What do you get when a legless lad & a blind bloke walk in to a bar? A couple of mates on a mission to challenge what it means to be "tough".
Talkin Tough is a podcast brought to you by Ski For Life (https://www.skiforlife.com.au/), an Australian charity committed to promoting mental health, wellbeing & suicide prevention. Hosted by double amputee Mike Rolls & blind Ben Pettingill, these two professional speakers and best mates know a thing or two about what being "tough" really means and it’s probably not what first comes to your mind. These conversations aim to redefine how we view the word tough through story, connection & a good ol’ dose of banter so that anyone doing it tough feels more comfortable reaching out for help.
Season 2 of Talkin Tough is done and dusted and to mark the occasion, Legless & Blind kick their legs off and take a good look in the rear view at some of the incredible stories and great messages that were shared throughout. This season had some amazing people from all walks of life spinning yarns from serving in the S.A.S, life on the land and being hit by a truck, through to pulling blokes out of bog holes, fighting fires and the pressure of professional sport, just to name a few.
The people behind these stories also shared a heap of ripper messages that we can all learn from around mental health and wellbeing that the boys reflect on and unpack in this episode .
Season 2 of Talkin Tough has been proudly bought to you by Ski for Life so a huge thanks goes out to them for their ongoing dedication to supporting and strengthening mental health, wellbeing and suicide prevention in rural and regional communities right across Australia..
If this Talkin Tough episode has struck a chord with you and you could do with some extra support, please reach out to a trusted mate or professional or call Lifeline on 13 11 14. You can also try the Suicide Callback Service on 1300 659 467 or TIACS on 0488 846 988.
To learn more about Talkin Tough and access transcripts visit - https://www.talkintough.com/ (https://www.talkintough.com/)
Follow the Talkin Tough Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/talkintoughpodcast/
Follow Legless & Blind on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/legless_and_blind/
Follow Ski For Life Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/skiforlife.aus/
Check out the Ski For Life website - https://www.skiforlife.com.au/
The Talkin Tough team wishes to acknowledge the Traditional Custodians of the lands in which this podcast is developed, recorded & listened to. They recognise & honour the rich cultural heritage, deep connection to Country and that First Nations Peoples were first in language, first in story telling & first in sharing knowledge.
12 Aug 2025
Nowhere To Hide with Tom Boyd
Western Bulldogs 2016 AFL Premiership player and mental health advocate Tom Boyd joins the boys for a super insightful chat different to most of our others so far. Tom provides us with great insight into his journey as a professional athlete, the impact the pressure had and the fantastic work he does now to support mental health.
During an AFL Football career littered with individual and team success, fame and a $7 million fortune, Tom went through the most difficult time of his life. Suffering severe insomnia, depression and anxiety.
After years of struggling, Tom walks us through how he used different tools and strategies that helped him cope and ultimately turn his life around.
Nowadays Tom is a passionate mental health advocate, father, author, ambassador doing incredible work to smash the stigma that is still out there around mental health.
If this Talkin Tough episode has struck a chord with you and you could do with some extra support, please reach out to a trusted mate or professional or call Lifeline on 13 11 14. You can also try the Suicide Callback Service on 1300 659 467 or TIACS on 0488 846 988.
To check out more about Tom Boyd or to book him to speak at your next event - https://www.tomboyd.com.au/
Grab a copy of Tom’s book, No Where To Hide here – https://www.tomboyd.com.au/noweheretohide
Follow Tom on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/tomboyd17/#
To learn more about Talkin Tough and access transcripts visit - https://www.talkintough.com/ (https://www.talkintough.com/)
Follow the Talkin Tough Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/talkintoughpodcast/
Follow Legless & Blind on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/legless_and_blind/
Follow Ski For Life Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/skiforlife.aus/
Check out the Ski For Life website - https://www.skiforlife.com.au/
The Talkin Tough team wishes to acknowledge the Traditional Custodians of the lands in which this podcast is developed, recorded & listened to. They recognise & honour the rich cultural heritage, deep connection to Country and that First Nations Peoples were first in language, first in story telling & first in sharing knowledge.
29 Jul 2025
Fighting Fires & Head Noise with Mike Longshore
Fireman & father Mike Longshore, who also happens to be Mike’s brother in law, joins the boys to share his journey from Texas in the USA to how he ended up here in Australia and everything in between.
We make sure to hit Mike with the hard questions around his career including how many cats has he saved and is there actually a fireman pole in the station! As well as answering these tough questions, Mike also shares openly how his experiences as a fireman has impacted not only his own mental health, but has impacted his family, diving into what he has learned and what he now does to manage it all.
Plenty in this one for us all to learn something from and as always if you enjoy it, make sure you drop us a rating, leave a review and be sure to share it with your mates!
If this Talkin Tough episode has struck a chord with you and you could do with some extra support, please reach out to a trusted mate or professional or call Lifeline on 13 11 14. You can also try the Suicide Callback Service on 1300 659 467 or TIACS on 0488 846 988.
To learn more about Talkin Tough and access transcripts visit - https://www.talkintough.com/ (https://www.talkintough.com/)
Follow the Talkin Tough Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/talkintoughpodcast/
Follow Legless & Blind on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/legless_and_blind/
Follow Ski For Life Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/skiforlife.aus/
Check out the Ski For Life website - https://www.skiforlife.com.au/
The Talkin Tough team wishes to acknowledge the Traditional Custodians of the lands in which this podcast is developed, recorded & listened to. They recognise & honour the rich cultural heritage, deep connection to Country and that First Nations Peoples were first in language, first in story telling & first in sharing knowledge.
Who has been a guest on Talkin Tough
Names identified in recent episode analyses. Showing up to five guests.
Dan Ward
Jane Kellock
Dave Farrell
Reach and audience
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Apple Podcasts (US)
5.0 / 5
2 ratings
Podcast Authority Score: 30 / 100
A composite of feed quality, social presence, YouTube performance and engagement. Read the methodology.
Quality
28
Social presence
94
YouTube
0
Engagement
32
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