Steve Callaghan is a prominent Warrnambool businessman who has a passion for running and cycling. He goes Under the Auld Pump with Tim Auld.
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AT A GLANCE
Born: In Warrnambool on February 28, 1969.
Wife: Jenny. Children: William and Matthew.
Parents: Brian and Clare. Siblings: Sarah, Emma and Kate.
Education: Our Lady Help Of Christians Primary School before going to Warrnambool's CBC which is now Emmanuel College.
Sporting highlight: Being able to play various sports.
Before, we talk about your sporting exploits, I thought I better wish you a happy birthday for Wednesday. Any big plans to celebrate your 56th birthday?
No. It's going to be a low-key event. I may go out for tea with my wife Jenny but it'll be pretty quiet.
Was footy one of the first sports that you played?
Yes. I played in the junior ranks for CBC Red and then CBC Green. I can still remember playing for CBC Red when they were premiers.
We had some handy players including Glen McKenzie and Andrew Dowd. I had limited ability as a footballer you could say.
I could jump and run all day but I struggled to get the ball. My sporting career changed to running after I failed as a footballer.
I would run in 1500-metre events plus three-kilometre and five-kilometre races. I competed in the under-20 Victoria Country Championships in the five and 10-kilometre events.
Paul Glynn, who was one of the teachers at CBC, started coaching me in cross country running.
I spent four years studying accounting at Warrnambool's Deakin University from 1987 and in that time l started running in inter-club events with the Keilor-St Bernard Club in Melbourne through the influence of Paul Glynn.
I had moved to Melbourne for work opportunities in 1991 so I got more time to compete in those events with Keilor-St Bernard's.
I had five years working in Melbourne and one of those jobs was with Preston Motors in Essendon for one year.
We'll come back to your running career shortly but what was it like working for Preston Motors in Essendon, especially after your family had been so heavily involved in the car industry in Warrnambool?
It was an extremely big dealership. It was like I was doing a traineeship. I found it very interesting as I wanted to learn as much about the car industry from a different dealership.
I learnt a hell of a lot in new cars, used cars and the parts department in my year there before coming back to Warrnambool in 1996.
My dad Brian was still in charge of the business when I came back home and I ended up taking over in 2004.
It was a big job to take over from Brian as he was highly respected on so many fronts within the business, the car trade and in the local community.
Steve, it must have been a big move for the business to leave the Fairy Street site and go out the highway?
It was a big move. The move was a sad day but we had no other option as we were grid-locked in Fairy Street and had nowhere else to grow the business so we had to take up the option of moving to the highway.
The move has proven to be the correct one as we've really grown the business in the last few years. We've got 70 workers on our books and in that number 63 are full-time workers.
We're very lucky to have great staff. The car industry is like lots of other businesses - it's extremely competitive and you've got to try and be in front of the game.
You've just got to move with the times and adapt to the changes that occur.
Let's go back to sport for a minute - you moved back to Warrnambool in 1996, did you keep on running?
Yes. I suppose one of my favourite running events was going to Stawell. I ran at Stawell for five years in different races, ranging in distance from 1600 metres to 3200 metres.
The atmosphere at Stawell for the Easter weekend carnival was quite amazing. It's always a great event. My running career came to an end in 2005 as my body was showing wear and tear.
Did you take up another sport?
Yes. Callaghan's used to be next to the Country Life Deli in Fairy Street and I would often be there having a bite of lunch.
It would be back in 2014 and I got talking to Robert King, Shane Wilson and Nigel Kol and they're avid bike riders and they said I should buy a bike and join in the early morning bike rides.
Over the years, I've taken part in various rides including the Murray to Moyne on a few occasions and I've ridden from Devonport to Cradle Mountain in Tasmania. That was a tough ride but really enjoyable.
This Saturday, I'll be taking part in another ride called the Big Ride which is pretty close to my heart.
What's the Big Ride all about?
It's a fundraising ride for Big Life. Big Life operates in eight local schools (Warrnambool College, Brauer College, Warrnambool West Primary School, Woolsthorpe Primary School, Grassmere Primary School, Koroit Primary School, Merrivale Primary School and Woodford Primary School) working to create strong minds to stop bad mental health outcomes in kids.
Schools pay for half of the program and Warrnambool Students Wellbeing Association the other half.
We need to raise at least $300,000 per year and are supported by the local generosity of individuals, philanthropic trusts, churches and the Big Ride is the main fundraiser.
How many cyclists are taking part in the 2024 Big Ride?
We've got 65 cyclists riding. The first of four groups leaves from the South Melbourne Market at 3am and the last group sets off at 5.30am. We have it that the slowest group starts first at 3am and the plan is the ride will be finished at Warrnambool's Lake Pertobe between 3pm and 3.30pm on Saturday afternoon.
We raised $141,000 last year from the ride and we're hoping to raise more this year. From the 65 cyclists this year, 20 are from Warrnambool and district and we've been training hard for months to ensure we can finish the charity fundraising ride.
There are 24 volunteers who make up the support crew for the ride and believe me, we need all of them.
