It was sort of just a family sport. My mom and dad were pretty keen golfers when I was young and so were my grandparents and I just sort of tagged along with them.
Many forms sizes and colors I think there are heroes in sports in life... It would be cliche to say my dad my granddad. I think I'm a fan of people who were brave my aunt my grandmother those are my heroes.
My dad was a sports writer when I was younger and then he became just a general columnist. But I grew up with him literally getting into brawls with football coaches.
My dad told us up front 'Guys if you want to play sports go ahead but it's your decision.'
I wanted to perform well for my mom and dad because in high school I didn't have a job. My brothers they worked at Pizza Hut or places like that but sports that was my way of giving back.
Within our culture every school has a swimming pool. We lived on the coast. People swam in the surf. It's a very sporty nation and at that particular time anyone who had an artistic bent was very much an outsider. So if you liked reading or ideas or playing the piano then your dad viewed you as a sissy basically.
I grew up in Chicago so I've always been a Bears fan. Dad used to take me to Bears games and Cubs games. My brother used to ride me over to Lake Forest College on his Honda Supersport and we'd watch the Bears practice. I remember those guys out there as monsters - they were the biggest things I've ever seen!
My sister is totally my dad's daughter because she loves sports.
I sort of always had an inkling towards some kind of an art form. I grew up in a very small town and I just figure-skated. My dad played hockey and I was surrounded by sports but it wasn't quite doing it for me. I wasn't totally fulfilled and I did a lot of skating.
One afternoon when I was 9 my dad told me I'd be skipping school the next day. Then we drove 12 hours from Melbourne to Sydney for the Centenary Test a once-in-a-lifetime commemorative cricket match. It was great fun - especially for a kid who was a massive sports fan.