Life Matters - Full program podcast Reimagining boyhood and launching childhood dreams with astronaut Katherine Bennell-Pegg
Mar 25, 2026
Luke Bateman, former NRL player turned writer who speaks on healthy masculinity; Professor James Smith, adolescent health expert focused on positive masculinities; Catherine Bennell-Pegg, astronaut-trained director advocating STEM and Australian space efforts. They discuss reimagining boyhood, strengths-based approaches and community roles. Conversations then shift to astronaut pathways, training, national space involvement and inspiring kids toward STEM.
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Being The 12 Year Old You Needed
- Luke Bateman aims to be the 12-year-old version of himself he never had, modelling emotional expression and validation.
- He describes growing up on a farm steeped in hyper-masculinity and rejecting parts of himself until years of unlearning.
Use Group Activities To Boost Wellbeing
- Foster group-based activities that combine peer discussion and role modelling to improve wellbeing.
- James Smith cites evidence that social connection and shared rites of passage help adolescent male health.
Teach Dads To Be Curiously Supportive
- Empower fathers and male role models to practice curiosity and healthy listening when boys open up.
- Jed Moriarty recommends working with dads so they can hold emotionally supportive conversations rather than avoid them.