Cats champ spreading the word on health
JIMMY Bartel is urging young men to care more for their health.
The former Cats champion wants his two-year-old son Aston to grow up knowing it’s important to have regular health checks. “As a young father I think it’s pretty good to be targeting younger men,” Bartel said.
“Usually we leave it until the later years to get check-ups but it’s a good thing to start the conversations early and talking about going to a see a doctor. You want to be healthy for your kids as well.”
Bartel is supporting the EJ Whitten Foundation, which has long promoted awareness for men’s health.
Hairdresser Joey Scandizzo’s Kings Domain Barber Shop is the new major sponsor of the Foundation and the inaugural Blokes BBQ event, which will be held this Wednesday night with chef Shane Delia cooking for 100 Melbourne men.
“For me, just having the conversations with these guys is great,” Bartel said. “As a young boy growing up with footy I watched Ted (Whitten) and Victorian footy and what he stood for. Now it’s about bringing awareness to men’s health and they’re doing great things.”
Nick Holland, CEO of The EJ Whitten Foundation, said younger men often didn’t want to appear vulnerable.
“Jimmy Bartel, as a young dad, is a great ambassador for the launch as he will get the men’s health message out to the younger generation and young dads in particular who often don’t confront health issues due to new family pressures and career focus,” Mr Holland said.