Sport&Fitness Middle East - Jessica Robertson

THE MIDDLE EAST’S NO.1 SPORT&FITNESS MAGAZINE

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IMPOSSIBLE IS NOTHING

Play it. Follow it. Read it.

Time to put my money where my mouth is!

WELL I’ve gone and done it. Fed up of being out of shape and giving myself every excuse under the sun to bypass the gym and head home after work I’ve dusted off the sports bag in an attempt to not just get fit but change my body shape as well.

The whole process started at the turn of the year when I hooked up with Nick Mitchell, the founder of Ultimate Performance, and the results of the plan he gave me were surprising to say the least. For the full story of the dramatic seven-week turnaround, turn to pages 64-67.

Nick’s knowledge of the body and how to shift that unwanted lard is second to none.

The only problem was I had a lot to lose. The initial tale of the tape didn’t read too well but the shocking figures and accompanying pictures gave me the drive I needed to kick the whole thing off.

Carbs are now largely off the menu as I strive to achieve my nine percent body fat goal. For once T-shirts are tight for the right reasons and jeans are loose. The whole experience is mind-bending and confidence inspiring but I can’t afford to keep changing my wardrobe!

Our cover star for this issue is the Dubai-based Fitness First sponsored triathlete Jessica Robertson, who wore me out just talking about the gruelling training schedule she keeps on a daily basis in order to prepare for competitions.

We’ve headed back to the Formula 1 grid for an exclusive interview with World Champion Jenson Button as he prepares to kick off his title defence in Bahrain – one of the seven races he won last year, which has now moved in the schedule to become the curtain raiser for the 2010 season. We’ve also got an extensive section on driver fitness and nutrition so you can learn how to stay in shape F1 style.

The Dubai International Boat Show gets underway in March with some mindboggling superyachts on show as well as some entertaining displays for visitors to enjoy. Our preview gives a full rundown of what to expect.

Welsh World Kitesurfing Champion Kirsty Jones doesn’t need a boat to cross water.

During a fascinating career she’s completed several epic kitesurfing journeys and in 2006 broke the world distance record with a 140-mile nine-hour crossing from the Canary Islands to Morocco. We caught up with Kirsty following her third World Wave Championship win.

Always quick to bag the best jobs for himself, Richard Bevan managed to keep his eyes from popping out of their sockets for long enough to sit down for a chat with Jessica Renee of the LA Temptation. The team is part of the LFL, a women’s American football league with a difference. Jessica and league creator Mitchell Mortaza reveal all.

To round the issue off we sent three of the SFME team to Sharm El Sheikh on Egypt’s Sinai Peninsula to sample some of the region’s world famous water sports. To make things more interesting we made sure none of them had a clue how to do their designated activity. Some might say we’re evil, but I like to think we’re just keeping them on their toes…

Alex Gallemore Editor

www.sportnfitnessme.com l Page1

20 Jessica Robertson Published in the UAE by: Prographix, PO BOX 24677, Dubai, UAE

Cover story 20 Jessica Robertson

The Fitness First sponsored triathlete and Dubai resident talks about overcoming injury and the incredible training schedule she keeps in order to achieve her dream of making the London 2012 Olympics.

Features 27 Jenson Button

The reigning F1 World Champion looks back on a sensational 2009 season as he prepares to begin his title defence at the Bahrain GP. 34

F1 Fitness Our guide to staying in shape the F1 way.

44 Dubai International Boat Show

The hottest ticket in town in March is the Dubai International Boat show. Read our guide to the action.

47 Kirsty Jones

The Kitesurfing World Wave Champion talks about her career and her determination to use her sport as an ocean conservation and charity fund-raising tool.

54 LFL

Features Editor Richard Bevan gets up close and personal with the delightful Jessica Renee of the LFL’s LA Temptation – an American football team with a twist. LFL league creator Mitchell Mortaza also has his say.

74 Sharm El Sheikh Travel

We send three of the SFME team to Egypt to sample some of Sharm El Sheikh’s renowned water sports. It’s a shame they didn’t have an ounce of experience between them!

Regulars 12 Sports News

A concise look at recent sporting events from around the globe.

16 Sports Calendar

A look ahead at what’s happening each month on the international and local sports scene.

Sport & Fitness Middle East Partners

Gareth Pearce +971 4 358 0344

Alex Gallemore www.alex@wspglobal.com

27 Jenson Button

47 Kirsty Jones

GET IN SHAPE 78

Candy Shop Audrey Dippenaar talks about how she manages to stay bikini fit all year round.

Training & Nutrition

So why skip breakfast!

64 There are things you’d Transformer never skip to look good...

SFME Editor Alex Gallemore sheds 14lbs of fat and gains 4lbs of muscle in just seven weeks. If he can do it you certainly can!

Hard to believe? We thought so too. But research shows that women who regularly have a low-fat breakfast, such as Kellogg’s , tend to be slimmer than those who skip breakfast altogether. So be a breakfast eater, not a breakfast cheater.

IMPOSSIBLE IS NOTHING

fItness bulletin

7 week body transformation AFTER Body Fat: 18.72% Waist: 32.25% Weight: 175lb Fat loss: 14lbs Muscle gain: 4lbs BEFORE: Body Fat 26.28% Waist 35.75” Weight 185lb Fat Mass lots!!

62 ASK SFME

With the help of the team at Fitness First SFME answers a number of questions that will help you in your quest for a healthy body.

Training after a year off I needed to add muscle and build strength. Years of powerlifting has given me a sound technique and the illusion of pure strength. Now I needed muscle to enable me to get to my nine per cent body fat goal. For the first seven weeks my exercises routine has been the following: 1: Upper body: Shoulder width under handed lat pulldowns Flat dumbell bench press One arm dumbell rows Tricep dips Reverse grip EZ bar curls Seated shoulder press 2: Legs:

Breakfast eaters weigh less!

60 Equipt

We get our hands on the latest sports and fitness gear that’s taking the world by storm.

Brought to you by

Proud sponsors of the Fitness Team at Fitness First

Dumbell lunges Leg press Seated alternate leg curls Seated leg extensions

Diet Breakfast: 1 x Maximuscle Promax Diet. 60g serving in 250ml of water.

1 x cup of coffee 11am:

1 x chicken thigh.

100g of cottage cheese

2pm:

1 x tin of tuna.

1 x mixed bag of peas, broccoli and runner beans approx. 150g 1 x low fat yoghurt

5pm:

1 x 30g scoop of Maximuscle Promax

Monday: Upper body & cardio Tuesday: Legs Wednesday: Cardio Thursday: Upper body & cardio Friday: Legs Saturday: Rest Sunday: Repeat

3: Cardio: Ride to work - approx 2 hours a day or 25 mins high impact training on a stationary bike. Running kills my knees and rowing freezes my shoulder when trying high intensity work.

Sounds like I should get my rocking chair out now and have done with all this hard work!!

(TRAIN) Dinner:

Meat and vegetables.

No carbs

Approx 2 litres of water throughout the day.

Feel free to email me with any questions. It’s a tough road to go down but once you’ve started your journey stick with it as it’s worth it in the end. Let me know how you are going on. alex@wspglobal.com

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68 Fat burning supplements

Read about three fat burning supplements that work. Understanding the theory behind their effects will enable you to factor them into your diet and start burning the blubber.

70 Beat the Beer Belly

If you’ve enjoyed a few too many nights out and the trousers are a little snug Nick Mitchell from Ultimate Performance explains how to drain that unwanted keg.

www.sportingpublications.com l Page3

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r about When I feel bette at I myself, I know th e world. project that to th hing.

Impossible is Not en adidas.com â „ wom

Spring / Summer 10

Š 2010 adidas AG. adidas, the 3-Bars logo and the 3-Stripes mark are registered trademarks of the adidas Group.

Spring / Summer 10

Felicia

rkout, When I focus on my wo e it puts everything els into perspective.

Impossible is Nothing. adidas.com â „ women

ICE Marko Grilc gets some serious airtime on a Freestyle session at dusk at the Vogel Ski Resort in Slovenia.

Picture courtesy of Samo Vidic www.sportingpublications.com l Page7

water Windsurfer Tristan Boxford defeats a 30-foot wave off the coast of Maui.

Picture courtesy of Erik Aeders www.sportingpublications.com l Page 9

AIR Gary Hunt takes off in the grand final of the 2009 Red Bull Cliff Diving Series at Vouliagemeni Lake in Athens.

Picture courtesy of Ray Demski www.sportingpublications.com l Page11

NEWS

DOMINANT FEDERER CRUISES PAST MURRAY ROGER Federer claimed his 16th Grand Slam title after a supreme straight-sets victory over Scotland’s Andy Murray at the Australian Open in January.

Murray, playing in only his second Grand Slam final, showed glimpses of the form that saw him get to the final but was powerless to stop Federer who was at his imperious best.

Federer won 6-4, 6-3. 7-6 (13-11) at Melbourne Park to extend his lead on the all-time Grand Slam winner’s list ahead of Pete Sampras.

EGYPT WIN THIRD CONSECUTIVE AFRICAN CUP OF NATIONS EGYPT captain Ahmed Hassan points to the sky as he receives the coveted trophy after defeating Ghana 1-0 in a tense final in Angola to win the African Cup of Nations for a third consecutive time – and a seventh in total.

Substitute Mohamed Gedo scored the decisive goal, finishing astutely past Richard Kingston after a neat one-two with Mohamed Zidan in the 85th minute.

Nutrition Training Tips Equipment Style News / Calendar Events Adventure Features ROONEY HITS 100 PREMIERSHIP GOALS THEN CLINCHES CUP Haile makes it three in a row in Dubai HAILE Gebrselassie won the Standard Chartered Dubai Marathon title for the third successive year in January after a hard-fought victory in a relatively slow time of 2h:06m:09s. “I woke up on the day of the race with a sore back and immediately went to see my physio,” said Gebrselassie who finished 24 seconds ahead of compatriot Chala Dechase Beyene, who claimed a new personal best of 2h:06m:33s. “I slept in an awkward position and didn’t feel right for the first 15km. By the half way stage I just wanted to win the race – the spectators at the finish are always amazing and I knew that if Haile Gebrselassie were not on the podium it would be a big shock for them!”

WAYNE Rooney scored his 100th English Premier League goal in January in Manchester United’s 3-1 victory over title-chasing rivals Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium and followed up by heading the winning goal in the 2-1 victory against Aston Villa in the Carling Cup at Wembley – his 28th of the season. Remarkably, seven of his last eight goals have been headers.

“It’s a great feeling to play in the Premier League and score 100 goals and it’s a great feeling to play in a final at Wembley and to score the winning goal is unbelievable,” said Rooney. “Hopefully, there are many more goals to come.”

Jessica Ennis to miss Commonwealth Games in Delhi BRITAIN’S world heptathlon champion, Jessica Ennis, will sit out the Commonwealth Games in October as she concentrates all her attention on the European Championships in July.

“I sat down with my coach and we decided the Commonwealth Games isn’t a good option this year,” she said.

Ennis, who was crowned World Champion in Berlin in August 2009, won bronze at the last Commonwealth Games in Melbourne.

But the Brit, who also has one eye on preparations for the World Indoor Championships in South Korea in March 2011, said the timing of the Games in Delhi did not fit in well with her plans.

“October is a difficult time to peak,” she said. “I’d have to peak in July for the Europeans and then again in October – and October is when I begin my winter training so we sat down and decided the main focus is the Europeans this year.”

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NEWS

SAINTS DEFEAT THE COLTS TO WIN THEIR FIRST SUPER BOWL THE New Orleans Saints upset the Indianapolis Colts 31-17 in Miami in February to win the Super Bowl for the first time in their history.

Quarterback Drew Brees threw a recordequalling 32 passes for 288 yards, with touchdowns to Pierre Thomas and Jeremy Shockey while cornerback Tracy Porter returned an interception from Colts quarterback Peyton Manning 74 yards, for another score to seal an historic victory.

Garrett Hartley kicked three field goals of over 40 yards as the Saints came back from a 10-0 deficit after the first quarter.

Brees commented that the Hurricane Katrina disaster which hit the city of New Orleans and large sections of the Gulf of Mexico coast nearly five years ago inspired his side to victory. An emotional Brees, who deservedly earned the Most Valuable Player award, said: “We played for so much more than ourselves.

We played for our city and we played for the entire Gulf Coast region.”

USAIN BOLT STARTS 2010 SEASON WITH 400m WIN USAIN Bolt began his 2010 campaign with victory at the 400m at the Camperdown Classic in Jamaica.

The 23-year-old Olympic and World 100m and 200m Champion clocked a new meeting record time of 45.86 seconds, shaving 0.49secs off the previous best which was set by Bolt in the same race last year.

Jamaica’s superstar Bolt said: “It was a good race – to run 45 seconds was a good sign. I never felt as good as I wanted to feel.

But I guess I’m getting there, I would say. I want to get my fitness up. I don’t think I’m where I would want to be right now.”

His last run was in winning the 200m in September’s IAAF finals in Greece.

TIGER WOODS DELAYS COMEBACK IN EMOTIONAL APOLOGY TIGER Woods apologised for cheating on his wife in his first public appearance since last November and admitted he didn’t know when he would return to competitive golf – in a statement he recited to an invited audience at the PGA Tour HQ in Florida.

Woods admitted he will undergo further therapy and gave no clear indication when he would tee it up again on Tour. “I was unfaithful, I had affairs and I cheated. What I did was unacceptable,” said Woods.

“I hurt my wife, my kids, my mother, my wife’s family, my friends, my foundation and kids all around the world who admired me.

“I do plan to return to golf one day, I just don’t know when that day will be. I don’t rule out that it will be this year. When I do return I need to make my behaviour more respectful to the game.”

Nutrition Training Tips Equipment Style News / Calendar Events Adventure Features

VENUS WILLIAMS DEFEATS AZARENKA IN DUBAI

Venus Williams poses with the President of Dubai Tennis Federation, Sheikh Hasher bin Maktoum, Princess Haya Bint Al-Hussein -– the wife of the Ruler of Dubai, Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum and Prince Ali Bin Al-Hussein of Jordan, pictured right.

VENUS Williams successfully defended her title at the Dubai Ladiea Tennis Championships with a straightsets victory over Victoria Azarenka. The No.3 seed took 1hr 31 minutes to win 6-3, 7-5 after surviving a rousing fightback from the Belarusian.

“I respect her game and the effort she gives. Even though I was leading in the second set, she just never gave up,” said Williams. “Obviously, I was happy to close the tournament out. I’ve had a lot of success here in Dubai and I enjoy my time off the courts, too, so playing well here makes it even more satisfying.”

Novak Djokovic also successfully defended his title in the men’s Championship, beating Russian Mikhail Youzhny 7-5, 5-7. 6-3. “It means the whole world to me to retain my Dubai title,” said the Serbian, who came out on top in a dramatic roller-coaster final.

“Today was another example of how much I believe in myself and how much I am able to fight to the end,” added Djokovic.

CANCELLARA IS QUICKEST IN OMAN SWISS cyclist Fabian Cancellara won the inaugural Tour of Oman by 28 seconds from Team Sky’s Edvald Boasson Hagen despite losing the last time trial to the Norwegian.

Boasson took the final trial by 17 seconds ahead of Cancellara to jump up the standings from fifth place into second overall after one stage win and two podium finishes.

Steven de Jongh, Team Sky’s Sports Director, was pleased with Boasson Hagen’s final performance. “It was an amazing ride,” he said.

“He made a really fast start – and there was some climbing early on, too, – so he took a lot of seconds there and also in the downhill sections. It was an excellent time trial all round.”

PAKISTAN FORCE SERIES DRAW WITH ENGLAND IN DUBAI PAKISTAN defeated England by four wickets in the second match of the twomatch WorldCall Twenty20 Challenge at Dubai Sports City to tie the series overall.

All-rounder Abdur Razzaq was the star of the show as he pummelled 46 from just 18 balls to lead Pakistan to victory with one over to spare.

England had won the first match a day earlier by seven wickets, thanks to an unbeaten stand of 112 between Kevin Pietersen and Eoin Morgan.

www.sportingpublications.com l Page 15

March March 9-13 Dubai International Boat Show Dubai International Marine Club, Mina Seyahi.

THE Dubai International Boat Show is the largest, most important and most established event of its kind in the region and as one of the fastest growing leisure marine industry exhibitions in the world, the 18th edition of the event will be a classic showcase of boats from both local and international builders, together with the latest innovations in marine equipment, supplies and services.

March 14 Gulf Air Bahrain Grand Prix, Sakhir, Bahrain JENSON Button returns to Bahrain to defend his title at the opening race to the 2010 Formula 1 Calendar. Button began last year’s race fourth on the grid but powered to victory in his BrawnMercedes car with a 7.1 second win over Sebastian Vettel.

Button left Brawn GP at the end of last season to join Lewis Hamilton in the McLaren team for 2010.

best of the rest Mar 11 -13 Emirates Airlines Dubai Football Sevens 7he Sevens, Al Ain Road, Dubai

Mar 11 - 14 World Golf Championships-CA Championship Doral Golf Resort & Spa, Florida, USA (golf).

March 12-16 First Test Match

March 20-24 Second Test Match, Bangladesh v England, Mirpur, Bangladesh (cricket).

Mar 24 – 28 UCI World Cup: World Track Championship, Copenhagen, Denmark (cycling).

Mar 12 - 14 13th IAAF World Indoor Championships, Doha, Qatar (athletics) Bangladesh v England, Chittagong, Bangladesh (cricket).

Mar 18 – 21 Hassan II Golf Trophy, Royal Golf Dar Es Salam, Rabat, Morocco (golf)

Mar 25 - Apr 1 Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge (motor rally) Mar 26 - 27 Red Bull Abu Dhabi Air Race

International competition based on speed and precision, the Red Bull Air Race World Championship 2010 starts at Mina’ Zayid, Abu Dhabi, then goes to Australia, South America and New York before ending in Europe in September.

Mar 29 Marylebone Cricket Club v Durham, Champion County Match, Sheikh Zayed Stadium, Abu Dhabi Mar 30 - 31 UEFA Champions League Quarter-finals first legs (football)

Nutrition Training Tips Equipment Style

April Apr 9 – 11

CommercialBank Grand Prix of Qatar, Losail, Qatar.

CASEY Stoner defends his CommercialBank Grand Prix of Qatar title over a circuit he has had great success on in the past. The Australian completed his third victory in a row in Qatar last year and will be looking to get his 2010 season off to another winning start.

News / Calendar Events Adventure Features

best of the rest Apr 3 David Haye v John Ruiz, Manchester, UK (heavyweight boxing)

Apr 17 – May 3 World Snooker Championship, The Crucible Theatre, Sheffield, England

Apr 8 -11

The Masters Augusta, USA

ONE of the most prestigious tournaments on the golfing calendar, the world’s best players one again converge on Augusta National in Georgia to compete for the coveted Green Jacket. Last year Argentina’s Angel Cabrera won his second Major after defeating Americans Chad Campbell and Kenny Perry in a sudden-death play-off.

Apr 3-13 Weightllifting European Championships Minsk, Belarus Apr 6 – 7 UEFA Champions League Quarter-finals second legs (football)

Apr 20 -21 UEFA Champions League Semi-finals first leg ties (football) Apr 25 - 30 WSF Sportaccord meeting, Dubai, UAE. (squash) Apr 5 – 11 ATP Grand Prix Hassan II, Casablanca, Morocco (tennis)

Apr 12 – 18 BWF Badminton Asia 2010 Championships, New Delhi, India.

Apr 27 - 28 UEFA Champions League Semi-finals second leg ties (football) www.sportingpublications.com l Page17

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Photographs supplied by Ă„vs Kumar (www.fotosbyaps.com)

Nutrition Training Tips Equipment Style News / Calendar Events Adventure Features

As an international triathlete and career girl, Jessica Robertson battles against the clock every day.

Fighting Spirit F

OR most normal people there is only one 3 o’clock in the day and it falls just after lunch. But for local triathlete, Jessica Robertson, it’s the start of her training day.

Yep, that’s right. Before the sun rises she’s got her bike in the car heading out of Dubai to find the quiet roads and put a couple of hours of structured miles on the tarmac.

So, while we are stirring in our beds, contemplating getting up for the day or pondering on whether we can glean another 20 minutes before the shower dash and the manic race to work, Jessica would have burnt 1,400 kcals already and put her bike away for the day.

“I do a 2-3 hour block of training in the morning before work,” she says. ‘That often means getting up at 3.00 -3.30am every other day – usually I get up at 5.00am. I drive to Ghantoot on the border of Abu Dhabi and Dubai and do a twohour bike session around there. Then I drive back, get changed and get off to work. In the evening sometimes I’ll have a swim or do a gym session.”

On the days when the bike is not in action Jessica gets a couple more hours in bed before she hot foots it to Fitness First’s gym at Media City just as the doors open.

“It’s hard work. You have to get up really early but, having said that, I absolutely love it. There’s so much more to it than just the three disciplines.

The gym work I do is essential and having access to the Fitness First gym at Media City is a great advantage. Their facilities are the best and the pool

is superb.” To be this dedicated to the sport and so focussed on success has taken it’s toll on Jessica, who only started competing in 2008 after a chance introduction to the triathlon. Jessica explains: “I used to work for an agency in London and I was the account manager for Nokia who sponsored the Windsor Triathlon. The organisers asked me if I’d like to go down and compete, so I went but I only did the swim. Even so, it was enough to get me hooked. That was back in May 2007 and I started to take it seriously in 2008.

“You could say the rest is history. When I returned to Dubai I was bitten by the triathlon bug and was just so hungry to compete and better my times. I swam for Great Britain as a junior and being very flexible I knew that I’d always be strong in that discipline.

“It was the cycling and running I was unsure about but I needed to focus on building my core strength. Being ‘bendy’ was an advantage in the water, but the moment I started to run, my body was constantly compensating to provide the relevant support.

“When you find you are good at something it’s hard to stop competing and training. But experience tells you to listen to your body and I should have known better. Although 2008 was a brilliant opening year and I had some great results I was overdoing it. My mother was diagnosed with liver cancer in April and I spent a lot of time travelling to be with her. It made it hard to focus on anything else.”

Jessica’s mother sadly passed away in July 4

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Photographs supplied by Ă„vs Kumar (www.fotosbyaps.com)

Nutrition Training Tips Equipment Style News / Calendar Events Adventure Features

“Recovery-wise I’ve learned my lessons the hard way. I’m not a big fan of yoga and unless my heart rate is at 160+ and I’m sweating it doesn’t feel like I’ve done anything! So taking it easy is going to be challenging.” – Jessica 2009 and the distraction of training would have been an effective diversion to get her mind off things but a recurring tendon injury flared up again. “I’ve had a peroneal tendon injury in my foot for about a year now and it’s causing me some problems with my tibular and fibular bones in my lower leg but over-eagerness escalated the problem.

“Last year was my first serious season and the mistake I made was competing throughout the UAE and Middle East season and then going straight into the UK season. As a result, I over-trained and over-competed.

“I’m hypermobile and everything about me is really flexible, which is brilliant for swimming but not for running. When I run, my skeleton wobbles around a bit too much so I overcompensate a little bit. Basically, this caused my peroneal tendons to flare up a few times and I’ve had five steroid injections in them. The doctors said no more injections so surgery was the only option.

In June before the injury took hold, Jessica competed in the British national Age Group Championships in Northumberland, England, where she recorded 39 minutes 47 seconds for the ten kilometre run. Nearly a month later at the World Championship qualifiers in Glasgow the injury was making an obvious negative impact on her times as she finished the run in 47 minutes.

“Not being able to use the treadmill for speed and distance work meant I wasn’t going to be the best prepared athlete for the Distance World Championship Qualifiers,” says Jessica.

Somehow, through sheer dogged determination, Jessica built strong times both in the swim and on the bike and deservedly earned her ticket to the World Championships in Australia. But the good news was short lived. The strenuous training and mental exhaustion had taken its toll once again as Jessica was diagnosed with glandular fever, just as the highlight of her year was in sight.

“I couldn’t believe it. What an up and down year I was having.

But regardless of my ailments I was totally focussed on giving all I had in Australia,” Jessica adds.

Mind over matter is one thing but to swim one-and-a-half kilometres, cycle 40km and run 10km with a damaged tendon and recovering from glandular fever while representing your country is something you’d normally associate with fairy tales.

The times reflected Jessica’s ongoing battles. An uncharacteristic slow swim of 26 minutes and an expected poor run of 48 minutes and 31 seconds saw Jessica post times a long way off her personal best or even her season average. But it wasn’t all doom and gloom. Out of 630 women who entered the Championship, Jessica still managed to finish in a very respectable 350th place.

Straight after the World Championships Jessica was back home in Dubai. The effects of glandular fever were on the decline but the foot was still an issue. Keen to finish the year on a high, she entered the Muscat Sprint Triathlon in Oman. It turned out to be a great decision to make – she was the first female to cross the finishing line in just 1hr 11secs.

“With the season over I was able to sit back and reflect on what I’d accomplished and what was needed in 2010. My foot injury was my main priority, it just wasn’t getting any better. I decided surgery was the only way to go and, thankfully, the surgeon says I’ll be racing again within three months, which looks like it could be some time in May. “I’ll be sore for about a month after the operation but then I can probably start swimming again and start my gym work. Then it’s a case of easing into the running again. I’m having the operation in the U.K. at the moment but, thankfully, company has an office there as well as in Dubai, so it shouldn’t impact on my daily routine. The company I work for are very supportive and I can’t thank them enough.

“Recovery-wise I’ve learned my lessons the hard way. I’m not a big fan of yoga and unless my heart rate is at 160+ and I’m sweating it doesn’t feel like I’ve done anything! So taking it easy is going to be challenging.

“Thankfully, when I’m in the UK I’ll be able to train with Toby Garbett, a former Olympic rower who set up my core stability training and whenever I come over to London we do a gym session and monitor how things are progressing. So away from the intensive exercise, one good way of working through my recovery regime is lots of stretches in the gym plus the core stability work.

Although it’s still quite hard work it’s low impact.”

With the injury behind her Jessica is taking it steady but, as you’d expect, she’s got her sights set on competing the moment the surgeon gives her the all clear.

“My next big competition is in May so I’m going to use the time in the gym working on my core-stability again and make sure that when I do start training properly once more, I’m not overcompensating anything and picking up extra injuries.

“I’ve got a lot resting on achieving my goals this year to make up for the big disappointment of last year’s World Championships. So I’m going to put that 2009 season behind me. I’ve already qualified for the European Championship in July in Ireland so that’s my next big focus.”

With Jessica’s commitment, desire and single-minded determination a fully fit Jessica will be a formidable competitor in the world of triathlon.

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Nutrition: “At training I burn between 1,000 and 1,500 calories a day, which isn’t that much to be honest, but if I do one of my four hour rides or a longer one at the weekends then I tend to burn about 100 calories every ten minutes. I find that when I’m in full training I develop a massive appetite but, unfortunately, I can’t eat what I want to eat. Some athletes I talk to rub it in and say ‘yeah, I’m always on the go so I can eat what I want,’ but it’s not the case for me.

“When I had my VO2 measured they worked out I need 60% protein and 40% carbs so I tend to watch my carb intake. I don’t eat pasta at all, and even before a race I wont eat carbs because I find it sticks to my stomach. If I’m feeling a bit wiped out after a two week stint then maybe I’ll load up but that’s very rare.

“I’ve been having some protein shakes recently, too, for added nutrition. They’re lower in fat and especially designed for triatheletes.”

Nutrition Training Tips Equipment Style News / Calendar Events Adventure Features

SFME: What music do you listen to while training?

Jessica: Fat Boy Slim or Slam, Fergie, Black Eye Peas, basically anything upbeat that gets me moving. My iPod is really random.

SFME: Last concert you went to?

Jessica: Randomly, Status Quo. My Dad came over especially for it and we had an awesome time.

SFME: Favourite cheat food?

Jessica: Cake / muffins.

SFME: Favourite actress?

Jessica: Judi Dench and Angelina Jolie – I thought she was amazing in ‘A mighty heart.’

SFME: Favourite actor?

Jessica: Anthony Hopkins – a British legend and I love AH’s voice (and Brad Pitt of course).

SFME: Best film you last watched?

Jessica: Black Hawk Down, Avatar or a Mighty Heart.

SFME: Last book you read?

Jessica: I’m currently reading about three books but three cups of tea is probably the one I’m most into. I’ve also just started ‘Frontline Pakistan’ which is a must for anyone interested in international affairs.

SFME: Do you have a lucky number?

Jessica: Not really – I’m not very superstitious.

SFME: Best training advice you ever received?

Jessica: Listen to your body SFME: Worst training mistake you made?

Jessica: Over trained and over raced in 2008. It was my first year of competition and I was just too motivated SFME: Dog or cat?

Jessica: Dog

www.sportingpublications.com l Page25

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BUTTON BACK IN THE FAST LANE JENSON Button claimed last year’s Bahrain Grand Prix en-route to a sensational World Drivers’ Championship victory that also saw his team Brawn GP claim the World Constructors’ Championship. Now part of a mouth-watering all-English pairing at McLaren with 2008 World Champion Lewis Hamilton, Button speaks to Iain Richardson as he prepares to return to Bahrain to kick off his title defence.

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I

T wasn’t exactly rags to riches, but Jenson Button’s sensational journey from teamless driver to F1 World Champion in the space of seven exhilarating months last year was the stuff of fairytales.

Button’s year began with the news that his team, Honda, would be pulling out of F1 and with no offers on the table from teams he considered competitive he had all but resigned himself to a season on the sidelines. But team principle Ross Brawn emerged with a dramatic buy-out at the 11th hour, meaning Button and teammate Rubens Barrichello were suddenly back in action.

With a host of new technical regulations issued by the sport’s governing body, the FIA, racing fans around the world waited with baited breath to see which team would create the fastest car. Nobody really expected that the newly branded Brawn GP cars would be quickest out of the blocks and yet that they were, and then some.

Having waited 113 GPs to register his first win, Englishman Button quickly fired off six successive victories in the first seven races of the season – a feat only achieved by Michael Schumacher and Jim Clark before him. He had waited his entire career to show what he could in a competitive car and he was seizing his opportunity with both hands.

As the other teams frantically rushed to catch up with Brawn’s clever interpretation of the regulations relating to the design of their ‘double’ rear diffuser, which helped them generate such lightning-quick pace, Button’s lead in the Driver’s

Championship came under threat in the second half of the season. But he put together a string of consistent results that showed he had not only the talent but the nerve of a champion before a sensational drive in Brazil saw him come from 14th position on the grid to finish fourth and claim the World Championship.

McLaren snapped up Button for the 2010 season, creating history by pairing him with 2008 champion Lewis Hamilton. It’s the first time two back-to-back World Champions have been teammates and the first partnership of British world beaters since Graham Hill joined Jim Clark at Lotus in 1967.

Button is settling into life at the U.K’s Woking based team and relishing the challenge in front of him as he goes head-to-head with not only Hamilton but the returning legend that is Michael Schumacher, driving for Button’s old team, who have now become Mercedes GP. Add into the mix a strong Ferrari pairing of Fernando Alonso and Felipe Massa along with quick looking Sauber, Renault and Red Bull teams and the 2010 season looks set to be one of the most fascinating in years.

The third of Button’s six victories last year came at the Bahrain Grand Prix as he came from fourth on the grid to finish ahead of Sebastian Vettel and Jarno Trulli.

The race has moved forward in the schedule and will provide the curtain raiser to the 2010 season, as it did in 2006. SFME catches up with the World Champion as he prepares to defend his title in Bahrain.

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SFME: I guess now you must believe in fairytales – describe the thrill of winning the World Championship having almost lost your drive at the beginning of the season?

JB: Winning the World Championship sinks in in a number of ways. Firstly, there’s the sheer elation and relief of achieving your goal. You just feel incredibly emotional and your whole body feels like it’s been given this lift. That’s an incredible feeling, but then you wake up the next morning and it sinks in a bit deeper, you start to process it in your mind.

After that, people start to talk to you and ask you about it, and it still feels pretty surreal saying you’re the World Champion. And then there’s a point where your focus shifts away from what you’ve achieved, and you look ahead. At that point, being World Champion is already moving towards the back of your mind because you want to go out and achieve something more; something new.

Again, at the launch of our new car, seeing the No.1 on the car was a special moment, and I’m sure when I’m sat on the grid in Bahrain it will all finally seem real.

SFME: What was the highlight of such an incredible season?

JB: The relief and satisfaction of winning in Australia after such an uncertain winter. Winning Monaco – which was a childhood dream for me. Racing in front of my home crowd, with so much support, was incredible, and, obviously, winning the title after a brilliant race in Brazil was the highlight of my whole career.

“seeing the No.1 on the car was a special moment. I’m sure when I’m sat on the grid in Bahrain it will all finally seem real.”

– JENSON BUTTON

SFME: You flew back to the UK in Rubens Barrichello’s jet after winning the World Championship in Brazil, but you were using commercial airlines and paying your own travel fares at the beginning of the season weren’t you?

JB: Yeah I was, I paid for pretty much all my travel this season, which wasn’t the same as the year before, but we all give up certain things when times get tough. To be fair, when you get a chance to drive an F1 car then you’ll give up anything, but it was very nice of Rubens and the team to charter a plane to fly us back to the UK. SFME: You were already leading the championship when you arrived in Bahrain for last season’s GP having won twice – describe your mindset and confidence levels going into the race and what are your www.sportingpublications.com l Page29

memories of the race and winning the title?

JB: It was definitely a very exciting time – I’d already won in Australia and Malaysia, and the car was working fantastically well. I enjoy the Bahrain International Circuit, it’s quite a demanding track, there’s a good variety of corners, some long straights leading into slower, tight corners, which are good for overtaking, and there’s some gradient and high-speed stuff, so it offers a pretty good overall challenge for the drivers.

It was a pretty straightforward weekend – we weren’t the fastest in qualifying, I think I started fourth, but I made a place at the start and was able to move into the lead once both Toyotas pitted. After that it was a case of looking after my tyres and working to preserve my advantage.

I have very good memories of that weekend, but I remember thinking that our advantage wouldn’t last forever, so I kept attacking each race very hard to get the absolute maximum from the car – it’s an approach that worked.

“I have very good memories of that weekend, but I remember thinking that our advantage wouldn’t last forever, so I kept attacking each race very hard to get the absolute maximum from the car – it’s an approach that worked.”

– JENSON BUTTON SFME: What is the key to doing well around the Bahrain International Circuit and will it provide a good venue as the curtain-raiser to the F1 season?

JB: You need a car that has good low-speed traction, because there are at least three slow corners leading onto long straights, so it’s important to maintain your speed out of those corners. But, equally, you need a good highspeed balance because there are two highspeed sections. It’s quite a technical course – Turns nine and 10 are quite complex in terms of getting the car balanced just right. But it’s a good track – fun to race on, particularly if you’re coming from behind, because you can definitely

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overtake if you’re brave. We started the season in Bahrain in 2006. The first race is usually full of action, so I think everyone in Bahrain will enjoy the experience of seeing the World Championship kick off there.

SFME: You said at the end of last season that you wanted to stay with Brawn, now obviously Mercedes GP, and that money wasn’t your main consideration – what were the reasons for your decision to leave and take up the position at McLaren and did you feel that they would have a more competitive car this season given the way the Brawn cars struggled more towards the end of last season?

JB: Obviously, I was at that team for seven years through its various guises, and I made a lot of very good relationships while I was there, and those people remain close friends. So I’ll miss people. But I am actually very positive about my move to Vodafone McLaren Mercedes: if I’d stayed at Brawn GP, or Mercedes GP as it is now, I don’t think I’d have had the same motivation that I now have to get back to the top again. For the same reasons, really: it would have been the same job, with the same people, and it would have been harder to repeat the same things again.

Now I feel totally refreshed and motivated, and I’m 100 per cent happy with the decision I made.

SFME: You and Lewis have different driving styles – how do you think you will fare against him in the same car, with the same support etc; and how is the working

relationship going – will it be a strong one throughout the season?

JB: Our driving styles aren’t that different. In all honesty, there’s only really one way to drive a Grand Prix car, and most drivers are pretty adaptable – you have to be to stay in Formula 1, so I don’t anticipate there being a huge difference between the two of us.

And the team is extremely fair – I wouldn’t have joined Vodafone McLaren Mercedes without that assurance, and I have no concerns about that. I think both Lewis and I have to work together to develop MP4-25 before we can start looking at the world title – but we have a good relationship, and we’re working well together.

SFME: You’ve worked hard to get to the position you’re now in and must be thrilled to be finally driving competitive cars. What are your impressions of the MP4-25 from your testing sessions and how confident are you that you can do the World Championship double, given how competitive F1 is now?

JB: It’s been going very well. It’s great to feel part of a team so quickly – I feel very happy that I’ve fitted in so quickly and have started to get to know my engineers and mechanics. It’s all been very positive. The team is incredibly professional – the car looks amazing, I’m sure if you’ve ever seen pictures of the McLaren Technology Centre, you’d agree with me that it’s an incredible facility and, in Vodafone, we have an incredibly dynamic and exciting title partner, who have really bought into the idea of using Formula 1 to increase their presence around the world.

I think it’s too early to start talking about

Above: Jenson Button claims the third of six Grand Prix victories in Bahrain last year.

Below: The spectacular McLaren Technology Centre.

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World Championships, or achieving the double, but testing has been going very well and I’m extremely excited about the start of the new season.

SFME: What are your thoughts on the rule changes and how they will affect positively or negatively the season, in particular the ban on refuelling and the new points system?

JB: On paper, the rule changes look good for the sport – but I’d like to see how things work on the track. If the cars are able to overtake, and it promotes overtaking then it will be fantastic. But the teams tend to follow similar patterns and trends in the races, so it might take a few races before we’re able to see if the new rules are working as they were intended to.

SFME: What sort of work do you do, both cardiovascular and weights, to prepare your body for a long tough F1 season?

JB: The winter period is essential for building up core stability, stamina and strength, because you don’t really get enough time during the season to train as much as you’d like, so you always try and hit the season feeling as fit as you possibly can, and then try and keep that topped up during the year.

In terms of training, it’s always good to break the routine and get outdoors. I do gym work, but I really enjoy cycling – I’ve got a road bike and a tri-bike. I was training in Lanzarote just before Christmas, and the roads there are amazing for cyclists.

SFME: With Michael Schumacher returning with Mercedes GP along with Fernando Alonso moving to Ferrari and Lewis and yourself at McLaren the 2010 season certainly looks like a mouth watering prospect doesn’t it?

JB: I think 2009 was also a great year for Formula 1. Of course, we witnessed some difficult moments, but the sport is still very strong – and I think it will be even stronger in 2010. You only need to be a casual fan to know that having four World Champions – including Michael – on the grid this year is a fascinating prospect, and I really hope that a lot of sports fans who perhaps aren’t so into Formula 1 will switch on this year, because I think we are in for an absolutely incredible season.

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Below: Jenson Button and Lewis Hamilton unveil the new MP425 at Vodafone UK’s headquarters in Newbury.

“The winter period is essential for building up core stability, stamina and strength, because you don’t really get enough time during the season to train as much as you’d like.” – JENSON BUTTON

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TO become a winner in F1 its not just the car that has to be in top condition, it’s the driver too. Teams are becoming more and more aware of the importance of their drivers maintaining peak physical and mental fitness in order to meet the demands of a long, tough season.

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Wh at it t ak es to be F 1 T www.sportingpublications.com l Page35

h t g n e Str g n i d l i Bu

Training sessions for Formula 1 drivers are typically really varied. Even in the off-season when they have more time to train regularly, no two days are the same. Usually, they’ll work on aerobic and strength levels in the winter while during the season it’s all about maintaining their condition. Because they never really have a break from this cycle, they consequently get fitter and stronger the longer they’re in Formula 1.

Endurance Cardio training strengthens the muscles that are involved in respiration, greatly improving the ability to get oxygen into the required muscles, heart and lungs.

Cardio training also increases the ability to expel waste (CO2), so drivers need the right training method that will greatly improve their endurance.

Muscle The most intensive training period is during the off-season, when drivers spend more time at home, and it is then that they do lots of cardio and strength work. They look to make improvements year-on-year, with a view to maintaining that new level of fitness during the busier summer months.

G -FORCE The Lateral G-forces exerted on a driver can be as much as 4.5 G, which means about 25 kg on the neck. An F1 car can brake from 185kph to stand still in 3.5seconds and 80 metres with deceleration of 4G so drivers need strong neck muscles to stand these conditions.

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Localised Bodybuilding

Improving an F1 driver’s muscular mass and endurance involves a very localised bodybuilding: any car designer will indeed tell you that the thinner, the lighter, the driver, the better to fit in the tiny F1 car cockpit.

It is then important to develop strength without increasing volume and weight too much.

Some specific muscles groups particularly need to be developed, one of the most important, without doubt, being the driver’s neck.

Some activities are commonly integrated to all drivers’ fitness programme: – Indoor activities: running and cycling on machines, weightlifting as well as training on special equipment designed to reproduce F1 racing conditions.

– Outdoor activities: mountain biking, race cycling, jogging, tennis, kayaking (which is excellent for cardiovascular training) Most of the time, the programme will be completed with the driver’s favourite activities. As they have to train for long hours, it is important that they do not get bored too quickly.

Cardio training At the McLaren Technology Centre different machines focus on cardiovascular work, upper body, lower body, and the different muscle groups. An assessment room ensures the drivers can concentrate on their individual needs, by creating the correct fitness routine. This is programmed into the Technogym Wellness Key System. By inserting the key into the Fitness Zone machines, the distance, speed and workload are automatically adjusted to the driver’s fitness level, and all activity is recorded to monitor their improvement.

weight training Personal Trainers and Therapists get about three or four days in which to work with the drivers during a two-week period between races. A lot of that work is geared towards recovery from the previous race – working out any aches and pains – making the main aim of training during the season maintaining fitness levels and keeping the driver injury free.

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Turbo Smoothie

Drinking and eating the f1 way

A healthy diet also plays a key role in maintaining a driver’s peak physical condition. The aim is to provide energy, proteins (to feed muscles) and minerals without slowing down the metabolism and digestive system, which not only affects the body but also the mind leading to a lack of concentration and slow reaction time.

BLUEBERRY BURST PACKS A PUNCH This power smoothie recipe may not help you leap buildings in a single bound, but it will give you energy to start or finish the day strong and its perfect for preparing an F1 driver for a day at the track.

Ingredients: 1 banana (frozen if possible) and sliced 1/2 cup orange juice 1/4 cup blueberries 1/3 cup vanilla yogurt 2-4 ice cubes 1/4 cup of oats cereal Then blend; add more ice to thicken. You can use frozen blueberries, but we suggest fresh as this will add a bit more taste to the smoothie.

• Importance of fluid level in the body has been underlined by sports studies showing that a person losing just 4% of their body weight can lose up to 40% of their psycho-physical capacity.

• The average recommended daily fluid intake for an F1 driver is four litres (which few common people manage).

• Most drivers drink no less than 8 litres in the days preceding very hot races like Australia, Malaysia, and Brazil.

• Drivers have a drinking bottle (containing water and mineral salts) installed in the cockpit with a pipe going through their helmet. Capacity around 75cl.

A typical regime includes a balanced diet of carbohydrates, protein and various vitamins and minerals to fuel a driver through the race.

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Race day menu The time at which meals are taken also has an impact on performance and nothing is left to chance, particularly on a race day:

07:30 Breakfast: milk and/or yoghurt, cereals, fresh fruits 08:00 Massage to wake up and warm-up muscles 09:30 Warm-up session Throughout the day, drivers drink carbo-hydrated drinks, which are an excellent way to hydrate the body and provide them with energy without hampering digestion.

10:00 Warm-up technical debrief followed by PR activities Ideally lunch should take place about four hours prior to the start of the race but it is generally very difficult to fit this in the race day schedule. Therefore drivers usually do as follow:

11:30 12:00 12:40 13:15 14:00

Very light portion of pasta, vegetable soup Drivers take a rest and most of the time sleep 30-minute massage to reawaken muscles Drivers get ready to jump in their race car Race start

End of the race: Debriefing and PR duties followed after a certain time by a relaxing massage and a good meal to recover lost proteins and vitamins.

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www.sportingpublications.com l Page39

Choose your weapon THE ban on refuelling during races has had a big impact on how cars have been designed for the 2010 season with much bigger fuel tanks required. It’s not the only new regulation brought in by the FIA this year as the sport’s governing body has once again put its stamp on proceedings with fans and teams alike racing to keep up with the ever changing rule book. Having been working on their 2010 cars since midway through last season Ferrari and McLaren will be back among the front runners while Michael Schumacher in his Mercedes GP is sure to have his say. The drivers have been busy testing the new cars in Valencia ahead of the season opener in Bahrain.

Team. Ferarri Car. F10 Drivers. Felipe Massa & Fernando Alonso

Engine Type: Ferarri 056 Number of cylinders: 8 Cylinder block in sand cast aluminium: V 90° Valves: 32 Pneumatic distribution.

Piston bore: 98 mm Weight: 95 kg Electronic injection and ignition Fuel: Shell V-Power.

“We are ready to face the challenge and take up the responsibility of realising the maximum potential of this car. Of course, expectations are always high, and this year being with Ferrari, people will expect a lot from us and from me.

But there is nothing we can do, other than our maximum, to try to be competitive, professional and quick.”

– fernando alonso

Team. Mercedes GP Car. MGP W01 Drivers. Michael Schumacher & Nico Rosberg “I’m very happy to be back in a Formula 1 car. The first practise session was a perfect rollout for the new car. I felt totally comfortable and really had a feeling that everything was very natural.

It felt just like at the very beginning of my career in 1991 when on the first lap, I thought ‘wow that was really fast’ and then on the second lap, I am extremely excited. I feel like a young boy again and I really enjoyed myself out there.”

– Michael Schumacher

Engine Type: Mercedes-Benz FO108X Number of cylinders: 8 Valves: 32 Capacity: 2.4 ltres.

Maximum rpm: 18,000 Piston bore: 98 mm Weight: 95 kg

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Team. Mercedes McLaren Car. MP4-25 Drivers. Lewis Hamilton & Jenson Button

“It looks brilliant. I’ve seen just how much effort and attention has gone into making this car what it is, we’ve been pushing like crazy to find the performance and I think you can see for yourselves that the result is something that looks very special, and very uncompromising. Of course, it’s still too early to tell exactly how we’ll fare against our rivals, but, after the pace we showed in the second half of last year, I feel very confident that we’ll be able to maintain that momentum, and that we’ll have a very competitive season.”

– LEWIS HAMILTON

Engine Type: Mercedes-Benz FO 108X Number of cylinders: 8 Maxium rpm: 18000 Bank angle: 90° Valves: 32 Piston bore: 98 mm Weight: 95 kg Fuel: ExxonMobil High Performance Unleaded (5.75% bio fuel).

Spark plugs: NGK racing spark plugs specially designed for Mercedes-Benz F1 engine.

Lubricant: Mobil 1 – for higher performance, lower friction, better protection, cooling and wear resistance.

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‘100% LIVING PROOF CYCLONE WORKS’ JOSH LEWSEY Wasps, England & British and Irish Lions

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Driver Notice

Obey the rules This year’s new regulations aren’t anywhere near as severe as last season’s complete overhaul but there will still be a number of important differences. Below is SFME’s guide to the major changes, now get swatting!

NEW RULINGS

WHAT IT MEANS

In-race refueling banned.

Cars will feature significantly larger fuel-tanks; efficient packaging becomes critical; in-race fuel stops will disappear; races will become more dependent on tyre strategy; pitstops will become significantly quicker (around four secs or less); cars will be significantly heavier and slower at the start of races, which could have consequences on tyre wear, drivetrain and brake life.

Points system runs from 1st to 10th. Instead of 10, 8, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2 and 1 going to the top eight drivers, 25, 18, 15 10, 8, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2 and 1 will go to the top 10.

Greater rewards are now offered to the winning driver, placing more importance on pushing for victory rather than accepting a minor placing; a greater spread of points ought to reward the larger field expected in 2010.

Teams unanimously agree to no longer use KERS.

Overtaking opportunities available to KERS-equipped cars will disappear; teams have far greater freedom on systems packaging and weight distribution.

Narrower width introduced for (dry weather) front tyres.

Smaller tyres will have knock-on effect for car aerodynamics and overall car balance.

Aerodynamic hubcaps banned.

A FOTA cost-saving initiative. Teams will look to recover their aero properties elsewhere.

Wheel rim-heaters banned.

While tyre blankets are still permitted, the removal of the inner heated core that heats the rim will make tyre warm-up more critical.

Minimum weight increased from 605kg to 620kg.

Cars will be heavier on track; ballast positioning will become more efficient.

On-track aero testing reduced from eight to four days.

Requires teams to capitalise on increasingly limited track testing away from the races; windtunnel testing is provided as a substitute.

Backmarkers no longer able to unlap themselves behind the Safety Car.

Safety Car periods should be shorter and the restart quicker

Using a second additional engine during a race weekend carries a 10-place grid penalty for the following event.

Engine life and effective usage will be even more critical, particularly towards the end of the season.

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All Aboard for the Dubai International Boat Show Speed boats, superyachts, stunt shows and music!

O

NE of the hottest tickets in town in March will undoubtedly be the 18th Dubai International Boat Show.

Set to take place March 9–13, the event will showcase more than 20 powerful superyachts, and hundreds of other glamorous boats surrounding the Dubai International Marine Club (DIMC).

If you’re in the market for a new boat it’s the place to be to pick up a bargain but there is also plenty to see and do at the show for those just looking for a great day out.

Many manufacturers and marine clubs will be putting on water displays with wakeboarding and the jet ski stunt show always crowd favourites. This year one of the star attractions is sure to be the unveiling of the JetlevFlyer by Jetlev Distribution in cooperation with Pearl Watersports LLC. The Jetlev-Flyer is a recreational jetpack almost anyone can enjoy over water. It’s easy to use and is designed to let you experience the fascination of flying like a bird with safety, stability and precise, effortless flight control. Visitors will get to experience and become an eyewitness to this exciting new sport with Jetlev-Flyer conducting several flight shows. You will even be given the possibility to order your personal Jetlev-Flyer which will enable you to fly up to 33ft (10m) in the air, travelling at spectacular speeds for over three hours.

The show has also been chosen as the location for 11 global premieres and at least 25 regional launches by some of the most famous manufacturers in the world, who will all be providing great deals on a wide variety of boats and leisure marine related products.

“Dubai International Boat Show once again proves its endurance and influence as the preferred choice for the industries leading companies with an unprecedented line up of global and regional launches of the latest superyachts and boats, which will be docking in Dubai in March,” said Trixee Loh, Senior Vice President, Dubai World Trade Centre.

Another highlight will be the live performance of UK band High on Heels, who will be performing for the first time in the GCC. The band, who have recently made

international headlines with their performance at the global premier of Twilight: New Moon, will be wowing crowds each day of the show with a fusion between DJ sets and live music, bringing a vibrant atmosphere to the Dubai International Boat Show. Visitors to the show will be able to enjoy High on Heels’ eclectic mix from a luxurious lounge, or while browsing through the Desert Fish luxury retail plaza.

A dedicated dive village will host the Dive Middle East Exhibition alongside the new Superyacht Pavilion – a Superyacht Boulevard presenting yachts over 25 metres, exclusive corporate hospitality and VIP majlis areas.

Already confirmed is the participation from the world’s best luxury superyacht manufacturers, including Azimut, Benetti, Danish Yachts, Majesty Yachts, Platinum Yachts, Sunseeker Middle East, Trinity Yachts, and Westport, as well as a host of watchmakers, jewellers, and fashion boutiques targeting the tens of thousands of affluent attendees expected.

Other leading international exhibitors, from more than 20 countries, will include Al Boom Marine, Al Hareb Marine, Al Masaood, Al Yousef (Yamaha), AMIT, ART Marine, Emirates Boats, Gulf Craft, Leisure Marine and Macky Marine.

They are joined by many new companies including Al Hallami Group, Smart Own and Wake Up Performance.

The marine lifestyle event has dedicated hospitality areas already in high demand from the region’s corporate crème de la crème, who can enjoy a string of musical entertainment, while networking with the world’s famous names in yachting.

“Dubai attracts a truly international and regional audience that has enormous spending power and the Dubai International Boat Show is the chosen event where impressive sales are recorded. However, more and more, the show is seeing an increase in visitors looking to enjoy themselves in a relaxing environment, be it corporate hospitality or enjoying an afternoon with friends on some of the world’s most beautiful yachts,” added Loh.

The Dubai International Boat Show 2010 will take place at Dubai International Marine Club, Mina Seyahi from 9–13 March 2010.

The show is open to trade visitors and general public, from 3pm– 9.30pm daily.

Admission is AED 55 per person for all attendees without an invitation.

Children under 12 will be admitted for free and must be accompanied by an adult at all times.

Access to the Marina Display Area may be restricted at certain times.

For more information visit www.boatshowdubai.com

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One of the star attractions at this year’s Dubai International Boat Show is sure to be the unveiling of the Jetlev-Flyer by Jetlev Distribution in cooperation with Pearl Watersports LLC. www.sportingpublications.com l Page45

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KI T E SURFER RS Y JON S FLYING HIGH

Richard Bevan talks exclusively to kitesurfer and three times World Wave Champion Kirsty Jones, who has broken new ground by showing how the sport can be used to raise awareness of environmental issues.

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F you happen to be a friend of Kirsty Jones you’ll know better than to make any concrete social plans with her.

In Kirsty’s life only one thing is certain – if the wind is blowing, she’s kitesurfing.

“The weather controls my life,” she laughs.

“I’m reliant on the wind. I don’t really arrange to do anything with my friends any more because if there’s a good forecast, I’ll have to drop everything and go kitesurfing instead.”

The 30-year-old Welsh beauty rules the waves in the world’s fastest growing watersport. For those of you not familiar with it, kitesurfing is similar to wakeboarding but instead of a boat pulling you along, there’s a large inflatable powerkite. By using the wind kitesurfers can perform huge jumps off the waves, executing evermore outlandish tricks with names like Moby Dick, Fruit Loop or Flavour Flip while in the air.

Freestyle kitesurfing competitions judge riders on their technical ability on flat water but it’s in the more exciting wave discipline that Kirsty excels.

She’s the three times World Wave Champion on one of the sport’s two main tours, the Kite Pro World Tour and to win that title a rider has to dominate throughout an entire season of events. She first won it in 2004 while in 2008 her dominance was so strong that she won every single stage of the tour. She was again in dazzling form last season as she saw off all comers to defend her title.

“It’s great to be World Champion again,” says Kirsty. “Wave has exploded in recent years and the increase in competition from all the top riders who have come in has really raised the levels so it’s getting harder and harder to win.

“The wave competitions are judged like surfing competitions except you’ve got the kite as well.

You’re judged on how radical you are – how big the waves you choose are and what tricks you do. People are coming out with new tricks all the time so you have to learn them all to keep up, it’s hard enough just trying to remember all of the names sometimes!”

Kirsty was drawn to the water from the moment she could walk and started sailing dinghies with her dad when she was just three but it was when, as a 16 year old, she had a go at windsurfing while on holiday in Pembrokeshire that her passion truly began and she started envisaging a life on the ocean waves.

“I realised that I absolutely loved windsurfing and being in the sea,” she says. “In the school

holidays I worked at a watersports centre and I gained my qualifications in teaching sailing and windsurfing. I decided I didn’t want to go to University and instead wanted to compete on the World Windsurfing Tour. I went to Ireland and ran a watersports centre there and started competing in windsurfing and surfing events.”

In 2001 she decamped to Maui, Hawaii, the world’s premier windsurfing spot to begin training for the World Tour but while there things took an unexpected twist when she encountered kitesurfing for the first time.

“There seemed to be more possibilities in kitesurfing,” she says. “I tried it one day when there wasn’t enough wind to go windsurfing – you need more wind for windsurfing and you spend a lot of time waiting for it – and I remember watching some guys thinking ‘wow, you can ride waves or do freestyle in flat water.’ Most of these people had only being doing it a couple of years – with windsurfing you need at least five years worth of experience before you can start doing the full-on tricks.”

She was hooked from the start but having already spent a small fortune on windsurfing gear over the years she wasn’t thrilled at the prospect of having to start over again, and so formulated an cunning plan.

“When I went back to the UK I went to a

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“you need more wind for windsurfing and you spend a lot of time waiting for it – and I remember watching some guys thinking ‘wow, you can ride waves or do freestyle in flat water.”

– Kirsty jones

manufacturer and jokingly said, ‘look, if you give me some kitesurfing gear I’ll be British Champion by the end of the year’ and they said ‘ok’.”

As it turned out, she was!

“At that point I realised that I needed to focus on one of the two so I decided on kitesurfing. I’m glad I did because it led me to great places and achievements.”

Kirsty has gone on to claim a string of titles all around the world and now is one of the most recognisable faces in women’s kitesurfing.

She starred in several kitesurfing films and has sponsorship deals with the likes of Animal and North. Such is her all round ability that she has even competed against and beaten the guys in the combined Red Bull Master of the Ocean event. Her first appearance in the event was in 2006 and she sparked a storm of controversy by having the audacity to beat the reigning champion, who just happened to be sponsored by Red Bull.

KIRSTY QUICKFIRE SFME: Describe the rush of jumping so high off the waves?

KJ: I’d say jumping really high and also riding into waves are the two biggest buzzes. When you jump so high sometimes, especially when it’s really windy, it’s actually really calm and peaceful up there. You’d think it’d be like, ‘WOAH!’ but you can almost hover and I sometimes think, ‘am I ever going to come down?’

Normally if the wind is consistent you’d go up and feel quite safe because as long as you’re in control it’s easy to come down gently. If it’s gusty you can be lifted up really fast and then if there’s a lull in the gust you can actually drop down hard – that’s when it can be difficult if the wind is inconsistent.

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“The event is a triathlon of riding waves,” she explains. “It’s in windsurfing, kitesurfing and surfing. You have a lot of the best people from each discipline but you do all three so it’s about your points across them all. Because there wasn’t that many women who do all three I won that and went on to compete against the men.

“The first time I did it I didn’t even realise I was winning it and people started coming up to me and saying ‘do you realise you’re going to win this?’ There was like the best guys in the world in kitesurfing and the top guys in surfing and windsurfing. But of course they don’t do all three whereas I was quite strong overall.

“Red Bull wanted the guy who normally won it to win because they sponsored him when all of a sudden this girl comes along and wins it they weren’t happy. They tried to announce it at the prizegiving as, ‘and now the women’s champion Kirsty Jones and the men’s champion, Luciano Gonzalez’.

“I’m not one to make a fuss but the judges and sponsors were disgusted. They literally walked out of the prizegiving and said, ‘this is terrible and shouldn’t have happened.’

“I didn’t do it again for a few years because I was a bit narked off about it but I decided to go back last year and do it again and I was really

KIRSTY QUICKFIRE

SFME: Do you ever get scared during your epic trips – when you’re right out in the middle of the ocean?

KJ: No not really, you don’t really think about it. If I’d fallen off I would have been – if you don’t have your kite or your board it can be really scary. But if you have a craft that you’re floating on you don’t feel scared.

“The level of British riding now is amazing but back then it was nowhere near as good as it is today and there weren’t anywhere near as many British girls in the sport” – Kirsty jones

pleased because I was third out of the men. It proved a point that it wasn’t a fluke – it was a great feeling to be on the podium with the men.”

Having won the KPWT world title three times she’s moving to the Professional Kiteboard Riders Association tour this year in search of a new challenge.

“I competed for the past three years on the KPWT because it’s been the only tour that has a wave tour. The PKRA had one-off wave events but no women were allowed to enter – it was male invitations only.

“But now it looks like the PKRA are going to be the predominant wave tour this year so I’ll be moving on to that. I’ve won the KPWT three times now so I want to go on to try other things.”

But for Kirsty, it’s not about winning trophies and titles. Those are merely gilt edged offerings with which to say thank you to her sponsors and her parents for supporting and believing in her. Her real passion lies in using the sport as a vehicle to raise awareness of environmental issues surrounding the ocean and to raise money for good causes.

“If I can win the PKRA then that’s great.

Winning doesn’t do anything for me personally but it’ll make my sponsors and my dad happy! I have to have that kind of attitude in competitions

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because if you totally focus on winning then you’re just going to end up disheartened by it all.

“I only want to use what I do as a tool – like a PR tool – to help the oceans and the environment that have given me so much pleasure. I want to give something back. I like to open people’s eyes. Ok, you can break records and be a world champion but until you actually go out there and do something with that – that’s when you start to make a difference.”

Kirsty was the first professional kitesurfer to take the sport out of the competitive arena by undertaking epic journeys to raise money for charity and increase environmental awareness. In 2002 she kitesurfed the 85-mile journey across the Irish Sea from Ireland to Wales non-stop, raising over £5,000 for a Children’s hospice in Wales having organised the entire undertaking on her own.

“I hadn’t been kitesurfing that long and I thought that I’d done competitions enough and I wanted to do something that wasn’t so selfish and for myself – something to balance it out. I’d

“The level of British riding now is amazing but back then it was nowhere near as good as it is today and there weren’t anywhere near as many British girls in the sport” – Kirsty jones

wanted to do something for charity and I’d always wanted to windsurf from Ireland to Wales so I married the two together.”

She topped that feat in 2006 when she became the first person to make the then world record 140-mile nine-hour journey from the Canary Islands to Morocco. As well as raising money for disabled charity L’Adaph she also helped out the small Moroccan village called Tarfaya at which her crossing ended. It’s this achievement, rather than her three world titles, that Kirsty rates as her greatest in kitesurfing.

“We raised money for L’Adaph and also took over some wheelchairs and crutches as some disabled or injured people there didn’t have any method of getting around as Tarfaya is such a remote place,” she says. “I also donated some kites and surfboards and we set up a little club called Surfaya, after the name of the village.

There was a great little lagoon and we taught them to windsurf and explored the coast for good surf spots to show them how good their region is for watersports. The idea was to help them make a tourist industry out of it. It’s great to give something back and introduce them to the joys of kitesurfing and the sea. When you’re interacting with them and introducing them to a sport that they’d never had the opportunity to do they’re so

KIRSTY QUICKFIRE SFME: Do you follow any sort of special nutritional plan both in training and when you’re competing?

KJ: I just try and eat as healthily as possible. I eat a lot of whole foods and I eat organic whenever I can. I’m not a big meat eater – I only eat meat because I travel a lot and if someone offers me a meat dish and I’m hungry I’m not going to turn it down, I guess my diet is mainly vegetarian. I think there’s no need for us to eat so much fish and meat if we don’t have to. During competitions I tend to eat more. I burn more energy so I tend to find myself eating more! I drink lots of water to make sure I’m really hydrated.

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KIRSTY QUICKFIRE SFME: Where’s the best place you’ve kitesurfed?

KJ: Well, for me it’s more about the country and the culture rather than the actual specific kitesurfing conditions. I really, really love Africa I’ve enjoyed my best riding in Africa – Morocco, Kenya and South Africa.

Western Australia is amazing as well. I’d say that the two best places from that list are Western Australia and South Africa.

happy. It’s amazing. It’s only something small but it’s a great gift. I feel very lucky that I do what I do – sometimes I have to slap myself to check it’s real.”

Kirsty hopes to continue the philanthropic/ environmentalist side of her life later this year with a conservation project in Madagascar having visited the island for the first time recently.

“I’ve wanted to go there since I was about 16,” she says. “Not only has it got some of the best kitesurfing conditions in the world but it’s also such an interesting place. The marine bio-diversity and the natural habitats there are out of this world and the trip opened my eyes as to how it needs protecting. I’ve done some research into it and I’m hoping to go back there for the whole of July to do a marine conversation project. July is the big wave season and it’s also the whaling season so hopefully I’ll be able to catch some big waves and tie it in with the project.”

“Not only has it got some of the best kitesurfing conditions in the world but it’s also such an interesting place.

The marine biodiversity and the natural habitats there are out of this world and the trip opened my eyes as to how it needs protecting” – Kirsty jones While she’s never kitesurfed in the UAE due to the lack of waves, her travels have seen her visit the Middle East and it was an experience she’s keen to repeat.

“I’d love to visit Dubai and I’ve heard it’s quite good for freestyle kiting but because there are very little waves, as with the rest of the UAE, it’s not so good for wave riding.

“I’ve been to Yemen kitesurfing and travelling, which was incredible. It was very, very windy and just a fascinating and beautiful country – I’d love to go back. That’s the beauty of kitesurfing, you get to see all these amazing countries, some of which you wouldn’t have associated with the sport at all.”

Throwing yourself 50 foot into the air while twisting and turning your body into various

unnatural shapes requires a great deal of physical fitness and suppleness, while Kirsty’s sea crossings need awesome levels of stamina and endurance. Blessed with naturally high fitness levels – the bi-product of a sporty childhood – and not a big lover of gyms, she finds yoga greatly helps to improve her overall condition and runs many summer courses combining the discipline with kitesurfing.

“It’s hard for me to go to the gym because I’m never in one place for long enough and I don’t really like them because I get really bored!” smiles Kirsty. “I like to do things that are outside.

I run for about an hour and a half everyday. I do yoga most mornings and evenings and I find that’s perfect for me. Yoga makes me feel good, not just physically but mentally as well. It keeps me balanced.

“I’ve always done endurance sports. I used to run for Wales in cross-country so I’m usually ok with anything that needs endurance. I get more exhausted if I don’t go on the water for a week than if I’m kitesurfing for six or seven hours.

“If I’m not kitesurfing, if I’m somewhere where there’s no wind I’ll surf for four or five hours a day, which is actually one of the best things you can

do to train for a lot of different sports – it’s great for cardiovascular and muscular fitness.

“That’s why I choose to do the wave world tour because if there’s no wind it’s not a problem because you’re normally somewhere that has good waves. So I can do surfing rather than waiting for the wind.”

She may not care about winning titles but she’s damn good at it and Kirsty remains one of kitesurfing’s hottest properties. She’s raised the bar for her fellow competitors both in terms of her success in competition and in showing how sport in general can be used for the powers of good.

Whichever way the wind takes her on the next stage of her fascinating journey you can be sure she’ll continue flying high. n

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“I run for about an hour and a half everyday. I do yoga most mornings and evenings and I find that’s perfect for me. Yoga makes me feel good, not just physically but mentally as well. It keeps me balanced” – Kirsty jones

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LFL

A TEMPTING PROSPECT? Richard Bevan talks exclusively to Mitchell Mortaza, creator of the outlandish idea that is the Lingerie Football League and Jessica Renee a player with the LA Temptation, who recently claimed the league’s top prize, the Lingerie Bowl, which is played out during halftime of the NFL’s Super Bowl.

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EVER have the phrases, ‘only in America’ and ‘it’s so crazy it just might work’ sprung to mind quicker than when I first found out about Mitchell Mortaza’s outrageous creation called the Lingerie Football League.

Mortaza, who believe it or not originally hails from Afghanistan, had a ‘eureka’ moment when at the Super Bowl in 2003 he noticed that the stadium all but emptied during the halftime interval, despite the usual performances from A-List musical acts. If a mass exodus occurred at the actual game, what must be happening around the world as people took their eyes away from their television sets to go and fix a drink, have a snack, play hopscotch? He reasoned.

And so the idea for the Lingerie Bowl was born. What better way to keep people watching during the interval than to get a bunch of super-hot women playing American football in their underwear? Even better, make the event pay-per-view for television and Internet as an alternative to the ‘official entertainment’ and you’re laughing all the way to the bank.

Since first launching at halftime of the 2004 Super Bowl, which many of you may recall as the occasion one of Janet Jackson’s puppies made an unexpected appearance, Mortaza’s audacious brainchild has gone from strength to strength. Demand for more teams and more action grew so high that last year he launched the idea of a full Lingerie Football League mirroring the NFL season, with 10 teams battling it out during the ‘Friday Night Football’ halftime slot for a place in the Lingerie Bowl on Super Bowl Sunday. Teams have tantalising names like Philadelphia Passion and Dallas Desire, while two of the most surprising aspects of the LFL are that the drop-dead

gorgeous girls are actually half decent players and almost half the league’s subscribers and match day visitors are women!

This year’s Lingerie Bowl saw the LA Temptation beat previously undefeated Chicago Bliss 27-14 at the Hard Rock Live Arena during the halftime break of Super Bowl XLIV between New Orleans Saints and Indianapolis Colts.

While aging English rock band, The Who, drew a luke warm response for their official halftime show, interest in the Lingerie Bowl was red hot and the LFL’s pay-per-view severs crashed under the strain of millions around the world tuning in.

All sport has an element of entertainment and the LFL has taken this side of American football to the extreme but is it simply a throwaway gimmick or has it got legs (sorry, couldn’t resist)?

I spoke to Jessica Renee, one of the LA Temptation’s triumphant players, and ringmaster Mortaza to find out.

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Main shot courtesy of Scott Brinegar, action shot courtesy of Eddie Perlas.

e Jessica Rene

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Jessica Renee SFME: You must be feeling on top of the world right now after winning the Lingerie Bowl?

JR: Every time I wake up in the morning and I’m feeling a little groggy or not feeling great I just remind myself, ‘hey, I’m a national champion’ and then everything gets better.

It was very exciting, we were the underdogs and the championship team – Chicago Bliss – was undefeated so we knew we had to bring our A-game. We gave everything we had and it was great.

Our last home game was played in the Coliseum where USC (University of Southern California) plays so that was an incredible experience as well. We’re the only professional football team in LA so it makes it exciting and the fans are happy to have a team to root for now.

The LFL Bowl was played at the Hard Rock Live arena. Its main use is for concerts but they laid out some turf down for us and we battled it out there.

SFME: How did you rate your personal performance in the game?

JR: I think I played a good game, I’m not usually one who scores that many touchdowns as I play centre – I play on the line and very rarely do I have to go out and be one of the extra receivers that the quarterback can throw to. I held my own on the line – we protect the quarterback before she throws it so we had to play well if we were to score.

SFME: How do you promote your games with the LA Temptation?

JR: We do a lot of promotion for our games at sports bars and expos so we get a good crowd at our home games. The interest is growing. It’s been around for a while and anyone who hears about it obviously becomes interested – it’s lingerie football – that sets off some bells!

Some people might think it’s a ‘touch’ game

Mitchel Mortaza SFME: Talk us through how you came to dream up an idea as crazy as the LFL? MM: The Lingerie Bowl concept came to mind while I was attending the Super Bowl in San Diego, CA back in 2003 and noticed a mass exodus of people from their very expensive seats at halftime despite great acts like No Doubt, Sting and Shania Twain performing.

I thought if all these people are leaving their seats here in the stadium, what is happening around the world to TV sets at halftime.

We developed the Lingerie Bowl concept and launched it at the 2004 Super Bowl versus the Janet Jackson wardrobe malfunction.

That broadcast and each one since has drawn an incredible amount of viewership and advertisers, thus I decided to create a league extension which has been in development for nearly 36 months. We launched the Lingerie Football League in the Fall of 2009 with incredible success, despite the struggling economy, with nearly 30% higher than projected attendance, second in Primetime TV ratings and record Internet traffic which led to a healthy 2010 expansion.

“We “We have have developed developed an an entire league entire league of of Kournikovas, Kournikovas, Patricks Patricks and and Reeces athletic Reeces - athletic women women who who are are also beautiful.” also beautiful.”

–– MITCHELL MITCHELL MORTAZA MORTAZA

“The main appeal of the LFL is the sexy girls roughin’ and toughin’ out there – it doesn’t get any more exciting.”

– JESSICA RENEE but once they see the game they are impressed by the hard hits that we take and how tough it is out there.

SFME: Obvious question but...what’s the appeal of the LFL? JR: The main appeal of the LFL is the sexy girls roughin’ and toughin’ out there – it doesn’t get any more exciting.

SFME: What do you think of the whole LFL concept; was Mitchell crazy to have an idea like that or a genius – or maybe a crazy genius?

JR: I think it’s a genius idea – however far fetched it might have sounded when he first put it out there – it’s become something amazing.

All the players from every team will tell you how incredible an experience it is and how grateful we are for the opportunity.

People were sceptical of him but he had a vision, pursued it and here it is – you know it’s so crazy it just might work – and it did!

SFME: It’s a well known fact that soccer players often share a bath together after a game. I’m sure the millions of LFL fans out there would love to know if it’s the same with you girls?

JR: Ha ha! You know we do have often take showers together afterwards because we have to get ready to go out and we don’t always have time to go one at a time!

SFME: How did you become a player for the LA Temptation?

JR: I heard about them and it sparked my interest so I asked some of my friends who were athletes at UCLA if it was something that I’d be able to do – just so I didn’t turn up there and look like a fool. One of my friends plays football and he was impressed with me after a couple of training sessions with him. I tried out and I didn’t actually make the team the first time out for LA so I tried out at San Diego and I made the team there – but when they found out I lived in LA they transferred my over to play for the Temptation.

SFME: Did you play football or follow it as a girl?

JR: I grew up playing soccer actually and I played at high school level. I didn’t play American Football until I started with the LFL. SFME: Do you mind playing in your undies?

JR: I think it’s very empowering. I think it’s amazing to be a beautiful, strong women. We’re not slutty out there, it’s not trashy. We basically play in mini shorts and a bra-top. I think the lingerie pulls people in but what happens out on the field keeps them interested. If it wasn’t a real game and serious people would write it off.

SFME: Do you think people are surprised by the number of hot ladies who can play to a decent standard?

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SFME: What specifically gave you the idea of having hot girls playing football in lingerie?

MM: While I knew the concept had incredible potential, there needed to be some sort of draw or sex appeal initially to draw in fans and media coverage.

I thought about athletes like tennis’ Anna Kournikova, racing’s Danica Patrick or volleyball’s Gabrielle Reece – these are all women who are certainly competitive in their chosen sports fields, but not the most accomplished yet they are amongst the most marketed in their sport. We have developed an entire league of Kournikovas, Patricks and Reeces – athletic women who are also beautiful.

We have a saying around the league amongst our players and coaches, ‘we will draw them in with sex appeal and keep them with the calibre of football’. Once fans are exposed to LFL football they return and bring other fans, for example, each team had two home games this past season and the second home game on average drew nearly 50% more attendance then the first home game.

SFME: How has it grown since you started?

MM: We initially produced the Super Bowl halftime special, the Lingerie Bowl, with only two teams, now we have a 10-team league with plans to expanding to all NFL markets which would be 32 teams.

SFME: How did you go about putting the LFL into action – getting support, funding, gathering players, etc?

MM: It has truly been a struggle to sell the concept of a women’s professional football league kicking off in a down economy, but the idea is so incredibly unique and compelling that we have been fortunate enough to draw incredible league partners, players, coaches and staff.

SFME: What criteria do you have when selecting players?

MM: We look at three primary traits in any LFL player. 1) Athleticism 2) Confidence 3) Beauty.

SFME: Do you think you’d have been able to turn an idea like this into reality in other countries?

MM: As successful as we have been in the States, we do just as well in terms of viewership internationally. Thus, we have plans on launching the LFL concept in Europe in 2012 and in Asia in 2013. www.sportingpublications.com l Page57

JR: I think that’s the number one reaction – they’re like, ‘oh my gosh, you guys really hit each other out there.’ And if you see some of the injuries that occur out there – broken legs, cruciate ligaments, bloody lips, it’s really serious and besides all that there’s a pretty face attached to it!

SFME: How serious do the girls take it?

JR: Very seriously. We’re there all day. We arrive at the arena at about 2pm but don’t play till about 8pm or sometimes as late as 10pm so there’s a lot of time to fill and we do a lot of preparation. We do have a make-up and hair session as entertainment is a big part of it but just before the game we put our ‘game faces’ on and we definitely pump each other up, banging on the walls to try and get that fire inside us.

Girls love to primp and prepare themselves.

For my last three games my friend Natalie did the same kind of hair braid on me because we won – sort of like a ritual. We all do that kind of stuff and it’s fun. One day we decided we were all going to wear the same kind of socks and put bows on them, so we were all sat around sowing on the bows.

SFME: Do you celebrate as a team?

JR: When we win we like to go celebrate and have a good time – it’s part of the game. We hang out and congratulate ourselves. However, in LA we don’t have that much time to party.

Once a game ends and we’ve showered and got ready we only have about an hour before everywhere shuts down but we make the best of it.

SFME: Do you have regular training sessions like any other pro team?

JR: Absolutely. We have different types – we have try-outs when beginners come down and try to make the team. We have football camp and also train regularly during the season. Our practises run for three to four hours so it’s a big commitment but it’s worth it. And the ending of our season showed how much the work paid off!

SFME: What kind of cardiovascular training do you do to keep in shape and do you do any weights to maintain your strength?

JR: Yeah I do, most girls have to work out and luckily my boyfriend (boyfriend?? boo! Ed) is a trainer at a gym locally, so I do weights with him and cardio on the treadmill as well as road running. I love running outside, I’m ten minutes from the beach and I like running everywhere really, especially up hills and slopes. Sometimes we do short sprints too – like up stairs for example to prepare for games.

I do weights to tone up – I don’t want to get super bulky but I want to strengthen and get toned.

SFME: Do you follow a nutritional plan?

JR: I just try and eat really healthily in general but I do have one of the biggest sweet tooths ever! I have to say, after a day of dieting you can reward yourself with some

SFME: I believe that while The Who didn’t go down too well at halftime of this year’s Super Bowl, the Lingerie Bowl received record subscriptions which crashed the pay-per-view site. You must be proud of that achievement?

MM: Yes and no, while it was disappointing that we could not deliver our broadcast on Super Bowl Sunday to millions that wanted to view it, certainly it was encouraging to see how much of a fan base we have built around our Super Bowl Sunday broadcast of the annual Lingerie Bowl. Our servers crashed not only through Super Bowl Sunday but well into Monday afternoon following Super Bowl.

SFME: What does it tell you about America’s/ the male population of the world’s interests?

MM: Surprisingly, our fan base is only 55% male and 45% female, it is such a unique and empowering sport for women that it is drawing incredible response from women.

SFME: How serious is the football side of things? If it was just about football you wouldn’t have the girls dress in lingerie.

MM: Our player football IQ, intensity and passion for the game is what will lead to longevity for the league. If we were not serious about developing these women into football players we would not have them in year-round Mini Camps and Training Camps where they are being educated on and off the field by some of the greatest football minds out there. Not to

“Our “Our athletes athletes are are no no different different from from NFL NFL players players in in their their preparation preparation –– the the only only difference difference would would be be they they have have better better legs!.” legs!.”

–– MITCHELL MITCHELL MORTAZA MORTAZA

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frozen yoghurt or a treat – I always need a little dessert!

SFME: Tell us about yourself, what do you do when you’re not playing?

JR: I’m getting into Broadcast Journalism.

I’m taking courses at UCLA Extension. I graduated there with a degree in psychology but decided to put that on hold so I took part in some classes for Broadcast Journalism. I’m working on that outside of football but I think that football has given me a lot of experience and been a stepping stone towards it because I’d love to do sports broadcasting. I’ve been on radio shows and TV thanks to the LA Temptation so it’s helped me and I’m looking to build on it.

SFME: So you’re not just a pretty face then?

JR: Ha ha! No, the whole team is a complete mix. We have nurses on our team, lawyers, members of the military and the police force; everyone has something going for them outside of the LFL because it’s not a full-time job unfortunately! I’ve done some modelling in the past which is fun.

SFME: Have you had much criticism from people who are against the concept of the LFL? JR: Whatever you do in whatever job you do you’re going to have critics from somewhere.

Until people see what we’re doing and see how much work we’re putting in then they can say what they want. But if anyone actually sat down with any of the players I think that it would open their eyes a little bit.

SFME: How can people tune in to watch the LFL? JR: You can check the website on www.lflus. com and most of the games from the past season are there which you can download. You can watch the Lingerie Bowl on there as well.

KDOC is an LA TV station and our matches are also on there every Friday. n

“We have nurses on our team, lawyers, members of the military and the police force; everyone has something going for them.” – JESSICA RENEE

mention – a high percentage of our coaches are former NFL stars. Our athletes are no different from NFL players in their preparation – the only difference would be they have better legs!

SFME: Are you surprised how many super-hot women are good at American football?

MM: Yes, I couldn’t believe there were this many (thousands) of women that were incredibly attractive yet competitive enough to want to take another players head off!

90% of LFL players have never touched a football let along having played the game before they join us. What is consistent across all LFL players is an athletic background ranging from everything from wrestling to gymnastics to volleyball etc.

SFME: How does the game work; are the rules the same as in the NFL? MM:Yes, our game is a fast-paced/intense brand of football that features America’s most beautiful and athletic women playing 7-on-7 full-contact tackle football. For more LFL football details you can log onto www.LFLUS.com then click on LFL 101 link.

SFME: Have you come in from criticism from certain quarters?

MM: Certainly. When you develop and launch a league called the Lingerie Football League you will have certain people that have a kneejerk reaction to the name of the league and the manner the players are dressed. However, I can assure you that 100% of those people that have a negative reaction are those who have

never watched or been to an LFL game. Those who have understand that our athletes are welleducated/confident individuals that have jobs like lawyers, doctors and engineers along with cocktail waitresses, but they are committed and serious about the game of football. The players are changing the perception of our game, one fan at a time.

SFME: Who’s the hottest player in the league?

MM: That’s like saying, who is your favorite child? Besides, not sure my finance would appreciate me answering this question!

SFME: What’s your background?

MM: My background is advertising and marketing within the sports world.

SFME: What’s your vision for the future of the LFL? MM: We want bring our brand to as many markets both US and abroad as possible, those who have attended or watched an LFL game absolutely love it.

SFME: Do you ever pinch yourself that you’ve managed to make such an outlandish idea a reality? Have you got the best job in the world?

MM:This has certainly not been overnight. A lot of people have sacrificed their personal lives for many years to bring this league to reality.

To answer your question, it’s somewhat surreal to think we have made models playing tackle football in their lingerie into possibly the next big sports franchise with millions of viewers, blue-chip advertisers and significant growth. n www.sportingpublications.com l Page59

EQUIPT Garmin Forerunner 310XT The Garmin Forerunner 310XT is a multi-sport, swim-proof GPS watch, ideal for triathletes and dedicated athletes. The Forerunner 310XT has a 20 hour battery life and is waterproof (IPX7), making it an indispensable training tool. With a high-sensitivity GPS receiver and HotFix™ satellite prediction, the Forerunner 310XT locates your position simply, quickly and precisely and maintains its GPS location even in heavy cover and near tall buildings and trees. When paired with the optional wireless heart rate monitor, Forerunner 310XT continuously tracks beats per minute and uses heart rate data in advanced calorie computation. Train in a certain heart rate zone to improve fitness and monitor your level of exertion.

You can set pace, speed, distance and heart rate alerts to sound and/or vibrate if you stray from your goal. This is ideal for training in a group, in noisy environments or when wearing headphones.

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Lorica Sidi Genius 6.6 cycling shoes New for 2010, the Sidi Genius 6.6 features a new Carbon Lite Sole with the upper part of the shoe made from Lorica. The new Carbon Lite Sole uses new technology giving stiffness in the body of the sole, but allowing slight flex in the toe area.

Lorica: Lorica is a Hi-Tech leather made from the most sophisticated technology. Lorica is a combination of the finest micro-fibres ever produced.

It is water-repellent, permeable to water vapour and resistant to tearing, splitting, scratching and atmospheric agents. It has a good air-breathing capacity. Lorica offers exceptional performances and guarantees the user extraordinary softness and elegance.

Giro Ionos Livestrong Cycling Helmets The Ionos is the most technologically advanced road cycling helmet Giro has ever created and offers unparalleled style and ground breaking ventilation.

Giro’s revolutionary in-mold composite sub-frame(I.C.S™) provides the strength to support 21 of the largest vents ever carved into a helmet. These massive vents, coupled with an intricate network of internal exhaust ports, create a cooling system Giro call Wind Tunnel™ ventilation.

Zipp 808 wheel The 808 is a proven winner in triathlons and time trials and an up-and-comer in road racing worldwide. The 2009 model sports a faster, stiffer rim shape.

It performed well in those disciplines, netting a Kona IM world championship with Normann Stadler and the fastest Tour de France time trial in history with David Zabriskie and lately we’ve seen the 808 more frequently in use at road races. Fabian Cancellara, no time-trial slouch himself, has ridden the 808 to victory with his trademark last-kilometer solo attacks at the Tour de France and Milan-San Remo and it was Fabian who said: “The 808 is the new 404 for me.” www.sportingpublications.com l Page 57

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ASK SFME

IMPOSSIBLE IS NOTHING

by Rob Richards, Fitness First

I want to get my chest bigger-can you recommend a good workout for me?

There are numerous ways to increase the size of the muscle but one of the best ways for most people is get a mix of tension and fatigue.

In weight training we can say tension relates to the amount of weight – or how much tension – is created by the muscle, as a rule the heavier the weight the more tension. Fatigue refers to how tired you make the muscle.

Both of these factors applied in training can help increase the size the muscle. We can go too far with each factor, for example lift a very heavy weight once (high tension – but no fatigue) wont help most people to gain muscle so we need a mix of both tension and fatigue.

Enter the tri set!

A tri set is basically three exercises performed one after the other with little rest between them.

If we use a weight we can only lift for 6-8 reps. We keep tension high and because we are doing three exercises in a row we have high fatigue – getting the best of both worlds.

So applying that idea here is a chest workout to boost new growth:

1 Dumbbell bench press 6-8 reps No rest 2 Barbell bench press 6-8 reps No rest 3 Machine chest press 6-8 reps Rest 2 minutes Repeat three times then cry in pain!

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Which is best for fat loss – the stepper, bike or rower?

There is really no best machine for fat loss, every machine has good and bad points. In some studies the rower will burn more calories, in other studies the treadmill will win. The best option is to vary the machines you use and the way you use them. You might use a machine for four workouts then change or you can change the machine every workout. The important thing is to have variety in your training, this keeps your mind fresh and reduces the risk of overuse injuries from too much of one type of exercise.

option1 Week 1 Rower 15 min interval training Rower 30 min easy pace Rower 15 min interval trainingl training Week 2 Bike 20 min interval training Bike 45 min easy pace Bike 30 min medium pace

option2 Week 1 Rower 15 min interval training Bike 45 min easy pace Stepper 30 min medium pace Week 2 Rower 30 min easy pace Bike 15 min interval training Stepper 45 min slow pace

www.sportingpublications.com l Page 63

Nick Mitchell

Ultimate Results Widely regarded as the ‘Man Who Can’, Nick Mitchell, founder of Ultimate Performance is the guy to turn to when you need to transform your body composition in record time. His wealth of knowledge and constant quest for new techniques and scientific findings keeps him on top of his game. Having worked as a qualified barrister and later in the London financial markets Nick has always known that solid background work and attention to detail pays dividends. What started out as a passionate hobby has turned into a career as many top athletes, television stars and models sort out Nick’s knowledge to enhance their physical look and confidence. But could he work his magic on an out of shape magazine editor?

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clients through their paces. The one thing that was instantly obvious was the variation of exercises they were performing. One client was pulling a weighted sled the length of the gym while another was doing alternate leg lunges in a weight vest. Just as I was about to settle into my new surroundings the door opened and Nick walked in. At six foot two and athletically built I was quickly reminded why I was here. This wasn’t a normal interview or feature but I was here to seek Nick’s advice and get myself back on track. This was reinforced

by Nick who reminded me that he doesn’t take on clients to become their new-found friend but to get them into shape. Whether it’s eight times Mr Olympia, Ronnie Coleman or Victoria Secret’s models – they’ve all turned to him to shed unwanted body fat and maximise their physiques.

I’m no Mr Olympia or cover model, just a regular guy that has to deal with the challenges of every-day life. I like my food and letting off steam at the weekend and as a result I’ve ended up in front of Nick!

‘

trial and error I’ve always found if you are striving to achieve a goal, experience and the best advice available will prevent any blunders or finding things out the hard way through trial and error. A good personal trainer and not a rep counter or ‘buy a friend’ will monitor your progress and adapt your programme along the journey to a better body.

But with the family and a hectic work schedule I’m unable to keep to a set time-table and only able to train when I can find space in the day.

For this reason I needed to be guided remotely every step of the way. Nick Mitchell was a name that kept cropping up in both bodybuilding and fitness model circles as the man the professionals turn to for contest preparation.

I tracked Nick down to his private gym in London and explained the situation. We agreed to meet and run through things, little did I know that it was going to turn my way of life around. body fat percentage It was a cold British winter morning and as I sat in the taxi on the way to Nick’s Ultimate Performance gym I started to feel anxious for the first time and paranoid that my body fat percentage was not that of a 20-year-old athlete.

The gym itself wasn’t a high tech, plasma screened palace, nor was it a spit and sawdust hardcore muscle den. It was neatly designed with all the latest equipment specifically made with a job in mind. As I waited for Nick to arrive I watched a couple of his trainers put their

to take. The high carbohydrate diet had to go and beer was forbidden.

I left the gym in shock, knowing I had a mountain to climb. It was January 5th and the challenge was on. Nick was working on my programme and I was on my way to buy a green leaf chicken salad for lunch.

I’m now seven weeks in and it’s been a challenging time and not one I was totally prepared for. During the first four weeks I was able to keep to the regimented six-meals-a-day of protein and green vegetables. My mood was interchangeable as predicted but my cravings for chocolate and the odd beer had gone completely – that was the biggest shock. The kids’ goody boxes weren’t tempting me and they thought my new diet was the best thing ever because their phantom chocolate thief was gone.

The last two weeks have been the hardest both physically and mentally. Things have become more hectic at home and at work. I’ve travelled four times between the UK and Dubai doing my upmost to keep to some sort of diet plan but it isn’t easy when you are on the move.

At six foot two and athletically built I was quickly reminded why I was here. This wasn’t a normal interview or feature but I was here to seek Nick’s advice and get myself back on track. This was reinforced by Nick who reminded me that he doesn’t take on clients to become their new-found friend but to get them into shape. Whether it’s eight times Mr Olympia, Ronnie Coleman or Victoria Secret’s models – they’ve all turned to him to shed unwanted body fat and maximise their physiques. – Alex Gallemore Having got the pleasantries out of the way we quickly got down to business. First was the dreaded body fat percentage test. I guessed I was around 22 per cent and at first glance Nick thought I wasn’t far off. But the eight-point calliper test he conducted showed a different story. I was carrying high fat levels on my back and chest and the reading came out at 26 per cent and a body weight of 185lbs. Not the best start but at least it’s an honest one. The next test was to access any physical restrictions I might have, especially regarding my right ankle as I fractured it while motorbike racing last season.

But I was given the green light from Nick and good to go. The final assessment was a bitter pill

‘

A

fter eight months out of the gym my jeans were getting tight and my energy levels were at an all time low.

With three children and long hours at work it’s easy to bypass the gym on the way home and let the membership card take a back seat in your wallet.

But we all need a wake-up call and mine came from a six-year-old. My daughters and their friends were playing the age game. They managed to guess my wife’s spot on but they were seven years out for me and not on the good side.

It was early January and I decided enough was enough. I always trained for certain sporting goals all my life from rugby and power lifting to Thai boxing and road racing. The objectives have always been to build strength and size or shed body weight and increase cardiovascular endurance. But never have I focused on body composition. I could tell you my Vo2 Max, my max heart rate and know what to do to drop body weight. But the art of dropping body fat and changing your composition has never been a target … until now!

On one of the trips I received the upsetting news my grandmother had passed away and my mind started to detract from the training plan as other priorities took over.

Having eaten poorly in Nick’s opinion over the past 14 days, but pretty good for the first five weeks I’m knuckling back down to the target of a sub 10 per cent body fat. It’s a target I’ve always had in mind. I’ll keep you all up to date in the coming issues on how I’m getting on and the challenges I’ve had to over come. 4

to view the seven week turnaround please turn over!

www.sportingpublications.com l Page 65

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7 week body transformation AFTER Body Fat: 18.72% Waist: 32.25% Weight: 175lb Fat loss: 14lbs Muscle gain: 4lbs BEFORE: Body Fat 26.28% Waist 35.75” Weight 185lb Fat Mass lots!!

Training after a year off I needed to add muscle and build strength. Years of powerlifting has given me a sound technique and the illusion of pure strength. Now I needed muscle to enable me to get to my nine per cent body fat goal. For the first seven weeks my exercises routine has been the following: Monday: Upper body & cardio 1: Upper body: Shoulder width under handed lat pulldowns Tuesday: Legs

Flat dumbell bench press Wednesday: Cardio

One arm dumbell rows Thursday: Upper body & cardio

Tricep dips Friday: Legs

Reverse grip EZ bar curls Saturday: Rest

Seated shoulder press 2: Legs:

Dumbell lunges Leg press Seated alternate leg curls Seated leg extensions

Sunday: Repeat

3: Cardio: Ride to work – approx 2 hours a day or 25 mins high impact training on a stationary bike. Running kills my knees and rowing freezes my shoulder when trying high intensity work.

Sounds like I should get my rocking chair out now and have done with all this hard work!!

Diet Breakfast: 1 x Maximuscle Promax Diet. 60g

serving in 250ml of water

1 x cup of coffee 11am:

1 x chicken thigh 100g of cottage cheese

2pm:

1 x tin of tuna 1 x mixed bag of peas, broccoli and runner beans approx. 150g 1 x low fat yoghurt

5pm:

1 x 30g scoop of Maximuscle Promax

(TRAIN) Dinner:

Meat and vegetables No carbs

Approx 2 litres of water throughout the day.

Feel free to email me with any questions. It’s a tough road to go down but once you’ve started your journey stick with it as it’s worth it in the end. Let me know how you are going on. alex@wspglobal.com

www.sportingpublications.com l Page 67

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IMPOSSIBLE IS NOTHING

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supplements to strip fat Insulin control is the key to rapid, effective fat loss for up to 80% of the population. Those of you who always seem to carry excess weight around the love handle area will also be the same people with a genetic intolerance to carbohydrates who crash out after eating a big bowl of pasta. It never ceases to amaze me how much all of our personal training clients are divided into the “have carbs” and the “should not have carbs”. Ask a carbohydrate tolerant/ insulin sensitive person if they feel sleepy after a carb fest and they will look at you as if you have just spoken a foreign language!

Far too often supplements are used as a crutch for people’s inadequacies (laziness and lack of discipline).

For muscle building specifically they are very useful when used correctly, but only the basics (whey protein, fish oil, digestive enzymes) are what I would consider to be mandatory to success. Fat loss is slightly different as sometimes herbal supplements can overcome metabolic or hormonal issues, but even then nothing will ever replace hard graft and intelligent nutrition. For those of you who are reading this thinking that certain supplements will make all the difference then please think again. That said, the following supplements can have a major impact on the fat loss efforts of insulin resistant/carbohydrate intolerant people, speeding up their body fat losses by up to 100% in those places where one tends to “wear one’s carbs” – namely the supra iliac (love handle) region. However, they will only work if you also eat a correct diet – one that is low in simple and starchy carbohydrates, high in fibrous carbs and with plenty of good fats and protein.

By Nick Mitchell Founder – Ultimate Performance

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Fish oil The take home guide for omega 3 supplementation for insulin resistant fat loss seekers is very simple: Omega 3s will turn on the fat burning (lipolytic) gene.

Omega 3s will turn off the fat storage (lipogenic) gene.

When taken with food Omega 3s BLUNT THE INSULIN RESPONSE, meaning that blood sugars are kept more stable and far fewer of the calories that you eat are indiscriminately driven to the fat cells around your love handles.

Although I don’t like to generalise about dosages unless I see a specific individual, effective omega 3 dosages vary from 10-30 grams spread throughout the day.

Insulinomics

fenuplex

In a nutshell, Insulinomics is a kinase supplement produced

by Poliquin Performance for insulin resistant BioSignature This not only has Modulation clients. It should be simplistically viewed as being the thing that allows you to use insulin correctly. dramatic implications We can delve into the science behind Insulinomics by for people on the path following the words of the man who first formulated the to Type II Diabetes product, Charles Poliquin: “What’s the most important thing to consider when and cardiovascular it comes to carbohydrate consumption? We all know disease, but athletes that carbohydrates are, for the most part, converted into glucose and then used as energy, right? But where are and sports nutritionists they used as energy? – Inside the cell. Therefore, the most surely recognize important thing to consider is getting the glucose inside the cell.” that this could have Here is how it’s supposed to work. When glucose rises huge implications in the bloodstream, the pancreas secretes insulin. Insulin binds to receptors in the cell membranes which in turn for performance and send signals inside the cell to tell transport vesicles to recovery. bring the glucose into the cell. On the other hand, glucose that stays outside the cell can eventually become glycated (forms a crusty protein layer) and is then converted to fat for storage. Glucose sitting outside the cell is like a guy that goes to the gym but just stands around outside, bothering the athletes going in while turning into a fat guy himself. So we want to make sure that guy gets in the gym and goes to work. Where does this process go wrong?

Much of the problem lies with the signaling that takes place at the cell membranes and within the cell. This signaling is accomplished by a complicated network of enzymes known as kinases.

These kinases will basically either send messages of health or alarm. Signals of health allow the insulin receptors to function optimally. Unfortunately, poor diet and lifestyle choices switch these kinases into alarm mode. When messages of alarm are sent, inflammation increases and insulin receptors can be shut down. When the receptors shut down, blood sugar (glucose) stays elevated and insulin stays elevated. Insulin, of course, is a storage hormone. It’s fine to elevate insulin if we can get it to signal into the cell to take up glucose, but if we can’t, then the glucose will be converted to fat and be stored in adipose tissue. According to the latest research, it gets even worse. Due to the altered kinase signaling, the fat can also become stored in the liver, the pancreas and muscle tissue.

Modulating these kinases to quiet down the alarm signals can improve physiology, accelerate glucose uptake and decrease fat storage. The subsequent lowering of insulin will also allow fat to be mobilized for burning.

Which leads us to the million dollar question: How do we modulate these kinases? There are various nutrients that can affect these kinases, but the most powerful tested to date are found in a proprietary new herbal formula called Insulinomics. This formula contains very specific extracts of humulus lupulus and acacia nilotica.

Extensive research at one of the few proteomic research centres discovered (in animal, in-vitro, ex-vivo, and human studies) that it is from specific strains and extracts of these nutrients that kinase modulation can be achieved. This novel new formula can very selectively bring these kinases back into balance. Insulin sensitivity improves, glucose uptake improves and fat storage decreases. This not only has dramatic implications for people on the path to Type II Diabetes and cardiovascular disease, but athletes and sports nutritionists recognise that this could have huge implications for performance and recovery.

If Insulinomics sends the signal (rings the doorbell) for your body to effectively metabolise carboyhdrates, then Fenuplex opens the door.

The two work together synergistically and have contributed to some of our more spectacular feats of fat loss.

Fenuplex is a herbal supplement put out exclusively by Poliquin Performance and it is one of the open “secrets” that helps contribute to some of our more startling physique transformations.

A fundamental fact of hormonal science is that if you positively modulate insulin production you will always improve body composition. Everything else in your regime and in your endocrine system can be totally out of sync, but if you get insulin management correct you will make positive steps forward. Get this right and it’s not uncommon for us to see 6 – 7 lbs of fat dropped in one week, together with a 3 – 4 lbs gain in lean muscle tissue. These are phenomenal results that most trainers can only dream of.

We typically prescribe Fenuplex in one of two ways – 1) For insulin resistant clients it is to be taken prior to meals (two capsules, three times daily).

2) For lean individuals who will have a better tolerance to carbohydrates it is not necessary to use Fenuplex daily, but a higher dose is taken alongside their high carbohydrate / protein post workout shakes (three capsules immediately post workout with your high carbohydrate shake) Conclusion Favorably modulating insulin production is one of the most effective – and pain free – ways to rapidly drop body fat. The intelligent and educated use of supplements such as Omega 3s, Insulinomics, and Fenuplex can massively help in that quest for fat loss, and whilst they are no substitutes for hard work and correct nutrition they can magnify your rate of fat loss by several multiples and are consequently part of many of our personal training clients fat loss supplement protocols.

www.sportingpublications.com l Page 69

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IMPOSSIBLE IS NOTHING

TIME TO LoSE THE

BEER BELLY Nick Mitchell, founder of Ultimate Performance gives us the low-down on how to eliminate the dreaded Beer Belly.

Q: It is true that the beer belly is actually created by bingeing on beer? What else can cause one?

Nick Mitchell: First of all you need to make it clear that a beer belly is a classic pot / pregnant belly, not necessarily a stomach with a thick layer of fat hiding any abdominal muscles.

Yes, bingeing on beer can cause a beer belly – always look for the most logical answer first when dealing with the human body. Several pints of beer drunk frequently are going to swell up and distend the stomach regardless of an individual’s body fat levels. Some men regularly imbibe in excess of six pints in one evening – the pressure of retaining pints of high calorie containing fluid are going to swell even the leanest person’s belly.

However, there are further reasons why beer can cause a “beer belly” – The classic beer belly is also commonly caused by high levels of visceral fat. Fat under the skin, the “cosmetic” fat we are all aware of is subcutaneous fat, but visceral fat is internal fat, and can be thought of as “gut fat”. It is actually underneath your abdominal muscles surrounding your organs and can cause the look that we refer to as central obesity. All people with high levels of visceral fat are also VERY insulin resistant and need to avoid sugary, processed and starchy foods wherever they can.

Q: Why do men store fat around the waistline?

Nick Mitchell: Let’s be clear here – fat stored around the waistline is different from a beer belly as a “beer belly” means a swollen and distended stomach. This is different from having a “fat belly”.

Classic male fat pattern distribution is to store fat around the belly button area. The reasons for this are due to very complex hormonal interactions that is too complicated to explain in this article. The potted version of why men are more susceptible

to umbilicus (belly button) fat storage is due to the increased sensitivity of the male to the hormone cortisol. Cortisol causes excess calories to be stored as fat around the belly button. Note that by reducing stress (and therefore cortisol) I often get clients a lot leaner – it can be as simple as losing fat by doing less.

Dieting Q: What are the best ways for men to tailor their diets to get rid of a beer belly?

Nick Mitchell: Stop drinking beer!

If they don’t drink beer then they need to lose the visceral fat. Given that visceral fat is a huge indication of severe insulin resistance then the best thing to do drop the beer belly is to manage insulin levels by the educated limitation of carbohydrates in the diet and most notably the ditching of processed, and / or sugary foods. This basically means limited or no breads / rices / pastas, no microwaved meals, tight restrictions on anything that comes in a box (including so called healthy cereals that will raise and drop blood sugar levels terribly via their overstimulation of insulin release).

I really don’t need to talk about sweets and cakes do I? Q: How long would it take to get rid of a beer belly through nutrition? What should be avoided?

Nick Mitchell: This naturally depends upon the severity of the problem, but for a small beer belly (as opposed to a fat umbilicus area) it can take as little as two weeks to drop the gut through good nutrition alone.

Visceral fat actually has an excellent blood supply in comparison to subcutaneous fat and therefore it is more metabolically active and easier to mobilise quickly.

Fads & Myths Q: Is eating starch after 6pm bad?

Nick Mitchell: No. Insulin sensitivity (the ability of the body to produce sufficient insulin to draw sugar from the blood without overdoing it and dumping too much insulin and therefore too much “sugar” – glucose - into your system at one time) is increased as the day goes on, so eating SENSIBLE starches at night is far better for dieting than eating the equivalent foods in the morning.

Think about the intelligence of the human body for a moment, carbohydrates such as starches increase the neuro transmitter serotonin (one of the side effects of excessively low carb diets is the mental edginess suffered by some dieters) – serotonin makes you feel good and helps you to sleep. So when would it better for the body to consume carbohydrates? In the evening. I give most of my clients meat and nuts for breakfast and they buzz throughout the day (which is another story and due to increased levels of serotonin’s sister neuro transmitter, dopamine, which helps us to feel sharp and alert), and then help them sleep by feeding them serotonin inducing foods such as rice and beans at night. Have you ever stopped to wonder why rice and beans is the food of choice of the most laid back cultures in the world.....it is no coincidence.

Q:What about Food combining or the Atkins Diet?

Nick Mitchell: I see little logic to food combining unless the focus is on nutrient timing and revolves around taking advantage of the body’s differing levels of insulin sensitivity such as after intense exercise or late at night.

The Atkins Diet is great for someone wanting to drop water weight very quickly or for those who react so badly to carbohydrates that they

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may as well be called devil dust. That’s 5-10% of the population only. Otherwise Atkins is far too extreme and not a long term solution.

Training Q: What are the wrong ways to get rid of a beer belly: crunches etc Nick Mitchell: Crunches will work the abdominals but are not the best way to burn the visceral fat of a beer belly. The best way is to do activities that make you hot, sweaty and pant a lot. I prefer the gym, but others may have better ideas.

Q: What are the rights ways to get rid of a beer belly, in terms of training?

Nick Mitchell: The single best way is to exercise in such a way as to create a massive metabolic shift that promotes a cascade of fat burning (and muscle building) hormones. Total body weight training in a specific manner with minimal rest and appropriate load (70-80% of what would be someone’s one repetition maximum weight) is by far and away the fastest and most effective way to drop fat.

Q: Can spot-reduction, gadgets or fatzapping supplements work?

Nick Mitchell: Gadgets? No, but supplements and spot reduction (via diet, exercise and supplements) can work. However, it is a very complicated subject.

We practice something called BioSignature Modulation and it really does work for reducing localised fat stores. It targets the hormones that cause individual’s to store disproportionate fat levels in different areas of their body – eg. a fat belly, fat thighs, love handles etc. You can read a series of articles specifically dealing with this on my main website: www.UPFitness.co.uk Q: Does posture play a role in the beer belly?

Nick Mitchell: Of course it does. Many people have anterior pelvic tilt – meaning their backsides stick out, their lower backs round, and their (usually weak) abdominals “stick out”. However, poor posture alone will never give one a beer belly.

www.sportingpublications.com l Page 71

SFME IN THE RED

SHARM El Sheikh on Egypt’s Sinai Peninsula is one of the most renowned water sports destinations in the world and with several budget airlines now flying to the region from the UAE it’s never been easier to experience all the delights the shimmering Red Sea has to offer the intrepid traveller.

Three of the SFME team visited the area to sample some of the activities on offer and got thrown, quite literally, in at the deep end.

SHARM El Sheikh Travel feature

Kite Junkies

Kite Junkies Regency Plaza Hotel, Nabq, Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt Tel: +20 (0)12010 6831 Web: www.kitejunkies.com

KitesuRFINg School by Richard Bevan

O

H dear, what have I agreed to? When the offer of a trip to Egypt to take a kitesurfing course at the renowned Kite Junkies Centre in Nabq, North Sharm El Sheikh, landed on my desk, I thought, ‘yeah great, why not, how hard can be? It’s just like flying a kite, (or is that riding a bike?) isn’t it?’ Wrong.

As the 12 square meter power kite I’ve been wrestling with for the past hour crashes down into the water for the 10th time after almost taking me on an unscheduled flight through the blue skies of Sharm, I realise that kitesurfing is in fact, much harder than it looks.

But I’ve come to the right place if I want to get the hang of this intriguing sport. The bay at Nabq is shallow for around two square kilometres, making it the perfect spot for beginners to practice, while generally good year-round wind conditions and a great climate mean it is becoming an ever more popular destination for riders of all levels. Kite Junkies is the only IKO (the sport’s governing body) approved centre in Sharm, meaning all the instructors are fully trained and qualified to teach. It also means that the equipment meets and maintains regulated safety standards. I don’t know about you but my thinking is: if you’re going to try your hand at a sport that combines wind and waves – two of nature’s most unpredictable beasts – it’s a good idea to learn from people who know what they’re talking about, with gear fit for the task!

“Just try to keep the kite at 12 o’clock Richard,” shouts my Italian instructor Stef, who has the patience of a saint.

We’re at the second stage of a 12-hour IKO Level I & II beginners’ course. The course is incredibly thorough. I imagined that we’d be taken through a few basics then strap on the board, launch the kite and hey presto, away we go.

Wrong again. It’s actually, quite wisely, some time before we take to the ocean waves. The first few hours are spent on the beach learning about the surprisingly complex theory of how wind works, the different types of wind, ‘wind windows’ and which wind directions are best for kitesurfing.

As I find out pretty quickly, kitesurfers talk and think about wind, a lot!

There’s also an in depth safety briefing and instruction on how to get kitted up and how to set up the equipment then it’s out into the water, without the board, to learn how to fly the kite. Now, I flew many a kite as a young lad and I don’t like to brag, but I like to think I was fairly skilled in the ancient Chinese art. Sadly, flying one of these monstrous creations bears little resemblance to that gentle childhood pastime. The problem stems from the fact that you’re trying to control a giant wind gathering sail out at sea where the gusts are far stronger than on land, while stood waist deep

in moving water, where you weigh next to nothing, making it very tricky to gain any stability.

The ‘12 o’clock’ position that Stef is so patiently trying to teach our group to maintain is actually the ‘neutral’ position with the kite directly above you, which takes the wind out of the sail, allowing you time to think about your next move. After more crashing and splashing we eventually begin to master the controlling of the kite, performing a ‘round the clock’ exercise, holding it at different angles to experience the various wind strengths and directions. Just as we’re beginning to get the hang of it, the wind dies. It

“You’re a slave to the wind and you have to be patient and wait for it. Sometimes it blows, sometimes it doesn’t.” is to become a reoccurring feature of the trip. As already mentioned, Nabq is renowned for its strong year-round wind but nothing in nature is ever guaranteed and we just happened to choose a freakishly calm week.

The result is that we too become instantly obsessed with the wind – getting up a 6.00am every morning to look at the forecast on windfinder.com and talking about it almost constantly. I quickly learn why they call the centre Kite Junkies, this is addictive stuff. “It’s just part of being a kitesurfer,” says the instantly likeable Pedro, who runs the centre with his two colleagues Kev and Di. “You’re a slave to the wind and you have to be patient and wait for it.

Sometimes it blows, sometimes it doesn’t.”

On day six, it blows. By now we’ve moved to a new instructor, Dima, who is equally patient with us – whether Stef has had enough of us or he’s just busy with other students we’ll never know! But whatever the reasons

Kite Junkies is situated at Nabq Bay in front of the Regency Plaza Hotel.

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the switch works wonders and Dima has us flying, quite literally, in no time. We cover launching and landing the kite, self rescue techniques, piloting the kite with one hand and body dragging, which teaches how to make the kite pull you through the water in different directions, simulating the

“We run through how to hold the kite in the neutral ‘12 o’clock’ position with one hand while putting on the board with the other hand.” movements you’ll make once you add the board.

And then, the moment we’ve all been waiting for.

“Ok, now we’re going to try it with the board,” Dima casually announces.” How can he be so calm at a time like this? We run through how to hold the kite in the neutral ‘12 o’clock’ position with one hand while putting on the board with the other hand – again, much harder than you’d imagine. Then it’s on to the big one – the water start. “I want you to hold the kite at 12 o’clock, move it to 1 o’clock,

STAY SFME HOTEL GUIDE Hilton Sharm Dreams Resort 210 Naama Bay, South Sinai, Sharm El Sheikh, 210, Egypt Tel: +20 (0)69 3603 040 Email: gm_dreams@ hilton.com Web: www. hiltonworldwideresorts. com

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HE Hilton Sharm Dreams Resort is a fantastic option for the midbudget traveller. The location of this hotel is outstanding – just a twominute stroll from the hustle and bustle of Naama Bay and yet set back enough to enjoy some peace and quiet.

The sprawling resort features a whopping choice of eight swimming pools, so getting a sun lounger is definitely not a problem. Guests can also use the private beach and other facilities at sister resort the Hilton Fayrouz.

You also get discounted entry into the fantastic Cleopark water park next door where you can splash about and slide until your heart’s content on a range of Egyptian themed slides and pools.

The 314 standard twin or double air conditioned rooms offer an ample 32m2 of space with large comfortable beds and a separate seating area where you can relax and watch a decent choice of satellite television channels. There is a large, clean bathroom with a bath/ shower, two good sized wardrobes and a

then dip it to 10 o’clock and lean forward up onto the board as the wind catches it,” says Dima before giving us a demonstration and showing us the correct stance to take when on the board. He makes it look easy. But, surprise, surprise, it isn’t!

The first few attempts consist of me being pulled up onto the board and then sent crashing face first into the water – the taste of salt water is starting to grate. Then it happens.

I dip the kite back and forth as the wind pulls me up onto the board but instead of falling straight back in I somehow miraculously manage to adopt the correct stance and I’m off, skipping majestically over the Red Sea waves.

‘I’m doing it, I’m actually doing it, I’m a kitesurfer!’ No sooner has the thought popped into my head than I’m swallowing another gallon of the salty stuff. My triumphant kitesurfing debut has lasted a full five seconds and consisted of approximately 20 metres of riding but I feel like the King of the Waves. Sadly, Mother Nature then decides to ruin the party again by taking away our beloved wind so it’s back to the beach to run through some final safety lessons before we’re presented with our official IKO Level I & II cards.

There’s no time left to practice what we’ve learned but Pedro kindly extends the offer for us come back and get some more water time under our belts before taking the advanced Level III course when the wind picks up. And go back we most certainly will, after all, we’re Kite Junkies now! Watch this space…

spacious balcony overlooking either the gardens or one of the pools. There’s also a handy desk where correspondence or work can be done and high speed Internet access is available. For those who want even more space there is also a selection of 64m2 junior suites.

Accommodation is offered on a bed and breakfast or all inclusive basis, with most guests opting for the latter. The main pool bar serves drinks and snacks till sundown while the party continues at the Caribi Bar into the early hours with a full programme of entertainment on offer as well pool tables, sports television and plentiful shisha pipes.

The Le Jardin restaurant serves lunch and dinner to all inclusive guests in the form of well varied and tasty buffets and an outside barbecue. There

are also two al a carte restaurants – a tasty Mexican called Tex Mex and the Casa Sharm Italian, which among other things serves up some of the nicest beef carpaccio around.

If you have kids or just like to be active all day rather than lounging around the resort’s accommodating staff are on hand with a full animation programme.

The Hilton Sharm Dreams offers up a great value family holiday in a prime location.

www.sportingpublications.com l Page73

SFME IN THE RED

SHARM El Sheikh Travel feature

CAMEL DIVE CLUB DIVNG by MARK FRAIN

I

’M looking forward to this, I’ve never done scuba diving before but it’s something I’ve always wanted to try and Sharm El Sheikh is renowned as one of the best diving spots in the world. What’s more, the Camel Dive Club is perhaps the most respected dive centre in town – it was established in 1986 and it’s still going strong so I feel I’m in safe hands.

I’m on a on a two-day PADI Scuba Diver course. PADI is the only internationally recognised instructors’ organisation so if you want to learn to dive make sure it’s a PADI course.

I arrive early on day one and before our group go anywhere near the water it’s into the classroom, complete with wooden school desks, where our instructor, Catherine, takes us through the basics of how all the equipment works and the various safety procedures.

We then take to a purpose built diving pool to get familiar with the equipment. There’s a lot to take in.

Choosing the correct wetsuit, mask, boots, fins and weight belt; how to equalise pressure in your ears; using the primary and secondary regulator for under water breathing; reading the pressure gauge to see how much oxygen you have left and how deep you’ve been; using the buoyancy compensator (BCD) to enable you to control your depth in the water. I start to wonder how I’m going to remember

it all but there’s no need to worry – after this and every other stage of the course Catherine takes us back to the classroom to test us thoroughly on everything we’ve learned, filling in any blanks that have appeared along the way.

Our first open water dive takes place at the wonderfully named Eagle Ray Bay. After nearly falling in trying to put my fins on while balanced on the edge of the pier with several kilos of equipment attached to my back I finally get set and we begin our descent, equalising our ear pressure as we go. We soon find ourselves among a veritable treasure trove of underwater wildlife. The sea is awash with colour from scores of exotic plant and fish

Photography courtesy of Andrew Slater

“Catherine gives us a handy mantra for remembering this sequence – Bruce Willis Ruins All Films!” species that look like they’re from another planet and we’re careful to keep our hands by our sides at all times so as not to disturb anything. Spotted ray, big eye emperor, blue triggerfish and clown fish are just a few of the inhabitants we encounter on our fascinating sub-aqua journey. Feeling very proud of ourselves after our 8.2m dive we clean up the equipment and then it’s back to the classroom for more lessons and to compare notes on what we saw.

Day two starts with a final classroom session before we hit the pool again for the first part of our practical exam which will enable us to gain our PADI qualification. We’re tested on a full range of practical diving procedures and

Camel Dive Club & Hotel Centre of Na’ama Bay Sharm El Sheikh South Sinai, Egypt Tel: +20-69-3600700 Fax: +20-69-3600601 Email: info@cameldive.com Web: www.cameldive.com

safety precautions, including the pre-dive safety check.

This involves working with your dive ‘buddy’ and checking Buoyancy devices, Weight belts, Releases (clips, Velcro straps etc) and Air devices, before a Final overall check.

Catherine gives us a handy mantra for remembering this sequence – Bruce Willis Ruins All Films!

Just when I think exam time is over Catherine informs us that we now have to do the same tests out in the open water. Luckily, with everything still fresh in our minds we sail through it before getting another chance to delve into the underwater wonderland below us, this time to a depth of 10.3m. We encounter more strangely named fish like lion fish, jack fish, fusiliers and squirrel fish before we return to the Camel Dive Centre where we are presented with our PADI Scuba Diver Certificates.

Despite only having been diving for two days I’ve learned a heck of a lot due to the fact that the lessons are so thorough and Catherine is such good teacher.

I’ve enjoyed myself so much that I book myself another’s day’s diving and we head out in a boat and perform 12m dives at two famous spots – Far Garden and Ras Na. If you’ve ever fancied learning to dive, Sharm is a great place to do it and at the Camel Dive Club you are guaranteed to get the best tuition you could imagine.

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STAY SFME HOTEL GUIDE The Ritz Carlton Om El Seed Peninsula, Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt Tel: +20 (0)69 3661919 Email: sshrz.leads@ ritzcarlton.com Web: www.ritzcarlton.com

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LIGHTLY higher up the budget scale is The Ritz Carlton. This is one of the nicest resorts in Sharm El Sheikh and that it’s not just appearances that makes it so, the staff are also among the most welcoming and attentive you could find anywhere in the world.

The Ritz Carlton enjoys a unique location of the tip of the Om El Seed Peninsula, overlooking the enchanting Tiran Island. Slightly further along the coast from the airport than the Hilton, the resort is tucked away in its own tranquil enclave in between Naama Bay and Sharm El Sheikh Old Town and both areas are just a 5-minute car journey away.

From the moment you arrive at this resort you are made to feel special – traditional Egyptian musicians await to play you into the hotel where hordes of staff welcome you, including, if you’re lucky, super friendly, forward-thinking German General Manager Carsten Fritz.

High quality There is a fantastic choice of rooms and suites at the Ritz Carlton and the level of quality and finish is consistently high throughout. The 321 rooms include 30 suites, 38 Club Rooms and five Club Suites.

The standard rooms alone offer a healthy 50m2 with sea, garden or pool view. Tastefully decorated, there is choice of two queen sized or one king sized bed and the large bathrooms include separate bath and shower while each room also has a good sized balcony or terrace.

Satellite TV, internet, drinks making facilities, bathrobes, slippers – all the things you’d expect from a 5-star establishment – are all included while the view enjoyed by guests overlooking the glistening Red Sea and Tiran Island is truly spectacular. As for the Club Suites – if you want to feel like a movie star for the duration of your holiday, go for one of these. They are huge. The mid-sized Red Sea Suite is set within 150 square metres of pure luxury. There are two bathrooms, each with both bath and shower, a bar area, a dining

area, a large sitting area with huge flat screen TV, DVD player, Internet, library and music system. There is also a separate bedroom with king sized bed and another sitting area and television as well as two large balconies with a stunning ocean view.

Perhaps the crowing glory for guests staying the Club Rooms or Suites is the exclusive Club Lounge. The lounge is set out like an old English gentleman’s club, with grand leather chairs and oak tables. Complimentary food and drink presentations are offered throughout the day and evening, while a team of highly attentive staff cater for your every need and create real privileged aspect to your experience.

The resort is situated within beautifully landscaped gardens with delights like waterfalls and secluded

is carved into the cliff face and offers a great vantage point to look out across the Red Sea to Tiran Island while hotel staff are on hand to cater for your every need. The resort has its own diving centre where PADI courses can be arranged and the reef is one of the most spectacular in Sharm so snorkelling is also a must.

The Spa at the Ritz Carlton is a real sanctuary after a hard day of watersports! Highly trained masseurs and facial specialists offer a whole range of treatments for both couples and individuals. There is also an indoor heated whirlpool, sauna, steam room and ‘chill room’.

The food on offer at the Ritz Carlton is exquisite. Healthy and highly tasty offerings can be found at the Blue Ginger Japanese restaurant with

coves around every corner. There is a choice of two swimming pools, including the region’s largest, which is broken up into three sections, one of which is heated.

The other pool features a ‘lazy river’ while there is also a children’s pool and recreation area. There are two floodlit tennis courts where coaching or playing partners can be arranged, a volleyball court and a teenagers’ games room Kids are also catered for in the ‘Kids Centre’ with a range of entertainment to keep them busy every day. The beach

sushi and al a carte options as well as a teppanyaki grill. La Luna is a fine dining Italian serving lovely food with a spectacular view and Fayrouz serves up traditional Middle Eastern and Lebanese fare with an outside ‘chill out’ area in which to relax under the stars after dining. There are also a range of snack bars throughout the resort serving food and drink during the day and night.

A stay at the Ritz Carlton comes highly recommended and will live long in the memory for all those who choose to sample its unique charm. www.sportingpublications.com l Page75

SFME IN THE RED

SHARM El Sheikh Travel feature

Sinai Blues Wakeboarding By Iain Richardson

I

’M at the Sinai Blues diving and water sports centre, in the luxurious Four Seasons Resort. ‘Great’, I think, ‘I’ve done a fair bit of diving before so this is going to be fun.’ Then the news comes in from those evil cauldron stirrers I call my colleagues at SFME that I’m not going to be going under the water at all, I’m going to be going over it on a glorified ironing board, while being pulled very fast by a speedboat – otherwise known as wakeboarding. Lucky me.

While the centre doesn’t offer any formal lessons in wakeboarding the boat driver gives you all the instruction you need if you’re a beginner like me as it’s actually fairly simple to learn the basics. Wakeboarding requires flat, calm conditions and on the first day we don’t get them but on day two it’s action stations. I’m given a quick run through of how to start and the correct stance and away we go.

The first attempt doesn’t go well. I lie in the water with the board perpendicular to the rope and the underside

OUT AND ABOUT IN SHARM EL SHEIKH While Sharm El Sheikh’s Old Town is great for shopping with a huge market full of bazaars where bartering is a way of life, Naama Bay is the place to go to sample the night time action.

Camel Roof Bar is the best bar in town to get a bird’s eye view of the hustle and bustle, with cool music and tasty cocktails the order of the day.

As far as restaurants go, you’re spoilt for choice in Naama Bay but there are a few standout eateries that also cater for the healthy conscious diner.

Tandoori is a fabulous open kitchen Indian with a cosy courtyard setting – the food is delicious and you can request healthy options made using less ghee, salt and sugar.

facing the boat, just as we practiced. I signal to the driver that I’m ready. As the boat pulls away I allow my knees to come up to my chest before pushing my front foot forward toward the boat, assuming the standing position.

But before I can get myself into the correct stance I overbalance and end up crashing back into the water.

If at first you don’t succeed... so after the driver has done a quick turnaround we try again. This time I get up fairly easily and I’m off, legs slightly bent, weight slightly to the back foot, hips towards the shore and shoulders facing the boat, remembering to keep the bar about 6-10 inches from my lead hip. As a beginner, I’m thankfully instructed to stay within the wake rather than attempting any outlandish jumps – but for more advanced riders, crossing and jumping the wake is where the sport becomes really fun.

I’m pleasantly surprised with the length of time I manage to stay up on the board, skimming across the water and trying my best to look cool, conscious of the fact that my better half is looking on from the beach.

But, like most new sports, wakeboarding uses muscles you’re not used to using and in the end I can take the pain in my lower back no longer so I wave an arm in surrender and let myself fall helplessly into the water. I’m exhausted but elated; wakeboarding has proved to be a great sport that you can pick up very easily while there is also plenty of scope to get your teeth stuck into the more advanced techniques.

As well as PADI licensed diving and wakeboarding, Sinai Blues also offers yacht charters and a whole range of watersports for big and little kids alike. After the highoctane exertions of wakeboarding I opt for some tranquil snorkelling to check out all the multi-coloured marine life the Four Seasons’ spectacular reef has to offer.

If Italian is your bag then Pomodoro offers a terrific menu that won’t break the bank in a prime ‘people watching’ spot on the end of a busy pedestrian walkway.

For a healthy meal in an amazing atmosphere you have to try Kokai. It’s a teppanyaki restaurant on the shorefront and is part of the Ghazala Beach Hotel. The food is absolutely delightful with a range of sushi, meat and fish dishes on offer, all cooked in front of you by the wonderfully entertaining and highly skilled teppanyaki chefs.

The On the Deck restaurant offers the best view in Naama Bay in a truly romantic setting. Part of Iberotel Lido hotel, it is positioned on a decked area right on the edge of the bay. Diners enjoy gourmet international food, including some of best seafood in town, while gazing out at the hive of activity and colour along Naama Bay’s promenade as a myriad of fish swim below them, clearly visible due to the restaurant’s under-deck lighting.

Sinai Blues Four Seasons Resort Sharm El Sheikh Egypt Tel: +20-69-3621145/3603555 Fax: +20-69-3621169 Email: info@sinaiblues.com Web: www.sinaiblues.com

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STAY SFME HOTEL GUIDE Four Seasons Resort 1 Four Seasons Boulevard, P.O. Box 203, Sharm El Sheikh, South Sinai, Egypt Tel: +20 (69) 360-3555 Fax: +20 (69) 360-3550 Web: www.fourseasons. com

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HEY say you get what you pay for and the Four Seasons Resort is at the top end of the budget scale for hotels in Sharm. The good news is, it does indeed deliver the quality that you’d expect from a top-end 5-star establishment.

Everything about this place screams refined luxury. From the grand entrance and reception area right down through the tiered layers of opulent rooms and suites to the secluded private beach, the Four Seasons is pure paradise.

The first thing that strikes you about the resort is how wonderfully lush and green it is. The gardens are breathtaking – even more so when you consider the arid desert climate in Egypt – and during your stay you will see huge numbers of gardeners working all day long to maintain the grounds.

The sloping layout of the Four Seasons brings to mind a hillside village meandering gently down the to the Red Sea’s Gulf of Aqaba. For those who don’t have the inclination to walk, there is a funicular train that takes guests up and down the hill between the main hotel building and the beach and main pool area. Nothing here is too much trouble and a multitude of staff are on hand to cater for your every whim – a day at the beach will be punctuated by frequent offerings of damp towels, cooling complementary ice drinks and

sun glasses shining! Accommodation is split into sections of family suites, private villas, rooms and suites. All the rooms are designed to the highest standards and specifications; from the outrageously comfortable kind sized beds, plasma screen televisions and walk-in closets to the huge bathrooms with deep-soaking tub and separate power shower. Bulgari cleansing products come as standard and there are even Bose iPod docking stations dotted throughout the rooms.

Spectacular The views are truly spectacular and the layout of the resort has been designed to give each room a favourable vista of the Gulf below.

The 120m2 suites feature a separate bedroom and beautiful lounge area as well as an even bigger bathroom with double sinks, while some have their own plunge pools on the balcony. The Four Seasons is where government officials and royalty come to stay when they are in Sharm and the fact that the resort has both a Presidential and Royal Suite – complete with its own gardens and private beach – speaks volumes.

There is a full range of dining options available to guests, with each meeting the meticulously high standards prevalent throughout the resort. From the Middle Eastern/Mediterranean

Arabesque and the fantastically located Reef Grill (on a veranda overlooking the beach), to intimate Italian Il Frantoio with its inventive menu and starlit courtyard setting complete with fireplace and fountain. There is also an Observatory Lounge where an evening cocktail can be enjoyed against a backdrop of soothing piano music while gazing at the stars through a telescope. The outdoor Nafoura Lounge offers traditional Arabic ambience and drinks can also be enjoyed at the Citadel Lounge where live musicians entertain guests nightly.

Sports facilities include the Sinai Blues diving centre, four floodlit international standard tennis courts and four swimming pools, while the reef offers some of the best snorkelling around. There is also a fully equipped gym and an outstanding spa where a full range of massages and beauty treatments are conducted by highly skilled specialists from around the world. Such delights as the ancient Pharaonic Massage, using Egyptian oils and heated poultices filled with chamomile and aromatic herbs, were historically reserved for Egyptian Royalty but for guests at this resort nothing is too good.

If you want to know what it feels like to be treated like a king or queen, the Four Seasons is the place to go. www.sportingpublications.com l Page77

CandyShop

SFME: How do you balance your lifestyle with training, dieting and competing?

SFME: What diet do you follow when preparing for figure competitions?

AD: I deplete carbohydrates for four days.

During these four days I increase my salt and water intake. Three days before the competition I introduce carbohydrates back into my diet whilst still consuming high levels of water but eliminate salt. Water helps carry the carbohydrates into the blood stream and into the muscles. Without it the liver (not the muscles) become saturated with sugar.

SFME: Do you do any cardio work?

AD: What’s that?! I really don’t do any cardio! I focus on strength training and my diet.

SFME: Talk us through your typical weekly schedule in the gym?

AD: Sunday – legs and abs Monday – Shoulders/triceps and abs Wednesday – Back/calves and abs Thursday – Chest/biceps and abs

SFME: What are you favourite exercises?

AD: Standing bicep curls and laying leg curls have always been my favourite – not because I enjoy doing them, but rather because I can feel the muscles really working.

SFME: How do you motivate yourself to stay in such top condition?

AD: I’m passionate about fitness hence I don’t need motivation – I simply love it!

Audrey Dippenaar is a top fitness and bikini model from South Africa who knows a thing or two about staying in shape.

Audrey Dippenaar

Height: 5’ 5” Weight: 112 lbs Measurements: 34-25-33

Vital Stats

SFME: Ok, but if you do have to give in to temptation, what’s your favourite ‘cheat’ food when you have to give in to temptation?

AD: 85% black chocolate and 60% dark chocolate Lindt balls straight out of the fridge. n

SFME: What’s your best tip for people struggling to keep on track with their diet?

AD: My number one dieting tip for staying in good shape all year round is to remember that nothing tastes as good as thin feels. I find that abstinence is sometimes far easier than moderation, so if you’re unable to control the portion size of your favourite cheat foods, avoid them altogether. If you do this long enough, you’ll soon learn self control. Eat clean and be consistent with your training.

AD: Training and dieting have become a way of life for me, thus furnishing me with a healthy balanced lifestyle. It’s something I’m able to maintain 24/7 without doing any harm to my body because I believe you should always “begin with the end in mind.” I don’t put my body under stress before a competition; I simply change my carbohydrate, water and salt intake.

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There are things you’d never skip to look good...

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Get your motor running!

DISTANCE running unfortunately is an exercise that’s never appealed to me over the years as most of my cardio work has been sweated out on a bike. The low impact benefits of the bike and the fact you can free-wheel has meant the trainers have remained locked away for many years. However, we had a rare opportunity to talk to Haile Gabrselassie as he prepares to defend his Dubai Marathon crown and bag the £250,000 winner’s cheque.

After putting the feature together I decided to dust off the running shoes and start on my cardio conditioning. I’d been cycling four days a week so I knew my lungs would be up to the job but my legs didn’t know what had hit them. I managed four miles before my legs turned to jelly and I realised my ambition level was set a lot higher than my actual capability. I remember a famous runner once saying: “Without the wheels a good engine means nothing!” The phrase rattled round my brain for days and every step I made still felt like my calves and thighs were about to explode. In this issue we’ve continued the Haile Gabrselassie feature to focus on essential training tips for those looking to put some miles in their legs, the latest footwear and what action to take if an injury occurs. If only I’d read all this before I laced up my trainers!

I did return to my comfort zone when I interviewed Steve Peat just one month after he’d won the prestigious, illusive 2009 UCI Downhill Mountain Bike Championship title.

At 35 Steve is a legend of his sport who continues to rewrite the record books as he powers down the treacherous slopes fending off riders nearly half his age. A rigorous training programme and two young children has certainly kept him fit and alert.

From one slope to another, Richard Bevan caught up with the bubbly Jenny Jones about becoming the only Brit to win gold at the Winter X Games. That’s an astonishing feat considering her first encounter with a snowboard was on an artificial slope in her hometown of Bristol at the age of 17.

In our fitness section Rob Richards from Fitness First explains just how to go about achieving that six pack while pointing out the most common mistakes we make in trying to achieve stunning body status. After reading our nutritional guide you will never look at a banana the same again.

For those with the courage to run or even walk the Dubai Marathon on the 22nd of January I take my hat off to you and wish you all the best of luck. If I manage to keep on track with my training I’d like to think I’ll be joining you all next year...or maybe 2012.

So why skip breakfast!

Alex Gallemore Editor

Breakfast eaters weigh less!

Hard to believe? We thought so too. But research shows that women who regularly have a low-fat breakfast, such as Kellogg’s , tend to be slimmer than those who skip breakfast altogether. So be a breakfast eater, not a breakfast cheater.

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Running is far more than a sport.

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