Running to Rome: Leadership, Family, Faith and the Marathon Journey
Oct 7, 2026 · 22 min · 12 segments
Episode 13 — Belonging: The Communities That Shape Us What does it really mean to belong? In this episode, I reflect on the communities that have shaped who I am — from my childhood in Whyalla and…
I was the youngest of four.
So school was obviously a big part of our lives.
But what I remember isn't just Mom and Dad going to work.
It was everything else.
Dad was heavily involved in hockey.
Mom was involved in hockey and basketball, and she was also involved in the theater.
Dad, as a principal, was obviously extremely involved in the school community and the local parish.
I remember the school fete.
I was young, so I don't remember all the details, but I remember the hours that went into it.
Perhaps more importantly, I remember what happened afterwards.
We were never able to leave at the end of the fete.
There was the cleanup, the packing away, and I mostly remember the recycling.
Taking all those cans down to the recycling yard and knowing that the money was going back to the school community.
There were meetings.
There were things happening behind the scenes.
That's something I learnt without ever being told.
Being part of community isn't just about showing up when it's fun.
It's about being willing to contribute when nobody is watching.
Mom and Dad loved watching us play sport, and both coached myself, my brothers and sister, and countless friends along the way.
Basketball was a big part of our lives, but Dad necessarily wasn't a basketball person himself.
The other big sport that we played and he was involved in was hockey.
And yet at one point, he was asked to become president of the Basketball Association in Port Pirie.
I was the youngest of four.
So school was obviously a big part of our lives.
But what I remember isn't just Mom and Dad going to work.
It was everything else.
Dad was heavily involved in hockey.
Mom was involved in hockey and basketball, and she was also involved in the theater.
Dad, as a principal, was obviously extremely involved in the school community and the local parish.
I remember the school fete.
I was young, so I don't remember all the details, but I remember the hours that went into it.
Perhaps more importantly, I remember what happened afterwards.
We were never able to leave at the end of the fete.
There was the cleanup, the packing away, and I mostly remember the recycling.
Taking all those cans down to the recycling yard and knowing that the money was going back to the school community.
There were meetings.
There were things happening behind the scenes.
That's something I learnt without ever being told.
Being part of community isn't just about showing up when it's fun.
It's about being willing to contribute when nobody is watching.
Mom and Dad loved watching us play sport, and both coached myself, my brothers and sister, and countless friends along the way.
Basketball was a big part of our lives, but Dad necessarily wasn't a basketball person himself.
The other big sport that we played and he was involved in was hockey.
And yet at one point, he was asked to become president of the Basketball Association in Port Pirie.
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