Justine Blainey was playing ice hockey as early as 7 years old. She loved it so much that she was determined to go pro, but her aggressive style of play often got her into trouble with the referee. So, she opted to join the boys team, where bodychecking was allowed. But that move was far easier said than done. 

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Most of us, if we’re lucky, will get the chance to grow old. It's a time for retirement and relaxation, for slowing down and watching the world go by. But that wasn't the case for Man Kaur. In 2009, aged 93, she spontaneously decided to take up running. And then, she took on the world.  

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Nineteen boxers competed in the 1960 Olympic Games. And after three rounds of wins, Australian Tony Madigan reached the semi-finals, looking for a place in the gold medal bout. His opponent? A promising but little-known amateur, boxing in his first ever Olympics: Cassius Clay. 

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It’s human nature to want to push the limits of our capabilities. But it’s easy to forget that some things, which seem ordinary now, weren’t so simple until we achieved them. Midway through the 20th century, running a mile in under 4 minutes seemed impossible. But one man dared to try: a medical student from London named Roger Bannister.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Dakar Rally is one of the world’s toughest motor races. Since the late 70s, the globe’s best rally drivers have competed in the off-road endurance event. But prior to 2001, the race had only seen male champions. Then came Jutta Kleinschmidt, who was determined to shake things up a bit.  
 

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Australians practically wrote the book on how to do cricket right - from the backyard to summer afternoons at the 'G. But even in this sunburnt country, we still needed a Plan B for a rainy day. So we headed indoors to invent a whole new kind of game.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Climbing Everest is an adventurer’s dream. But for Spanish mountaineer, Edurne Pasaban, it wasn't enough. She wanted to become the first woman to climb all “eight-thousanders”, the world’s highest peaks, above 8,000 metres. So, one down and thirteen more to go... 

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

CrossFit is like regular gym, but faster and with more handstands. It requires all-round body strength and incredible willpower. It probably helps to have a good sense of humour too, because the sport certainly has its critics. It's no wonder then, that an Aussie has won more CrossFit world titles than anyone. 

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We all knew that one kid in PE class that was good at every sport they tried. Well, Peter Mullins was that kid. He was sport-obsessed and had a natural ability to pick up new skills like it was nothing. So much so, that Peter became a champion athlete in many of them, earning him the unofficial title of Australia's greatest all-rounder. 

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The 1980 Olympics in Moscow were defined by controversy, even before the Games had begun. More than 60 countries had staged a boycott. But it also had a direct impact on competition. The men’s triple jump was fiercely contested but the results were hotly disputed, and would change the rules of the event for good.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Australia loves its athletes, especially our women's Olympic swimming team. As is now tradition, they're quickly labelled “ours”. Our Shane. Our Libby. Our Arriane. But where did it all begin? Meet Mina Wylie and Sarah “Fanny” Durack, the Australian women who dived into the history books more than 110 years ago.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.