Wanderlust: Expat Life & Style in Thailand April / May 2015 - The Health & Wellness Issue | Page 10
Fashion & Style
HAVE YOU ALWAYS BEEN
ATHLETIC?
If you grow up in Australia, sport
is in your blood. Not a day went
by when sport wasn’t there.
It was my religion. I was constantly
training for multiple sports—swimming, gymnastics, netball—just
to name a few!
WHAT DO YOU LOVE ABOUT
SPORTS?
I love the competitiveness and
the feeling of improving, achieving, and getting stronger. It was
a must for me to push myself to be the best I could be. I wanted to make myself proud and make
my parents proud. I loved the happiness that would come from
seeing my parents excited and enjoying the ride along with me.
ARE YOU MORE INTO
INDIVIDUAL OR TEAM SPORTS?
Individual sports teach
you to motivate yourself from
the inside, and this can sometimes
be a selfish act. You control
everything and are responsible
for the outcome. Some people
don’t enjoy this, but I did.
On the other hand, team sports
are just as exciting and important,
and there is nothing better than
sharing success with those who
have trained just as hard as
you and who understand what
it has taken to get there.
ASIDE FROM FITNESS,
WHAT DO YOU THINK
IS THE GREATEST BENEFIT
OF PLAYING SPORTS?
Playing sport is so good for your
physical health, but it’s just
as important for your mental
health. It gives you an opportunity
to clear your head. Things always
look brighter after a good workout!
HAVE YOU EVER SUSTAINED
AN INJURY?
No one playing sport is immune
to injuries, and I’m no exception.
After 28 years of sport, I succumbed
to my first major injury. While
playing netball in Bangkok, I went
up for an intercept and came down
and landed on my extended knee.
As a result of the landing, I tore
8 WANDERLUST
my ACL in half. This is a common
injury amongst netballers and
footballers. It takes a long time
to recover from an ACL injury, often
requiring 12 months of rehabilitation.
IN WHICH STAGE OF RECOVERY
ARE YOU NOW?
It’s been about five months since
I had my knee reconstruction
to repair the torn ligament.
It has been extremely tough
and has required a lot of hard work,
countless exercises, and support
from family and friends.
Some of the simplest things
I took for granted—like
walking, jumping, and climbing
stairs—I have had to relearn
from scratch. I’ve learned that
recovering from an injury tests your
mental ability and self-discipline.
You have to take things slowly.
It’s tempting to resume normal
activity prematurely, but that
will only lead to longer recovery
time. When it comes to figuring
out if you’ve pushed yourself too far,
you are the best judge for your
own body, and you need to listen
to yourself!
WHAT ADVICE DO YOU HAVE
FOR PEOPLE WHO WANT
TO GET INTO SPORT?
Sport is something that
can seem daunting,
especially if you haven’t been
the sporting type. But you know
what? We all had to learn at some
stage. The great thing is sport
is for absolutely everyone—
short, tall, slow, fast, beginner
and advanced.
Your attitude
determines
your direction
It can be as simple as playing
backyard cricket with the family,
football on the beach with mates,
or watching a live game of your
favorite sporting team. Sport has
the power to bring emotions you
thought you never had, from the
total exhilaration of winning a grand
final to the absolute devastation
of losing one. That’s why sporty types
love it and why they come back
for more.
If you want to get into sport, just
go for it! Start with something
you might like to learn or think
you would enjoy. Watch a YouTube
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