Transcript: Episode 16 - Skye Murphy, show caller for the Mountain Bike World Series & World Champs, and new mum
Read the episode show notes with Skye Murphy
Aoife Glass 0:04
Welcome to the spindrift Podcast. I'm Aoife, and every episode I'm joined by someone from the world of cycling or adventure to chat about their experiences, and share their story. This episode is with Skye Murphy who works with Great Big Events. They are the sports production company that have this year been travelling venue to venue with the Mountain Bike World Series, making those live races thrilling and compelling for the crowds watching them. Skye shares what her role entails - she is incredibly calm in the face of potential chaos - what it's like not only touring around the world for major sporting events, but also doing it with a wee baby under a year old, and how mountain bike fans compare to fans of other sports. There's even a musical theatre reference. This interview was recorded while the world champs was happening. I mean, literally, we were in like the next field over in the venue at Glentress in Scotland. So you will probably hear a fair bit of background noise. But I hope you enjoy the chat.
Aoife Glass 1:15
So you can probably hear the music in the background. And that's because we're in a quiet pause between the elite XC finals here on the last day of mountain biking events at Glentress - it's been a big week! And I'm joined by Skye Murphy whose job title I've immediately forgotten! Skye, tell me what your job is.
Skye Murphy 1:33
I am the sports presentation floor manager for Great Big Events who have been hired to do the sports presentation for Glentress.
Aoife Glass 1:41
And so this is one of a number of hats you wear because you also work on the Mountain Bike World Series. And you've got a fascinating history in all sorts of different things from musical theatre to teaching to now doing what you're doing. What's a day in the life of Skye like at this kind of event? I mean, the World Champs is obviously a bit different to your regular World Series roles, right?
Skye Murphy 2:07
Yeah, so on the World Champs, I'm a floor manager. But for the World Series, I go between, between the mountain bike disciplines, I have two different roles. So for cross country and marathon, I continue to be the floor manager for sports presentation. But for the downhill and enduro, I'm the showcaller producer role, which I work with the team to kind of tell everyone when to do their roles. I work with incredibly talented people, I don't tell people what to do just when to do it.
Aoife Glass 2:40
So it's been amazing - I've been working with you this week. Because we've been doing, myself and Lauren have been doing a little bit of like stuff on screen like in venue stuff. And so just to have you there Skye, just go 'right, you're going to do this, you're going to do it now. I'm going to count you in'. And then we do it and then you're like 'that was okay'. So it's just you know, it's a very reassuring presence.
Skye Murphy 2:58
It was more than okay.
Aoife Glass 3:00
I wasn't fishing for that. But thanks! And so what is sports presentation? Compared to sports broadcast, for example, because there is there is a significant difference there.
Skye Murphy 3:11
Yeah, so sports presentation, the way I like to break it down, is when you buy a ticket to go and see a sporting event, sports presentation, or sports pres, is the added extra that you get when you're in the arena, the stadium. Being there is special, and we give people that so it's not just watching a sport, which obviously we enhance the sport as well by making it visible throughout the arena. But we also, you know, any kind of live acts when we're working with some sports do national anthems before the sport it takes off. Like if you're watching a rugby game, often we have national anthems and flags beforehand. That's usually in sports pros as well. Ceremonies is a big part of you know, our bag of tricks as well.
Aoife Glass 4:03
Kind of what you're watching when you're at a sporting event, what you see and what you hear, thats sports press, and it's all about sort of building and generating that incredible atmosphere that you get in a venue, right? Because you've got people for whatever sport it is, right, you've got people who are absolutely passionate and excited and love, love, to come and watch - like the mountain biking here. So it's just harnessing that and building that and sharing it across the sides.
Skye Murphy 4:28
Yes, spectator engagement and making sure that they are having the best possible time to cheer on our athletes to make sure that they can do the best job that they can be. Obviously we've just lived through COVID and a bit working in sport during that time when we had - and I was still in Australia then - but we were had, were working in empty stadiums. And that was pretty tough, hard and pretty tough, but now that we were all back spectator engagement is such a huge and awesome thing and making sure everyone here is happy and healthy. And yeah, just having a great time.
Aoife Glass 5:03
I mean, Skye, you're an absolute pleasure to work with, obviously a complete pro know, everything about what you're doing.
Skye Murphy 5:09
You're working with me, you have to say that!
Aoife Glass 5:11
I would say it afterwards anyway! But one of the things that's been brilliant working with you in this meeting your daughter Gwen, who's only wee and is travelling around with you. Tell us about how you're managing motherhood with a wee baby on the road.
Skye Murphy 5:26
Yeah, it's, um, it's been an interesting choice. I wanted to be a mum for a really long time and kind of thought, at some point, I'd have to settle down and you know, become a stay at home mum, which is, in itself a definite superpower. And I did it for a little while. But it's not a role that's for me; bow down to all the mums and stay at home parents that are out there, because it's an awesome job that you do, but not a role that I that really suited me. So I have an incredible partner in my husband, and I would choose the word partner really strongly because we really we really have been tagging it. So he is now the full time parent and I get to be the kind of primary earner whilst he is the primary carer, and having our daughter Gwen, who's will be one next week. She's been on the road with us for a couple of months. And it's amazing, it's exhausting. But it's, it's just incredible too. I couldn't do what I do if they were still at home. So Gwen will have been to 12 countries in 12 months by the time we hit her birthday, so we're quite stoked with that. And yeah, it's exhausting. They turn up on site so I can breastfeed her, in a side building usually or out, you know, sitting on the grass. And you know, it's tricky, but um, yeah, wouldn't change it for the world.
Aoife Glass 6:56
I'm assuming that your husband - because you're not yet a mountain biker, I feel like we should work on this - is a mountain biker hopes that all this exposure on the Mountain Bike World Series will will make Gwen a mountain biker in the future?
Skye Murphy 7:09
Yeah, so I'm not... I don't ride. I think I'm gonna have my arm twisted into it at some point. And I'm certainly getting more into the sport. But every competition every week, I get a little bit more 'Oh, maybe I should give it a go'. And I feel that way when I'm working on every sport that I go, 'Oh, maybe this one's for me'. But yeah, Dan, my partner, wants to see me on a bike very soon. And Gwen will be getting her first balanced bike for her first birthday. So I think she'll be heading downhill very soon.
Aoife Glass 7:43
Excellent. Love to see it. So you've been working on the Mountain Bike World Series this year; what's been the highlight for you? I mean, it's a huge, it's gone massive, right? So we've gone from like, maybe the Mountain Bike Series with cross country and downhill. Then we had separately the Enduro World Series. Now it's all together, and marathan; multiple events, multiple venues. It's a... there's a lot going on.
Skye Murphy 8:05
There's a lot going on. And I love just being a part of it. If I was to highlight one moment, it was definitely Rachel Atherton - seeing a fellow mom who's, you know, winning and you know, just absolutely killing it. Yeah, she did an Instagram post not that long ago saying how she is finding it pretty tricky doing doing it all. And, you know, I really, that really resonated with me and I'm just like, 'You know what, me too'. It's really hard. And I'm not a pro athlete! So I don't know how she does it. But watching her win is just incredible. But watching everyone win is just like you seeing those riders cross the finish line every day is just it's a win for all of us.
Aoife Glass 8:54
I have to say because I love watching it online and you know, that's great. Like you get to see all the racing but there is just something about live events, like watching these, like, literally, like, the hugs and the tears when they cross the line or the atmosphere and build up an excitement beforehand. I mean, there's nothing like it right?
Skye Murphy 9:15
100% And I for me at least it doesn't change. So I think when Rachel won I, like, blew everyone's ears when screaming down the comms into their ears, but like maybe with a little bit more colourful language. But you know, you don't I don't stop being stoked. There's an amazing thing when you get to say your home country's national anthem 'go!' when they when they win, and you get to, like, for me to say it. I've had it once where I've had the opportunity to say 'Australian anthem go for gold' and yeah, there was tears like it's just amazing. And you really, I really feel a part of this story and you know, making history and it's, it's cool.
Aoife Glass 10:04
So Great Big Events is your organisation, the company that you work with, that make all this possible they work on a number of huge events. What other sports have you worked with what other events have you worked on?
Skye Murphy 10:15
So across when working in sports presentation, I have done... I worked on the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo, and I worked on the shooting for that and I did the Paralympic games as well, which was just incredible. I did the Invictus Games, in Sydney, the Commonwealth Games 2018 in the Gold Coast, I was really lucky to have worked on rugby, which is my love. I've worked at AFL which is an Australian Football League for anyone who's not Aussie. I've been really lucky to work on a whole bunch of other stuff, there's been some tennis thrown in there. Lots of fun things. And yeah, it's pretty awesome.
Aoife Glass 11:05
Is there a difference or similarity between the fans of any particular sports? Like we were kind of joking earlier today, like when we were, earlier this week, when we're trying to cheer up the crowds, and like... I should just say if you hear noise in the background, because we're standing next to the track that the teams are going up for the start of the men's elite race, so we don't want to get in the way of them... You know, like 'Come on Glentress This isn't golf!' because, you know, we want we want atmosphere at a mountain bike event. I think you get that? Do somes sports have a comparable atmosphere? Or are some events a bit more like low key and chilled.
Skye Murphy 11:34
I think it's really funny because you know, looking at mountain biking, for example, when the sport is on, that's when you want to be the loudest the most encouraging you you really want to get the atmosphere going. We have loud music, we were trying to get really pumped up to get to really support the athletes. And then I go and work on another sport like tennis where when it's on it's dead quiet. And it's like an I always find this silence really difficult. Because I spend my like, a lot of my professional careers pumping everyone up. Yeah, let's build this atmosphere. And then 'sports on...shhhhhh!' It's really it's really mad. Like it's very strange. But yeah, I guess your rugby fans and your AFL fans, not that different. Your team sports, I feel, yeah, probably quite similar. Just, you know, different. Cheering different names.
Aoife Glass 11:34
How did you get into sports presentation and production? Like, what's your what's was this a lifelong goal? Or is this something that's like you've discovered?
Skye Murphy 12:43
No, I discovered... it discovered me, I guess? We.... ah, we? No, me!
Aoife Glass 12:50
The Royal we!?
Skye Murphy 12:51
The Royal we! That's right. I saw an ad on a Facebook stage management group, in 2017, that Great Big Events was looking for something, was looking for back of house show caller for one of their cultural gigs. And I got in contact. And then yeah, I've been really lucky to have what I think and hopefully they think too, is a good work... a great working relationship with them. And I feel really lucky to work with them. And I'm proud to wear the GBE shirt.
Aoife Glass 13:25
I have to say that the team all seem fantastic. Like everybody's super calm, but like funny and welcoming. Even if you don't know anyone, like all of you guys obviously, like work together a lot. But you've been really welcoming and supportive, but also so impressively organised, which I can imagine you need to be on something like this.
Skye Murphy 13:44
Yeah, no, we're really lucky. The core team on the Champs, we've been together for a couple of months now on the World Series. And then big team have us for the Champs and then we go back to our smaller team when we go back to Andorra next weekend. They Yeah, it's it's amazing. And yeah, GBE pulls a great team of excellent professionals together, which I'm lucky to be one of!
Aoife Glass 14:08
So to say that you've been... you saw it in a stage management group. So I mean, that that hints that perhaps you have a theatrical background, is that safe to say?
Skye Murphy 14:18
Yeah, I am. In a past life, you know, not so long ago, I worked in musical theatre. And so it was a Sydney based Theatre for a couple of years and that was pretty amazing. And yeah, worked on some some of the big musicals
Aoife Glass 14:36
Right. You say big musicals, which ones? Because like everybody has to have a favourite musical. What's your favourite that you've worked on?
Skye Murphy 14:42
Favourite that I've worked on? It's probably also my favourite musical of the time was Wicked. I also did the Lion King and Les Mis, which was pretty great. I toured with Chitty Chitty Bang Bang - songs of my childhood -which then became eight shows a week!
Aoife Glass 15:01
That must get like properly ingrained and your head. Do you not like dream Chitty Chitty Bang Bang while you're on tour with that.
Skye Murphy 15:06
Yeah, you do. It gets really stuck in there. And it's tricky, but you kind of have a phase where it's like 'No! Can't listen to that anymore!' And then, yeah, it's nice to that memory lane every now and again now.
Aoife Glass 15:18
And you've also got a background in teaching, if you don't mind me asking you about that. Because that's, I can see that there are parallels because you have you know, there's a sort of a degree of engagement, there's understanding your audience slash students and like how best to communicate and engage with them. So I can kind of see a thread running through but was teaching like originally, what he wanted to do was it musical theatre, or which we rounded it come?
Skye Murphy 15:41
So it was musical theatre first, then I went into teaching, and then I found sports pres. So I sustained a pretty serious injury in 2015, I broke my neck at work, and essentially couldn't do my job anymore. And so had to find a new job, new dream. And so I became I did my Master's of primary school teaching. And I worked for a while, luckily, I finished my degree, just in time for COVID. to hit. We needed... Everyone needed teachers then. So I got a full time job, which, you know, really, I felt really lucky. And it kind of saved me. But I was working in a special education school in Sydney. And that was super rewarding. It's teaching... again, bow down to the people who, who are amazing teachers and who are really dedicated. It's I've found out it's not my calling, but it took me a little while to find that out, but really loved my time doing it.
Aoife Glass 16:45
It is incredible having that that impact and connection with people. One of my other podcast guests, Jo Shwe, who, by the time you hear this will either have gone out or will be about to go out. But she works with a special educational needs students. And she's just.. she if she doesn't get you passionate and engaged about it, like I don't know what will because she's just loved working with them. So we are on the, well, the last day mountain biking here, which I'm both kind of looking forward to a break from because I'm quite tired. But also a bit sad about because it's just been such an incredible experience. There's one more day to go in Glasgow with the women's elite road race. But we're basically finishing up in a minute now. But it's not the end for you because you've got the rest of the Mountain Bike World Series to look forward to. What's next on the agenda for you Skye.
Skye Murphy 17:31
Well, yeah, as you said, we're wrapping up in beautiful Scotland this afternoon. And we'll head down to Oxfordshire for a week off, and then over to Andorra, then into France, US, Canada, and then you kind of might come up for air then or jump on to the next gig - who knows.
Aoife Glass 17:53
Wow! Busy busy season. And pretty relentless as well because you're travelling in between all the events and the events are so much longer now as well. Favourite venue so far? I mean, I feel like you have to say Scotland but you know, you don't you don't have to say Scotland.
Skye Murphy 18:06
Do I? I've only been to Scotland once before this trip and I've been dreaming of coming here my whole life. So it's my maiden name was McDougal. I feel like you know, I turned up and.. I'm definitely not Scottish! But you know, it's in my blood. It's in my, my bones. This is an amazing, amazing place. But we're really lucky on the tour to go to many, many many amazing places. So I couldn't pick a favourite but Scotland's definitely up there.
Aoife Glass 18:36
So we'll welcome you back up to explore your Scottish roots a little bit more in the future. Skye, thank you very much for the chat!
Skye Murphy 18:43
Thank You!
Aoife Glass 18:47
So that was Skye Murphy from Great Big Events. So how did I come to be working with Skye in Glentress at the World Championships? I was asked to be part of the in-venue MC team for the cross country mountain bike events that took place in the Tweed Valley in Scotland as part of the 2023 Cycling World Champs. So this is the first time that all the cycling disciplines - or nearly all the cycling disciplines - had a unified World Champs. So normally like downhill mountain biking has one World Champs in one location at one point in the year. And like the road World Champs will be in another location, time trial in another. So this is the first time that nearly all the disciplines had them together in one place. So I guess it was kind of like the Olympic Games of cycling. And the atmosphere was incredible. There were races happening all across Scotland. So the main hub was in Glasgow, there was downhill in Fort William, there are races happening in Stirling and as I said, the cross country Olympic, short track and marathon events happened in a Tweed Valley.
Aoife Glass 19:50
In the venue in the commentary booth where the absolutely legendary commentators, Dan Jarvis and Randy Ferguson who are experts in mountain biking; they know everyone, they've been doing it for years and they provided a blow by blow account of what was happening out on the racetrack for all the fans who were in the venue. Meanwhile, myself and presenter, general manager of global environmental organisation Protect Our Winters UK Lauren McCullum, plus Stu the cameraman and Skye, were out roaming around the venue. So we were sometimes up in the near the Salmon Ladder feature with the crowds up there or we go off to a section, another section of the track, or we were on the viewing platform overlooking the start finish area. And we recorded video segments that were shown on the huge screens dotted about the venue. And also some live segments while the racing was happening. So there was an awful lot of like, gee-ing the crowd up and you know, 'come on Glentrees! Make some noise!' - that kind of thing. So just you know, bringing the atmosphere and adding a little bit more context from out and about doing a couple of little interviews with people. It was really, really good fun. It was an absolutely incredible experience. Skye, as she mentioned, was the the floor manager and she was a cool, calm, collected professional presence the whole way around. She'd tell us what we needed to do, where we needed to go when we needed to do it and count us in. So for example, we'd hear things like, 'Okay, we're going to be coming to you in for the next segment'. And then Skye would count down like '5, 4, 3...' and gesture two and one, so we didn't hear that on the on the microphones. And then we do our thing. And then she tells us that when we were clear afterwards. Yeah, the first couple of times were really quite stressful. But it was, it was really good fun, it was really good opportunity to try something new. As for the World Champs themselves, at well, at least the mountain biking events. I mean, what was it like, for someone who's like really into mountain biking? It was incredible, actually, to have to have the world's best mountain bikers, or you know, a selection of them, literally riding on the trails, like, near my house. So you're watching like multiple world champions who you are more familiar with watching, you know, on live streams from races in like the US and Europe. And the hill, like ragging round trails that I kind of know, I can definitely assure you that they were doing it way better than I would ever be able to do it. The crowds were incredible. We had huge crowds for the event, they were really positive, really engaging, really, you know, sort of cheering everybody on, everybody was like super happy to be there. It felt like a really, really good atmosphere. And the course itself was pretty technical. They did actually have to make some amendments to sections of it because it was proven to be a little bit too technical in places just for the type of event it was. And so the way the way things were rolling, but it was absolutely incredible to watch these writers. I mean, you see, you see them on camera, right? You see them on screen. And it's not the same as seeing them roll over something right before your eyes because you really get a sense of just how good they are.
Aoife Glass 23:07
So yeah, I absolutely loved it. I would love to do more. To be honest, it was really good fun. And I really, really grateful for the opportunity to give it a go. So I know that Skye will have other events. She's not exclusively mountain biking, coming up that she'll be working on and hopefully our paths will cross in the future because she's an absolute legend, just an absolute pleasure to work with.
Aoife Glass 23:34
So as per usual, I'll put all the links and follows and references in the show notes. Thank you very, very much for listening to spindrift. If you enjoyed it, spread the word let other people know. And in the meantime, happy riding.