THE PERFECT ATHLETE

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Volume 81, Issue 57, 30 November 1937, Page 7

THE PERFECT ATHLETE

Oat Own Correspondent.)

Australian Cyclist's Fme Physique

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SYDNEY, Nov. 20. Twelve hours . after Hubert Opperman, famous Australian cyclist, hdd. completed the crowning achievement of his career by riding 3000 miles from Fremantle to Sydney in 13 days 10 hours 11 minutes, a Sydney specialist found him to be in perfect physical condition. Oppcrmah's heart showed no effeet of his strenuous efforts, and. the specialist dcseribed him as "a complete picturo of a perfectly-trained athlete, v/ithout any sign of strain whatever." " Opperman's heart is a little larger than normally," he said, "but .that is probably beca^use of development through long training. It is not an enlftigcm'ent. With an abnormally slow pulse, Opperman has a remarkably low blood pressure. Both features indieate endurance, and aro the attributes of . it. His museles are very soft, with the chcst and shoulder museles particularly well-developed. Opperman is a small man, and his chesfc expknsion of from 34iin. to 36|in. is more than usually large." When Opperman set out on his ride he weighed 9st. 3^1b., and . in Sydney his weight was recorded as 8st 3^1b. For 10 days before he left, he had rested and eaten liberally, with the result that he was from 41b. to 51b f overweight. That extra weight, he knew from long experience, would be required on the ride. During the last 48 hours of the ride, Opperman battled again&t a sleepiness which at times beeame so overpowering that brief stops were compulsory. But Opperman Tefused to take long rests, v.nl foug'ht his way thrOugh the final stages oi his ride to a triumphant suecess. His time beat W. Read's record by 5 days 8 hours 21 minutes. His time included 4 days 15 hours 45 minutes spent in rests for sleep and meals, and during his actual riding time he averaged 11 miles an hour. Ho pedalled tha 3000 miles over the blistering uninhabited deserts of Western Australia, through the pleasant eouutryside- of Sbnth Australia and Yictoria and through the capitals of those States; along the icy hilltops of the continent's south-east corner; along the sundrenched Huine Highway oi New South Wales. Although Opperman holds every Australian inter-capital eycling record, he does not intend to rcst on his laurels. After a short rest, he will set out to add more records to his long list, but what they will be he has not decided.