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- Soap Box
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- Guest Column
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- Tuesday, 9 February 2010
By Anthony Lowe
As you all know by now I am heading to Chicago in May to compete in International Mr Leather 2010, A Leather Odyssey. I will be representing Sydney on the international stage along with more than 50 other leathermen from around the world.
The opportunity to participate in this amazing event has cause me to wake me in the middle of the night, dripping in cold sweat and panic.
Let me tell you why. Contestants are judged on their physique, personality, public speaking ability and stage presence. This is colloquially known as Pecs and Personality.
Now I am stuck with my personality, but I need to do something about my pecs … and this has led me to a strange word into which I have never before ventured before; one I have no knowledge of at all … gym work.
I did, I will admit, have a string of odd and stereotyped ideas about the whole thing which were, fortunately, proven incorrect pretty much from the first visit.
The first thing you will notice about Gold’s Gym in Surry Hills is the Safe Place sticker on the door at street level.
The Safe Place program is a part of ACON’s Lesbian and Gay Anti-Violence Project which aims to provide a network of businesses and community organisations across NSW that people can use if fearful of street-based homophobic violence.
Once inside, I totally forgot to be nervous as I found out more about another fantastic program — Gold’s Gym partners with ACON’S Positive Living Centre for the Healthy Life-Plus program.
Healthy Life-Plus offers weekly health seminars and discussions, individualised training programs and free gym membership. Facilitation of the program is provided by appropriate health experts, ACON staff and fully-trained fitness leaders.
Steven Jackson, my trainer, is another reason why I chose Gold’s Gym for the IML body makeover. Steven was gentle on my self esteem but not on my body. No other man has made me ache in the places he did … and that is saying something!
info: To find out more contact ACON’s HIV Men’s Health Promotion Team or ACON’s Women & Families Project on 9699 8756. Contact Golds Gym on 9211 2799.
Tags: Mr Leather
