Our MEC Mining General Manager, David Plowman, is giving the booze the boot this month to help Aussie kids.
Over half way through Ocsober, David has joined the national fundraising initiative to reduce drug- and alcohol-related harm among young people.
Three quarters of deaths among young Australians aged 15-24 are preventable. The three leading causes of death in this age group are suicide, road deaths and drug overdose. Funds raised during Ocsober will help Life Education and their iconic mascot, Healthy Harold, to educate over 700,000 kids annually to make safer, healthier choices for the future.
Want to show your support? Head over to David’s sponsorship page and donate now!
We asked David how he’s finding his Ocsober experience so far:
What inspired you to take part in Ocsober?
I enjoy a beer and was perhaps using it as a reward or to help me relax when tired, angry, sad, happy, celebrating etc etc. After the NRL grand final I realized that there was no other real sport on during October apart from a car race at Bathurst and a Bledisloe match, both of which were not really worth watching so it appeared to be the perfect time to abstain without missing any important social or sporting events. Most importantly, I also get to raise money for a great cause and apparently there are some associated health, family and relationship benefits!
Have you noticed a change in your health since you stopped drinking?
I have definitely noticed that the complaints about my snoring have stopped and even though I already weigh as much as a jockey, getting rid of all the useless carbs has really stripped off the excess weight. If I had hooked into the weights over the past two weeks I would have had my summer body ready by 1st November.
Has it been difficult? What tactics have you used to get through?
I started my campaign with plans to exercise heaps to keep my mind off drinking. Unfortunately, the exercise didn’t really kick in so I spent the first week being angry at everything and everybody. I have also actively avoided my friends who may not have been supportive of my decision to abstain from alcohol to make it easier. Since then, I have changed my plan and replaced beer with anything else wet, cold and fizzy. So far I have replaced my excessive beer consumption with excessive consumption of soda water, tea, ginger beer, Kombutcha and Diet Soft drinks.