The Dom Harvey Podcast

A quick warning before we get into this episode: this conversation includes discussion around gang life, drug use, childhood sexual abuse, mental health, suicide, and trauma. Please listen with care.

Lee Tepuia is a father of seven, a former Rebels Motorcycle Club member, a 501 deportee, and now a qualified youth worker helping vulnerable young people through the gym he founded in Blenheim called Box on Boxing.
And in 2026 he was awarded a Local Hero medal at the Kiwi Bank New Zealander of the year awards.

But that description barely scratches the surface.

Lee grew up carrying trauma most people could never imagine. He found brotherhood in gang life, spent years building a life in Australia, then had it ripped away when he was detained and deported back to New Zealand under Australia’s 501 laws, despite never being convicted of a crime there.

At his lowest point, Lee says he didn’t want to be here anymore.

But somehow, through boxing, therapy, community, and a decision to finally confront the pain he’d spent decades trying to outrun, he rebuilt his life from the ground up.

What struck me most about this conversation is that Lee doesn’t try to present himself as a saint. He owns his mistakes. He talks openly about addiction, violence, mental health, shame, and the consequences of his choices. But he also talks about redemption, purpose, and what it actually takes to change.

This is not a podcast about glorifying gangs.
It’s a conversation about trauma, survival, accountability, forgiveness, and hope.

Need to talk?

Free call or text 1737 any time for support from a trained counsellor

Lifeline 0800 543 354 or 09 522 2999 or free text 4357 (HELP)

Suicide Prevention Helpline 0508 828 865 (0508 TAUTOK0)

Youthline 0800 376 633 or free text 234

Samaritans 0800 726 666

Aoake Te Rā 0800 000 053 Bereaved by suicide service.


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Frank Bunce is regarded as one of the great All Black Centres of all time.
He first got selected when he was 30 and went on to play 55 tests, including a rugby world cup final.

At the time of recording this episode Frank was on TV in New Zealand on the reality show “Celebrity Treasure Island” so we discuss why, at the age of 64, he agreed to do it. Thanks to the team at TVNZ for helping set this conversation up.

I don’t think Buncey has ever spoken this openly or at this length ever before which makes this episode pretty special.

We talk about Franks journey from growing up in South Auckland with 7 siblings and working on the back of a rubbish truck to the world stage, representing both Samoa and the All Blacks and being part of the transformational shift from amateur rugby to the professional era.

There are some incredible rugby stories here- including his very special relationship with Jonah Lomu and Eric Rush and his love-hate relationship with coach Laurie Mains. But this episode goes far beyond sport.

Frank opens up about aging, identity, fatherhood, friendship, grief, retirement, and the emotional challenges that come when elite sport suddenly disappears.
This is a reflective and also very funny conversation with one of New Zealand sport’s great characters.
*****

Massive thanks to my long-term podcast sponsor, Generate.

We’ve all got that one mate who’s convinced they’ve worked out how to beat the market, usually with a lot of confidence and no actual expertise.
So, here's your reminder not to get caught up in the noise and trust the real investment experts at Generate.
I sat down with a Generate KiwiSaver adviser when they came on as sponsor in 2023, and it was one of those conversations that made me think, why didn’t I do this earlier?

A Generate adviser can help you figure out what fund type is best suited to your KiwiSaver goals.

Start planning now! Book a no cost chat with an adviser at generatekiwisaver.co.nz/dom

The issuer of the scheme is Generate Investment Management Limited. To see their PDS and Financial Advice Provider info see generatekiwisaver.co.nz/disclosures.

Past performance does not guarantee future returns.
And remember, I’m not a financial adviser, so this is just general information. I recommend getting expert advice before making any financial decisions.
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Flynn Chisholm, or as he is known by his 121,000 Instagram followers, "Fizzy Sends" is the New Zealand record holder in a breath-taking activity known as “death diving.”

He is also a speed climber. And at this time of releasing this episode he is about to attempt a record for the most pull ups.

Flynn is one of New Zealand’s most exciting extreme athletes.
In this podcast, Flynn shares the mindset, discipline, and faith behind a sport that most people (me included) don’t understand and can’t even comprehend.

Some of the stuff we discuss includes:

+ What death diving actually is. And why it’s growing worldwide
+ The mental process before stepping off a 40m cliff
+ How he assesses risk before taking each jump.
+ Why he doesn’t read comments and how he handles criticism
+ The injuries he’s faced (including temporary blindness and concussions) And much more.

This is one of those episodes where you will hopefully get a greater understanding about something you may not known much about.


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Phil Smith is one of the most influential figures in New Zealand television.
You may not know the name, but you most definitely know some of his shows: The Casketeers, The Lion Man, One Lane Bridge, and the Jeremy Wells show Eating Media Lunch. Content that’s not just popular, but culturally iconic.

I’ve known Phil socially for a number of years now, and I just thought he was a cool guy who’d had a solid behind-the-scenes career in TV. What I didn’t realise is just how wild his story actually is:

Like working in Africa as a journalist and being caught in gunfire.

Getting arrested and locked up in Africa for a week, then pretty much dumped at the border with nowhere to go.

Living with THE Jane Goodall for a month and getting life advice from her over glasses of scotch.

We also get into how he went from all of that to working with Sir Paul Holmes at his peak, building and selling a company in his early 30s and creating some of New Zealand’s most successful TV shows.

This episode goes everywhere. It’s part war story, part business lesson, part creative deep dive… and somehow still just feels like a chat with a really intriguing Kiwi.
***

Massive thanks to my long-term podcast sponsors, Generate.
Generate is an award-winning KiwiSaver provider with a track record of delivering strong long-term returns for their clients- you can see their latest returns for yourself on their website.
I became a client when they came on board as the show sponsor and it’s been a gamechanger for me personally- I’m kicking myself for not doing it years earlier.
You can book a no obligation chat with one of their awesome KiwiSaver advisers at generatekiwisaver.co.nz/dom
The issuer of the scheme is Generate Investment Management Limited. To see their Product disclosure statement see generatekiwisaver.co.nz/pds
Past performance does not guarantee future returns.
And just a reminder — everyone’s situation is different, so I recommend getting expert advice before making any financial decisions.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Bariz Shah is a husband and father, an engineer and a community leader. He was named 2021 Muslim New Zealander of the Year and he is also the author of a great book called Beyond Hope.

But before all of this, he was a convicted criminal who was sentenced to 3 years and 2 months in jail.

This podcast is a small part of his story. The story of a kid who came to New Zealand as a refugee, went completely off the rails as a teenager - eventually ending up in prison at 18 - and has managed to do a full 180 and completely turn his life around.

Bariz opens up about growing up between Afghanistan, Pakistan and New Zealand, dealing with abuse and identity struggles, and how that led him down an incredibly negative path.

We talk about his self-destructive spiral which ended up with time in prison. And the moment he decided he was never going back.
We also get into how he rebuilt his life from scratch… studying engineering, finding his faith, and eventually launching a project to honour the victims of the Christchurch Mosque attacks.

There’s a lot in this one: redemption, forgiveness, discipline, faith… and some pretty confronting stories along the way.

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