Price You Pay Podcast | Season 2 Episode 1

Indigenous Olympian Taliqua Clancy sets the tone for Season 2 of the Price You Pay Podcast with her genuine Welcome to Country - with respect and acknowledgement of the rich history of storytelling of her culture and the land on which these athlete  stories are received and and recorded...

Host of Pod and  founder of The Aussie Athlete Fund, Natalie Cook has the mic directed her way as she shares her relentless mission that has seen her FUNDRAISE a staggering $135,000 (that has already supported 35 aspiring athletes) in its inaugural year!

As a  retired athlete turned author, speaker, and strategist,  Nat embodies passion and ambition in all that she does.  Whether that’s in her role as a Director of the Brisbane 2032 Organising Committee, inspiring rooms with her stories of resilience and fortitude or founding her not-for-profit, The Aussie Athlete Fund; she is consistent and unrelenting in her approach.

Inspired by Lisa Curry's victory at the Brisbane Commonwealth Games in ‘82, at only 8yrs old, Nat went on to create her own dream picture by winning GOLD in Beach Volleyball on Bondi Beach and being one of the only females in the world to qualify for 5 Olympic Games!

When we first sat down with Natalie in 2023, we discussed her mission with Green and Gold Athletes (now named Aussie Athlete Fund) and what she hoped it would achieve.  We discovered the financial challenges she faced in her own family growing up in sport and how that influenced the passion she has today for the future of athletes in her own country and the world.  We also touched on the purpose of the podcast, which was to shine a light on what it really takes for young athletes and their families to make the Games.  Nat’s vision is to create a sustainable funding model for Aussie Athletes - from the emerging to the elite. Watch out, bc she will not stop until she gets there!

There is a big season 2 ahead of us featuring young athletes who received their first allotment of financial and educational grants from Green & Gold Athletes Australia.  Sitting down with the Hudson’s, the Molly’s, the Jack’s, the Stacy’s and their families to find out what it really does take to make the Games has been eye opening. 
Some of her updates include:

• Rebranding due to intellectual property issues 
• Debunking the myth of guaranteed riches with Olympic fame
• The pressing need for a dependable funding model. 

Listen on your preferred streaming service Here