OH! Magazine - Australian Version August 2015 | Page 6

( OH WOW! )

GETTING THE WORLD

OFF THE COUCH
ONE SPORT AT A TIME

Toni Krasicki chats with our resident exercise adherence expert Paul Brown,
as he and his family round the final bend in their 50 Sports in 50 Weeks campaign.
ith just a few months left of the 50
Sports in 50 Weeks campaign,
Paul Brown, his wife Jacqui and ten-year
old son Ben, will return from their whirlwind
journey through 25+ countries. Their
mission, to learn 50 sports in 50 weeks
and at the same time inspire and educate
youngsters to get off the couch and try a
sport, has been ‘one heck of a ride!’
according to patriarch, Paul.

W

When I catch up with Paul via Skype,
Team Brown are in Scotland training for
the Highland Games, and he’s waxing
lyrical about his surrounds. However, I am
also duly reminded that they aren’t on a
family fun trip around the world or a bucket
list break. ‘We are busting our butts,
almost going door-to-door sharing our
message that we all need to get off the
couch, to regularly do something active,’
he says.
The Browns started their campaign in midOctober 2014 and are spreading the word
through ‘Get it Right’ presentations for
school-aged children and adults from Chile
to Canada, from Russia to Taiwan, and so
many other countries in between including
Australia and New Zealand. ‘We are
worried about how inactive and unwell the
current generation is. Someone has to
stand up and say that this has to change,’
explains Paul.
The whole project from the initial idea to

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AUGUST 2015 ( OH! MAGAZINE )

learning the first sport took about four
years of long hours and tedious organising.

In his own words, here is what Paul has to
say about 50 Sports in 50 Weeks.

‘There are no two ways about it – it has
consumed our lives!’ he says. ‘We have
many great supporters and partners out
there but are still self-funding the majority
of this, so it is a big commitment, but we
are making a difference, so it’s worth it.
The year was mostly planned ahead but as
with any long term plan, things can change.
So we are still constantly confirming
events, schools, media interviews and
booking flights as we go, especially as new
opportunities arise.’

The highlights so far

On a typical week the Brown’s arrive, meet
their sporting mentor, take in some of the
local culture, deliver
a school talk,
undertake several training sessions and
often also compete, then move onto the
next sport.
A camera crew are following the Browns to
capture footage of each sport for individual
mini documentaries (see 50 Sports in 50
Weeks on YouTube) and eventually
thisfootage will be used to create a made
for television documentary about their
mission. ‘We have captured some ama