From the desk of Roland Rocchiccioli – 23 August

I like good television! Sadly, too much of what is screened turns the mind to milk. Ninja Warrior is one of my favourite programs, and the most recent series has been riveting!

ANY dancer will tell you, fighting with the body, and forcing it to do what it does not want to do, is a herculean battle. I remember one dance teacher who lived by the credo, “You do it until it hurts, and when it hurts you’re doing it right.”

I am in awe of the extraordinary standard of Ninja Warrior fitness. Eloni Vunakece, the former NRL Sydney Roosters player who was forced to retire as a consequence of a series of serious concussions, is the most magnificent specimen that ever you will see. Not only are the warriors competing against other human machines – such is their physical superiority – they are also competing against themselves, and that, always, is the toughest of tests. We are our own worst critics. Anyone who has performed at an elite level knows the mental exertions demanded to overcome the fear of failure, or inadequacy, are the trickiest, and the most debilitating.

The will to win requires tunnel vision and a surfeit of those admirable traits of dedication, physical exertion, self-sacrifice and grit, which, given the choice, we prefer to ignore. The pursuit of excellence is a double-edged sword. It leaves the participant euphoric at achieving, yet doubting their worthiness, and, invariably, dissatisfied with their achievement, however successful it appears from the outside looking-in.

The 10 years I spent with the AFL Footy Show afforded me a rare opportunity to observe elite athletes at close quarters. More importantly, it was a chance to talk with them, informally. It was enlightening, and on many levels.

Also, there is the constant fear of injury, and the need to work through sometimes blinding pain. Perfection requires endless commitment. In dance it is the daily tedium of préparation et répétition. Without it there can be no progress. No success.

The seismic shift in society, and its mores, means we spend more time watching and less time doing. Most of us are happy to sit on the sidelines, enjoying. Sport has, seemingly, become something of a spectator rather than a participatory activity. While many still engage in after-work sport, the numbers have dwindled, noticeably, when set against the last century. Once de rigueur, today fewer girls spend their Saturday afternoons playing basketball. Many teenagers play no sport.

Since the coronavirus pandemic struck, I have spent the months trying to pull (and torture) my body back into an acceptable shape – having ignored it for about 16 years. After a lifetime of exercise and discipline (for years I had a 29-inch waist), it is proving a daunting, and frustrating, task. While I am more capable than many with the same number of miles on the clock, I am surprised at the body’s resistance to stretch to previously easily achieved positions.

Irritatingly, I discovered my core strength had deteriorated, drastically. I could no longer rise from a floor sitting position without using one hand for leverage. Aided by PTP elastic bands, and treatment from Ballarat Allied Health physiotherapist, Simon Ellis, I am spending several hours a day sitting on the floor, stretching. From the sitting position, legs akimbo (two thirds to second position), I can push my chest, almost, flat to the floor. With some effort, I am able to split, but not as expansively – or effortlessly – as previously. Perhaps that will never return! Begrudgingly, I am forced to accept it is directly related to the ‘A’ word, which I refuse to say, or even acknowledge.

While I am no Ninja Warrior, I have restored some of my strength and feel much the better for the effort. With another six-weeks of restrictions, this could be the perfect opportunity to go looking for that missing six-pack!

Let’s do it!

Roland can be heard on RADIO 3BA, every Monday morning, 10.45 and you can email him via [email protected]. He’ll get back to you when he’s finished his daily workout.