During this year’s annual cycling event L’Etape Australia in Jindabyne, cricket legend Steve Waugh spoke about mental health issues faced by men aged 50 and over.
The former Australian cricket captain runs a social welfare organisation -- Steve Waugh Foundation -- in which he raises funds for children with rare diseases.
One of its premier annual fundraising events is The Captain’s Ride in which he invites participants from across the world to cycle around the Australian countryside with him.
This year, Mr Waugh led a team of cyclists as they biked 800 km through Queensland between November 4 and 9.
“The demographic for The Captain’s Ride is 50+ men and it’s an age which is, sort of, a bit dangerous in a lot of ways. It can change the life of a lot of people. And we find that a lot of guys are coming out to ride. It’s almost like a mental health week as well,” Mr Waugh tells SBS.
He believes cycling helps people “get away from their usual lives, mix with people, relax, have a good time, forget about their problems and focus on a task of getting to the end of the journey and create new networks”.
Mr Waugh, known for his stellar career in cricket, has made cycling his post-retirement sporting choice to raise funds for The Steve Waugh Foundation.
“It’s the major fundraiser for my charity, so it’s really important for me. I really enjoy cycling, it’s a good way to get away from the phone, it’s a good social sport and you talk to people. But the great thing I love about it is you get to see Australia,” says Mr Waugh about his love for cycling.
How does cycling compare with cricket for him?
Steve Waugh with other cyclists during The Captain's Ride 2019. Source: Facebook/Steve Waugh Foundation
“There are a lot of similarities. The mental toughness aspect is what is needed. There are a lot of times when you’re going up a hill and you can easily give up and think, ‘maybe I can get off here and have rest’. But I know if I do that it’s going to be hard to start again. You do it once, so you get the confidence to do it again. It’s all about concentration. It’s a bit like cricket. As soon as you relax and take it for granted, that’s when you come unstuck, Mr Waugh says.
Like many serious cyclists, Mr Waugh says, laughing, that he doesn’t drink too much coffee or shave his legs.
“When I do that, I’ll think I’ve crossed over too far,” says Mr Waugh about shaving his legs. He signs off as he says he’s “more hot chocolate than coffee”.
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