Jeff is a 60 year old  plumber. He attends Studio Glo for 1-2 60 min sessions per week. He started Personal Training in June 2002.

Liz Yochum

When Jeff first began training with me one of the first things I remember him saying was “I’m not interested in getting big muscles”. This says much about Jeff – he knows what he wants and if it is outside the norm, then so be it. For the first year we focussed on lifestyle changes and improving Jeff’s overall fitness levels. We worked toward reducing the constant, niggling pains, especially in his back that had manifested over the many physically demanding years of working as a plumber. Jeff’s diet changed as he increased his vegetable intake, decreased his meat and junk food consumption as well as his alcohol intake.

One day, after the first year of training, we started talking about the future of his training, and what he would like to focus on in the coming year. He decided that the ultimate challenge of walking the Kokoda Trail was the goal he would set himself. To succeed at the challenge of walking uphill for eight gruelling days and 96km, we had to look at strength, endurance, balance and psychological preparation. One of the things I stipulated was that Jeff had to tell me everything that was going on with his body every step of the way. As a trainer you cannot change, correct or deal with a problem if you don’t know about it. Jeff used to call me a day or two after each session to let me know how his body had reacted to the previous workout. Trish, his wife, would also plat a part by saying that Jeff would keep her awake at night with his restlessness if we had done too much in the previous workout.

It was not all plain sailing as you may have guessed. Jeff’s back would play up so we agreed he should visit an osteopath periodically. At this point Jeff started joining in with some friends who were training for the Oxfam walk. He was already doing the 1000 steps in Ferntree Gully to increase the strength and stamina his legs and back. Jeff started to wear a heart rate monitor as an added mechanism for measuring his fitness level and the improvements he was making.

Jeff progressed to walking up Mt Victoria in Warburton and Mt Dandenong. He also embraced stretching to keep his joints mobile and increase the flexibility in his muscles.

Mid-way through the training, Jeff mentioned that he had always suffered from aching feet, so I helped him adjust his walking pattern – alleviating his foot problems. He has recently told me that he had been on anti-inflammatory drugs for the last 15 years or so because they were so bad.

Once his foot problems were corrected, which helped fix his back up, we started working on strengthening his upper back and shoulders. We needed to prepare his body for carrying a 10kg back-pack for 8-10 hours a day on the trail. It all came together well and Jeff was confident that he was well prepared for the Kokoda Trail and what ever psychological or fitness challenges that may come his way.

Well – Jeff returned safely and he did complete the trail, even while having to endure 2 days of vomiting and diarrhea! He says that if he had not trained for the walk, and had a high level of endurance and stamina – he wouldn’t have succeeded. The minute to minute support of his New Guinean porter Sam was the added encouragement he needed to get through. At 2 am as he was lying, ill in his bed, Jeff seriously contemplated getting air lifted out. But he pressed on and was successful at completing the challenge along with the 15 other people in his group.

To Jeff’s absolute credit, he listens to my advice, and implements new decisions. This characteristic of Jeff’s makes him a pleasure to train. I would like to point out that training is a partnership that requires the commitment of both parties. In some cases I feel that I work harder for the clients goals than the client does, but this doesn’t apply to Jeff.

It was very important to Jeff that he had completed the third most difficult walk in the world. He also learnt a great deal about the strategic difficulties endured by the soldiers of WWII, fighting along the trail against the Japanese. He also says he is the fittest and healthiest he has ever been. His views have shifted, too, from prior to completing the trail. He is still changing aspects of his lifestyle, encompassing for more relaxation, less stress and more time with his wife. Jeff, you are an inspiration and a hell of a nice gentleman. Congratulations.

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