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Oh, good. You're here. Come on. This is the center of performance. Whenever there's a top performance in New
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Zealand, it all comes from here. That's Lisa Carrington. She's been doing that
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for days. That's the boys who got the hole in one in to Finn. How's the performance going?
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>> Top tier. >> Nice. This is our generate room. In here, you'll find our top performers
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helping Kiwis maximize their Kiwi Saver [music] investments. Get in here, Finn. >> Maximize. Generate. putting performance
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first. >> Linda Vagna, welcome to my podcast. >> Oh, thanks for having me, Dom. I'm just
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admiring how flash this place is. >> Well, only the flash is for my queen.
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[laughter] >> Okay, now you're now you're pulling my leg. >> It's wonderful to have you here, Linda
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Vagina. Uh 64 test silver fern, one of the best who ever do it. um goalkeeper and goal defense once described as one
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of the most feared silver fern defenders. And I've we've been chatting for like the last 10 minutes. This is
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the first time we've we've met. >> M [clears throat] >> I can't What does that mean? One of the
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most feared silver fern defenders. Cuz you couldn't have been more lovely. >> Oh, you're so sweet. But if you chuck me
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on the net court and if we play any kind of match, whether it's cards or um you
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know any kind of sport, I think I'm quite competitive. No, actually that's a
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lie. I'm not quite competitive. I'm super competitive. >> Um I don't know where that comes from
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because I I think I'm really nice. I think I was always the person that if there was a if there was some uproar at
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school, I'll be the one in the middle trying to um you know, keep the peace.
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Yeah, >> keep the piece. But because of my size, my height, everyone thought that I was
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the one that would be the aggressive, the aggressor. >> And a sport like net, which is um for
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the most part a non-cont sport, how can you be one of the most feared? What makes what makes someone feared in a
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non-cont sport? Look, I think if if you enter the game, I always have this um you know, there's this this face that I
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put on. It's almost like smoke coming out of your nostrils. I don't really
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care about the crowd that's watching. I'm not going to be affected by it. And
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um I just got to go hunting and what I'm hunting for is the ball. >> Um I might actually not I but you might
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be in my way and that's that's probably where the fears comes out of. You might
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be in my way, but I'm still going to storm through. >> You Yeah. In your career, you played um
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you played with um Irene Van Djk in the Silver Thirds. You also played against her while she was playing for South
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Africa. Did you ever um I had your your great friend Benise Minnie on the podcast and she talked about how how
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sensitive Irene was. Did you ever make Irene like cry when you played against her?
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>> Do you know what? This is where the peacemaker and me comes in again. Um, I
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do recall and I remember having uh Nolan in the team and there was a few of my my
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Pacifica girls who were shooters. Um, there was the Belinda Collings and the Donna Lohagen who were all shooters. And
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I remember when she came into the team and even was coaching at the time and she said, "I'm rooming Irene with you."
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I mean, oh, sweet. Yep. And I think for anybody I I would not have liked to be in her shoes at that time. She came in
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at a time where um you know the team the team were were sort of at a at a changing guards um
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situation and there were some of my friends that were let go in the team including Nolen and Irene was coming in
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to um replace them um all of her own merit of course. Um, but it was a it was a tough sort of coming in from
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representing South Africa and then living in New Zealand and becoming one of New Zealand's top shooters now. Um,
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but she was just another person. She was just another teammate and I think I think Ion um made a [clears throat] made
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that move because I was probably the kindest that would be there. >> The kindest
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>> the kindest to support her off the court. off [laughter] >> on the court though. On the court,
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especially when she was playing for South Africa or any team that she was that we played against each other and um
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I was just in there to get some ball >> because Benise was saying Irene was
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incredibly sensitive. Um there'd be things that would happen like the the opponent or the opposition team would do
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something good and she'd applaud them. Um >> that's right. She did. I forgot that.
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[laughter] That's right. I >> So for someone That's right. for someone
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with that sort of DNA um who's trying to shoot goals and you're trying to snatch
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the ball away from her. Um I'd imagine that would be quite distressing for her
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at the time. >> Well, I you've just reminded me that she used to do that. I I actually had
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forgotten that she would get a goal in, she'll clap every time. I'll get an
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intercept off her and she'll clap and and she'll say, you know, she'll make
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comment about um great intercept and and the reason I think why I forgot is because I didn't want to listen to her.
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It's like, stop being so nice. you're trying to put me off my game. Um, I'm
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just going for the ball, so go away. [laughter] And then off the court, you know, we It
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was You just changed again and you were friends again. >> Yeah. Just that ability to switch switch
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on and go into almost like an alter ego, I guess. Eh, like beast mode. >> Yeah. Yeah. It's like, you know,
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Beyonce's Beyonce. And then when she's um Sasha Fierce or whatever her stage
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name is. Um she turns into, you know, she's so sweet. She's so when she's um
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not performing, you know, she's a mama. Um you know, she's got a family, but
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when she's on that stage, she's somebody else. So, I guess it's how it's like all
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my drag friends, you know, they all different personalities when um when we're all together. And then when
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they're in that costume and they have that mask on, they become something else
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and they go for it on stage. And I guess it's the same mentality as a as an athlete, you know, you're totally
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different person on the field. >> Yeah. I suppose someone that springs to mind from the Pacifica community is like
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one of the greatest rugby players ever. Sir Michael Jones, who was the Iceman on
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the field. The >> loveliest man ever off the field, but a complete badass. [laughter]
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>> Don't mess with Don't mess with MJ. >> Exactly. That's a a true example. He was
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he is still the nicest person. um you know often we're the last time I saw him was um at a Pacifica
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um Moana Pacifica choir show that was on at at Spark Arena and we sat next to each other and he had elderly from his
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community that he had paid tickets for and also sponsored the event um sitting on his row and I was sitting with with
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dad and um the whole the whole time he was just nudging me going this is so cool this is so cool and just
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celebrating um Pacifica and and how it's evolved in our music. >> I might have to use you to get him on
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the podcast at some point. >> Any anytime. >> Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. >> Um this is going to be such a fun chat.
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There's so much to talk about here. There's the um the the net stuff which
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we've cracked into already. Um but then there's this incredible uh 20some year career you've had post
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Netball with Duffy Books and Homes. Um so there's a lot a lot to unpack. How's
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your calendar looking today? How's your schedule? Have we got time? No, we never have time. [laughter]
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>> I [snorts] sort of slide into everything just on the minute before. >> Yeah.
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>> Um [laughter and gasps] but you know, just before this, I was I was at a cafe talking to um kids from
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Caramel and from Carmel College. Um and and just trying to work out dates that we can all meet up and finish off the
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net season after coaching. And this was my first year coaching a high school team. Um I've always been in the space
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of developing sport and particularly net for Pacifica. Um and those pathways are
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you know you I don't know that's that's another whole conversation but um yeah
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life is busy but it's also good you know you're more always up and down but um I
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always I always find um being positive and and knowing that I haven't you know
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I haven't been placed here by accident and anything that I go into there's a
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reason for it and that's just how life is. It's cool like that. You just love
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service, eh? From the research I've done, like you you've just got the sense
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of community and your whole life is about giving back. >> It is. It is. And oh god, this is where
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the choking moments are. I I promised myself that I wouldn't cry, but I can't
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help it. >> We got [laughter] tissues if you do. >> Can you see my eyes are welling up with
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tears already? Um, no, I'm not going to cry. But I think it's I think it's
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understanding and and it's even more vivid now when you see um communities that have been displaced. um not only in
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our own country, but you see, you know, the everything that's happening in Gaza
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and and with Israel and not only that, um all across the Middle East um in parts of Asia, you you it's really hard
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to imagine that you just have to lift everything that you owned, everything that you possess and walk away from it.
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And I believe that's what my parents did. Um they were both single. Uh they were both targeted by their family to
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leave Samour and um search for a better life. Um I think they had met already in
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in in Samoa but had um come to New Zealand at different times and and meet again. Um and then had us but it was for
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a better life. And um you know their life I grew up my gosh I grew up in a home where I thought we were so rich.
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There was in a three-bedroom home in Messi, West Stalk, there would have been any given time between 12 to 17 people
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living in our house. And our garage was a makeshift room for all the boys. Um, and that was such a rich life. I didn't
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know any life any other life. [laughter] >> Um, and so mom and dad we saw every now
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and then they would go off to work. Uh we had cousins, uncles, aunties that were our mumies [laughter]
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and our um and our uncles and older cousins. And everyone left, got married, left and had their own families, but
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they all still come back. And I think that's that's just the life that I've
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picked up. and whether it's service. Um I think the the main thing that drives
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me is that I've I've had the opportunity with Silver Ferns and it was a great
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opportunity. I've had the opportunity to coach at international level and that
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was beautiful too. It was um me going back to the roots. >> Yeah. And you got some serious results
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too. We'll get into that later. >> It was great. But I just wanted everyone
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to experience what I had. >> Um and that wasn't just from family. that was from strangers who saw that um
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my family were busy, weren't engaged in the sport life that I had um but saw
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that I could go far and they would pick me up every day from home, from school, from uni, they'll take me to training,
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they'll take me to a tournament and I was always brought back home safely. [snorts] Um
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yeah, and I think that's where the service comes from. you know, you [snorts] surround yourself and it's all
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you know. It's the the only other thing is is to give back. >> You know, we're Polynesia is a is a
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communal um we're very communitydriven. We're very um sociocentric as a faro and
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as a community that that's >> life is is big. >> Yeah. Yeah. I I do have one question and
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um yeah, I hope this isn't isn't isn't ignorant, but I'm genuine genuinely
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curious. So um that that Saman sort of household dynamic where there's like say
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15 people or whatever from the family in a threebedroom household >> and in other Yeah. In other in other
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societies it's called overcrowding. >> No, but is that done out of out of
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necessity because there's not enough money or is that just because you're so
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familycentric you all want to be under the one roof? >> I think it's both. You know, you you
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come to New Zealand um you are representing a family, you're representing a village and it's a
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community. And so when you come to New Zealand, you are supported by everybody that's around you. Um, you can't forget
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that. And so there's the urgency always to bring others with you and you always
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try and approach everything together. And so, you know, mom and dad at any given time were adopting people were
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[laughter] were bringing individuals to work in the lines of factories and uh, you know,
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they and we worked hard. Well, I don't work hard, but they worked hard. Um, but
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I was so spoiled. I don't think I grew up cleaning a single thing because I had
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these 20some year olds who had come from Samoa. Um, they did all the cooking, the
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boys all did the cooking. Um, so there was no sort of gender, you know, boys do all the cooking in Samoa. Um and it's
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only just changed in the last decade where you know women are starting to um show off their their own cooking um
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skills and you know trying to to adopt all what is cuisine in our in our Pacifica food. But it's just the way we
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lived and they brought everyone up so that they could give back to their own families. you know, the amount of um
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funds and and paychecks that were taken um each payday and then sent straight home uh so that you can build your home,
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you can build your own home. Um that's that's just the way that life was. It
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was very communal and um it was a a collective environment where we all helped each other. Um but it's such a
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paradox because in some ways it's also very hard. [laughter] Well, it's it's a lot of people sharing
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one bathroom. >> It is. And that's what it was. And [snorts] um you know, we didn't have to
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put a schedule up. It just [laughter] you had you had different shifts. People worked graveyard shifts. Um you had your
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day shift and often, you know, I could I can remember a cousin of mine who had to
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look after us um getting us ready for school in the morning cuz everyone left or people were coming back. Um and some
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started afternoon shifts. And I could remember my young sister complaining about putting a dressing gown on to go
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to to go to school. And that was one of the cousins thinking, "Oh, I've got to
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keep you warm. Put this on." Not knowing [laughter] shame. He made us wear a dressing gown
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and if we answered back to them, you know, you got the little whack on the ears. And so we would walk to school
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with these clothes that you know, no shame. You just kind of just kind of lived with it and kept going.
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>> What were you like as a kid? What was Did you What was the most trouble you
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got in? So your mom was a seamstress, your dad was a minister, so very religious upbringing.
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>> You did your homework, brother? >> Yeah. >> Um were you ever a bad kid? Ever go off
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the rails? No. >> Oh, I can think of a couple of times where um not not of my fault. Um but
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following some some friends along the you as we do [laughter] along a path [snorts] that I shouldn't
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have and I can remember getting the hold whack the odd whack on the air. Um, but
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all of us grew up af really scared of doing any wrong because we knew that our dad would grow us off or um, you always
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were afraid that you might get the hiding. I mean, the hiding to us was probably the whack around the ear, the
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slap on the bottom. Um, that's what we were afraid of. And so, we did our best
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not to be in trouble, but I can say that my brothers really tested my parents. >> I think your brother's older than you.
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Um, one one is older than me and um, I I'm I'm the oldest of mom and dad's
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kids. We have I have an adopted brother. He is he's the oldest. Um, and I have a
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half sister who is dad's daughter. And then I have an adopted brother who I brought back with me from Samoa.
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>> Um, so we're we're blended siblings, but man, we're so close. We're tight.
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>> We're tight. We're all so tight. >> And where did the why? Um, out of all
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the things you could have done, why did you gravitate towards net? >> Because they have a cool uniform on.
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They're short dresses and in my skinny days, I looked okay in one. [laughter]
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>> Is that what it was? >> Honestly, it was. Yeah. I I wasn't like
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I was not I tell this story all the time when I'm visiting schools um with Duffy
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Books and Homes with work and >> uh I I played a lot of sport until I started high school and my my dad who
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was a teacher himself. He um he received a report from um one of my teachers. I think I was Yeah. from one of the
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teachers. It was my favorite teacher too. And the grades and comments from the teachers weren't very good. And I
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tried to hide the report, but um it didn't work. And being scared of my dad,
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I did try to tell him that the D's meant did really well, Dad. But um [laughter]
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that was um that was connected with um a little slap on the ears. And I wasn't
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allowed to play sport when I went into high school. I honestly wasn't. But um I
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was grounded actually for >> Oh, because you had to focus on your studies.
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>> I had to focus on my school work because I was not a smart girl. Um my brother,
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he was the smart one, the one that was a year apart with me. Um he was a year younger and um and I loved sport. That
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was the only reason I went to school. Two reasons, playtime and lunchtime cuz I'll be in the PE shed. [laughter]
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Throwing out every equipment you can think of, basketball, softball, net, volleyball. I love tackling the boys cuz
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I was, you know, taller than my teachers. Everyone thought I was a teacher at some at one stage. Um and
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sport was the main reason I went to school. It was where I found um you know real comfort. It was where I I meant
00:17:44
something. Um I was always captain of something. And I had um some great intermediate teachers who uh not only
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supported me with my sport, but they really pushed me in my in my school work, but you know, when you're a kid in
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your 11, 12, 13 years, you don't really listen to them when they're trying to to
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tell you that education is really important. Um but the high school I attended, there was I sort of broke the
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rules and I did okay with my reading, I did okay with math, and dad said I could
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play one sport. looked at the back of the um the school office and there was a net dress hanging up there. Brand new
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uniform. I went that's what I'm playing. I want to look good in that. >> Oh, so that was the the draw card that
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it wasn't like a handme-down. It was a brand new >> brand new uniform. Brand new uniform.
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But I love netball. I mean, I can remember, you know, when when you were a kid and you didn't worry about what you
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were wearing. It wasn't about brands. And I don't know what you were like as a
00:18:40
kid, Dom, but um my mom was a seamstress and you already alluded to that. But um
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she would sew my clothes and she would go to all the op shops and just find bargains for us. And you never you never
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complained about it. You just thought, "Wow, new, cool." And she must have
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found a box of different colored pleated net skirts. Do you remember those? They
00:19:02
were This was before dresses. Yeah. >> The net The net ball skirts were pleated. and she got me a different
00:19:08
color for every day of the week. And so I think I kind of had already developed a love of these skirts.
00:19:15
>> And And were you immediately good when you started the network? Were you Did
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you get really good really quickly? >> I think I I think I was already really
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good at other sports and gymnastics was one of my favorite and lucky for gymnastics if I was not um you know
00:19:32
because gymnastics you got to have a strong core. you got to be able to carry your own body weight and um that was
00:19:38
probably the the sport that um developed every muscle in my body uh to be a good
00:19:44
net baller and it just came naturally after that and yeah had to work really hard
00:19:50
>> um to be a better net baller >> and you've make the silver ferns when
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you were is it 22 21 22 >> yes about 20 yes I remember celebrating quickly celebrating my 21st and then
00:20:00
going off to um Amsterdam of all places. So, we went to La Hag um to the Netherlands.
00:20:09
I I yeah, I was still very young, didn't know much. Um but I remember seeing and
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I'll always remember this. I remember seeing people of color in the Netherlands. Um but they weren't
00:20:22
speaking English cuz I used to watch these American movies where everyone had an American accent that was black um or
00:20:28
colored. And I was like I was so shocked. I had no idea that the world was this big. Um, and yeah, traveling
00:20:38
>> amazing >> opened up my eyes. >> How How do you find out you you've made
00:20:42
the silver fence? Like, do you get a phone call? Was it a like a radio announcement?
00:20:46
>> Uh, back back in my day. [laughter] >> Can I send you a letter? A letter in the
00:20:52
post. >> Telegram. Um, back [snorts] in my day, uh, I think the first time I found out
00:20:59
about the Silver Ferns, um, they used to go, you used to go into a camp as a squad. So, might have been
00:21:07
about 25 girls um or around about that number. and um someone from net New Zealand would come in at the end of the
00:21:15
camp and name the players and you either celebrated or you kind of tried to celebrate because you were in
00:21:23
the room with the others that didn't make the the team. >> They quickly changed it after that cuz
00:21:28
it was awkward. >> It sounds like New Zealand Idol or something where [laughter] this group's
00:21:33
going through this group's not. >> Yeah, it was awkward. But I can remember
00:21:37
um luckily I made the team and I remember being really happy but then I saw some of my teammates that weren't
00:21:44
and I realized then that they didn't make the team. So that quickly changed to um still having again a squad
00:21:51
training and um if you didn't make the squad you you will you would receive a
00:21:58
phone call. And so I remember telling my dad this and this was the day of call waiting. And I said to dad, um, 8:00 is
00:22:06
when the coaches meant to ring me if I've made the team or not. Well, him and
00:22:10
my brother played a a prank on me and they rang up at 8:00. [laughter] And then I heard once I realized it was
00:22:16
them, I heard the phone actually ringing. I could hear the call waiting um, beep. So I got to go and I realized
00:22:22
then I I had an inkling that I probably didn't make the team to walk up. Um, but
00:22:27
that was okay. I mean it was hard. It was tough. Um yeah I can remember being lost for a little bit not knowing what
00:22:35
to do but you just keep moving forward. Ah >> oh. Was that was that after so you made
00:22:38
the team in 93? >> 93 and then there was the 95 World Cup >> right >> and so just before that I got dropped.
00:22:46
>> Yes. So what what happened in So you [snorts] made the team in 93. What
00:22:49
happened in 94 and how did you how did you come back from that disappointment? That could have um a lot of people could
00:22:54
have crumbled with that. Right. I think I did crumble >> inside. [laughter]
00:22:59
>> I crumbled inside, but I but I also had a dad who was just he's pretty camp
00:23:04
about most things. Um I I think I well 94 I kept I was playing in different tours. There were several
00:23:13
tours that were happening and um closer to World Cup and I went and I went to to
00:23:19
the World Games. That was my first experience sort of being part of a team that played Australia in the final and
00:23:26
um I remember we lost. I came back so I I still hadn't been um I wasn't really
00:23:31
on the court but I was sort of on on on the fringe of the team and um come they brought some of the senior players back
00:23:38
in. Um, and I remember I remember someone calling me they're playing South Africa in the final and Irene was
00:23:44
playing um, and I can't remember where I think it was Birmingham actually. [snorts]
00:23:51
>> Um, they they won that World Cup and it was it was pretty cool. It was the first
00:23:55
time I'd ever seen New Zealand not win the gold medal. Um but I carried on playing representative net and I was
00:24:03
playing also for um what was then the Coca-Cola Cup National Bank Cup um where you had all your sort of it was kind of
00:24:11
like the franchise teams now in the A&Z series. So I was still part of those
00:24:15
teams >> and and that was a good thing you know it was something to still be involved
00:24:18
with. It was hard. Um I think I went back into just a mode where you wanted to assess quickly assess and then move
00:24:27
on. and I and I picked up what I like to do about training. I hated training. I hated running. I was not a runner. You
00:24:34
could not get this body to pound the pavements. [laughter] Um but I love the gym. And so you I
00:24:40
found something that I really like that would keep my fitness up um and get me fitter and I was able to get I was able
00:24:46
to make the team later um back in 90 I think just straight after World Cup there was a tour and I made the team.
00:24:53
>> Yeah. Then you're in the team from 95 to 2002. um like seven years. So you you
00:24:58
[clears throat] came back you came back stronger um without a doubt. But yeah, I
00:25:02
can't imagine how tough that time. How was your mental health over that time?
00:25:05
Like 94 when you're in you're in the silver ferns and then suddenly you're
00:25:09
not. >> Well, you you're brought I guess you're brought down to earth really quickly and
00:25:15
when you have siblings who tease you. [laughter] >> Is that like your siblings love
00:25:20
language? Roasting. >> Yeah. Yeah. We're really good at roasting each other. You trying to get I
00:25:26
mean, I had my brothers going, "Oh, are they going to pick you?" Or has been,
00:25:30
you know, [laughter] >> keeps you grounded. >> I'm [snorts] looking at them going, "I'm
00:25:34
sorry. When did you represent New Zealand?" Um, but I think the other thing that keeps you grounded is, you
00:25:40
know, it's an experience and you got to see it that way. Um, we our faith um we
00:25:46
are Christians and we were brought up in the church life right from day one. I can always remember church was something
00:25:52
that we woke up for every Sunday. Um we were involved in church youth group. We were part of my dad was a minister. Um
00:26:00
and and so life just kept moving on. You know the nothing else stopped. Net stopped. That was only a part of my
00:26:06
life. Yeah. It was sad and that was hard to go through. But I think you know if you don't go through life without the
00:26:13
bumps on your head um and don't experience the the struggle that you go through um there are other parts of your
00:26:22
life that are amazing. And you know, rejection is is hard, right? When um when you realize the next day, it's like
00:26:30
losing losing a gold medal by one goal that hits you, I think, more. [laughter] >> Oh, yeah. We'll get we'll get into that.
00:26:38
We'll get into that. >> But those are those are bumps along the road. And I truly believe that if you
00:26:43
don't I think a lot of times when I see my nieces and nephews, I'm a mum, by the
00:26:48
way. Um, and if when I see my nieces and nephews, I don't want them to fall. I'm
00:26:53
constantly behind them when they're walking up the steps or um, you know, I see them crying and I want to be the
00:26:59
first one to go and grab them. But >> sometimes you just got to let them be
00:27:03
for a minute and let them just go through that. Um, so that they know when when life gets hard as they get older,
00:27:11
um, there are other parts of your life that you can be proud of, that you can be happy for. Um, you know, I had
00:27:18
amazing parents. I've got amazing siblings. Uh, yeah, it was hard. It was hard, Don. I'm
00:27:24
not going to lie. But I think my faith really, um, kept me going in in the sense that, you know, God's put me in
00:27:31
this place for a reason. Um, and yeah, I'm not going to lie, I probably was surprised when I was named first in the
00:27:38
team. Um, and it's like anything when you achieve something, that is the beginning. you know, when you graduate
00:27:45
in something and you celebrate it, but that is the beginning of life as a as a adult, as a working human being.
00:27:52
>> Um, and it doesn't change. It's all part of life. And you know, you can get to
00:27:57
50, 60, 70, and you can still have bumps [laughter] >> on your head. >> Yeah. You've said so much good stuff
00:28:03
there, Linda. Like, you don't actually learn anything from the from the successes, e, and the wins. All you're
00:28:10
learning comes from the um Yeah. Yeah. The bumps in the road, the adversity. >> Yeah.
00:28:14
>> Yeah. Although it does. It's at the time though. >> It is. It is. I can remember people
00:28:18
saying, "What are you going to do?" Like, >> but even the question, you know, even
00:28:23
the question that that that comes from someone's soul asking that question because they believe in you and they see
00:28:29
that um there is there are other things that you can do or um and I and I always
00:28:34
feel like I do need to be asked those questions because it just wakes me up. Um, as much as it's hard to to think
00:28:41
what I'm going to do next in life because it felt like everything was just over, but I was,
00:28:46
you know, I feel like God puts me in a place every time when um when I don't
00:28:51
want to be there, too. But this is this is the step up to something amazing that's going to come out of this. Um,
00:28:58
you know, I was very fortunate to still be part of a university um campus crusade for Christ on on
00:29:05
campus. And at that time that I had been dropped, I was asked to be um to help fund raise and be part of a mission team
00:29:13
to Fiji. Well, we had I can't remember. I think we had to raise like 2,500 each.
00:29:19
And I sent out a few letters and I remember getting some funds to help me. And then I had something like $800 to
00:29:26
raise and I didn't know and it was the day before in the mail, not direct transfer because that didn't exist back
00:29:33
then. [laughter] But in the mail, I got home that day and there was a $800 check in my in my in my
00:29:40
letter box. And I just, you know, things like that happen for a reason. And I had
00:29:45
to go to this mission trip and it was good growth for me. M >> just took my mind off net came back
00:29:52
again try you know focused on training being better person and you just go forward who who cares what's going to
00:29:58
happen I didn't know if I was going to make the silver fern seem that wasn't my
00:30:01
goal I just want to be a better net baller >> it's such good attitude and I it's it's
00:30:06
very evident already like what just what role faith plays in your life >> oh yeah
00:30:11
>> yeah massive huge massive huge and >> now your [snorts] family from what I can
00:30:15
gather about your family super supportive but Never never came to a lot of your games.
00:30:20
>> No. >> Why? >> Uh mom and dad were really when when I made the team, they had just been um
00:30:27
accepted at a Presbyterian church on the shore. And so, you know, in in the in the words of um of the Bible, you know,
00:30:36
they had a um a flock that they had to look over. [laughter] >> It wasn't because they didn't want to. I
00:30:45
think they could feel my nerves when they would be at a game. Um, but even even when I was representative level,
00:30:52
uh, representing a region, whether it be Harbor or or West Oakland, um, dad never came. Dad hardly came to
00:31:00
my games. He might have sat in the car. In fact, he he was sitting in the car when I first got named in the Silver
00:31:06
Fern squad. [laughter] And to him, okay, that's cool. You know, it was Yeah. Fabulous. Um, don't chill
00:31:15
off about it. Um, you know, [laughter] this is only, again, I think that's where I get the the calmness is from dad
00:31:22
because mom's different level. She was banned from the net courts. I I she made
00:31:27
me cry. Um, after a club game, I think I sat in the car and she she gave it to me. You know, how could that ball just
00:31:34
go past your face and you couldn't even lift your hands to it? Did you know that? Jump jump jump.
00:31:40
Someone's just catching a ball right in front of your face. [laughter] and um
00:31:43
she went off and I was crying and I was thinking, damn, this woman is something else. And so she I never told her. I I
00:31:50
basically had um amazing people that would come and pick me up and it just eventually evolved into them not coming.
00:31:57
>> There was a odd occasion where we were playing um at the ASB arena and I had
00:32:04
some good friends that I played with. they got the the box for ASV and um they said bring mom and dad and I brought
00:32:10
them to that game and then it was really just siblings, you know, they found out
00:32:14
that I was playing that's what it was if they found out that I was playing uh
00:32:18
locally cuz I'd just be doing my own thing. Get my gears ready. Bye. [laughter]
00:32:24
>> That's cool. They they were super supportive though and >> super supportive.
00:32:27
>> There's a story I'm not sure when this was but they um they dropped you off to
00:32:30
Silver Fern game or the Silver Fins Hotel in the red station wagon. >> That was my first Yes. Yes, the station
00:32:35
wagon that was um a handme-down and um my brother came with me, mom came with me, and I think my and Lenny came with
00:32:43
me, my youngest sister. I was rooming with then captain. That's that was how things worked. If you were
00:32:49
a rookie, um you you the newest rookie, you would room with the captain. So, >> that's so intimidating.
00:32:54
>> So, I was rooming and Julie. Julie. Now, I'm saying Julie twice cuz
00:33:00
my memory [laughter] is trying to work out what her last name was. I'm so sorry, Jules, but it's Julie. [laughter]
00:33:08
>> Got to tell it's it's like 30 years ago. >> Oh my gosh. So, she was she was my
00:33:12
roomie. My manager um had told me, "This is where your bed is." And I had all I
00:33:18
saw was my black net dress, and it had Vanga on it, my last name. And me and my little brother do this thing where we
00:33:25
just kind of um This is my little brother that's passed away. um where we get we put our our
00:33:33
arms together and we just kind of shake our arms like a happy dance >> in excitement. Yeah. [snorts]
00:33:38
>> And we came back out. Okay. Control yourself, Linda. We came back out and
00:33:44
the car wouldn't start. I was like, "Oh my gosh, everyone's on the other side of
00:33:49
the our hotel rooms." Um so we had to push the car out of LMB LMB Park um until it started and then they went on
00:33:58
their way. It's a little bit embarrassing, but we laugh about it still. >> Yeah. Was it embarrassing at the time or
00:34:06
were you not overly embarrassed at the time because you you know you're so proud of your you love your family so
00:34:10
much or was it still embarrassing >> that? No. >> I'm trying to think if if it was me I'd
00:34:13
be I'd be mortified. >> Oh, really? >> Yeah. Yeah, I probably would.
00:34:17
>> I think I I had the shame [laughter] cuz you could see the funny side of it
00:34:22
immediately. >> Yeah. We're really good at laughing at our own mishaps. I think that's how we
00:34:26
survived. um to see to see the funny side of it. Um and that's how we've
00:34:31
always been, >> but >> I mean the my nieces and nephews are so different these days that they they get
00:34:37
mortified for the tiniest of things. Oh my goodness. [laughter] Um the fact that
00:34:41
I turn up to their school, they're so embarrassment, but um you know, just the fact that
00:34:46
we're there at their school. >> That's a it's a really really healthy
00:34:50
space to be playing in where you're not embarrassed about stuff like that. I
00:34:52
wish I was more like you. >> Why you are, Dom? Why are you laughing all the time?
00:34:57
>> Oh, no. You enjoy life. I would be now, but I'm just trying to think if if I was
00:35:00
your age and I'd made say the New Zealand cricket team and I got dropped off by my parents and the car broke
00:35:05
down. I'd be just mortified. Mortified. [gasps] >> I think because that was my car. That
00:35:11
was my handme-down. That I was so proud of that car. I mean, you had to there was no there was [laughter]
00:35:16
the the windscreen wipers only had one speed and so if it was only just sprinkling, it would BE GOING CRAZY.
00:35:23
[laughter] AND SO, UM, [snorts] YEAH, I was proud of my >> my my red ute, um, station wagon. I
00:35:33
mean, >> but it was the handme-down from dad and you just were proud that you had it. Um,
00:35:38
>> it took you from A to B. >> Um, sometimes, >> but we pushed the car, it made this
00:35:43
funny noise that were off. I walked back to my room, I looked at my dress, and I
00:35:47
was just so, it was surreal, you know, that I saw my last name there. And even even even training, I just treated
00:35:55
training as you know, you it's like when you start a job or your first day at school, your
00:36:00
first day at college, you got no friends. Um I was very fortunate that Bernie was in the team, but I didn't
00:36:07
naturally draw draw I wasn't draw to to my Pacifica girls. It was it was a moment where I just had to really absorb
00:36:14
it myself and and see where the where were the the little clicks? Where did I sit in all in all of this? Um
00:36:23
but the the coach who was Lin Gansson at the time um Lin Parker at the time um she came up and said you're here because
00:36:30
you deserve to be here. Um I don't know if she remembers saying that and and I
00:36:34
just held my head up and okay. And it wasn't until I I stood in my first test
00:36:40
match, and that was when mom and dad were there, um that I realized singing the national anthem,
00:36:48
that I was one of 12 girls that were selected standing on the transverse line getting ready to
00:36:55
sing national anthem. And I think I just bored my eyes out. Um one because of the TV camera, I could
00:37:02
see it. I was, you know, doing the side eyes that it was coming up. Oh my gosh, I'm going to be on national TV.
00:37:07
[laughter] Um but and [snorts] but secondly, I realized that I was representing New
00:37:12
Zealand and I was more proud that um my parents were there. >> So cool. That is so wonderful.
00:37:22
>> Yeah, it was cool. >> Yeah. And you mentioned um your your brother before. I I don't know if you
00:37:27
want to talk about this or not, but um [snorts] >> Yeah. >> Yeah. The one that passed away. M
00:37:35
>> what happened? >> He um went into the hospital with a sore tummy and [snorts] went into cardiac
00:37:42
arrest um while on the operation table. Um I think he had made some choices in life. Um he was super ambitious. You
00:37:50
know, he was in property investment. He was he had just completed his MBA with Massie University. He had um five
00:37:59
gorgeous kids just bought a brand new beautiful home. Um and then somewhere down the track um with all his business
00:38:08
uh um ventures he just alcohol had played a a huge part in his life um you know just all sorts of
00:38:18
pressures had put on himself and that all led to um just not taking care of himself and I think it's a big it's a a
00:38:26
big issue challenge for all our Pacifica men um and I don't know if it's just men
00:38:31
generally we they tend to um see themselves as the um provider for their families and they and because they can
00:38:41
they go out all out in the hopes that their kids will survive. Sorry, try not to get all emotional about this.
00:38:50
>> Getting emot getting getting emotional is okay. It shows that you care.
00:38:54
>> Yeah, but but Dom, I do it all the time. [laughter] Like I'm just talking to a
00:38:58
group of funding partners about um the way kids are. You know, literacy is is something that everyone should have and
00:39:06
you know 30% of New Zealanders at the age of 10 can't read. >> Um and then I'm just like
00:39:12
>> have you always been emotional? >> No. Only for the things that I really
00:39:16
care about. >> Yeah. And I and those are the triggers when I talk about my family um and my
00:39:21
brother and when I'm so proud, you know, so proud of them. See, I'm choking up
00:39:26
already. Well, they're they're great occasions to be expressing some emotion.
00:39:29
>> They are, but it's because I think too, and I, you know, I've really had to
00:39:33
think hard why those moments trigger me, >> but it's because I just want them so
00:39:38
hard to do well, cuz I've I see myself as being so fortunate to have been a Silver Fern. That that was the
00:39:46
>> um that's one of of many things that I know that I can do well. Um, but it was
00:39:53
it was a great feeling and I want everyone to know what that feels like. And it's it's it's not necessarily, you
00:39:59
know, something is representing your country, but it's representing your family. You know, you can get a
00:40:05
scholarship, you can do really well if you work really hard. You can um, you know, you can represent Sour and the
00:40:11
under 10s for rugby league in Oakuckland. I mean, those are all huge celebrations and I I love and want
00:40:17
people to feel that all the time. M I got to correct you. You weren't just a
00:40:21
silver fern. You were a great silver fern. >> Um by Dom, [laughter] >> you mentioned um going into the
00:40:30
captain's room in the black dress being on the bed. Have Have you got any of
00:40:33
them? Have you got one framed and hung up somewhere or >> I'm really bad, but I the last dress
00:40:40
that I have, my niece borrowed it for book characters last week. Um so her I came second. Um, I think it was the
00:40:49
Moana dress from Teimu didn't arrive on time. So, her second option was my netbook dress. [laughter]
00:40:58
>> So, I [clears throat] was up against Moana. >> Um, [laughter] um, so yeah, her mom rang me and go, she
00:41:04
really wants to wear the silver ferns dress and she looked amazing in it. She's she's eight.
00:41:09
>> Wow. So, how many have you got? Do you Did you get a a dress for each test or
00:41:13
>> Yes. Yes. So, you always got for a new tour. um or a new series, you always got
00:41:18
a new strip. And um you know, and with that, you also had your other apparel, whether they were your sponsors for your
00:41:26
shoes or um or for your uh the casual wear, you always got new gears for tours and and things.
00:41:35
>> Yeah. Um so if it was if it was Canterbury or Adidas, you had your playing strip, your number ones. Um and
00:41:42
you also had the gears that you kind of trained in or walk around in. Um and so some of us who were fortunate to have um
00:41:48
some labels that were sponsoring us and and I was very lucky to have um Nike [clears throat] behind me for a very
00:41:55
long time. You know, it it became the joke of our family that our whole family was sponsored by Nike.
00:42:01
[laughter] So I would [snorts] wear something once or twice and then it would be the thing
00:42:06
about being sour is um all Polynesian for that matter is that everyone's the
00:42:10
same size [laughter] and I just liked baggies. So that fitted anybody. [laughter]
00:42:17
Um, and dad was a golfer, so I always made sure that I had the odd >> um I' forgotten his name. Sharky is was
00:42:24
his nickname, the golfer. >> Um, >> oh, um, and and also Yeah, Greg Norman.
00:42:30
So, he had a brand. Um, he had a brand and so I'd always make sure I bring the
00:42:35
odd t-shirt for dad or Tiger Woods was sponsor. So he's made sure he here the
00:42:39
old shoot and then I would see all his minister friends wearing some [snorts] of these hats. [laughter] I was like dad
00:42:44
can't do this dad. >> So it's definitely sharing and caring at the faro.
00:42:51
>> Oh that's [laughter] awesome. But in like what what are the black dresses
00:42:54
mean to you when you see them now? Do you do you have one on display or is that too sort of is that not humble
00:42:59
enough? >> Is that too showy? >> No way. Yeah that's that's a bit too
00:43:02
showy >> is it? >> That's Pacifica thing. Yeah. Like >> I think so being like
00:43:08
>> well I don't know because some Pacifica are really proud and they'll they'll
00:43:11
really show it off. Um but I think it's just that you know it really it really
00:43:16
shows up on on who who and how you were brought up. Um >> I think putting it away and and being
00:43:23
silently proud of it is is another way to um to deal with uh all the joys in life too. And and I don't think any any
00:43:31
way is a good way or bad way. Um, that's just how I am and if you know my friends
00:43:36
know me that it's always about everybody else and >> um because that's that's how I roll.
00:43:43
[laughter] >> Yeah, it's up up to the individual I guess, isn't it?
00:43:46
>> Yeah. >> What about your medals? Three silver medals um for the 1999
00:43:50
World Cup and the 1998 and 2002 Commonwealth Games. Where are they? Are they Are they in a draw? Like please
00:43:56
tell me they're not in a sock drawer. >> I don't I might >> You don't even know where they are.
00:44:00
>> I might know where two are. They might be with the um they might be with a
00:44:05
Queen's medal. Um but the team at the office always always joke about this cuz
00:44:11
they go, "Where are you?" And I know they're in a box safe somewhere. Um
00:44:16
sometimes the kids borrow them. [laughter] >> Well, I don't know. Are they there to
00:44:23
>> to be shared and enjoyed? >> You know, I think I think it's it's just
00:44:27
nice that a kid or a family member can be holding on to it. Um cuz what am I going to do with them?
00:44:34
>> Yeah, it's a GOOD POINT. >> MIGHT AS WELL share it. >> It is a good point.
00:44:37
>> I mean, at least I know there's a photo of me wearing one somewhere. Um
00:44:40
[laughter] >> you're just you're so indifferent about it, eh? >> Yeah, that they're the they're great.
00:44:47
They're great things to hold on to and it's great to be acknowledged and um I
00:44:51
think if some kid can hold it and feel something with it um that might be a game changer for them, you know,
00:44:58
tomorrow they might see life differently. Yeah. >> Yeah. >> So, let's talk about these three medals.
00:45:03
So, the um the 1999 Net Bill World Cup, this is where uh >> the Silver Fins made it to the finals.
00:45:09
>> Y >> and you were you were leading for the first three quarters. Yeah.
00:45:12
>> And then you got beaten in the last quarter and you lost by like one point.
00:45:15
>> Yeah. That was the story of my life. For about a good 10 years. [laughter]
00:45:18
>> Yeah. Was it How long Yeah. How long did that play on your mind? How long How
00:45:21
long were you seeing sort of replays of that? >> For a good while. That hurt badly. Um
00:45:27
because even 99 we were um we were the team to beat and uh we were playing at home. We were in Christ Church for the
00:45:37
World Cup. Um probably I don't know that that that week that I went back to work it was tough. Um but
00:45:48
you got straight back into work again. >> It was tough in what way? Because people
00:45:51
were bringing it up or >> No, because I could still feel it. >> I could still feel the hurt. Um,
00:45:57
you could [sighs] yeah, I try not to, um, let it f to the point where it fers and
00:46:07
it could really hurt you. >> Um, and anything like that in life, that's my approach at it. You know,
00:46:13
okay, so it happened. Um, let's you got to grieve, you know, you got to have that grieving moment and
00:46:20
but I I try not to to let it determine anything in and the way I feel like I'm
00:46:26
not going to let it win. But the best I can take from this is just remember the paths that took me there. Um, and why
00:46:34
the result was like that and what can I do better? Can I do better? I've assessed it.
00:46:42
The hurt will always be there. Um, but I was I was in a job at AUT trying to get
00:46:48
young people into um, you know, further education and and that was my that was my goal again. So,
00:46:56
>> you know, you just got to find the next thing that you need to do. You you're
00:46:59
only and I hate saying life is short, but you only have that one moment to maybe impact one or two people and you
00:47:07
got to keep going. >> Such a good attitude. So, I've had Lori Mains on the podcast, the All Black
00:47:13
coach, he like just recently, and he he the 95 Rugby World Cup where the All Blacks got beaten by South Africa in
00:47:19
extra time in the final. >> He he said he still thinks about that quite often like 30 years on. Uh I had
00:47:25
Shane Cameron on the podcast. He said after he got beaten by David Tu, like >> got hiding by by the tour man. He
00:47:31
thought about it every day for like seven years. I I spoke about about that and I said a little bit to Shane Cameron
00:47:37
at a at a function for David Tour celebrating his um I think it was a Hall of Fame for Oakland boxing. And I
00:47:45
remember saying to um Cameron then that that was an era when that fight happened. That was the time of the
00:47:54
tsunami and and we had lost over 200 lives in Samoa. And I remember looking to to Shane at the back and saying, "You
00:48:02
might remember this moment because you lost and the way that you lost, but David Tour was carrying a whole
00:48:11
nation on his shoulders and it must have been tough for David. He really needed to win that and he would never have had
00:48:18
that moment to lift s people if it wasn't for Shane." Um, and I hope he
00:48:24
really understood the role that he played. Yes, it was a match, but it was also a match that just lifted the
00:48:29
spirits of a whole nation of people. >> I'm sure that made Shane feel not better
00:48:35
at all. [laughter] >> Well, I'm pleasing if it uplifted the spirits. >> I mean, it was a it was Yeah. Yeah. It
00:48:42
was [laughter] a huge loss, right? It was a huge loss, but >> I was trying to make him feel better
00:48:46
about it. It did mean a lot to a lot of other people. >> It's a wonderful way of framing it. Um
00:48:51
so the Commonwealth Games Yeah. two silver medals 1998 2002 1998 in Koala Lumpa. Um that was a special one because
00:48:58
it was the first time net was in the Commonwealth Games. >> Introduced into games. Yeah.
00:49:02
>> Yeah. Also the first time uh rugby sevens was in the com. >> Did you go to any of those games? That
00:49:07
was a that was a stacked team. E Jonah. >> Oh my gosh. Yes. >> Rushy.
00:49:11
>> Rushy was still playing. Um >> Dallas Seymour. Oh Julie Seymour. Yes.
00:49:16
Dallas. >> Is it Julie Seymour you were talking about before you could? >> No. No it wasn't Julie Seymour. It was
00:49:20
Julie, not Towns End either. Oh my gosh, it was a really easy last name. Forgive
00:49:27
me, Julie. Sorry. >> But um yeah, but yeah, Commonwealth Games, what was that experience like?
00:49:33
>> Amazing. I was thinking to myself, if this is what it's like to get top
00:49:39
athletes representing nations all around the world in the Olympics, um the Comalth Games must be pretty close to
00:49:45
it. just the protocols and processes of um teams entering you know all embarking
00:49:53
on and and moving into this big area in some big city. Um and the first one was in Malaysia. So net was not a sport
00:50:04
that's played. It's not an international sport in this in the form that every
00:50:08
nation plays it like football. Um, we had courts that had to be specifically drawn and built for net ball and and a
00:50:16
few other sports were like that. Um, but it was just I was admiring all the Jamaican athletes, you know, track and
00:50:23
field >> whilst trying to remember that I was actually there to play net too.
00:50:27
[laughter] but even your own teammates representing New Zealand, you know, um it's amazing
00:50:34
how we're just human and when you come into an environment where you're there
00:50:40
with like Valerie Adams was there and um you had the Sevens boys, you had the cricketers because the cricketer cricket
00:50:47
cricket was also an introductory sport that that time. Um and then you had your usual track and field. You saw not only
00:50:54
the superstars of your own country. I saw um the Samans and I was uh you know immediately connected with them because
00:51:04
I saw some net ballers. You saw your own Pacific nations. So the little community
00:51:08
just got bigger and bigger and bigger. Um and for me that was the best ever experience. Um,
00:51:17
I even, you know, everyone was fanguling and f just everybody. Uh, even in the New Zealand team, you could see all the
00:51:25
New Zealand athletes all going to get photos with each other. I remember um Dame Valerie coming up to me and and
00:51:32
saying, "Can I have a photo with you, Linda?" And I was so trying to be cool
00:51:36
about it [laughter] as we do, but I was like, "Sis, I want a photo with you. I [laughter] want a
00:51:42
photo with you." I was too scared to ask you. >> She was young. young at the time, right?
00:51:45
I suppose it was the beginning of young. It was the way that she came up to me and she I was up to her shoulder. That's
00:51:51
how much taller she is. Um but gosh, she's just beautiful. And then there was
00:51:56
um [sighs] there were um oh my gosh, I'm trying to think our track and field. Um
00:52:04
so there was Valerie, who I really admired, and then there was Beatrice from Wina, who was just a superstar. um
00:52:10
she'd already won gold medals and um and she was she was carrying our yeah she
00:52:16
was our flag bearer um for that for for those games and you just you just saw each other as um you know you didn't
00:52:24
want to approach them because they're such superstars but underneath we're all
00:52:28
just human and we just love the fact that we were fanning on each other. It was pretty special moment.
00:52:34
>> And this is sort of pre- cell phones. So I suppose it was like an old school
00:52:37
camera with a >> film. I had I had about six I brought us six um six camera special. You know
00:52:42
those >> disposable disposables. [laughter] >> Uh we did have Fujifilm as our sponsor,
00:52:49
but I love the disposables cuz if you lost it, then that's okay. You didn't
00:52:53
lose anything expensive. But I had six of them that I took with me and they'd
00:52:57
still to be honest, Dom, they're still the photos that I still that I have >> and because they were put in albums.
00:53:04
Whereas the digital ones, you never look at them ever again. You know, they just
00:53:08
go into >> the phone library. >> Yeah. The library or in the cloud and
00:53:12
you never look at them again. But my albums, >> those it's those Commonwealth Games and
00:53:18
um some of the tours that we we took with the Ferns that I've still got photos of because they were all my
00:53:23
disposable cameras. Did you did you um meet [snorts] or have anything to do with Jonah? So Jonah's like breakthrough
00:53:28
world cup was um 1995. I think by 98 he was still playing in the sevens won a gold medal but he I think he was dealing
00:53:34
with severe kidney issues by then. >> Um he did >> but he was a big he was a big star.
00:53:39
>> He was a superstar. Yep. I have a photo of we were all in the same block of the
00:53:45
sevens and um the net girls. We all kind of pass each other um to and from training. And there was one time I think
00:53:51
we might have we might have got jewel Julie to get the boys to come in and have a photo cuz we you know we're next
00:53:58
to the seventh boys. Um [laughter] but I I remember just yeah it was just an admiration of all these elite
00:54:07
athletes and you were amongst them [snorts] >> and it was something that was really
00:54:11
hard to explain to my family you know from I mean the first thing I spoke about was the food hall. [laughter]
00:54:18
>> Never mind that. Never mind the athletes, but it was the food hall. The
00:54:22
fact that you could walk into this place that was um 10 times bigger than the normal mall food hall and you could
00:54:29
choose types of food and um you know, you'd get people from other nations who
00:54:34
went straight to the you know, it wasn't about cereals and and bacon and eggs.
00:54:39
Some countries went straight to the heavy stuff, you know, the rice and and noodles. And I was like, and I was
00:54:45
trying to be all professional with my um toast and boiled egg [laughter] in the end. In the end, I think I just I
00:54:51
just did WHAT WAS RIGHT. What I what I felt like eating. [laughter] >> Yeah. Over your um over your career as
00:54:59
an athlete, did you ever struggle with like body image or public scrutiny? >> Every every day, even now. Um because I
00:55:07
was always the biggest and you know mom always made my clothes because from the age of five I think um I was already oh
00:55:16
well from the from intermediate I was already 6'1. So already, you know, I think there was
00:55:25
there was a lady at church. I remember um one of one of our leaders in the in the choir and she said to me, "You hold
00:55:33
yourself so well." And the fact that she said that from that day I just always
00:55:38
stood tall, had my head up and would walk like that. um be proud of, you know, you are representing your mom,
00:55:46
your dad, your grandparents, that you've got your height from your grandparents.
00:55:50
Um and so, you know, regardless of there was [sighs] there was a a little joke in the in the team, especially when
00:55:59
I was with Bernie um in the Silver Ferns, that we were the over 90 girls because everyone else was much
00:56:06
[laughter] >> Oh, much lighter. Um but we were the over 90 girls and it was because of that
00:56:13
that we had you know that we would be clocking it in the in the 10 m sprints in the strength and um so whenever it
00:56:21
came to strength and conditioning and testing um Bernie did okay. I was never the best at endurance but everything
00:56:28
else I would make sure that I sassed everybody in and everything else. Um, and that was my strength. That was, you
00:56:35
know, I could never understand why do I have to run this far when I'm only working in in the first 15 meters of the
00:56:41
court. [laughter] I mean, the first 10 meters of the court. Um, but my strength was in my
00:56:48
power. My and believing that I think really believing that was probably what um matching that with some of the the
00:56:56
thoughts that were coming into my head. I'm always the one that's an XL. I'm
00:56:59
always the exgirl. Um yeah, I did struggle with it, but it was it took me ages to embrace that.
00:57:07
>> Um because I always saw myself as big and um even in photos uh school photos
00:57:13
and um with net ball. But that was all taken over and covered by the fact that um you know I'm a good player. I'm a
00:57:23
good net baller. I got to keep striving for this. And there were times that I felt the, you know, at the lowest when
00:57:29
people would tell me that I was not doing well or I didn't receive any, you know, positive feedback from coaches and
00:57:37
players. Those were really quiet times for me. But you really had to, you know, I would go into my Bible quotes and
00:57:45
these that's what kept me going. >> Yeah. So this is like pre preocial
00:57:49
media, so there was none of that. But how did you deal with um like media criticism or public criticism?
00:57:55
>> I did read it. >> Yeah, I stayed away from it. >> It's great advice. It's great advice.
00:58:00
Like don't read the comments. But it is easier said than done. Eh, >> well, it depends. I mean, I I'm not very
00:58:05
good at socials now. My my whole family roll their eyes at me because I'm, you
00:58:10
know, I'm I'm going, "Oh my gosh, I just sent a photo. Somebody can How do you
00:58:14
delete it? How do you delete it?" [laughter] They all roll their eyes. You know, I've
00:58:19
only, and this is the truth, Dom, I just went and did a week of um travel around
00:58:25
Widor and then I also went up to Northland and did um from the Cape down to um Awanoi, which is just out of
00:58:32
Kitaya. And I took lots of photos, um did some videos, and I did only my second ever Instagram post since I've
00:58:42
had Instagram, and I've had Instagram for a number of years. Oh, you're going
00:58:46
to be terrible at sharing uh clips from this podcast, aren't you? >> No, because [laughter] this this because
00:58:53
this serves a purpose and um you know, if anyone if anyone can be can be encouraged
00:59:00
um or if anyone can support the work that we do, whether it be in net or um with literacy and education and
00:59:07
learning, then put it out there. >> Yeah. By the way, we I'm looking at the
00:59:11
clock. We've been going for almost an hour and we haven't even touched upon um
00:59:14
>> cuz you ask me questions and I'm just you're not stopping me. You got to go
00:59:19
and >> No, no, no. It's amazing. But but I I do have a card about that. We want to get
00:59:23
to the stuff because it's um >> yeah, a lot of a lot of high performance
00:59:26
athletes sort of struggle with that, I suppose, the void in their life or the emptiness when net finishes. But you
00:59:31
sort of fell straight into this new thing which has been a wonderful two decade career which we'll get to to in a
00:59:37
second. But >> I'm not saying the void wasn't there, Dom. It definitely was there.
00:59:41
>> It was >> It was It was But it was finding that um you know, whatever the whatever made me
00:59:47
a great athlete, you know, is is three-fold. And that was um my faith and me being physically active as an athlete
00:59:55
and also my mental state. And that all that all came together as um me being a Christian. Um that's and and even if
01:00:04
you're not, you know, even if you're not a Christian, there is a a greater being
01:00:08
that um you know, we know there's good and bad. Um and what's good is uh
01:00:15
knowing that there's a greater being in there that wants you to be the best that
01:00:18
you can be while you're on this world because we don't know what's after this
01:00:21
when life is over, when we die. Um because that's inevitable. And so we got to really um focus on the time that
01:00:28
we're on this earth to it might be hard when you're just being uprooted from your country um and you
01:00:35
have bombs living around you but you can still be positive that you might have your kids that you or your siblings or
01:00:41
family around you um and there might be a moment where you know food is hard but
01:00:48
provision of food will be somewhere. >> Yeah. >> You just got to keep thinking positive
01:00:52
about it. So 2003 New Zealand Order of Merit for services to net. >> Yeah. Um where's where's that today? Is
01:01:02
someone someone wearing that to dress up at school? >> I know that's somewhere in [laughter]
01:01:06
the cupboard. >> But you've got you've got um >> I know that's somewhere in the cupboard,
01:01:11
but um >> No, you've got a really healthy attitude to these things like um sharing them
01:01:15
around and yeah, not being not being too precious about them. I don't know. Not
01:01:18
that there's any right or wrong, but yeah. How do you get that? Do you does does does does do you get a phone call
01:01:24
someone asking you if you want it? Do you do you just read about it in the newspaper?
01:01:28
>> How do you get it? I think um Netbook New Zealand might were the catalyst of
01:01:34
um putting there's a profile that you got to build and that needs to be submitted to um I think it's the
01:01:41
governor general. Uh and I was I had finished from the ferns and from any net bull in New Zealand and moved on to help
01:01:51
um one of my role models which was Rita Fat. I don't know if you'll remember
01:01:55
her. She she represented New Zealand in in two codes of softball and net. But I just thought wow that lady looks like
01:02:03
me. [laughter] um that's a nice you know something cool to aspire towards but she was coaching
01:02:11
Samoa and had lived in Samoa and said that um you know it' be really cool to
01:02:15
come in and and help out and um she handed over the reigns to um to me after I had retired from the ferns and I went
01:02:23
and played one year for Samoa um in 2003 and then coached after that and that one
01:02:30
year was the year that the Soons won [laughter] in my head I was like good Linda,
01:02:36
you could have stayed for one more year. Like that would that one eats me quite a
01:02:40
bit. >> Um because I'd left that year. [snorts] Bernie had left. Um and
01:02:44
>> you left on your own terms. >> I did. >> Yeah. I was um mom had not been well.
01:02:50
>> Um I wasn't really enjoying netball with New Zealand um anymore. And I really
01:02:56
felt uh a draw towards um helping Samour and um that was good. It was good. I had
01:03:04
I still had all my friends um who were part of the English, Jamaican ferns and every time I came up against them at
01:03:12
that World Cup, it was it was cool, >> but I was just wearing different colors.
01:03:17
I was still playing a sport that I loved. >> So the Yeah, that was the World Cup. So
01:03:21
Silver Ferns won. >> Silver Ferns won. >> Yeah. How do you how do you feel? Cuz
01:03:25
I'm guessing a lot of the girls are your friends, so you're you're happy for
01:03:28
them. >> Yep. >> But >> but I was like, damn it. [laughter] >> I was like, girl, girl,
01:03:35
>> it must be a strange a [laughter] strange feeling like a Yeah, you're
01:03:38
happy for them, but also you got it. >> Yeah, I was. But but Samoa had reached
01:03:44
its best performance. >> Um, we were top five. Like, never had that happen. So, and um, you know,
01:03:53
Anna, myself, um Rachel Rasmmanson and some young girls who I'm still friends
01:03:58
with now. We were all part of um history in that team. And you know I remember Mango who was part of sambul netball.
01:04:06
She wrote written an an article um in the sour times uh about me about the con kon shell calling me back to my roots.
01:04:16
And when I read her article, I was just like, [laughter] you know, I'm representing my parents
01:04:22
and and and that was just that was the best thing. And my parents were more proud of that moment that I played for
01:04:29
Samour and then went into coaching than I was in with the Silver Ferns. Um because, you know, I was in a place that
01:04:36
was familiar to them, uh that represented, uh our heritage and that would always grab me right here all the
01:04:43
time. >> Yeah. And then then you went on to coach summer for like nine years.
01:04:48
>> Yeah, I loved it. >> What what were you like as a as a coach? So we established that you're one of the
01:04:53
most fearsome players of all time. >> I was scared, Dom, because I I've
01:04:58
always, you know, been in a situation where I only had to focus on myself um and getting myself to a certain level um
01:05:06
getting me mentally ready every time I was in tour or playing with the ferns. But now taking on the coaching role um
01:05:16
at that time it was pretty scary. I was like what the heck am I going to tell these girls? And it was strange. The
01:05:23
feeling was so strange and from the the moment that we had trials or I'd had
01:05:29
five silvers coaches. I'd had um and one of them was Ivonne Willering and uh
01:05:35
Ivonne was my last coach as representative and club. And I didn't realize that I had the ability to draw
01:05:41
from five, six, seven amazing coaches and take the best from Oops, sorry, Mike. And take the best from all of that
01:05:50
learning. And it just it just happened. >> Were you a tough co What were you like
01:05:56
as a coach? Were you a tough coach? >> I think if you spoke to any of the any
01:06:01
of the players, I was just another chick that was part of the team. Um, I think there was a time when I had
01:06:11
someone come up to me and said, "You need to relax. It looks like [laughter]
01:06:16
get that carrot out of your bottom." Is what they said to me. Um, [laughter] and
01:06:21
just relax. I went, "Okay." So, whatever that meant, I think I might have been
01:06:26
[laughter] I think I might have been a little too serious as a coach. And um, yeah. And that was at a Comwalth Games.
01:06:34
I think it was at the Melbourne Comwalth Games. I'd taken Samour and you know I
01:06:39
was coaching at this level because I I knew and um I'd had the coaches um but I
01:06:45
really needed to reconnect to connect better with the girls. >> Um and once I did that yeah we had a
01:06:51
really good team. I had um we did really well at that comworth games. Um I think
01:06:56
we came again maybe top top five or top six at the com games with that team and it was a good team.
01:07:03
>> Unreal. M >> so what's your involvement with net these days? >> I am um well not I I'm working with um a
01:07:12
fabulous small team uh with Anna Sen and Romana and we're working with Moana
01:07:19
Pacifica. So the you've got the Moana Pacifica rugby team. >> Incredible season.
01:07:24
>> Awesome season. And that's just been um a great catalyst for the work that we're
01:07:29
doing at grassroots level. just bringing in pathways for our girls who might not
01:07:34
see the path of representing New Zealand as one that that they would go down, but
01:07:39
that they can see that representing a Pacific nation might be uh an option for them.
01:07:44
>> Oh, like a more achievable goal. >> Yeah. Yeah. Well, more achievable or
01:07:47
they might see both and they can take the best from it from from either one. And I think um you know, I think net at
01:07:54
the moment has uh it's it's got great access. It's got um everything going for
01:08:01
for net ball at college level, but I think after 18 there's it's not so strong and um pathways are a little
01:08:09
blurred. Um so yeah, so this is an opportunity just to have girls play against their peers, see where they're
01:08:17
at. Um this Saturday we're going into a um the Moana Pacifica Secondary School
01:08:23
level team will be playing at a Pacifica Rim series. um where you'll have your
01:08:29
tongen uh sour um rep teams and you'll have a team from Australia representing
01:08:35
Pacifica. Um and that's again just we're just trying to get girls to love the
01:08:40
sport and see that there's something good that can come out of it and they can be better players as they um
01:08:46
represent their school teams, but they can also represent at Pacifica level. >> Do you get some sort of FOMO now? Like
01:08:53
when you played it was completely amateur, right? there's like no money in the game and now there's a there's a
01:08:57
there's a bit more money and a bit more sort of opportunity. Yeah. How do you
01:09:01
feel about that? Do you get a bit jelly? >> I don't know. Maybe >> not often. No,
01:09:07
>> not often. I we we were um we were on contracts when I when I had left. Not a
01:09:13
lot. I mean I'd always um you know make the similarities that what we made in a
01:09:18
year was probably what an All Black made in one test match. >> Yeah. [laughter]
01:09:23
to to make comparisons and compare apples with oranges. >> Um, and now it's a you know, we've all
01:09:30
achieved something from the path of those that have gone before us and it just keeps getting better if the right
01:09:36
people are at the helm. So, I think um I think for me it's always been how do I
01:09:41
get how do I get girls to experience this? This is this is such a great path in life to use sport um to see the world
01:09:48
and um you know to educate yourself and and and also see the joys of um winning and and failures, successes and um and I
01:10:00
think sport is a great way to to grow >> and it's a great way to it's a great way
01:10:05
to be busy. Um you know you can keep a lot of kids out of trouble if you've got
01:10:10
them in the sporting space. >> Yeah. and friendships for life as well. Like we've mentioned um the great
01:10:15
[snorts] Benise Minnie a few times on this podcast. She she was in the the same chair as what you're in just a week
01:10:20
ago recording a podcast. >> She said um yeah she'd phoned you the day before and you guys had a like a a
01:10:27
phone karaoke session or >> we did. We did. >> Well, how often do you guys speak?
01:10:32
>> Well, a lot. [laughter] >> So you just call each other up when she's driving home from work and you're
01:10:37
driving home from work and you just sing songs or >> No, no, not all the time. I mean there's
01:10:40
there's there's the odd occasion where we're we might see each other um you
01:10:45
know recently we were she was coaching St. Mary's. I was coaching Carmel College um before the Upper North Island
01:10:52
Secondary School. We she rang up and said let's have a game. I said okay that's cool. I love that idea. Two
01:10:58
Catholic girls schools. Let's get in there and have a game. Get all the cobwebs out before we all go into the
01:11:04
serious stuff with Ununice. And um net's been the connector. net ball's been um
01:11:10
you know that that that glue that's held a lot of us girls together and and then
01:11:16
there was the odd milestone and and this one wasn't a milestone as such but you
01:11:21
know the >> the news that came out with um Dave Nolene to our teammate uh with her being stood
01:11:31
down as the silver ferns coach you know again that creates conversations amongst
01:11:35
all your friends everyone's trying to find out what's happening. Um, and you
01:11:41
know, we're constantly trying to save what we keep saying to to each others.
01:11:45
We're, you know, we're trying to save the world, Bernie. Um, just keep moving
01:11:49
forward, keep doing what we're doing. That's what we can change. And I think
01:11:53
shine your light. And then she went this little light of mine. So, we're singing
01:11:57
away, giggling. So, yeah, we can do that because we can. [laughter] >> That's great. Yeah. What's your take on
01:12:03
the um the Dame Nolan thing? Ah, do you know I I I was out of reception um being
01:12:10
up up north in a beautiful home Airbnb and the news came through and another net colleague who I was traveling with
01:12:18
um had shown me the the screenshot that someone had sent her and I I actually thought it was AI. Someone was playing
01:12:24
with this. Um, and when it came to light that it was true, the first thing that came to mind was which players are the
01:12:34
ones that have, you know, put have a revolt against the coach? Um, what has the coach done? And there was so much
01:12:42
speculation. We were we were doing all sorts of scenarios um myself and Michelle and um
01:12:49
number one definitely handled terribly by Neborn New Zealand. >> 100%. That's number one. Um, and number
01:12:57
two, regardless of who is at fault, I just thought everyone's human. Um, this
01:13:02
is this is a situation that is not foreign to me. Um, you know, I was part of the team when when there was talk of
01:13:10
the same kind of thing happening to Evil Wallering. Um, and people are hurt will be hurt from
01:13:17
this. um be it the players uh be it the coaches and a whole organization a sport
01:13:24
that I absolutely love um which has made so many things for me um created so many
01:13:29
opportunities for me um is at you know it's got its head up there and somebody
01:13:36
is going to be blameful of this. So yeah, that was my instant reaction. Um, >> and we can't jump to conclusions, albeit
01:13:44
it's natural for us to all start finding who to blame for this and who's involved
01:13:48
in this. But I really do feel for Nolen. >> Um, you know, oh, >> she's done so much for sport, hasn't
01:13:54
she? >> She's she's she's proven herself time and time again. And you know some of the
01:14:00
comments that are coming out um on the media media space you don't know what to
01:14:06
believe but uh it will sort itself out >> as it as it always does >> to um to survive as a player at in high
01:14:16
performance sport do you need to be pretty tough fairly resilient >> assuming that's what the issue is here
01:14:23
maybe some of >> that's a that's like a life question though Dom I um you know I think at the level
01:14:33
primary level our kids are pretty resilient. >> I mean you've [snorts] seen that happen
01:14:37
so many times when there's been trauma or tragedy our kids are so resilient. Um
01:14:42
in professional sport I think if you are a person that is well grounded um you have a great support around you you can
01:14:52
get through this because there are so many other things in life besides net it's just a chapter of someone's life
01:14:58
professional sport >> there's only few that can keep going and going [laughter]
01:15:02
>> like our superstar um you know she's she's doing so well right now with um
01:15:09
with netball and Nolen is um a person that you know I hold in in great regard as a as a coach. Um but we
01:15:19
will see where this will lead you know and I and I also know um [snorts] what's her name? She's just come in. My
01:15:26
brain I've just had a brain fog. She's just come in to take over the team.
01:15:29
Lyanna and I my [snorts] recall was really good there. [laughter] I'm not suffering from
01:15:35
menopause too badly. Um >> got wait that's that's a that's another
01:15:40
thing. Um, yeah, they're they're amazing people themselves. So, you know, that
01:15:45
it's hard for them, too. And I hope that people aren't um you know, they're not
01:15:50
being ridiculed for taking this over. They are both Mai women who have taken on the spot um who have taken the spot
01:15:57
of another MAI figure, you know, another sister. And um this will be hard for them, but you know, they're in there to
01:16:04
ensure that our girls are looked after um and number one, that the sport's being looked after.
01:16:11
Thanks for sharing those thoughts. >> Yeah, appreciate it. >> Thank you.
01:16:16
>> Um, so you finished playing with the silver ferns and then um I suppose you
01:16:20
feeling [snorts] potentially a little bit lost about what you're going to do
01:16:23
and then you go to Benise uh Minnie and Dion Nash's wedding on Wicki Island and
01:16:29
this sort of changes the course of your life. >> Yeah. Yep. Yep. You know, I could say
01:16:35
netball and education have been a huge part of my life. Um but I say that in the sense that I I don't also want to be
01:16:42
a hypocrite in the sp space of education because I don't have a degree. Um you
01:16:46
know I think I keep telling everybody I am you know a daughter of immigrants. Um
01:16:54
I am a net baller. Um I'm an auntie. Uh I'm a daughter and um I'm not a graduate
01:17:01
though but I went to university. I went to two universities and I worked for those universities. Um started every
01:17:10
degree that you could think of. [laughter] I honestly did. I started every degree. Everything that was
01:17:15
glamorous I started with. And um you know as law set up for me they were probably I probably didn't have the best
01:17:24
um setup or preparation going into those that I never really finished one. Um, but I got some really good learnings
01:17:32
from all from [laughter] all of those papers I took. And um, >> when I went to this wedding,
01:17:38
>> what why do you why do you why do you bring that up? Are you is it like a
01:17:42
sense of shame? Are you embarrassed that you don't have a degree? >> I think because you know, everyone that
01:17:46
talks about success is measured differently, right? And um, for me it was it was the sport uh, sport had
01:17:53
measured um, my success and that had created so many opportunities for it. And then you know you also you also have
01:18:01
education and academia that also in a big way that also measures success. >> Um I mean I just celebrated a niece who
01:18:10
>> um did a conjoin degree and did really well in in a in a field of um engineering as a woman and um and
01:18:19
commerce and I and we celebrated that to the tea. May we we had the nines out and
01:18:25
and um you know she's the oldest of my my brother that passed away. she's the
01:18:30
oldest. But that's how we measure success, you know, having an education background, having um academia, letters
01:18:38
behind you, um representing the country, being on television, right? Um so I do mention that because I don't have a I
01:18:47
don't have a degree, but I do work hard. Um and that's what's taken me ahead. And
01:18:55
you know, it wasn't my forte. And I I tell that to lots of kids. I was not a
01:19:01
good person to study. Um I was always hands-on. You give me anything to cook. You give me anything to put together.
01:19:08
You give me anything to organize and I'll get that done. >> Um but when I had to put my head down in
01:19:14
that quiet time to do study, that so wasn't me. >> I found it hard. It's It was hard.
01:19:20
>> Yeah. But um I don't want kids to be you know I keep saying that to all the kids
01:19:25
that I talk to that it some some have a pathway that is along um academia and some have the pathway that's along sport
01:19:33
m music um anything we are all talented but there will be one thing that you'll
01:19:38
be good at and that would just open the doors for you >> right >> that's why I brought it up.
01:19:45
>> Yeah. Okay. I've I've got I don't have a I don't have a degree. I've never been
01:19:49
to university. I've got some friends that have got a degree and they they sort of say it's, you know, just a
01:19:53
useless piece of paper now. >> But do you have a inclination? Are you inclined to go and study at some point?
01:20:00
>> You don't think you need to? >> No, probably not. >> Because you're good at other things. You
01:20:04
have a podcast for goodness sake named after you. >> Yeah. [laughter] >> Oh, yeah. But anyone can set up their
01:20:08
own podcast. >> But I've been told that yours is one of the best ones.
01:20:13
>> One of the best. >> There you go. >> Yeah. So, so um so you're on Wiki
01:20:18
Island. You you go to your your your best mate Bernice Mini's wedding to Dion
01:20:22
Nash. >> Um and this is how you get um introduced to Duffy Books and the Homes.
01:20:26
>> Yes. >> Yeah. >> Yes. >> What's the story there? >> Well, I was always a role model. Um so
01:20:32
the Duffy Books and Homes program, uh it's its focus is on inspiring a love of
01:20:38
reading. And so the the work that they started back in 1994, I can remember going out as a silver fern with all the
01:20:44
the boys from the All Blacks, you know, into schools and just just giving out books and and showing the value of
01:20:52
books. And I Ronnie Clark, I can remember Iran and a few of the other boys all telling stories about being
01:20:58
brainy. You know, their dad would would would tell them that if you want to be brainy, you have to be able to read
01:21:03
books. And so we did that work and and then it just kind of we let go of it. Um I never
01:21:10
thought of it again until the wedding. I met [snorts] Bruce Pstead. Um >> Oh, the main freight guy.
01:21:17
>> Yeah. Who is the executive um chair of Mainfright, a very successful New
01:21:23
Zealand company um global I should say. [snorts] Uh and I again was mentioned about the Duff the the conversation
01:21:33
around Duffy was brought up again and it was never mentioned again after the wedding until um I think Bruce was
01:21:41
looking for someone to take over Duffy Books and Homes. They um had the organization going for about
01:21:50
um I think about 10 years. They were just looking for a change. At the time I was working at AUT um with Michael Jones
01:21:57
about to join his team um in a Pacifica space which has always been something that's really dear dear to me um
01:22:04
advancing anything that supports advancing our Pacifica people. Um, and I was really excited about about joining
01:22:11
that team, potentially joining his team. And um, I had also had helped mom with a
01:22:17
a training establishment that she had received funding for to get people um, skilled in textile and um, and sewing
01:22:24
and they would finish with a qualification. Bruce rung while I was at work and said,
01:22:32
"I want you to consider this role." And I freaked out because I thought there's
01:22:38
no way that I would be able to look after a team of six people. >> He's the job's manager.
01:22:44
>> Yeah. >> Yeah. Yeah. [laughter] >> I'm I'm quite happy to be sitting here
01:22:48
doing the work that I'm doing. Um but my brother Sunny, the one that passed away,
01:22:52
he was my first He was the first person I called and he said, you know, you do that anyway. You know that the with the
01:22:59
work he's trying to get you to do, that's what you do. and just because it's got this title. Um, since when has
01:23:06
that bothered you? And um, and I rang up Bruce the next day and that was only after I got two of his messages that
01:23:13
Linda, you need to call me. Don't be afraid. Which I was. I don't know how he
01:23:16
realized that I was. [laughter] >> Why were you afraid? What was >> like anything? Because it's it's a step
01:23:22
up. You know, we were always so >> out of your comfort zone. >> Yeah. You know, we're always scared to
01:23:27
step up and that's all I think that's just life in general. Some of us are
01:23:31
some of us are really good at um you know backing ourselves up but um for me you know everything's kind of naturally
01:23:40
fallen and this was the first time really that someone who I didn't know very well was offering me an
01:23:46
opportunity. But if someone's someone smart like Bruce Pstead has the belief
01:23:50
in you, doesn't that >> I didn't realize who Bruce was really. Um I knew that he was someone that had
01:23:59
quite a lot to do with Books and Homes and I had known a little bit about Main Freight then too. Um, and and to be
01:24:07
honest, um, powerful people have always been someone that I've always revered
01:24:15
>> and would never see myself in the same room. Um, and that it's taken time to
01:24:20
get used to that. Walking into a room where, [sighs] you know, not everyone has the same hair as me, [laughter]
01:24:27
same bright flowers on as myself and my hair. Um, and that's always been something that I've had that I've found
01:24:34
challenging. But over time, I've really embraced it and realized that actually I
01:24:39
I'm supposed to be here. You know, I've seen too many times, and that's just
01:24:43
from life experience. Too many times I've seen that I am the one that is um holding the flag for someone that looks
01:24:51
different. Um, so it's my time to tell my story. >> Your time to shine.
01:24:57
>> Yeah. I don't know about shine, but it's time to >> it's time to share that story and um you
01:25:02
know, be a part of the change by sharing what life is. And um this is how this is
01:25:08
this is how we've had it. You know, it hasn't been um the rosy story like
01:25:13
everyone thinks it is or the rosy time that everybody thinks it can be. >> Yeah. When I said your time to shine, I
01:25:19
sort of meant like shine as just be as bright as you can. Oh, right. Yes. Sorry. So, I I saw it as a shine.
01:25:25
>> Oh, no. You know what I mean? >> Yeah, I know exactly what you mean. Um,
01:25:28
so I just thought I'd clarify that you know your time to shine and like don't
01:25:30
don't dim yourself. Don't make yourself smaller. Absolutely. Um, cuz I believe
01:25:34
you straightened your hair for a number of years and you've only let it go curly
01:25:37
recently. >> Yeah. Co we can blame that on. [laughter] >> But no, it's it's good. you should lean
01:25:44
into lean into you know who who Linda Vagar is and be 100% authentically you >> and and it's taken time Dom to be that
01:25:53
person it does >> because you know you you you so often >> are afraid to um to to meet who you are
01:26:02
halfway >> um and that's and and that's purely because we're so afraid of rejection and
01:26:08
I've had that a lot in my life with not just netball um but with the many fail
01:26:14
failings that we've had in life. But if you can embrace it and have a have a
01:26:18
path that is drawn out for yourself where you can just think actually, you know, everybody goes through this, but
01:26:25
it's up to it's up to me how I deal with it. And that's why I say it's only it's
01:26:29
only something that I've be really been proud of because they've been I see everybody else being proud of it,
01:26:36
too. Um, you know, I get to go back to Samoa. I've spoken I speak 50/50 fluent
01:26:43
um in my language in my mother tongue. Um and I love speaking tedial um I don't
01:26:49
speak it fluently but words are similar as you know most Pacifica words um the language is similar um and yeah we're
01:26:58
just proud I think a lot of people are starting to stand up and be proud of who you are and if imagine if everyone could
01:27:03
be like that. Yeah, >> that's what I think hits me the most is that our young
01:27:08
people through they're so they're so smart right now because you know there was a time when we didn't
01:27:17
have social media influencing us but right now there's just their brains are
01:27:21
just full of everything. >> Um and to a point it to a point I sometimes think that that's that's what
01:27:28
drives them to do what they do. >> I feel like they need to find out for themselves.
01:27:32
>> Absolutely. So, general manager of Duffy Books and Homes for 22 year. When is the 22 year
01:27:38
anniversary? >> I think it was 20 years last year. >> 2003 though. Was that when you got the
01:27:44
job? >> 2004. >> 2004. Okay. >> Did you last year? >> When you started, did you imagine being
01:27:51
there 20 years later? >> No. >> It's a It's a It's a long shift.
01:27:56
>> It's a long time. >> Yeah. >> No, I didn't. Um, but I recall going into a couple of
01:28:04
leadership programs with New Zealand leadership and um and global women. And you know the the word was every time you
01:28:16
do these courses, life changes. And I was waiting for those moments to happen. [laughter]
01:28:23
I was leaning in as much as I could. Um but I I suddenly realized that actually this is so rewarding. You know this is
01:28:32
what I was made for. This is um what I represent is um you know creating the space and networking in a space where I
01:28:43
can bring people together for a cause that is uplifting our young people that they might have a path um to start them
01:28:52
off in terms of literacy. >> Yeah. Yeah. So, for anyone that's like, "What are you guys on about?" Um, Duffy
01:28:58
Books [clears throat] and Books and Homes. >> Um, yeah. [snorts] What is the core mission of it? How
01:29:03
would you explain it to someone that's unfamiliar with it? >> It's inspiring a love of reading. Um and
01:29:13
creating a message where without reading, you know, we without creating a love of reading in the small minds that
01:29:21
they will be growing up to be individuals where um they are not literate. Um you know and I talk talk
01:29:29
about this to young kids that everything around them is about being able to read.
01:29:35
uh from prescriptions on um you know your med pack to um signs on the road to traveling the world by um knowing what
01:29:46
you're reading when you're filling out the application to opening your bank
01:29:49
account. Um life requires you to read and life is also teaching us to be independent. Um, so if you cannot read
01:30:00
and you don't have the power to be able to read and books are not in your home,
01:30:04
you know, Alan, I always quote Alan Duff, um, it's a bookless society and that's tough when everything around you
01:30:12
is, um, is about reading. >> So, you're on a back foot in starting life if um, you are coming into an
01:30:22
environment of learning and you are unable to read. And I have seen too many times um individuals in the workspace
01:30:30
who um and generally most of them are Marti and Pacifica who have found a way to mask their ability to read and um you
01:30:40
know have not been able to see the world as everyone else has because of the barrier of not being able to read.
01:30:48
>> Yeah. I I can't begin to imagine how small um your world must feel or how
01:30:54
isolating it must feel if you're unable to read. >> Hey, >> the things that you mentioned before
01:30:58
like road signs and you know pill pill boxes or whatever, just dayto-day reading. Not even [snorts] books per se.
01:31:05
>> So, what do what do you guys do? You you give away books. >> We give away books.
01:31:08
>> Yeah. Like how many how many? >> I don't know. I don't know if you recall
01:31:11
Lucky Book Club >> as a as a child. [laughter] >> I do. >> Do you remember? Tell me tell me your
01:31:16
feeling. Tell me how that felt. So, you would receive a brochure, [snorts] you put your order in. Yeah. And then
01:31:22
>> Yeah. My mom and dad would usually say, "No, we can't afford it." Um, but on the
01:31:25
the months I got it when the uh delivery arrived, um, it was awesome. >> That's how brilliant foundational
01:31:32
memories. >> Yes. And that's how a Duffy kid feels three times a year at the end of every
01:31:37
term. Um, I always tell the story that I would receive these brochers um at Lucky
01:31:43
Book Club and when all the books arrived cuz I I my parents, you know, I told you
01:31:48
earlier that we had so many people live at home, everything was about um the necessities. Um so having books at home
01:31:54
and ordering books on the Lucky Book Club was not a priority. Um hence why I found the library. [laughter]
01:32:01
But it's like Christmas to these kids. So yes, our schools and our teachers and
01:32:07
every learning environment is about ensuring that our kids can read, but we come in from a space that is the icing
01:32:13
on the cake. So we're providing the tool for these kids to see the value of a
01:32:19
book and celebrate that feeling that you had. >> You know, when the books arrived, you
01:32:23
can go, "Wow, these are mine. These and so it's about choice where they get to
01:32:28
choose the brand new books that they would never have had. It's like Christmas." Um, and then it theirs. It
01:32:36
belongs to them. And I hear so many times about kids who talk about the Duffy Books Gnomes program and they
01:32:42
still have their books. And that's because of that feeling, you know, probably like my medals. [laughter]
01:32:49
You get this given to you, you're so excited about it, and then you just want
01:32:52
to share it with everybody. [laughter] >> And sometimes you want to hold on to it
01:32:55
because it's the only thing you own >> and and the kids don't have to pay for
01:32:58
them. It's it's >> No. >> Wow. It's paid for by the portal.
01:33:03
>> So, we we're very lucky that we have a publisher which is Scholastic who have
01:33:07
been amazing with us and Wheeler's books who look after our um early childhood
01:33:12
program. The books all vary from around $5 to $7 each. Now, every book that goes
01:33:19
into the program um into every kid's hand is $2.50. That's how much each
01:33:25
school has to pay. So, if you've got 100 kids, you're paying 250 per book. Um,
01:33:32
and then the other $2.50 is covered by a funding partner, a trust, a partner that
01:33:38
we've brought in with Duffy Books to partner with that school. And that's how
01:33:42
the program covers itself. Um, so we don't say no to any school. And that that's just me and my board and my team.
01:33:51
We don't like saying no to our kids. Um, so every school that joins the program
01:33:55
comes on knowing that they have to pay half the cost of every book and leave it to Duffy team to try and find a a
01:34:02
partner that will sponsor the other half of the cost. So obviously in Oakland you'll have your bigger roles um where
01:34:10
the cost for a year could be um up to the five six 7,000s right down to a school say um in W Cuttle in the small
01:34:21
town in W Cuttle with only five students. um funding partners come on board, choose an area that they want to
01:34:29
give to um and and they'll we'll connect them with the school and they become the
01:34:34
funding partner to that school. So it becomes like sponsor a child, you know, over over the years for as long as you
01:34:40
want um as as much as you want, you can fund the books that go into every school.
01:34:45
>> Yeah. Do you do you have a particular story of of say a child or a school that
01:34:49
really sticks with you and sums up why this work matters? >> Oh gosh. Yeah. Really?
01:34:55
>> Every day the stories come because we it's also about um creating the value of
01:35:00
books through theater. You know, we we have a mascot and his name's Duffy. He's
01:35:05
like your regular Kiwi kid in his jeans and his cap. Um and we bring him to life and he goes
01:35:13
into the schools and it's a new script every year. Um and for some schools this
01:35:17
might be the only opportunity that theater comes into the schools. But the one thing I've learned from, you know, I
01:35:23
was just up in Northland, like I said earlier, um, with our schools, the kids just absolutely love it because when is
01:35:31
another time that they might have the opportunity, um, to be gifted something like a book. And not every kid is going
01:35:39
to be a reader, but we surely hope that with all the ambassadors that we send out to the schools, they can share their
01:35:45
own success stories, but also relate the fact, and some of them say that they weren't readers themselves. I mean I I
01:35:51
share that you know um I only went to school for sports to play sport until I realized that if I did not know how to
01:35:58
read um there was just no way that I would have made it in life. >> Um I talk about the itinerary for
01:36:04
training and traveling with >> um I would not have been part of that team if I was not able to read. Um, and
01:36:12
it's like some it's not something that's on your hip, you know, it's something
01:36:16
that has got to be part of your soul reading. Otherwise, you would just be lost.
01:36:21
>> You'd be half a person, wouldn't you, Dom? Um, and and I think it's the
01:36:27
solution to all our problems, you know, poverty, um, not being educated and, um,
01:36:34
not having the ability to learn through reading. We take in all those words and we absorb all of that in our brain.
01:36:41
There's all the >> the data and research and studies that have done about the connection of being
01:36:45
able to read and being read to >> um and and what that all means and and how that all becomes part of someone's
01:36:53
living and um you know we are all social people and being read to um is all part
01:36:58
of that connection that you make with someone. So it's it's powerful thing and
01:37:03
if you are not able to share books that you have or to the ability to read um you're not living life the fullest.
01:37:10
>> No. >> Um so we're the icing on the cake. >> That's how I see the program.
01:37:15
>> Um there are all sorts of arguments as you've known around literacy. What's the
01:37:19
best method of um you know especially for where we stand in literacy in as a country. Um, but at the end of the day,
01:37:27
Duffy comes in there and ensures that every kid gets a book and it's a powerful thing.
01:37:32
>> Is there there one book in particular that you really love? Like if you could
01:37:35
put one book book in the hands of say every Kiwi kid today. Is there one book to rule them all? What
01:37:42
would it be? And >> in my time it was The Hungry Caterpillar. >> I remember that. [laughter]
01:37:48
>> See, >> I remember that. >> In my time it was the >> You probably still buy that. It's a
01:37:52
beautiful book. Well, it's been translated in so many different languages. So, I've I've got it in Son
01:37:59
um and in Tongen [laughter] as well, but it's it's amazing the play of words, you
01:38:04
know, it it means it means differently um when you're reading them in a different language. But I think one book
01:38:10
that is right across um all cultures with especially if you read it in English because of the rhyme and that's
01:38:17
a Wonky donkey. [snorts] >> The winky wonky donkey. >> Wonky donkey. Yeah, that went crazy
01:38:23
internationally because of the rhyme and um you know that one picture where you have a grandma reading it to a a young a
01:38:31
young grandson I think it was I I got to meet her too not long ago. Um that's
01:38:36
just magic, you know? It's it it does something for the soul. Not only for the
01:38:41
kid that you're sharing the book with, but also when you got an adult laughing, it just
01:38:46
releases all the good stuff. >> Oh, I think it's the viral clip. The um
01:38:49
the Scottish lady. >> Yeah. Yeah, I got [laughter] to meet her. She came She came to New Zealand. I
01:38:54
said to her, >> "I love what you did there cuz you just rose, you know, the level of reading and
01:38:59
the level of books to another level." >> Just having the um that interaction
01:39:05
between her and her child >> and her grandson. >> That's special.
01:39:09
>> So, what does the future hold for Duffy Books and Homes? How long are you going
01:39:12
to be there? >> I have. >> Have you thought about this? You just love it.
01:39:16
>> I do. And you know, life has just been one where um like I said, it's the
01:39:22
things that I love the most. I think I' if I find myself in in a space where
01:39:27
I've got these self-doubts, um [snorts] you know, prayer is really important to
01:39:32
me. And I also find that meditating on um what you need to do in life and hoping that things will will just fall
01:39:40
into place. Normally, they do. um you know, if I've got something that's
01:39:45
that's a huge decision that I need to make, I always find that I'm in the
01:39:49
right place, I have the right people that just fall into place and I know I'm
01:39:53
the I'm in the right place. >> I think that's how life has been. And so
01:39:57
I keep going, keep meeting all these wonderful people who are able to go out as ambassadors for Duffy Books and
01:40:03
Homes. And you when are you going out, Dom? >> For me? Oh, >> you tell me. You tell me, Linda. I'll be
01:40:08
there. >> I'll set you up in term one next year. [laughter] >> Okay. Let's lock it in. I'd love to do
01:40:13
that. So, so you're not you're not so much a goal setter. You just like keep
01:40:17
working and where it takes you is where it takes you. >> You've got I think you've got inward
01:40:21
goals in terms of um not so much outward, but I think you definitely got goals in terms of um the work that you
01:40:28
do. >> Um you know that the place that you're in has there's got to be a plan in place
01:40:33
for it to do and work really well. Um, but the time will come where yeah, I might not be at Duffy Books. And I think
01:40:42
every year I I I sort of consider are there other things around? And it's not
01:40:47
like there hasn't been a lot of jobs that have been offered, but I still think that the power is empowering our
01:40:54
kids and this is the role that I've loved. Um, and I'm I'm still here. Who
01:40:59
knows what might happen next year. >> Yeah. Oh, you've done so much great work
01:41:03
there. Well, I've been part of a amazing team, Dom. Yeah. Um, it's Yeah, it's
01:41:08
definitely not just me. I've been part of a great team that is Main Freight.
01:41:12
>> Um, my board and um a team of people that believe in in our kids. >> Of all the things you've achieved, what
01:41:20
makes you the proudest? >> The proudest [sighs] I think um getting up every day. [laughter]
01:41:31
I think um the fact that I can make time to look after my dad. Um wow. >> You know, dad's going dad's uh got
01:41:38
dementia. Um he's lived um 85 going on 86 amazing years. Um I think I I'm I
01:41:48
don't have my own family, but um as a mum, I think what I'm proudest of is
01:41:53
that I have siblings who are the best. the grandkids for dad, you know, they're
01:42:00
amazing kids. Um, everyone's at their own learning level. Uh, I think I'm
01:42:06
proud of that. And yeah, I just I just love that Net Ball's been um the the catalyst for so many opportunities.
01:42:17
And I've I I can be proud that I took >> most of those opportunities and and made
01:42:23
them pretty good. >> Yeah, pretty good. Come on. pretty [laughter] good cuz there's cuz you
01:42:30
Yeah. There's never a perfect time. I think there's just um great times to be
01:42:34
lived. >> E yeah. >> Yeah. >> When when you think about happiness,
01:42:39
what does it look like for you now? >> Happiness. Um that I've got things to do. Um you
01:42:49
know, people say, "When are you going to go on holiday and relax?" Well, my
01:42:53
holiday relaxing with Faro, I go looking for the kids. [laughter] That's my relax. Um, you know, I might
01:43:00
sit on the beach at in Samour for a little bit, but I'm looking for the kid.
01:43:03
Like I Yeah, you just want to give joy to so many people >> and if they're happy um then I'm happy.
01:43:14
>> What are your fears? What are you most afraid of? >> Every time I fail, every time someone
01:43:20
says that that wasn't good enough. Um, yeah. and and those have happened enough,
01:43:28
but I I really I talk about the fails, but the the opportunity I just see them as opportunities to not let it um
01:43:39
dictate the things that I do. >> Yeah. And it's a stepping stone to success as well. Yeah.
01:43:44
>> And Yeah. You've talked about >> I've got so many bumps, you know, it's
01:43:46
not funny, but um >> but you've had so many so many so much success as well, but you can't have that
01:43:51
much success without having >> That's right. >> an element of failure on the way. That's
01:43:55
right. And that's happened a lot. >> What about regrets? Do you have any
01:44:00
regrets? >> Oh, apart from when S first won in Jamaica. There's probably one.
01:44:04
[laughter] >> Yeah, but you were you were representing summer at the time.
01:44:08
>> I know. Um regrets. [laughter] Oh gosh, I don't know. Um [snorts] Oh, there's
01:44:14
probably a lot, >> but I I don't like to, you know, get I don't like to give them
01:44:21
time. Yeah, >> I think my priorities are are with family. My priorities are with the work
01:44:29
that I do. Um, my priorities are with the work that I do with net ball. Um, and you know, a big big part of that
01:44:39
that's at the center is is church. And um, you know, it's not a religion. It's
01:44:45
a life that you have um created as a stepping stone for everything that you do. Um, and that's probably what keeps
01:44:54
me going forward. >> And so I don't give regrets um time. [laughter] >> Otherwise, I I'll be such a different
01:45:02
person. >> Who's who's in your household? Are you in a [snorts] big bustling Yes.
01:45:07
>> household? >> Uh, so [clears throat] we sold our big family home when mom passed away um back
01:45:11
in 2008 and then moved in I think at different times. We've always had um either lived at home, lived in a family
01:45:21
home, um lived with dad, but now we've got dad downstairs. Um he's needing um 24-hour care, and we
01:45:30
call it the convent because it's only single people living in there. So, [laughter]
01:45:37
so the nuns are myself and my sister um and my auntie who we grew up with. we were born and she was already one of the
01:45:44
um staples in our lives, Auntie Moa. Um and she's now 74. So, she looks after us
01:45:50
still, but we look after her more. Um so, there's they're the two oldies.
01:45:56
And then there's my um adopted brother. Um my VA never I say adopted because
01:46:02
everyone knows that I'm the oldest of mom and dad's kids, but I have amazing,
01:46:06
you know, siblings who >> have just been part of our our our family, greater family.
01:46:12
Um, yeah, that's us. There's six of us. >> Wow. >> Yep. >> Have you ever I couldn't find a lot
01:46:17
about you on online. Have you ever been married? >> No. >> No. >> No.
01:46:22
>> No. >> Did you Did you want to or has it [snorts] just not happened?
01:46:25
>> My mom I grew up with my mom making um wedding dresses for so many people. She
01:46:31
was one of the best seamstress. And I actually that's a regret. It's just that
01:46:35
I don't like to um what's the word to uh >> dwell >> dwell that's it. I don't like to dwell
01:46:43
on it because it's it was my own loss. You know, I didn't take up her her
01:46:48
skills and never gave time to learning how to sew. Um but it was at a time when her and aunties, other aunties all moved
01:46:56
to New Zealand and they were all taught >> to work in the in the sewing factories.
01:47:01
>> And she was amazing. her workmanship was the best. Um, and so I'd see her bring
01:47:07
in all these young people and she would make from wedding dresses. She made her own wedding dress and her bridesmaid's
01:47:12
dresses. They were gorgeous. Um, and I don't know. I just I don't even think I imagine getting married. I think
01:47:20
I thought, "Oh, I'll probably get married at the age of 30." [laughter]
01:47:26
And then I turned 30, but I was too busy. So, it's never been a priority. Um
01:47:32
and I think I think with most people that have been um part of that part of my life um have seen that uh my family
01:47:40
have always been a priority and as well as everything else that I've mentioned
01:47:45
>> and you know if you were coming into this part of my life you you be right at
01:47:49
the bottom of the list. [laughter] >> Yeah. You're never going to be your top
01:47:52
priority. >> Yeah. >> Um >> I think so. But I've never married.
01:47:56
>> But never say never. >> Never say never. I don't know. It's just
01:48:01
something I've I've always been pretty happy with um being the auntie. >> Yeah.
01:48:10
>> There's so much joy out of that. >> And it doesn't seem like like there's
01:48:14
there's nothing nothing worse than being lonely. Like being lonely is is terrible. But there's a there's a
01:48:20
difference between being alone and being being lonely. A very big difference. Sounds like you're surrounded by family
01:48:26
constantly anyway. >> Yeah. And if even if I'm not surrounded, I'll um I'll have my little me time and
01:48:31
then I'm off to look after the kids. >> Yeah. >> Bring them over. Granddad wants to see
01:48:35
them. I don't mind looking after them. And I think you know in a time where um
01:48:42
there is a push for >> I don't know about you, but you know you I I hear it all the time. Um you know,
01:48:48
you just want your kids to grow up. By 18, they're out of the house. And then,
01:48:53
you know, I sometimes think that for for those who are grounded in in the in the nucleus family, which I don't know
01:49:01
what that looks like anymore these days. >> You know, we grew up always being at
01:49:05
home and um yes, we might have been pushed out the odd time. [laughter] I don't I think I think we're pushed out
01:49:12
or we pushed ourselves out because we wanted to go live life. Um, but we there was always the expectation that we would
01:49:19
always come back and there was a home that we came back to. >> Um, and I I I honestly think that
01:49:25
that's, you know, that's what causes some of the mental health issues these
01:49:29
days. you know, we we go through all these um I mean, my siblings and a lot of those uh
01:49:38
friends and family um you know, I I I would rarely hear um mental health or well-being in in our communities because
01:49:48
um family is such a big thing in our lives. You know, you do go out and you may want to live on your own, but you
01:49:54
always have a big family that is right there >> um supporting You know, there's a new
01:50:00
baby that's come into your family and you just the wife, the mom, the new mom
01:50:06
is is left to go rest and you got aunties and grandmas and great aunts who are helping take care of this child and
01:50:13
so you grow up with all this around you. >> I love that so much. Hey, I think the
01:50:18
Pacific Islanders have have got the right idea. >> Maybe. Yeah, maybe. But but not it's not
01:50:23
everyone's cup of tea, too. [laughter] >> I like the idea. It's that paradox
01:50:28
again, you know. >> I like the idea of having all that support around, but I don't like the
01:50:32
idea of like sharing a bathroom in a shower with 15 [laughter] other people. Like you can't have one or the other,
01:50:38
can you? >> Yeah. Well, you know, I we [laughter] never had problems. I never had a
01:50:42
problem with it. [snorts] Well, we were we always actually we always had the um when we lifted the house, we had an
01:50:48
extra bathroom, put it downstairs, so the girls were always, you know, and we >> you know, no one really bothered about
01:50:54
um it wasn't it wasn't like how um we grew up we grew up watching TV and
01:51:01
hearing about how much time girls spent in the bathroom. But when you were in that family with 15, 16 people, you just
01:51:08
know you're in the bathroom, have a shower, get yourself clean, come out, and sort yourself out when you're out.
01:51:12
You don't mess around. >> No, you don't. [laughter] Um, and so that was just normal.
01:51:16
>> Um, but definitely, yeah, communial, community, um, yeah, big family is
01:51:23
number one, but in some it it can also be a lot of pressure. >> Um, so it has those challenges.
01:51:30
>> Yeah. the the people that um you care about the most and the people that care
01:51:35
about you the most. I'm thinking your family first and foremost, but also um
01:51:38
the people that work for you or with you at Duffy Books and Homes. How would you
01:51:43
like them to describe you when you're not in the room? H um I'd say easygoing,
01:51:56
family oriented, understands the challenges of um work life, home life balance, a good boss.
01:52:10
>> Now they're all going, "What? [laughter] >> Get that car out of your ass. What
01:52:16
planet is she living on? [laughter] >> No, that's that's wonderful. Are you
01:52:22
proud of yourself? >> Sometimes. >> Sometimes. >> Yeah. >> More often than you're not.
01:52:30
>> Yeah. >> Yeah. Cuz you can't, you know, you got to have some things that you need to
01:52:35
improve on. >> There's always stuff to improve on. M >> um so yeah, celebrate the good times all
01:52:42
the time and um know that you just got to get straight back into it and work. >> Hey, this has been wonderful today. This
01:52:49
has been really cool. >> It's been cool chatting with you. You've had some crazy questions.
01:52:55
>> Really? Like what? >> All of them. >> I've really had to open up and think.
01:52:59
You've really challenged me. >> This is cool. Do you do you are you Yeah. Yeah. How do you feel about
01:53:04
reflecting? Like reflecting on your sporting career and your accomplishments and the highs and the lows.
01:53:09
>> I don't like talking about it. >> Why is that? >> Oh, cuz it [sighs]
01:53:15
it was a it was a great chapter of life. Um but there's other great chapters to
01:53:20
be, you know, there's other parts of my story that need to be written, you know,
01:53:24
if you want to reflect on a book. Um, so you know, like chapters in the book, it's you're going to have some
01:53:30
some really exciting parts of the story and then yes, there's a and every time
01:53:37
there's a reflection part. Um, but yeah, you can't ever see that there's an
01:53:43
ending to this. >> It it is inevitable, but um, >> so you you're constantly thinking about
01:53:48
what's next rather than what's what's behind. >> Yeah. Yeah. I like to put that away
01:53:54
because it's been take the learnings from it, good or bad. >> Um, and I and I love I I surround myself
01:54:02
with people that are way better than me >> cuz so I can just sit there and go, "Oh
01:54:06
man, I feel like I'm doing nothing." you know, that's why I think, you know, that
01:54:10
those those those >> parts of my life have been closed in the sense that they've been
01:54:16
>> um and wow, I'm just so inspired by young people who are out there globally,
01:54:23
you know, our own Pacifica representatives. Um, I'm inspired by girls in my community or in my group of
01:54:30
friends who are just putting themselves out there. And that's where I sort of look at
01:54:37
myself and go, what can I do better? Um, how can I be part of this story? Um, and
01:54:44
part of it might be FOMO, but I wouldn't be in the position that I I wouldn't have
01:54:51
Yeah. Yeah, I wouldn't be in the position that I'm in or have um achieved
01:54:56
what I have without taking that that reflection piece and and really looking hard at um what I can
01:55:05
do better. >> The challenge is always there and it's always hard a hard one to take. Um,
01:55:13
but every time I I find myself just being lazy, something happens and I just got to that
01:55:20
just wakes me up and goes, "Okay, >> take the step out. It's going to be
01:55:23
hard, but you got to do it." >> This has been great. I'll tell you what
01:55:29
hasn't been great. Just behind the scenes, we've had the air con on cuz you
01:55:32
run at a you run at a hot temperature. >> I've been Are you cold, my friend? I
01:55:37
should have given you my cardigan. I'll tell you what, I eyed it up a couple of
01:55:41
times. I was like, I could do with that. >> You need hair like this, [laughter] Dom.
01:55:45
You need hair like this and it would just keep your back warm and your neck warm. It's good insulation. [laughter]
01:55:51
>> Yeah. But this has been a lot of fun. Um, this is I've enjoyed it. You've been
01:55:55
cool. You've been good. Like we've been talking like we've known each other for
01:55:58
ages. >> Yeah. Oh, no. It's been really neat. It's been really, really cool. And um, I
01:56:02
can't thank you enough, Linda, for coming on the podcast. >> Oh, thank you. And I hope you enjoy the
01:56:07
cupcakes that I bought you because, you know, can't go anywhere without taking
01:56:11
food with me. It's part of >> we love our food. >> I tell that's one thing I've been
01:56:17
thinking about when I look at the clock cuz we've been going for almost two hours. I'm thinking
01:56:20
>> two hours. Shut up. >> The girls in the office, they better not have eaten all of them. There better
01:56:24
[laughter] be at least one for me. >> Right, let's get out there. Linda Vaga,
01:56:27
thank you so much. >> Thank you, Dom. All the best for all your continued work that you're doing,
01:56:32
too. you're sharing these stories and you know allowing people to even learn
01:56:36
from them and um thanks for the opportunity. Thank you're doing amazing work. Keep it up. Thanks, Dom.
01:56:45
[laughter]