OJ In The Morning

'60 secs with OJ' - Tuesday 29th September...feeling discombobulated?, a local story that touched me over the weekend and something to look forward too!

⚽ A BIG SEASON FOR SOUTH CANTERBURY FOOTBALL!

There was plenty to celebrate on the football fields this season, with Timaru United and Northern Hearts both taking home some major silverware. 🏆

I caught up with Leigh Matthews from Southern Football and asked him to give us his take on the season that was — the successes, the progress and how the game is tracking across South Canterbury.

🎥 Watch my full interview with Leigh here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v73Gv4jge4w

Local People. Local Stories. Local Connection.

WHEN SOMEONE YOU LOVE PASSES AWAY… WHAT HAPPENS NEXT?

It’s something most of us would rather not think about — until suddenly we have to.

I caught up with Julian Donaldson from Betts Funeral Services and asked him what the first thing a family needs to think about when a loved one passes away.

Julian talks us through those important first steps and the support available at what can be an incredibly difficult time.

🎥 Watch my full interview with Julian here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vOiRXfJHtis

Local People. Local Stories. Local Connection.

PHAR LAP — A SOUTH CANTERBURY SUPERSTAR!

He went on to become one of the greatest racehorses Australasia has ever seen — but Phar Lap’s story started right here in South Canterbury.

Ahead of his 100th birthday celebrations, I caught up with Mary Gazzard from the South Canterbury Racing Club, who talks about why Phar Lap remains one of our very own South Canterbury superstars.

🎂 Phar Lap Centennial Feature Race Meeting
📅 Sunday 4 October
📍 Phar Lap Raceway, Timaru
⏰ Gates open 11.30am | Festivities from midday–5pm
🎟️ $10 admission | Under 18s FREE

🎥 Watch my full OJ Local Feature with Mary here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CTAefPGPjXY

Local People. Local Stories. Local Connection.

❤️ “We knew something wasn’t right…”

For Josh Docos and his family, that was the beginning of an incredibly difficult journey with their five-year-old son Armani.

Armani is non-verbal and autistic, which meant he couldn’t simply tell Mum and Dad what was happening or how he was feeling.

In this clip, Josh talks about those early signs that told them something just wasn’t right.

Their search for answers would eventually take them all the way to Starship Hospital — and a diagnosis of an incredibly rare medical condition.

This is a powerful story about a family who kept asking questions and kept advocating for their little boy. ❤️

🎙️ Josh shares Armani’s story on OJ In The Morning – Community Catch Up, proudly brought to you by Branded Kiwi.

👉 Full interview:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3VPs1FB3XvY

NOTE TO SELF: CHECK THE DATE BEFORE TURNING UP! 😂

The Great Greyhound Walk is happening at Caroline Bay this Sunday at 10am.

Unfortunately, nobody told me that last Sunday… including me!

I turned up a full week early, wondering where all the greyhounds were. I did eventually find one rather puzzled greyhound owner — who was probably wondering why this bloke with a microphone was so keen to get started! 😂

Kirsty and I discuss my slight scheduling mishap in this week’s Weekend Smile File.

🎥 Catch the full chat here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zqNYZMqcrnI

Local People. Local Stories. Local Connection.

⏰ DAYLIGHT SAVING… A FARMER’S BEST FRIEND OR WORST ENEMY? 🐄

The clocks go forward an hour this Sunday, but is our Man On The Land, John Gregan, looking forward to it?

I asked John whether daylight saving is a good thing for farmers… and let’s just say he’s not exactly rushing to put his clocks forward! 😂

After all, try explaining to a herd of cows that they’ve lost an hour’s sleep!

🎥 Watch the full interview here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xt_547qlkgU

Happy Friday...bring on the long South Canterbury Anniversary weekend. Episode 19 of my 'OJ In The Morning' podcast dropped this morning and you can check it out on Spotify & Apple or check it out on my YouTube Channel.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-tCKfO1YQYE&t=5s

Check out the tease below and the announcement of my first sponsor partner Branded Kiwi 🥰

🏁 IS RALLYING HEADING IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION?

When Hayden Paddon talks rallying, you listen!

I asked Hayden for his thoughts on the current state of the sport, both at World Rally Championship level and here at home in New Zealand.

And while there’s no doubting his passion for rallying, Hayden reckons there’s plenty of room for improvement!

What needs to change to make the sport stronger and more exciting for drivers, teams and fans?

Some fascinating insights from one of our very own on OJ In The Morning.

🎥 Watch the full interview here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QmbIDM6GOO8