During the 2016 Rio Olympic Games, Australia won 29 medals, beating both China and American when it comes to gold medals per capita. So how does a country with less professional athletes and a relatively small population cultivate such a large group of talented athletes?

Well, not all Olympic athletes in Australia choose sports as their profession. However, most of them are involved in various fields of sports when they aren’t preparing for the Olympics.

Let’s first take a look at one of Sydney’s most famous beaches, Manly Beach. Despite being the middle of winter in Australia, the surfers here do not hesitate to catch some waves. There are also countless joggers on the beach as well as those enjoying a game of volleyball with their friends.

With the water warmer than the air, winter has always been a great time to experiment with new sports.

“It really helps you become part of the Australian culture, you get to know people and what they really love to do,” said Melissa, a surfer at Manly Beach.

Indoor gyms have also become increasingly popular everywhere in Australia. Walking into a local boxing club, there are many boxing lovers rope skipping, cycling, and practicing punches. Despite coming here straight after work, many are very determined on training and exercising. Looking for different ways of exercising have recently transformed into a fashion trend.

“Australia has a long history in boxing and it has a long history with world champions in boxing. And here in this gym, we have some boys that are seven years old and we have one guy who is 60. So there’s a big, big gap,” said Tony Del Vecchio, head trainer at Bondi Boxing Club.

“Boxing for us is everything. We do weights, we do CrossFit, we do boxing for cardio; cardiovascular training is very, very strong. It’s big and makes you very fit. And also you know you are learning. Boxing is one of the oldest martial arts in the world.”

When you walk down the streets of Australia, it is extremely common to stumble across a small playground or an indoor gym every 15 minutes. The large amounts of fitness areas are due to the government’s commitment and support towards fitness. Sports and fitness have been embedded in Australians since childhood.