A Brief Background of my Sporting Lifestyle - Cradle to 60

Part 1 - A brief history of my past Active Lifestyle and Sports

Kid and Teen

I Grew up in Melbourne, Victoria, in the Western Suburbs of Footscray and Sunshine, later married and moved to Werribee to start a family. But growing up, i was always attracted to the YMCA, in particular, Gymnastics, in which I competed competitively from age 8 to 21. This i believe shaped a physical foundation in my growing years and prepared me strength and flexibility wise for other future sports. Up until 19, i trained under Aussie Olympian David Gourley, the only Aussie ever to win a medal at Gymnastics. Under David i won a few State and National medals, but then the YMCA fell onto difficult times and i moved onto Collegians Grammar Gymnastic club in Prahran. There under European coach Johan Kunzel, i had the opportunity to train and be available for team selection for the 1972 Munich Olympics, unfortunately, due to the lack of Gov money and Australia's poor Standard of Gymnastics compared to the rest of the World at the time, no Team was selected and only 1 Woman and 2 Men were sent to compete as individuals, one from our Club, Peter Lloyd. Pete was the best Gymnast in OZ, but still only finished 97th out of 100 in the individual tally, such was our poor level of ability.

Moving on, 21 to 35

Disappointment in the future of Gymnastics at that time, i quit and found myself attracted to the ocean lifestyle, in particular, surfing. What a change from the rigorous discipline of Gymnastics, i lapped it up and like many others my age, discovered booze, joints, magic mushrooms and surfer chicks. Oh what wonderful memories of Torquay, the Great Ocean Road and beyond, it's beaches and breaks, such fun. Before long, thanks to Surfer Magazine images and the lifestyle they portrayed, travel loomed very large in my mind. Visions of Cactus Bay, Margaret River and the Southern beaches around Esperance saw me packing the old Holden HR Panel van and on a second trip the following year, the HT Wagon and venturing across the then unsealed Highways to Western Australia's
playgrounds.

Somewhere in my booze fuelled early twenties, i discovered water skiing, I'd not lost my love of the Ocean and would rediscover it many years later, but for now, water skiing, barefoot skiing and ski boat ownership took priority and eventually led to Jet Skis.

Fast forward a few years, past getting hitched (married) a couple of Billy Lids (kids) and putting down roots in Werribee with firstly a little house at Wyndham Vale and then a large house on 1 Acre at Hoppers Crossing, i discovered weight training. Started building all sorts of contraptions in my big shed and soon was pumping iron and air loaded machines like a madman. I had no idea what i was doing and never seemed to gain any muscles, but i did look the part in my REPS Magazine "barely there" stringer T shirt and Lycra Bike pants.

35 - 40

Then it happened, the big economic downturn we had to have so we were told. Goodbye houses, 3 businesses, 7 cars including an XJS 2 door 12 Cylinder Jag, Toyota MR2, one ski boat, 2 Honda Odysseys, 1 Jet Ski, 1 Caravan, 1 Yamaha Trail Bike, mountains of Gym Equipment and Tools and tons of other stuff. This was life changing and you know what, i didn't give rats arse 'cos i was moving the family to warmer places and leaving all that shit behind me. Mooloolaba Queensland, here we come, 1 Holden Gemini 2 Kids, a Missus a boot full of belongings...including my REPS stringer.....they ( the bank) weren't getting that...haha.

So here i was in 1989 sitting on the rock wall of the Mooloolah River at Mooloolaba (yes they're real names) contemplating my future when cries of "Hut-Hoe" pierced the air and a sleek canoe with six buffed blokes paddled past in the direction of the Ocean..... Bingo, just like that i knew I'd found my new Sport .... the love of the Ocean all came flooding back to me.

The Outrigger Canoeing Years and beyond

Doug Sculler was the name .. and yes, the Mooloolaba Outrigger Clubs President could drink too as well as paddle, he put me in a Masters crew and there i spent the next 20 years of my Sporting Lifestyle competing, travelling and pissing up with the superstars of the Outrigger Paddling Community. Won a few National Titles, both individual and team events and rediscovered fitness, six day a week training and thanks to my team mates, after event hangovers. Eventually explored other paddling Challenges like the Red Cross Murray River Marathon as it was know then, a 404k five day race from Yarrawonga to Swan Hill in 40-50 degree C heat. My 2 Person Outrigger canoe partner, local Copper Rod Clark and i eventually won our division and 2nd overall in the Full Distance Event, but flat water paddling wasn't for me, the Ocean was calling again, so i left Rod at McDonalds choking on his Big Mac and headed home.

So the next Adventure was slightly different, similar distance but from Australia's mainland to Tasmania paddling on my beloved Ocean, yes the mighty Bass Strait Crossing for Cancer Research. What an awesome trip to do, many never get the opportunity, i was one of the fortunate few.

My Life after Competitive Paddling

Not much happened for a few years after that, i travelled and filmed some Ocean Events, Hawaii, Tahiti, USA, Italy, Kong Kong, etc but infrequently paddled myself. As a consequence, with my advancing age, my fitness and general health suffered with the lack of regular exercise and the good nutrition that usually accompanies it. Medically diagnosed IBS and Leaky Gut eventually lead me to get off my ass and regain the health and fitness I'd had most of my life. I'd gained 4kg over the years, not a lot, but on my usually lean frame looked pudgy. 

So at age 60 i knew i had to start looking at diet first of all, so ditched all the processed foods for Healthy Whole Food, no grains, no sugar, no starchy carbohydrates, no soda drinks. Four months later my weight was down to 70kg from 74kg and my 5 year suffering with IBS and Leaky Gut was gone. This triggered something in me, a deep desire to learn all i could about Nutrition, the Human Metabolism and how coupled with weight training could spare the ageing process, regain the strength of my 30's and 40's and allow participation in activities with my GrandKids for years to come, not just watch them do stuff. So after a year of just Good Nutrition, i finally started weight training in Dec 2014 in a Home Gym I'd put together in my garage. Unfortunately the trusty old REPS Magazine Stringer was no more, but that was fine, i could train all year round in Qld in board shorts and thongs (flip flops, Jandels, footwear) NOT that "Borat Green Undies thong" the first thing people think of.

So my Lifting Journey started.

And that's where i leave Part 1 of this little story, Part 2 will continue with all the good stuff.



Part 2 and beyond will be :


My Program

My Results
My Struggles
My Motivation
My Nutrition
My Future Goals
My Realisations and what I've learned about the Health and Fitness Industry
My Mentors and Coach
My Mostly DIY Home Gym Equipment
My Current Health and Blood Markers
My Life Extension and Quality of Life Techniques.

Stay tuned
Rambo
Aka Ramboscie
Aka Silver Fang Bang
Aka Master Roshie
and any of the other comparisons made of me... :-)