On Saturday night, I stepped inside the boxing ring for a charity fight against former Raider's captain Terry Campese, and while it was awesome fun, it was also one of the most intense experiences of my life.
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Due to COVID, the fight had a 15-month build up and I was so far outside my comfort zone that I think I blew an adrenaline fuse in my brain from all the excitement and stress.
With 500 people jammed in to watch two blokes try and kill each other, I can say that I'd not felt my "fight or flight" response in overdrive like that since the 2011 Rugby Cup semi final against the All Blacks.
And those experiences have got me thinking about the long-term impacts that sports-induced adrenaline has on the brain, and whether the excitement and pressure I experienced during my career have influenced my decision making in retirement.
I once read about how cocaine exposes the brain to unnaturally high levels of dopamine, which create a feeling of alertness and energy.
So much so, that the brain then subconsciously seeks out a similar high, but inevitably heads back down the drug path when natural highs are unable to replicate the euphoric high it experienced earlier.
And I wonder if the same can be said for the adrenaline and excitement levels experienced by sportsmen and women while on the biggest and brightest stages?
I also wonder if I've chosen to do a start-up purely because my brain is chasing the excitement that goes with trying to build a product and grow a company?
Or am I doing it because I believe in the noble cause that I'm trying to achieve with Alfred?
I believe it to be the latter, but I guess time will tell.
GIVING BACK
Unlike the semi-final in Auckland, Saturday night was a tremendous success with over $120,000 being raised for Capital Region Muscular Dystrophy (CRMD) and the Terry Campese Foundation, and I can't thank everyone who attended and donated enough.
Your donations will help improve the lives of those less fortunate, and a massive thank you and congrats also to Campo for asking me to be involved and for getting the win.
Six minutes in the ring felt like an eternity. He rocked me with some bell ringers in the first few rounds, and while I tried to claw things back in the third, it was too late and deservedly he won by a points decision.
MORE RUGBY NEWS
After getting to know him over the past year and a bit, my respect for Campo has grown and I admire what he's doing for his community.
From taking disillusioned youths up to the Larapinta Trail, to helping homeless people sleep a bit easier by sponsoring the Queanbeyan sleep bus, Campo has set a new standard for what it means to "give back to your community" and it's inspiring to see how much the bloke gives to people who've fallen on hard times.
His foundation's mission is to help improve the lives of young people who are marginalised by helping to build their confidence and self-worth, and help them to find their voice in an environment where their views are valued.
Well done mate and keep up the great work. But don't ever call me to box again.
THE STOCKADE
If anyone in the Canberra region is thinking of taking up boxing either competitively, for fun, or just for fitness, the Stockade in Fyshwick is an amazing facility with an incredible community of brilliant coaches and fierce fighters.
I'll be signing up my twin daughters there next year and thanks to owner Garry Hamilton and the entire Stockade community for making me feel welcome, and for showing me some of the ins and outs of what is a truly awesome sport.
THE OLD MAN
Lastly, while all the money raised went to Campo's foundation and CRMD, I wanted to use the occasion to highlight the incredible work being done by genetic researchers like my Dad, and to say how proud of him I am.
Recently, Dad was apart of the effort that cured a terminal condition in babies similar to Muscular Dystrophy called Spinal Muscular Atrophy, and I believe there's not much our genetic researchers can't do if only they're given the time and money to do their thing.
One positive to come out of the pandemic is the world record speed in which a vaccine was produced, and I'm excited to see what diseases are up next on our medical researchers hit list.
Love you Dad. Keep going.
