Homemade Heroes Podcast: Recent Episodes
Homemade Heroes
Homemade Heroes is a community based initiative to support the Heroes of our community, to share their stories, to thank them for their service and to recognise their craft and skill. Homemade Heroes provides the cape for normal people doing amazing things in their own environment to grow themselves, the community or others.
Emmett Withers
We had the pleasure of sitting down with Emmett in 2021 and we’re excited to now share this incredible story of another local Homemade Hero with you!
Emmett’s heartfelt and inspiring drive for change is evident when he speaks about his charity, Emmett for Animals. Since a very young age, he has been bringing hope to animal carers otherwise without options, through his collection and distribution of animal food supplies.
Having just completed high school (when episode airs), he kicked off his charity as one of Australia’s youngest animal advocates making a difference for neglected and abandoned animals. And while he has his parent’s full support, it is his own unwavering respect for lives that has turned a child’s selfless act into a fully-fledged charitable organisation.
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Brenda Wilson - The path less travelled
Local Grandmother and Marathon Runner, Brenda discovered running later in life and hasn’t looked back since.
Having run her first 777 Marathon (7 marathons, 7 days, 7 states) in 2018, she has been an incredible fundraiser and advocate for Australia’s leading child protection organisation, ‘Bravehearts’.
Hear her incredible story of ambition, comradeship and resilience to not only achieve her massive fitness goals… but to also encourage kids to be brave and speak up.
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Frances Easton
A Financial Advisor and Partner at Alman Partners, Frances has been involved in the Mackay Community Foundation since its humble beginning and now sits as the Chairman of the Board. She has been a proud advocate of its incredible work in giving back to the most-deserving in the Mackay community, having seen the Foundation’s development firsthand through Scott Alman’s involvement as a founder.
Frances shares the inspiring story of its growth, more about the ongoing legacy that highlights the power of community support, and some very exciting news about an incredibly generous donation!
With their sights set on increasing the support for those in need, through activities, charities and projects, the Mackay Community Foundation is focused on their motto to ‘Give where you live’… with the big announcement making this a podcast not to miss!
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Nick Bennett
A journey to the heart
Nick has defied the odds of heart-stopping, life-changing, and harrowing experiences. And through it all, he can simply be described as consciously awakened.
A self-titled ageing hippy and believer in the benefits of 20sec hugs, he has turned crippling setbacks into endless opportunity. He inspires everyone he meets, including his fortunate clients around the world through his partnered business, Minds Aligned.
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Frank Attard
After growing up on a cane farm and working locally, Frank faced roadblocks that motivated him to create well-known engineering company, Key Solutions Group.
With his high integrity and work ethos, he dedicates time and funds into giving back to the community through several sponsorships and invests into the industry's next generation.
A proud father of 7, Frank leads a busy and rewarding life that has a huge impact on growing generations by driving innovative thinking and methods.
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Athol Hann
Born and raised on a dairy farm in country Victoria, Athol left his hometown to become a Nurse and he hasn’t looked back.
Athol’s kind-hearted and forward-thinking approach has inspired many people across the industry, particularly through his startup ‘Fwards’ that supports healthcare workers to avoid burnout - following his own experiences in the industry.
With the current overwhelming demands on the health system, it’s people like Athol who are creating the change and easing some of the pressures felt across the world.
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Melissa Green
Melissa Green is known by many as the girl next door who bought a bank. While her successful career most certainly includes this milestone, what she brings to the region is so much more. Melissa’s generosity in giving back and supporting not for profit and community groups stretches for miles and not just from a financial perspective. She has no hesitation in rolling up her sleeves and participating to ensure the message and cause is recognised to its greatest potential.
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Tracie Crombie
A big believer in the good within people, providing opportunities and enabling the sense of the word ‘Family’. Tracie has and continues to grow a successful business with her daughter and her family to support the community, her approach to business and life, which often includes doing the things others won’t or a new solution.
Full of heart and a passion for life, Tracie lives and breathes the notions of; giving people a chance, providing support for growth, the meaning of family and the importance of work ethics for a full and successful life.
Tracie has been on a colourful but exciting journey and has achieved some amazing outcomes along the way.
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Jim Wright
Jim Wright is a man who has never shied away from new opportunities. He lives by the philosophy - you don’t have be good at everything, but you have to at least give it a go.
His career and life experiences are as diverse as the locations he has lived which have seen Jim work across a variety of industries including construction, food and beverage, visual communication and even as a traditional blacksmith.
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Dr Sanjeev Bandi
Dr Bandi is a specialist in the field of Urology, with a passion for men’s health he has become Australia’s largest individual fundraiser of Movember for the past 6 years, supported by the community of Mackay.
Having challenged Cricket Australia by forming his own Movember Cricket Team, Moving Mackay Cricket Club, he has led his team to be the 3rd best team in the world.
Dr Bandi lives and breathes Movember and you will often see him covered in elaborate Moustaches on his suits, ties, hats, suspenders and everything in-between to promote Movember and men’s health. And it shows, as he’s still on track to make it 7 years in a row as Australia’s no. one fundraiser and 5th in the world.
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Tom Stolberg
From a very young age Tom has had the passion and drive to solve problems, having started his first hobby business when he was only 11 years of age, then continuing on his journey of entrepreneurship and innovation, Tom made his way to the USA and through Silicon Valley, meeting and greeting with some of the World’s largest tech companies.
With a number of awards and accolades under his belt and now onto his second official business, Tom provides solutions and innovative products to a variety of customers across mining, medical, machinery and everything in-between.
Now studying Mechatronics Engineering Tom continues to operate his current business ‘Make it Now’ and is forging a path forward with futuristic thinking and solutions not yet developed.
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Debbie Brooker
As a huge advocate for Autism, Debbie shares her journey in a role she passionately volunteered in for over a decade, with Mackay Autism Support Group. She is also an accomplished author having written children's books & more recently one for all ages "Thoughts are Free".
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Ryan Norris
Ryan is well known for his technology success in the Mining industry, with his successful conveyor roller solution 'Vayeron'. But it's not just a product that he has developed and more about the journey he has travelled, before being profiled in the media and raising investment, that truly shows his character and commitment.
Ryan shares his journey and his just 'Roll with it' attitude to creating technology solutions that are being adopted around the world with visions for some of them to be manufactured right here in the region.
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The Nude Lunch
When their dear friend, Trudy Crowley was diagnosed with terminal ovarian cancer, Jody Euler and Patrice Bettini didn’t think twice about throwing themselves into launching a charity event that took the nation by storm.
This is their story.
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Christopher David
From the moment you speak with Christopher you get a real sense of calm, connected and spirituality which he truly lives and breathes in his life. Not one to think that he is a guru but with the opportunity to share and connect with people whom need it most, Christopher has ventured into a life of living deep within the realm of spirituality with 'Rainbow People', but stays realistic and grounded.
Partnering with others in the community to provide a platform to support 'Men' and the struggles associated and connected with the dreaded mental health, Christopher is passionate about taking action to support men within our community.
Breaking down the basic elements of spirituality, Christopher David is focused on serving the Mackay community.
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Tristyn Kronk
From humble beginnings as a young BMX rider Tristyn grew up with his focus being BMX, BMX, BMX, living life 30 seconds at a time. With travelling locally around the region as a BMX rider and gaining success, Tristyn went on to ride for Australia, with several QLD & Australian titles, travelling the country and internationally later on in life.
With a goal to ride at the Olympics, Tristyn is as passionate about riding as he is about making the sport the best that it can be. Being challenged by adversity associated with competition, Tristyn embarked on a journey of developing his own business around his passion.
An Australian champion, Tristyn loves helping, teaching, coaching and enabling others to enjoy the sport that he loves.
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Michelle Byrne
Michelle has a saying, she lives by.... "whatever puts a smile on your face, puts a smile on your heart" and she strives to live each and every day doing just this.
Finding joy through the simple things in life is something she embraces and through her business, The Wellness Corner, she can now share this with everyone who visits the peaceful hub located in Marian in the Pioneer Valley.
Michelle hasn't always had this outlook on life and has experienced her own battles along the way. Her diverse journey from the industrial world of Hi Vis to a peaceful space of healing couldn't be further apart, but the common thread through it all has been her love for people.
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Colleen Ingham
Colleen is the quintessential volunteer having spent over 30 years generously donating her time and skills in a variety of roles across the Mackay region.
Strong work ethic was ingrained in Colleen’s DNA from a very young age, working in her parents businesses. She later went on to run her own successful seafood business with her late husband for many years before retiring.
You might expected this would be a time in life where Colleen would be enjoying a well earned break, but not this go getter - it simply means she has more time to help those who need an extra pair of hands.
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Kayleigh Brewster
Kayleigh grew up in the UK and moved to Australia with her family in her teenage years. After completing school, Kayleigh pursued a career in nursing, however her caring nature and compassion for the homeless eventually lead her lead her to establishing Australian Street Aid.
12 months ago, Kayleigh launched Chances Cafe as way of providing meals and employment opportunity for homeless people in the Mackay region. Through grants and the generosity of the community “paying it forward”, Chances Cafe has been able to provide hope for the homeless that previously hadn’t existed.
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Farming has always run in Deb McLucas veins having grown up on the land, so it only made sense this incredibly passionate lady would pave a career in farming.
While Deb is most at home on the back of a horse or outdoors amongst her live stock and chickens she is also comfortable in the corporate space, ensuring her goal to educate communities on sustainable local food production systems with no artificial inputs is heard.
Deb has been incredibly proactive in making locally grown produce accessible to the community of Mackay and for the past 6 years has been the president of The Greater Whitsunday Food Network.
Deb and her husband have a lifetime of experience as 4th generational farmers and together with their 3 teenage daughters own and operate Freckle Farm. This innovative farming venture has won National awards for their pork and the farm supplies free range, pasture grown eggs, pork and beef to local customers in the Mackay region.
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Dallas Watt, Director of Bloom Accounting, shares his journey and success as a professional accountant. His approach is unlike many others with a high consideration for the mental health of his clients and the affects finances can place on business owners.
When you chat to Dallas, you quickly understand the depth of his knowledge on everything from economics, accounting, technology and innovation but most importantly his passion for the Mackay region.
Dallas speaks candidly up about the community of Mackay and its opportunity for growth in innovation and political growth.
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Gary’s career in printing has spanned across his entire adult life having secured an apprenticeship after leaving high school with local printers - Hatfields.
Gary spent time working in the industry throughout Europe on several occasions, however always returned to his grassroots in Mackay.
In 1992 Gary and [ business partner for 19 years Roy Brunke ] launched BB Print which today prides itself as Mackay’s leading printers having won many prestigious industry awards.
BB print under the leadership of Gary is one of Mackay’s strongest community advocates which is evident as you travel throughout the region.
Gary Bye - BB Print
A PROUD HOMEMADE HERO SPONSOR
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Craig Percival - Woollam Constructions
A PROUD HOMEMADE HERO SPONSOR
Craig is no stranger to working from the ground up, having commenced his career in the construction industry as a cadet with Woollam in 1989.
During his long established career with the company, Craig has risen to every challenge and opportunity presented to him and today holds the position of Managing Director with pride. Craig has been involved with all major Woollam Constructions projects throughout regional Queensland since 1995.
Spending time with Craig you quickly learn how humble he truly is, despite his incredible business success and the respect he has earned from many. His desire to put the needs of others ahead of his own is evident from the extensive community involvement he places such importance on. He is a genuine and generous person and is proof hard work, dedication and respect really does pay off.
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Following a life dedicated to family, community, sport and mining, Tony Britton lost his battle to Mesothelioma, a relentless asbestos related lung disease.
His son Mat Britton stepped up to the challenge after his passing to honour his father and to raise funds and awareness of Mesothelioma and other lung related diseases by running 250km from Mackay to Moranbah. A journey often travelled by the pair and their love for sport.
In its 8th year, the Ultramarathon event Trail To Triumph created by Mat has raised over $250,000 and welcomes many runners from all over the world, to tackle the gruelling trip via Eungella, down the pipeline road and through the Pioneer Valley, starting at the Moranbah Hawks Soccer Club and ending at the Mackay Crusaders.
To find out more about Trail To Triumph visit - www.trailtotriumph.com.au
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The Mackay Family History Society was established in 1981 and since then have assisted thousands of people with their family history.
Judy Wallace and Jean Turvey have been committed to this cause for several decades and their incredible knowledge of navigating individuals family trees and assisting in finding ancestors is outstanding.
Their passion is evident and together with the support of members of the Mackay Family History Society together they wrote and published a book on the Early Settlers of Mackay.
The Society offers a variety of services and its latest home is in the iconic Mackay Town Hall.
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Detective Senior Sergeant Bliss of Mackay is a proud Torres Strait Islander woman inspiring the community she lives and works in.
Specialising in Child Protection, DSS Bliss currently acts as the QPS representative on the Suspected Child Abuse and Neglect Team.
Over her career, DSS Bliss has received multiple accolades, including Most Outstanding Female Leader at the Australasian Women and Policing Awards in 2014, Most Outstanding Female Practitioner Award at the 2016 Queensland Women in Policing Awards and a QPS Scholarship to undertake the Public Sector Management Program at QUT.
DSS Bliss began her career with the QPS when she was 18, leaving Mackay, the town she grew up in to undertake training in Brisbane. She was one of only six recruits from an Aboriginal or a Torres Strait Islander background.
Sam is a mother of 2 teenage girls and is heavily involved in all aspects of their lives and successful sporting careers.
She has been recognised for many prestigious awards in her time, but her genuine and sincere attitude to others is what shines the brightest.
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When you first meet Darryl you could be mistaken by the shy, quietly spoken man for someone who is content with spending his days in a simple manner. However, dive a little deeper and you soon realise there is a lot to discover. Having written and published 6 books despite the challenges he has been presented with from Leukaemia to Parkinsons disease, there is no stopping this humble human being.
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Miss Kim (Kim Smart), as she is affectionately known by her kindy and day care admirers and parents alike, has boundless amounts of energy and a big personality to match her highly creative fruit and veg outfits.
She has a passion for getting kids active and educating them about looking after their bodies through healthy eating. It’s this smart approach that has her adored by so many and achieving positive results through her kindy programs she delivers on a daily basis.
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Wayne Willis is as humble as they come. Despite the success of the 4th generation business he heads up, this quiet achiever has innovative thinking built into his DNA.
The family business, established in 1914 by Wayne’s great uncle, has certainly been tested on every level over the past 100 plus years. This local company today exports machinery to approx. 40 countries worldwide.
From devastating floods that left the business needing to re-build from scratch, the economic fall of the sugar industry and a variety of hard ships along the way the never give up attitude and hard work ethic of this family is evident in Wayne.
Wayne talks candidly about those who have influenced his journey, family and the value of people.
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Innovation Lead and Deputy Director-General Innovation, Department of Tourism, Innovation and Sport
Sarah’s list of achievements is long and varied and despite the incredible status she has reached in her career, she is as humble as they come.
Sarah is a leader with global experience and has incredible skills in building innovative ecosystems. Her strategic, research, and innovation skills have been applied to board positions spanning government, venture capital, tech companies and social impact entities. She holds a Doctorate in Philosophy and is the author on eight international patents, for cancer diagnosis and novel confectionary.
However beyond the extensive line-up of accolades there is one key element that still shines through when talking with Sarah - a true sense of humility and where it all began.
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John Edwards is no stranger to adversity having begun life in a troubled family environment before being fostered with his older sister at the age of 5.
John is currently Deputy President of the RSL and has spent most of his adult life dedicated to the RSL supporting our return service men.
Whether it be mowing their yards, sharing a cuppa or leading meetings he always ensures he is a listening ear for all.
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One of Mackay’s true legends, Rob Kidd is so much more than a familiar voice on our sound waves. His selfless approach to life is present through random acts of kindness and commitment to the community he calls home - Mackay. Rob shares his story about childhood, his career journey, family, volunteering and his desire to always help.
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Originally from Malta, Phyllis Abela migrated to the Mackay Region with her farming family and has since become a well-known cheesemaker. Listen in as we kick-off Homemade Heroes with this inspirational true-blue story of a mother, farmer and experienced foodie living on a local homestead.
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Audition Template: 1 Mono Host track (with Speech Volume Leveler), 1 Mono Interview track (with Speech Volume Leveler), 1 Stereo Sound FX with effects, 1 Stereo Music Bed track. 44.1k, 16 bit, Stereo Master.
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