“I haven’t been to the gym in 13 years,” he tells us.

Until recently, Fevola hasn’t exactly felt his best physically, and he makes no attempt to obscure that fact. “After I retired, I just didn’t see the point because I had no reason to keep fit,” he says. “Eating as much as I used to was fine when I was playing footy, because I burnt a lot of it off with exercise. But after I started not exercising as much, it all stacked up.”

Fevola, before his weight loss transformation

Earlier this year, Fevola decided it was time to make a change. “I’m getting old now at 43, but I want to be able to keep up with my kids, and when you’re carrying a bit of extra weight that’s harder to do,” he says.

He was cautious of hitching his wagon to any plan of action that claimed to be a silver bullet, however. “I’ve tried to lose weight a few times before and have done a few challenges, but I haven’t really stuck with any of them and have just ended up putting the weight back on.”

Today, Fevola is a changed man. He’s lost 30kg on the year and shed 16kg in just the last month by overhauling his diet with a 30-day challenge with keto.com.au.

While he hadn’t had much success in getting fit in the past, Fevola did recognise that fixing his diet was crucial. If he could do that, everything else would fall into place, he says. “My main problem was my diet. I used to eat pasta, pizza and chips every day. I reckon I had hot chips with gravy for lunch every day for like two years.”

Based on his previous experiences with diet plans, Fevola found that, to get results, he needed to limit his carbohydrate intake but maintain his ingestion of fats. This made a ketogenic diet – which is a low-carb, high-fat eating plan designed to get the body into a state of ketosis, where it burns fat for fuel instead of carbohydrates – the logical choice.

Fevola’s role in breakfast radio on Fox FM also presented a challenge, with the footballer being forced to structure his eating habits around atypical hours while also battling tiredness throughout the day. “My lifestyle can just flatten me sometimes,” he says. “The breakfast hours I work mean I’m tired at the wrong times, and before I was just eating constant carbs and not getting the good stuff to keep me awake. I don’t want to put all the blame on breakfast hours though, because you can still eat well at those times, but it’s all about the decisions you make.”

Fevola signed up for a 30-day challenge where he would only eat keto.com.au meals for a full month, with the aim of changing his diet cold turkey and reaping the rewards. He had a variety of ketogenic meals and snacks delivered to his door, which made up most of his caloric intake every day – completing the total overhaul of his diet.

Given his previous experiences with dieting, it’s easy to understand why Fevola was pragmatic about the potential outcomes of his challenge. “Really, I just wanted to try this out and see if it worked,” he says. It did.

When he speaks to Men’s Health, Fevola has one day left of his 30-day challenge, but he’s already seeing results across the board after losing of 16kg. Although, he insists weight loss wasn’t his primary goal. “I didn’t really do it for weight loss. It was more about feeling better and changing my habits.”

After completing his keto.com.au challenge, Fevola’s habits have been well and truly changed. “Before, my meals were always something full of carbs, now I look for something else to eat. Today I had cottage cheese, avocado and tomato in a bowl for lunch. I would never have that before, but it’s clean and it makes me feel good,” he says.

“I’ve been having keto bars for the last month if I get hungry, and they fill you up. Then I’ll have one of [keto.com.au’s] healthy ready-made meals for lunch and dinner and that’ll be it,” Fevola continues. “I was eating like 5 or 6 meals a day before, now I’m down to just three.”

But it isn’t just the quantity of Fevola’s meals that has improved for the better, it’s also the quality, thanks to the healthier alternatives provided by keto.com.au meals. “Instead of having fried rice or chips, I’m having cauliflower rice and cauliflower mash. There’s a mac and cheese, which you’d think isn’t good for you, but you swap out some of the ingredients for cauliflower and it is. Then there’s a zucchini pasta, and I love pasta coming from an Italian background, but I never would’ve eaten zucchini before.”

Fevola’s new outlook isn’t limited to weight loss either. He’s also been taking keto.com.au Sleep+ gummies to improve his sleep. “I’ve never been a great sleeper,” he says. “But now I sleep through the whole night right up to my alarm.” keto.com.au offers a wide range of gummies, some of which can help you sleep better, while others can help control insulin spikes or quickly convert fat into energy and switch your body into a ketosis state.

All in all, Fevola has lost around 30kg in the last 12 months – 16 of which were shed in August with his keto diet – and has reduced his previous total bodyweight of around 130kg by more than 25%. So, will he stick with it? To that question, Fevola provides a characteristically unconventional answer. “I’m not going to make any promises that will get printed, but I hope so,” he says before signing off.

If you’re keen on trying out the keto diet for yourself, you can sign up for keto.com.au’s meal delivery service, or shop a range of keto gummies and bars, here.

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The post Brendan Fevola reveals the diet that helped him lose 16kg in 1 month appeared first on Men's Health Magazine Australia.

The Galaxy Watch Ultra takes everything from the standard Galaxy Watch and elevates it. In comparison to the Galaxy Watch7, the Galaxy Watch Ultra has a larger battery capacity, a bigger screen, more features and a few extra buttons, for good measure. Those aren’t the only improvements though. The Galaxy Watch Ultra also has an enhanced BioActive sensor, personalised fitness coaching and an emergency siren^[1] in case you get into trouble. Perhaps most intriguingly, it also harnesses the power of Galaxy AI^[2] for personalised insights on fitness and health^[3].

Clearly, the Galaxy Watch Ultra isn’t short on features, but can it hold up to the rigorous testing of the Men’s Health team? Read on to find out.

The look

We love a watch that stands out, and the Galaxy Watch Ultra certainly fits that bill. The watch comes in three titanium colours – titanium grey, titanium silver and titanium white – all of which command attention. As for the band, a bright orange ‘Marine’ band is the default, but there are other options. ‘Trail’ and ‘PeakForm’ band varieties are also available, and in addition to orange, they also come in more subtle white, green and dark grey colours. Personally, we can’t look past the orange base.^[4]

As for the dial, the Galaxy Watch Ultra opts for a distinct shape. While previous Samsung watches have been mostly circular – the Galaxy Watch Ultra is more of a half circle, half square. The case itself is a square with rounded corners, while the 47mm screen remains circular.

On either the left or right side of the watch – depending on which way you choose to wear it – you’ll find three buttons. There’s the usual back and home keys, and a quick button. As the Galaxy Watch Ultra was built with physical activity in mind, the base function of the quick button is to let Galaxy Watch Ultra users initiate workouts quickly and smoothly, without having to look at the screen or use touch controls. The button can also be customised to command other functions, like opening a particular app.

Then there’s the display itself. The Galaxy Watch Ultra’s 47mm screen gets up to 3000 nits of brightness. If that number means nothing to you and you haven’t the slightest clue what ‘nits’ are, just know that that’s a good amount; enough for it to be seen even under harsh sunlight. The display is a wonder to look at, with a crystal-clear view at all times. At night, the watch automatically switches to night mode – which, in our opinion, is when it looks most appealing.

The features

The Galaxy Watch Ultra is flush with features. For starters, there’s the upgraded, do-it-all sensor on the case back, which Samsung has dubbed the ‘BioActive sensor’. It holds 16 LED lights, which can project ultraviolet rays into the skin to track health metrics. Within the sensor lies an accelerometer, heart rate monitor, blood oxygen monitor, pedometer, barometer and gyroscope, among other things.

With a dual frequency GPS tracker^[5], the Galaxy Watch Ultra can guide you during any journey but is especially helpful during workouts. Sometimes you just want to set off and not worry about how you’re getting to where you’re going. With the Galaxy Watch Ultra, you can do exactly that with data-based guidance from Google Maps and turn-by-turn directions that are audibly provided through the watch’s loudspeakers. Once you’ve reached the end of the road, you can easily track back with directions to your starting point at the press of a button.^[6]

The Galaxy Watch Ultra’s workout-enhancing capabilities go far beyond navigation. You can track every one of your workouts – whether it’s a walk, run, swim, bike ride, hike, weights session or even a multi-sport endeavour like a triathlon – the Galaxy Watch Ultra will record your data and provide real-time feedback in areas like heart rate zones. This feedback is also tailored to your capabilities. The watch can learn your routine and know what your heart rate should be during certain degrees of effort^[7]. If you’re running at what should be a conversational pace but your heart rate is climbing too high, the watch will let you know to ease up^[7].

Of course, we can’t forget about the Galaxy Watch Ultra’s incorporation of Galaxy AI. In the health space, Galaxy AI can analyse the key indicators of your overall health condition and provide you with a daily energy score^[9]. This assesses a holistic range of factors, including your sleep, heart rate and daily activity. To fine-tune your energy score, you can try optimising your sleep, during which the watch will keep tabs on your rest stages, duration, heart rate and even snoring. I initially scored an 86 and was able to up that to 94 after some good shuteye.

Outside of workouts, Galaxy AI can come in handy when replying to text messages. By analysing previous messages, Galaxy AI can effectively determine your typical tone of conversation with a specific contact and offer reply suggestions that match the mood – and yes, it can do this mid-run, when you need to shoot off a quick text but don’t want to lose your rhythm.^[10]

In terms of battery life, the Galaxy Watch Ultra is built for long lasting use, with a 590mAh battery^[11]. It should outlast any adventure you take it on, and it’ll be able to handle any environment you take it in too, with an operating temperature ranging from -20-49 degrees Celsius and altitude resistance up to 9000 metres^[12].

Lastly, in case you run into trouble, the Galaxy Watch Ultra is equipped with a safety siren that can be triggered by holding the quick button for five seconds. Once activated, a powerful 86 decibel siren will be emitted, which can be heard from up to 180 metres away^[13].

The test

Like we said, the Galaxy Watch Ultra is flush with features, but how does it hold up in practice? I had a week with the watch to put it to the test – which I did, comprehensively.

As someone who was recently diagnosed with a heart condition relating to an irregular heartbeat, I was intrigued by the Galaxy Watch Ultra’s ability to perform an ECG^[14]. Naturally, that’s the feature I tested first. Within roughly 30 seconds, the Galaxy Watch Ultra was able to detect atrial fibrillation and recommend I see a specialist. I was floored by this, having spent the last few months taking exactly that kind of test, in hospitals. If only I’d tested the Galaxy Watch Ultra sooner.

To help manage my condition, I’ve been ordered by doctors to not let my heart rate get too high while exercising. There, the Galaxy Watch Ultra once again proved useful**. Embarking on a moderate tempo run around my local circuit, I was able to monitor my heart rate through the watch’s BioActive sensor and ease up when I reached too high a zone.

That was run one. On run two I figured I’d test out the Galaxy Watch Ultra’s navigational abilities and was again impressed. I set out rather aimlessly with no clear direction in mind bar a point I wanted to end up. The watch was able to guide me to my destination easily, with timely directions at every turn. Once I arrived at my end point, rather than being completely lost, I was able to use the watch’s ‘track-back’ feature and return home safely^[15].

On day three, I shook things up with a bike ride, to see if the watch was just as effective on a different mode of transport to my legs. In short, it was. It was during this session I discovered how handy Galaxy AI can be. Roughly halfway through my ride, a text message popped up on the display. At the time, I was in the zone. You know, that period when you put everything else aside, lock in and feel unstoppable. Rather than pause my workout, pull over and lose momentum, I was able to shoot off a quick – Galaxy AI-suggested – response.^[16] With the Galaxy Watch Ultra, you become accustomed to unexpectedly useful features like this.

The verdict

The race to create the world’s leading smart watch is fierce, with new technologies constantly emerging and previously unimagined uses for AI arriving every day. But after testing the Galaxy Watch Ultra, it feels safe to say that Samsung is winning that race.

Yes, the heart-rate monitoring capabilities did appeal to me in particular, but the BioActive sensor is hardly a one trick pony. You’ll be hard-pressed to find someone that doesn’t want greater insight into what makes their body tick so they can optimise their health and enhance their workouts. In that sense, the Galaxy Watch Ultra is truly nonpareil.

The whole design is unquestionably appealing, and, on the wrist, the watch is eminently wearable.

There wasn’t an aspect of the Galaxy Watch Ultra that didn’t impress me, and while I didn’t have the occasion to take it to a mountain’s summit or a desert’s barren vista to test out some of its more hardcore features, it wouldn’t surprise me if it performed just as well.

[1] The siren emits up to 86-decibel sound and can be heard up to 180 metres away maximum. The loudness and range of the sound may vary depending on the environment. The duration for which the siren can be activated may vary depending on the battery life.

[2] Certain Galaxy AI features requires Samsung and Google Account. Internet connection may be required to use some features. AI Features will be provided free of charge until the end of 2025 on supported Samsung Galaxy devices.

[3] The Galaxy Watch Ultra is not a medical/therapeutic device. It is solely intended for fitness and wellness purposes only and is not intended for use in the diagnosis of disease or other conditions; or in the cure, mitigation, treatment or prevention of disease; or for the prevention or control of conception or pregnancy. Samsung recommends that you consult with your doctor or physician before participating in any exercise program.

[4] Colour availability may vary depending on country or carrier. Additional Watch bands are sold separately.

[5] GPS accuracy may vary depending on network environment, obstructions to the satellite signal and other factors. GPS function requires internet connection. Can be used on LTE models without paired smartphone.

[6] To use Track Back feature, it must be enabled prior to every hiking or cycling workout session under Samsung Health settings.

[7] Personalisation of Heart Rate Zone enabled when selecting outdoor run activity. It is required to run consistently for more than 10 minutes with speed of 4km/h or faster.

[8] HR alerts is intended for general wellness and fitness purposes only. Not intended for use in detection, diagnosis, treatment, monitoring or management of any medical condition or disease. Any health-related information accessed through the device and application should not be treated as medical advice. Users should seek any medical advice from a physician.

[9] Available on select Android phones (Android 10 or above), requires Samsung Health App (V6.27 or above) and Samsung Account login. User must register a Galaxy Watch (Watch4 or later) or Galaxy Ring. Not intended for use in detection, diagnosis or treatment of any medical condition. Measurements are for your personal reference only. Please consult a medical professional for advice.

[10] Requires a Samsung Account and network connection. Suggested Replies feature with watch works when the watch is paired to a Galaxy Flip6, Galaxy Fold6 or Galaxy S24. Translation might not be accurate.

[11] Battery life is based on results from internal lab tests for typical usage pattern scenarios conducted by Samsung. Actual battery life may vary depending on network environment, usage patterns, device model, battery manufacturer and other factors.

[12] Galaxy Watch Ultra has obtained MIL-STD-810H Certification and can be used in temperatures ranging from -20° C to 49° C when tested under lab conditions. Watch Ultra has been tested as water resistant against a range of lab conditions, including for submersion in up to 1.5 meters of fresh water for up to 30 minutes. Actual results may vary. Refer to the user manual for further information, including care/use instructions.

[13] The siren emits up to 86-decibel sound and can be heard up to 180 meters away maximum. The loudness and range of the sound may vary depending on the environment. The duration for which the siren can be activated may vary depending on the battery life.

[14] ECG feature is intended for adults 22 years + to create, record, store, transfer, and display a single channel electrocardiogram (ECG) and is not intended to replace traditional methods of diagnosis or treatment. ECG feature is not intended for users with known arrhythmias. Please consult a medical professional for advice. FOLLOW THE INSTRUCTIONS FOR USE.

[15] To use Track Back feature, it must be enabled prior to every hiking or cycling workout session under Samsung Health settings.

[16] Requires a Samsung Account and network connection. Suggested Replies feature with watch works when the watch is paired to a Galaxy Flip6, Galaxy Fold6 or Galaxy S24. Translation might not be accurate.

**Samsung Health and Watch Ultra are intended for general wellness and fitness purposes only. Not intended for use in detection, diagnosis, treatment of any medical condition or disease. Measurements are for your personal reference only. Please consult a medical professional for advice.

The Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra is $1,299 and is now available with Samsung Care+ See website for full details on Samsung Care+ service.

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The post Tried & tested: Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra appeared first on Men's Health Magazine Australia.

If you’re looking for a reason to hold off on hitting the beach as we head into the warmer months, you’ll find in a streaming platform, because there’s a big month ahead. If you’re struggling with an Olympic-sized hole in your heart, the Paralympics have already kicked off and can be streamed on Stan. If a blockbuster film is what you’re after, Wolfs – starring not just one, but two Hollywood heavyweights in George Clooney and Brad Pitt – over on Apple TV+ should keep you satiated. While on Binge, The Penguin (a companion piece to The Batman) will make its long-awaited premiere.

The vast swaths of new content don’t make it easy for you though. The big hitters like Netflix, Disney+ and Amazon Prime are so packed with must-watch films and shows that it can be difficult to discern what’s worth your time and what’s best left on the backburner – especially when you’re prone to indecision and are paying for the luxury of choice with subscriptions to multiple platforms.

Not to worry though, Men’s Health has you covered. To help you avoid being paralysed with indecision during a dreaded doomscroll, we’ve rounded up all the very best films and shows coming to streaming platforms in September 2024.

What’s new on Netflix in September?

September Netflix Highlight – The Perfect Couple

Another routine month where a vast array of new content will hit Netflix is headlined by new series The Perfect Couple, starring Nicole Kidman. The Aussie actress plays the matriarch of a well-to-do Nantucket family who is none too welcoming to her soon-to-be daughter in law. The proceedings take a morbid turn when a body is discovered on the beach, turning a tense weekend of wedding prep into a whodunnit.

Also on Netflix in September, Uglies marks the triumphant return on the young adult dystopian genre that was so popular in the early 2010s. Based on a popular book series, the world of Uglies is an oppressive, looks-obsessed dictatorship where young people are given a surgical makeover once they become teenagers, resulting in a class system of ‘uglies’ and ‘pretties’.

September 1

• The Fast and the Furious
• Follow the Rain
• The Reader
• The Rooster
• Videoland

September 2

• Crazy, Stupid, Love.

September 3

• Chestnut vs. Kobayashi: Unfinished Beef
• Phil Wang: Wang in There, Baby!
• Last One Standing, season 3
• Untold: Hope Solo vs. US Soccer

September 4

• Outlast, season 2

September 5

• Apollo 13: Survival
• Caught in the Web: The Murders Behind Zona Divas
• The Perfect Couple
• Selling Sunset, season 8

September 6

• Disco; Ibiza, Locomia
• Lantana
• Rebel Ridge

September 9

• Hot Wheels Let’s Race, season 2
• The Way Back

September 10

• Ahir Shah: Ends
• Jack Whitehall: Fatherhood with My Father
• Monster-in-Law

September 11

• Boxer
• The Circle, season 7
• Technoboys

September 12

• Angel Di Maria: Breaking Down the Wall
• Billionaire Island
• Emily in Paris, season 4 part 2
• Into the Fire: The Lost Daughter
• Midnight at Pera Palace, season 2

September 13

• My Brilliant Career
• Officer Black Belt
• Sector 36
• Uglies

September 15

• The Blind Side

September 16

• CoComelon, season 11

September 17

• Culinary Class Wars

September 18

• Envious, season 1
• Live from the Other Side with Tyler Henry
• What’s Next? The Future with Bill Gates

September 19

• Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story
• The Queen of Villains
• St. Vincent
• Twilight of the Gods

September 20

• His Three Daughters
• KLASS 95: The Power of Beauty
• South Solitary

September 26

• Everything Calls for Salvation, season 2
• Nobody Wants This
• The Town
• A True Gentleman

September 27

• Lisabi: The Uprising
• Rez Ball
• We Were Kings
• Will & Harper

What’s new on Disney+ in September?

September Disney+ Highlight – Agatha All Along

The long awaited follow up to WandaVision is finally here. In what will be a relatively soft month for Disney+, Agatha All Along will be a boon as the latest MCU series. In case you need a refresher, Agatha Harkness has been trapped in a lackadaisical New Jersey town since the end of WandaVision, but has managed to escape with the assistance of a few witches keen on utilising her power. Aubrey Plaza, Patti LuPone and Joe Locke are all slated to appear alongside Kathryn Hahn.

September 4

• LEGO Pixar: Bricktoons
  Murai In Love
  Tell Me Lies, season 2

September 6

• Believeland
• The Birth of Big Air
• Catholics vs. Convicts
• Fernando Nation
• Into the Wind
• Mike and the Mad Dog
• The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives

September 8

• Big City Greens the Movie: Spacecation (Sing-Along Version)

September 11

• Los Chavez
• Seoul Busters

September 12

• Muslim Matchmaker

September 13

• How to Die Alone
• In Vogue: The ’90s
• LEGO Star Wars: Rebuild the Galaxy

September 17

• Child Star

September 18

• After Baywatch: Moment in the Sun
• Wayne Brady: The Family Remix

September 19

• Agatha All Along

September 20

• The Contestant

September 22

• The Judge from Hell

September 24

• Out There: Crimes of the Paranormal

September 25

• At Witt’s End: The Hunter for a Killer
• Fly
• Kindergarten: The Musical
• Macross 7
• Mama Cake
• Volta Priscila

September 27

• Ayla & The Mirrors
• An Oprah Special: Artificial Intelligence and the Future of Us
• She Taught Love

September 28

• Little Miss Innocent
• Social Studies

What’s new on Stan in September?

September Stan Highlight – From season 3

The highly anticipated third season of From will premiere on Stan on September 23rd. It’s a lowkey and downright creepy sci-fi drama. Set in a small town where nobody can leave and terrifying monsters emerge once the sun goes down, escape may finally be possible for the show’s protagonists. Although, they won’t be getting out without a fight with those aforementioned critters.

The Walking Dead’s Daryl Dixon will also be getting a continuation of his spin-off series in The Book of Carol on Stan next month. After scouring France during the first season of the show, Dixon has made some friends and is heading to Spain on a zombie-killing quest. It’s not your typical Euro summer, but who are we to judge?

September 1

• Copa ’71
• Stop Making Sense
• The Legend of Ben Hall
• Jersey Girl
• Garden State

September 2

• The Hours
• Fallen Leaves

September 3

• Rev, seasons 1-3

September 4

• Triangle
• On Our Watch

September 5

• Quiz
• Baghdad Messi

September 6

• Monster

September 7

• Dune: Part 1
• Fireman Sam Special: The Great Fire of Pontypandy
• Burning Hearts

September 8

• Revealed: KillJoy
• Guide to Second Date Sex

September 9

• Game Night
• Delete History
• Next Door

September 10

• Spectacular Earth

September 11

• The Angry Birds Movie 2
• Once Upon A Time In Hollywood

September 12

• The Athena
• Don’t Stop Me Now

September 14

• Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets Of Dumbledore
• Walking Out
• Bob The Builder On Site: Homes and Playgrounds

September 15

• In The Valley Of Sin
• South Park: Bigger, Longer & Uncut
• That’s Not Cheating

September 16

• Sherwood

September 17

• Force of Nature
• No Filter

September 18

• I Can Quit Whenever I Want 2: Masterclass
• I Can Quit Whenever I Want 3

September 19

• The Big C, seasons 1-4

September 20

• The Teachers’ Lounge
• Resident Evil
• Resident Evil: Afterlife
• Resident Evil: Apocalypse
• Resident Evil: Extinction
• Resident Evil: Retribution
• Resident Evil: The Final Chapter

September 21

• Elvis
• Folau

September 22

• DC League of Super-Pets
• Thomas and Friends: Hero of the Rails
• Welcome To Norway

September 23

• From, season 3 premiere
• Fisherman’s Friends 2: One & All

September 24

• Operation Fortune: Ruse De Guerre
• Where Am I Going?

September 25

• Panorama: The Abercrombie Guys: The Dark Side of Cool
• 1%

September 26

• The North Water

September 27

• Peter and the Wolf

September 28

• Find Me in Paris, seasons 1-3
• Tigers
• Rosa’s Wedding

September 29

• Elysium
• Blueback
• The Octonauts and the Great Penguin Race

September 30

• The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon, season 2 premiere
• We Hunt Together, season 2

What’s new on Amazon Prime Video in September?

September Amazon Prime Video Highlight – Gladiator

It’s going to be a big month on Amazon Prime. Just in time for the sequel (which will be released in November), the original Gladiator is making its way to Amazon Prime. Tune in for a refresher, and to see what kind of competition Paul Mescal is up against. Elsewhere, a range of new movies will make their streaming debuts on Amazon Prime, including The Iron Claw, The Dry 2 and Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire.

If that’s not enough, there’s also a new special from The Grand Tour, which is being slated as the final collaboration between Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond and James May, as well as a dramatisation of the Prince Andrew scandal with A Very Royal Scandal, and a contemporary mystery in classic neo-noir style set in Crete with Killer Heat. Lastly, the first season of Tulsa King is also coming to Prime, giving you enough time to reacquaint yourself with the series before its second season next month. Yep, it’s a good time to have an Amazon Prime subscription.

September 1

• The Amityville Horror
• Arsenal
• Chicago Fire, seasons 9-10
• The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
• Gladiator
• Invasion of the Body Snatchers
• Poltergeist
• Poltergeist II: The Other Side
• Poltergeist III
• Troll 2

September 2

• Tulsa King

September 3

• The Dry

September 4

• Where The Wild Things Are

September 5

• Force of Nature: The Dry 2

September 6

• Call Me Bae
• Como Cazar A Un Monstruo
• Elisabeth Rioux: Unfiltered
• Lego Dreamzzzz, season 2

September 10

• Yes Man

September 11

• Manes, season 2
• Self/Less

September 13

• The Grand Tour: One for the Road
• No Activity, season 2

September 15

• Joker

September 17

• American Assassin

September 19

• A Very Royal Scandal
• Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire

September 20

• Fabrizio Copano Stand-Up Special
• Ingebrigtsen Born to Run
• The Iron Claw
• Porno Y Helado, season 2
• The Tragically Hip: No Dress Rehearsal
• A Very Royal Scandal

September 22

• Can You Keep a Secret?
• Drunk Parents

September 24

• 17 Again

September 25

• Hotel Artemis

September 26

• Killer Heat

September 27

• Previously Saved Version

What’s new on Binge in September?

September Binge Highlight – The Penguin

The biggest release coming to Binge in September is undoubtedly The Penguin, which will be premiering on the platform on September 20th. Starring Colin Farrell, the Penguin is a spin-off of 2022’s The Batman. It follows Oswald Cobblepot (yes, that’s the Penguin’s real name) on his rise from a disfigured nobody to a feared gangster.

What’s new on Apple TV+ in September?

September Apple TV+ Highlight – Wolfs

In what is perhaps the biggest straight-to-streaming film release ever, Wolfs will make its long awaited premiere on Apple TV+ next month. The film is an action comedy starring Brad Pitt and George Clooney as a pair of professional fixers hired to cover up the same crime – unbeknownst to each other. Stuck on the same job, the pair of lone wolves are forced to work together as their night progressively spirals out of control.

September 4

• Slow Horses, season 4

September 20

• La Maison

September 25

• Midnight Family

September 27

• Wolfs

I’m short on time, what should I watch in September to keep up with the zeitgeist?

We get it. Time is thin and the streaming commitments are coming thick and fast. To ensure you’re keeping up with next month’s Stranger Things or Squid Game (read: the shows everyone’s talking about), this is our list of recommended must-watch films and series.

• The Perfect Couple, Netflix, September 5th
• Uglies, Netflix, September 13th
• The Grand Tour: One for the Road, Amazon Prime September 13th
• Agatha All Along, Disney+, September 19th
• A Very Royal Scandal, Amazon Prime, September 19th
• The Penguin, Binge, September 20th
• From season 3, Stan, September 23rd
• Killer Heat, Amazon Prime, September 26th
• Wolfs, Apple TV+, September 27th

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The post What to stream in September: Netflix, Amazon Prime, Stan and more appeared first on Men's Health Magazine Australia.

Australian athletes returned from Paris last month with their greatest ever gold medal haul. With an achievement like that, you would usually expect a nation’s production of world-class athletes to be peaking, but by all metrics, Australia is only just getting started.

The swim team is at its strongest in more than 70 years. Track and field is no longer a weak point. The addition of urban sports like skateboarding, surfing and BMX riding has only boosted our medal opportunities. And now more than ever, Australian basketballers and footballers are joining the big-money overseas leagues. Let’s not forget, Brisbane is also hosting the 2032 Olympics, and you don’t need us to tell you that countries typically ramp up their performances when playing host.

Yes, it looks like Australia’s next sporting golden age is truly upon us. But let’s not forget, we now have a four year wait until the next summer Olympics, and an eight year wait for Brisbane 2032. Most of the future gold medal winners haven’t quite announced themselves yet, but we’ve still taken notice. These are the 23 Australian athletes under the age of 23 with the brightest futures.

Flynn Southam

INSTAGRAM | @flynn_southam

Sport: Swimming

He largely laid in waiting in Paris, but assuredly, Flynn Southam was there amongst the illustrious Australian swim team – and he picked up a pair of medals at only 19 years of age. Southam was part of the 4x100m and 4x200m freestyle relay teams that won silver and bronze in Paris. He didn’t qualify for any individual events as he was buried behind some world class competition at the Australian swimming trials, but it won’t be long before the 19-year-old overtakes his rivals. Southam became the junior world champion in the 200m freestyle in 2023 – an accomplishment that usually heralds a future of Olympic success.

Nestory Irankunda

INSTAGRAM | @nestory._

Sport: Football

Australia’s men’s footballing golden generation peaked in the 2000s, but Nestory Irankunda is the most exciting Aussie prospect the nation has produced since. The Adelaide United product was born in Tanzania and in addition to Australia, he’s eligible to represent his country of birth and Burundi – and he still might unless Graham Arnold gets his act together. Irankunda was a class above the A-League, dominating the tier as a teenager. His talents were enough to secure him a move to Germany with Bayern Munich, where he’s scored two goals in two games for the side’s second team. Irankunda made his debut for the Socceroos earlier this year and at 18 years old, is the team’s second youngest ever goalscorer.

Torrie Lewis

INSTAGRAM | @_torrielewis_

Sport: Athletics

It’s rare that a 19-year-old will hold a national record in the 100-metre sprint, but then again, Australia doesn’t have the most star-studded history in the event. Nevertheless, Torrie Lewis’ time of 11.10 seconds is the fastest ever recorded by an Australian woman, and you’d have to think she’s going to continue to break that record as her talent progresses. Lewis drew international attention earlier this year when she won a 200-metre race in the Diamond League, defeating track stars like Sha’Carri Richardson to do it.

Mary Fowler

Sport: Football

She’s already been a household name for quite some time now, but we expect Mary Fowler’s star to continue to rise as she gains more experience and establishes herself as the face of the Matildas. Still only 21, Fowler has already made more than 50 appearances for the national team and tallied 15 goals. A natural playmaker, she possesses supreme field vision and a precision strike. It won’t be long before Fowler cements herself as one of the world’s best.

Gout Gout

 

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Sport: Athletics

By now, we’ve all seen that viral video of 16-year-old Gout Gout blitzing his opponents at the Queensland athletics championships, right? In case you missed it, Gout won the race by a wide margin and he’s already being touted as Australia’s first great sprinter in quite some time. His 100m personal best of 10.29 seconds is only half a second off Noah Lyles’ gold medal-winning time, and Gout is only 16. He’ll only get faster.

Jade Melbourne

INSTAGRAM | @jade.melbourne

Sport: Basketball

Since losing Lauren Jackson to retirement multiple times and gaining her back multiple times, while also sending Liz Cambage to the bleachers, the Opals have been searching for their new identity. But after a bronze medal-winning performance in Paris – the team’s first medal since London 2012 – it appears they’ve found it, and it revolves around point guard Jade Melbourne. A capable shooter, passer and two-way player, Melbourne has few weaknesses to her game. Having just turned 22, she still has room to grow and will have hit her prime by LA 2028.

Peyton Craig

INSTAGRAM | @peytoncraig_

Sport: Athletics

Peyton Craig burst onto the scene in Paris by finishing third in his 800m heat to progress straight into the semifinals. There, he could only manage a sixth-placed finish, but his time would’ve been fast enough to win either of the other two semifinals. Still only 19, Craig will have a shot at a junior world title when he races at the under-20 athletics world championships this month.

Mollie O’Callaghan

Sport: Swimming

An athlete who needs no introduction, it’s hard to believe that Mollie O’Callaghan is still only 20. She already has eight Olympic medals under her belt – five of which are gold – and she upset Ariarne Titmus in the 200m freestyle to win gold in what will long be remembered as one of the best Olympic races we’ve ever seen. The sky truly is the limit for O’Callaghan, who will only be 28 during Brisbane 2032. Becoming Australia’s all-time leading medallist seems inevitable.

Josh Giddey

INSTAGRAM | @australianboomers

Sport: Basketball

Despite a much-written about off-court debacle and a disappointing third NBA season that ultimately saw him traded to the Chicago Bulls, Josh Giddey remains the most exciting basketball prospect Australia has produced in some time – with the possible exception of Ben Simmons, but we all know how that’s going. Giddey established himself as the focal point of the Boomers’ offence in Paris with his elite passing, improved shooting and ability to create with the ball in his hands. At 21, he’ll be the face of the Boomers for years to come, with an almost entirely new supporting cast from LA 2028 onwards.

Molly Picklum

INSTAGRAM | @picklummolly

Sport: Surfing

At 21 years of age, Molly Picklum is already one of the world’s best surfers. She’s won two championship events on the WSL tour (both at Sunset Beach in Hawaii) and she’s just qualified for the WSL finals for the second consecutive year. Women’s surfing’s next generation is currently in the midst of unseating the old one, with seven of the top nine surfers in the current WSL rankings aged 24 or younger, while the entire top four is under 24. World number one Caitlyn Simmers is also only 18, so if she’s going to win a world championship, Picklum won’t be able to rely on her opponents ageing out of competitiveness.

Dyson Daniels

INSTAGRAM | @australianboomers

Sport: Basketball

The ideal running mate for Josh Giddey on the Boomers, Dyson Daniels had a breakout tournament at the Olympics, establishing himself as a mainstay in the starting lineup. Daniels is a lockdown defender, savvy passer, dynamic inside scorer and has shown flashes of shooting ability. Like Giddey, he’s only 21 and will likely move into a larger role with his new team, the Atlanta Hawks, in the upcoming NBA season.

Olivia Wunsch

INSTAGRAM | @liv.wunsch

Sport: Swimming

Eighteen-year-old swimmer Olivia Wunsch made her Olympic debut in Paris and by swimming in the heats of the 4x100m freestyle relay, she also picked up her first gold medal. She may not be a big name on the senior circuit right now, but Wunsch is already a superstar in junior competition. At the 2023 junior swimming world championships, Wunsch picked up a whopping six medals, with gold in the 50m freestyle, 100m freestyle, 4x100m freestyle relay, 4x100m medley relay and the mixed 4x100m freestyle relay, as well as bronze in the 50m butterfly.

Keegan Palmer

 

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Sport: Skateboarding

A dual-Olympic gold medallist in skateboarding park at just 21 years of age, Keegan Palmer has already reached his sport’s zenith, but he has no intention of letting up. It’s not unreasonable to think that Palmer could remain the only men’s skateboarding park gold medallist for the foreseeable future. He’ll only be 29 years old by Brisbane 2032, and skateboarders often compete well into their 40s.

Rocco Zikarsky

INSTAGRAM | @roccozikarsky

Sport: Basketball

The Boomers have a wealth of oversized, playmaking guards and lengthy, defensive specialist wings, but if the team has one area of weakness, it’s the at the centre position. Jock Landale exceeded expectations in Paris and perhaps Duop Reath will find a bigger role under a new coach, but neither look like they can handle international big men like Victor Wembanyama, Nikola Jokic and Giannis Antetokounmpo. This is an unusual weak point for Australia, with stars like Luc Longley, Chris Anstey, Andrew Bogut and Aron Baynes having filled the role in the past. Thankfully, the next in the nation’s long line of big men will arrive shortly in Rocco Zikarsky. At seven foot three, Zikarksy is a certifiable giant and is projected as a consensus lottery pick in next year’s NBA draft.

Kyra Cooney-Cross

INSTAGRAM | @kyracooneyx

Sport: Football

Kyra Cooney-Cross’ stellar performance at the 2023 FIFA women’s world cup caught the attention of a number of top European teams. Ultimately, she secured a move to Arsenal not long after the world cup and has since become a crucial cog in the team’s midfield. Likewise, she’s already the Matildas’ most important player in the middle of the park and at just 22, she’ll likely continue in that role for at least the next decade.

Lizzy Dekkers

INSTAGRAM | @lizzydekkers

Sport: Swimming

Lizzy Dekkers’ specialty is the 200m butterfly, and she came very close to winning her first Olympic medal in the event in Paris. She wound up in fourth place in the final, but at 20 years of age, she still has plenty of time to improve for LA 2028. Plus, she’s already a world championship silver medallist and Commonwealth games gold medallist in the event.

Arisa Trew

INSTAGRAM | @arisa_trew

Sport: Skateboarding

How could Australia’s youngest ever gold medallist not make this list? The crazy thing about Arisa Trew is that, at just 14, she’ll still be eligible for this list after Brisbane 2032, as she’ll only be 22 by then. We foresee many medals in Trew’s future, as she looks to become a dominant force in skateboarding park.

Johnny Furphy

INSTAGRAM | @johnnyfurphy

Sport: Basketball

Freshly drafted into the NBA by the Indiana Pacers, Johnny Furphy is a wing/forward with good size for his position, a smooth shooting stroke, surprising bounce and solid rebounding skills. He figures into the Boomers’ plans for the future and could be in the starting lineup by LA 2028. At 19, Furphy already looks like he has star potential.

Jaclyn Barclay

INSTAGRAM | @jaclynbarclay

Sport: Swimming

The youngest swimmer in the 2024 Australian Olympic team, Jaclyn Barclay will presumably step into Kaylee McKeown’s role as the nation’s premier backstroke swimmer, if McKeown does ever slow down. Barclay was the gold medallist in the 100m backstroke at last year’s junior world championships despite being only 16 at the time – a full two years younger than some of her competitors. She was the silver medallist in the 200m backstroke at the senior world championships earlier this year and looks like she’ll have Olympic medals in her future.

Calab Law

INSTAGRAM | _calablaw_

Sport: Athletics

It’s not often that Australia has track medallists in international meets, regardless of whether they’re on the senior or junior level, but Calab Law shocked many by winning bronze in the 200-metres at the 2022 under-20 athletics world championships. The time he ran to win that medal remains his personal best two years on, but at 20, Law has flashed enough potential to be considered a future Olympic medal threat.

Tayte Ryan

INSTAGRAM | @tayte_ryan

Sport: Cycling

Tayte Ryan has quite the resume. He’s a three-time junior world champion in the 1km track cycling time trial, an eight-time national champion and four-time Oceania champion – all by the age of 18. Australia has a long history of producing cycling stars and Ryan looks like the obvious choice to be the next one.

Grae Morris

INSTAGRAM | @grae.morris

Sport: Sailing

A medal that flew slightly under the radar in Paris was Grae Morris’ silver in men’s windsurfing. Morris finished first overall in the 13-race preliminary round but narrowly missed out on gold in the final. He’s only 20 and has already come close to the top of the Olympic podium, he’ll be back for another shot at future Olympics.

Delta Amidzovski

INSTAGRAM | @delta.amidzovski

Sport: Athletics

Breaking news out of Peru this morning, Delta Amidzovski has just become a junior world champion in long jump. Australia has won four Olympic medals in long jump – all of them silver and all of them won by men – and Amidzovski has now proven she has the potential to add more to that tally.

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The post 23 under 23: the young Australian athletes who will dominate LA 2028 and beyond appeared first on Men's Health Magazine Australia.

The 2024 Paris Paralympics will squeeze 549 medal events (an increase on the Olympics’ 329) into just 11 days of competition. Attempting to watch all of those events, most of which will take place in the middle of the Australian night, is a daunting prospect. But with what we expect to be a massive gold-medal haul from the Australian athletes, there are plenty of moments you simply can’t afford to miss.

For that reason, selecting the events you’re going to watch is an important task. You don’t want to commit to staying up past 12am or waking up at 4am unless it’s going to be worth it, but you also don’t want to risk missing out on a magical moment.

To put your mind at ease, we’ve hand-picked the Games’ headliners, so you can get your priorities straight. All dates and times are in AEST.

August 29th

Para-swimming heats – 5:30pm

Wheelchair rugby pool stage, Australia vs Great Britain – 7:30pm

August 30th

Men’s wheelchair basketball pool stage, Australia vs Netherlands – 5:30am

Men’s 400m freestyle, S9 final – 1:30am

Australian flagbearer Brendan Hall is a two-time gold medallist in this event.

Women’s 400m freestyle, S9 final – 1:40am

Lakeisha Patterson won gold in this event in Tokyo three years ago.

Men’s 50m freestyle, S10 final – 3:41am

Rowan Crothers won gold in this event in Tokyo. Thomas Gallagher is also a chance at a medal.

Men’s wheelchair tennis, round 1 – 8:00pm

Aussies Anderson Parker and Ben Weekes will both be in action.

Men’s Javelin, F38 final – 8:09pm

Corey Anderson won gold in the F38 javelin back at the 2019 world championships with a world record throw.

Men’s wheelchair basketball pool stage, Australia vs Spain – 8:45pm

Women’s track cycling, C4 individual pursuit final – 11:35pm

If all goes according to plan, Tokyo gold medallist Emily Petricola will once again race for gold here.

INSTAGRAM | @rowan.crothers

August 31st

Wheelchair rugby pool stage, Australia vs France – 3:30am

Men’s 5000m T13 final – 6:10pm

Jaryd Clifford fell agonisingly short of a gold medal in this event at the last Olympics. Can he take the top honour here? We’d back him to do so.

Women’s 5000, T54 final – 6:36pm

A dual gold medallist in Tokyo, Madison de Rozario can cement her legacy in Paris.

Wheelchair rugby pool stage, Australia vs Denmark – 9:30pm

Men’s track cycling, C1-3 time trial – 10:02pm

Darren Hicks won this event at the last Paralympics. He has a solid chance of doing it again.

Men’s track cycling, C5 individual pursuit final – 11:21pm

Alistair Donohoe is a four-time Paralympic medallist but he’s yet to capture that elusive gold. Hopefully that changes here.

Women’s track cycling, C1-3 time trial final – 11:35pm

Amanda Reid is returning to defend her Tokyo gold medal in this event.

INSTAGRAM | @alistairdonohoe

September 1st

Men’s wheelchair basketball pool stage, Australia vs USA – 6:30pm

PR3 mixed double sculls final – 8:10pm

The Aussie duo blew away their competition to win gold at last year’s world championships.

September 2nd

Mixed 4x100m freestyle relay, S14 final – 1:30am

Men’s 150m individual medley, SM3 final – 3:20am

Ahmed Kelly is the reigning world champion in this event.

Men’s 100m T34 final – 6:00pm

Rheed McCracken has won silver in this event for the last three Paralympics in a row. He could finally crack the gold here.

INSTAGRAM | @aussie_rollers

September 3rd

Women’s 50m freestyle, S13 final – 2:47am

Katja Dedekind has won gold at the last two world championships and it’s hard to see her missing out on the top spot here.

Men’s javelin, F64 final – 3:00am

A silver medallist at the last Olympics and 2023 world championships, Michael Burian will hope he can find a way to the top of the podium.

Men’s 1500m T13 final – 6:00pm

Jaryd Clifford took bronze in this event in Tokyo. He’ll be hoping to finish even higher up the podium in Paris.

Men’s 400m T36 final – 7:55pm

James Turner will look to defend his gold medal from Tokyo.

Women’s 1500m T54 final – 8:19pm

A dual gold medallist in Tokyo, Madison de Rozario can cement her legacy in Paris.

INSTAGRAM | @jarydclifford

September 5th

Women’s 100m freestyle, S9 final – 3:35am

About as close to a gold medal lock as you can get, Alexa Leary won this event by more than two seconds at the 2023 world championships.

September 6th

Men’s 200m individual medley, SM9 final – 2:31am

Timothy Hodge is a multiple-time world champion in the SM9 IM. He’ll be hard to beat in Paris.

Women’s T63 long jump final – 3:00am

Vanessa Low won gold in this event in Tokyo and is the red-hot favourite to repeat.

September 7th

Men’s 100m backstroke, S14 final – 3:04am

Can anyone unseat Benjamin Hance as the king of the S14 100m backstroke? We doubt it.

Women’s 50m freestyle, S4 final – 4:03am

Rachael Watson is going for her third consecutive Paralympic gold medal in this event.

September 8th

Mixed 4x100m freestyle relay, 34 points final – 1:30am

Men’s 1500m T38 final – 3:00am

Reece Langdon and Angus Hincksman won silver and bronze at last year’s world championships. Australia would be unlucky to miss the medals here.

Women’s 400m T38 final – 4:32am

A silver medallist at the 2023 world championships, Rhiannon Clarke could become a gold medallist on the last day of the Games.

Women’s T54 marathon – 4:00pm

This will be Madison de Rozario’s final event on a busy schedule.

INSTAGRAM | @reece_langdon

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The post Every single event you won’t want to miss during the 2024 Paralympics appeared first on Men's Health Magazine Australia.

Crothers has an invisible disability. He was born 15 weeks prematurely and as a result, developed cerebral palsy. This impacts his coordination and motor skills throughout his entire body, but in his legs in particular.

Crothers’ condition affects him daily, but it’s not something you’ll notice immediately upon meeting him. Nor does it prevent him from pulling off athletic performances most people wouldn’t be able to dream of replicating. “Disability is just a spectrum of ability,” Crothers tells Men’s Health. “Everyone has things that they can and can’t do, and what I really want to see is Australia supporting everybody and helping us all do the things that we want to do.”

Not long after he was born, Crothers’ parents were told he would struggle to ever be independent. Athletic endeavours were out of the question. But as a Paralympic gold medallist, world champion and Commonwealth Games gold medallist, Crothers has made a habit of exceeding expectations. Speaking to him, you get the sense that Crothers doesn’t like being told what he can’t do. Heading into Paris, he has a few more expectations he’d like to exceed, but he’s not limiting his goals to winning gold medals.

At Tokyo 2020, Crothers won gold in the S10 50-metre freestyle and silver in the S10 100m freestyle. While the 50 metres has been his favoured event in the past, Crothers is switching his focus to the 100 metres in Paris. “My big performance goal at the Paralympics is in the 100-metre freestyle, I’d love to swim under 50 seconds,” Crothers says. “Everything I’ve been focusing on over the past couple of years has been about putting my body in a position to swim 49 seconds.”

No para-athlete has ever broken the 50-second threshold in the 100m freestyle, no matter their classification. The world record in Crothers’ S10 classification is 50.64 seconds, which is the fastest time recorded in any para classification. Crothers swam a 50.70 to win gold at the 2022 world championships, but to reach his latest goal, he’ll need to shave almost a full second off his personal best.

There’s no use questioning an athlete on why they aim to do anything, because the reasoning would usually be incomprehensible for the average person. Why, when they’ve already achieved so much, do these athletes put their bodies through daily torment to continually improve and strive for more? You or I would be unlikely to understand. But for Crothers, the answer goes beyond personal motivations and vanity. He has always been an overachiever, consistently exceeding the expectations laid in front of him by doctors, specialists, classmates, teachers, commentators and even the general public. He thinks others can too, with the right support.

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During his early childhood, Crothers’ life was consumed by forecasts of his limited physical and mental ability. “I remember going through some tests and seeing different specialists that basically placed me within the bottom one per cent of the Australian population in motor skills, cognitive function, problem solving and communication skills,” he says.

Eventually, Crothers’ parents grew tired of the pessimism. “Every time my mum and dad saw one of these reports from a doctor that basically said I wasn’t going to be capable of achieving anything in life, they said, ‘Why are we only getting the worst possible outcome?’”

Switching their perspective, Crothers and his family consulted with a team of therapists and specialists with the aim of helping him become the best he could be. “We would have multiple sessions every week with physiotherapists, occupational therapists and speech pathologists to build a plan that my mum and dad would then execute,” he says.

Crothers first encountered swimming as a result of this plan, but he didn’t take to it straight away. “I didn’t enjoy it at all at first,” he says. “I needed a teaching aid in the pool with me at all times because I refused to let go of the side and had a big fear of drowning.”

That changed in 2008, after Crothers watched Australian swimmer Peter Leek – who also has cerebral palsy – win eight medals at the Beijing Paralympics. This presented an opportunity that Crothers hadn’t previously considered: elite para-sports. “If you have a look at what is promoted around the Paralympics, you’d think it’s only for amputees or people who require the use of wheelchairs,” Crothers says. “That’s what I thought. I didn’t know they were an option for kids like me. So, when I recognised that this was something I could do, I said straight away I want to swim and I want to be there someday.”

Following the Beijing Paralympics, Crothers started taking swimming more seriously. He began training not just for physiotherapy, but to see just how much he could achieve. But even still, his disability left him at a disadvantage. “Even when I was 10-11 years old, I was in the learners’ swim classes with the six-year-olds because I couldn’t kick yet. Even though I had more upper body strength and ability than everyone else, they still wouldn’t move me up because I couldn’t kick,” Crothers says. “Well, I still can’t kick properly and I’ve got bloody gold medals under my belt.”

Growing up in this environment showed Crothers the importance of supporting people with disabilities, including the ones we can’t see. He’s now an advocate for invisible disability inclusion and believes that a little extra support can go a long way. “I think that there’s a lot that can happen if we just try to support people and have a bit of faith in others,” he says.

We still have a long way to go in becoming a truly inclusive society for people with invisible disabilities, says Crothers. “There are times where I’ll be denied entry to a bar because people assume that I’ve been drinking because of my disability,” he recalls. “At concerts, where I need a seat in the accessibility section, I’ve been denied entry and looked at weird because I don’t use a wheelchair. Things like that happen everywhere and they can be really preventative of a more inclusive world.”

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Crothers’ breakthrough came at the 2013 para-swimming world championships, where he won gold as part of the 4×100-metre freestyle relay team and bronze in the S9 100-metre freestyle at just 15 years of age. A year later, he won gold at the 2014 Commonwealth Games and he was named to the Australian Paralympic team for Rio 2016 not long after.

By 2019, Crothers was recognised as one of the world’s best swimmers in his classification and was expected to take home some heavy hardware from the 2019 world championships. At the time, he was going all-in on swimming. “I had deferred from university, quit doing all my hobbies and everything else to just focus on swimming,” he says. “Physically, I was very fit, but mentally I was way too focused on one thing and I never had the time to take myself out of swimming.”

Crothers came away from the 2019 world championships with three bronze medals – an incredible achievement, but short of his goal of gold. This showed him the importance of finding balance in training. “As much as I love swimming, if all I think about is swimming, I’ll place too much pressure on myself, and when I get to the big dance I’ll crack,” he says.

Just because he takes a balanced approach to his routine, that doesn’t mean Crothers goes easy on himself physically. He’s in the pool nine times per week, often doubling up on his sessions with multiple swims per day. Here, Crothers points to his treatment at the Queensland Academy of Sport as further evidence of what can happen when people with disabilities are given the support they need. “These people don’t see me as an athlete with disability, they see me as a professional elite athlete preparing for the biggest competition of the year,” he says.

Crothers’ hard work paid off at Tokyo 2020, where he won a pair of Olympic gold medals and a silver. But now that he’s won every title there is to win, proven every point and exceeded all expectations, he’s still striving for more in Paris this month. Although, he’s placing less value on medals and more on making statements. So, why the focus on breaking the 50-second barrier?

“I see breaking the 50-second barrier as a symbol,” Crothers explains. “If I can do it, that might inspire other young kids with disabilities around Australia to break their own barriers and forget about the expectations other people place on them.

“What I really want to do is make the most of the opportunity after the race, where I’ll be on TV and will be speaking to possibly a few million people around Australia and around the world,” Crothers continues. “I don’t want to use that opportunity to talk about how great I am, I want to use it to raise positive messaging about the incredible things that people all around Australia, with or without disabilities, can do if they focus on the things they love and chase their dreams.” Having accomplished all he’s ever set out to do, Crothers is a living proof of his own concept.

INSTAGRAM | @rowan.crothers

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The post Paralympic swimmer Rowan Crothers won’t stop exceeding expectations appeared first on Men's Health Magazine Australia.

Knowles is Australia’s joint-most decorated wheelchair basketballer of all time, with three Paralympic medals – one of them gold – and two world championship victories to his name. During his tenure with the team, the Rollers have gone from an outfit of perennial nearly-men who had only medalled once in Paralympic history to a formidable unit that’s always contending for top honours and is recognised as one of the best teams in the world.

At 41, Knowles has been a consistent member of the national squad for more than 20 years, but he’s been hesitant to consider retirement in the past. “I love competing, but honestly, if I had quit sometime over the last few years, I couldn’t have said that I was leaving the team in a better condition than when I joined,” he tells Men’s Health. That’s not the case anymore.

Heading into Paris, Knowles believes the Rollers are a strong chance of claiming their first Paralympic medal in 12 years. “I haven’t been this confident in the team winning a gold medal in a long time. I truly believe that our strategy and blueprint can take us all the way to gold.”

Knowles is confident, without being cocky – and don’t mistake his faith in his team with arrogance. Like many in his sport, Knowles has experienced highs and lows. He’s won gold medal games, but he’s also lost them. Although, his experience with both sides of the coin isn’t isolated to the court. Knowles’ life has been a battle of highs and lows. It’s those experiences, he believes, that have honed his mindset into what it is today and given him what it takes to overcome adversity and be confident in the face of overwhelming odds.

INSTAGRAM | @tristanknowles09

“Growing up, I was a very active kid whose thoughts were consumed by a dream of captaining [AFL team] Hawthorn to a premiership, Aussie Rules was my passion,” says Knowles of his relationship with sport before his life was changed forever when he was nine years old. “One day, my left leg began to get sore just above the knee and at first, a GP put it down to a common growing pain. After a couple months it wasn’t getting any better, so I went and got an X-ray done.”

The next day, Knowles was informed that he had bone cancer in his left leg, and that the limb would need to be amputated above the knee, turning his life on its head. “It was a scary thing to go through at such a young age, and it ended up being something which challenged me for most of my teenage years,” Knowles says. “My immune system was virtually at zero for the first 12 months after, so I couldn’t even risk getting a cold. It meant a lot of time away from school, friends and playing any sort of sport.”

Knowles was on the road to recovery, enduring years of therapy and medical examinations before finally, during his last quarterly check-up, he was told that doctors had found cancer in his lungs. “It was terrifying because, from getting to know some of the other kids in my situation who had brain or lung cancer, I learned that those were the kids who usually didn’t make it,” he says. “I think that was probably the first time in my cancer journey that I allowed this really, really scary thought to enter my head that I wasn’t going to make it and that I might die at 11 years old.”

This was a turning point in Knowles’ life. Obviously, a cancer diagnosis is always life-changing, but it was in these moments that Knowles’ mindset was built, thanks to a little white lie. “I asked the doctor what my chances of surviving were and he said ‘50-50’. Later, my parents revealed to me that my actual chances of survival were around 5 per cent,” he says. “That had a profound impact on me. It showed me the importance of mindset when approaching a situation of adversity and it helped me maintain hope in a difficult time.”

After beating cancer, Knowles began another battle: getting back into sport. “I had a strange feeling after beating cancer the second time that the battle still wasn’t won,” he recalls. “I still had those dreams of being an AFL player, but obviously that had all been turned on its head. It left me with a feeling of emptiness.”

Knowles spent the next few years searching for the sport that was right for him, which was no easy task. “I’d tried what felt like every other sport under the sun and I just couldn’t find anything that I liked,” he says. Eventually, he discovered wheelchair basketball and from there, he never looked back. “I didn’t cross paths with wheelchair basketball until I was about 15, but I loved it straight away. It has a lot of similar elements to Aussie Rules, it’s fast, physical and it’s a team sport. I very quickly fell in love with the sport and started to form some pretty big goals around what I wanted to achieve.”

Those goals that Knowles speaks of didn’t take long to manifest into a plan of action. He became “obsessed with making the national team” and at 18 years of age, moved to Wollongong from Canberra to join and train with a wheelchair basketball team. At that time, Knowles was studying at university, training whenever he could and saving his particularly tough sessions for the weekend. It didn’t take long for his hard work to pay off.

Knowles received his first call up to the national team when he was only 18. A few short years later, he was heading off to his first Paralympics in Athens. There, Australia improved upon its previous campaign where the team finished fifth, but fell painfully short of ultimate victory, falling to Canada in the decisive gold medal game.

That defeat stuck with Knowles. “I feel like every athlete says this, but we didn’t feel like we won silver, we felt like we lost gold.” The near miss brought about a reckoning, a thorough questioning of the Rollers’ strengths and weaknesses where each member of the squad contemplated what they could do to improve and how they could finish atop the podium at the next Paralympics. “We made a commitment to each other to come back stronger,” Knowles says.

INSTAGRAM | @tristanknowles09

Four years later, the Rollers went into the 2008 Beijing Paralympics with a single goal in mind: win a gold medal. After progressing through a five-game group stage and two knockout games, the Rollers were presented with a familiar foe in the gold-medal match. The same Canadian team that crushed their dreams four years earlier now stood in their way once again.

At the time, Canada was inarguably considered the best wheelchair basketball team in the world. Since winning gold at the previous Paralympics, the Canadians had also won the 2006 world championships and had only dropped three games in the entire Paralympic cycle. Unfazed by their formidable opponents, the Australians emerged victorious, winning only the team’s second Paralympic gold medal in the event. “It’s hard to put into words the sensation and feeling of winning a gold medal,” Knowles says. “It was the payoff for years of hard work and sacrifices.”

The Rollers backed up their Paralympic victory with wins at the 2010 and 2014 world championships, establishing themselves as the team to beat in international competition. Though on the Paralympic stage, success was harder to come by. Silver was all they could muster at the 2012 Games, despite entering the tournament as favourites. At Rio 2016, the Rollers were knocked out in the quarterfinals and faced the same result at Tokyo 2020.

Despite the recent disappointments, Knowles is confident that the Rollers can end their medal drought in Paris, with him now serving as the team’s captain. And at this point, he knows what to expect. “By the time you go to your sixth games, you kind of know how a lot of things are going to go. But that hunger for success never goes away,” Knowles says. “It’s been 10 years since the Rollers have been in the final of a major event, and that’s a hell of a long time to go between drinks. We’ve got a real chance of winning gold in Paris.”

Expect Knowles to give it all at the Games, but whether or not the Rollers win gold or crash out early, he won’t let it define his career. “As an athlete, you’re taught this mentality of all or nothing. I think that can be helpful sometimes, but it’s not always the right mentality,” he says. “What I’ve learned as time’s gone by, and particularly through being an AIA vitality ambassador, is that for most people it’s more about those small somethings. It’s not about being perfect, it’s about doing little things consistently for a long period of time.”

This is what Knowles calls the “all or something” mindset. It’s helping him ground himself in reality heading into the Paralympics, but he also believes it can benefit everyday Australians. “On a more basic level, it might mean getting a set amount of work done each day of the week, or drinking more water or getting eight hours of sleep a night. If we can look after our own health and just do something, that’s all that really matters.”

“I’m really fortunate with the platform that I have as a Paralympian and within AIA to be someone who can advocate for people to look after their financial wellbeing too,” Knowles continues. “As an athlete, I’m acutely aware of how important it is to look after my physical and mental health, but in my role with AIA, I’ve come across some studies that have uncovered some pretty alarming stuff, like that someone experiencing financial stress is twice as likely to experience mental health challenges. So staying on top of your financial wellbeing can be just as important.”

Heading into Paris, Knowles hasn’t yet confirmed whether or not this Paralympics will be his last. He insists that he doesn’t want to leave until he’s certain that the national team is in a better position than what it was when he made his debut. Not that we’re encouraging an early retirement, but regardless of the outcome in Paris, we can say with confidence that Knowles has left an indelible mark on wheelchair basketball, and the Rollers are better for it.

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The post At his sixth Paralympics, Tristan Knowles will give it all he’s got appeared first on Men's Health Magazine Australia.

Few sporting events are as inspiring or impactful as the Paralympics. Celebrating the achievements of athletes with disabilities and promoting inclusivity, the Paralympics are the world’s third biggest sporting event behind only the Olympics and the FIFA World Cup. The Games attract millions of viewers from across the globe in a spectacle of human athleticism.

More than 1,000 athletes from over 100 countries will compete at this year’s Paralympic Games, which are set to begin in just a few days’ time. Until then, you’ll need to get caught up to speed on what to expect, when to tune in, and who to watch. Don’t worry, we’ve done the hard work for you. Here’s everything you need to know about the 2024 Paralympics.

When do the Paralympics start?

The 2024 Paralympics will run from August 29th to September 8th, 2024. The Paralympics have a tighter program than the Olympics, with only 11 days of competition. That means there’s more crossover between event scheduling. Whereas the Olympics has swimming events in the first week and athletics in the second, the Paralympics run most events concurrently. So there’ll be a constant stream of entertainment on offer.

Are the Paralympics also in Paris?

Yes, Paris will host the 2024 Paralympics, just as they hosted the 2024 Olympics. Many of the venues used during the Olympics will also be used during the Paralympics, so expect some familiar sights.

INSTAGRAM | @tristanknowles09

What sports are at the Paralympics?

Twenty-two sports will feature at the 2024 Paralympics. The program mainly includes established events you likely would’ve encountered at previous Games, but there are a few newer additions. Para Taekwondo and Para Badminton are both returning after making their debuts at the Tokyo 2020 Games, while a number of mixed events in swimming and athletics will make their first appearances.

Find the full list of Paralympic sports below:

Para Archery

Para Athletics

Para Badminton

Boccia

Blind Football

Para Canoe

Para Cycling (Road and Track)

Para Equestrian

Goalball

Para Judo

Para Powerlifting

Para Rowing

Para Shooting

Sitting Volleyball

Para Swimming

Para Table Tennis

Para Taekwondo

Para Triathlon

Wheelchair Basketball

Wheelchair Fencing

Wheelchair Rugby

Wheelchair Tennis

INSTAGRAM | @jarydclifford

How does Paralympics classification work?

To ensure inclusivity and fairness in competition, the Paralympics feature a classification system which groups athletes based on the type and extent of their disabilities, rather than using a catch-all system that jumbles them together. Each sport has its own classification criteria, but the athletes competing usually fall into six main categories:

Amputee: Athletes with limb loss.

Cerebral Palsy: Athletes with neurological conditions affecting movement.

Visual impairment: Athletes with varying degrees of vision loss.

Spinal cord injuries: Athletes with paraplegia or quadriplegia.

Intellectual disabilities: Athletes with cognitive impairments.

Les autres (French for ‘the others’): Athletes with conditions that don’t fall into the above categories, such as dwarfism or multiple sclerosis.

Does Australia do well at the Paralympics?

Historically, Australia does very well at the Paralympics and is one of the most successful Paralympic nations. Australia has won a total of 1,240 Paralympic medals, far surpassing its Olympic tally. The nation has even topped the Paralympic medal table, finishing first at Sydney 2000 with 149 medals, 63 of them gold. Since then, Australia finished fifth on the tally at four consecutive Games, followed by an eighth-placed finish at Tokyo 2020.

Who are some of the best athletes to watch at the Paralympics?

INSTAGRAM | @rowan.crothers

Rowan Crothers: As the gold medallist in the men’s S10 50-metre freestyle at Tokyo 2020, Rowan Crothers is the world’s fastest Paralympic swimmer. He’ll be looking to repeat his gold medal-winning performance later this month.

Jaryd Clifford: Clifford was diagnosed with juvenile macular degeneration as a child and is considered legally blind. He made his Paralympic debut as a 17-year-old at Rio 2016. He’s since racked up three medals, with bronze in the T13 1500m, silver in the T13 5000m, and silver in the T12 marathon. To this point, a gold medal has eluded Clifford, but he’ll be hoping to change that in Paris.

Tristan Knowles: A veteran of Australia’s wheelchair basketball team who won gold at Beijing 2008 is returning for his sixth Paralympics. This time, Knowles will take to the court as captain of the Rollers. The team hasn’t won a medal since London 2012, but Knowles has told Men’s Health that he believes the current squad is the strongest he’s seen in years.

Alexa Leary: If you’re after a tear-jerking story, look no further than Alexa Leary. The 23-year-old suffered traumatic brain injuries in 2021 after a cycling crash nearly took her life. At the time, Leary was a promising triathlete and even won silver at the under-19 world championships, but she’s since shifted course to Para swimming. She won gold at last year’s world championships in the S9 100m freestyle and looks likely to add a Paralympic medal to her mantle.

Madison de Rozario: Six-time Paralympic medallist Madison de Rozario is one of Australia’s flagbearers for the 2024 Paralympics. Competing since Beijing 2008 as a wheelchair athlete, de Rozario won her first gold medals at Tokyo 2020 in the T53 800m and T54 marathon, earning her the coveted award of Australian Paralympian of the year in 2021.

INSTAGRAM | @alexa_leary

Where can you watch the Paralympics?

Like with the Olympics, Channel 9 holds the broadcasting rights for the 2024 Paralympic Games. Major events will be broadcast live on 9 and its subsidiary channels. All events can be streamed live and free on the 9Now app. Events can also be streamed on Stan.

Related:

How a Paralympian actually trains for the Paralympics

The unrelenting drive of walking quadriplegic David Mzee

The post Everything you need to know about the 2024 Paralympics appeared first on Men's Health Magazine Australia.