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From Chubby Kid to Plantpowered, Marathon Running Host of Australian Idol

By March 17, 2014September 12th, 202310 Comments

I’m told that Osher Gunsberg is quite the thing Down Under. Under former stage name Andrew G he lit up Australian airwaves as host of the popular Channel V— the Oz version of MTV’s TRL— and went on to host Australian Idol,  Live to Dance  here in US with Paula Abdul, and more recently was the guy giving out roses back in his homeland on The Bachelor.

That stuff is cool I suppose. Good on ya mate. But that’s not how I know Osher. In fact, I’ve never seen him once on television and didn’t even know about any of that stuff until we had hung out several times. Moreover, it really has nothing to do with why I wanted to sit down and bend his ear.

I know Osher just as a good friend. We met about a year ago and he has become one of my closer friends over this period of time.  I guy I can call up, and with whom I can talk life things through — because he has endured and overcome similar challenges and always has a wise word or two that helps me navigate whatever I happen to be going through. A guy who knows how to really appreciate a good long trail run. And a guy I can share stories with on a cycling excursion in my local Santa Monica Mountains.

Of course you like this guy – he’s the spitting image of you! What is this, some kind of weird self-love thing?

Yeah, yeah. If you see the photo that accompanies this episode it is kind of weird. Like my twin brother or something – the resemblance in that image is admittedly a bit comical. Same glasses, stubble, t-shirt, hair, etc. Yeah that’s funny. I like to joke that he is my doppelgänger. In truth we actually don’t look all that much alike in person – it’s just how that particular photo came out. Trust me, Osher is much more handsome and charming than me, as you will soon see.

But I guess there is some truth to the dopplegänger idea below the surface. Like me, Osher is a plant-based guy. Distance runner. Recent cycling convert (I’m cajoling him into signing up for his first triathlon). Not to mention a guy who has weathered divorce (although not sure you can characterize what I went through back in ’96 as really much of a “marriage” or a “divorce” – if you read my book, you’ll get my meaning).

If you are a long time listener to the show then you’ll remember I had Osher on back in May ( Episode 30 ) to interview me as a fun turning of the tables to correspond with the paperback release of Finding Ultra*. Because he is such a broadcasting pro at all of this he was the logical choice — and it was a ton of fun.

But the more I got to know him, the more I realized he has a compelling story in his own right that I really wanted to help tell. Like some of our previous guests, a guy who has struggled with many relatable things in life we can connect with emotionally. A chubby kid and junk food addict determined to find a way out of his situation, he found success and improved self-esteem by way of a plant-based diet and learning how to run. A journey that now finds him enjoying marathons and cycling.

More than that, we have a really interesting discussion about divorce – and because of the way our society is configured, how it can be so difficult for men in particular to to heal from this “adventure” in a healthy way. A way he found through a  core set of spiritual principles to ground, orient and guide his emotional and mental and physical energy and overall life trajectory.

So if you are going through some of the same things in your life, I think you will find the discussion really really interesting.

Plus, Osher is just a great bloke. And the boy is a total professional when it comes to interesting conversation – which makes me look good and my job easy. So there’s that.

Joking inside, I think you will our time compelling – it will make you think about certain things and leave you inspired.  At least that’s how I felt. If you dig the talk, then you will dig his podcast: The Osher Günsberg Podcast– check it out!

Enjoy the listen. Enjoy your week.

PS – As I sit here writing this, the biggest earthquake I have felt in years just rocked the house.  So far everything seems to be intact.  Keep ya posted.

SHOW NOTES

*Disclosure: Books and products denoted with an asterisk are hyperlinked to an affiliate program. We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.

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10 Comments

  • Michelle says:

    A book about divorcing men is a really good idea.

  • Ann says:

    GROOVING on the idea of approaching management of mental states like physical fitness. With research & results on neural plasticity, meditation, elite sport performance, etc., makes total sense. Thanks for spelling it out! I love this podcast so much! Thanks Rich & Osher!

  • mark faren says:

    Would the real rich roll ,please stand up !!! I hope he never robs a bank ,i need my podcasts every week !!! 🙂

  • Koos Verhagen says:

    I really enjoyed this one!

  • Kari Campos says:

    Thank you , thank you, thank you, for this interview. I suffer from anxiety and depression and Osher’s comments about treating your mental health like you would your physical health was a huge wake-up for me. Of COURSE we have to train our brains as well as our bodies!! Also, I’m totally using the light bulb metaphor next time someone makes a comment about my veg meals……….. Thanks, Guys!!

  • Michael H says:

    I remember Andrew from back in the day of being a roady. I’ve never met anyone so passionate about music. To be honest, I didn’t realise that he was suffering at the time, he either hid it well, or I was very ignorant (probably the latter).
    I’m very pleased Osher has since found his path and found peace (and plants) in life.

  • sarah says:

    Call me killjoy, but wearing leather boots strikes me as infinitely less moral than ingesting animal products. One provides sustenance — the other looks nice on a red carpet, I guess. And the argument that that’s your karma to deal with is glib and dismissive: let’s be honest, it’s not your karma that’s being affected — it’s the cow’s.

  • richroll66 says:

    Thanks for all the great feedback – glad you guys enjoyed the episode!

  • Karen P says:

    I use the “OF COURSE” a lot. Thanks to Osher and Rich for the great podcasts. Training your brain to make effective long term, positive shifts in thinking is key to a lot of things in life. Thanks for creating something I can use to keep maintaining my long term weight loss. 🙂

  • karen says:

    Is that really what Osher looks like because you guys look exactly the same. Your eyebrows are a little bushier but still ……

    Incredible!

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