adopt different habits because I think screen time and phones are an addiction.
01:07:11
Speaker
And if you can, it wasn't a, it wasn't a thing when I was a kid, as a teenager, it just didn't happen.
01:07:17
Speaker
Um, it wasn't even around, you know, but I think if that's one thing, just, just don't let it rule you, you rule it.
01:07:25
Speaker
Yeah.
01:07:26
Speaker
And a big one for me was the news.
01:07:29
Speaker
Like I don't watch the news at night, but always look at the news websites.
01:07:33
Speaker
Yeah.
01:07:33
Speaker
And then being cut off from the outside world.
01:07:37
Speaker
I think that I've learned coming out, like,
01:07:40
Speaker
you know, the amount of news stories that I miss, but the world's still going to go around and just how depressing the news is, you know, like it is me.
01:07:47
Speaker
It's just like, I just don't look at it now.
01:07:51
Speaker
I just worry about what I'm doing.
01:07:52
Speaker
If something does affect me, I'll probably eventually find out.
01:07:55
Speaker
But then that was a big one for me as well.
01:07:57
Speaker
Yeah.
01:07:58
Speaker
Yeah.
01:07:58
Speaker
No, because it does, it gets in a, it gets you in a mindset and it's not, it's just not healthy.
01:08:03
Speaker
So, um,
01:08:04
Speaker
Brilliant.
01:08:06
Speaker
I think it's appropriate I ask this one, Maxie.
01:08:09
Speaker
If you could bring one Bondi lifeguard into the jungle with you, who would it be and how do you think they'd handle it?
01:08:17
Speaker
No pressure that you have to say the boat next year.
01:08:19
Speaker
But I think I would love to know how you think he would handle it.
01:08:22
Speaker
But yeah, who would you take in and how do you think they'd handle it?
01:08:27
Speaker
I'd love to see Maxi in there because he loves you do those runs, you've been doing those challenges.
01:08:35
Speaker
I think he'll enjoy just being in those situations, which would be pretty cool.
01:08:42
Speaker
I also think he'll be a great asset to camp as well because
01:08:46
Speaker
You know, you know how to laugh.
01:08:48
Speaker
It's a good time.
01:08:49
Speaker
But it's a good thing about being in camp is like stories, you know, and it does help people.
01:08:55
Speaker
It kills time.
01:08:56
Speaker
I think, you know, from the fireys, you know, the lifeguards, there's a lot of things you can talk about.
01:09:01
Speaker
And, you know, it does help.
01:09:03
Speaker
You know, I think, yeah, Maxie would be good in there.
01:09:07
Speaker
I'd love to see Will Bigelow in there, though.
01:09:10
Speaker
I think for just a big unit on that single campus.
01:09:13
Speaker
Yeah.
01:09:14
Speaker
Yeah.
01:09:15
Speaker
Could hold him, you know, to see him because I know he gets grumpy and then him getting no sleep would be pretty funny to see.
01:09:24
Speaker
I would love to watch Maxie for four weeks with no coffee.
01:09:26
Speaker
That would be like.
01:09:28
Speaker
Exactly.
01:09:30
Speaker
And also, you know, like just the food and all that.
01:09:33
Speaker
Actually, just one question with that, thinking about it, you talked about Sun Friday.
01:09:38
Speaker
So you've got someone like Sun Friday and then you've got like Reggie.
01:09:43
Speaker
Rice and beans, is it the same portion?
01:09:45
Speaker
Same portion.
01:09:48
Speaker
Brutal.
01:09:49
Speaker
Yeah.
01:09:50
Speaker
Yeah.
01:09:51
Speaker
Crazy, hey.
01:09:52
Speaker
Wow.
01:09:53
Speaker
Actually, I'm glad that I just thought of that because I thought, is it proportion on like, you know, you've got elite athlete to, you know, compare it to, you know, someone who's not.
01:10:06
Speaker
And Jaina Jack struggled, didn't she, with that?
01:10:09
Speaker
Yeah.
01:10:11
Speaker
you know, the lack of food.
01:10:13
Speaker
Interesting.
01:10:14
Speaker
All right.
01:10:15
Speaker
Next one, you Maxie.
01:10:16
Speaker
Well, thanks for the insight of the jungle, mate.
01:10:18
Speaker
It sounds like you had an amazing time.
01:10:21
Speaker
You know, it was great to watch you all those weeks.
01:10:23
Speaker
Absolutely.
01:10:24
Speaker
Moving into the next question, changing away from the jungle is when you are not saving lives, what are some of your hobbies?
01:10:32
Speaker
I think it's actually gone away from the beach, but I do love –
01:10:37
Speaker
having a swim if it's a nice day, I think you'll be the same.
01:10:40
Speaker
If I go to the beach my day off, I can't go to any of the coastal beaches.
01:10:46
Speaker
I go to the harbor beaches where there's no waves, because it's summer, I just can't switch off.
01:10:49
Speaker
You're always watching the water or watching the rips.
01:10:51
Speaker
So we go, like if I go to Camp Cove, Nielsen Park, I can honestly just relax and enjoy the beach.
01:10:58
Speaker
Face, or from there, face east.
01:11:00
Speaker
Yeah, face east on the way over here.
01:11:03
Speaker
So I think that's a big one for me.
01:11:06
Speaker
It's also, you know, in the busy period, there's nothing better than your day off.
01:11:12
Speaker
And it might be 30 degrees outside, hot and sunny.
01:11:15
Speaker
But to tell you what, it's just nice just to close the lines, bit of air con, bit of telly, just to really just distract the mind.
Career Reflections and Future Possibilities
01:11:23
Speaker
Big one for me is obviously training, get a session in.
01:11:26
Speaker
I love going for my walks.
01:11:28
Speaker
I love some good food, go and, you know, suss something out, catch up with a mate.
01:11:33
Speaker
I'm not good at golf.
01:11:34
Speaker
But I love it.
01:11:35
Speaker
So maybe even that as well.
01:11:37
Speaker
Yeah, I think just enjoy that.
01:11:39
Speaker
Enjoy those things.
01:11:40
Speaker
Happy days.
01:11:41
Speaker
Brilliant.
01:11:42
Speaker
Brilliant.
01:11:44
Speaker
Where are we now?
01:11:45
Speaker
So.
01:11:46
Speaker
Dean.
01:11:47
Speaker
Yep.
01:11:48
Speaker
Dean, you have a big career goal.
01:11:50
Speaker
And what's next for Harrison?
01:11:51
Speaker
Anything that you're working towards?
01:11:54
Speaker
Yeah, not sure yet.
01:11:55
Speaker
I mean, there is probably next chapter of my life and I haven't really thought about that.
01:12:01
Speaker
I honestly wanted to think about that going into the jungle and I thought I would come up with everything with the amount of time and
01:12:09
Speaker
thought about nothing.
01:12:11
Speaker
Even though I had so much downtime, I think it was just like a matter of survival.
01:12:15
Speaker
Yeah.
01:12:16
Speaker
Yeah, it's something, you know, like obviously I'm not full-time on the beach, I'm a casual and, you know, there is another job out there for me.
01:12:23
Speaker
I'm not sure what I'm going to get into just yet.
01:12:25
Speaker
Yeah.
01:12:26
Speaker
But I'm excited to keep pushing that idea and, yeah, it's great.
01:12:33
Speaker
Good stuff.
01:12:33
Speaker
Yeah.
01:12:34
Speaker
It's interesting, isn't it?
01:12:35
Speaker
You think you've got all that time in the world
01:12:37
Speaker
and it's like going to be, you know, big life decisions and then you find out actually I've got the energy for big life decisions that can wait till I can get back to normality.
01:12:49
Speaker
Brilliant.
01:12:50
Speaker
Mate, we're towards the back end of the podcast.
01:12:53
Speaker
It's been, I'll tell you, just half an hour, 45 minutes.
01:12:55
Speaker
I know.
01:12:56
Speaker
Sorry, Harrison.
01:12:57
Speaker
We love a chat.
01:13:01
Speaker
15.
01:13:01
Speaker
But last two questions, mate.
01:13:03
Speaker
If you weren't a lifeguard,
01:13:06
Speaker
If you never got into life gardening, what do you reckon you would have done instead?
01:13:10
Speaker
Yeah, I don't know.
01:13:11
Speaker
It's weird.
01:13:12
Speaker
You do have an appreciation for emergency services.
01:13:16
Speaker
Yes.
01:13:17
Speaker
Not that if you're going to do that, but I do know that you like to stay on the beat with things that are going around the area and some of the stories that I can tell you.
01:13:24
Speaker
But yeah, answer the question.
01:13:26
Speaker
What do you think?
01:13:27
Speaker
I don't know.
01:13:27
Speaker
My family have a furniture, sell furniture.
01:13:32
Speaker
So before I went in, I was helping out by delivering beds and all that.
01:13:36
Speaker
So if I didn't leave New Zealand, I think I've
01:13:39
Speaker
probably end up doing that.
01:13:41
Speaker
There's a part of me that, you know, wanted to be, you know, either in the police or the ambos at one stage.
01:13:50
Speaker
um, in hindsight now, like seeing what they go through, like I couldn't do their job.
01:13:56
Speaker
I've got a lot of respect for those people in the fire.
01:13:58
Speaker
You actually mentioned that on the show, um, talking about the paramedics and the police, um, what they, what they deal with from day to day.
01:14:05
Speaker
And people, and people don't know what they deal with, you know, they have to put up with and for what they get paid.
01:14:12
Speaker
It's just like, they are the unsung heroes and all that.
01:14:15
Speaker
So, um,
01:14:16
Speaker
Yeah, I'd probably still be in Christchurch and yeah, I wouldn't have this amazing chapter of my life that I've been so thankful to have and all these stories and things that I've done.
01:14:28
Speaker
So yeah, I'm very lucky, very lucky how this has turned out for me.
01:14:32
Speaker
Yeah, brilliant.
01:14:34
Speaker
And, you know, when I was down in Bondi, I actually had the pleasure of having a coffee with your mum
Family Reunion and Gratitude
01:14:40
Speaker
and dad.
01:14:40
Speaker
Your dad was hilarious, telling us all the stories that you weren't there to defend yourself.
01:14:46
Speaker
We did have a really good catch up with them.
01:14:49
Speaker
And we were absolutely, I was so, so thrilled that your mum was able to get over and share some of the experience with you because she hadn't been to South Africa, had she?
01:15:00
Speaker
And
01:15:00
Speaker
no it's a nice surprise seeing her there and um what was that like where did we so just tell me what it was like when you realized your mom was there where did you see her uh back where we had the accommodation when they hold us held us and we didn't know they were going to be there yeah um yeah I walked in I think just it was a very overwhelming emotions leaving coming to the real world like you're excited I mean seeing her was great and
01:15:26
Speaker
We had the best four days we were doing.
01:15:29
Speaker
We're going on safaris, looking at lions, elephants, lionesses.
01:15:34
Speaker
So cool.
01:15:35
Speaker
Having food.
01:15:36
Speaker
It was good to have that experience there with her.
01:15:39
Speaker
So it was great.
01:15:40
Speaker
Absolutely, because I think you were eliminated almost within the hour of your mum landing.
01:15:48
Speaker
Yeah, yeah.
01:15:50
Speaker
The poor thing was probably, you know, a bit of a whirlwind to get all the way over there.
01:15:54
Speaker
And then I was just keen to do as many things I could before I left.
01:15:59
Speaker
I think we're just, we're running on adrenaline.
01:16:01
Speaker
Yeah.
01:16:02
Speaker
Well, your mum also has the best story for parties now because she can talk about three days she went on safari in South Africa.
01:16:09
Speaker
So, no, so that was amazing.
01:16:13
Speaker
And Harrison, when I rang you the other day, I, you know, just again, live, learn, survive.
01:16:18
Speaker
We are so, so grateful for what we did for you.
01:16:22
Speaker
And, you know, as I said on the phone, anything that you would like to stay in,
01:16:26
Speaker
connected to um and with us with we've got like lots of things sort of coming up we would love you to have you on board with us and um stay as part of the live learn survive family because it's a good good crew and um there's a lot of people so so excited to hopefully meet you sometime later in the year
01:16:47
Speaker
Yeah.
01:16:48
Speaker
Oh, that'd be great.
01:16:49
Speaker
Yeah.
01:16:49
Speaker
And adding onto that, mate, you know, you'd be a great partner of understanding.
01:16:55
Speaker
You know, you see from behind the closed doors what me and Lee have done the last 10 plus years.
01:16:59
Speaker
But have you have your input in some places too?
01:17:03
Speaker
They'll be amazing for you to do that as well.
01:17:05
Speaker
And we look forward to catching up with you throughout the year.
01:17:08
Speaker
I'll be seeing you every day, but more so.
01:17:10
Speaker
Absolutely.
01:17:11
Speaker
Well, you know what?
01:17:12
Speaker
There was so much support up here in Brisbane.
01:17:15
Speaker
Absolutely.
01:17:15
Speaker
I'll actually, you know, it probably rivaled Sam Thighdays, if we're honest.
01:17:18
Speaker
We gave him a good run.
01:17:20
Speaker
You know, so, you know, because some of the border up here and we've got the border, the charity is going to grow.
01:17:27
Speaker
We've got a three year strategy and we've got a whole project that's going to be rolled out, hopefully for Western Sydney.
01:17:35
Speaker
So it'll be great to keep you updated on all of that.
01:17:39
Speaker
And any time you want to come and hang out with us, you are more than more than welcome.
01:17:44
Speaker
We would love to have you.
01:17:46
Speaker
So, thank you.
01:17:48
Speaker
So, yeah.
01:17:49
Speaker
So last question, Maxie, you go, you tell us all about the playlist.
01:17:53
Speaker
The people that listen to the podcast every week or every guest and every week we do a podcast, we get a favourite song or a pump-up song and we've added to the playlist.
01:18:02
Speaker
So we would love for you to give you your pump-up song that we could add to the playlist.
01:18:09
Speaker
Probably for me would be, I reckon, which I loved listening there, would be Africa by Toto.
01:18:16
Speaker
Great.
01:18:16
Speaker
Yeah.
01:18:17
Speaker
Has to be, what a classic.
01:18:20
Speaker
And we can't play it because the YouTube people ban us or send us like, you know, we get the copyright things.
01:18:27
Speaker
So yeah, now we put it on YouTube, we can't do that anymore.
01:18:31
Speaker
So, but brilliant, brilliant song.
01:18:36
Speaker
And I would guess that Africa will forever hold a special piece of your heart and great memories.
01:18:44
Speaker
Very much so, and great people over there.
01:18:45
Speaker
So it's good.
01:18:46
Speaker
Do you plan to go back one day and do it as a tourist as opposed to a... Yeah, I guess I've kind of done it.
01:18:53
Speaker
I was a tourist after, but it's a big country and a lot to explore there.
01:18:58
Speaker
So I'd love to...
01:19:00
Speaker
Yeah.
01:19:00
Speaker
Well, Harrison, it's been an absolute joy to have you.
01:19:04
Speaker
We are.
01:19:06
Speaker
Big hug from Brizzy.
01:19:08
Speaker
Till I get to see you in person.
01:19:11
Speaker
Just thank you.
01:19:13
Speaker
We had so many people behind you and you absolutely, I think Australia got to know Harrison the person.
01:19:25
Speaker
You had the smile everybody was talking about.
01:19:28
Speaker
You smiled all the way through that pain and were an absolute credit to yourself.
01:19:34
Speaker
And we couldn't have asked for anybody in there that could have represented us better.
01:19:39
Speaker
So thank you.
01:19:41
Speaker
And yeah, just every opportunity that comes your way because of it, you will forever have us in your court.
01:19:50
Speaker
Thank you so much.
01:19:51
Speaker
Really appreciate it.
01:19:51
Speaker
Thanks for having me.
01:19:52
Speaker
No, it's good to have you.
01:19:53
Speaker
No, no, absolutely.
01:19:54
Speaker
So Monday morning, what's on the rest of the day, boys?
01:19:59
Speaker
Well, I've got to go home and be day to day here because Tali's got to go to work.
01:20:02
Speaker
Okay.
01:20:03
Speaker
And Tali's got tears off to New Zealand on Wednesday.
01:20:06
Speaker
Yeah, so I'm packing.
01:20:08
Speaker
You're packing.
01:20:08
Speaker
Well, give our best to your mum and dad.
01:20:12
Speaker
Yeah, safe travels.
01:20:13
Speaker
And, yeah, this will be out on Friday.
01:20:16
Speaker
And, oh, I better get a photo, actually.
01:20:18
Speaker
We can put it on the...
01:20:20
Speaker
put it on the socials.
01:20:26
Speaker
We'll give everyone the sneak peek.
01:20:29
Speaker
And yeah, it's been an absolute joy.
01:20:32
Speaker
So enjoy everyone.
01:20:35
Speaker
Here he is, home from the jungle.
01:20:38
Speaker
Thanks, mate.
01:20:38
Speaker
See you.
01:20:39
Speaker
Bye.
01:20:39
Speaker
Bye.