Keegan and Company

Jacqui Bell is one of Australia's most impressive ultra runners. She's the youngest person to complete a multi-stage ultra marathon on every continent, has run over 100 ultras, 14 multi-day races, and now works as a journalist at Channel Nine.

Ten years ago she was 22, watching someone else run an ultra on YouTube. That same day she Googled how to train for one. Within 24 hours she'd signed up to four desert races on four continents in eight months, with $500 to her name. We discuss the day she nearly broke in Namibia, the stranger in Mongolia who handed her $20,000, and why she thinks balance is harder than suffering.

We get into the science of mental resilience, why showing up matters more than feeling ready, the difference between male and female confidence in ultra-endurance sport, what running 19 hours alone through a desert teaches you about negative self-talk, and the addictive personality that drives people like Jacqui to chase bigger and bigger goals.

A really honest one. Big thanks to Jacqui for her time.

Follow Jacqui: https://www.instagram.com/jacquiabell/
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Lucky girl syndrome went viral on TikTok, but the psychology behind it is decades old. In this episode, Keegan unpacks confirmation bias, locus of control, and why the stories we tell ourselves shape what we notice in the world.
Drawing on conversations with Dr. Megan Lee and his own experience of being medically retired from the NRL at 24, Keegan breaks down how belief systems form, why gratitude rewires the brain toward optimism, and how to catch the negative inner voice before it takes hold.
For more episodes just like this listen to:
#157 The Psychology Of Rumination | Why We Get Stuck on Negative Thoughts (& How to Break Free)
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Join Keegan as he sits down with NRL superstar and Newcastle Knights captain Kalyn Ponga for a raw conversation about authentic leadership, navigating high-pressure expectations, and the power of emotional resilience.
Kalyn opens up about the self-doubt he felt when stepping into leadership, the trap of trying to "act" the part, and how he learned to process anger and disappointment before turning his focus back to the team.
He shares the line he lives by and why staying true to your own strengths, and your own feelings, matters more than meeting anyone else's expectations. Listen in and discover your own line to live by.

If you enjoyed this episode check out these similar episodes:
#82 Nathan Cleary: Daily Disciplines, FOPO & Dealing With Pressure
#34 Harry Grant: Melbourne Storm Captaincy, Almost Dying

Follow Kalyn:
Instagram
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this episode, Keegan breaks down toxic productivity - the compulsive need to always be doing, achieving, or optimising until it stops serving your life and starts consuming it. Drawing on recent conversations with Grace Grove, Jackie Bell, and Dr. Megan Lee, plus a personal realisation that hit close to home, Keegan explores why people who work on things they love experience burnout more than anyone else, and what it actually costs when the people you care about get the leftover version of you.

For more just like this:
Grace Grove: How She's Training for a Sub-3 Marathon While Working as a Doctor
Dr. Megan Lee: The Rise of the Whimsical Era

Listen and subscribe:
Spotify
Apple Podcasts
Youtube

Follow for more:
Podcast Instagram
Keegan's Instagram
TikTok
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Rob Dalto has run all seven Abbott World Marathon Majors three years in a row. Recorded in Tokyo ahead of his 38th marathon, we discuss losing his dad to cancer and how that started the marathon journey. How it took him 10 marathons to break 4 hours and now he's running sub 2:53. Outside of working full time in tech, he makes great content about running the major marathons all around the world and co-founded the Bronx Burners, a run club and community program that has raised $400,000 and provided 44 academic scholarships for kids in the Bronx.

If you liked this episode you will enjoy this one:
#162 Jake Barraclough (RanToJapan): 280km Weeks, Running in Japan & Finding Your Limit

Follow Rob Dalto:
Instagram
TikTok

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.