GELINA TALBOT | 52 years old Assistant Commissioner, Transformation Office For me fitness has been a lifelong journey. I value the privilege to live a healthy life and opportunity to explore the boundaries of my own health and wellbeing. I played team sport up until my teenage years and moved into weight training shortly thereafter. I now supplement weight training with other activities such as bush walking, mountain bike riding and indoor wall climbing. These have remained the foundation of my fitness program and as a woman now over fifty, I appreciate the benefits they provide around on-going strength, posture, energy, and functionality. What has changed now I am in my fifties is my focus on prehab, functional movement, and mobility. I enjoy yoga, meditation, and mindfulness, acknowledging their benefit in building mental fortitude, but they remain my greatest challenge due to having ‘monkey’ brain and an inability to stay still for any period. I also love to experiment with food and its effect on my health and wellbeing, whether that is through fasting, being on a keto diet or being vegan. I now recognise the benefits of food choices and listen to my body as to what nutrients it needs at various times. Now that I am in my early fifties, I am grateful that I started my fitness and wellbeing journey early and made it a constant priority in my life. It has enhanced my health and wellbeing, my resilience to life’s endless challenges and enabled me to be prepared for the unique physical challenges that I am now exploring. In summary a life commitment to fitness and wellbeing has enabled me to live my best life and has prepared me for the second half of my life. BRENDAN GORMAN | 51 years old Superintendent, Commander Central West Police District I have over 33yrs policing experience, all general duties in western Sydney, then District Inspector at Coffs Harbour, prior to my current role as Superintendent Commander of Central West PD. I haven’t always maintained a healthy lifestyle and I blamed shift work. However, the birth of my first born, and a photo taken when she was 3 months old was a massive wake up call for me. I was overweight, and unhealthy, and if I continued the path I was on, I feared I would not see my daughter grow up. That was 2006, I was 116kg and my health check at the time had waist measure at 102cm and body fat measure at 125.7. That started my journey for a healthy lifestyle. I didn’t make massive changes, but I started eating well, cutting out the sugary treats, and started to exercise. That exercise has been walking, running, bike riding, triathlons (although I swim like a drowning giraffe) and weight training. I would incorporate healthy choices into my daily life, riding a bicycle to work and even simple things like walking to the shops to get the milk and bread or coffee and leaving the car at home. Often in the city this takes less time than using a car. Within 12 months my weight was down to 90kg, waist measure was 91cm and body fat measure was halved at 67. As I had measured the changes, I now find that I have made it an everyday thing which I incorporate without too much thought. Over the last 15 years, this fitness and lifestyle change has certainly benefited me. I credit the changes I made to my longevity in the NSWPF as well setting me up for a long and healthy life with my family. Exercise has allowed me to make and maintain friendships outside the police, and to build resilience to deal with the many challenges of the job. s Steps to Better Health and Fitness | The Importance of Periodic Health Assessments 23
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