They were regaled with an All Black lock’s story of playing Elephant Polo in northern Thailand and fed a diet of sizzled sausages and health tips.
Former All Black Steve Gordon, a Hamilton based regional business development manager for NZ Carbon Farming, was a popular guest speaker at the health expo.
More than 60 people attended the inaugural Menz Shed health expo in Te Awamutu’s Baptist Church on Saturday.
And aside from the stories and food, the consistent message was to communicate.
Ivan Feshchenko from, Te Kawa, discussed heart health with Hamilton based Alina Jose of the Heart Foundation.
Te Awamutu born All Black Steve Gordon asked the gathering “how many adventures start with g’day?”
Gordon, 57, told his pensioner-packed audience, “time is running out – what are you going to do?
“It’s all about getting conversations started, participating, having adventures – and don’t forget about your mate stuck in the lounge watching television. The onus is on us to get out.”
And he added that as men “we look forward to bullshit and banter”.
At Karen Reed’s diabetes information table were Bryan Burns from Cambridge – and Menz Shed Matamata member Wayne Anderson.
The expo was a step into the unknown for the Te Awamutu branch and it landed on firm ground.
So much so that national chairman David Broadhead said he would be keen to see it run by Menz Sheds all over the country.
The audience was mostly, but not entirely, made up by men – among the women there for most of the four-hour event was Taranaki King Country MP Barbara Kuriger.
The event featured an expo with health group representatives available to discuss issues and a sit-down session for a little over an hour where invited speakers shared information and health tips.
Te Awamutu Menz Shed leader Richard Cato shows the branches’ recent Sheddies publication to national chairman David Broadhead.
There were speakers on the subjects of heart health, strokes, prostate cancer, diabetes and dementia.
Several explained that their organisations relied on volunteers and had gone through restructures.
Te Awamutu branch head Richard Cato, concentrating on the communication theme, told how he has been discussing writing the memoirs of Steve Gordon’s father Brian.
Gordon senior had subsequently been admitted to hospital in January 2023 after becoming unwell and told Cato the staff were wonderful – “but I just want to talk to a man”.
Gordon senior died a couple of months later aged 82 and Cato said he had never forgotten his words.
David Broadhead told the audience he had endured three operations for kidney stones and gone through enormous pain – and his message was to follow the best way to avoid then – drink lots of water.
Ron Greenwood summed things up nicely by encouraging men to get regular health checks.
“Get a warrant of fitness – we take our cars in and neglect ourselves.
Ron Greenwood spoke at the health expo as a support coordinator for the Cambridge Prostate Cancer Support Group. He was pictured with Garry Botting from Te Awamutu.
