Ahead of his last-ever game for Australia tomorrow night, soccer legend Tim Cahill visited Auburn Seventh-day Adventist School this morning.
Star-struck kids were offered the opportunity to interact with Cahill, including a live Q&A session and photo opportunities. Promoting the upcoming Sanitarium Weet-Bix Kids TRYathlon, Cahill also acknowledged the company’s community programs.
“Being involved with the triathlon, it’s about taking part. Everyone wins a medal. It’s about keeping them fit, and about involving everyone,” Cahill said. “Being out in this local school . . . having fun, seeing [the kids] do exercise. I think that’s the main thing. You can eat healthy, but you’ve got to enjoy life and smile.”
Sanitarium’s sponsorship of Cahill began in 2005, and the significance of the long-term partnership was not lost on the athlete. “It means so much because they reflect the values that I have as a footballer, [and] as a father . . . Weet-Bix has pretty much been there for my whole professional career as a Socceroo. We’ve been able to tell a story over those years about the reality of being an athlete and eating healthy.”
Auburn Seventh-day Adventist School principal Danyel Efstratiou highlighted the positive impact of the visit on the school’s 150 students. “We are happy to have him and happy to promote the triathlon. It’s great to have a celebrity come out to this school because it’s so small and not necessarily well known.”
“I was really impressed with how he spoke more about trying hard and working hard . . . being healthy and living a good lifestyle. [Those] definitely encompass what we teach at Adventist schools.”
The popular Weet-Bix triathlon is an annual event, and will be held on February 3, 2019, at Sydney Olympic Park. Kids aged between 7 and 15 are encouraged to register, with the event featuring a combination of swimming, cycling and running.
Cahill himself will play his final game for Australia against Lebanon tomorrow night. With over 50 goals for his country throughout his career, including goals at three World Cups, one part of his routine has not changed.
“Before the game tomorrow I’ll do nine [Weet-Bix] . . . I’m always five to start, more milk, strawberries and honey; and then four. So I split it up, I don’t do it all at once.”