Number 3: Buddy's #1000 and Ash Barty's mojo

There's so much to talk about this time around we may need a number 3.5! A week back on the conference train, a sporting moment we may never see again, and a chance to visit the final frontier (think icebergs and penguins!). Let's dive in...

<<< How cute are penguins? Read to the end to find out!

After two years of COVID lockdowns, I'm back on the conference circuit, hosting events nationwide. Gee, it was fun to be face-to-face chatting again with a range of fascinating people. It's the reason I love these gigs so much! ​ So rather than quickly ramble off all these inspirational thinkers and doers in one issue, I thought I'd take my time over a few editions of number to allow you to dive a bit deeper into what they have to say.

INSPIRATIONAL THINKKERS & DOERS - Ben Crowe, mojo mentor to our favourite sporting heroes and more

Ben Crowe is one of Australia’s most respected life coaches and mentors. Easy enough to say, but with a roster of clients including Ash Barty, Dylan Alcott, Richmond Football Club, and the Australian Cricket Teams, it’s a fair claim to make.

At the annual Steadfast Convention in Adelaide, Ben spoke from the heart to a psyched crowd of 2000 people about the importance of embracing your weird, owning your story and finding your mojo. He suggests starting with 3 simple - but not so easy - questions:

Who am I? What do I want? How do I get there?

Ben takes you on an incredible journey from there which includes shifting your mindset from I to we; changing your 'to do' list to a 'to be' list; and moving your focus from the things you can't control to the things you can. Thought-provoking stuff!

One more thing - never play poker with Ben Crowe! We spoke at length about the amazing Ash Barty, who announced her retirement just a couple of days later. Despite surely knowing this nation-stopping information, Ben gave absolutely nothing away!

I certainly will be taking Ben's insights on board. To dive deeper, check out MojoCrowe.com

Enjoy these fascinating numerical facts about 3!

First odd prime ​ We all know 3 is the first odd prime number. After that, all primes must be odd because all even numbers are clearly divisible by 2.

Divide and conquer ​ If the sum of the digits of a number is divisible by 3, so is the number itself e.g. 927 = 3 x 309 and 9+2+7=18. Huh? Check these examples**

The 'tri' in trivia​ ​ In Latin the word trivia referred to the three elementary subjects of grammar, logic and rhetoric, hence the 'tri' in trivia today.

**For 31,668 we get 3 + 1 + 6 + 6 + 8 = 24 = 8 x 3, so 31,668 is divisible by 3 (in fact 31,668 = 3 x 10,556). But for 2,981 we get 2 + 9 + 8 + 1 = 20, which is not a multiple of 3. So 2,981 is not divisible by 3.

#Buddy1000

Being at the Swans v Geelong game last Friday night is something I will never forget, witnessing Lance "Buddy" Franklin kick his 1000th goal. I fully accept that my love for the Sydney Swans runs a bit deeper than most and it was really hard not to lead this newsletter with such historic news... ​ But the scenes of unbridled joy as almost 36,000 fans ran onto the field will probably not be seen again for a long time. A seething 'mosh pit' crowd, a woman scattering her nan’s ashes on the field, and at the centre of it all a proud indigenous man who achieved something that will probably never happen again in Australian football. ​ I was deeply moved. And this surely stood out for Buddy, even in his career of so many incredible highlights. Well played Swans - now for the Grand Final? 😉 ​ Tell me about the greatest explosion of passion you've ever seen at a sporting, social or cultural event here to go in the running for a signed book of mine.

How cute are penguins?

Don't take my word for it - come see for yourself! ​ In December I will be leading a cruise to Antarctica with Chimu Adventures who have been doing this sort of stuff for 20 years. If you’ve always had Antarctica on your bucket list, why not give it some thought while the bucket is still well out in the back shed? ​ Unparalleled sights, expert insights and a healthy dose of citizen science. Maybe I’ll see you on the coldest, windiest, driest and perhaps most beautiful of all the continents. Learn more about this adventure of a lifetime here. ​ Yours in numbers, Adam