(^92) MH.CO.ZA/ August 2019
Despite incurring three injuries in the space of
four years, Rocco van Rooyen is in the prime of
his career. Earlier this year, the Olympic javelin
thrower took gold at SA Champs.
His win came shortly after he was booted off
the South African Survivor reality show. Living
on the island had been detrimental to his mental
and physical fitness; in the four weeks between
the show and the championship, he had to claw
his way back to peak fitness.
Even so, on the day of the competition the
athlete took things easy before the start. “I
wasn’t sure how my elbow was going to react, so I
kept the surprise for my first throw,” he admits.
But Rocco is an optimist at heart. He’s always
loved a challenge: it’s one of the reasons he took
up the javelin in the first place.
At school, he tried all the competitive sports,
including rugby and athletics. He stuck with
the javelin, because it was the one he seemed
to have a natural talent for. Soon, it became
his life. In 2011, he placed first at the African
Junior Championships.
“I’ve been around the block a bit, but this
year’s win was extra-special. I’ve been through
hectic operations, and they all cost me a lot of
time. So to win after being on Survivor was a
special thing for me.”
Over the years, injuries to his elbow have
forced him to find alternative ways to train.
“For the most part, I only do about 50% of what I
need to do. This includes explosive gym work, or
sprints, or any kind of exercise that doesn’t put
too much strain on my joints.”
When he’s at the gym, Rocco prefers
performing full-body exercises. During the
course of the week he moves between the
different machines at the gym. “The more full-
body exercises I do, the more my brain and body
learn how to work together. This way, when I do
something technical like throwing a javelin, my
body knows how to adapt quickly.”
Beyond improving his javelin-throwing
ability, the athlete sees fitness as a way to
improve his quality of life. He understands that
when his physical health is in order, his ability to
take on whatever life throws at him is better.
“When my body’s in a good space, I feel
stronger and more motivated in life. Fitness
is just an awesome way for me to have better
quality of life.”
When asked what he’s most proud of, the
athlete pauses, before eventually answering:
“My resilience. Through all the injuries and the
financial difficulties I’ve faced growing up, I’ve
never given up. And at this stage in my life, I can
say that I have no regrets. Because I've taken
every opportunity that's come my way."
ROCCO DOES
FULL-BODY
EXERCISES TO KEEP
HIS BODY IN PEAK
SHAPE.
lily
(lily)
#1