GARSIDE Harry

General
UNUSUAL TRAINING METHODS
He has tried ballet, karaoke, and training with the army as part of his preparations for the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo. "I've always been a bit of an unusual person, I've always been a little bit different. I'm not going to lie, I'd always wanted to try ballet. I say I do it for boxing, but really, I have always wanted to dance. I love that it's so alike to boxing in the way that it's quite brutal in the way of the strength and structure that's required, which is what appeals to me. The footwork, the coordination, the transference of weight. Although they seem worlds apart, they are so alike. Over the last year [2019] I've been forcing myself to get comfortable being uncomfortable. Every month I do something that pushes me out of my comfort zone, things like no technology, ballet lessons, having really tough conversations, commando training, and karaoke, which was terrible. I think putting yourself in these situations translates to sport, because as athletes, we get put in so many weird and strange situations that are uncomfortable, so the more uncomfortable something makes me feel, the more I want to do it." (olympics.com.au, 12 Dec 2019)

OTHER ACTIVITIES
He has volunteered with The Reach Foundation in Australia. The organisation aims to inspire young people to believe in themselves and get the most out of life. "I see so much value in it. I think the youth of today need these skills more than ever. Obviously, suicide rates are so high and there are some big problems facing the youth of Australia. This is a space where they can just be themselves, they're free of judgement and can really push themselves. As a 16-year-old, they helped me to realise my full potential by challenging what I thought was 'normal' negative male stereotypes, and I knew growing up I didn't want to be like that. I grew up in a very male-dominated family, so I felt like I had to be that way and learning that I didn't, just felt like home to me, so I've been involved ever since." (olympics.com.au, 12 Dec 2019)

OCCUPATION
He is a certified plumber. He qualified at the PICAC Brunswick training centre in Victoria, Australia. (commonwealthgames.com.au, 01 Apr 2018)