Football writer's journey: 2:

AJ Rochester, host of TV's The Biggest Loser.

AJ only a phone call away!

Well I'd better get on with it. The Asian Cup is just a few days away, and I want to finish this story by then. I'll make it a five parter

So as I was saying in my last post (which you can find in the archive below) I was sick, could hardly walk and still teaching.

"You are a puff!" that was how Albert, a particularly menacing student, greeted me as I refused to allow him into the classroom one morning. He was late, generally more abusive than this but I was ill and besides he was threatening another student. Whether Albert was right I neither knew nor cared. But I had little resilience any more and schools are no place for sick teachers!

The school was great. After six months of sick leave I was back part-time. I had managed to improve my walking and my swimming.

I was able to swim a km twice a week in a 50 metre pool but I couldn't walk that distance or stand comfortably for more than two or three minutes. Headaches, sore throats were just continual. I'd come home from my very part-time job and sit. My partner was understanding, she was great, but keeping the part-time teaching going was hard, damned hard.

Why did I do it? Dunno. Money, family responsibility or just pure bloody minded to beat this thing.

I lost. I used all my craft over the teaching years to reduce my load in the classroom. I sat when I should have been standing, used old lessons in my head to save time and time again.

Survival at any cost in the hope that one day soon I'd recover.

After 5 years, it was time. I'd been reduced to tears on so many occasions. Not in front of the students, although I'd come close. No, my colleagues saw my fragility. It's not a great look crying at work, not for a bloke!

One hour of teaching was followed by three hours in the sick bay just to do another hour of admin. Admin for god sake! I wanted to teach.

And school sick bays are no place for a teacher!

Finally the day came.

Three women, all middle aged from the Department.

I'd managed to get myself to the meeting.

"Well, I could work in administration," I offered

Silence.

I looked at each women in turn. No emotion, no signals, no words. Unusual for women I thought.

And then it dawned on me.

"You want me to leave."

And everyone relaxed. I got it finally..and home I went.

What a relief, not having to get out of bed to go to work, to go anywhere. It was fantastic. My pain was still ever present but I had some relief, finally.

And then what? Ever restless the days turned into weeks and the Specialist visits became my weekly highlight and the struggle went on.

"I'll tutor. I'll advise on business, I'll set up an interactive education smartboard business." And I did all of these. Well sort of until my health and body screamed stop.

And I did stop. So now I had nothing and yet everything.

No work, little money, but I had a child, a partner, and a time to rest whenever I needed to. And I did.

My body gets cold. And Canberra doesn't help. Three pairs of socks and ugg boots. See the Carl Valeri nutmegged video, I've still got my ugg boots on!

Five layers and a beanie, that normally is the go, in winter, inside with the heater on.

And while filling my days doing nothing, vowing to rest and enjoy the 5 minute daily walks I can do, the phone rang.

"Hi I'm AJ Rochester host of TV's Biggest Loser show."

Part three coming soon:

Life with AJ, and the writing journey begins.