Shows
The Perform Prevent Recover PodcastEpisode 35: Playing the Long Game - The High Performance Mindset with Neil MitchellHigh performance isn’t exclusive to sport. Whether you’re competing on the field, court or track, or just trying to be the best you can be in life, the same principles that drive elite performance apply across industries. In this amazing opportunity, I get to sit down with Neil Mitchell AO, one of Australia’s most accomplished broadcasters, to uncover what it truly takes to stay at the top of a highly competitive profession for over four decades.
Neil dominated Australian media despite relentless competition, public scrutiny, high-pressure live broadcasting and constant industry change. His career offers...
2026-01-311h 35The Perform Prevent Recover PodcastEpisode 34 - From Broken Dreams to the World's Highest Peaks: The Cherie Horne StoryCherie Horne was an athlete with the world at her feet - a 15 year old running star, and a realistic Olympic dream awaited. But then her body let her down, time after time after time. What followed would be familiar to many athletes with shattered dreams - a sense of loss, a struggle with identity, a battle with mental health!
And at the young age of 43, the diagnosis of Osteoporosis was delivered - a brittle bone condition usually diagnosed in people much older than Cherie. This diagnosis hit hard - for someone so active, and with an...
2026-01-0759 minThe Perform Prevent Recover PodcastEpisode 33: Athlete Feature - Seth O'Donnell, SSPC Physio & Elite Middle Distance RunnerIn this episode we get to speak to Seth O'Donnell about his incredible past 12 months, culminating in selection for the Australian team for the World Athletics Championships in Tokyo.
Seth chats to fellow SSPC physio, friend, and mentor Rob O'Donnell about not only this past year, but also his rapid rise to elite middle distance running over the past 5 years.
There is no doubt that Seth is not your traditional athlete, and he has some very strong thoughts and beliefs that have underpinned his training and competition.
This is a great episode where...
2025-10-1154 minThe Perform Prevent Recover PodcastEpisode 32: New Knee, New Life! An Orthopaedic Surgeon's Insight on Preparing For, Recovering From, & Thriving After Total Knee Joint ReplacementIn this episode, we team up with Melbourne Orthopaedic Surgeon Vishal Pai to explore the entire knee replacement journey — from the very beginnings of considering a knee replacement, right through to your end stage rehabilitation and optimal outcomes.
You’ll learn:
- how important your scans are in determining your need for a joint replacement
- what a knee replacement actually is, and how the surgery happens
- robotic vs non robotic procedures
- risks of knee replacement surgery and how to reduce them
- how to prepare adequately for your operation
- the crucial role of r...
2025-10-051h 08The Perform Prevent Recover PodcastEpisode 31: Concussion: The Delicate Art of Concussion Assessment & Management In Community and Junior SportJoin us as we welcome David Munro, an expert physiotherapist with a wealth of experience in concussion management across a variety of sports, but with a focus on community level sport and Australian Rules Football. Listen in as he shares his journey and provides valuable insights into the evolution of concussion awareness and peels back the layers on concussion management, giving athletes and coaches the critical know-how to safeguard players' futures.
David's wealth of knowledge is obvious as we discuss the days of limited recognition through to today's understanding of considering concussion as a mild traumatic brain...
2024-05-071h 06The Perform Prevent Recover PodcastEpisode 30: Altitude Training with On Athletic Club Athletes Jodie McCann and Bendere OboyaIn episode 30, SSPC Physio Rob O'Donnell takes us inside the Falls Creek altitude training camp of the ON Athletics Club. Living in himself as physio for the ON team, Rob is in the perfect position to see first hand how the team approaches altitude training, a concept not foreign to many elite athletes.
Rob gets Jodie McCann and Bendere Oboya during a break from their intense training, and delves deep into the camp and how altitude training effects their training and their performance.
As well as talking altitude, Rob also takes the opportunity to get...
2023-11-2442 minThe Perform Prevent Recover PodcastEpisode 29: Exercise Induced Gastro-Intestinal Syndrome In Distance Runners (AKA ”Runner’s Gut”)Ever find yourself cruising along in a race, only to be hit by a sudden gut punch? No, not from an over-zealous competitor, but from your own body? If so, you're not alone.
'Runner's gut', officially known as exercise induced gastro-intestinal syndrome, is a surprisingly common issue among distance running athletes - and that's what we're unpacking today with sports nutritionist and expert, Gaby Villa. Gaby, founder of Intense Eat Fit, takes us on an incredible journey through the landscape of sports nutrition and gut health, sharing her personal story and how it inspired her mission to...
2023-10-251h 06The Perform Prevent Recover PodcastEpisode 28: Cricket Injuries - A Physio Perspective On Prevention, Management & LoadsEpisode 28 sees us chat to former SSPC colleague Brendan Goonan, who is currently physiotherapist for the Victorian Women’s cricket team, and excitingly is about to move into a new role as Head of Sports Science and Sports Medicine for Cricket Victoria.
Brendan has been heavily involved in cricket from a young age both personally and professionally, and now finds himself with a lead physio role under the Cricket Victoria umbrella. During the episode we’ll discuss:
- the most common injuries in cricket
- which injuries are more common in males and whic...
2023-10-0133 minThe Perform Prevent Recover PodcastEpisode 27: One Woman, One Mission! Run Antarctica - Finding The Limits Of Human Potential.In Episode 27 we get elite ultra marathon runner, physio, and pain scientist Donna Urquhart back on the Perform Prevent Recover podcast to discuss her latest incredible mission.
From a dream, Run Antarctica has now become reality, and Donna will be faced with the greatest athletic test of her life in December this year at Union Glacier in Antarctica.
Aiming to complete the longest polar ultramarathon in history, Donna will confront the windiest, driest and coldest desert on earth. The planning and logistics that are going into the Run Antarctica project are daunting - this is b...
2023-07-2736 minThe Perform Prevent Recover PodcastEpisode 26 Eliza James - Forging A Path For Females In FootballIt hasn't always been an easy path for females in Aussie Rules Football, and Eliza James has been through it all - from starting with boys teams (when no girls teams were available), through to the fledgling girls competitions with minimal teams and minimal girls, and now into the elite world of AFLW.
In this episode Eliza talks to us about her beginnings in football with local football club St Peter's East Bentleigh, through to her position now as an up and coming star in the AFLW for Collingwood.
For any young person aspiring to...
2023-07-0620 minThe Perform Prevent Recover PodcastEpisode 25: When The Battle In Life Is For Life Itself - the heartbreaking but inspirational story of Jolene AndersonImagine the devastation of a diagnosis of cancer. And then imagine that once you start to get on top of that diagnosis, you are delivered the same diagnosis again - this time Stage 4, and completely unrelated to the first. And now imagine you're only in your 30's.
It's actually unimaginable, but it's true. Today we deviate away from the performance and achievements of our amazing athletes and clients, and focus on a life battle.
And whilst not taking away from any of these achievements that we have heard about in past podcasts, this one certainly...
2022-02-0930 minThe Perform Prevent Recover PodcastEpisode 24: Coast To Kosciuszko 2021 - Running Through A StormCoast To Koscioszko is one of Australia's toughest endurance events, beginning in the town of Eden in southern NSW and ending 240km later at Australia's highest point at the peak of Mount Koscioszko. The 2021 event, delayed due to COVID, presented some of the most challenging weather conditions the event and the athletes had ever seen - torrential sideways rain and floods that brough a whole new dimension to race tactics and survival.
Today we speak to ultra marathon runner Donna Urquhart and track her progress from her COVID impacted training schedule right through the race until her...
2021-12-1543 minThe Perform Prevent Recover PodcastEpisode 23: ACL Injuries - The Journey From Diagnosis To Return To Sport Part 2We welcome back Sports Physio and ACL guru Mick Hughes for Episode 23 and the second part of our talk about the "diagnosis that devastates" - Anterior Cruciate Ligament Injuries and Return To Sport.
If you haven't listened to Episode 22 yet, take a listen to that first as Mick discusses:
- why the ACL is so critical
- why the rates of ACL injury and reconstruction are increasing so rapidly
- what makes females so at risk of ACL injuries
- the reason young kids are also suffering more and...
2021-09-1744 minThe Perform Prevent Recover PodcastEpisode 22: ACL Injuries: The Journey From Diagnosis To Return To Sport Part 1Today we welcome Sports Physio and ACL guru Mick Hughes to the podcast to talk about the "diagnosis that devastates" - Anterior Cruciate Ligament Injuries and Ruptures.
Nearly everyone who plays sport knows what an ACL is, and also knows that if you receive this ACL Rupture diagnosis, you'll likely miss 12 months of sport, and need surgical reconstruction to fix it.
But that's what used to happen, and in this episode Mick will separate fact from fiction, and talk us through so many aspects of the ACL journey. Mick covers topics such as:...
2021-09-1033 minThe Perform Prevent Recover PodcastEpisode 21: Total Knee Joint Replacements - The What, When, How & Why: Part 2In this episode we continue our chat to leading Orthopaedic Surgeon, Mr Chris Jones, about all things knee replacements. As the Podcast title suggests, we discuss WHAT a knee replacement is, WHEN it should be performed, HOW the surgery is actually performed, and WHY it is necessary for so many people. In the first episode Chris talked about what a knee replacement actually is, how the decision is made that someone requires a replacement, the materials used and much more.
But buckle down for this episode which delves into the operation itself - what actually happens, what...
2021-08-2841 minThe Perform Prevent Recover PodcastEpisode 20: Total Knee Joint Replacements - the What, When, How & Why: Part 1Osteoarthritis (OA) is the most common form of arthritis in Australia. An estimated 2.2 million Australians have this condition, and whilst it affects people of all ages, the prevalence increases sharply from the age of 45 years. 1 in 5 Australians (22%) over the age of 45 have osteoarthritis with the number increasing to just over a third in adults aged 75 and over.
Hip and knee joint replacement is often the recommended surgical intervention for those suffering severe pain associated with end stage OA. Joint replacement has been shown to be a clinically effective treatment for severe osteoarthritis, which is just as well...
2021-08-2438 minThe Perform Prevent Recover PodcastEpisode 19: Guest Feature - Gerard Healy. AFL legend and media star talks AFL from yesteryear to today!In this episode Anthony chats to Gerard Healy, one of the VFL/AFL superstars of the 80's and now leading TV, radio and Fox Footy commentator.
Listen to Gerard reflect back on his career, his coaches, the Edelston years and then compare it to today's footballers and the many challenges facing the AFL.
We cover many more topics too, such as concussion, mental health, the rules, COVID, coaching handovers and much more.
Get a fascinating insight into AFL from someone who has played the game at the highest level, winning the ultimate individual...
2021-08-1753 minThe Perform Prevent Recover PodcastEpisode 18: Recovery From AthleteTraining & Competition - Ensuring Your Recovery Strategies Maximise Your PerformanceRECOVERY - what a fascinating topic and one of the most investigated topics in our sporting world. Once upon a time recovery was mostly about what you didn’t do - basically having a day away from training was considered your recovery strategy. Now we’ve got google and social media on our side, and as a result we’ve got what seems like an unlimited amount of recovery gadgets and strategies we can use. Together with Load Management and Tendinopathy Management, Recovery has become one of the most investigated and researched topics in the physio world. And the new inf...
2021-03-231h 02The Perform Prevent Recover PodcastEpisode 17: The "10% Rule" And How It Relates To Injury Prevention & Fitness ProgressionIn this first episode for Season 2 of the Perform Prevent Recover podcast series, SSPC Physio's Anthony Lance and Rob O'Donnell use the COVID Lockdown backdrop to discuss where the "10% Rule" fits into the prevention of injury and the progression of fitness regimes.
Most people who have been in sport, or been to their physio for an injury, have probably encountered the "10% Rule" and used it to progress their fitness or injury status.
Anthony and Rob look in depth at the 10% Rule, the evidence behind it, and how applicable it is in our current world. They t...
2021-02-1742 minThe Perform Prevent Recover PodcastEpisode 16: Athlete Feature - John Van Wisse, ultra-endurance triathlete and swimmerIn episode 16 we get to chat to John Van Wisse - utra distance marathon swimmer and triathlete from our own bayside area of Melbourne. Over a 25 year career, John has won numerous international events, and set world records in gruelling ultra distance events, including the English Channel swim and the gruelling Arch to Arc triathlon from London to France. John takes us through the complexities of the Channel swims, talks about the time he almost died, and details the incredible difficulty of each leg of the Arch to Arc.
John has amazing experience in many of the...
2020-10-241h 06The Perform Prevent Recover PodcastEpisode 15: Athlete Feature - Luke Bell, Australian Long Course TriathleteSSPC Director & Physio Rob O'Donnell takes over the podcast reigns with this brilliant interview with leading Australian long course triathlete Luke Bell.
In this episode Rob delves right into the triathlon world with Luke, covering topics such as:
His incredible triathlon history including competing at multiple Kona Ironman World Championships.
The long list of injuries that may well have derailed many other careers.
When a camera man got in the way and cost Luke what looked like a potential Kona win.
Why one of Luke's best finishes at Kona is not his highest finish.
His training...
2020-09-011h 08The Perform Prevent Recover PodcastEpisode 14: Designing The Best Running Program To Optimise Your Fitness & PerformanceThe COVID pandemic has seen many people turn to running as their exercise saviour - including many who have never run before.
There's a whole new subgroup of runners out there trying to run that seemingly magical 5km distance. But do you know how to design the best program to make sure you optimise your fitness and time? Is running the same distance three or four times a week the best way to get fit? Will you get fitter and faster just by staying compliant to the same program over a long period of time?
...
2020-08-271h 01The Perform Prevent Recover PodcastEpisode 13: Athlete Feature: Matthew Lloyd - Essendon SuperstarIn Episode 13 we get another rare opportunity to go behind the AFL scenes and chat to a real superstar of the game: Essendon's Matthew Lloyd, who is one of the greatest full forwards our game has ever seen. From kicking 100 goals in a season, to the Essendon captaincy, his coaches, the fallout from the Essendon drugs saga, Hawthorn rivalry, , the brutal bump on Brad Sewell in his final game, and a whole lot more.
It’s a fascinating episode where we get to hear what drove one of the greatest full forwards the game has ever seen, bu...
2020-08-111h 19The Perform Prevent Recover PodcastEpisode 12: Running Shoe Selection Part 2: "Fit For Purpose" - choosing a shoe to fit your activity. Plus injury risks, variation, kids, and the single most important injury reduction factor!In this follow up to Episode 11, SSPC Podiatrist Scott Murray looks at the topic "Fit For Purpose" and outlines how important it is to find a shoe that fits your activity.
Many topics are covered relevant to shoe selection including:
the type of activity you are performing
younger vs master athletes
the relationship of shoes to injury prevention
the importance of variety - and not just in your shoe
footwear in kids
the ideal lifespan of footwear
running and osteo-arthritis
2020-07-3058 minThe Perform Prevent Recover PodcastEpisode 11: Running Shoe Selection: How Do You Select The Running Shoe that Is Right For You?You know the feeling when you walk into Bunnings for white paint: and you're faced with a whole wall of different shades of white, and don't know where to start!
Sometimes buying shoes for sport and recreation can feel similar - you walk into the retail store, and there in front of you is a mass of different colours, shapes, sizes, brands, categories ... along with a junior retail assistant ready to advise you on how best to part with your $250!
For anyone that is even just half serious about their footwear, you've probably heard of...
2020-07-0156 minThe Perform Prevent Recover PodcastEpisode 10: AFL Recruiting - behind the scenes with Melbourne Football Club National Recruiting Manager Jason TaylorEver wondered how the AFL recruiting system works and how recruiters choose from the tens of thousands of young hopefuls around the land?
Take a listen to our latest podcast featuring Jason Taylor, National Recruiting Manager for Melbourne Football Club, as he gives us a rarely heard, behind the scenes understanding of the critical work that goes in to trying to get your club their next premiership!
In this episode we look at the incredible pathway that took Jason from Air Conditioning installer all the way to the top recruiting position at an AFL club.
2020-06-241h 04The Perform Prevent Recover PodcastEpisode 9: Athlete Feature - Nikki Wynd: Winner Badwater 135, 2015, the world's toughest foot race!Welcome to Episode 9 where we have the pleasure of interviewing one of Australia's best ultra distance runners - Nikki Wynd.
Nikki's resume is incredible, with wins around the world in distances ranging from 42km up to 343km, participating in not only the infamous Badwater 135 ultramarathon three times (winning it in 2015), but also completing arguably Australia's toughest ultramarathon three times, Coast to Koscioszko 240km, with second and third placings.
In this episode we chat to Nikki about Badwater 135 - the preparation, the race itself, the heat and terrain, recovery, and why she went back three times.
2020-06-081h 06The Perform Prevent Recover PodcastCOVID, Sport Lockdowns, and Injury Risk.Welcome to Episode 8 where SSPC Physio's Anthony Lance and Rob O'Donnell sit and talk about the dramatic effect COVID-19 has had on sport, activity levels, rehabilitation programs, and reductions in normal sporting loads.
In particular, Anthony and Rob look at the difficulty that faces all athletes and sports participants as they prepare to return to sport in a relatively short period of time now that COVID restrictions are lifting.
Spikes in training loads, injury risk, deconditioning, optimal time frames for return to sport are all topics that are discussed.
Sports Scientist Tim Gabbett's g...
2020-05-3036 minThe Perform Prevent Recover PodcastStretching for Athletic Performance: What Does 150 Years of Physio Experience Tell Us?Where does stretching fit into athletic performance and injury prevention? As a follow up to Episode 6, where we outlined all the evidence (or lack of) surrounding static stretching in particular, in this episode we "go to the grass roots" and ask the physio's themselves.
We are lucky at Southern Suburbs Physiotherapy Centre to have an incredible staff list of physio's. This created a unique opportunity to hear the views of own physio's whose experience in the field totals almost 150 years! And if you include their own personal sporting careers, nearly all at elite level, Episode 7 brings you...
2020-05-2355 minThe Perform Prevent Recover PodcastStretching for Athletic Performance and Injury Prevention: worth it, or a waste of time?Welcome to Episode 6 of the Perform Prevent Recover Podcast series and in this episode we take a look at the topic that probably has the most controversy surrounding it in the sports world - stretching!
Stretching has been around for decades, and has always formed just an accepted component of the athlete's world, be it as part of a warm up, or warm down, or part of the training program to help increase flexibility.
But so many questions are now being asked of stretching: Does it work? Can we actually increase flexibility with stretching? Do...
2020-05-2043 minThe Perform Prevent Recover PodcastManaging Injuries With Ice - Have We Reached Melting Point?For years, putting ice on sporting injuries has been the widely accepted method of managing acute damage, maximising healing times, and ensuring return to play happened as quickly as possible.
Even now, the RICE regime is one of the first things taught in a First Aid or Sports Trainers Course. Nearly everyone knows what the RICE acronym means:Rest - Ice - Compress - Elevate
But we're starting to hear a few grumbles about ice, and questions on whether it is doing what we think it is!
- Does ice help stop bleeding a...
2020-04-0536 minThe Perform Prevent Recover PodcastRecovery Strategies - What does the research tell us?Recovery! Almost every athlete has their own strategy. We know that recovery is critical - good recovery allows us to return to our next training session ready to train hard again, or ready to compete at our maximum possible potential!
But what works and what doesn't? In this episode we chat to Physiotherapist and athlete Emily McLean and ask her what recovery methods she advises in her Physiotherapy role, and what recovery methods she uses herself in her athletics world.
In particular, we delve into the research project on Recovery she completed on Recovery, and...
2020-03-0445 minThe Perform Prevent Recover PodcastAthlete Feature: Donna Urquhart, Ultra-Distance Runner, Australian Representative, PhysiotherapistDuring my 30 years working as Physiotherapist I've had the privilege to work with many great athletes, but possibly none as inspirational and humble as Donna Urquhart.
Beginning jogging in her late teens just to take a brain break from her heavy Physiotherapy undergraduate studies, Donna progressed quickly to triathlons, completing arguably in the pinnacle of triathlon events - the Ironman World Championships in Hawaii - then to outdoor endurance adventure racing and finally to ultra distance running, where the distances have increased from 50km events, to 100km, and now to 24 hour ultra events.
What makes...
2020-01-311h 26
The Perform Prevent Recover PodcastHow Kipchoge, Sport Science & Nike Combined To Break The Magical 2 Hour Marathon BarrierWhat happens when a great athlete combines with sports science and technology, and has an assault on a previously unattainable barrier - success...and controversy!
There has been a huge buzz in athletics world as Nike, in partnership with Eliud Kipchoge, planned an assault not only on on the marathon World Record, but also the previously unbreakable 2 hour marathon barrier. Kipchoge held the official world record time of 2:01: 39 seconds, set at Berlin in 2018, but this was just an all out attempt to break 2 hours.
In the first attempt, Nike's "Breaking2" project at Monza Italy, the...
2020-01-111h 00The Perform Prevent Recover PodcastLoad Management: Why Training Harder IS Training Smarter!What is Load Management, and why is the general perception of this term contributing to increased injury risk?
In this podcast we take a look at the definition of Load Management and why the wrong perception may lead to Detraining or Undertraining, and even occasionally Overtraining.
For many, training smarter automatically conjure up the thought of training less, but we'll explain why training smarter often means training harder. To achieve optimal human performance in any sport (and to reduce injury risk), athletes may actually need to be training harder. But to train well, whether you nee...
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