Tony Kemp: Full Life Story - Childhood Trauma, 25 Kiwis Tests & The Truth About The Warriors Years

Tony Kemp (“Kempy”) had a massive career in rugby league playing for the Kwis and the Newcastle Knights in the NRL. He was assistant coach of the Warriors when they made the NRL grand final in 2002. And by the age of 34 he was the head coach of the Warriors, with Ivan Clary as his assistant, before a very public sacking. He’s also done a tonne of media work where he has a reputation for his strong opinions. We discuss all those parts of Kempy in this podcast. But this conversation is more about the man underneath all of that. Tony talks about his childhood: the family tragedy that saw three of his siblings drown, being raised by his grandmother and initially believing she was his mum. Then growing up around chaos and domestic violence and the PTSD and depression that this unresolved trauma caused much later in life. There are some heavy moments in this one. But there’s also humour, warmth and a lot of wisdom. I came away from this conversation seeing Tony completely differently. I think you will too.

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0:00 Intro 3:03 Philosophy on media and being "hunted like a wolf" 18:38 Breaking down in 2013 and dealing with depression 22:25 Discovering a different path and early goal-setting 35:30 Professional life beyond rugby league 40:53 Transforming negative emotions into lessons 44:22 The power of belief and the Schoolboy Kiwis dream 49:56 The practice of journaling and visualization 52:11 The 15-year-old’s goal: A two-story home 1:06:31 Standing by principles and burning bridges 1:11:45 Reflections on wearing the black jersey 1:24:29 The public sacking and the Warriors experience 1:27:31 Reconnecting with Daniel Anderson 1:43:03 Dealing with public failure and imposter syndrome 1:44:45 Finding humility and new beginnings at Glenfield 1:48:29 The importance of communication and family dynamics 1:58:38 The story behind the Warriors team song 2:00:29 Transitioning into media: The breakfast show journey 2:04:12 Giving back to the community and mentoring youth 2:07:12 Reinforcing the power of a vision board 2:12:22 The struggle for survival and growing up in Wairau 2:14:16 Lessons on ego and staying grounded 2:22:46 Breaking the cycle of trauma