The Unforgiving60 – Détails, épisodes et analyse

Ashley Semmens is a former Royal Australian Navy Clearance Diver who served for 18 years, specialising in explosive ordnance disposal. He has deployed multiple times, including to Afghanistan, and participated in Australia's military withdrawal in 2021. After surviving trauma from an IED attack, a sniper incident, and a horrific shark attack aftermath in Sydney Harbour, Ashley was medically discharged due to PTSD. Now, he's preparing to swim the English Channel — not just any swim, but on his back, using fins. It's a fundraising mission for the Navy Clearance Diver Trust and a deeply personal journey into fear, resilience, and purpose.

In this episode, Ash opens up about overcoming fear of the water, losing close mates, post-service mental health, and how he’s turning pain into a platform for support and recovery.

00:00 – Ben and Tim intro the episode and Ash’s unique goal: finning across the English Channel 01:14 – Comparison to Sam Penny’s Channel swim (Season 1, Episode 27) 01:40 – Ash’s clearance diving background and fear of water after trauma 02:45 – Military and Afghanistan service; PTSD and recovery journey 04:00 – Ash joins the conversation, starts with early life and growing up in Adelaide 06:00 – Competitive swimming as a teen; early struggles and successes 07:45 – 2003: Racing against Grant Hackett at Nationals 09:18 – Backstroke vs freestyle debate; Ash’s short course gold medal (with caveats) 10:00 – Natural transition to the Navy from competitive sport 11:01 – Joining as a direct entry diver and diver vs boatswain's mate decision 12:01 – Clearance Diver selection process explained — 10 days of being wet, sandy, and psychologically tested 14:07 – What Ash learned about focus, fatigue, and resilience during selection 15:00 – 2009 shark attack incident: Ash explains what happened to Paul de Gelder 17:34 – Ash’s role in the aftermath: trauma from cleaning the boat, psychological impact 18:29 – Lingering fear of large bodies of water, even lakes 20:00 – Later incident at Jervis Bay: panic before dive leads to difficult team moment 21:12 – Realisation of responsibility and shame around not seeking help 22:30 – Stigma and lack of psychological support during service 23:45 – What clearance divers do: diving, EOD, underwater repair, and land-based ops 25:16 – How Ash ended up doing EOD work in Afghanistan despite being too junior 27:22 – Becoming the most junior sailor to deploy for combat operations in Afghanistan 28:46 – Motivation to deploy: “It’s like a footballer wanting to play a grand final” 29:00 – Getting targeted by an IED during deployment

31:30   About the Bushmaster

34:42   Pressure builds up

39:30   PTSD, cracks, symptoms and care

44:00   ‘More to live for’ – side story

49:10   Medical discharge… and there are no protective factors in the military uniform

51:00   Role identity fusion

54:30   Finning the channel- breaking it down

• Navy Clearance Diver Trust
• Paul de Gelder – Shark Attack Survivor & Advocate
• S1E27 – Sam Penny swims the English Channel

www.unforgiving60.com Email: debrief@unforgiving60.com Instagram & Twitter: @Unforgiving60

With thanks to: The Externals – available on Spotify

Jade MacDonald Razvi is a prominent Australian free diver and occupational therapist. She holds the second deepest dive in Australian history and recently won a bronze medal at the Free Diving World Cup. On this episode we talk about Jade’s growing up and freediving- how it works and how she trains.

As well as EH4AR (‘everything happens for a reason').

00:40       Starts with Ben’s hijack!

04:15       Jade on her lineage and growing up.

07:15       Sign language demonstration for the podcast audience

11:45       Jade’s swimming background- swimming into life! And swim times. And injuries.

19:00       What is an OT?

23:58       What is freediving?

25:20       Mermaids and Merbutlers

30:05       How Jade got into freediving and explaining competitions

39:00       How Jade rains for freediving…. without deep water.

46:30       Professional freedivers- are they a thing?

48:45       Breaking records!

1:01:33    How does Jade get herself through profound discomfort?

1:04:20    Applying a mantra and meditation in her diving

1:10:15    Can you lose the edge?

1:12:15    What is Jade’s limit?

1:14:00    EH4AR… Jade explains

1:18:20    Book recommendations and audiobook

1:20:45    Jade’s Power song and country music

1:23:25    Underwater predators

External Links

Jade’s Insta

Martin McPhilimey episode is here

Contact Us

www.unforgiving60.com

Email us at debrief@unforgiving60.com

Instagram, Twitter: @Unforgiving60

Music …. With thanks to:

The Externals – available on Spotify

Mitchell Martin - available on Spotify

As a special Anzac Day release, please enjoy our chat with MAJGEN (ret’d) Jake Ellwood.  Jake is currently the Chief Executive Officer of the Queensland Reconstruction Authority, a role which puts him at the forefront of reconstruction and resilience within the state, particularly in the face of relentless natural disasters.  And he’s definitely the man for the job, having spent a long, distinguished and varied first career within the Army, rising to the rank of Major General.  In this episode, Jake talks to the boys about his early days, the highlights of his Army career, his philosophy of leadership and character and what he thinks can make a community resilient. 

05:20       Straight out of the gate – why ‘Jake’?!

07:30       Jake’s military background, from a private in the Army Reserve….to a Major General in the fulltime Army (including run-ins with both hosts at various points in his career!)

12:00       From such a long, varied and distinguished career, what are the standout moments?

15:48       Jake’s view on character as an indispensable leadership quality… and the role of ethics within this

27:30       Are ‘kids these days’ less resilient than we used to be back in the day?

32:26       Jake’s current role as the CEO of the Queensland Reconstruction Authority

36:30       What are communities doing well to ensure their resilience against – and during – natural disasters?

42:10       What does Jake do for himself? (Answer:  Running!)

45:05       The mental aspects of running – and how to overcome the mental difficulties of running

48:30       Jake on running the 2018 Boston Marathon (renowned as one of the most miserable Bostons ever! Check this out!)

52:44       Jake on Run Army, its beginnings and what it means to him

1:04:20    Jake looking forward to running the 2024 Run Army in a week’s time (postscript – while Jake spoke about doing this race at a casual, enjoyable pace, it turns out his version of ‘casual’ is probably different to most of ours – he came in the top 60 in just over 40 minutes!)

1:10:41    What is Jake’s ‘power song’?

External Links

Run Army

Dr Simon Longstaff, Executive Director of The Ethics Centre

Queensland Reconstruction Authority

Contact Us

www.unforgiving60.com

Email us at debrief@unforgiving60.com

Instagram, Twitter: @Unforgiving60

Music …. With thanks to:

The Externals – available on Spotify

This week’s guest is Dr Luana Main, a Senior Lecturer in Applied Sport Science at Deakin University.  An athlete herself, Luana’s research focuses on optimizing human performance and, in particular, finding the sweet spot between optimal load and overtraining.  She has applied this research in areas including elite sport and the military and talks with Ben and Tim about how we can all apply some of these same concepts in our day-to-day lives.

04:45       Luana’s background – and the third-year uni lecture that sparked her lifelong interest in overtraining syndrome. 

07:00       First of all – what is overtraining?!

08:20       There’s a number of biomarkers associated with overtraining, but what are the subjective indications that someone might be overtraining?  (PS – based on Luana’s response, there is potential that Tim is overtraining……)

09:30       Are subjective measures of diagnosing overtraining as effective as objective measures?

13:00       How can we get better at the basics, when it comes to lowering our steady state stress load?

14:40       Heart rate variability as a measure of stress

17:00       Discussion on wearables

20:55       What are the non-negotiables when it comes to improving performance?  And how exactly do we do these?

25:15       Luana’s work with the military

29:30       The impact of overtraining on cognitive function

33:50       Luana on ‘the good, the bad and the ugly’ of stress

39:00       What areas of research would Luana love to get into next?

41:20        What does Luana do for herself?

External Links

The Stroop Test – give it a go!

Luana’s LinkedIn

Luana’s research and publications

Luana’s work at Deakin University

Contact Us

www.unforgiving60.com

Email us at debrief@unforgiving60.com

Instagram, Twitter: @Unforgiving60

Music …. With thanks to:

The Externals – available on Spotify

Ben and Tim try to remember what an 'RV' actually is.... reconciliation and reflection, before we talk about our respective travel. From Morocco, Barcelona, Chicago, Brisbane, Hobart .... and more!

Then reflections on Jaz Diab, Dr Rob Barbour, Ian Prior and the Festival of Veterans Art.

Then as usual talking rubbish about the perfect Easter Egg, Popcorn from Chicago..... and encouraging outright criticism!

Music:

With thanks to The Externals as well as Ben Frichot

Contact:

www.unforgiving60.com

debrief@unforgiving60.com 

In this episode, Ben and Tim speak to Rachel Vickery.  Rachel spent her formative years as a national level gymnast and Commonwealth Games representative for her native New Zealand before training as a respiratory physiotherapist.  Drawing from this unique background, Rachel now works to help people increase their performance in domains ranging from NBA basketball to the boardroom.  Rachel shares her thoughts on how to deal with stress, both in your daily life and at ‘go time’ and provides a unique insight into some of the pressures faced by athletes and coaches at the elite levels of sport.  And to wrap it up, she gives us not just one, but four power songs!

05:11       As customary in season five, the boys bang on about how hot their podcast studio is – and ask Rachel is “Bikram Podcasting” is good for recovery?!

06:30       Rachel’s background – personal, sporting and professional, including her exploits as a national level gymnast

10:40       Good for a Girl – excellent book by US middle distance runner Lauren Fleshman

11:15       The pressure of ‘Growing Up In Lycra’ – training and competing in aesthetic sports, particularly as a female and particularly during puberty

16:00       The devastating impacts of RED-S (Relative Energy Deficiency in Sport)

24:24       A discussion of the importance and impacts of menstruation on female athletic development

28:30       Rachel’s work on a report into the cultural problems inside NZ gymnastics

33:30       We’ve heard of athletes being bullied, but coaches are not immune from bullying either

39:50       The importance of maximising the buffer between steady state and ‘go time’ by lowering your steady state stress – and the potential for ‘fear of success’

44:00       How do we lower both steady state pressure and ‘go time’ arousal state?

48:30       Rachel talks to the negative impacts of alcohol on athletic performance – and Tim offers a powerful counter-factual!

49:30       Shifting the narrative from fear to gratitude – and the importance of doing the common uncommonly well

51:40       Getting rid of toxins – dietary and otherwise – from your life

54:00       Rachel’s three point ‘get out of jail card’

56:20       The ‘three dickhead rule’ (…or how to check if you’re the dickhead!)

57:30       Rachel on the shortfalls on the current ‘breathwork’ fad

1:12:30    What does Rachel do for herself? Including long-distance travel thoughts

1:18:00    The importance of conducting experiments on yourself to work out what is going to help your recovery

1:20:30    Rachel’s power song(s)!!

External Links

Rachel’s website – https://rachelvickery.com/

Gymnastics New Zealand Independent Report – co-authored by Rachel

Rachel’s LinkedIn

Rachel’s Breathing Baseline Reset & Habit Breaker

Contact Us

www.unforgiving60.com

Email us at debrief@unforgiving60.com

Instagram, Twitter: @Unforgiving60

Music …. With thanks to:

The Externals – available on Spotify

Do you believe that being creativity builds resilience?

Well this week we aim to convince you so get ready. In support of the the upcoming www.fova.org.au we outline how:

• when you engage in creative activities, you increase your brain’s capacity for creative thinking, pattern recognition, and developing visual-spatial skills.
• These skills enhance your problem-solving abilities in real-life situations

From Ruth Richards (Harvard), “Engaging in creative behaviours, makes us more dynamic, conscious, non-defensive, observant, collaborative, and brave.”

“Everyday creative activity is a path to flourishing”- Conner, DeYoung and Silvia  in the Journal of Positive Psychology. Recent experience sampling and diary studies have shown that spending time on creative goals during a day is associated with higher activated positive affect (PA) (flourishing) on that day.

The real question isn't "How creative are you?" but rather "How are you creative?" says educational psychologist Donald Treffinger.

Intelligence Summary (INTSUM)

03:30       Announcement from Mark Johnson from anvam.org.au 

04:20       What’s the problem that means we need creativity?

05:50       What is flow state?

09:40       What does the research and literature say?

10:30       “Brave, non-defensive and collaborative”

14:50       Laminate your neural pathways!

18:00       From Tara Swart at MiT…. Expose your brain to novelty

20:20       What is creativity for Tim and Ben?

32:15       Why did Ben have a guitar in his backpack in the SAS (artists in foxholes)

35:00       SAS Band Tongue Charge play a cover of ‘Getting Away with It in Afghanistan’… and we talk why?!

44:30       Art and identity

47:00       How do we get going? Go join a pub choir!

52:00       Ben and Tim do galleries and museums

55:00       Tongue Charge play another song: “One Crowded Hour”

References:

 www.fova.org.au

https://www.anvam.org.au

Contact Us

www.unforgiving60.com

Email us at debrief@unforgiving60.com

Instagram, Twitter: @Unforgiving60

Music …. With thanks to:

Tongue Charge

The Externals – available on Spotify

Ben Frichot

Ian Prior is MORE than just a professional rugby player with over a decade of ‘high speed collisions in confined spaces’. He’s incredibly well read and researched. He meditates and practices journaling. He uses ice baths and loves the beach. He’s about performance and optimisation, but uses that to improve his being a dedicated father and husband.

This is also a story about tenacity. In the early stages of his career Ian was on the fringes of representative and  first class rugby. But his determination and commitment to self improvement got him playing across three Super Rugby Franchises for over a decade. He talks about ‘how’ and ‘what’ he does.

We also talk wicked problems and how they apply to Australian Rugby.

Intelligence Summary (INTSUM)

04:00       Start the Bikram Podcast

05:10       Growing Up including in Africa

06:00       Media hasn’t been kind to Zimbabwe- what’s it really like?

08:10       Ian describes his physical stature- and how that fits into rugby

08:50       Superbowl/ NFL v rugby comparison

11:50       Back to Australia after Zimbabwe- school and sport (more of the latter than the former!)

15:05       Are the best sports people generalists or specialists?

16:59       Ian Prior’s three posters on his wall as a kid- Ricky Ponting, Matt Burke and Ben Pronk!?

20:32       Ian gets an opportunity in the Australian U20 rugby side

22:00       Ian Prior hangs up repeatedly on Queensland Red’s coach Ewan McKenzie… and interviewing for the Reds. What three questions did Ewan ask Ian?

25:00       What makes the best players?

28:00       Ian joins the Reds and wins a series

30:00       Does playing a lot of footy together (or anything together) really matter in success?

32:00       Ian moves franchises to the Brumbies…. Why? Life in Canberra.

37:15       How does leadership work in a rugby club?

41:10       Resilience Shepherds in rugby- some good examples

44:20       Ian moves to the Western Force

50:10       Ian’s journaling, meditation and grounding and its importance to performance

57:00       Ice baths? Stretching…. How to wind down

58:20       Talking strength and conditioning, loads and training blocks

1:06:00    Ian’s leadership- how did he Captain the Western Force?

1:16:20    Talking Australian Rugby and wicked problems.

References:

About Ian Prior

 Sydney Morning Herald Article on Australian Rugby

‘Wicked Problems’ article Rittel and Webber

https://westernforce.rugby

Contact Us

www.unforgiving60.com

Email us at debrief@unforgiving60.com

Instagram, Twitter: @Unforgiving60

Music …. With thanks to:

The Externals – available on Spotify

Get a medical degree and then do SAS selection – as a Doctor!? Sounds mad. Well listen in.

Born in Kenya, Dr Rob Barbour spent his formative years in Australia gaining a medical degree and serving in the Australian special forces including on peacekeeping missions.Having never lost his love for his birthplace, Rob migrated to Tanzania to start a socially responsible and community conservation orientated safari operation and a private community conservation area. Rob subsequently joined Epic Private Journeys as a partner and private guide in Eastern and Southern Africa where he was able to share with Epic's guests his experience and passion for the natural world and local cultures, as well as his belief in poverty alleviation through conservation.

Intelligence Summary (INTSUM)

03:05       Dr Rob Barbour tells the story of growing up in Kenya… and how his family got there! School, farming and childhood adventures.

09:25       Ben has to ask about running…. in Kenya…. And he asks a rugby player!

10:20       The Barbour family considers a move to Australia

11:50       What was eating the livestock!?

12:50       Culture shock- from Kenya to Perth

18:00       Rob is trying to work out what to do after school. Study medicine!

21:20       After medicine Rob thinks about joining the Army- and does!

23:40       Rob is a little lax on entry to the Army

26:20       Rob decides to undertake SAS selection… as a Doctor!

31:00       SAS selection in Rob’s experience

33:33       Tim meets Rob on SAS Selection- Ben reckons it was in the Sick Bay

36:20       What tools does Rob use to keep focussed

29:30       Tools can be simple

41:30       Rob finishes his time in the SAS and moves back to Africa (via PNG)

54:20       Discussing poaching in Africa

58:20       How can you control the incentives against poaching

1:01:10    Similarities between PNG and Africa

1:04:20    Rob explains the migration and safaris

1:11:30    Any good movies on the silver screen that show Africa as it truly is?

1:18:10    Rob’s power song…. Or not?!

More on Rob’s Adventures Here:

https://epicprivatejourneys.com

https://www.linkedin.com/company/epic-private-journeys/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/robert-barbour-6b696027/

Contact Us

www.unforgiving60.com

Email us at debrief@unforgiving60.com

Instagram, Twitter: @Unforgiving60

Music …. With thanks to:

The Externals – available on Spotify

Mitchell Martin- – available on Spotify

In this episode, we continue our chat with Jaz Diab, the multi-talented former Commanding Officer of the Australian Special Operations Engineer Regiment.  Jaz reflects on her experiences as one of the first females in combat roles within Special Operations, before looking at her transition out of the military and subsequent focus on nuclear science.  Jaz then talks us through some of the difficulties in progressing the conversation related to nuclear energy in Australia, as well as her role as the President of Women in Nuclear – Australia.

01:30       Was Jaz forging a new path for women through her example in the Army? (Spoiler alert:  she absolutely was.  We just wanted to see if she thought she was at the time!)

03:50       Reflections on the parallels with Monika Georgieva’s trailblazing role as a female within the infantry corps (check out our episode with Monika back in Season 2 Episode 3)

06:45       Jaz’s role as an Explosive Ordnance Disposal technician – bomb disposal!  The pressure of the role – physical and psychological. And just how accurate is the movie The Hurt Locker?!

13:30       Ben goes off on a tangential rant about restocking the fridge when you take a cold beverage….

14:00       Tim brings the conversation back on track by asking about Jaz’s experience as an aide to the Chief of Army

15:00       Reflections from the top – the pressures on leaders of big organisations

21:45       Tim remembers trying to beat the Chief of Army in a run

22:40       Jaz leaves the Army – and gets even more interested in nukes!  Plus her reflections on why Australia has such difficulties considering nuclear power as a potential alternative to fossil fuels

26:30       The risks of nuclear power – are they overblown given modern technology?  And how can we safely dispose of nuclear waste?

31:30       The difference between fission and fusion – and how feasible is cold fusion?

32:30       Jaz’s role as President of Women in Nuclear – Australia

37:00       Being a mum – harder than defusing bombs!  Jaz talks to her experience as the mother of a gorgeous little girl with achondroplasia – a form of dwarfism.

41:20       On finding out about her daughter’s condition – and dealing with this news and what it meant for her child

46:00       How has Jaz and her partner worked through these challenges

External Links

ANVAM – Australian National Veterans Arts Museum – www.anvam.org.au

Contact Us

www.unforgiving60.com

Email us at debrief@unforgiving60.com

Instagram, Twitter: @Unforgiving60

Music …. With thanks to:

The Externals – available on Spotify