There's no separating faith and sport for Australian Rules player Bachar Houli.
The Richmond Tigers midfielder is currently observing Ramadan, which means he must abstain from food and liquids for around 12 hours each day during the holy month.
This comes as the AFL season nears its mid point, and competition for places in the Tigers side heats up.
"You look at a typical football season, you have an in-season and you've got a pre-season. Ramadan, I treat it like the pre-season. It's a way to excel and become better as a person, and a better person that's connected with god and hopefully for the rest of the year I can be that better person," he told SBS World News.
"I'm up at 4.30am. That roughly gives me an hour and a half to hydrate, to get all the fluids and the energy in the body and the system, in order to be the person I am for the rest of the day."
He says training during the winter means that staying hydrated isn't a major concern.
His diet is rather minimal, and includes some Australian classics, but there's still time for coffee which he calls "the most important part of the diet".
"A few pieces of toast with a bit of Vegemite and avocado, a bottle of water or a bottle of Hydralite, a few dates, which is great in nutrients and good for the system, and a bit of fruit," Houli said.
"So that gets me through the day."
Houli says as Ramadan progresses, his stomach begins to shrink.
He moves to eating two meals before going to bed, and the changes don't affect his performance on match day.
"I'm always going into a game about a kilo, kilo-and-a-half lighter than what I am normally," he said.
"I generally feel nice and light. In terms of energy levels, nothing changes."
Houli will also attend iftar dinners across the country, which he says is geared towards improving cross-cultural insights.
"To allow people to have insights into what we do during that month is extraordinary," he said. "It goes to show our country is moving forward in terms of understanding and education."
