Holding my breath I try to look Maxine in the eye, painfully aware that I’m looking at the floor and my body language is apologetic and my fellow boot campers are hovering. Despite their anticipation they are subtly trying to give me some space whilst I wait for a response…..after what felt like a lifetime Maxine asks “were you thinking of yourself?” “well, yes, but only because it’s the only thing im passionate about at the moment!” “Oh my god, yes, lets talk, how exciting” These were not the words I expected to hear but they were the start of ‘my new beginning’!
Let me introduce myself, for those of you who are thinking who the hell is this, my name is Sophia, I’m live in Haywards Heath, West Sussex and at the age of 31 I had tried everything that had remotely interested me from acting, counselling, beauty therapy, and a soul destroying stint behind a hot food counter at Hickstead sporting a fetching tabard. I have never felt fulfilled.
There was only one running theme in my life and that was that I loved to remain active if only to support my phenomenal appetite! So when my flat mate asked me if I would like to join a “bootcamp” session on Lindfield Common, despite being gripped by a crippling shyness and concerns about my level of fitness, I jumped at the chance!
I had such a fun time I barely realised how hard I was working…until the next day that is when I couldn’t lift my arms to get dressed or sit down gracefully on the toilet! It wasn’t long before I was taking part in small group sessions and when that wasn’t enough to state my new addiction I began my one to one Personal Training with Maxine.
Having said I was pretty active, I was also a serial ‘yo yo dieter’, consequently my weight was always fluctuating and with it my energy levels, not to mention my strength was less than adequate as performing what I thought a simple task like a press up proved impossible. It wasn’t that I was suddenly able to do one handed push ups or run like Jessica Ennis, I couldn’t even tell you when I started to notice that compared to months before I was able to perform exercises, that had once seemed a million miles away, with relative ease…and of course the best bit, those compliments you get off people you don’t see you everyday, “have you lost weight?” “you’re looking toned” even my mother had stopped saying “hold your tummy in”, that was now Maxine’s job!!!
Now as a true Potential Training style addict I’d begun to organise little sessions for myself and close friends when time with Maxine was unavailable, so when people started saying I should talk to her about working for the company I’d be lying if I said it hadn’t crossed my mind. The problam was I was terrified ,and being far from looking like your typical personal trainer type I honestly thought I would be laughed at and that crippling shyness I mentioned earlier…that wasn’t going to help either!
However just 3 months on from that conversation with Maxine and with her support, the acceptance of all the Potential members and encouragement from those close to me, here I am a qualified fitness instructor: my new beginning.
My training is ongoing and continuously scares me on a daily basis but I had no idea that when I started as a client with potential last year that I would be here today. I’m not saying that will be your journey (although you never know), but my concerns and fears I have now are only equal to those of when I first started, Potential Personal Training truly has shaken up my approach to exercise, reviewed my life style choices both big and small, and given me a massive sense of self confidence and a renewed energy resource.
Am I disciplined everyday? No of course not, but the difference is that I have stopped making excuses…if I eat something ‘naughty,’ I say to myself that was great – back on it now and I don’t wait for Monday to come round again before promising myself ‘I will be good’!
