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Home / Sponsored Stories

Sponsored by AIA

AIA

Beckham at coaching clinic

28 Nov, 2018 11:00 AM
Photo / Supplied.

Photo / Supplied.

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AIA Global Ambassador David Beckham at coaching clinic with 20 NZ kids.

If you want a definition of awe-struck, try 20 New Zealand kids at a junior coaching clinic attended by English football superstar David Beckham.

Beckham, one of the world's most iconic footballers, is now global ambassador for insurance company AIA – and is using his profile to inspire people to be healthy.

That's why he was overseeing the clinic in Sydney recently and he has some longstanding views on fitness and child health. Part of his remit is to help people in the Asia-Pacific region to live healthier, longer, better lives and he applies that rule to himself.

"I try to eat and drink right, work out and keep active. My mum got me into the habit of eating healthy. So now, I try to do the same with my kids – and walking them to school is a great way to stay active when I'm short on time. It's the little things that make a big difference."

Beckham says becoming AIA's Global Ambassador was an easy decision: "I'm very proud to be working with a company that wants to make a genuine change, even If I'm just a small part of that.

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"I am a passionate believer in the value of wellness and maintaining a healthy lifestyle, and I share AIA's commitment to encourage people to live healthier, longer, better lives.

"Throughout my career in elite sport, and in my role as a parent, I have always tried to be the best I can be by training hard and setting a positive example to those around me."

The father of four is particularly keen on encouraging children to adopt healthy habits, and earlier this month he did that by being involved in a soccer skills session in Australia for primary and intermediate school kids.

It not only gave tips on how to improve their play but educated them about the importance of good nutrition and being active.

Twenty children from New Zealand, each accompanied by a family member, travelled to travel to Sydney for the coaching clinic after winning a competition run by AIA.

They were divided into teams and partnered with a coach who put them through their paces doing different drills around a circuit. Beckham roamed around the circuit, passing on advice to the youngsters about improving their skills.

Beckham's focus on leading by example is something Aucklander Colin Maisey, the grandfather of one of the Kiwi kids chosen, has always done when it comes to his family. He played rugby and rowed for many years, then started running half marathons.

He thinks the fact he enjoys sport and exercise has shown his grandson Wade Melville that physical activity is just a normal part of life.

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"I've always exercised and that might have rubbed off on Wade," says Maisey (67) who has retired but works part-time as a gardener, which helps him to stay fit. "He loves his sport."

Wade (12) is a keen soccer player who was speechless for several hours after he found out he and his grandfather, an AIA customer, had won the trip to the coaching clinic.

"It's been a wonderful experience for him because he loves soccer so much, and to be there with David Beckham was a once in a lifetime thing. It felt like we'd won Lotto," says Maisey.

Wade, who started playing soccer for Fencibles United when he was four, understands the importance of being physically active and eating well.

His mum Jeannine Melville says if the family is having takeaways he'll ask for a wrap; training three days a week, along with playing games on Saturdays and tournaments on Sundays, means he keeps fit.

Wade is always eager to get on the pitch but his ability to play was restricted last year when he lost the sight in his right eye.

He was born with a defect of his optic nerve, which doctors initially thought wouldn't cause him any problems. But there were complications and "he pretty much had no vision," says Melville.

Surgery in February 2017 restored most of his sight, but for a year he had to be careful playing soccer; he was banned from heading the ball in case it caused further problems.

It was a tough time for Wade, so going to the coaching clinic and seeing Beckham was extra-special.

"He was just buzzing," says Melville. "I know I'm biased because I'm his mum, but it couldn't have happened to a better kid."

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