He’s learned a lot in his time as a professional athlete. He’s faced a fair few obstacles and overcome many of them. But like all people he’s struggled with injury and with the mental challenges of playing in a pressure cooker environment. Sam has some tips that have helped him get through the tough times. He’s developed strategies to change his habits and make sure he’s getting the rest, recovery and relaxation he needs to perform at the top level.
Farming throws up its own challenges and they can often seem as immense as a Springbok forward pack to those facing them. As I write yet another cyclone appears to be making its way to New Zealand, the third this summer. Rain and wind have already had a pretty good crack at parts of Hawke’s Bay and the King Country with farmers there facing a big clean-up.
It’s often the case that we look at the challenge ahead and it can seem insurmountable, all encompassing. But if you break a challenge down into parts and tackle one of those parts at a time, pretty soon you realise you’ve knocked it off. Of course, rugby’s a team game and having a bunch of mates with you when the going gets tough helps a great deal. Farming needn’t be any different. While it can be isolating out on the farm sometimes, it’s good to remember your own team. There’s your family, your staff, your mates and everyoine else who can help out with good information and opinion. Lean on them when you need to. They can bring wisdom, advice and a new perspective to things that might seem impossible.
And, when you can, take some time off to smell the clover. We live in a beautiful country and farmers are in the best spot to enjoy that so make sure you take the time to do just that.
Bryan Gibson
