There's much more to being an elite athlete than possessing natural talent and good skills, just ask young North Melbourne key position player, Oscar Junker.
The 20-year-old returned to his home town Werribee recently to speak to students as part of The Huddle's ‘Game Changers’ program.
“It was great to be out here again," Junker told North Media.
“I played for Werribee Districts, just around the corner, and have a lot of really great memories and friends from that period of my life.”
Returning to the place of his childhood was more than just a trip down memory lane, with Junker helping deliver a session on ‘Personal Preparation for Elite and Aspiring Athletes’.
Junker providing the students with advice on how best to fuel their bodies for training.
“When I first came to the North Melbourne Football Club, I didn’t think much about what I ate,” Junker revealed.
“But when I started training with North, they measured the amount of fat I had and a bunch of other factors and came up with a plan of what I should eat to maximise my performance on the field.”
The kids also got to hear from North dietician, Lisa Blenheim, and nutritionist at ‘Progressive Health’, Maria King, who stressed the importance of a balanced diet.
The session ended with a healthy smoothie, but not everyone was convinced of what it would taste like when Junker added some strange looking vegetables like Kale.
“I didn’t know you could even put green things into something you wanted to drink!” one of the children remarked.
The next 'Game Changers' session will focus on interviewing skills and resumes.