ACE TALKS
ACE Talks
This is the first segment in T-Talk.T-Talk is a project that gets anonymous individuals to open up about their fitness journey but also about their own aspirations and desires in life. It is designed to show us that a lot of us are on similar paths but sometimes we forget this and close ourselves off. We put ourselves in man thought categories and leave ourselves there not realizing others are going through the exact same thing.
Talk-1
The main reason I started to work out was to lose weight , but as a yo yo exerciser and having a membership for few months I went with a personal trainer, my workouts have now become an escape, where I can check out and have an hour for myself a few times a week and feel better and more energized. I go to the gym to be healthier and fitter for my child and I suppose for myself to feel better and be happier about how I look. In the last year I have taken a step back in my career to a less stressful role to concentrate on my child and enjoy quality time with him. When he goes to school in the future I plan to return to college to higher my qualifications so that I can secure a better paid job to provide a better life for my child and a life he can be proud of. My child is my motivation. As a working parent on the darkest days he makes me want to go, he gives me reason to want to live a happy healthy fit life. Motivation dictates your success but it’s done so by feelings toward things or desires and needs, currently in work I’m not challenged so I don’t feel motivated bar I need to make a living to support my kid. I do believe I’m happy, I’m very blessed with my life and what I have and my child I get to raise and of course I have dark crappy days that creep in but I believe that’s OK too. (Anonymous-1)
Talk-2
My mental health motivates me to work out. When I was younger I always had a keen interest in exercising and keeping fit but as I got older I got somewhat lost along the way. I turned to alcohol as a release to deal with my day to day issues and stresses of life which eventually had me hit rock bottom. I was living for the weekend. Binge from Friday to Sunday. I entered a dark state of depression and piled on the weight. I was prescribed medication from my GP (Which I didn’t take as it made me feel 100 times worse) and I considered counselling which I attended for a period of 4 months. It was the best thing I ever did. Speaking to a counsellor made me realise what I was missing in my life and helped me to fight off the darkness that was hanging over me. It gave me the motivation I needed to break away from the state of depression I was in and get back exercising. I started by walking everyday (Roughly 7km) but after about 3 months I began to get bored. It just wasn’t enough for me anymore. I didn’t have the confidence to sign up to gym membership so I began attending spinning classes. I loved it. I knew that when I got on that bike that my thoughts were non-existent. I focused solely on pushing my limits and burning off all the unwanted stress that had been weighing me down. Spinning became my release and I loved every minute. My weight started to drop rapidly, I was feeling happy again and my mood had lifted significantly. For me fitness is life. It’s a necessity. If I don’t exercise I feel shit. I train to keep positive and that’s what motivates me. Depression will always be a part of me, it’s an illness that many of us have been diagnosed with but for me exercise is my medication. My fitness goals differ from day to day. I have so many goals. I want to build a booty, have a six pack. Be aesthetically strong focusing on callisthenic movements. I want it all. The skies the limit lol. I’ll just keep going. My life goals are simple. Family/love/Career Family; I’m not getting any younger. I want kids. I want a house filled with laughter. I aim to be better than I was yesterday. Fortunately, I have found my life partner, soulmate and best friend. He is always there when I need him and I will always be grateful to him for putting up with my shit. I want to excel in my career. I love to learn and will continue to do so. To me happiness is so many things: Family. Falling in love. Morning coffee. Laughing with friends. Laughing at yourself. A good conversation. A glass of wine. Sunshine. My dog. The list is endless. (Anonymous-2)
Talk-3
When I first started fitness, my biggest motivator was weight loss. I was always big and one day I overheard someone explaining me to someone else. They had said “the fat guy”. That’s when I decided to make a change. As I grew older my reason for working out also changed. I suffered a major personal loss and anxiety and depression set in. Fitness helped me overcome them. Whenever I felt sad or anxious I would use it in my workout and found that the feeling would disappear. I would feel lighter in my body and in my mind. My goals in fitness are to challenge myself and be happy, healthy and fit. Not only for me but for my family and friends too. It’s something we can use to enjoy ourselves and stay healthy. My goals in life are very similar. I want to be happy, healthy, fit and loved. As long as I have good friends and family around me, then I’m content. Without fitness I would have spiralled into my depression and would not have this outlook today. I’m working on my happiness every day. A few months back, I never thought I’d be happy again. Since I started fitness, that view has changed. I look forward to my workouts every week because after every one, I’m going to be a little bit happier. I would define the happiness as being able to smile more and get back to being myself. Apart from fitness, my friends and family keep me happy. There’s always support when I need it. (Anonymous-3)
Talk-4
I work out for to improve my fitness, health and it gives me a boost for the rest of the day. Exercising makes me feel amazing especially when you get that burst of endorphin’s. When I was younger I was around size 18 – 20 and that mindset never leaves you, you always think you are bigger than you are. I am constantly on a journey striving for something different and to never return to that place. I am very driven in both career and fitness, I keep trying to push myself and always improve. I always try and remain focused especially in terms of life and career goals. I put my heart and soul into college for four years of my life, which led to everything else being put on the back burner. This became more evident when my mother passed. I put everything into the books. Give me a book and I’ll read it back to front and tell you anything you needed to know. It took my mind out what happened. The gym is now my means of taking my mind off it now. I forget everything for an hour or two hours or however long it is. Overall I can say I am happy with life, you have ups and downs but ultimately I am here for a purpose. I see myself as an educator, sister, daughter and I try to do right by that. I have had some down times over the last few months but I am coming out a better person now. The key thing that helped me through was routine and focus. This has helped me both teaching and for my own gains both physically and emotionally.
Don’t ever let yourself think the situation has to stay where it is. You will always move on. (Anonymous-4)
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