Good Humans with Cooper Chapman

This week I sat down with Simmo Braun, and this one is a little different — and I love it.

Simmo is a father of three, a committed blood donor, wellness advocate, workshop facilitator and the man behind The Bloody Good Tour — an adventure around Australia on a mission to save 100,000 lives through blood donation.'
This conversation really got me. We talk about the power of contribution as one of the most underrated pillars of wellbeing, and how something as simple as giving blood — which takes less than an hour — saves three lives every single time. Three lives. From one donation.

I also share something I didn't realise until speaking with Simmo — I always assumed my tattoos meant I couldn't donate blood, and it turns out that hasn't been the case for years. If you've been sitting on the same assumption, this episode is for you. There are thousands of Australians in exactly the same boat, and this conversation will change that.

We are also doing something really special off the back of this chat. I have signed up to give my very first blood donation on July 31st — Bloody Good Human Day — and I want you to come with me. We have set up a team called the Bloody Good Humans Factory and I want our community to be part of something that could genuinely save hundreds of lives together.

Doing good feels good. Let's go.

In this episode we cover:
Simmo's journey and the mission behind The Bloody Good Tour
Why every blood donation saves three lives
The importance of contribution as a pillar of wellbeing
Why so many Australians wrongly think they can't donate
Tattoos, hereditary traits and other myths around blood donation
Cooper's first ever blood donation on July 31st
How the Good Human Factory community can get involved together
Why Bloody Good Human Day on July 31st matters
The power of small acts creating massive collective impact

Join the Bloody Good Humans Factory Team & Donate
https://my.donateblood.com.au/app/myteams_home?org=Bloody%20Good%20Humans%20Factory&orgId=209416&search=factory
The Bloody Good Tour
https://thebloodygoodtour.com.au

Follow Simmo
Instagram
https://www.instagram.com/simmobraun/

Follow Cooper and TGHF
1% Good Club Book (use code PODCAST for 25% off)
https://www.thegoodhumanfactory.com/products/1-good-club-book
Instagram
https://www.instagram.com/cooperchapman/
TikTok
https://www.tiktok.com/@cooperchapman_
LinkedIn
https://www.linkedin.com/in/cooper-chapman-08a278151/
Workshop and Speaking Enquiries
https://form.typeform.com/to/DSPSnvEH
The Good Human Factory Instagram
https://www.instagram.com/thegoodhumanfactory/
The Good Human Factory
https://www.thegoodhumanfactory.com
THE GOOD HUMAN FACTORY™️ 2020
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

⚠️ Content Warning
This episode contains discussions about a near-fatal accident, traumatic brain injury and the challenges of recovery. Please take care of yourself first. If you're not in the right headspace, come back to this one when you're ready.
If you need support, call Lifeline on 13 11 14 (available 24/7) or visit lifeline.org.au

This week I sat down with Alexa Leary, and honestly this one gave me chills.
At 19 years old, Alexa was a champion triathlete heading downhill at 70km an hour when she clipped the wheel in front of her. She says she died that day. She wasn't expected to survive. She spent 111 days in hospital learning to walk and talk again, living with the impacts of a severe traumatic brain injury that changed the course of her life forever.

What followed is one of the most extraordinary second acts in Australian sporting history. After re-learning to walk and talk, Alexa jumped back in the pool and found a new purpose — and within two years was representing Australia at the World Para Swimming Championships. At the 2024 Paris Paralympics she won two gold medals and a silver, breaking the world record in the 100m freestyle. She then went on to repeat that same medal tally at the 2025 World Para Swimming Championships in Singapore. She has since been awarded an OAM for her extraordinary achievements in sport.

We also get into the sides of Alexa that don't always make the headlines — her deep love for house music and Fisher, her journey into DJing and music, and what swimming really means to her beyond the medals. And we talk about her brand new memoir Sink or Swim, where she tells the full truth of her two lives for the very first time.

This is a conversation about resilience, identity and what it really means to rebuild yourself from zero. Alexa is joyful, honest and completely magnetic. This one will leave you fired up.

In this episode we cover:
The bike crash that should have killed her and how she survived
111 days in hospital learning to walk and talk again
Living with a traumatic brain injury and what that looks like every day
Finding swimming and making the Australian Paralympic team
Two gold medals and a silver at the 2024 Paris Paralympics
Breaking the world record in the 100m freestyle
Repeating the medal tally at the 2025 World Para Swimming Championships in Singapore
Her love for house music and Fisher and her journey into DJing
What swimming means to her beyond sport
Her new memoir Sink or Swim and why she wanted to tell her full story

Alexa's Book - Sink or Swim
https://www.penguin.com.au/books/sink-or-swim-9781761354601

Follow Alexa
Instagram
https://www.instagram.com/alexa_leary/?hl=en

Follow Cooper and TGHF
1% Good Club Book
https://www.amazon.com.au/1-Good-Club-Transform-Minutes/dp/1394332823
Instagram
https://www.instagram.com/cooperchapman/
TikTok
https://www.tiktok.com/@cooperchapman_
LinkedIn
https://www.linkedin.com/in/cooper-chapman-08a278151/
Workshop and Speaking Enquiries
https://form.typeform.com/to/DSPSnvEH
The Good Human Factory Instagram
https://www.instagram.com/thegoodhumanfactory/
The Good Human Factory
https://www.thegoodhumanfactory.com
THE GOOD HUMAN FACTORY™️ 2020
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

⚠️ Content Warning
This episode contains open discussions about sexual assault, trauma, and the legal system's treatment of victim-survivors. Please take care of yourself first. If you're not in the right headspace, come back to this one when you're ready. There is no rush.
If you need support, call 1800RESPECT on 1800 737 732 (available 24/7) or visit 1800respect.org.au

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This week I sat down with Sarah Rosenberg, and this conversation genuinely stopped me in my tracks.

Sarah is a victim-survivor advocate and Executive Director of With You We Can, and her work sits at the intersection of lived experience and real legal and policy change. But before any of that, there is her story.

At 23, Sarah reported a violent assault by someone she had been dating. What followed wasn't just a legal process — it was a complete loss of control over her own story. Without her knowledge or consent, the defence accessed thousands of pages of her private medical and counselling records, including deeply personal notes from when she was a teenager. Doctors she hadn't seen in years were contacted. Sensitive details about her health and her life were read aloud in court. She describes it as a total free-for-all.

What is striking, and not widely understood, is that at no point was she automatically given a lawyer to represent her own interests throughout that process. For a long time, Sarah thought this was just her experience. It wasn't.

Now her work is dedicated to making sure others understand their rights, and pushing for the systemic protections that should have been there from the start. She speaks about all of it without polish — thoughtfully, honestly, and grounded in what it actually feels like to go through something like this.

This is a conversation about trust, agency, and what happens when the systems we assume will protect us simply don't. It is one of the most important episodes I have released, and I think it will stay with you.

In this episode we cover:
Sarah's experience reporting a violent assault at 23
The defence accessing thousands of pages of her private medical and counselling records without her consent
What it felt like to have her most personal history read aloud in court
Why victim-survivors are not automatically provided legal representation
How she came to realise her experience was far from unique
Her work as Executive Director of With You We Can
The legal and policy changes she is fighting for
What real agency and justice should look like for victim-survivors
What she wants people to know about their rights

If this episode brought something up for you:
📞 1800RESPECT (sexual assault and family violence counselling)
1800 737 732 | 1800respect.org.au
📞 Lifeline
13 11 14 | lifeline.org.au

Learn more about the justice system, and support Sarah’s advocacy at www.withyouwecan.org
Follow With You We Can on IG @withyouwecan_ to better support someone who might need it

1% Good Club Book (use code PODCAST for 25% off)
https://www.thegoodhumanfactory.com/products/1-good-club-book
Instagram
https://www.instagram.com/cooperchapman/
TikTok
https://www.tiktok.com/@cooperchapman_
LinkedIn
https://www.linkedin.com/in/cooper-chapman-08a278151/
Workshop and Speaking Enquiries
https://form.typeform.com/to/DSPSnvEH
The Good Human Factory Instagram
https://www.instagram.com/thegoodhumanfactory/
The Good Human Factory
https://www.thegoodhumanfactory.com
THE GOOD HUMAN FACTORY™️ 2020
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

⚠️ Content Warning
This episode contains open discussions about mental health and a suicide attempt. Please take care of yourself first. If you're not in the right headspace, come back to this one when you're ready. There is no rush.

If you need support, call Lifeline on 13 11 14 (available 24/7) or visit lifeline.org.au

This week I sat down with Blake Bourne, and I am still wrapping my head around what this guy is capable of.

Blake just ran 1,200km solo and completely unassisted from Geelong to Sydney. No support crew, no team behind him, just his own two feet, his own mind, and whatever the road threw at him. He slept on park benches, pushed through rain for half the journey, and did it all to raise money for mental health charity Speak and Share. This comes off the back of last year's effort, where Blake became the youngest person ever to run across the Simpson Desert.

But the why behind all of this is the most important part of this conversation. Blake opens up about his own mental health struggles, including a suicide attempt, and how that experience shaped his mission to get people talking and taking action on their own mental health. This is a heavy episode, but it is also one of the most inspiring conversations I have had on the show.

In 2023, Blake started The Uncomfortable Challenge with one goal — to create real change in mental health. Since then the movement has raised over $60,000 for mental health initiatives across Australia, and it's running again all of July. Everyday people take on their own personal challenge to step outside their comfort zone, all in the name of mental health and raising funds for Speak and Share. He was recognised for this work as Citizen of the Year.

This one is raw, honest and will leave you wanting to go and do something uncomfortable yourself.

In this episode we cover:
Running 1,200km solo and unassisted from Geelong to Sydney
Sleeping on park benches and running through the rain
Becoming the youngest person to run across the Simpson Desert
Blake's own mental health struggles and his suicide attempt
What recovery and purpose have looked like for him since
Founding The Uncomfortable Challenge in 2023 and raising over $60,000 for mental health
How people can get involved in The Uncomfortable Challenge this July
What embracing discomfort has taught him about growth

Get Involved
The Uncomfortable Challenge (running all of July)
https://www.uncomfortablechallenge.com/

If this episode brought something up for you:
📞 Lifeline
13 11 14 | lifeline.org.au
💻 Beyond Blue
beyondblue.org.au
💻 headspace
headspace.org.au

Follow Blake
Instagram
https://www.instagram.com/blakexbourne/?hl=en

Follow Cooper and TGHF
1% Good Club Book (use code PODCAST for 25% off)
https://www.thegoodhumanfactory.com/products/1-good-club-book
Instagram
https://www.instagram.com/cooperchapman/
TikTok
https://www.tiktok.com/@cooperchapman_
LinkedIn
https://www.linkedin.com/in/cooper-chapman-08a278151/
Workshop and Speaking Enquiries
https://form.typeform.com/to/DSPSnvEH
The Good Human Factory Instagram
https://www.instagram.com/thegoodhumanfactory/
The Good Human Factory
https://www.thegoodhumanfactory.com
THE GOOD HUMAN FACTORY™️ 2020
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

⚠️ Content Warning
This episode contains open discussions about gambling addiction, alcohol and drug use, domestic violence and suicide. Please take care of yourself first. If you're not in the right headspace, come back to this one when you're ready. There is no rush.

If you need support, call Lifeline on 13 11 14 (available 24/7) or visit lifeline.org.au

This week I sat down with Luke Bateman, and this was one of those chats that covered so much ground I genuinely didn't want it to end.

Luke played 71 NRL games for the Canberra Raiders before injury and his own mental health forced him to step away from the game. What most people don't know is that behind the footy career, Luke was fighting a serious gambling addiction that ended up costing him around $500,000 over four years, alongside struggles with alcohol and drugs. He's been incredibly open about how that addiction took hold, what it cost him, and what it actually took to get out the other side.

We also got into something Luke is really passionate about right now. Ahead of State of Origin Games 2 and 3, Luke is using his platform to call out the link between alcohol, masculinity and violence, with research showing a 40% rise in domestic violence incidents on State of Origin nights. We talk about why he believes alcohol and gambling advertising in sport needs the same scrutiny we've seen applied to tobacco, and why this conversation matters so much to him.

And then there's the part of Luke's story that surprised everyone. From hiding fantasy novels in the toilet as a tough country kid playing first grade footy, to becoming one of the biggest names on BookTok and signing a two-book fantasy series deal with Atria Books. It's a brilliant reminder that it's never too late to embrace who you really are.
This one covers addiction, advocacy, masculinity and reinvention. Luke is honest, switched on, and using his voice for something that really matters.

In this episode we cover:
Luke's journey through the NRL with the Canberra Raiders
The gambling addiction that cost him around $500,000 over four years
His struggles with alcohol and drug use during his playing career
What recovery actually looked like for him
The culture in elite sport around gambling and drinking
The link between alcohol, masculinity and domestic violence
The 40% rise in family violence incidents during State of Origin
Calls to tighten alcohol advertising regulation, similar to gambling and tobacco
Hiding his love of fantasy novels as a kid on a cattle property
Becoming a BookTok sensation and signing his Atria Books deal
Why storytelling and reading matter for boys and men

The numbers behind this conversation:
Alcohol is involved in up to 47% of all police-reported family violence incidents
47% of women sexually assaulted by a man in the past decade said alcohol or another substance contributed to the most recent incident
Research shows a 40% increase in violence towards women and children in NSW on State of Origin game nights
State of Origin Game 3 — Wed 8th July

If this episode brought something up for you:
📞 Lifeline
13 11 14 | lifeline.org.au
📞 National Gambling Helpline
1800 858 858
💻 1800RESPECT (domestic, family and sexual violence counselling)
1800 737 732
💻 Beyond Blue
beyondblue.org.au

Follow Luke
Instagram
https://www.instagram.com/lukebateman_/?hl=en
TikTok
https://www.tiktok.com/@lukesreads?lang=en

Follow Cooper
1% Good Club Book (use code PODCAST for 25% off)
https://www.thegoodhumanfactory.com/products/1-good-club-book
Instagram
https://www.instagram.com/cooperchapman/
TikTok
https://www.tiktok.com/@cooperchapman_
LinkedIn
https://www.linkedin.com/in/cooper-chapman-08a278151/
Workshop and Speaking Enquiries
https://form.typeform.com/to/DSPSnvEH
The Good Human Factory Instagram
https://www.instagram.com/thegoodhumanfactory/
The Good Human Factory
https://www.thegoodhumanfactory.com
THE GOOD HUMAN FACTORY™️ 2020
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.