It’s all about the Why

AIA Thailand turns 80 this year and to mark the occasion, it flew its global ambassador, former top footballer David Beckham, to Bangkok to help promote its #WhatsYourWhy campaign and also kick a ball around with kids at Impact, Muang Thong Thani. 
A true family man and health influencer, Beckham plays a leading role in motivating and encouraging people to live a healthy life by changing their behaviour, adopting better eating habits and taking regular exercise. 
The star of #WhatsYourWhy has long had a soft spot for Thailand and says he’s thankful for the support he has always enjoyed from his Thai fans.

He recently sat down for an informal chat with the Thai press. Excerpts

AS AIA’S GLOBAL AMBASSADOR, YOU TAKE AN IMPORTANT ROLE IN PROMOTING THE #WHATSYOURWHY CAMPAIGN VIDEO, WHICH HAS NOW BEEN VIEWED MORE THAN 16.2 MILLION TIMES ON THE SOCIAL NETWORKS. HOW DO YOU FEEL ABOUT THAT AND WHY IS IT IMPORTANT?
I believed in #WhatsYourWhy from the first moment I heard about it. The campaign focuses on what you care about and what you feel is important. The campaign has been such a success because people really see what you care about. My ‘why’ is always my family. It all revolves around the kids. They are our future. You have to set the right example as whatever you do, children will follow. The campaign resonates with people; family, friends, children and loved ones. 

CAN YOU EXPLAIN IN YOUR OWN WORDS WHY YOU WANT TO BE HEALTHY AND LOVE YOUR LIFE?
It’s important because you need to set the right message as a role model. One of the reasons I wanted to partner with AIA was to send the right message to many people and help people to live longer and better. I have four young children, I want to set the right example to them. I’ve always said it’s about the small things and sometimes it is the smallest things that actually make the big changes. 

WHAT IS YOUR PERSPECTIVE ON LEADING A HEALTHIER LIFE?
I’m quite lucky. I’ve had a career that has been going on for 22 years, a long time for a footballer. I have to be healthy, I have to look after myself but I also grew up in a world where players didn’t look after themselves as much as they do now. I’m lucky because I’m the generation that started to be concerned about being healthy –eating the right things and doing what we can to stay fit and to prolong our careers. My children were born when I was young too, so they’ve lived my career with me, they’ve watched what I do, what I eat, watched me work hard as a footballer and hopefully that set the right example for them. 

WHAT DO YOU CALL A HEALTHY DIET? DO YOU LIKE THAI FOOD?
I love to eat. I think it is down to the individual. If you make small changes, you can eat whatever you want but you need to be balanced. I love Thai food, I love spice, of course. (Laughs) At the end of the day, we all have a busy life. At home I have four children to get to school on time. They need to eat breakfast, it can be difficult, but I always ask them to grab a banana or something to eat on the way. It’s a choice. Diet is such an important part of your life. 
I’ve been to Thailand many times and I always love coming back. The fans always welcome me here. Many of my visits were with my team so I understand people loving me because of the team I played for. Now I come on my own and it is nice to see the real support I enjoy. I love visiting other countries. This is one of my favourites as I am always welcomed with open arms. I don’t need an excuse to come back here; every time is incredible.
There are so many memories but each trip is different. The highlight is always working with the kids because children are so honest, they do exactly what they think without any filters. That’s the great thing about kids. I think just working with the kids, making smoothies with them, trying to make them understand broccoli, strawberries and bananas are great, for me, this is the biggest reward. And we get to play a little football too! 

THAILAND HAS NEVER QUALIFIED FOR THE WORLD CUP. HOW DO WE DO IT?
It’s hard work. There are many talented players in Thailand. I’ve played against many teams, many players from Thailand. It’s always tough opposition. So I think it’s down to hard work. That said, it starts at the grassroots level. You have to look at the academies, the coaches; when there are good and stable structures in place, then you can be successful, but it takes time. You have to be patient.

WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT REAL MADRID AND MANCHESTER UNITED, BOTH OF WHOM SEEM TO BE FACING MANY CHALLENGES AT THE MOMENT? DO YOU THINK THEY CAN OVERCOME THEM?
Every team goes through challenges, even the biggest clubs with the best managers. They go through certain changes and all big teams go through difficult times. I wouldn’t say it’s a crisis but when you’ve been so successful and you have a couple of games where you don’t play well, people start talking about it. They’ll both be fine.

WHAT’S YOUR SECRET TO SUCCESS?
I don’t really have many secrets. My career, everything I’ve done in business has come from hard work. I saw that from a very young age with my parents. I saw them work hard. That instilled a set of values in me and I have tried to pass that on to my children. I want them to see that even though I have had a long career in football, I’m still working very hard. To be successful is to work hard, I always tell children that these great football players around the world playing in the [English] Premiere League and La Liga, or other leagues. They are not great because they are lucky. They work hard and it’s the same in business and in life in general. You want to be successful, you have to work hard. There’s a little bit of luck along the way, but you have to be dedicated. The biggest thing is you have to enjoy it. A smile on the face, and eye contact changes a person’s day.