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Rewarding, but Exhausting
Stephen Larkham for The Canberra Times
RARELY have I enjoyed a shower more than the one I had at our hotel in Brisbane on Thursday night once the Wallabies' boot camp was over.
The past week has been mentally and physically challenging, enjoyable at times, not so enjoyable at others, but definitely rewarding.
Boot camp was like nothing I have ever experienced before.
From the tasks we had to complete, to the conditions under which we had to work, it's a time in my life I will never forget.
Sunday
The Canberra connection left on the first flight out on Sunday morning, bound for Brisbane. We got a bus from the airport to Cleveland in Brisbane for our bag check.
The tour leader made us unpack our bags to make sure we only took what we were allowed, which was not very much. We then got a boat to Stradbroke Island and had to swim about 50m to shore, with our backpacks tied in a plastic bag alongside us.
We were divided into groups, of which I was with Rocky Elsom, Stirling Mortlock, Scott Staniforth, Dan Vickerman, Wallabies media manager Mick Earsman and assistant team manager Chris Webb.
That first day we did some beach running, hiking, had a training session and some more hiking before setting up camp. It was freezing cold.
To top off a tough day we were given a cold can of braised steak and onions for dinner. It was hardly appetising but I was so hungry I didn't really care.
Such was the high quality of the meal a few of the guys refused to eat it so I got two cans.
The first night was the worst by far. We were woken up in the middle of the night, told to pack up camp and went on a 2km hike. We had to go for a swim in freezing water in the dark. I'll never forget that.
Some of the guys really struggled. Greegs (George Gregan) thought he had a mild case of hypothermia and literally couldn't talk. He was checked by medical staff but was cleared and had to continue on.
We then had another 3km hike to an airfield. We arrived at about 3am and told to sleep, although among the snoring, being in cold wet gear and having a dog barking really loudly all night, sleep became very rare.
Discipline, however, was fierce all camp.
At one stage one of the players left a sticker off an apple on the ground, the leader found it and we all had to do 30 push-ups as a result. Every time we addressed a leader we had to refer to them as "staff". If we didn't, it was another 20 push-ups.
Monday
We were up at 6am for breakfast, which every morning was Weetbix and milk.
We were given our food for the day every morning. From after breakfast until dinner we had to survive on two sandwiches, a piece of fruit, a protein bar and a Powerade. We also had a two-litre bladder of water each which we could fill up at certain check-points.
Monday started with a defensive training session and fitness work for an-hour-and-a-half.
We then did some abseiling down a cliff, which was only about 10m thankfully.
We hiked to a pier where a boat picked us up and transported us back to the mainland in the afternoon.
By the time we got back it felt like we'd been there a week already, because we were all so sleep-deprived, but it had only been 24 hours.
We were driven to Beaudesert where we camped the night. Thankfully we had a decent night's sleep in dry clothes after a BBQ and salad for dinner. It actually felt like we were somewhat back to normality which was a nice change.
Tuesday
Again, we were up at 6am. The next three days involved a lot of group work. On Tuesday our group had the major challenge.
It was a time trial of sorts which involved a lot of hiking, putting up tents, challenges like getting over a gate - using a rope and three poles - but not actually touching the gate, carrying full jerrycans up a hill, abseiling off a ledge about 80m high before having to push a ute up a hill. There were also leadership drills which were a nice change from the full-on physical work.
Wednesday
This was largely a hiking day for my group, with a lot of stories mixed in.
We hiked along a river, stopping at times to tell personal stories to each other about life experiences.
It was a very different day to the others but a very rewarding one at the same time. It gave us a very good insight into each other and we all learned things about each other. From a team bonding and morale point of view, it was invaluable. It certainly brought us closer together.
Thursday
The last day of boot camp. We had a training session in the morning, did some team skills and worked on leadership techniques.
We also spent some time in a shooting range before heading back to a hotel in Brisbane.
A nice long shower - my first since leaving Canberra - was memorable. We had a team dinner on a boat in Brisbane before finally getting a good night's sleep.
The entire team got a lot of benefit out of the camp, from leadership to listening and finding out about ourselves and teammates.
I've certainly got a greater understanding of myself as a result and I've no doubt the experience will benefit the side in the World Cup.
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