Motivation Quote by Stuart Appleby

There’s a whole class story smuggled into that offhand line. Appleby frames his origin as “the bush” not just as geography, but as a social position: rural, distant, and implicitly outside the polished corridors where professional sport feels preordained. Watching Greg Norman on TV is the aspirational spark, but the second clause - “it was a world away” - punctures any easy myth of inspiration-as-destiny. The subtext is that belief isn’t the hard part; access is.

Norman, the Shark, was more than a golfer in late-’80s and ’90s Australia. He was a glossy export product: charisma, sponsorships, global success. For a kid far from elite coaching, tournament circuits, and moneyed club culture, that image arrives like a postcard from a different country. Appleby’s phrasing makes TV feel like both bridge and barrier: it delivers the dream in high definition while emphasizing the invisible infrastructure he doesn’t have. The “world away” isn’t just distance to the nearest course; it’s the gap between watching a game and being allowed to imagine yourself inside it.

What makes the quote work is its refusal to romanticize struggle. It’s not “I saw it and knew I’d make it.” It’s “I saw it and understood how far I was.” That honesty carries a quiet edge: Australian sport loves egalitarian folklore, but golf has always been a game where postcode, not grit, can decide your starting line.