What’s the key to fusing sport and education? “You can’t burn the candle at both ends”. That’s the message from New Zealand middle distance runner, Simon Rogers. An undergraduate in the United States of America, a Masters student in New Zealand and now pursuing a PhD in Australia, the 1500m track runner understands what it … Continue reading Fusing Sport and Education.
Athletes from Table Tennis and Fencing explain what drew them to their sports. Sport often conjures ideas of brawn, muscle or innate talent. But not all sports are won and lost with physicality. Some sports, such as table tennis, require athletes to think rapidly, react and strategize during competition. At 28 year’s old, this will … Continue reading Melding mind with body: Table Tennis & Fencing
What is it like to visit a village brimming with athletes from around the globe? It’s a wave of colour, energy and enthusiasm. National flags hang from 34 tall buildings in this years Athlete Village, located in in Linkou District, New Taipei City. This home-away-from-home for over 7,000 athletes, coaches and support staff features a … Continue reading Life Inside the World University Games Athlete Village
The room is brimming with gladiators. The air is tense, clouded by emotion and feverish excitement. My armour is slick and black, it presses in to my skin. I give my countries name and watch as the official scratches a pen through the page. The marshal bellows from atop the staircase, we are to follow her to … Continue reading The Commonwealth Games: 4×100 Freestyle Relay
The anticipation starts during the drive. We listen to the radio as it crackles one last song before succumbing to silence, the only sound bounces from brilliantly green trees flanking the road. The car snakes around perilous bends, cushioned between the mountainous walls of the Waitakere Ranges. Without warning it happens. The road banks wildly to the right, … Continue reading The Most Beautiful Place in the World
Unraveling your own definition of success. Intrinsic motivation is an enviable trait. Most of us know at least one person with an internal furnace that keeps them burning with ambition; with an insatiable appetite for attaining goals, however wild or alternative they may be. Intrinsically motivated people aren’t afraid to work in the dark. They … Continue reading Success & Perspective: How you define success is important.
Going out sober can be hard. It shouldn't be, but when the norm is liquid obliteration and rounds of shots, deciding to go against the grain can be a challenge. Even the thought of going out sober can spike a little anxiety in people. "I'd be so awkward!" "Everyone would think I was lame" "Alcohol … Continue reading Top Tips to Employ When Heading Out Sober
Entering an ocean swim event can be a daunting decision. Especially for people accustomed to lap swimming. The stark difference in visibility, turbulence and size can be intimidating. But these differences are what makes ocean swim events so exciting and gratifying. If you're about to take the leap and enter an ocean swim event, there … Continue reading 5 Tips for Ocean Swim Beginners
Swimmers are almost always near-naked, so confidence is something that requires constant cultivation and attention. I still remember walking onto pool deck at my first ever international competition. Hundreds of athletes, prepped and primed for a week of racing; backs rippling, calves bulging, it’s an intimidating environment if you let the mind wander. And mine was … Continue reading The Importance Of Your Digital Diet
I despise the word 'diet'. To me it implies something fleeting, temporary and unsustainable. I can understand the appeal of diets and their necessity in certain situations, such as when athletes need to shed kilo's quickly for a weight class in sports or be stage ready for body building. My preference when it comes to food … Continue reading Eating for Success VS Restricting to Excess