Catching Up From Quarantine:
Charlie Jones
The first of a series catching up with Axemen over the last year, is with the 2019 season MVP Charlie Jones. After his first season with the Axemen and several appearances with the USA Hawks, it didn’t take the Aussie expat long to establish himself within USA Rugby League. Since the 2020 season never happened, Jones fills us in on what he has been up to over the last year.
How did you spend most of your time last summer without playing rugby league?
“During the pandemic and lockdown, we decided to move from Chicago to my wife’s family cabin in Northern Wisconsin.
A goal of mine was always to travel the US and visit all the national parks. Without being able to travel overseas and without rugby league, my wife and I made a spontaneous decision to buy a school bus. We spent all summer and are still converting our school bus into a tiny home! Our dreams of being able to travel whenever we want will come true from our home we built ourselves. I have absolutely zero carpentry skills, so a lot of my time was dedicated to watching hours DIY YouTube videos. So much respect for tradies!”
2. What has helped you stay sane (or drove you nuts) during the pandemic?
“We have definitely been playing a lot board games and spent as much time as possible outside. I also kept super busy with building out the bus. Most importantly my wife and family have been great keeping us all sane during quarantine.”
3. How have you been training throughout lock-downs and social distancing?
“I was doing F45 Zoom workouts with my mates in California. I would also jump on a deck of cards workout with Rutcho every Saturday morning. Our gym has opened back up so I’ve been mostly back to weight lifting as normal. I feel my fitness was a main focus over the last year and I am feeling great and ready to go!”
4. Any positive life changes in the past year?
“Quarantine has definitely allowed my family and I to slow down a bit and spend more quality time together than expected. We’ve been with my wife’s family which has been a really nice bonus. Also, turning the school bus into a tiny home has led to me learning so many new skills. I never thought I would know how to do any plumbing, electric, carpentry work and I’ve learned all those skills while building our tiny home!”
5. What do you look forward to most about the upcoming season?
“I am most excited to catch up with all of the Axemen boys and families. I can’t wait to get back on the field and work as a team with all the boys again. We’re bringing back the trophy this year!”
You can follow Charlie and his wife Nicole on their school bus conversion journey on instagram @outbackskoolie.
