After incurring a neck fracture 16 months out from the 2002 Winter Olympics, and being told by doctors he likely wouldn’t take to the ice again, short track speed skater Steven Bradbury didn’t take no for an answer. The Aussie, who was determined to reach another Olympics, went on to compete for a fourth time: winning gold for the country after his opponents all crashed, paving the way for Bradbury to take first place and advancing him through to the final.
“At age 15 as the reserve on the Australian Speed Skating team I was a spectator at the World Championships in Amsterdam. During the mens 1000 metres final I watched a Japanese skater named Toshinobu Kawasaki pass 3 skaters on the outside, get the gold and break the world record. I said to myself ‘one day I’m going to do that,’” Bradbury explained to Men’s Health. “Until that moment my dad pushed me to train on the days I didn’t want to, after that I needed no more pushing, the fire was lit. I knew I’d make the Olympics, from there it was about where I would finish. After thee Olympic campaigns and skating not-to-the-best of my ability when it really counted (at the Olympics), playing the long game wasn’t optional. To not give everything I had to get to that fourth Olympics would have mentally tortured me for the rest of my life. In the end I had committed my life to my sport and was past the point of no return.”
Bradbury’s bizarre come-from-behind gold medal triumph propelled him into Aussie vernacular: the Brisbane-local became known for his dedication, fun demeanour, and of course, his frosted blonde tips.
“During my teenage years and early twenties I had numerous different hair styles (which looking back at all seem ridiculous). The last of these was the blonde-frosted tips which happened to coincide with an Olympic Gold Medal and suddenly becoming a highly recognisable human,” he explains. “For some years following it felt like I was expected to show up for everything with the blonde-frosted tips, to the point where I was landing lucrative television commercial deals hinged on the frosted tips. Fortunately time has passed and the frosted tips are now way in the rear view mirror.”
Long gone those frosted tips may be, but Bradbury never imagined he would eventually lose more than just the colour: at 30-years-old Steven began to notice a receding hairline, and a few years later, a growing number of hairs heading down the drain while showering.
“My head isn’t quite as large as Bert Newton’s but it’s close. Most males in the Bradbury family have large heads… it’s hereditary. My forehead is naturally bigger than most peoples – couple this with a receding hairline and it gets emphasised even more. Nowadays, working as a motivational comedian (who ain’t getting any younger) at conferences and events, it’s in my best interest to show up looking as youthful as possible. An Olympic Champion who is balding and overweight can’t really motivate an audience as well as a fit, youthful looking one. Therefore hair loss has the potential to effect my performance onstage, my confidence and my pay cheque. And looking a little younger can’t be a bad thing!”
After finding most hair loss solutions complicated and time-consuming, “they involved regular appointments, time consuming shampoo routines and was very expensive. It felt like I was being prepped for a surgery,” Bradbury looked to Mosh: a modern men’s online health platform that aims to get men the help they need without all the hassle, seriousness and sometimes awkwardness of going to a conventional specialist.
Amongst other issues like sexual health, mental health and skincare, Mosh offers a results-driven hair loss solution that not only has a 90-day guarantee, but connects you to a slew of health professionals in a convenient and discreet way – all 100% online. “Signing up to Mosh was simple: a 10-minute online form, followed by a scheduled 10-minute zoom call with a doctor. That’s it. Three days later the product was delivered to my door,” he explains. “I saw all the success the Mosh customers were getting so wanted to get on the bandwagon.”
“Right now I’m on day nine of the treatment. It involves taking a tiny tablet and applying topical spray on the balding area of my head at the frequency recommended by the Mosh doctor. That’s it. Seriously it takes not even one minute a day, super easy to make part of your morning ritual.”
By taking all your medial history into account, a dedicated Aussie doctor will find the right treatment for you – whether it be hair growth shampoos or vitamins that can be added to your hair loss routine – and provide you with free ongoing medical care.
“One minute a day for the treatment is nothing, especially when results can be seen in 6-9 months. If regrowing your own hair and a little confidence boost in exchange for $70 a month seems like good value then do it, you’ve got nothing to lose…..except more hair,” says Steven. “I’m looking forward to not having to spend time pushing my hair forward to try to hide the bald spots. Having a thicker head of hair again will help me start everyday with a little more confidence and hopefully a smaller forehead!”
Find out more at getmosh.com.au/hair-loss.