Team
Tom Smitheringale
Polar explorer
Born in Perth, Western Australia, to English parents, Tom finished his secondary education in England. He spent five years in the British Army, including time in the Queen's company of the Grenadier Guards (guarding Princess Di among others) before returning home to Fremantle. Tom is passionate about the great outdoors, travelling annually to New Zealand to climb in the South Island and regularly runs guided trips in WA’s Stirling Ranges. He is an accomplished adventure racer competing in many extreme multi-day events when he's not pulling a sled, Tom divides his time between working as a personal trainer and preparing for his next expedition applying the lessons he has learned in almost two decades of pushing his limits.
Andrew Budge
Sports Coach
Andrew Budge, of Trysport WA has been providing Tom with expert guidance and trusted advice over the years for all his ultra-endurance needs. Andrew is an accredited Triathlon and Strength and Conditioning Coach whose customised training programs can be designed to suit your ambition for both the novice athlete and seasoned pro. Specialising in sport specific strength and strength-endurance programs you gain access to over 20 years of coaching expertise that has inspired over 650 Ironman finishers, world champions and paralympians. His most cherished moment in coaching is sharing the experience of his wife’s Terri’s first Hawaii Ironman finish in 1999 and watching any of the athletes he coaches achieve their goals.
Børge Ousland
Polar Explorer/Mentor
Tom has recently returned from completing his polar apprenticeship at the North Pole participating in 2 commercial trips with one of its most enduring icons, Norwegian Børge Ousland. A national hero and a man who has set the blueprint to which modern polar explorers aspire. No one has completed more solo expeditions to the Arctic and Antarctic than Ousland. The vast majority without resupply (unsupported) helping to ensure his name is forever etched into polar exploration folklore and earning him a cult following around the globe. Børge has become a role model and mentor of the highest calibre and will play a key part in the planning and preparation of this expedition sharing his valuable knowledge and expertise.
Damian Oldmeadow
Physiotherapist
Damian has worked as a physiotherapist with elite sport for over 15years including at the Sydney and Athens Olympics as part of the Australian team. In recent years he has worked with Olympic and World Champion athletes in triathlon, cycling and endurance sports and is also head physiotherapist for the Australian Volleyball team. He has a special interest in injury prevention and management and performance enhancement in athletes and has competed in cycling, triathlon, adventure racing and beach volleyball at high level. He is principal physiotherapist at Physiotherapy Solutions in West Perth and Mosman Park.
Graeme Wright
Clinical Exercise Physiologist
Graeme Wright has been a pioneer in the areas of weight, performance and health management within Australia and he continues to strive to find engaging and practical ways for individuals to reach their optimum level of wellbeing and achievement. His approach is evidence based. Graeme has an extensive academic, clinical, sport and coaching background and has been in the front line of behavioural and performance management for many years. He knows what needs to be done to implement sustainable change and more importantly, he knows what does not work. Graeme has a Masters Degree in Physical Education from the University of Western Australia in Exercise Physiology. He is currently working towards a PhD that will look at the relationship between metabolism, hormonal balance and weight loss. He has many years of clinical experience and has coached and played sport at the highest level.
Georgina Walsh
Media Manager
Georgina Walsh is a freelance journalist with a passion for the outdoors. Following completion of a bachelor degree in journalism and film and television at Curtin University, Georgina worked as a journalist with Community Newspaper Group for a number of years. Since turning freelance in 2004 Georgina has been writing features for a range of publications covering sport, travel, lifestyle and human interest, most regularly writing for the various magazines produced by Scoop Publishing. She is also busily pursuing her long-time passion for photography. Georgina has rowed surf boats for a decade and is constantly chasing other sporting and adventure challenges, including adventure racing, mountain biking, rock climbing, canyoning, hiking and snowboarding. For any media related enquiries please contact Georgina on email georgina@onemanepic.com or mobile 0439 952 622.
Jim Pizzey
Webmaster
Jim was born in the UK in 1976, and moved to California when he was three. After returning from the states in 1983, his parents moved to Newton Abbot in Devon where he attended primary school and then Trinity School in Teignmouth. Upon completion of his GCSE’s, Jim then went on to study Microcomputer electronics and graphic design at South Devon college of arts and technology in Torquay. Jim moved to Australia in 1995 and went on to work in various fields including Oil and Gas, mining and corporate I.T. In October 2008, Jim and his partner Sally welcomed baby Zach into the world, and soon after Sally was offered a management position in Exmouth, Western Australia. They now live and work there, with Jim being a stay at home Dad and doing I.T. And volunteer work in his spare time. Tom and Jim met each other through their mutual love of motorbikes and quickly struck up a friendship which led to Jim being asked to be part of the expedition team. To contact Jim please email jim@onemanepic.com
Simone Allen
Dietician
Simone is an Accredited Practicing Dietitian with a Bachelor of Science (Nutrition and Food Science) and Graduate Diploma in Dietetics and further education in Sports Nutrition. Simone is a National Board member of Sports Dietitians Australia and a Technical member of Gymnastics Australia. Simone runs “nutrition works”, a private practice specialising in Sports Nutrition in Perth and works with several sporting groups including Men’s Gymnastics WA and Triathlon WA. Simone is passionate about providing practical nutrition advice that assists athletes in achieving their personal goals.
Colleen Williams
Sponsorship
Colleen is an accredited mother of three(waiting for paperwork to be processed she tells me)
Colleen is a seasoned charity sponsorship campaigner. , She has always been involved in rasing money for worthy causes, from her early days in the Miss Tasmania Quest raising funds and awareness for cerebral palsey, and recently working with the Making A Difference charity, which supports our local spinal care and rehabilitation unit at Shenton Park in Perth and REDS Spinal Research, and ongoing support for smaller projects in the same field. Originally from Tasmania, she left at the age of 19 to explore the world. And now resides in Perth with her family. Colleen and Tom have a shared passion for motorcycles and has come aboard the team to help manage our sponsorship proposals.
Andy Jones
Technical Advisor
Graduating from Edith Cowan University with a Bachelor of Science degree in Internet Computing, Andy’s website design and development skills are based around usability, accessibility and compliance.
As the One Man Epic Technical Advisor, Andy’s knowledge and experience are assets to Tom and The Loft Group, providing online solutions that satisfy and exceed project deliverables. With a background in Multimedia Development, and expertise in Open Source Programming and Search Engine Optimisation, Andy provides the knowhow needed to make digital marketing campaigns successful.