RURAL FITNESS: On the road to health and fitness, from left, Erica Hamp, Lisa Curry, ladies boxing trainer Suzie Treloar and Joel Walkenhorst in Moree yesterday. Photo: Bill Poulos
MOREE has been left richer in more ways than one after an extended stop-over this week by Commonwealth Games gold medallist Lisa Curry.
Curry, who also represented Australia at the Moscow, Los Angeles and Barcelona Olympics, recently launched the One Road Trip, an epic journey aimed at spreading the word about health and fitness in rural and remote areas.
Toowoomba was her first stop, Moree was second on the list and then it is on to Dubbo Zoo today.
The Curry convoy then head down to the Melbourne Caravan and Camping Show for the weekend.
“We’ll be at the Jayco stand and will also talk to people about staying fit and healthy while they’re on the road,” she said.
After the Melbourne stop-over, Curry and companions Erica Hamp and Joel Walkenhorst will tour country Victoria, calling in to Mornington, Bairnsdale, Shepparton, Bendigo and Ballarat before visiting centres along the Great Ocean Road.
“We’ll get back to Brisbane in July and then head north for the winter,” Curry said.
Curry, welcomed to Moree by ladies’ boxing coach Suzie Treloar and Pilates instructor Peta Carroll, this week conducted early morning training sessions at the Moree Boxing Academy as well as children’s swimming training at Moree’s new multi-million dollar aquatic centre.
She also donated her time as an auction prize that raised $3500 for Gwydir Industries, a Moree support and employment organisation for people with disabilities.
“Moree is a great place with some great facilities. The new pool complex is beautiful and the amount of people that were in the pool was absolutely incredible – you could barely see the water,” Curry said.
“The boxing academy is great also, and I love training in places like that. It’s a real work-shed, and you can go in there and work hard, get the results and leave. I loved every minute of it.
“There are so many girls now doing boxing training and Suzie has done a really good job. You can see that there’s a lot of energy there, and when you have that energy in a group of people it really drives each person to do well.”
As part of her auctioned commitments, Curry and Walkenhorst were yesterday “employed” by Dipper’s Home Hardware, Thomas Lee Motorcycles and Case IH dealership, Kenway and Clark.
While on the road, Curry is also meeting with clients of her online fitness and dieting program, KiSS.
“It’s really nice to meet up and hear about their results and their successes,” she said.
“I can correct their techniques if need be as I see them along the way, so that when I leave they will know more about the exercises and what they’re doing.
“After weight-loss, people get this renewed sense of energy and enthusiasm; exercise becomes easier and they start to make better choices with food,” she said.
Peta Carroll said Moree embraced the seven-time Commonwealth Games gold medallist.
“Moree Plains Shire Council has been fantastic,” Carroll said.
“They have given us the use of the banquet hall at the Memorial Hall as well as facilities to conduct the auction. We were also given the aquatic centre for Lisa to do her meet and greet on Sunday.
“The whole visit has been incredible and Lisa is showing exactly what type of exercise people can do, and that they don’t need a big, flash gym on the coast to get the desired results,” she said.
