Australian Bull Riding Legend, 50s, Now Wins Boxing Medals

At nine years old, Troy Dunn got thrown from his first calf in a rodeo, smashed his face into the animal's head, and thought it was the best fun he'd ever had. That morning set him on a path to become Australia's greatest bull rider and, decades later, an unlikely boxing champion.

Dunn grew up on his family's cattle property near Mackay, Queensland, where he and his three brothers practiced riding bulls at 6:30 in the morning before breakfast. Between farm chores, he dreamed of riding professionally so he could escape the daily work routine.

By 20, Dunn was competing professionally. Two years later, he won his first Australian title.

His career took him to Canada and the USA, where he faced legendary bulls including Red Wolf, a notoriously dangerous animal involved in a rider's death. Dunn rode him four times, finishing with a 2-2 record that the bull apparently remembered years later.

The peak came in 1998 at the PBR World Finals in Las Vegas. Despite getting thrown off in the first round and having his hip dislocated when the bull stomped him, Dunn won the World Championship. More than 20 years later, he remains the only Australian to claim that title.

Why This Inspires

After retiring in 2005 with a body marked by injuries, Dunn discovered something surprising: boxing felt easier than bull riding. He took up the sport eight years ago to support a friend going through hard times.

Now competing in the Masters division, Dunn has won more than a dozen bouts and claimed silver at the Masters Boxing International World Titles. The sport that makes him more nervous than riding wild bulls has also kept him healthier.

"You're fighting someone pretty much the same weight and age and experience," he explains. "You're not getting your limbs jumped on."

From his cattle property overlooking sugarcane valleys, Dunn now runs riding clinics for young competitors. He's watching closely as 26-year-old Brady Fielder, currently ranked second on the PBR leaderboard, competes for the world title in Fort Worth, Texas this month.

His advice to the next generation captures everything he learned from both sports: "You've only got one shot, you've only got one life, so make it count."