From Backyard Dreams to Olympic Arenas: Russell Garnett’s Journey of Grit, Growth and Goal-Setting

In this episode of UThink, Rose sits down with Russell Garnett in part two of her chat — urban planner, mentor, and former Olympic handballer — for an unfiltered, inspiring conversation about chasing big dreams and learning from failure.

Russell takes us back to his earliest Olympic memories, from a school library TV screen to standing on the world stage at the Sydney 2000 Games. He shares the raw highs and lows of his athletic career: from unexpected team selections and training setbacks, to powerful lessons in resilience, mental strength, and the importance of being specific with your goals.

Discover how a kid from northwest Sydney, passionate about sport but unfamiliar with European handball, climbed through state and national ranks, played professionally in Germany, and faced the world’s best on home soil. This episode is packed with life lessons for athletes, leaders, and anyone chasing a goal worth fighting for.

To learn more about today's topic click on the following links:  

• Russell Garnett – Russell Garnett | Australian Olympic Committee 
• Founder - About - Urban Revolutions 
• European Handball - European Handball Federation - Home of Handball | EHF 
• Impactify - https://impactify.au   

This episode was produced by Simon Gilchrist  https://www.linkedin.com/in/simongilchrist/?originalSubdomain=au and sponsored by Vuvale - https://vuvale.com.au/  Social Media produced by Blake Stafford.  

Music in this episode is licensed by Impactify Pty Ltd 2025 and composed and produced by Edward Andrew Schravemade [Schrav]. All rights reserved.