James Magnussen Quotes

Movember is an event that I've supported for a number of years. I haven't grown a moustache myself before, but I've always donated to others. I think that raising awareness for men's health is really important. You see a lot of initiatives - very public initiatives - around women's health, like breast cancer awareness and the like, but men's health issues tend to go more unnoticed. I think this is a great cause and I'm proud to support it.

I also think swimmers are pretty fashion conscious and mos aren't always the best accessory to be rocking. Haha.

I don't think I'd rock a moustache. I don't mind growing a beard. I think it's just a guy thing. We like to nurture a beard, see what we can grow and sort of test our own patience with how long we can let it grow out. However, I'm not really as keen on moustaches as I am on beards.

It can be seen as 'weak' to complain about health issues or worry about your health. But with younger guys, I think it's just a case of it being a secondary thought. We live pretty busy lifestyles these days. People have got work and social lives, and they party and spend a lot of time doing other things, and health just takes a backseat in a lot of cases. That's just the way a lot of people seem to live their lives.

I've had a beard a fair few times and, like most guys, when I shave the beard off I experiment with a few different facial hair styles on the way down to clean shaven. But I've never actually had a moustache for any longer than about 10-15 minutes - during the process of shaving off the beard.

I think everyone's had a brother or a father or a cousin, uncle or grandfather who's had health issues because they've neglected things. I think that's almost been part of Australian culture, which is why I think Movember is really important. We need to change that outlook.