I played basketball throughout high school in Sydney, Australia — I loved the game for the friendships, the feeling of pulling off a difficult shot or fast break, the shared jubilation of a win, and supporting each other through the inevitable losses. In my final year I also coached the Year 10 girls team. A couple of community club seasons followed before university and music took over.

My family moved to Älmhult in 2021 when my wife began working for IKEA of Sweden. Our son Noah joined the Beasts P14 team the following year, and I got involved driving the minibus to tournaments, manning the score table, and streaming home games. When Mia invited me to join the board at the end of the 2022/23 season I accepted eagerly, and it’s been thoroughly rewarding — both for the friendships I’ve made and for watching the players develop not just in basketball and teamwork, but in character, emotional maturity, and resilience.