Wayne Geber

Hi Bill,

Thanks for taking time out to have a chat to WG Fitness.
First off Bill. You are from the UK but now call Sydney home. How did you end up living on the other side of the world ?
I first came out here on the backpacker trail after finishing university. I always intended to come back, but it took me another 9 years to make it. I'd been working in London for most of the time, which was a lot of fun, but I was ready for a change. I also used to quite a bit of windsurfing in the UK and fancied learning to sail, and what better place to do that than Sydney Harbour! So here I am!

Where abouts in England did you grow up ?
I was born in Derby, but we moved when I was about 5 to a smallish town in the Midlands called Ashby-de-la-Zouch. Yes, it is a real place and no, it's not somewhere in France! I spent my school days there until I went to study at the University of Bristol for three years, and then moved to and worked in London.

What sports did you play ?
Rugby (union) and athletics. I played rugby throughout school and a bit at university, but I probably had more talent at athletics. I started running around the age of 9, when my father used to take me and my brother to a local athletics club.
In those days it was not too serious, and at the inter-club meetings you would get points for every finisher, so it was important to have two people in every event. I loved it, and it wasn't uncommon for me to do the 100m, 200m, 400m, 100m hurdles, 400m hurdles, long jump, discuss, hammer, and even the pole vault all in one meeting! It wasn't until later on that I started to get more serious, and specialise in 400m hurdles.

At what level did you get to?
Rugby I just played throughout high school and for the local town, and a couple of games for the university 3rd team. In athletics in my late teens, I was racing at a junior national level, in schools, university and national championships.
My best result was in my first year at university in the British University Championships at Meadowbank stadium in Edinborough. About a dozen of us had driven up from Bristol (around 600km) and we were staying in a pub which didn't appear to close! So we were all a little dusty the next day for the heats, but I got through those, and came third in the final the next day. The first two places had a chance to compete internationally, so I missed out on that by one place!

You are known at our sessions for going at 100 miles per hour. Have you always trained like that ?
Not really. I think when I was running my training was very target oriented, such as this many sets of this many reps in such and such a time, so I knew at the start of the session exactly what I had to do, and could pace myself through it.
With the group training sessions it's a lot more mixed up, which I love, and I never really know what's coming up. But I do know that it will be a good mix, and I can go hard on the boxing because there will be some running or strength work coming up to give my arms a bit of a break.
I do pace myself a bit through the sessions, but if I'm not completely stuffed at the end then I think I could have gone harder!

You just travelled back to the UK recently to visit family. Any regrets about living in Australia or did your trip back confirm what you already knew ?
I miss my family and friends, and I don't think there is anything to compare to a beautiful English Summer day (yes, we do have them!), but the lifestyle over here suits me much better right now. If I went back to the UK I'd probably end up working in London, and that would really limit a lot of the activities that I do now.
When I'm in the city it's a 5 minute walk down to one of the best harbours in the world, instead of a 2 hour drive down to the South Coast of England. And I can jump on a train and go hiking in the Royal National Park or Blue Mountains.
But for the future... who knows. When I originally came out here I planned to stay for a couple of years to see how it went, and in some ways I still have that attitude. So I'll be here for the next year or two, and then I guess I'll just see where things take me.

You recently competed in an Endurance event. Can you tell us a bit about it ?
It was a race called the Coast to Coast, across the South Island of New Zealand starting on the west coast, and ending on Sumner Beach in Christchurch. The main components were a 55km cycle followed by a 33km mountain run, then a 67km kayak down a grade II river, and finally a 70km cycle to the finish. A couple of connecting stages makes up the rest of the 243km race. I did the two day event, so I got to camp out and sleep overnight between the mountain run and the kayak stage.
I have to say it was one of the best experiences of my life. It was such an amazing atmosphere throughout the whole race, from all the competitors, assistants, and just the locals that came out to support the race. About 3km from the end of the mountain run, there were a couple of locals who had hiked up the river. They had already seen 200+ people run past, and probably had another 200+ behind me, but they were cheering me on to get to the end. That was typical of the whole event, and it really gave me a lift to get those tired legs down the last stretch.

Have you got your eye on anything like that in the future ?
Definitely! I'm pretty keen to head back and do the Coast to Coast one day event, although I think that's quite a step up from the two day. I know how my legs felt after the mountain run, and to carry straight on to the last two stages is a big ask. But it's out there... And there's stuff like the Upper Murray Challenge down in the Snowy Mountains later this year that I'm hoping to get to.
I'd also like to get into some of the longer team adventure races, so if anyone is in a team and looking for a new member...

You have done a bit of travelling. Where is your favourite holiday destination ?
I'm not really one for sitting on the beach, so my breaks tend to be more focussed around a specific activity or challenge. I'm very fortunate in that I work for myself and my work is mostly project based, so I find can I schedule my work to get away for longer periods.
I absolutely loved the South Island of New Zealand and would love to get back over there, but I think my most memorable trip would have to be hiking in Nepal up around Everest base camp. Basically, three weeks of walking, eating and sleeping, but in some of the most beautiful scenery on earth. You kind of have to like mountains, and it can get pretty cold when the sun goes down, but it's just amazing to be up there on the roof of the world.

Where in Sydney would you take a girl on a first date if you were trying to impress her ?
Probably Cafe Sydney for dinner. Great views, really relaxed atmosphere and fantastic food.

And if you were not trying to impress her ?
I'd bring her to one of your training sessions! Or maybe that should have been the answer to the previous question...

You bought some property in the country. Where abouts did you buy and how often do you like to get out of the city ?
It's just at the top of the Southern Highlands, about 20 mins this side of Bowral. I work from home a lot and have a full office down there, so if I don't have any meetings in town I basically live there during the week, and come back to Sydney on the weekends. It's only a 80 minute drive, so even if I have to be in town I still manage to spend at least a couple of days a week down there.

I know you love your beer. What are you three favourite beers of choice ?
What, only three! Kind of depends on the mood and the company some what, but I'd say James Squire's Amber is always good, and Little Creatures make a good Pale Ale. But after a hot day's sailing on the harbour, it's pretty hard to go past a cold VB!

Favourite place in Sydney to have a beer ?
Have to be the CYCA. Outdoors, by the harbour, and only a 5 minute stumble home!

What about around the world ?
Hmmm tough one, but I guess I still have a soft spot for the UK in that respect. A few good friends down by the Thames on a long summer evening is pretty hard to beat. There again, I think there's plenty more research to be done on that one...

Training wise what does the future hold for you ?
Right now I'm really enjoying the level of fitness I'm getting back to because of the group training sessions, and other stuff I do in between, so I think just more of the same really.
I'm looking to do more multisport and adventure racing, and as a specific event approaches I'll start doing more targeted stuff, like the kayaking skills I had to learn for the Coast to Coast, but in general I find the mixture of cardio, strength and core work we do provides a fantastic base to build on for whatever comes up, be it a 243km trek across New Zealand, or just getting through a day in the office.

What is it about WG Fitness that brings you back to training twice a week even when its freezing cold ?
Stupidity? Seriously though, I think it's just a great way to set myself up for the day, and that's probably even more so on those cold winter mornings. All the sessions are perfectly tailored to the conditions, so I know I'm not going to be standing around a lot getting cold on some of those wet days, and I love the energy the sessions give me to carry me through the rest of the day.
Also, there's a real team atmosphere in the group, which I find really motivating. Whether you're an old hand or are fairly new to the group, everyone knows everyone else, and is really supportive when you're not having your best day.

Thanks for taking time out to let WG Fitness get to know you better Bill and thanks for all your support over the years.
Thank you Wayne, for making me stand up when I'm completely stuffed and just want to collapse in a big heap!
See you at training.

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