Kurt Fearnley's Tiny Island

You Little Ripper is the podcast that celebrates the incredible achievements of our para-athletes! This week Kurt Fearnley and Chad Perris catch up with Georgia Gunew. She burst onto the para-snow scene just two years ago and has been unstoppable ever since. Teaming up with her guide, Ethan Jackson, she has had an extraordinary winter season. From a flurry of top 5 finishes to an unforgettable podium appearance in Switzerland.

Kurt Fearnley and Ryley Batt sit down with wheelchair basketball legend Tristan Knowles. With over two decades of experience, Knowles is a force to be reckoned with. From unforgettable moments on the court to the invaluable lessons learned, this episode celebrates resilience, passion, and the unbreakable bond that unites athletes.   You Little Ripper

Milly Tapper is a para-table tennis sensation, and her love for the game is infectious. She joins hosts Kurt Fearnley and Ella Sabljak to share her remarkable journey from local tournaments to competing on the world's biggest stages. Southwest Society  You Little Ripper 

Let's celebrate a monumental achievement in Paralympic sports: the qualification of the Australian Steelers for the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games. Join us as Kurt Fearnley, Ryley Bat, and Ella Sabljak share their excitement and relief at finally qualifying for Paris 2024.  

Emma Booth is an extraordinary para-athlete who joins Kurt Fearnley and Chad Perris to share her remarkable journey in para-equestrian. From her first Paralympics in Rio to travelling to Germany to find a ‘dancing partner’ to take to Paris in a few months, Emma provides invaluable perspectives on the intersection of sport, determination and passion. You Little Ripper 

Kurt Fearnley and Ella Sabljak catch up with the incredible Chad Perris. With the Paris Paralympics looming, Perris shares his journey, offering listeners a rare glimpse into the intense training, mental fortitude, and unwavering dedication required to compete at the pinnacle of athletic achievement. You Little Ripper  

Join Kurt Fearnley & Ryley Batt on the season premiere of You Little Ripper. In this episode, they sit down with para-rowers Nikki Ayers and Jed Altschwager as they share their incredible journey toward qualification for the Paris Paralympic Games.  You Littler Ripper

In this episode of Tiny Island, host Kurt Fearnley sits down with his first return guest!    Back in one of our first episodes Kurt spoke with his mum, Jackie, when they were in Kenya visiting Kurt Fearnley Centre for children with disability.    This time Kurt and Jackie talk about raising a child with disability, some of the decisions the family had to make, and what it was like to follow the career of a professional wheelchair racer.

In this episode of Tiny Island, host Kurt Fearnley sits down with Australian actor and comedian Rhys Muldoon to discuss his life and career. Rhys opens up about his childhood growing up in Melbourne, his early years in the entertainment industry, and his experiences working on some of Australia's most beloved television shows. Rhys also shares some of his favorite memories from his time working on shows like Play School, The Saddle Club, and Bluey, and offers insights into what makes these programs so special for both children and adults alike.

In this episode of Tiny Island, host Kurt Fearnley sits down with former Australian Prime Minister John Howard to discuss his life in politics and beyond. He reflects on his childhood in a working-class Sydney suburb, and how his experiences growing up shaped his political beliefs. Mr Howard offers candid insights into his decision-making process and his philosophy on leadership, and shares personal anecdotes about some of the most memorable moments of his time in office.

Kurt Fearnley sits down with David Connolly, the general manager of Tipperary group of stations in the Northern Territory. David shares his experiences of managing the stations, which cover an area larger than the size of Switzerland! He discusses the challenges of running a business in such a remote location, from the logistics of getting supplies to the stations to dealing with extreme weather conditions. They reflect on the beauty of the Australian outback and the importance of preserving it for future generations.

Alison Battisson runs a legal and advocacy organisation that promotes human rights for refugees and asylum seekers. Kurt and Alison were part of a team who helped Afghan Paralympian get to the Tokyo games. Kurt and Alison discuss the complex issues surrounding the treatment of refugees and asylum seekers, the importance of advocacy and legal representation.

Royce Simmons is a rugby league legend and all round great Aussie. He's a premiership winning captain of the Penrith Panthers and now faces another challenge after he was recently diagnosed with Alzheimer's. Kurt and Royce chat about his early days growing up in rural New South Wales, his career in rugby league and all the highs and lows of his journey.  

We're back for 2023! In this episode of Tiny Island, host Kurt Fearnley welcomes special guest Stan Grant, renowned journalist, author and commentator. Kurt and Stan delve into the complexities of identity, culture and the power of storytelling. With their shared experiences and unique perspectives, they discuss the challenges faced by Indigenous communities and the importance of amplifying their voices.  

At a time when real life politics seems like satire, you'd think the satirists would be out of a job. Instead, they've just taken their craft to another level. Mark Humphries is one of our best, funny, yet thoughtful and humble. At the end of an exhausting election campaign in Australia it was great to have a yarn about the lighter side of politics.

To sum up Dr Dinesh Palipana OAM in a few sentences isn't possible so I'll try with just some of the headings. Medical doctor, lawyer, senior advisor to a Royal Commission, Queensland Australian of the Year, advocate, researcher, innovator, quadraplegic. With everything going on his life I was grateful to spend some time chatting with the calm, confident and lovely Dinesh. You will love this chat.

Jimmy Frank is a Warumungu man passionate about sharing his culture. Through his work at the Warumungu Culture Centre and as a member of art collective the Tennant Creek Brio, he strives to educate people by sharing stories and histories from a Wumprurrarni (Aboriginal) perspective. He believes that truth telling is the best tool to unite divides and to allow a better understanding of what it is to be Australian.

El Gibbs describes herself in her Twitter profile as a grumpy optimist and her handle is Blunt Shovels. That may be El's self assessment but I'd add words like fierce, determined and truth-teller. El is a tremendous (and loud!) voice for Australia's disability community and it was wonderful to sit down and yarn about some of the things which are impacting people with disability.  Chatting with El is always eye-opener and a reinforcement of the work we still have to do for better inclusion, acknowledgement and caring in Australia.

Darren Hill helps people think about how best to do the big stuff in their lives. Whether it's working through business strategy or culture with an ASX leader, delivering a keynote to thousands, or popping up in the paper or on the TV for his views on business leadership and workplace culture, Darren is a deep-thinker and thought provoker. We've worked together on a few things over the years but this was our first chance to deep dive into some of the meatier stuff Darren works on. I think you'll enjoy the yarn and maybe even pick up a few nuggets to apply in your own personal or work life. 

I love listening to Emma Race and her band of Outer Sanctum sisters talk about the big stuff in the context of sport, in particular AFL.  Her drive to make sure footy (and sport in general) is for everyone is matched by her passion for the game and the joy it brings to her and her family.  Our yarn was also a lovely reminder that the game is WAY more than the athletes on the field. Away from footy Emma has done some tremendous work with Our Watch, a national leader in the prevention of violence against women and their children, and is Co-Principal of Making the Call - a pathway program for women in sports broadcasting.