Out of the Box
About this episode
The episode tells the story of Reg Spiers, an Australian javelin thrower who resorted to smuggling to return home after failing to qualify for the Olympics.
In 1964, one of the best javelin throwers in Australia traveled to England to see if he could qualify for the Olympics. But, because of an injury, he didn’t make the team - and he couldn’t afford a plane ticket home. So he came up with an idea while working a cargo job at Heathrow Airport: “I saw them shipping animals. And I thought, well, if the dogs can survive it, I could.” Marcus and Julie McSorley’s book about Reg Spiers is Out of the Box: The Highs and Lows of a Champion Smuggler. This episode was originally released in 2023. Say hello on Facebook, Instagram and TikTok. Sign up for our occasional newsletter. Follow the show and review us on Apple Podcasts. Sign up for Criminal Plus to get behind-the-scenes bonus episodes of Criminal, ad-free listening of all of our shows, invitations to virtual events, special merch deals, and more. We also make This is Love and Phoebe Reads a Mystery. Artwork by Julienne Alexander. Check out our online shop. Episode transcripts are posted on our website. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Topics covered
- javelin throwing
- Olympics
- smuggling
- sports injury
- Australia
- England
Keywords
- Reg Spiers
- javelin thrower
- smuggling
- Olympics
- 1964
- Australia
- England
Mentioned in this episode
Organizations: Vox Media Podcast Network
Books & works: Out of the Box: The Highs and Lows of a Champion Smuggler
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