Human 17: Nick McArdle

Sports Presenter - Nine Network and Stan Sport

Nick is an Australian sports presenter with more than 30 years experience in the media industry. Previously working for the Seven Network and Fox Sports, he has covered everything from the Olympic Games to the US Open. Currently, he presents rugby for the Nine Network and Stan Sport, and hosts his own podcast, ‘The Playmakers’ Playbook’.

Nick is a proud South Australian who grew up on a farm near Meningie at the end of the Murray. In his own words: ‘I loved my childhood. I was always happiest kicking a footy, playing cricket, hitting a golf ball, sailing… sport is the glue for a small country community. Somehow, and I’m still wondering exactly how, I’ve ended up immersed in rugby - a sport I didn’t grow up with, and only ever played very briefly - I love it’.

Nick is a human mammal. Here are his thoughts:

What brings you the most joy in life?

Family, friends and travel are the things I most love. Watching my kids grow up into quality young adults is perhaps the most joyous thing I’ll ever do.

What does success mean to you?

Success in personal relationships is the most important form of success. Success in marriage and raising kids. Success in having friends who actually like you. 

What do you see as your greatest achievement?

This is probably going to sound corny, but I reckon having 2 happy and healthy kids is my greatest achievement… not that I should be taking anywhere near as much credit for that as my wife.

What are you most grateful for?

Having happiness and health in a world where so many don’t. 

Who or what has had the biggest influence on your life? 

My parents and upbringing have undoubtedly had the biggest influence on me. I still often ask myself, ‘what would Mum and Dad do?’ 

In a professional sense, I’ve also had some great mentors along the way.

What do you regret?

I try not to have regrets. It doesn’t always work, but I try.

What advice would you give your younger self?

Work hard and take every opportunity that comes your way. Don’t say no to opportunities just because you’re a bit scared or they make you nervous. Have courage and be patient. 

What is the most important thing we can teach kids in school?

Resilience. My kids are almost through the school system now, and it’s not something I would have considered in the early years of their education, but resilience is so important for a child to have the confidence to make their way in the world. It’s something that’s particularly put to the test in teenage years.

What do you doubt most?

I don’t really have doubts… I think as you get older and more comfortable in your own skin doubts tend to fall away. As you become more comfortable about who you are and your place in the world, doubts become fewer and fewer.

What is the role of luck in our lives?

I know it might feel overused, but I really do subscribe to the theory: ‘the harder you work the luckier you get’. You have to put yourself out there. I guess I lived that last year when I was out of work. I became acutely aware of needing to meet new people, make new connections and be willing to talk to people. That whole networking piece hasn’t always come easily for me, but it helps you to make your own luck. 

Do you have a favourite quote? What is it? Why do you like it?

“Procrastination is the thief of time”

I went on a student exchange to South Africa for 12 months when I was 16. My host father would always say it. Stop putting it off and just do it.

What would you do with your life if you had unlimited financial resources?

I guess I’m a bit of a dreamer and this is something my wife and I have spoken about. She’s always said she’d do charity work or work for an aid agency… something she always wanted to do before life got in the way. I’d probably try to keep doing what I do now but use the money to help others. 

If you could have the definitive answer to a single question, what would you ask?

Who killed JFK and/or when will the Wallabies win the Bledisloe again?

If you could have a conversation with anyone, living or dead, who would you choose and why?

Probably Nelson Mandela. I was fascinated with him from the time I spent a year in South Africa as a teenager. I wonder what he would think of what’s happening in South Africa right now.

“For to be free is not merely to cast off one’s chains but to live in a way that respects and enhances the freedoms of others”.

What concept/fact/idea should every human on the planet understand?

You can, as an individual, have an influence in stopping climate change.

Should we think of morality in relative or absolute terms?

We should think of morality in relative terms. I believe everyone has their own morality depending on circumstance, environment, and culture.

Do human beings have free will?

This is big thinking for a basic sports journo who had velcro instead of laces into his late teens… I’d say we do have free will, but we also have consequences.

Do you believe in God?

Which God? I reckon kids think about this question more than adults. I believe it’s important to live your life right, be a good person and be good to others.

What is the single greatest achievement of humanity?

Where to start… sanitation, music, art, vaccines.

What do you see as the biggest existential threat to humanity?

Population growth and climate change. I do actually wonder how the world will be different for my kids in their later years, and their kids. 

What does it mean to live a good life?

To do right by others. To be kind and to have a positive influence on others. To be happy.

What is a good death?

A good death comes after a life lived fully. A life that’s brought joy to you and others.

What question should I have asked you?

‘When you went left at the fork in the road where would the other track have taken you?’

If I’d chosen a degree in agriculture instead of journalism? If I’d worked harder and was more disciplined when I was playing football? If I’d bought shares in my 20’s? If I had actually quit my degree when I got glandular fever? None of these things are in any way regrets, but I do wonder what life would look like had I taken a different path.

Thanks for your time, Nick!

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