In this conversation, we sit down with Matt Moore, the dynamic host of Search4Hurt Season 4, which is now airing on Channel 7.
Matt, a veteran in the obstacle course racing (OCR) community and the founder of One Moore Rep, Australia’s largest OCR coaching organisation, shares his journey from competitor to coach and host.
With the show making its big comeback, Matt opens up about what viewers can expect this season, the evolution of hybrid athletes, and the rewarding experiences he’s had both on and off the course.
Matt, with Search4Hurt making its big comeback, what are you most excited for viewers to experience this season, especially after being away for a few years?
With the introduction of sports like Hyrox and Deka, Hybrid athletes have come a long way in 10 years. Viewers can expect to see athletes who have spent their lives training to be badasses in many areas and that will make for some very exciting moments when you see these guys throwing down in events.
You’ve been a part of the obstacle course racing (OCR) community for a long time. What inspired you to start One Moore Rep, and how has it grown to become Australia’s largest OCR coaching organisation?
Like many others in the space, I started by getting off the lounge and running an event that I was hopelessly unprepared for. After having my ass handed to me in a Spartan race at Picton NSW in 2016, I was hooked on the sport.
I think if you’re passionate about something that’s half the battle. I became addicted to helping others level up and really see the benefits of the “Manufactured Adversity” that comes from crazy endurance sports.
Taking people through crazy events gives them confidence in themselves that spills over to every aspect of their lives. It’s really rewarding for me to see my athletes not only finish on a podium but also have the courage to ask for a job promotion or start their own business as a result of that new found confidence.
Having coached so many athletes through tough challenges, what do you think is the key to successfully training for events like those featured on Search4Hurt?
These athletes really need to be ready to handle anything thrown at them, so the key would be to try to get good at a few disciplines. Work out what your strengths are and polish them up but also don’t neglect your weaknesses.
A strong weightlifter will get good results from adding some cardio and a mobility practice like yoga. Instead of trying to be a specialist, become an expert generalist. Ultimately it’s doing the work too, there’s no shortcuts, you just have to do the work and you have to do it again the next day and the day after that.
Do you ever miss the intense training and competing yourself, or do you find coaching others to be just as rewarding, if not more?
They are both rewarding in different ways. I still throw my hat in the ring at events here and there but I’ve found more fulfilment in getting athletes results. Often if I set myself a personal target it will be a challenge that I will set for myself like carrying a log around an enduro course, running an event in a preposterous costume or weight vest or some other way that I can challenge myself while inspiring others and maybe cheering people up on race day.
For someone looking to get into obstacle course racing, what advice would you give them to get started and stay motivated, especially if they’re new to the sport?
Lean into the community, there’s heaps of passionate people in the space, try to mix your training up with running, grip strength and pulling work. If you have good awareness of your own body and limitations then train to eliminate your weaknesses, get as strong as you need to be to get the obstacles done then focus on work capacity, running volume and pace after that while keeping yourself uninjured. If you don’t have that self awareness or what I just said doesn’t make sense then get a coach to help you.
The endurance events on Search4Hurt are designed to push participants to their limits. Which of these events do you think tested the contestants the most, both physically and mentally?
The interesting thing about this question is that if you asked all of our contestants, you’d probably get different answers and that’s the beauty of hybrid sports. People have different strengths and weaknesses. I would say on paper the event that would have challenged me personally the most would have been the backyard ultra.
You’ve built a strong reputation in the OCR community. What’s been one of your proudest moments as a coach or athlete, whether it’s from your time on Search4Hurt or your work with One Moore Rep?
I’ve had quite a few amazing highlights over the years, from personal achievements to clients winning events. Running over 100km in the 24hr Enduro World Champs in 2019 and finding out I ran the last 20km on a fractured leg was probably a high point as crazy as that sounds. It really set a bar for what I could push through if I needed to.
I would say taking clients on adventure holidays to Thailand in 2022 and 2023 for quite a few of them to become champions in their divisions at the Spartan APAC championships in Phuket would be some of my proudest moments as a coach.
