Delighted with Down Under 2 - the fitness culture
Anytime Fitness is the name of a Gym chain in Sydney. There could not have been a more apt name reflective of the Aussies.
Fitness and sports are a 24/7 activity for the Aussies. You take a walk in any global city - New York, London, Mumbai- you would see people of all shapes- the fat, the emaciated, the obese, the reed-thin, and some supremely fit.
A walk in Australia is different. Everyone - the young, the old; the male, the female; the white Caucasian, the Chinese looks fit. On a lighter note - the only pot-bellied we could see were Indian tourists.
And, they love running - early morning, afternoon, evening, or night - you can always catch someone running. You see them running on streets, on the main roads, near the wharves, in the national parks, near monuments (near the Opera house there were either tourists or fitness enthusiasts), literally everywhere.
The city is sprinkled with gyms - maybe an exaggeration but for every convenience store, we felt we found one gym. In a very expensive city, the Gym fees seemed extremely reasonable. At a monthly fee of AUD 80 (Rs 4500 per month), it was significantly lower than Indian gyms.
In this inspiring milieu, I considered myself lucky that I could participate in the Sydney Half Marathon. here, the fitness culture presented itself in all its glory. What I observed in India was that the number of 10 KM run participants significantly outnumber those of the half marathon. The reverse seemed true in Sydney.
There was a huge mass of runners looking fit and raring to go.
The run was also a lesson in how competition impacts you. While running in India, the number of athletes trailing me was significantly higher than the number ahead - lulling me into complacency. In Sydney, the number ahead was significantly higher, propelling/compelling me to accelerate.
While I was running, one man stood out. He would have been in his seventies. Tall, sprightly with no ounce of fat. While I was running/ jogging - he was just walking. He overtook me at some point in time and then kept the lead throughout.
Through ups and downs (the total elevation was 305 meters ( almost 100 floors) over 21 Km) this man did not stop nor slowed down. To me, he epitomized the “any-time fitness” spirit of Australia.
Hope you are enjoying reading this, will share more stories on Australia in the coming weeks.
Photos - athletes getting ready to run in the SHM and a scenic view captured while running.
