Sports & social events are the key to happiness!

Social isolation is a real thing these days and our modern online world has significantly contributed to people being more likely to use a device to message someone, rather than talk, to order something online, rather than go out and pick it up, to play a game in virtual reality in their home, rather than in a team in real life at a venue, to arrange a date or hookup on an app, rather than meeting someone in a bar, coffee shop or sports venue 'the old-fashioned way'.

As far back as I can remember as a child, I formed the idea that I hated sports. I was hopeless at everything I either tried or was forced to do at school, with the exception of High Jump and Cross-Country Running.

I couldn't catch or throw a ball of any shape and would often be called names like 'sissy' and 'you throw like a girl', among other more derogatory and homophobic terms.

Ironically, girls can throw just as well as men and even better, and certainly every bit better than me, but that's also just an example of the toxic masculinity I now understand was what was behind me hating sports for so long.

I never did 'throw like a girl'.

I just wasn't natural at throwing a ball, like my brother David, who went on to play professional Rugby League.

Perhaps with coaching, I may have learned the technique, but the teasing just turned me off sport entirely, not encouraged me to get better.

This hatred of all sports that developed in me as a result stayed with me for 50 years.

In mid 2023, however, I met two friends, Stevie and Mitch, who were associated with the Brisbane Hustlers.

Stevie and Mitch invited me to some of their events as the club raised funds for the International Inclusive Rugby Union tournament The Bingham Cup.

That exposure to just how much fun, how inclusive, how supportive, how they modelled 'good sportsmanship' and how welcoming and diverse the club was had a massive impact on me.

I was now totally sold on sport because I saw for the very first time what it could also be.

If my experience with sports as a young boy in the mid 1970's, and onwards as I got older, was like this, then I would not have avoided sports for over 50 years.

I also learned that social interactions can be in places that don't centre around alcohol.

This is super important to me as I don't drink alcohol anymore (or take any recreational drugs). The reason for this is I have metal in my right ankle from foolishly jumping off a dance podium at The Beat MegaClub in Brisbane in 2010 (hence the name WolverAnt) and will require further surgery again at some point in the future, hopefully when successful ankle replacement is invented.

I have quite simply learned to still be in venues that serve alcohol and still have a good time. But not everyone is like that.

Many people avoid 'the scene' because they don't know how to fit in with others who are drinking, but in doing so, have also found themselves isolated from communities they might wish to be in. That was even me for a while too. But I wasn't happy about that, so I embarked on a journey to change that.

I have now found ways to be in all sorts of communities.

I enjoy being in the LGBTIQAP+ and the straight community, and here in Melbourne in particular, an inclusive mix of these communities.

Some of these environments are associated with alcohol and some without.

I have found ways to quite simply do it all.

I have taught myself, and refined how, to be in alcohol and non-alcohol environments.

I call it 'zoning in' as I can hold on to what I used to be like when I was drinking, but no longer need the drink in order to recreate this mood or zone in me.

In other words, I can dance, sing (if you call it that) and socialise completely sober now.

I am no longer missing out because of not drinking and as such, now go to any venue or event, especially dance parties. ACON NSW now even has a new campaign called Be Unapologetic about reducing alcohol consumption in the rainbow community.

Being sober has many advantages for me now. Firstly, it's way cheaper, so I can actually go out more often. Driving to and from the venues is also a huge advantage, especially in the wee hours of the morning. But I have found too I can still perform, now last longer and more importantly, don't wake up like crap the next morning. And I can back it up the following night too.

My brother David Baildon has many lifelong friends (unlike me) because of his involvement in sports. David was associated with representative Rugby League, the NRL and Euro Super League (Brisbane Norths, Brisbane Valleys, Brothers Bundaberg, Wide Bay, Gold Coast Chargers, Workington and Hull Sharks). I avoided sports all my life and as a result missed out on all sorts of social activities that came from it.

David even tackled Ian Roberts in the 1990's.

What I used to hear from the crowds back then about Ian also reinforced in me why I hated sports, why it wasn't for me (and why I didn't want to be gay).

But not anymore!

I got back into walking with the Brisbane Frontrunners and New Farm Parkrun and then involved with the Brisbane Hustlers Rugby Union team. I also started cycling and joined a gym.

From all of this, I attended many of their associated sporting and social events.

As a result, I have met so many new friends by doing all of this and my overall fitness, health and wellbeing has significantly improved.

I have gone from someone who totally avoided anything sports to someone who almost can't get enough of it these days.

I guess I am making up for lost time.

As many of you are aware, my career background is education.

These days I now use my skills and experiences in this industry to showcase just how you can get in to something that you may not have done in the past or perhaps did do in the past but have negative thoughts about it.

My return to the Bundaberg region, Queensland, Australia from December 2023 to June 2024 saw me not only rewrite a fateful chapter of my history in that town from 1982-1985, but it also saw me cement a new passion for sporting and social events to improve one's holistic health and wellbeing.

It's why I got involved with Team Rainbow, and Australian Registered Charity, and ultimately created a group called Team Bargara, and got involved in Bargara Parkrun, walking, cycling and gym in that local community.

Bundaberg will always have a special place in my heart because it initially was the town where I became someone else in the 1980's to the complete opposite in 2024 where an understanding of the real Anthony allowed me to be the very best version of myself.

My permanent relocation to Melbourne, Victoria, Australia has seen me further build on this and participate in Melbourne Frontrunners, Albert-Melbourne Parkrun, Lumber Punks Axe Throwing Melbourne (which is so ironic given I still can't throw or catch a ball very well, but I can throw an axe quite naturally and increasingly hit the bullseye more often than not!) and spectate at Melbourne Chargers Rugby Union. I will soon be cycling on Melbourne's bikeways too.

Melbourne also has so many diverse restaurants, coffee shops, arts scene and lots and lots of inclusive bars and clubs that everyone frequents. It's also got The Laird and Vic Bears.

Inclusive, fun and safe sporting and social events do exist, you just sometimes need someone to show you the way!

Here is me at Albert-Melbourne Parkrun.

Damien Hickey, from Lumber Punks South Melbourne, is a classic example of how inclusive sports can be as an individual who participates, but also as an employee of a sporting venue that embraces a safe, supportive and inclusive environment.

So what are you waiting for?

Life Be In It (again)!

Here is Damien Hickey from Lumber Punks South Melbourne who typifies everything inclusive about what I have written above.

Here is me at Melbourne Frontrunners.

Here is me at Lumber Punks Axe Throwing South Melbourne.

Here is me at a Melbourne Chargers game.

Here is me cycling along the Coral Coast Pathway at Bargara, Queensland, Australia.

Me with Stevie Bevan, President and player with The Brisbane Hustlers.

Me at the Brisbane Hustler's Glow Fundraising Party at The Wickham Hotel in Brisbane.

This image is also behind some of my old school friends from Kepnock State High School in Bundaberg in the 1980's referring to me these days as the Bundy Glowgan. I was never ever a Bundy Bogan! Not in the 1980's and most definitely not in 2024.

For everything else Anthony Baildon, visit AnthonyBaildon.com.au

or my LinkTree where all my links are in the one place.