Meet the former ironman.
Meet the former ironman.
After 15 years competing as an IronMan Matt Poole announced his retirement earlier this year. In a fitting full-circle moment his last competition was held at Kurrawa, where he made his debut in 2007. We chatted to the new father about his drive to become a professional sportsman, what he loves about the Gold Coast and why he won’t be waiting for a cooked duck to land in his mouth!
How long have you been a Gold Coast local?
I moved to the Gold Coast from Sydney when I was 18. I’ve been here on the GC the entire time except for 6 years on the Sunshine Coast.
Tell us a bit about yourself.
I moved to the GC at 18 to pursue my sporting dream of becoming a professional IronMan, I spent 15 years racing professionally only just retiring earlier this year in April. Highlights of my sporting career include winning the 2017 Kellogg’s Nutri-Grain IronMan series, 2022 Shaw & Partners Shannon Eckstein Ironman classic, 2014 Molokai2Oahu World paddle board championships and winning gold at the ISA games in Fiji for team Australia. Outside of my sporting career I’ve got two businesses where I am a co-owner, MAMAN Bar & Kitchen in James St Burleigh and Gravity Seltzer.
Who/what inspired you to pursue a professional career as an ironman?
I grew up at the beach and fell in love with the ocean from a very young age. My Dad would take me in the water with him and pushed me into waves on a surfboard. I played a lot of sports growing up, but Surf Life Saving was my calling and through my teenage years really started to succeed and do well. I first qualified for the professional Ironman series at age 18.
Do you have any advice for aspiring athletes?
The life of a professional athlete is tough.. it takes hard work, dedication, sacrifice and resilience. Work hard, enjoy what you are doing and make it your passion!
How do you define success?
Success can be defined or measured a million different ways from a million different people. For me specifically success was always determined by training, racing and competing at my optimum. Winning races is the ultimate reflection of success, but sometimes for me I raced amazing, didn’t win and still deemed it a success.
In 2020 you teamed up with Oli Frost on opening Maman Bar and Kitchen. What made you want to get into the hospitality scene on the Gold Coast?
Oli Frost is a good friend of mine, he’s got one of the best business minds I know so when he came to me with an opportunity to partner up with him and launch MAMAN here on the Gold Coast, I jumped at it! We opened at the start of Covid which was always a risk, but even that aside we have continued to grow from strength to strength and are now a known and loved restaurant here on the coast.
You announced your retirement from competition earlier this year. Talk us through that decision.
I announced my retirement earlier this year in Feb, I still had a few more major events to round out the season but the timing felt right. 15 years racing professionally and I never left a stone unturned with my training and preparation. It takes its toll on the body physically and also mentally. I love racing and I love winning, when you lose motivation and you’re constantly getting injured it makes training suffer which in turn affects performance.. having said that, after I announced my retirement, I had my best results in Kellogg’s & Summer of Surf series races, but I enjoyed to go out on top, haha.
What’s next for Matt Poole?
My life has transitioned/ changed massively since finishing up my athlete career. I now have my beautiful daughter Posy who is 4 months old, I’m working with Gravity Seltzer to unlock new venues on and off premise for both our alcoholic and Non- Alcoholic range. I’m working on a podcast which is set to launch early 2023 and I’m also doing some commentary work with ch7 this season for Summer of Surf.
Health and wellness is obviously an integral part of your life, how do you intend to continue to incorporate that into your daily routine?
I thought after retirement I would take a long hiatus from any forms of training, however I quickly realised how much I love and miss that feeling you get after a hard session. Although I’m not training like a professional athlete, I still love staying fit and healthy. Mostly I go to gym, run, ocean swim, surf and a little Ocean Ski paddling.
What is the best piece of advice that you have ever been given?
Best advice I have ever been given… It’s more of a quote but it’s still advice: “The hunter who waits for the cooked duck to land in his mouth, is going to be a hungry hunter” – It’s weird, but since retiring I’ve realised you have to work hard for everything in life. You can’t just wait around for opportunities to land at your doorstep.
What do you love most about living on the Gold Coast?
I love the beaches, restaurants and warm weather! I live a stone’s throw from the beach and waking up, going for a morning ocean swim and grabbing a coffee on the way home is the perfect way to start any day!
Do you have any Gold Coast favourites you keep going back to?
Café/Coffee spot: The Kiosk Burleigh Pav
Restaurant: MAMAN
Bar or place for a drink: Burleigh Pav
Beach: Burleigh
How do you choose to spend your weekends?
I love spending my weekends eating out, surfing, fishing and having a drink with mates.
Summer is so close we can almost taste it Gold Coasters and with it comes balmy days filled with good food, refreshing sips and even better company. Then rinse and repeat every single day for three months.
There’s no doubt it’s going to be one of the best on record after the year we’ve had and what makes it even more exciting is brand new venues to enjoy all of the above in.
The latest of which is absolutely oozing summer vibes while also (kinda) making up for the lack of European holidays we’ve experienced this year.
It’s called Maman (meaning Mum) Kitchen & Bar and it opened a few weeks ago on James Street in Burleigh Heads for all of your Mediterranean feasting pleasure. And what a pleasure it is.
It’s the work of a couple of local lads whose names you’ve no doubt heard – Oli Frost, founder of The Grass is Greener Music Festival and part owner of Surfers’ burger bar Milky Lane and Ironman Matt Poole along with Oli’s Mum and Aunt, Karen and Elizabeth Fines, who are both exceptional Chefs.
Inside you’ll find a space made up of all-white everything, coastal chic at its finest, with pops of colour courtesy of Byron Bay artist Jai Vasicek’s wall-length murals and hand-painted ceramics. All of which we would love to transfer to our house right this second.
Maman can be accessed through an arched alleyway entrance in Justin Lane and we love a little outside-the-box thinking.
Now let’s discuss the menu because every single dish is one you’re going to want to sample starting with small plates like Moussaka of eggplant with seared scallops, taramasalata, tomato and fennel salsa (stop it) and Yellow Fin Tuna Tartare with preserved lemon, green olive salsa and Jerusalem artichoke crisps to name just a couple of magic treats.
Next up, there are larger plates like Lamb Kofte with hommus, cacik, Israeli salad and Turkish pide, Chermoula crusted tuna, Moroccan eggplant, tomato and coriander salsa.
Taste sensations the lot of them.
For dessert, a Fine Apple Tart with salted caramel sauce and vanilla bean ice cream perhaps? Yes.
To drink you may sip on signature cocktails like the Maman Spritz with watermelon reduction, ruby red grapefruit, cherry tincture and Prosecco and the Wake Up with Tromba Blanco Tequila, jalapeno pepper, fresh citrus and orange curacao.
Of course, you’ll probably want to sample every single one, as is the almost-summer way.
It’s delightful all round honestly and the absolute perfect addition to the Burleigh Heads dining scene.
Let’s get summer started right now shall we?
Meet you Maman Kitchen & Bar.
LOCATION: 49 James Street, Burleigh Heads
HOURS: 5pm until late Wednesday to Friday and 12pm until late Saturday and Sunday
Words and photos by Kirra Smith
