Investing for Life Podcast – Tristan Knowles, OAM, Advice Manager, AIA Financial Wellbeing

In this episode of the Investing for Life podcast, host Douglas Isles interviews a guest with one of the more remarkable stories of human courage and conviction.

Tristan Knowles, OAM was just nine years old when he was diagnosed with bone cancer and given a 10% chance of survival. What transpired was Tristan having his leg amputated above the knee, followed by a cancer relapse in his lung at age 11, and then – as a young boy – having to reconcile a future that seemed so different to his dreams of playing AFL for Hawthorn, let alone overcoming the very real prospect of death. 

Despite all these setbacks, Tristan – now Advice Manager at AIA Financial Wellbeing – looks back at life with no regrets. A decorated sportsperson and role model, Tristan went on to win multiple Paralympic and World Championship medals – including three gold – as part of Australia’s successful wheelchair basketball team. 

He is now committed to inspiring others to maintain perspective on life’s many privileges, including helping people secure their own financial and overall wellbeing. In his words: “Life is incredibly valuable. And it can change at the blink of an eye. I had never really forgotten about all the kids that I got to meet at the hospital that weren't as lucky as I was. I want to make sure that I don't waste any opportunity, and live life to the fullest.”

Listen to this powerful conversation to:

• Hear Tristan’s experiences with bone and lung cancer as a child and how, against the odds, he survived through the unwavering support and positivity of his parents; 
• Learn how he harnessed this life-altering experience to pursue new dreams, as a now-accomplished Paralympic and World Championship gold-medal winning athlete;
• Drill down into his experiences playing one of the difficult and physically demanding sports in the world – wheelchair basketball – professionally in Australia and Europe;
• Challenge your perspective and inspire you to look at challenges through a different lens: an opportunity to defy the odds, find deep happiness, and leave no regrets.

Investing for Life is hosted by Douglas Isles, Platinum Asset Management. If you would like to listen to Episode 1, where Douglas introduces the concept behind the Investing for Life podcast series, it can be accessed here. 

Investing professionally requires a long-term focus underpinned by a strong philosophy. At Platinum, three core principles underpin our investment approach: we look for companies that are facing temporary setbacks, investigate long-term change, and avoid the crowd. We believe these same three principles can also be applied to life and lead to better outcomes over the long run.

In this podcast series, Douglas explores each of these three principles with a variety of guests to discover the setbacks they have overcome, the changes they have made to improve their odds of achieving long-term happiness, and how they stand out from the crowd.

Disclaimer: Issued by Platinum Investment Management Limited ABN 25 063 565 006, AFSL 221935. This information is general in nature and does not take into account your specific needs or circumstances. You should consider your own financial position, objectives and requirements and seek professional financial advice before making any financial decisions.