Western Weekender

It was growing up in the greater Hawkesbury where Sara Klein uncovered the love for sport, adventure and the great outdoors. An introduction to Little Athletics at the age of 8 put Sara on the path for her career now as an elite athlete – going on to represent Australia at the 2019 World Championships in the 400 metre hurdler. It was a seven-year gap between that 2019 meet and her earlier appearance at the World Junior Championships. Whilst the hiatus was disheartening at times, Sara’s perspective enabled her to stay focused and ultimately achieve her goals.

Terrance Plowright is an internationally recognised artist and sculptor – twice awarded the Medici Medal, recipient of the Order of Australia Medal in 2019 for services to Visual Arts and numerous accolades along the way. Throughout his life, Terrance has chased opportunities to shape his journey. One of the keys to his success in the arts is to challenge himself, striving for continual development and growth.

Rheanna Lotter is a proud Yuin woman, former NSW Indigenous cricket representative and founder of Ngandabaa. Growing up in Willow Vale – in the NSW Southern Highlands – sport, culture and art have been a large part of Rheanna’s life.

Shannon Boyd is a local designer and illustrator, who has transformed his passion for art into an occupation. Growing up in South Penrith, art was intertwined into his childhood, mixed with a love for sport and adventure. Eager to learn from the best in the industry – and applying his skills through tertiary studies – Shannon has been patient in his work and continues to hone his craft in every project. “(I’ve kept) plying my trade, working on the technical things and getting the opportunity with clients to try something different and just get better with different mediums,” Shannon said. “Things have to happen organically. If you place a constraint on a goal, you are putting pressure on yourself… you are going to rush things and you are going to overthink it.” After five years in the education system, Shannon took a leap of faith, leaving his job as a teacher to pursue a career as an artist. With a few doors opening locally, Shannon was able to make the shift. Whilst it has been an adjustment, he has be

Reece Boyall is a comedian, and producer at Stand Out Comedy – a comedy club he has built from scratch. Through years of toil and honing his craft, Reece has embraced the journey and gets his gratification through extrinsic channels, making others happy through his work.

Mikayla Hinkley was born and raised in Penrith and was surrounded by sports and adventure from a young age. Her career as a professional cricketer started in the summer of 2015-16, earning a contract with the NSW Breakers, along with a spot on the Sydney Thunder roster for the inaugural WBBL season. That season saw history made as the first ball was bowled in the women’s domestic T20 competition, at Howell Oval.

Me-Lee Hay is a musician and composer, and has written scores for various television series, documentaries, feature film and commissions for Sydney Dance Company and Sydney Theatre Company. In 2017, Me-Lee won a Screen Music Award for her composition in Last Tree Standing. Despite the awards and experience working alongside household names (Geoffrey Rush, Sigrid Thornton, Luke Nguyen), it is not the extraneous recognition that drives Me-Lee, but internal gratification and a genuine love for her craft.

Laura Greaves has more than 20 years’ experience as a writer globally, across newspapers, magazines and books, however it is not the accolades and awards that defines her success.

Troy Dodds and Nathan Taylor discuss the 2020 NRL Grand Final.

Eloise Short is a textile designer and illustrator, working with some of the world’s biggest brands and creating a number of children’s books in recent times. Growing up in Brisbane, Eloise immersed herself into arts and innovation, developing a love for creativity from a young age. Through her experiences, Eloise has developed a clear perspective on her work and a commitment to always honing her craft.

Hannah Darlington was raised in Erskine Park and surrounded herself with a myriad of sports from a young age. Support and guidance from her parents ensured that there was more to her upbringing than just cricket, with a deliberate emphasis on socialising with friends and a commitment to education. Being involved with the NSW Breakers and Sydney Thunder squads from her teenage years, Hannah developed a sound understanding of the game and important life skills from her senior players. Experiencing the rise of women’s cricket firsthand, Hannah reflected on the impact that the WBBL had on her career ambitions. “I still remember sitting at Howell Oval for the first WBBL game – I sat there and did the sight screen with Dad and a couple of mates”, Hannah said. “Sitting there watching Sydney Thunder play the Sixers and thinking ‘I want to play for the Thunder’. It was a light-bulb moment.” One year on from that inaugural season, Hannah was a member of the Sydney Thunder squad. Biding her time, Hannah went on to

Penrith Panthers 2003 Grand Final hero, Craig Gower, talks about his highs and lows in rugby league.

Liam Gray was raised in the Blue Mountains and developed a love for music at a young age. Surrounded by a supportive family, Liam was able to explore the intricate sounds of musical history, which he credits in his craft today. “Music played into my childhood a lot. I was really influenced by my dad’s music – he would play quite often around the house,” Liam said. “Influence is the most healthy thing there is in music and it begins at a young age.” Attending Winmalee High School, Liam immersed himself into various extra-curricular musical groups. This exposure plus his creative upbringing helped developed a strong understanding and respect for musicians who have come before him. “You have to have that (musical history) as a good starting point. If you don’t know what came before you, it’s hard to shape where you are going to take your music,” Liam said. “It’s learning what’s been done before and then figuring out a way for you to carry that forward. That’s where that individuality is going to come from.”

Dylan Logue grew up in Wentworth Falls and attended Blue Mountains Grammar School. Through his upbringing and schooling years, Dylan developed a passion for creativity and spent countless hours exploring and experimenting with screen writing and film making. After high school and despite initial rejection, Dylan was accepted into the Australian Film, Television and Radio School (AFTRS) to study Screen Production. The experience, whilst challenging at times, helped refine Dylan’s craft and instilled a sense of resilience and promoted the importance collaboration in screen production. “I remember getting knocked back by AFTRS for their main course – it left me in the position of not doing a whole lot (straight after high school)”, Dylan said. “Once accepted, I learnt a whole lot from AFTRS, especially about teamwork and how much effort goes into getting a project made”. Beyond screen production, Dylan has also adopted fiction writing and is in the draft stage of his maiden novel, a process which started o

Lisa Griffith was introduced to cricket at the age of 5. Growing up in Bathurst, in central west NSW, sport occupied Lisa’s time, and her love for cricket saw her feature in representative cricket teams through her teenage years. In 2010, whilst juggling Year 12 exams and cricket, Lisa debuted for the NSW Breakers at the age of 18. A rapid rise through the ranks, the selection came as a surprise to Lisa as she took the field with some of her cricketing heroes. “(It’s amazing) when you debut, and you see the calibre of athletes around you and you see what they’re capable of – the likes of Alex Blackwell, Lisa Sthalekar, Ellyse Perry and Alyssa Healy”, Lisa said. “You see the incredible things that they do and how you just want to be able to do that”. Shortly after, Lisa left the game of cricket. The pressures of work, study and being an elite athlete triggered a life-changing decision to leave her city-life behind and Lisa restarted her life on cattle stations in Queensland and the Northern Territory. Whi

Noemie Fox grew up surrounded by sport, adventure and a love for the outdoors. A transient upbringing, travelling between France and Australia, exposed Noemie and her sister to sport and the myriad of experiences that come with it.

Jason Pospishil was born and raised in Penrith and was immersed into sport and the great outdoors from a young age. Attending St Dominic’s College in Kingswood furthered his desire to chase sport as a career and instilled a sense of determination and discipline to progress to the next level. Through his success at under-age national baseball championships, Jason received a playing contract with the Minnesota Twins organisation and went on to play three years of minor league baseball. Whilst a humbling experience, his time overseas taught him important lessons in handling adversity and self-reflection. His storied career, as a baseball player and a coach, has often been pioneering. A willingness to challenge the status quo, whilst respecting tradition, has proven fruitful. In his current role, a new journey, leading the Emeralds (Australian women’s baseball team), Jason has embraced the opportunity to make an impact. “I’m always looking at what is next, what can I work towards. That (managing the Emeralds)

Linda Swinfield has developed a resilient and respected career in art, through a journey of many different pathways. Commencing as a visual art student in 1979, Linda majored in black and white analogue photography and experimental painting at Meadowbank Technical College in Sydney. Photography has remained a constant diary for her to record events, research family, and develop ideas. Further tertiary studies complemented Linda’s practice and continued to provide different perspectives that she has applied to her work. Through her art, Linda continues to incorporate personal, traditional and collective histories to construct narratives. Linda has been able to share her knowledge with up-and-coming artists whilst holding teaching positions at high schools, TAFE and community arts centres. Educating, according to Linda, is about providing opportunities and enabling artists to recognise their unique strengths.

Josh Mackenzie was born and raised in the Blue Mountains and immersed himself into sport and the great outdoors from a young age. In an ironic turn, Josh uncovered rock climbing when he moved out of the Blue Mountains nearly a decade ago, starting his new hobby at a local climbing gym. Before too long, he was exploring world-famous climbs locally and overseas. Josh has embraced travel and unconventional adventure, continuing to discover different cultures, cycling through Europe and exploring more climbing spots around the world. The full immersion of climbing, and outdoor adventure in general, is what has drawn Josh’s interest. “It (the fear and risk) helps you get into a state of hyper-focus. You are entirely focused on that next move,” Josh said. “You are not focusing on anything more than you are doing at that exact time. It is a moving meditation.”

Warning: This podcast contains offensive language. Glen Liddiard grew up in Werrington, with three older siblings and a love for the great outdoors. Sport, specifically rugby league, consumed Glen’s upbringing and proved an effective means of socialising with the local community. First playing rugby league at the age of 4, Glen often idolised his older brothers on and off the field. A chance encounter at the age of 16, following his older brother David to England (his parents), saw Glen become the youngest ever professional rugby league player in the UK, debuting alongside his brother and going on to play 28 top-flight games that season. Under the guidance of British rugby league legend Frank Myler, Glen jumped at the opportunity to have a run with the Oldham Rugby League Football Club, alongside his older brother. “He (Myler) said, ‘We’ll give you 10 quid a week to play in Reserve Grade’. That first game I scored a hattrick on the wing – I think I was just running scared! The following week Frank said,