Roll With The Punches

This is an episode with Don Gillies I recorded for the Conversations With Code 9 Podcast which I, of course, love to share with you legends on this show too.
We kicked off chatting about his time in Victoria Police initially followed by 37 years as a paramedic… and the reality of what that kind of life actually does to you. Not just mentally, but physically too.
PTSD, yeah… but also years of chronic pain that he just pushed through like most first responders do. Shoulder gone. Neck issues. Constant pain sitting at a low hum every single day… until one day it wasn’t a hum anymore, it was a full system crash on the side of the road. A moment that changed everything.
Don talks about the impact of chronic pain and it's relationship with mental health... He's just had FIVE surgeries in a short window. Neck fusion. Knee replacement. Eyes done. Thumb rebuilt. Basically, a full body overhaul… a process that was done with his psychiatric team in his corner every step of the way.
And surprise, surprise… when the body started to feel better, so did everything else. A pretty powerful reminder that we can’t separate our physical health from our mental health… no matter how much we try.
SPONSORED BY TESTART FAMILY LAWYERS
Website: testartfamilylawyers.com.au
TIFFANEE COOK
Linktree: linktr.ee/rollwiththepunches
Website: tiffcook.com
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Kate spent 24 years as a NSW police officer, right in the thick of trauma, chaos, and humanity at its messiest. And instead of hardening into someone cold or shut down… she made a conscious decision to stay kind.
We got into trauma, coping, why so many people in high stress roles lose themselves, and what actually helped her not just survive it, but come out the other side still intact. Kate talks about creativity literally switches off anxiety in the brain… and what avenues she uses to practice it.
We also explored the not-so-comfortable stuff. The people we struggle to forgive. The tension between gratitude and resentment. The reality that sometimes you don’t get closure… you just choose who you’re going to be anyway.
This one’s about doing the work. Owning your reactions. And choosing kindness, even when it would be way easier not to.
Oh, and 'Hey Siri... thanks for the intro' (that'll make sense when you tune in!)

SPONSORED BY TESTART FAMILY LAWYERS
Website: testartfamilylawyers.com.au
KATE BAKER
Website: thekindrebellion.com/
TIFFANEE COOK
Linktree: linktr.ee/rollwiththepunches
Website: tiffcook.com
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

I met Ali at the Global Speakers Summit this year… within about five minutes I knew we were going to get along like a house on fire (mainly because he called me ‘jacked’… instant favourite human).
But then he started sharing what life was actually like growing up as a refugee… and I knew straight away this was a conversation I wanted to bring to the show.
We got into identity, belonging, loneliness, purpose… and why knowing where you’re going might be the only thing that stops you getting swallowed by everything around you.
This one's about moving forward when there’s no map, no certainty, and no permission.
Enjoy. I did.

SPONSORED BY TESTART FAMILY LAWYERS
Website: testartfamilylawyers.com.au
ALI AHMADI
Website: aliahmadi.com.au/
TIFFANEE COOK
Linktree: linktr.ee/rollwiththepunches
Website: tiffcook.com
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Steven Bouris grew up 'different'. He grew up with a visible birthmark covering a large part of his face and head. And get this… no one really talked about it. Not strangers, not family, not even him. For over 40 years.
So, what happens when the thing everyone can see becomes the thing no one speaks about? You get a bloke walking around in full defensive mode… overthinking every interaction, managing everyone else’s comfort, while quietly carrying a lifetime of unspoken stuff.
Today we banter about what it took for Steven to shift all that... The confronting conversations, the identity rebuild, the moment you realise you’ve been living from a 4-year-old’s fear in a 40-year-old body.
At the end of the day, like much of the stuff in our lives that sneaks up and gets us, it's about much more than a birthmark...
It’s about what we don’t say... What we assume... And what we carry.


SPONSORED BY TESTART FAMILY LAWYERS
Website: testartfamilylawyers.com.au
STEVEN BOURIS
Website: stevenbouris.com.au/
TIFFANEE COOK
Linktree: linktr.ee/rollwiththepunches
Website: tiffcook.com
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Well, as an athlete (especially a boxer) this one sure hits a bit close to home… and I don’t just mean physically.
I sat down with Professor Alan Pearce and we got right into the stuff most athletes don’t really want to look at too closely. Concussion, CTE, brain health, and what actually happens when you spend years copping hits… whether you realise it or not.
We talked about the difference between getting knocked out and the thousands of smaller hits that quietly stack up over time. The stuff no one tracks, no one remembers, and honestly… sometimes no one wants to know.
There were moments where I found myself thinking, 'Yeah… I’ve definitely ignored that.' And I reckon a lot of athletes will feel the same. This isn't a doom and gloom chat though... It's real, insightful, honest and with one of Australia's leading CTE & concussion experts, it sits at the leading edge of what we know and where we are headed with brain research.
Join us for a chat about risk, responsibility, and the tension between loving a sport and facing what it might cost you.
If you’ve ever played contact sport… or you love someone who has… this is one of those conversations that might make you pause for a second.

SPONSORED BY TESTART FAMILY LAWYERS
Website: testartfamilylawyers.com.au
PROFESSOR ALAN PEARCE
Website: https://neuropearce.com
Website: brainbank.org.au
TIFFANEE COOK
Linktree: linktr.ee/rollwiththepunches
Website: tiffcook.com
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.