In the simplest terms possible, an efoil is what happens when you add an electric motor to a hydrofoil, allowing users to literally glide above the water. The result is a piece of equipment that is less reliant on conditions, a whole lot faster than a regular hydrofoil, and according to Flite performance team rider Matt McVeigh, “the most addictive thing ever”.

Today, Matt McVeigh is one of the world’s best foilers. Although, a few years ago he wasn’t even one for surfing – or any water sport, for that matter. “I never really ventured to the beach much and I wasn’t into swimming, surfing or anything, so water sports didn’t really appeal to me,” McVeigh says.

Living inland, it’s not hard to understand why McVeigh never got into water sports, but he’s always been an active person. McVeigh played rugby growing up and was even selected to train in a talent squad at the Australian Institute of Sport to prep for the Olympics. However, when he moved to the Sunshine Coast and was suddenly living exceedingly closer to the ocean, he was overweight and struggling with both his physical and mental health. But he was determined to make a change.

“When I moved up to the Sunshine Coast and saw everyone out surfing, I wanted to get involved in that,” McVeigh says. “I ended up hiring a longboard one day and found myself paddling around for like an hour and not catching any waves. That pretty much burnt my idea of getting involved in surfing and I just gave up right there.”

McVeigh didn’t give up entirely though. Instead, he did some googling and came across Fliteboards – Flite’s flagship efoil – and was intrigued by the motorised aspect. “I took a took a lesson on that and just loved it,” he says. From there, he never looked back.

 

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Besides being an addictively fun hobby, getting into efoiling helped McVeigh get fit. “It’s a full body workout,” he says. “You can push yourself as hard as you want and get whatever you want out of it. That’s all I really did and I lost 25 kilos or so from basically just doing that every day.”

One of the strengths of efoiling, according to McVeigh, is how easy to learn it is. “Just this morning I went out for a foil and I had a friend there that’s never ridden before, but really wanted to give it a go. I just changed the wings over and put him on my board. He was up and flying within 20 minutes,” McVeigh says.

Although, he does believe not having a background in surfing actually made learning the sport easier. “On the foil it’s a lot of front foot pressure, whereas surfers put pressure on their back foot,” McVeigh says. “So when surfers come and do a lesson, they’ve got a bit of a bad habit to put all the weight on the back foot, which makes it more challenging.”

McVeigh now runs a Fliteschool part-time, where he teaches other prospective foilers the tricks of the trade. He firmly believes that easy learnability isn’t the only appealing aspect of efoiling. “It’s just so accessible and you can go in any conditions. If you’re a bit time constrained and you’ve only got an hour, you don’t need to wait for low tide, high tide or wind or anything like that, you can just drop the board in and get going,” he says. “When I was working as a carpenter, I’d turn up before work and go foiling. I knew what I was going to get in that hour and I didn’t need conditions to be perfect.”

A newfound passion for efoiling culminated in McVeigh being inducted into Flite’s performance team in 2023. In the role, McVeigh gets to test all of Flite’s newest innovations and work alongside other elite foilers. “It’s been really cool to work with the likes of Adam Bennetts – who’s the best foiler in the world – and getting some inside knowledge into the world of foiling.”

 

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Working with Flite has been a dream come true for McVeigh, who believes the brand makes the best efoils on the planet. “I really like the quality of the build,” he says. “You want something that you can rely on when you’re out in the harsh conditions. I think I’ve recorded something like 12,000 waves on the app and I think I’ve only had one issue with the controller in that whole time.” Of course, if you’re venturing into the depths of the ocean, the last you thing you want to be thinking about is what will happen if your gear breaks down. His Fliteboard gives McVeigh piece of mind, and much more.

“Another great thing about Fliteboards is that once you’ve had a session and you come back in to shore, you can connect your phone to your board and download your session and analyse it. That’s an awesome way to keep track of your progression,” McVeigh continues. “There’s also a world leaderboard, so you can compete against people in biggest and longest waves and all that stuff.”

The efoil industry is one of constant turbulence. New innovations are arriving almost every day and pushing beyond what was previously thought to be the pinnacle of performance. “Flite’s R&D is always working on new stuff,” McVeigh says. “There’s constantly new things coming out, like new material. They’ve just made a new carbon fibre foil that’s a lot lighter and thinner, so it goes through the water better.”

McVeigh also believes that it’s only a matter of time before efoiling starts having organised competitions, whether they be races, big wave challenges, or contests judging riders’ skills.  “There definitely will be,” he says. “I don’t know when that will happen, but there’s lots of racing that’s already starting, there’ll be competitions within the next couple of years for sure.”

As is the case in any field where technological developments are constantly redefining what is within realm of possibility, the future of efoiling is, by its very nature, uncertain. The sport could look very different a decade from now, but McVeigh concurs that one thing is certain, with more people trying efoiling every day, the sport is only just getting started.

 

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In 2010, during a routine training session at a gym in his native country of Switzerland, Mzee attempted a basic somersault – something he’d pulled off countless times beforehand. This time, Mzee didn’t stick the landing. He immediately knew his life had just changed. “In the moment where I had my accident, I realised that something was really wrong,” he says. “I had some accidents before, and it felt totally different.”

Mzee had suffered a severe spinal cord injury. He’d lost function in his legs, torso and fingers, and was diagnosed with quadriplegia. “There was no doctor telling me that my life would change, but I could feel that this was a big injury and that there would be some severe consequences,” he says. “I couldn’t move nearly everything anymore.”

“It took another three or four months before a doctor finally said that I should get used to the idea of being in a wheelchair for all my life,” Mzee says, speaking to Men’s Health less than two weeks out from attempting to break a personal record, without a wheelchair. Mzee is in Australia for the Wings For Life World Run (WFLWR), a global running event where the funds raised go directly to spinal cord injury research, and he’ll be taking part in the event unassisted.

This won’t be Mzee’s first WFLWR. Having regained a large amount of function in his legs, trunk and fingers, the 36-year-old has participated in the event on a number of occasions, aiming to improve every time. Ostensibly, Mzee has a groundbreaking electrode implant to thank for his recovery, but really, none of it would’ve been possible if he didn’t possess a unique ability to always hold out hope, in spite of the most difficult of circumstances.

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“NO, I ACTUALLY thought that I would walk again,” is what Mzee tells Men’s Health when we ask if he had consigned himself to life in a wheelchair after hearing of his diagnosis. In the months following his injury, Mzee was forced to adapt to a life with limited function. “My fingers were impaired at the beginning, so I couldn’t eat by myself, or brush my teeth or comb my hair,” he says. “But I got that function back, and after some time, I started to hope that my legs would also get better.”

That was a difficult time for Mzee, but even then, he was already setting goals. “I remember in the beginning, there was this mountain when I looked out of my room, and I always thought, one day I’ll walk from here to there.”

Six months after his accident, Mzee met with Professor Gregoire Courtine, who was conducting studies on the ability of an electrode implant to restore movement function in rats. At the time, the hope was that the results would prove the implant had applications in humans. “He told me all this preliminary data on the rat trials, and I remember having two ideas at the time. On the one hand, I was really hopeful about the science progressing, but I also knew that it would be a very long process no matter what.”

It took another five years for the implant to be approved for humans. During that time, Mzee spoke to scientists, read up on relevant literature, met the neurosurgeon who would perform the operation, and as a whole, started to hope that he might actually walk again. In 2016, Mzee received the implant.

Mzee’s electrode implant sits on the surface of his spinal cord. It works by sending bursts of electrical stimulation to muscles, mimicking the body’s natural signalling mechanism. Over time, the stimulation is able to engage the brain’s motor cortex through nerves that weren’t damaged during the initial injury. The implant wasn’t a quick fix that would immediately restore function. It took weeks of intensive physical therapy and testing before Mzee could get back on his feet. “In the first week after the implant they did functional mapping where they tried different spots on the electrode and try to find which muscles react,” Mzee says. “Since I was one of the first patients, that process was so tiring and it took very long, but now people who come after me can benefit from it.”

Eventually, Mzee regained some function in his legs and was able to walk again, with the help of a bodyweight support system. The recovery process was lengthy and involved months of physical therapy. As a result, sudden breakthroughs were rare, but Mzee recalls the moment he first walked unassisted with the same sense of triumph he felt all those years ago. “That was one of the few moments that felt like a change from one second to the other, most things were really gradual,” he says. “That was a magical moment because it really felt like walking. It was the first time in the six years since my accident that I was walking hands free.”

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WHILE MZEE’S LIFESTYLE changed dramatically after his accident, his interest – or obsession – with sports remained. “I would say it’s for the same reason it was before the accident,” he says. “It’s just such a big part of my life and it’s so normal for me to train and try new stuff like that.” He would go on to obtain a masters degree in human movement sciences, but studying human movement wasn’t enough for Mzee, he wanted to be physically involved.

New sports and feats of athleticism once came easily to Mzee, but after his accident, he had to learn once familiar activites from the ground up. “I started at 0 again. I was always good at sports and they just came naturally to me, so it was an interesting experience to go through that learning process again in my twenties,” he says. “I remember being back on the skiing slopes was humbling, but also frustrating because there were five year old kids racing next to me and overtaking me while I was falling. I was like ‘wow, I was so good at skiing, and now I’m here with these kids learning again’.”

Credit to him, Mzee stuck with it. He kept practicing, kept training, and eventually got back into competitive sports. In 2022, Mzee was part of the Swiss national wheelchair rugby team that qualified for the world championships for the first time in 16 years. He also gained an interest in water sports – something he wasn’t into before his accident – and started wakeboarding and kitesurfing. Although, that was an area where the technology wasn’t quite there yet for all adaptive participants.

“When I was playing wheelchair rugby and doing skiing, a lot of the equipment was already there and the developments had already been made. But in water sports, it’s a whole different story,” Mzee says of his first experience in wakeboarding. “When I started, I realised that the equipment is just not good for me. Most people who do adaptive water sports like wakeboarding and kite surfing are paraplegics, but for me as a quadriplegic, I don’t have that trunk function and my fingers aren’t good, so I had to change that.”

When Mzee got involved in water sports, it wasn’t possible for a quadriplegic like him to wakeboard. To solve that problem, he invented a new type of wakeboarding for quadriplegics that made use of more suitable equipment, allowing people like him to participate in adaptive sports. But that’s not why Mzee created the equipment. “People say that I’m pushing the field forward and helping other people, but for me, I was just thinking this is something I want to do, but it’s not possible, how can I solve it?”

Mzee’s achievements may seem remarkable, given what he’s gone through, but they don’t feel remarkable to him. Instead, Mzee feels that getting back into sport was always going to be inevitable as his condition improved. “Nobody who knows me would be surprised that I’m doing what I’m doing. From the outside it probably seems incredible, but it’s just what I love doing.”

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THIS SUNDAY, MAY 5^TH, Mzee will take part in the Wings For Life World Run in Adelaide. The run is unlike any other. For one, it doesn’t take place in a single location. Rather, racers start at the same time in different places around the world. Then, the race doesn’t end at a specific distance or finish line. Instead, a ‘catcher car’ acts as a moving finish line, chasing down racers from 30 minutes after the starting gun. Due to this unique format, Mzee is able to compete alongside ultra-marathon runners as an equal.

What’s more, 100% of the funds raised from the WFLWR goes to spinal cord injury research. Raising money and awareness is great, according to Mzee, but that’s not the primary reason he participates. “The truth is, it’s just a lot of fun to do,” he says. “When I was first asked if I wanted to participate in WFLWR, I didn’t know what it was and I didn’t know how much fun it would be. But after my first year, I was just like ‘this is so cool, I want to do this every year’.”

“It’s just so great to be participating in a race where a guy like me who cannot even do 500 metres before the catcher car comes, can race alongside people who can run for hours,” Mzee continues. “And of course, it’s nice that all the money that’s raised is going to spinal cord injury research. But since nobody’s listening, I’ll tell you, I just love the race.” Sorry David, this writer was listening and you were on the record.

In Mzee’s first attempt at the WFLWR, he was able to walk 390 metres, unassisted, before the catcher car caught him. The following year he managed 467 metres. Now, he’s switching his focus to another feat of endurance. “This year I wanted to think about something different. My goal is to set a new record, not in terms of maximum distance, but maximum time without a break,” he says.

Mzee’s previous best efforts included breaks, giving him time to rest. He was afforded that luxury because the catcher car doesn’t begin its journey until 30 minutes after the start of the run. This time around, he won’t be going easy on himself. “I’ll be trying to walk without a break until the catcher car catches me. That would be about twice the time of my current record, which is around 10 to 15 minutes without a break. If everything works out, I’ll walk for 32 minutes straight.” Given his resounding previous successes, we’d wager Mzee has a good chance of doing it.

So, did Mzee ever climb that mountain that sat outside his window while he recovered? “Even with my electrode implant now, there is no way that I could do it. Two years ago in Switzerland I did 1.8 kilometres and that was one of the hardest things I’ve done in my life,” he says, loath to admit that there may be one goal he can’t conquer. “Doing 20km seems impossible, but I’ll never say never.” While he may doubt himself, if Mzee’s story has taught us anything, it’s to never count him out.

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UPDATE: The 2024 Wings For Life World Run attracted a record-breaking 265,818 participants over the weekend, making it the largest running event in the world. In the Adelaide event, David Mzee smashed his previous non-stop walking record of 10-15 minutes with a 32-minute effort without a break, lasting a total of one hour and 11 minutes before being caught by the catcher car.

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The post The unrelenting drive of walking quadriplegic David Mzee appeared first on Men's Health Magazine Australia.

With footy season in full swing, the NBA play-offs about to commence and the Olympics on the horizon, there’s no shortage of options for sports fans to get stuck into and that could be a home run, or to use a more tortured Aussie sporting metaphor, a torpedo punt from 60m out on a tight angle, for your health and wellbeing, according to a new Japanese study.

In the study, researchers from Waseda University used a mix of data analysis, self-reports and neuroimaging to explore the connection between sports viewing and wellbeing in the general population, rather than just dedicated sports fans, a group whose mood and wellbeing probably rises and falls with the fortunes of their teams. But among the general population – those who don’t paint their faces or board public transport cloaked in team colours – it appears watching sport can have positive effects.

In the first study, the researchers analysed publicly available data on the influence of watching sports on 20,000 Japanese residents, confirming an ongoing pattern of elevated wellbeing was associated with regular sports viewing. That’s one point for sports.

A second study looked to see if the association between watching sports and wellbeing differed depending on the sport. In this case, 208 participants watched sports videos, with their wellbeing assessed before and after viewing. In this case, popular sports like baseball, huge in Japan (like your buddy, Fritz), had a more significant impact on enhancing wellbeing than less popular sports, such as golf. Two points for watching sports, though not golf, damn.

But it was the final component of the research that drove home the link between watching sport and wellbeing. Using neuroimaging techniques, the brain activity of fourteen able-bodied participants was analysed while they watched sporting clips. Specifically, sports viewing triggered activation in the brain’s reward circuits, indicating feelings of happiness or pleasure. The imaging also showed individuals who reported watching sports more often showed greater grey matter volume in regions associated with reward circuits, suggesting regular sports viewing may gradually induce changes in brain structures. Three points for sports viewing.

“Both subjective and objective measures of wellbeing were found to be positively influenced by engaging in sports viewing,” says study author professor Shintaro Sato. “By inducing structural changes in the brain’s reward system over time, it fosters long-term benefits for individuals. For those seeking to enhance their overall wellbeing, regularly watching sports, particularly popular ones such as baseball or soccer, can serve as an effective remedy.” Game over, watching sports wins.

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The post Why watching sports may be good for your wellbeing appeared first on Men's Health Magazine Australia.

This weekend, the world’s greatest golfers have converged on Augusta, Georgia, for a spectacle like no other. The Masters Golf Tournament, the epitome of golfing excellence, is already underway with round one in the books and plenty to talk about. This is where legends are born, hearts are tested, and the coveted green jacket is the ultimate symbol of triumph. 

Expect drama, highs, lows, and the phrase “wow” or the more common “Shot”, which in golfing terms means ‘you pretty much nailed it’, to be uttered more times than you can count. You might even catch yourself bringing back the classic air swing around the house or be inspired enough to dust off old clubs. 

Below, we’ll explore everything you need to know about the Master’s golf tournament and the Aussie golfers competing for that illustrious green jacket. 

What is the Masters tournament?

The Masters Golf Tournament is one of the most prestigious and competitive events in the world of golf. It is a four-day tournament that takes place annually in April at the Augusta National Golf Club in Georgia, USA. In 2013, Adam Scott made history by becoming the first Australian to win the Masters Golf Tournament.

What makes Scott’s win so special is that the Masters competition is an incredible challenge, with no room for error. Consisting of four rounds of 18 holes, with the field of players being cut after the second round. Only the top 50 players, including ties, make it through to the final two rounds, making for a fierce competition. At the end of the fourth round, the golfer with the lowest score is declared the winner and receives the iconic green jacket, which has become synonymous with the tournament. In a tie, a sudden-death playoff is held to determine the champion.

The course at Augusta is known for its challenging layout, with tricky greens and narrow fairways. It requires precision and skill to navigate successfully, and the players must be at the top of their game to win. The Masters is a highly-anticipated event that attracts golf fans from all over the world and is undoubtedly one of the highlights of the golfing calendar.

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Australians at the Masters this year

Australia has grown its golfing pedigree in recent times. This year, six of our best have already graced the course. 

Instagram | @ pgatour Adam Scott (Left) Min Woo Lee (Centre) Jason Day (Right)

Jason Day 

Jason Day is currently the top-ranked Aussie heading into the Masters tournament. After a five-year winless streak between 2018 and 2023, the 36-year-old has been playing consistently well and hopes to achieve his first top-10 finish since 2019. Although he missed the cut in two of his last three appearances at Augusta, Day remains a strong contender in the tournament. 

Adam Scott

The only Australian to have won the Masters, Scott is set to make his 23rd appearance at Augusta. He has consistently performed at the iconic tournament, making the cut for 14 straight years. Although he has only made the top 10 once since his historic win, Scott is looking to return to the top of the leaderboard in 2024. 

Cameron Smith

Still sporting that iconic flowing mullet, Cameron Smith has proved himself before, reaching the world No. 2 rank in 2022 and was Australia’s best male golfer for a solid period. However, his form has slightly declined since then, causing him to drop significantly down the rankings. Despite this, Smith has won three LIV events since his controversial switch a couple of years ago, showcasing his ability to win tournaments. Known for his strong short game and consistent performance, he has made his eighth Masters appearance. Smith will undoubtedly aim to return to the top section of the leaderboard this weekend. 

Min Woo Lee

Min Woo Lee is a rising star in the golfing world, an exciting and charismatic prospect known for his impressive skills and entertaining character on tour. He ended the 2023 season on a high note, winning both the Macao Open and Australian PGA Championship in consecutive months. Lee debuted at the Masters in 2022 and finished in the top 20. Despite missing the cut last year, he hopes to continue his red-hot success and make a strong comeback.

Cameron Davis

Cameron Davis is another fresh-ish face in Aussie golfing ranks. He has one PGA Tour win under his belt, emerging victorious at the Rocket Mortgage Classic in 2021. He is currently the third-ranked Australian heading into his second Masters tournament. Davis has been playing consistently, but his recent form is a bit of a concern since he has failed to crack the top-10 in any of his seven tournaments so far this year. 

Jasper Stubbs 

Jasper Stubbs is a new name and fresh face to cheer on in Augusta. At 21 years old, he has made his Masters debut this week as Australia’s only amateur in the tournament. He locked down his tee time at Augusta by winning the Asia Pacific Amateur Championship last year.  

Where the Australians are currently sitting. 

• (T6) Cam Davis -3 (F)
• (T18) Cam Smith -1 (F)
• (T32) Jason Day E (11)
• (T42) Adam Scott +1 (12)
• (T55) Min Woo Lee +2 (F)
• 89th Jasper Stubbs (amateur) +8 (F)

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After the end of round 1, Cameron Davis is the leading Australian, just four shots off the pace in a close tie for sixth position at three-under with New Zealander Ryan Fox after opening with 69.

After a shaky start due to an unfortunate bout of food poisoning, Aussie Cult hero Cameron Smith made a sold Masters start. His one-under-par score on day 1 sees him tied for 17th. 

After a delay that lasted roughly two-and-a-half hours, Jason Day (E) and Adam Scott (+1) will attempt to tee off tomorrow nice and early local time (10 pm AEST) to finish their rounds. Both golfers remain in solid positions but more work will need to be done to shave down their scores.

Min Woo Lee, playing with the flu and a broken finger from a gym accident last week, has produced a slight spark in a mid-round revival. However, he let his work slip late, sharing 53rd place in the 89-man field and desperately needs a better second round to make the weekend cut.

Rookie amateur Jasper Stubbs has unfortunately posted an eight-over 80, giving him a tough second round ahead. 

Where to watch the Masters

You can watch the Masters on free to air television via 9Gem. The tournament is also available on Foxtel, through the Fox Sports channels. If you prefer streaming, you can watch the entire tournament and analysis coverage on 9Now. Additionally, most Kayo Sports subscribers will be able to stream the Masters golf tournament.

Masters schedule

Round 2 of the Masters will kick off Friday, April 12 and Saturday, April 13, with the first group teeing off at 10:00 pm AEST.

Cameron Davis will be the first of the Aussies to commence his second round at 10:12 pm AEST, Friday,12th April. Adam Scott follows at 12:06 a.m AEST, early on Saturday morning, closely followed by Jason Day at 12:18 am AEST. Jasper Stubbs will also tee off at 2:12 am AEST Saturday morning. Min Woo Lee will tee off at 3:12 am looking to make quick and clean work of his second round. Cameron Smith is part of the final group to tee off at 4:00 am AEST for viewers early on their Saturday mornings here in Australia.

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Gather Round’s detractors have criticised the event for giving Adelaide-based teams an advantage over their opponents. It’s a message that has ingrained itself to such an extent that when I met Crows stalwart Elliot Himmelberg minutes before the towering forward took part in an exhibition wheelchair footy match, he immediately came to the round’s defence. “I don’t think it’s an advantage. It’s a national competition and events like this remind everyone that the AFL isn’t just in Melbourne,” he said.

While Himmelberg can deny that Adelaide teams benefit from Gather Round, no one can dispute that the atmosphere in the city operates at an elevated level. Truly, the buzz around town during Gather Round is unmatched in its spectacle and magnetism – it’s near impossible not to fall in love with the festivities. Himmelberg takes a similar view. “Adelaide tends to get up for things like this. We really embrace all the events like Fringe that come to town and you can feel it just from walking around the city,” Himmelberg said. “Traffic is never an issue in Adelaide except during Gather Round.”

The uptick in excitement is apparent as soon as you touchdown in Adelaide. At the airport, I was met with Aussie Rules-inspired pop-ups in nearly every open space. Around the CBD, every streetlight was adorned with a billowing flag urging locals and travellers to get in on the action. Closer to Adelaide Oval, the footy festival hub sits across the river Torrens, with countless activations, stalls, events, fan zones and challenges – including a test of accuracy and strength that involved kicking a ball towards a target on the Torrens which, I will admit, saw my ball go further upwards than outwards. But nowhere is this lively atmosphere more apparent than at a game, especially at the round-opener.

While fans of every team flocked in their thousands to Adelaide, it was clear the Crows were buoyed by their home-field advantage. Faced with such dismal prospects on opening night, a lesser crowd would’ve given up hope early on, but the Adelaide faithful stuck with their team. The Crows fought back in the final quarter to reduce the deficit to just 13 points at one stage, evidently spurred on by the palpable support of the 48,000-strong crowd, who reached fever pitch when captain Jordan Dawson booted the Sherrin through the sticks late on.

Getty Images | Dylan Burns

The Crows were ultimately felled 78-63, but there was hardly a frown to be seen among fans, who I joined in wading out of the stadium and back across the Torrens at a snail’s pace – a task made all the more difficult by the fact that I was travelling in the same menagerie as former AFL player and TikTok sensation Daniel Gorringe. Upon close review, Gorringe might be the most recognisable person in Australia, or at least among the skewed demographic that attended Gather Round. Leaving the game, he attracted Taylor Swift-levels of attention and at two metres tall, stood out from the crowd like a sore thumb.

A day later, the Crows’ cross-town rivals Port Adelaide dismantled Essendon 111-42, harnessing the support of an extremely friendly crowd. That’s not to say interstate fans weren’t on the scene. AFL CEO Andrew Dillon estimated that more than 265,000 people descended on Adelaide during Gather Round, many coming from outside of South Australia. Such a sizeable number probably demands due questioning, but as evidence to the claim, you need only to have seen the 43,000 supporters utterly absorbed by the final game of the weekend between Collingwood and Hawthorn at Adelaide Oval – a neutral ground.

Still don’t believe it? Take it straight from the horse’s mouth. I made it a point to spot a fan sporting the colours of every AFL team over the weekend and managed to do so by Saturday morning. I even encountered a visibly chuffed Apple Islander decked out in Tassie Devils gear. A slightly premature display of support? Perhaps, but you can’t fault the enthusiasm.

Gather Round’s allure isn’t only based on the promise of a few good games of footy in close proximity, it’s on the setting of the event. Adelaide has become known as a domestic tourism hotspot, and for good reason. Boasting some of the nation’s best wineries, a thriving arts scene and a booming food culture, Adelaide is as tantalising as it is underrated. And how better to take in the city than behind the wheel of a premier Toyota car?

Admittedly, I am something of a Toyota veteran. I drive a beat-up 2006 Corolla Ascent which, as a testament to Toyota’s quality, is still going strong with minimal complaints. So, when I was offered a choice between driving a RAV4 or a hybrid Corolla hatch – of a far newer build than my own – the Corolla was the natural choice. Although, there were a few initial teething issues.

Toyota cars are known for their durability and tendency to tackle just about anything you throw at them without much difficulty, but the brand has also strived to implement the latest in cutting-edge innovations in every vehicle. What this meant in practice was that I was forced to adapt to technology absent from my 2006 Corolla on the fly, which took some time.

Initially, I wasn’t certain I’d even started the car correctly, as the hybrid engine makes for a silent ignition, and as I repeatedly reached for a phantom handbrake – which the Corolla replaces with a far more compact button that automatically switches on and off – my passengers made frequent ribbing of my struggles. It was similar fare when the Corolla’s advanced road sign and lane trace assist alerted me of impending changes to traffic conditions with a gentle beep and I continually responded with dismay rather than acute understanding. Whipping my head around to check my blind spots while sidling up for a tricky reverse park, only to be informed that the car has a reverse camera, was also cause for an eruption of laughter.

All of this made me realise two things: 1. I badly need a vehicular upgrade. And 2. The hybrid Corolla would be an exceptional choice.

Over the course of the weekend I took the Corolla through Adelaide’s bustling CBD where it admirably tackled some of that Gather Round traffic Himmelberg warned me about, through suburbia on the path to Brighton Beach, and along Adelaide’s rolling hills on my way to the fabled wineries of McLaren Vale. The car not only held up to snuff on all of these drives, it continually surprised me with how it did so with ease.

Power is always the biggest concern motorists hold when assessing hybrid and electric vehicles. That’s a non-issue with the Corolla, which utilises both a petrol engine and electric motor that work in tandem to produce a fuel-efficient system that is eminently responsive at the pedal. The car also charges while you drive, ensuring you have the power needed to always be quick off the mark with easy acceleration.

If I were to compare the hybrid Corolla to an AFL player, which seems appropriate given the occasion, I would have trouble landing on any one player’s skillset. The car has the compact frame of Lachie Neale, the power of Max Gawn, and the revolutionary talent of Nick Daicos. The combination of these skills would make quite the player, such is the quality of the hybrid Toyota Corolla.

All in all, Gather Round was a resounding success for the AFL, the state of South Australia, and all those who were lucky enough to attend. Total crowd numbers were up 60,000 on the previous year, and the round is locked in to remain hosted by Adelaide until at least 2026. Hopefully, 2024 Gather Round won’t be my last. It certainly won’t be my last time in a Toyota.

Getty Images | Mark Brake

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The post Faultless footy, cutting-edge cars, and an atmosphere like no other: a weekend in Adelaide for Gather Round appeared first on Men's Health Magazine Australia.

Fritz is leading the new generation of American tennis players. As the highest ranked player from the US, he sits in a role once occupied by legends like Andre Agassi, Pete Sampras and John McEnroe. Fritz cracked the ATP’s top five for the first time in 2023, has reached the quarterfinals of every grand slam except the French Open and is confident he hasn’t reached his peak. “I’m more motivated than ever to get back into the top 10 and ultimately back into the top 5,” he tells Men’s Health. “I’ve been playing some great tennis, I just need to put a few good weeks together.” Simply put, Fritz is a talent of the highest class, but he’s not immune to the trials all tennis players must face.

During Fritz’s most recent grand slam run at the 2024 Australian Open, the American met world no. 1 Novak Djokovic in the quarterfinals. Fritz had knocked off seventh seed Stefanos Tsitsipas in the previous round and was able to hang with the Serbian for four sets – even taking one from the barely disputed GOAT. After slogging it out for nearly four hours on the court – including the first two-and-a-half hours beneath the blazing Melbourne summer sun – the match became a battle of endurance, and Djokovic came out on top.

After the match, Fritz noted the intensity and physicality of the encounter. “At the start, it was two-and-a-half hours of really, really physical tennis. It’s tough to just sustain that level for the two or three more hours that I needed to.”

Only the best can compete with a maestro like Djokovic and rise as high as Fritz has on the global stage. Such is the nature of professional tennis, a slog made even more challenging by the unrelenting schedule of the ATP tour, where tournaments frequently begin the day after another ends, constant time zone changes are a way of life, and rest breaks are few and far between. In this environment, every player must develop a secret weapon – a foundational coping mechanism that ensures they perform at their best no matter what’s thrown at them. For Fritz, that weapon is uninterrupted, rejuvenating sleep, provided by his Eight Sleep Pod.

 

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Sleep is paramount to Fritz’s performance, according to the man himself. “Sleeping well means better performance on the training court and in tournaments. Physically, I’m more alert and ready to perform. Mentally, I feel sharper and more focused,” he says.

To aid in his sleep, Fritz opts for the Eight Sleep Pod, an innovative bed cooling system that actively cools or warms your bed to suit your ideal temperature. The Eight Sleep Pod has been clinically proven to improve sleep quality and to increase deep sleep and heart rate variability.

Fritz says the Pod has improved his sleep – and skills – out of sight. “Not only has it helped my body feel more alert and ready to perform, but it also improved my mental game, keeping me more focused and sharp during long training sessions on the court and at the gym. It’s been an incredible tool for my performance over the past year.”

According to Fritz, sleep fitness rivals physical fitness in importance. It is fitting then that Eight Sleep is the world’s first sleep fitness company. “Being sleep fit means taking action to prioritise sleep – for me that means relying on my Pod’s technology to help me get better sleep and more of it,” Fritz says. “As pro athletes we’re all trying to find ways to get that 1 per cent better and the pod really helps me with that.”

The Australian Open has become known for its late-night finishes, which are often expected to be followed up with a return to court the very next day. This was a sticking point Fritz touched on during his post-match presser following his defeat to Djokovic. “I don’t think people really fully understand how much time we actually have to spend doing stuff after we finish playing as far as like, ice baths, treatment with physios, massages; all this stuff,” he said. “If you finish at 2am, there is no chance I’m going to sleep until 5 [or] 6am.”

Once confronted with the reality of the professional tennis experience, it’s easy to see why sleep is so important to players. To be able to perform at a high level, night in and night out, despite extreme jet lag and physical fatigue, a rigid sleep schedule is a necessity. To combat the challenges that interrupt his sleeping patterns, Fritz typically takes his Pod with him when he travels for tournaments – a habit he picked up about a year ago.

“I had seen how it was becoming a secret tool for so many athletes who I truly admire, and wanted to see for myself how I could amplify my sleep and performance,” Fritz says. “Almost immediately after making the switch to Eight Sleep, it was clear that the Pod offers an extraordinary sleep experience, and I wanted to be part of the mission and movement around helping people become more sleep fit.”

Fritz has recently come on board at Eight Sleep as an ambassador and investor, a hands-on role he believes is well-suited to his preferences. “I’ve always had an interest in doing more than just traditional ambassador deals, so I’m an investor as well. But I am extremely selective as I really have to believe in the company, the product and enjoy working with the team.”

Fear not, the Eight Sleep Pod isn’t only suitable for high performance athletes like Fritz. As the tennis star assures us, we can all benefit from higher quality sleep. “Sleep is just like any other aspect of your health, except this is one that can get overlooked often,” he says. “Getting the best sleep possible is key for daily energy, focus and performance.” You can check out the Eight Sleep Pod here.

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Sadly, a cruel knee injury suffered during preseason has robbed fans of the chance to see Smith in action this year. The 23-year-old tore his ACL in December and is currently deep in the midst of rehab. Like everything he does, rehab has been a challenge Smith has thrown himself into.

“Initially, it’s a big change to your routine,” says Smith, a campaign face for Ralph Lauren Fragrances, who chatted to MH trackside at the Australian F1 Grand Prix last weekend. “But now I’m a lot more physically able. Started running, boxing, sparring. It’s just something else I can put my energy into, another way I can compete.”

Smith looked set to have an impressive 2024 having won the Bulldog’s 2km time trial, a feat that underscores his athletic gifts and competitive nature. Indeed, reining in his competitive instincts has been the toughest part of rehab for Smith, who whether he’s on the field, in the gym or in the ring only knows one way: flat out.

“[It’s] fighting in a controlled manner,” says Smith, of his sparring sessions. “And just strengthening all over my body. In the gym, flat out every day, doing whatever I can do and cross training every second day. Trying not to do too much is the key. You want to keep the knee happy and healthy.”

Bailey Smith l Image courtesy of Ralph Lauren Fragrances

Smith says boxing has helped in “keeping me sane” as he watches his team, who are 1-1 after two games, compete without him. “It’s hard watching the boys run out,” he says. [I’m] trying to be as involved as I can be. We haven’t had a home game yet so it’s been hard to get super involved, but it’s good to see us compete against the rest of the comp.”

Smith, who will be out of contract at the end of this year, is confident he can work towards a round one comeback and says time away from the game has only deepened his appreciation of what it has given him.

“I’m keen, doing everything I can to come back bigger, better, stronger,” he says. “I think the good thing about this, which, there’s nothing good about an ACL, but it’s certainly made me not take my position for granted. You can get caught up in the stresses, the anxiety and the pressure of it, but to be removed from it like I am now, I really do miss it and I’m really grateful to be able to run out and play the game I love. So I’m doing everything I can to expedite that process, but I think it’s been good in terms of lighting a fire underneath me to be the best footballer I can be.”

Bailey Smith is a campaign face of Ralph Lauren Fragrances

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Sainz started on the front row, alongside polesitter Max Verstappen, and slotted in behind him into turn one. But, he stayed with the Dutchman, and passed him for the lead at turn nine on the next lap, and never looked back after Verstappen retired just two laps later from a fiery brake failure.

The 29-year-old, who effectively broke Red Bull’s hot streak for the second time in 10 races, led home teammate Charles Leclerc for Ferrari’s first one-two since the 2022 Bahrain Grand prix – and first in Melbourne since 2004. McLaren pilot Lando Norris closed out podium, though it was a blow for the fans in the stands, who saw the papaya team order the Brit past hometown hero Oscar Piastri for a (in the end, failed) shot at the Ferraris up-front: robbing them of seeing the first Aussie ever to make his home podium. The Melburnian finished fourth.

 

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How the race was won

There’s no doubt Verstappen’s first race retirement in two years, dating back to 2022’s Australian Grand Prix, played an integral part in Ferrari’s one-two result – with a brake bug bringing down the Dutchman’s Red Bull RB20.

“We can see so far in the data that as soon as the [red start] lights went off the right rear brake just stuck on and locked,” Verstappen said. “It was basically like driving with the hand brake on so, of course, the temperature just kept on increasing and then I could see smoke appear as it had caught fire.”

By that point, Sainz was already leading – and no doubt it was a huge boost with all he’s been through since the start of 2024, including news Sir Lewis Hamilton will replace him at Ferrari from 2025.

“I felt really good out there,” Sainz said. “Of course, [I felt] a bit stiff, especially physically. It wasn’t the easiest, but I was lucky that I was more or less on my own so I could just manage my pace, manage the tyres, manage everything.

“Life sometimes is crazy, you know. What happened at the beginning of the year, then the podium in Bahrain, then appendix, the comeback, the win, it’s a roller coaster. But I loved it.”

Talking points for the gym

>Can Ferrari challenge Red Bull again at the next race in Japan? The Scuderia has been the energy drink team’s main challenger from the opening race in Bahrain. But while Ferrari may be bringing upgrades to Suzuka, the Italian super-marque will need to be on its A-game with the tight and twisty circuit set to favour Red Bull.

Charles Leclerc says the squad has made strides forward but knows that his reigning world champion rivals are still the benchmark – after Verstappen snatched pole in Melbourne via a last-blast lap in Q3. “From FP1, we knew that pole position and the race win was possible because we had very good tyre degradation, very good pace,” he said. “That is a very encouraging sign. However, if you look at the first three races, two out of the first three races, they [Red Bull] had the upper hand in the race, so we still have a lot of work to do.”

>Were the last lap tactics of Aston Martin’s Fernando Alonso to stay ahead of Mercedes’ George Russell “potentially dangerous” driving, or just hard and fair racing? The stewards deemed it the former, handing him a 20-second time penalty and three penalty points for his license, after the two-time world champion lifted slightly more than 100 metres earlier than he ever had done going into turn six during the race, while Russell behind him lost control and crashed at the exit of the corner.

Alonso, though, didn’t agree. “I wanted to maximise my exit speed from Turn Six to defend against him,” he said. “That’s what any racing driver would do, and I didn’t feel it was dangerous. It’s disappointing to get a penalty from the stewards for what was hard but fair racing. Still, I’m glad that George is okay. It was not nice to see his car in the middle of the track.”

>Will Williams have a spare chassis ready for the next race in Japan? The squad is in a race against time to have one ready for Suzuka, though it has confirmed that it will have two cars on the grid. Alex Albon revealed in Australia just how far behind Williams was with its production when he crashed heavily during FP2 at Albert Park, in effect writing off his chassis – which forced Logan Sargeant to sit out the rest of the weekend, as the squad reallocated his car.

But, while Williams is aiming to have a spare chassis ready for Japan, it may yet have to wait until round five in China. “The team here have managed to get the car back for roundabout Monday at 2am,” team boss James Vowles said. “So we’ll have teams already working on it from Monday onwards in order to get it repaired.”

From the expert

Tom Clark, physio for Alpine F1 Driver Esteban Ocon

Q: How tough is Australia physically?

Tom’s rating: 7/10

“I would put it right in the middle of Bahrain and Saudi Arabia. It’s one of the intermediate races with heat and some street track qualities with medium to high grip – so there’s an element of mental fatigue, and with that sleep can be paramount, particularly in the context of a big time transition. Australia is quite a pleasant race, in that it’s not usually one of the hottest. It can be quite warm, but particularly with Melbourne weather you can get anything at that time of year.

But you wouldn’t typically endure an entire weekend where it’s blistering hot, which would normally increase the amount of fatigue a driver would experience. You might have one hot day, but generally the race isn’t one of the most physical. We’re going to make sure we get our normal training in before the lead-up to the race, so mimicking the behaviour we’re trying to do in Australia.”

Q: How will the drivers prepare for Japan?

“We will stay out [the Asia Pacific region, after Australia]. We made the decision at the start of the year that with Australia being such a long journey, going back to Europe for less than a week before going onto Japan, that was going to be one of the races where we stayed on that side of the world. Just to allow us to stay on almost the same time zone. Japan is only around one to two hours’ difference, so we control that aspect of the jetlag and fatigue we may get with going back to Europe. And we will stay in Australia more than likely for a few more days and get some good quality training in before we fly to Japan for the Grand Prix.

Suzuka is a physical track in the sense that it’s high speed, and it’s usually quite nice temperatures there, so the drivers can push quite hard. And it’s one of those circuits where there’s no long straights, which would normally give the drivers a bit of a breather. You’ve got a lot of high-speed corners, and you can’t really let off that much. So it’s another challenging one for the drivers.”

 

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