(Originally published on B&T)
On Wednesday, VMO’s Ultimate Media Champion came to a bruising end, at least for B&T hack Oliver Cerovic, whose grand final efforts ended somewhat less triumphantly than he might have hoped.
The six-week challenge was designed to put media professionals through their paces, combining physical training with a healthy dose of mental fitness to help participants become stronger, fitter and better equipped to tackle life’s challenges.
Led by personal trainers from Fitness First and Goodlife Health Clubs, the program also went beyond the gym, with online modules covering mental fitness through Gotcha4Life, sleep health in partnership with MOOD and sleep expert Lisa Maltman from The Sleep Connection, as well as breathwork and nutrition.
Across Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane, 249 media agency professionals signed up for the challenge, joined by one particularly ambitious B&T journo who was determined to go all the way.
Six weeks, plenty of sweat and one grand final later, the finish line had arrived.
For Dentsu’s Simon Martin and Jeremiah Mullard from Nunn Media the completion of the program ended with being crowned VMOs Ultimate Media Champion and runner up. A spectacular achievement for two incredible people.
“What an incredible six weeks! I can’t speak highly enough of the Ultimate Media Champion program that VMO has put together,” Martin told B&T.
“For me, the highlight was the camaraderie amongst all competitors. Training alongside people from across the industry, pushing each other, having a laugh and genuinely cheering each other on, even though we were technically competing against one another, made the whole experience pretty special.
“I also loved that it wasn’t just about getting fit. The sessions covering mental fitness, breathwork, nutrition and sleep health were a great reminder that looking after yourself goes well beyond what you do in the gym.
“To come away with the win was pretty special! The final was absolutely brutal, and I genuinely had no idea how I’d gone, so hearing my name announced as the winner was a fantastic way to cap off the six weeks.
“A massive shout-out to the entire VMO team, along with Fitness First, for putting on such a fantastic program and an awesome grand final event!”
For Mullard, the initiative helped him immerse himself within an industry that is quite new to him.
“What an amazing, packed six-weeks it’s been! From sign-up to finals, the team at VMO have put together something that highlights the community of media, and I’m thrilled to have taken part, let alone come second!” He said.
“I’ll admit, I went into this bracing for a full-on competitive grind, but what I found instead was a group that was incredibly supportive and uplifting, and an environment where I can work on myself, mentally as well as physically.
“That sense of support carried into the networking side, too. As someone who’s fresh to the industry, I loved that this gave me the perfect excuse to meet professionals from across media outside of the usual phone calls and emails.
“And what a finale! The atmosphere was electric; it captured the competitive spirit and support that made the six weeks so memorable.
“Thank you to my Nunn Media team, who backed me throughout the six weeks, and a huge thanks to the whole VMO team, and their partners Fitness First and Gotcha4Life, for a program that was so well run and so much fun. I’m grateful to have been part of it!”
The six week program gave a lot of competitors immense joy. So much so, Brandon Joel from Captify is already looking forward to next year.
“Georgia and the crew at VMO once again showed that “networking” doesn’t have to be boring, and although injury robbed me of the big day, I didn’t let that stop me from supporting my boys. I felt like a proud dad cheering on, and living vicariously through Simon, Jez and Ollie,” he commented.
“The whole event was incredibly well-organised, informative, and fun. Our industry often defaults to catching up at the pub, so getting a big group together for something active and health-focused is a huge win… followed by the pub.
“10/10, can’t wait for next year.”
The Ultimate Media Champion was made possible with supporting partners: Fitness First and Goodlife Health Clubs, WORLD360 Rewards (part of Flight Centre Travel Group), G Adventures, Muscle Nation, UnLtd, Gotcha4Life, MOOD, The Sleep Connection, Quest Nutrition, Hydralyte, 2XU, NIVEA and Elastoplast.
“The goal is to throw up.”
These were the words I muttered to VMO’s Andy Athans and Madaleine Grey a week before the Ultimate Media Champion grand final. They chuckled.
Little did they know I was dead-set serious.
I was there to give it absolutely everything I had, and if that meant throwing up in the process so be it. As it turns out, I probably should have been a little more careful about what I wished for.
Grand final morning started at 8am with a light stretch and an easy walk on the treadmill. By 8.45am, I was warmed up, feeling good and wondering why the gym was completely deserted.
Then it dawned on me. I was at the wrong gym.
Despite the email explicitly stating the grand final would be held at a different location, I had somehow managed to completely disregard that fairly important detail. With time ticking away, I grabbed my bag and sprinted 500 metres up the road to the correct gym.
Eventually, I arrived at the right place, got myself registered and joined Jez and Simon for the main event.
Three six-minute stations. One-minute rests in between. Eighteen minutes of work, excluding the rests, that would push us to our absolute limits.
The Ultimate Media Champion was about to get very real.
Jez, Simon and I set off at an extraordinary pace, with Simon absolutely blitzing the bike. The bloke was flying. Meanwhile, the rest of us were quickly discovering that the grand final was not the time to be saving ourselves.
By the end of the first station, all three of us were blowing. The lungs were burning, the legs were getting heavy and we still had two stations to go.
The next six minutes did absolutely nothing to improve the situation, finishing with three minutes on the rower. By this point, we were well and truly in the hurt locker. Every movement was becoming a grind, and the thought of another station was enough to make you question every decision that had led you there.
Then came the final station. Ten calories on the ski erg, followed by five devil presses, an absolutely savage variation of a burpee involving weights. Six minutes to complete as many rounds as possible.
This was where things took a turn. Three calories into my second round on the ski erg, my vision started to blur. My legs felt like concrete, and suddenly, without much warning at all, I collapsed backwards.
Thankfully, Joel was standing behind me and caught me before I hit the deck. He eased me onto my side and reassured me that I was going to be ok.
The next 20 minutes were spent alternating between lying on the floor and throwing up into a sick bag. It wasn’t exactly the grand final finish I had pictured when I declared my intentions to Athans and Grey a week earlier. But there was no question I had given it everything.
While I was busy getting acquainted with the gym floor, Jez and Simon pushed through the final station to claim first and second place in the challenge. An enormous effort from both of them, and thoroughly deserved.
Looking back, the six weeks were nothing short of brilliant. Beyond the competition itself, I’ve walked away with mates for life in Jez, Simon and Joel, who I spent most mornings with grinding away at Fitness First Bond Street.
And a massive shout-out to Joel, who went from fellow competitor to unofficial paramedic in the space of about three calories. I owe you one, mate.
