There are four parts to this episode and each gives an insight into the man we see on our screens and hear through our radios. Rob Carlton is an Logie Award winning actor, a writer, a story teller but in our interview, her is simply a man and a father who talks about the importance of sensitivity in men and decency and respect in sport.

​We have such a long way to go in this respect in life, men still feel they will not get work if they share how they are feeling yet the pressure of not sharing how they are feeling can sometimes have irreversible results. 

Today I spoke to Chris and Aileen Savill, the co-founders of United Tradies a fledgling local business formed from the desire to create a business that not only made people’s lives easier but also could help change lives for the better. It is a win-win really - you get work done by tradies who believe in community and someone in the local community gets an opportunity to get a project done each month sponsored by United Tradies and the awesome team on their books!

Sex offences brings a reaction, but add the word child in that context and you have violent reactions and responses from most people. My guests today are Sharon van Doorene and Naomi Millar-Powell who work with the families, partners and ex-partners of child sex offenders and offer us some insight into the ripple effect of having a convicted child sex offender in your life. 

 4 people share their relationships with God reflecting 4 religions. Is there one path to God or are we all held in a body of Love, the body of the Universe, the body of God and this is the source we are all feeling and responding to?

It has taken me many years to say the word God without feeling an awkwardness around it, without feeling like there was an apology for mentioning the word. So it was a breath of fresh air to talk to these people and contemplate a relationship what a relationship with God might look, feel and sound like and hear how people came to that relationship in their lives.

One thing is for certain, we need to Be the change we want to see in the world, everything matters to someone somewhere and that someone starts with us.

So thank you Andrew Starr, Wayne Zwar, Nasrin Azizi and Liane Mandalis, 

Oh so late in the day but wow what a few weeks. Thank you to everyone who came along to our events, who engaged via social media and who contributed to our fundraising. There are so many photos and stories to share please subscribe to the International Women's Day Festival website and to our blog which will follow!

My show today could look like a mismatch of topics. Here we are at the start of our Hornsby Ku-ring-gai International Women's Day Festival week and surely I should have done a show with ALL women and talking about the challenges we face as women in the world today? Well, yes, I could have because I do believe women face challenges that men don't, I live some of those every day, and I feel there is a case for extra support till we achieve parity. Equity is fairness - everyone having an equal opportunity to choose as they will. But choose is a key work in here because ultimately we still have to choose to embrace the opportunities or to carry on considering we have it worse due to gender, race, creed or any other label we choose to give ourselves.

My first guest this morning was a magnificent man - my reference to his involvement with the HKWS - Cr Nathan Tilbury is someone who recognised there is an imbalance in how society treats the genders and works to support local organisations and represent us all in his role in council.

My second guest was Cr Janelle McIntosh - a dedicated member of the community

Lastly I had an interview with Steve Plain - hot on the back of working with the Rotary clubs of Turramurra and Cooma and their project to take kids in wheelchairs up Mt Kosciuszko.

Wal Edwards in 102 years old this year, he lives with his wife and still drives to visit members of the community who need his support and his advocacy services. He is also a member of St Ives Rotary Club and has some very simple steps for contributions in life. Listen in to this wonderfully inspiring man as he shares the importance of community, selflessness and love in keeping him young.

Our other guest today is Dr Ross Grant Dr Grant is a Biochemical Pharmacologist in the School of Medical Sciences UNSW, Clinical Associate Professor at the Sydney Adventist Hospital Clinical School, University of Sydney and Head of the Australasian Research Institute. Dr Grant’s research focusses on characterizing, at the molecular level, how lifestyle and environment (eg emotional stress, diet and exercise) produce changes in the body’s biochemistry that lead toward either health or disease. Very much in keeping with what we talk about on this show all the time!

How much are we part of the health and wellness pathway or the pathway to pathway that leads towards disease

"Roughly 9 out of 10 will die from a lifestyle related disease" - gulp

Elkan Spiller has brought us a gem of a film in 'L'Chaim to Life!'. It is a touching, witty and haunting documentary about his cousin Chaim Lubelski, a true 'Mench', and how war affects us from one generation to another "It is like a big cloud that hangs over us" and is logical for those who experienced the trauma first hand but the consequences are clearly thrown to the next generation as their expression of love and ability to speak honestly about the abuse that was experienced is measured by what keeps them safe from their continuing perceived danger.
The film asks us to question the deeper intergenerational effect of war and shows how one man found that his purpose at that time in his life was to offer a reflection of love to his mother and others who had experienced such hate and pain. There is much we can learn from Chaim and it is easy to understand why Elkan felt it was part of his life’s purpose to bring this story to a wider audience.

What makes someone want to push themselves beyond normal endurance, particularly when you have broken your neck? That is one of the questions that really stayed with me whilst interviewing Steve Plain who is in the middle of Project 7 in 4 - a plan to climb the 7 summits on 7 continents in 4 months - a world record. We talk to Chris Peck, the General Manager, Lifesaving and Training Surf Lifesaving Western Australia about the critical support Steve received in the water that most likely influenced his outcomes.