Focusing on long-term, sustainable sports development
Sport has taken me across the world, introduced me to extraordinary people, and shaped who I am. It gave me the grit and resilience to navigate life’s hardest chapters and at times, it quite literally saved my life.
Today, as a sports infrastructure specialist, I’m on a mission to transform how sport is delivered at every level. I don’t just build better facilities, I create environments where people and communities can thrive. But to understand why this work means so much to me, you need to know where I’ve come from.
Early Days on the Court (and Field… and Pitch)
I’ve never been good at sitting still. Growing up in regional Australia, I was immersed in every sport I could access, running, jumping, hitting, chasing, and constantly learning. I picked up squash on the courts of Byron Bay, captivated by its speed, intensity, and strategy. That led to triathlon, where, after just two races, I was already competing in major national events.
Even then, something didn’t feel quite right. I could train hard and push through pain, but I often faded in the final stages. I chalked it up to effort or fitness. Decades later, I’d discover the real reason: a congenital heart defect.
Before heading to France to race professionally as a triathlete, I completed a carpentry apprenticeship, a decision I’ve never regretted. At 17, I was managing multi-million-dollar rebuilds, including earthquake-damaged commercial sites in Newcastle. It taught me how to lead teams, coordinate trades, and deliver quality under pressure, skills that would later prove invaluable.
The Squash Chapter – Competing and Coaching Worldwide
Eventually, I committed fully to squash, often called “chess on legs.” It demands endurance, split-second decision-making, and absolute focus. I played professionally in Europe, the U.S., and across the globe, reaching #1 in the Belgian League, achieving a world ranking of #125, and securing wins over several top-ten players, all while unknowingly managing a serious heart condition.
Squash is unique, global, inclusive, and deeply personal. You don’t need a team or stadium, just a racket, a wall, and someone willing to play. That simplicity made it the perfect platform for everything that followed.
Racquet Sports I’ve Played (Extensively)
Redefining Squash in the U.S.
In the early 1990s, I moved to the U.S. just as squash was undergoing a major transformation. At the time, it was still an elite hardball sport, exclusive and inaccessible. Alongside a group of visionaries, I helped usher in the international softball version, expanding coaching access, widening courts to meet global standards, and supporting grassroots development programs.
That evolution helped squash become the Olympic-recognised sport it is today, and I’m proud to have contributed to that transformation.
During this period, I became Head Professional at U.S. clubs including the Greenwich Field Club and Greenwich Country Club and later at the Galway Lawn Tennis Club in Ireland. I coached and advised a diverse group from Wall Street executives and celebrities to members of the Bush family and the Winklevoss twins.
Between running youth programs and consulting on public court conversions, I also launched one of the U.S.’s first squash camps. I’d coach all day, catch a train into New York to consult or play, then return to reshape club operations. I once played a celebrity doubles match with Peter Briggs (USA Hardball legend) against baseball Hall-of-Famers Tom Seaver and Craig Swan. Life was full throttle.
As my consulting expanded, I began working with leaders beyond sport, including leadership workshops for Goldman Sachs executives and off-site leadership with thinkers like Tony Buzan, the inventor of mind mapping.
It was during this time that I discovered climate-controlled domes, used in New York to cover tennis courts during winter. That moment sparked an idea I would later bring to life in Australia, a scalable solution for flexible, year-round sport access.
From Pro to Project Specialist
A torn bicep in Mexico marked the end of my playing career. After time in Ireland, I returned to Australia and shifted my focus to sports facility innovation.
But my health was worsening. After years of symptoms, I was finally diagnosed: bicuspid valve, enlarged aorta, high risk. I had spent decades unknowingly training on the edge.
In parallel, I launched Blu Project Management, working with private, government, and mining sector clients on facility upgrades. Again and again, I saw underutilised venues with poor programming, limited community impact, and outdated business models.
So I took over a struggling Melbourne facility and ran a pilot. Within 10 months, revenue increased by 285%. We introduced a golf simulator, padbol court, bar, gym, and completely reimagined the experience. I also founded Todd Bowden High Performance, training athletes in squash, AFL, AFLW, tennis, and golf to improve performance under fatigue, contributing to elite draft picks, tour wins, and premiership success.
Then Came the Heart Attack
It happened on the beach in Mooloolaba with my kids.
Two weeks in hospital gave me the answer I’d long sought: I wasn’t weak, I was sick. I was told to stop all physical activity. It felt like a death sentence.
I spiralled. Emotionally. Mentally. I chased second opinions and was finally offered a revolutionary surgery, PEARS, a digitally customised external aortic support. It was new, risky, and it saved my life.
What followed were some of the darkest years of my life: isolation, uncertainty, repeated hospitalisations, and mental health battles. I was admitted three times with suicidal thoughts and tried every recovery method available.
Eventually, it was breathwork and meditation that helped me heal. I found stillness. I found myself.
Rebuilding, Reimagining Sport
I recommitted to my purpose. I travelled. I worked with Indigenous communities in Far North Queensland. I found clarity.
Today, I lead Todd Bowden Project Management (TBPM) with a clear mission: to reimagine sports infrastructure as more than functional as essential spaces for growth, connection, and belonging.
Our operational model focuses on four pillars:
I have partnered with Yeadon Domes to bring climate-controlled dome technology to Australia, unlocking cost-effective, weatherproof, multi-sport delivery across schools, mining towns, and community hubs.
What Drives Me Today
This journey was never about medals or recognition. It’s about resilience, reinvention, and creating meaningful impact.
Sport changed my life. It gave me identity when I had none. It gave me purpose when I needed it most. Now, I build the spaces where others can find the same.
And I’m only just getting started.
“It’s never just about sport or competition. Real impact comes from the people, the energy, the culture built around it.”
