The richness of travel, art and culture with Olympian Peter Van Miltenburg.
Travelling the world for athletics, art and fun to foster a global perspective, deep compassion, connection and empathy with culture and people.
About Pete
My very special guest on TWM Podcast today is one of my Coaches mentor and life long friend, Peter Van Miltenburg. Peter is a former Australian sprinter who specialised in the 200 metres. In 1984 he was the Australian 200 metre champion. He also went to the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics where he competed in the 100/200 metres.
Peter is a life member of the Anglesea SLSC where he still competes and coaches one of Australia's most successful beach sprinting teams. More recently he has been coaching at Xavier College, Kew, Victoria as the Head Coach of Athletics and Cross Country.
Peter has an intense passion for art and recently completed a Masters in Art Therapy and wrote his thesis “An art enquiry into the experience of loneliness and aloneness.”
“When I came home, I had a reality check. How lucky we are here and also in terms of letting go, I realised it is a big world it is a global world and people live their lives according to how their lives, it’s not right or wrong. Some people are multi billionaires and some people have nothing.”
When coming home...
- The differences Pete faced - Comforts of home were very alluring and he was very appreciative. He felt grounded and conscious of the choices he was making back home. Is not as connected to material things.
- What had changed for Pete - Felt far more conscious of his life and and developed deep compassion other peoples lives.
- Biggest stress - Now struggles with seeing people who struggle with the basics of life.
- 3 Lessons learned from travel and reverse culture shock
- Humanity and how precious it is - we are so connected, no matter where we come from.
- Resilience - I can 'fall over' and I have the ability to 'get up.'
- Humour - The one thing that connects people - there are some things that make everyone laugh and laughter is a global language.
- Advise to himself for returning home - Whatever the experience is, good or bad, wherever you find happiness and love, wherever you provide happiness and love and share happiness and love that, wherever it is, home, or somewhere in some little country then seek that out and find what it is in life that you truely want and if that is where you are, then you are a very lucky person, if not go and find it.
“We really are connected in so many different ways.”
“Whatever the experience is, good or bad, wherever you find happiness and love, wherever you provide happiness and love and share happiness and love that, wherever it is, home, or somewhere in some little country then seek that out and find what it is in life that you truely want and if that is where you are, then you are a very lucky person, if not go and find it.”