By RUSSELL BENNETT
IMAGINE lifting 130-plus kilograms. Now imagine doing it in a wheelchair.
On 5 October 2008, Rod Watson’s life was turned upside down a trailbike crash on a Gembrook road he’d ridden countless times before left him a paraplegic.
It’s been a long, painstaking road for his young family since, but the Cockatoo resident now has something to give him a little extra lift.
About 14 months ago, Rod discovered the sport of powerlifting and it’s led him to dream of one day representing his country at the Paralympic Games.
Spurred on by his three-and-a-half year old son Riley, Rod currently lifts around 135 kilograms and he hopes to up that to 140kg in time for a national competition in Brisbane this October.
His own training regime is intense. In his own words “it keeps me fit and strong – I don’t get a lot of fitness from just pushing my chair”.
But the 33-year-old was recently invited to experience training of a different kind – as a guest of A-League stars Adrian Leijer and Leigh Broxham in their Melbourne Victory inner sanctum recently.
Mr Watson’s tour came ahead of the TAC Independence Cup match to be held between the Victory and the Central Coast Mariners this Friday.
The event is organised to raise awareness of the 12,000 Australians who are unable to walk due to spinal cord injury.
“There are about 12,000 people living with a spinal cord injury in Australia,” said TAC Chief Executive Janet Dore.
“Statistics show that 15 to 24-year-olds are the group most likely to suffer from a spinal cord injury – 80 per cent of these people are male. This same group is also over-represented in road trauma.
“With Melbourne Victory’s fan base mostly young men aged between 18 and 25, this partnership between the TAC, Independence Australia and the A-League club is helping us get an important safety message out to these young men.”
Mr Watson was thrilled to go behind the scenes in a day of the life of some of Australia’s best soccer players.
“It was very exciting,” he said
“I was really surprised by their core strength, which they need for their agility.
“But it’s one of the quickest sports around – there’s lots of burst running,” Mr Watson said.
“Those boys gave me more advice than I gave them, that’s for sure.”
Though Mr Watson’s appearance was sure to be an inspirational one for the boys in blue, he came away massively impressed with the way they trained.
“They really don’t have much sugar in their diets,” he said.
“(And) they get rated on their training, as well as their performance in games.
“It’s seven days per week – it’s very professional – but I can really only train three times per week.
“I could burn my shoulders out pretty quickly otherwise!”
Fund-raising efforts this Friday night will support Independence Australia’s Psychology and Counselling service, which helps individuals and families overcome the trauma of a spinal cord injury. Find out more at www.independenceaustralia.com.
