ATHLETE OF THE MONTH
OGILVY DEPUTY EXECUTIVE CREATIVE DIRECTOR
PETER HIBBERD
@peterhibberd
SO TELL US ABOUT YOUR “PAST” LIFE? I’m an Aussie that hasn’t been home for about 10 years now. So I’ve spent seven years in Singapore, a year in Hong Kong, and three years in Indonesia. I’m actually based in Jakarta but my two sons live in Ubud with their mum so as soon as the pandemic hits I thought, Why would I work from home in Jakarta?
YOUR INTRODUCTION TO GYM WORLD? My friend and business partner introduced me at the end of 2019. He has been going to Wanderlust, as does his wife and son. I’ve been a mountain biker for many years, and I decided I want to do a specific bucket-list type of race in France. I really wanted to get ready for this race in six to eight months’ time, and my friend was like, Well first you’ve got to give up the ciggies good plan! and the second thing is you got to get real fit, so come with me to the gym.
WHAT WAS THE EXPERIENCE LIKE IN THE BEGINNING? I started with nothing; I had zero Olympic lifting experience at all. I was a classic endomorph: 40-41 years old, I was 69 kilos but not in a good shape my friend called me “skinny fat”. My diet was rubbish, I was smoking, heavily stressed, and just lived a sedentary lifestyle. I changed that through CrossFit, and now since living in Bali it was obvious we were going to go to Wanderlust often, and that was part of the reason why I moved to the Canggu area. And I’ve been coming here ever since.
Any progress? I have progressed dramatically with the weights I can lift and the gymnastic capabilities that I have. I still consider myself a beginner, though, and still have a long way to go. I definitely don’t consider myself an athlete, but I just keep turning up. In the beginning I would just struggle, struggle, struggle, but now I’m at a stage where I can pace myself better, know my body’s limitation, and know the weights that I should be lifting to keep myself challenged.
HOW OFTEN DO YOU EXERCISE? At first I came here three days a week, but now it’s six days a week, with Sundays off to spend time with my boys.