TomMo James, International Man of Movember
The first time I met TomMo James (aka. reigning Mr. Movember) we were running the 2001 Round the Bays. Correction: I ran, Tom scootered it in underpants and a scrum cap. It was a fitting introduction to the most committed nutter I know (and I mean dedicated, not institutionalised). Quick witted and so full of life it literally bursts out of him, for the past 5 years Tom has turned his focus to raising awareness of, and funds for, the Movember campaign. Lucky them! He certainly has me hooked in, and I know I’m not the only one watching his every Mo’ve with delicious anticipation.
Tom’s first Mr. Movember entry saw him dressed as a Moa hunter, complete with life-sized, homemade version of our beloved, extinct native bird. Not suprisingly, he won. In 2008 he bleached and shaved his hair to become the Mad Scientist, which also won him recognition as ‘International Man of Movember’ over more than 170,000 participants worldwide. That same year he almost caught pneumonia nude wake boarding around Auckland Harbour during morning rush hour, pulling a Movember banner behind him.
Last year Tom won again, as Wolverine, and one can only speculate on what his costume for the big Movember Gala will be this year. What I do know is that his ultimate MoBro is Magnum PI (every woman’s Mo of choice), and he has his sights on his Australian nemesis Saxon Gray. I can’t wait for the big reveal! A documentary crew has been following him around this year, and any day now Tom will be repeating his wake boarding antics, this time in Wellington.
I asked Tom for his hints on growing the best Mo, and his response was this: ‘Keep vitamins high – especially zinc, Men's multi is good. Sun is good too, be outdoors a lot. And dry shave, just the act makes you Man up and testosterone rushes into your face.’ If you’re that way inclined, check out the Movember Style Guide for inspiration.
In typical TomMo style, he has left a few nutty remarks on fellow MoBro Richie McCaw’s page. To quote Hamlet, ‘Madness in great ones must not unwatched go’. Head on over to see if you can spot them and while you’re there, pledge some Mo-ney for this great cause.
x
2 comments:
This dude is truly an inspiration. I have seen his work, and dedication to the cause first hand, and he's a legend.
I genuinely think they should be paying him to particapate and raise funds for Movember, but then again he would just give the money back to the charity, as he did after selling the prizes he won at the international awards, he gave it all back to the cause.
O.J
I can't believe he's not famous already!
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