BRADEN @ EMG SYDNEY
Truck gathering at Yass service station.
I drove down to Melbourne this weekend via Canberra and the strangest thing i noticed was the lack of people. It seems like there is a people to building ratio of 1/10. Its like this beautiful and harmonious city of very well planned trees, buildings and sports grounds without people. I feel like i saw more birds and wildlife even than people. This is the perfect place to go if you just want to be by yourself and have your space so i guess i understand now what the attraction is for some people. I felt very zen while in Canberra which might also be partially attributed to the way everything is symmetrically planned out in an almost obsessive compulsive da vinci code kind of way. Here are some trees, buildings and empty spaces.
I spent the day looking at galleries in Canberra and was inspired to do some drawings. This one is of a photograph I took of Chris Ogle in my studio. I do these very quickly with more focus on the subject than the paper. It is an interpretation of the lines my eyes see.
I met Litchy on my recent trip up to Brisbane.
So Litchy, Where did you grow up?
I grew up south coast N.S.W in a small town called Culburra beach, it was a nice place to grow up with loads of stuff to do so I was sad when I had to move to Brisbane but I’m glad I did.
How long have you been in the military?
I’ve been working for the army for about 3 and a half years now and I’m still enjoying it, I’ve made some of the best mates you could ask for through this job but not forgetting my brothers back home.
What attracted you to armed service?
I mainly wanted to join because my grandfather was in the defence force but I always was interested in serving for my country in Afghanistan.
You said you went to Afghanistan, are there any interesting observations that stuck out to you while over there?
Well it was a massive culture shock to see how the locals lived and treated each other but I was glad to be there and do my job next to my mates, it had its ups and definitely had its downs but I would definitely go back.
If you could go anywhere in the world where would it be and why?
I have travelled a fair bit through Southeast Asia but I’m yet to explore Europe and America so the next time I travel I would have to check them out.
It took me a while when we were shooting to realise what your tattoo said but I have to ask about it. What inspired you to get it?
Haha, yeah basically I have always lived life with a don’t care what others think attitude so during a big weekend I decided to get a tattoo to express this although making sure it was small enough to get covered up in the future, mum wasn’t impressed haha.
Road trip back to Sydney from Brisbane via The Gold Coast, Byron Bay, Newcastle, The Entrance and Manly.
Chris Ogle, wellness coach and model, dropped by my studio last week for a chat about his work, life and love:
If I asked your mum, how would she describe you?
If you asked my Mum, she would definitely describe me as an ambitious person.
Where did you grow up?
I grew up in a few areas, but I was born in Windsor, England. I travelled a bit when i was younger and lived in Sydney, Melbourne, the UK and the United States.
You lived in the states when you were younger. Do you have plans to get back there?
I would love to get back to the states as I only have a few memories of it.
What is the most heroic thing you have done?
The most heroic thing I have done is properly when I pulled my sister out of the pool and saved her from drowning. I don’t remember it but I was about 6 and saw my sister was drowning I reached in and pulled her out with one hand by her bathers. So she owes me one i guess!
I know you keep super fit but what is the one thing you preach, yet don’t practice?
I guess the one thing that I preach but don’t practice is training my legs! Since moving out of the gym to start outdoor training I’ve totally neglected them so definitely have to get back to that soon.
I wouldn’t be doing my readers any justice if I didn’t ask you are you currently single?
I am currently single, but I’ve got a girl I’m interested in so we’ll see what happens there.
And lastly are you a breast or thigh man?
I would definitely have to say I’m a thigh man through and through.
Tell me a bit about your wellness couching business…
equiPT Wellness Coaching is a business with a holistic approach to creating a balanced lifestyle. With many external influences in our life such as work and travel, it is often easy for our health to be put on the backburner. My aim is to give my clients the proper education that they need, not only in session but also in their everyday life so that they can make worthwhile choices and keep on track with their health and wellbeing.
What sets you apart from other personal training?
The main aspect of equiPT that sets my business apart from others is that I have a huge focus on educating my clients rather than simply entertaining them with a good workout. With individual and group training at the forefront, I focus closely with each and every client on the most important aspects of a balanced body including; hydration, stress, sleep, nutrition, flexibility and postural imbalance as well as cardiovascular/muscle/joint strength.
I came down to Melbourne for the weekend with some American friends and it was interesting of them to point out that there are less boys with flip flops, short shorts, house shoes and poofy hair. To highlight some Melbourne street fashions i snapped a few shots while on walkabout around town.It is kind of chav skater meets bogue which makes me wonder why I don’t live in Melbourne.
Chris Ogle – Wellness Coach, dropped by my studio today, more to come shortly.
Yesterday i went down to one of my favourite Australian beaches in the Royal National Park far south of Sydney. A half an hour hike in and only five people at the whole beach. Here are some images I took including a rock sculpture i made, a log i dug up from the seaweed, vinegar for blue bottle stings, and views along the way and on the beach. This is my ultimate escape from Sydney city.
