Daly Cherry-Evans on his fitness and battle with his sweet tooth
Even professional athletes aren’t immune to the temptation of tasty treats – but Manly captain Daly Cherry-Evans is forgoing the lollies in a bid to start the NRL season in his best shape ever.
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He is the Manly playmaker who has cut back on booze, ice cream, processed foods, hot chips, potato chips and lollies to be the fittest he’s been in a glittering 10-year career.
Sea Eagles skipper Daly Cherry-Evans showed off his new rig during a fan interaction day last week at Freshwater Beach with teammates stunned at his amazing physical transformation.
Cherry-Evans has revealed the secret behind his new six-pack body shape – sacrifice, dedication and fighting a “sweet tooth”. And it has set up Cherry-Evans for possibly his finest season for Manly, Queensland and possibly Australia.
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In an interview with The Daily Telegraph, Cherry-Evans said schooners of beer have been decreased significantly along with Ben and Jerry’s ice-cream tubs, a favourite post-dinner snack he would devour five times a week.
Throw in a fierce addiction to the gym and Cherry-Evans is ripped and ready for Manly’s round one game against Melbourne at Brookvale Oval.
“I wanted to make sure when I came back to training I gave myself every chance to be at peak physical fitness,” Cherry-Evans said. “I did that by staying off the booze and definitely tidying up my diet.
“I’ve got a sweet tooth. I used to eat – and I still will at some point – ice cream but not as much and not as often. I would comfortably have ice-cream five nights a week after dinner. Any colour, any flavour.
“I could polish off one of those Ben & Jerry’s takeaway tubs in one sitting. Most people could but I’m supposed to be a professional athlete. They last people a week – I would eat one in a night. It’s just a habit, I’ve always done it.
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“There is also that feeling of waking up in the morning and not having a foggy head from drinking schooners. There will be a time and place for that to continue but I’ve pulled back for now.
“The best way to explain it is when I drink I have a few. I don’t drink midweek. But if I drink with the boys, yeah, I’d have a fair few. Sacrificing that for a while has been hard.
“But as you get older – and instead of making the game feel like it’s the same old thing – I thought this could be a unique thing that I could do to test myself, more so the mental side.
“I also made sure whether it was a weights session, running session or cardio that I tried to get everything I could out of it. It’s been a combination of sacrificing things and I feel as fit as I’ve ever felt.
“It’s been a commitment I made to myself to try and cut back. I have maybe had ice cream only a handful of times over the past seven weeks. I have tried to be conscious of not eating as much processed food, bags of chips and lollies that are so easy for me to eat.
“It’s hard. I’ve got three kids so things like hot chips and lollies are quite frequently passed around. Physically, after you see your body change and improve, you get a boost.”
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The Daily Telegraph asked Cherry-Evans for a photo of his new-look body – but he politely declined.
Cherry-Evans has been training strongly through his physical and mental sacrifices.
“I would have been annoyed at myself if I didn’t try something like this before I retired to see if I could get more out of myself,” he said.
“It’s been a good challenge and I definitely feel I’ve got some benefits rocking up to training and feeling as though I have given myself every chance to train well and prepare well for this year.
“I’m getting older now and I have to look after myself. The diet was the first thing that popped into my mind. I have been quite flexible with my diet for so long.
“I am lucky given I’m a leaner person. I’ve never been one to blow out. I have been lucky to be blessed with that genetically.”
SUPERCOACH INSIDER
Daly Cherry-Evans, HFB, $576,200
While photos of a shredded DCE are easy on the eye, his KFC SuperCoach worth has dropped dramatically since losing the goal kicking duties to Reuben Garrick, which essentially robs him of 10 points per game. Even at a POS-ish 7.5 per cent ownership, he’s a wait and see.