Rahim Akram

Why did you choose this program?

I've been a cricketer for about 7 years now and I've only ever played in England, so I wanted to broaden my horizons in terms of the game! That's when I discovered SportLived, a program which not only gave me the opportunity to play a sport across the world, but also make new friends and discover another country at the same time!

What did your program provider assist you with, and what did you have to organize on your own?

I found that SportLived wanted to make the program about you, not to make sure they were constantly holding your hand. Pre-program, they constantly made sure you were on top of everything and that it was sorted before you had flown out. They provided you with a more than helpful checklist to make sure it was sorted before you flew out, also putting you in contact with a travel agent to organize your flights.

What is one piece of advice you'd give to someone going on your program?

I'd say, go with an open mind. I went out there to play sport, but I gained so, so much more. From experiencing different parts of Victoria, to meeting new people and even interacting with Kangaroos, you will gain so much more than just playing another sport in another country. I'd always tell me friends you have to have confidence in yourself to even consider going in the first place, once you're there, build on it.

What does an average day/week look like as a participant of this program?

It really depends on what sport you were doing,

I was a cricketer so my typical week would be, I'd have a rest day on Monday, and then on Tuesday there would be a net session (all nets take place on grass wickets), then a rest day on Wednesday. Thursday would be a club training session, so this would not only be a net, but also fielding and fitness. Saturday and Sunday were both game days, I predominately played Saturdays, but also helped out on a Sunday.

Going into your experience abroad, what was your biggest fear, and how did you overcome it? How did your views on the issue change?

Being able to live and explore a city on your own. If you haven't lived on your own, trying to figure out what you were going to eat, how you would pass the time, whether that be by paid coaching or training, you would have to find it yourself. SportLived helped so much finding my flatmates a job or coaching, which meant for many hours of the day, they were so entertained.

So being able to find stuff to do off your own accord, and live sustainably was a challenge, but with 5 other flatmates, it was a breeze!