I understand spending quality time in prayer will be the number one reason why we remain in the priesthood or religious life.

But this cannot be divorced from a humanity which needs the physical to be reasonably maintained and hobbies of various kinds to make life more meaningful.

Indeed, I believe knowing oneself and acting on that knowledge for one’s health and wellbeing is a major reason for the difference between thriving or just coping as a priest in these stress filled times.

Back in 1994 when I started to feel grumpy with certain more difficult parishioners, I knew myself well enough to realise the importance of pursuing a physical challenge to improve my overall demeanour and ability to cope. Also, due to the reflection opportunities during annual holidays, I came to the decision I needed to get back to some more serious running and swimming.

I decided I would make the effort to try to swim 10 Sundays in a row before the Sunday Mass at Torquay so that I might form a habit. I remember reading an article which stated “nothing really worthwhile in life is gained without great sacrifice.”

I understood physical benefits are only achieved by first making the habit. Once started and found beneficial, the habit becomes part of one’s life. Accordingly, I started my habit with a realistic but reasonably difficult goal of swimming after annual holidays “10 Sundays in a row” at 7.45am. Mass was just up the road at 8.45am and a shower awaited me in the flat at the rear of the church.

My goal was to run 2km on the grass above the beach, swim about 100m and then have a quick shower.

The 10 swims became 50 and without too much effort the 50 became 100. It was cold during those first few winters, especially around July and August. I realised as time went by that a good quality wetsuit and two normal caps on the head provided comfort even on the coldest days.

A worthwhile challenge usually fires me up. I love a challenge. The 200 soon came around without missing one Sunday. I recognised if I missed one swim through any type of difficulty, then I would start missing more. This was part of reasonable psychology and knowing myself.

In May 2003 I left Australia for six months sabbatical leave and had already notched up 443 swims not out! When I was about to return to Australia, I realised I had not missed any Sunday swims in Australia since 1994. Rightfully, I could continue where I had left off.

I had a good laugh one morning as I was about to drive into the empty car park at Torquay before Mass. A parishioner had nailed one of his old surfboards to the top of a Parish Mission billboard with the inscription: “Congratulations, (Fr) Greg 600 not out.”

The fact of the habit meant Saturday night marriage receptions and even the yearly parish debutante ball did not faze me unduly. Indeed, the “habit” and the feeling of well-being for the difficult sixth day of work, Sunday, was well worth one hour’s less sleep after those bigger nights.

In reality it was not mainly about my own self discipline, but more the Holy Spirit leading me down a personal path which would have been madness not to follow. In the following lines you may understand my story and more often your story is one of survival, grace and new life.

After my two years of national service Army training from 1968-70, I took the unexpected step of going back to a government high school to pass Year 12. Before the seminary I had distinguished myself by failing both Year 10 and Year 11, with the need to repeat both. I was the oldest student in both a catholic and then a high school. My confidence to pass any higher course had been shot to ribbons over those very trying years and the return to secondary school before the intended seminary course was really an attempt on my part to regain confidence in my intellectual capacities.

Although I had put every possible effort into my chosen subjects, the return to school and the subsequent failure in the end of year exams confirmed the need for an absolute dogged determination with seminary studies. True to form, in second year, with 25 students still left in the year, I came last in five of the nine subjects. Things were not looking great, but every subject had been a pass. I still don’t know how.

Worse was to come. Somehow, in the middle of fourth year, I was really struggling. For whatever reasons I just could not cope with the same academic load as most other students. I could not in my own mind even take a proper day off during the seminary terms as I was just coping to get the assignments in on time.

One thing in my favour was that I was doing the right things in my physical life. I was running on average three times a week and physically I was in great shape. I was playing for the seminary squash team.

I did have one problem though, and in the great mystery of God’s ways I clearly remember the day another squash team member walked by me down the same corridor off which I was living at the time. He was the rector, (Fr) Kevin Mogg, the best squash player in the seminary. Knowing Kevin was a good bloke and despite embarrassment and a little desperation on my part, I rolled up my pants from the ankles to the knees and stated that I seemed to have some sort of problem!

It was obvious my body was reacting outwardly from my inner stress. My legs were covered with some sort of skin condition.

Kevin’s reaction was direct: “You go home!”

“I can’t go home,” I responded. “I have all these assignments to get in.”

“No, you go home.”

I was probably at the physical breaking point without realising it. I had tried my guts out to pass those first four years in the seminary. My future as a seminarian was looking very precarious.

I went home for two weeks rest in mid-1974 and even though I ended up failing half of the subjects of that year I was allowed to go on to fifth year.

A specialist diagnosed my skin problems as eczema, of a permanent nature. I am now 62 and have lived with this condition over the past 35 years. In truth it has been a blessing.

I was fortunate on being appointed to Grovedale in 1992 as it has within its borders the greatest surf beaches in the whole of the Melbourne Archdiocese. They include the world famous Bells Beach at Torquay.

The discipline and challenge of sport has made an enormous difference to my life. I have never had a sick day in bed since 1974, the year I developed eczema. But if not for the eczema and hay fever, I would probably have burnt out long ago. These afflictions helped me set boundaries and realise that the ocean’s salt water is a true godsend. If not for eczema I would now probably be a grumpy old man!

My 750 Sunday swims in a row are due to come up shortly on November 22, 2009. Who knows when the streak will end? It is not that important.

The ability to thrive and be enthusiastic in priesthood has been the truly important factor. For most priests habits like swimming and walking are not an end in themselves, but you neglect your physical side at your own peril!

Greg Trythall, Grovedale VIC