Working out was a result of being bullied, but it turned into a cornerstone of who I am now. Throughout middle school, I was often teased by my friends for being more chubbier and sweatier than them. My stomach and chest were often touched, as the fat was able to be grabbed. Although there was only pinching pain physically, the mental bruises lasted a while, and there were plenty of nights of being in the mirror and staring at my insecurities.  From the beginning, I was dedicated, as I was determined to change the way I looked in the mirror. Changing my eating habits was priority #1.  I would wake up early before school to run a mile and do 20 push-ups. Small, but a start. I would build up the load of work and challenge myself by trying to run a faster mile and do 5 more push-ups than last time. Some days were harder than others, but every day I stuck to it, had Faith, and found a way to work out and get the challenge done. It was something about the accomplished feeling of running through walls that I previously could not reach.

 

Over time, I fell in love with the process and then duplicated the feeling once I saw the progress. No matter what type of workout session it was, if it was possible for me to do it, I got it done.  Pre-COVID-19, I was trained by my older brother and father at the gym. But due to the pandemic, I developed the ability and confidence to exercise alone. I haven't looked back since.

 

My workouts would be at the field, in my backyard, at school, at the gym, and in my garage. Swimming, biking, boxing, running, and playing sports are the major fitness challenges that I partake in, but lifting weights is definitely my preferred method to get the sweat going.