Alicia “Quirky” Lucas - Olympic gold medalist, commentator, physio and proud country girl - sits with me to unpack two wildly different births. We start in Tokyo during peak COVID, where language barriers, strict protocols and a scheduled breech caesarean meant Matt could only meet baby Matilda via FaceTime (and a stolen extra few hours thanks to one very polite midwife). Alicia lets us into the admin maze that followed - citizenship by descent, emergency passports, hotel quarantine with a newborn - and the ache of being far from home.

Fast-forward to Agnes Water and Bundaberg: no private options, long drives, and a crash-course in rural maternity realities. Alicia plans for a VBAC, walks in at 40+1 already 5 cm, detours home to tuck Tilly into bed (iconic), then rockets back for a 45-minute, hands-on, coached delivery of Daisy. We talk TENS machines, monitoring and cannula “non-negotiable,” the moment her waters went everywhere (RIP Uggs), the surge of “I did it,” and naming Daisy Lee after her mum - who, in perfect family-chaos form, turned up with a freshly broken ankle and a full heart.

Beyond the play-by-play, Alicia shares what elite sport taught her about labour mindset, how to hold both grief and gratitude, and practical ways to keep agency when the system is rigid - especially in the bush. If you’re navigating VBAC decisions, rural care, or just need a brave, generous story to remind you you’re not alone

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