Aug 08 2013.
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If you are a fitness enthusiast in Sri Lanka, there's much to take pride and look up to in Karl Perera. If I am to give the usual, mediocre profile of him let me say that he's father of two and is Managing Director of an engineering firm. But what you really need to know about him is that, at 42, he's a fitness genius! He has been featured on the center spread of Men's Health magazine's August 2012 issue, and was featured on the cover of Life Times magazine back in October last year.
What really brought him to our attention was him being featured as the Over 40 Amateur of the Month in June 2013 on BodyBuilding .com, world's largest fitness and nutrition web site, with over 10 million subscribers!!
Needless to say, he's the only Sri Lankan to be on the above international fitness forums and magazines. He also cycled the entire length of Sri Lanka (Point Dondra to Point Pedro) in less than 3 days.
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Commenting on the endeavour, he said, "Most grueling physical challenge to date. This was a harsh 600km bike ride beginning in Dondra on to Balangoda, straight up the middle of the Island, up the steep hills through Hatton ( Category 1& 2 climbs ), Nawalapitiya (more elevation), Gampola up to Kandy and Matale, then to Dambulla and finally on the A9 to Vavuniya and the finish in Point Pedro.
This entire ‘Extreme Endurance’ challenge was filmed, documented and sponsored by Janashakthi Insurance and raised more than a Hundred Thousand Rupees for the Maharagama Cancer Hospital.”
Speaking to Daily Mirror Life, he said, "Regardless of my age , I am always on the quest for more adventure and demanding challenges, which in turn are rewarding and self-fulfilling. I am not some sort of model or pro -athlete or sports personality , just a regular dad /guy in his 40's with a passion for fitness!!Fitness is a way of life and should Not be taken too seriously at all.
One must find the enjoyment in an activity that they decide upon and adopt a ‘No Excuse’ policy. Personally my physique is not designed for extreme endurance sports like taking part in marathons or biking the whole length of Sri Lanka but I do them all simply because the mind is designed to handle and endure ‘limitless possibilities’ and restricting it is not an option, the moment we allow it to perform any tough and demanding task, the body has the capability to support its journey and will marshal all the muscles and organs to achieve same. As the Addidas tag-line states – “Impossible is Nothing!" "
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Where do you think Sri Lanka is in the world of fitness as of now? Do you think we're heading in a positive direction? Is the consciousness among people about a healthy lifestyle at a good level?
I see a massive drive to make the public aware and more conscious of the benefits of fitness ,Sri Lanka is headed in the right direction with the opening of walking/jogging parks and safe cycling tracks, together with major cities being designed/ modeled with this purpose in mind. The fitness industry is fast becoming the new ‘buzz’ in all levels of society and not having a gym membership or not doing some sort of activity, especially amongst today’s youth is almost considered shameful.
The options are many and even the Tourism industry has realized that by marketing Sri Lanka as a more sports/fitness oriented destination, it creates more awareness and as such makes it an attractive destination for hosting International sporting tournaments/events. The massive new sports complex planned for Nuwara Eliya is one that comes to mind.
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Commitment to a fitness-oriented lifestyle can be difficult and costly - costly in terms of time and effort and money. Why do you think it is important to make that effort anyway?
Commitment to a fitness-oriented life is the easiest “Commitment” one can ever make in life – because it’s a promise or pledge to one’s-self and as such you are the direct beneficiary of that vow. Unlike other ‘assurances’ one makes in personal relationships, work related or other aspects of life which are co-dependant on factors beyond one’s control and as such can end in disappointment.
I believe it’s not a costly matter with regards usage of time and money but simply a case of priority. Give yourself just an hour of working out every day and that is enough to lead a healthy life. So claim it at whatever cost; after all, it is less than a mere 5 per cent of a total day!
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Hard-core training is not for everyone. What are some fitness tips and advice you would give to someone looking to live a healthy life, and not necessarily wants to become a body-builder?
Proper guidance and nutrition from qualified personal is vital, especially when it involves ‘hard-core’ training, as lifting heavy weights can cause long-term damage and injury if not properly executed. “Hard-core” is very relative and subjective to the individual concerned and is greatly dependant on lifestyle habits, age, gender-based and even genetics plays a big role; in general, it is not for everyone.
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One does not need to go “Hard-core” to live a healthy life. Working out in the gym does not make one a ‘body-builder’, the body automatically develops and gets sculptured according to the intensity of the workout. A popular miss-conception / belief is you ‘develop/grow’ in the gym but the fact is your muscles are actually formed and build-up outside the gym, during your sleep/rest period.
Is weight loss a limited and short sighted motive behind fitness? Tell us the relation between the two, in your view?
Initial weight loss is a motive to give one’s self-esteem a boost and to see noticeable results and achieve short –term ‘visible’ goals is great upliftment, subsequently, disciplined and progressive work (regular exercise and proper nutrition) towards making it a “habit” and keeping the weight off is the next challenge. It should be approached in stages and before one realizes, in no time, whatever your goals (either to be more toned/‘cut’, bulk-up etc) depending on your target- they will be reached.
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Being constantly aware of one’s weight is a good ‘spot-check’ to make sure that you do not stay off the fitness routine too much. Just enjoy the ‘activity’ and it will be one aspect of your life that you will not want to compromise. So go ahead and make up your mind to get Fit – Your body will surely follow, without a doubt!
By Nivedha Jeyaseelan
0 Comments
Austin Samara says:
Aug 23, 2013 at 12:00 amYour sister Tani showed the article to us while she was on holiday here in Portugal
You have developed an excellent body I suggest that you should try and be a film actor, You have the physic and the good looks.
Uncle Sam