Matt Burston USANA Health Sciences Interview

Name of athlete: Matt Burston
Date of birth: 25/11/82
Country of residence: Australia
Sport: Australian Professional Basketball Player
Level: NBL

Matt grew up playing every sport he could think of. Basketball was what he enjoyed playing the most. In year 12 he was in the state basketball, football and cricket team and he had to make a decision as to which one he wanted to pursue, therefore he stuck to basketball. Following the high achieving determination Matt managed to become an Australian professional basketball player who currently plays for the Cairns Taipans of the National Basketball League (NBL). He also played in the State Basketball League for the Perry Lake Hawks, and has spent time in the Qatari Basketball League and the Big V.

Career:
Matt played in the NBL for 16 years for Perth Wildcats, South Dragons, Adelaide, Melbourne Tigers, and Cairns Taipans. He also represented Australia.
2009/10 NBL season played with the Adelaide 36rs' and also the Australian Boomers
2010/11 – 2012/13 NBL season played with Melbourne tigers
2013/14 NBL season played with the Cairns Taipans (finished 5th)
2014/15 NBL Cairns Taipans (finished 2nd)

Long term goals: To play in the NBL for another 4-5 years.

Highlights and awards
Won the 2013 Emir Cup in Qatar with the Al Rayyan
NBL Champion (2009 – helped the South Dragons to a championship)
Played 13 games for the South Dragons in 2007 before injury ended his season
Underwent major surgery on his right ankle in 2005 but managed to score 35 points vs. crocs in one of his last games
Won the Robert Staunton Medal for being the most outstanding player at the U20 National Championships
Names WA State League Rookies of the Year in 2000
Awarded NBL's most improved player in 2003.

Interview with Professional Basketballer and USANA Health Sciences Ambassador

Question: What is your earliest basketball memory?

Matt Burston: My earliest basketball memory is watching my old man play for the Melbourne Demons way back in the VFL.


Question: What or who inspired your love for basketball?

Matt Burston: My parents inspired and fuelled my love for basketball. Growing up both my father and mother were very much active athletes, which is probably why I was sports mad as a kid. I would grab every opportunity to watch and play every kind of sport under the sun. I really have my parents to thank for supporting and encouraging me to experience any sport I wanted to try as a kid because that is what eventually drove me to the sport I love the most, basketball.


Question: Which of the USANA Health Sciences products are your favourite?

Matt Burston: My favourite USANA Health Sciences product is their Vitamin D supplement because it keeps my immune system healthy while maintaining the strength of my bones which is crucial when playing any sport.


Question: Which USANA Health Science products do you take on a regular basis?

Matt Burston: On a regular basis, the USANA Health Sciences products that I take are their Vitamin D, Biomega, Coquinone 100, Procosamine, Proflavanol, and Healthpak supplements – they all keep me performing at my best!

Question: What's a typical weeks training like, for you?

Matt Burston: My typical day during training week would consist of me waking up at 6:15am and having a hearty breakfast and take my USANA supplements to help fuel up my energy for the day. From 7:15am-8:15am I have a team weights session followed by a 45 minute break to recharge. A video/scouting session then takes place from 9:00am-9:30am followed by some stretching, ice baths and a two hour break for some lunch and relaxation. My day continues with a shooting session from 2:30pm-3:45pm. My training week will consist of this training regime happening on the Monday, Tuesday and Thursday of the week. Other days of the week such as Wednesday is for yoga, Friday is for an hour court session and Sunday is for an hour pool session followed by some stretching.


Question: What would we find in your gym bag?

Matt Burston: In my gym bag you would find my workout clothes, sweat towels, my water bottle and my supplements!


Question: How important is your diet to your on-court success?

Matt Burston: My diet is crucial to my on-court success because food is the fuel that keeps our bodies running. My workload with training and games during the season keeps me constantly in peak physical condition which is why it is critical for me to ensure that I am eating healthy the correct amount to keep my body strong and healthy.


Question: What advice do you have for young basketballers?

Matt Burston: For young basketballers, I have two very important pieces of advice that I wish for them to incorporate into their lives:

Enjoy what you love!
Often we get carried away with doing our best and striving to achieve our ultimate goal but along the way we forget to just take the time to enjoy what we are doing. Based on my personal experience I learned that it is easier to remain healthy and active if you have fun and enjoy your physical activities. Energise your body the right way!
Yes, we're humans and we get tempted to have a cheat day more than once in awhile and eat all the junk food we could possible want but every time you have that craving have a think about how it will prevent your body from playing the sport that you truly love. Remember to keep your body constantly hydrated by drinking plenty of water and strive to eat healthy and balanced meals.

So my advice for young basketballers is to firstly enjoy the love you have for the sport of basketball and to secondly start incorporating healthy meals in their diet plan.


Question: How much basketball practice did you do, as a kid?

Matt Burston: To answer your question, as a kid I was living and breathing basketball! Every free time I had consisted of me practicing the sport!


Question: Can you talk about how you pushed through injuries and struggles to get you where you are today?

Matt Burston: In life, the key to pushing through everyday struggles or even injuries is to have the passion and determination to persevere. That is exactly what I did in order to be where I am today. I kept pushing past barriers and fighting all the challenges that came my way by using my ultimate goal to motivate me to keep on running.


Question: What are your motivation tips for continuing healthy eating and exercise throughout winter?

Matt Burston: Choose the one activity that you know you love doing no matter what the weather may be and strive to do it every single day. It can be as simple as walking/playing with your pet or playing in the park with your kids. Doing the one physical activity that you enjoy the most will prevent you from thinking of exercising as a chore and will get your body moving every day.

Set aside some time each week to plan healthy options for your meals for the rest of the week. This will prevent you from making haste decisions to order fast food or take-away food for your lunches and dinners. Being prepared in advance will help you eat healthy and save you some money.

Surround yourself by amazing people. I always want to make my family proud, so I always think of them when I need motivation to train. Plus by having top quality coaches, mentors, and scientists at USANA, I'm constantly guided in the right direction on how to keep performing at my best, which always helps keep my momentum going.


Interview by Brooke Hunter