![Petro Georgiou receives the 2022 Sons of the West Ballarat Club Champion award from Western Bulldogs Community Foundation general manager Kashif Bouns. Picture Western Bulldogs Petro Georgiou receives the 2022 Sons of the West Ballarat Club Champion award from Western Bulldogs Community Foundation general manager Kashif Bouns. Picture Western Bulldogs](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/XBHRDThPr8rZ8LC4FzPP7b/5652542f-1588-4524-bd6c-f3e19a9e7ac7.JPG/r880_0_5587_4000_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
SONS of the West came at a good time for Petro Georgiou - even though he initially went to turn down the offer.
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One of Mr Georgiou's workmates had suggested signing up and convinced him to at the least give the program a Western Bulldogs-led men's health program a try.
Mr Georgiou had been leading an active lifestyle when everything started to get harder approaching 60, from getting up on his surfboard to driving to work. By mid-2020, Mr Georgiou underwent a hip replacement but his rehabilitation program was cut short by COVID-19.
Getting back into exercise was one of those "tomorrow" prospects for Mr Georgiou - one where "tomorrow never comes".
"For me, I wasn't looking for [Sons of the West] but it found me," Mr Georgiou said. "...This was the kick up the butt I needed to get on with it - tomorrow is today."
Sons of the West, delivered across the western suburbs, has been in Ballarat since 2016 in a partnership with City of Ballarat and grassroots sports advocacy body Sports Central.
Program sessions are in two parts: physical exercise with participants working to their skills and ability; and, workshops with varying health professionals from across the Ballarat region.
Mr Georgiou said the information component was really interesting, offering a new perspective and empathy on different men's health concerns from mental health and gambling to nutrition.
On the physical component, Mr Georgiou said his mind had been willing but his body was telling him "go away". As his health had deteriorated, Mr Georgiou had kept thinking of the things he could not do anymore.
Sons of the West changed that mindset, moving from beginners exercise group to the intermediate in his second season.
"You do the 10 weeks and feel better," Mr Geogiou said.
"[In intermediate] I was doing Pilates and core strength - stuff I needed. It got me doing my steps and going on longer walks. I've had a couple of niggles but worked back into it. This year I'm hoping to float between intermediate and advanced. I enjoy intermediate and what Pilates can do for your core strength."
Sons of the West also opened up new social networks for him, too.
Mr Georgiou has joined Buninyong Men's Shed and, while working full-time, often catches up with the group for a coffee and fundraising events on weekends. He said there were at least two or three familiar, friendly Sons of the West in the shed when he signed up.
IN OTHER NEWS
Sons of the West starts on March 8 and runs Wednesday nights at Phoenix P-12 Community College's Sebastopol campus.
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