It all started five years ago…
The beginning of my journey starts in a tiny country located just at the western end of the Iberian Peninsula, Portugal. I lived in Portugal for eleven years. I was happy there; I was popular and loved, I had a big house and a dog, and tons of friends. I had everything I’ve ever wanted… There was and still is, only one issue with living in Portugal, the economy. Jobs are very minimal in Portugal, and the income is absolutely insignificant. Due to that, my father lived apart from his daughters and wife all his life in order to provide for his family. He lived here, in Vancouver, and worked hard everyday to give his family everything he possibly could.
Eleven years went by, and my father decided he had enough. He was tired of being apart, he was frustrated because he did not watch his daughters grow everyday of their lives, so he decided it was time for all of us to move to Canada. At the time, I was in seventh grade. I had just started high school, I was just starting to make “life time” friendships, I had tons of good connections… I was living my “perfect” life… or so I thought. When my parents first told me we were moving, I was devastated. At that moment in my life, I absolutely hated my parents for what they were going to put me through.
My first year in Vancouver was far the worst year of my life. I barely spoke the language, so friends weren’t existent, I had lunch alone for majority of my days, and I would speed walk home everyday to my bed to cry. I absolutely hated everything about this city. I had a super negative mindset and that did not take me very far in life. After a year of depression, I decided I had to make the most of it. I was going to have to live here for the rest of my life, so I had to find my happiness. With the right mindset, I rapidly fell in love with this city. Vancouver offers something that no other city that I know of offers. Here, there is beautiful mountains to hike, amazing sightseeing places where you can walk and bike and stay active. There is so much to do here, and that’s how I first found my happiness. Back in Portugal, there was no opportunities like these. I would sit on the couch, eat and watch Tv, go to school, go shopping… not once I remember getting up and doing something active.
With being active, my passion for fitness just escalated enormously. I went from no exercise, to exercising every single day. My uncle and aunt who have lived here their whole lives, motivated me to go out there and explore the wonders around me. I started off with hiking a lot, mostly Deep Cove, but also Grouse Grind and the Sea to Sky which are obviously amazing challenges. Then I started doing a lot of biking, hours and hours, SeaWall and SeaSide, going over bridges, going over hills. It was and still is lot of fun. And now, I find myself going to the gym everyday. I started surrounding myself with people with similar goals as me. These people, have now impacted my life in such a great matter, and brought such happiness into my life. Friends who have been there every step of my journey, teaching me and guiding me in a healthy path.
I started attending the gym full time about three years ago. When I first started, my knowledge was minimal. My main goal was to loose weight, but also to gain some muscle; however, I did everything wrong. My first year of training, I was eating less than 100 carbohydrates a day while doing twenty-five minutes of interval training on the treadmill. I was feeling constantly tired and weak because I did not know better. I did not love my body or its physical appearance, and I definitely did not love how I felt. I did loose a lot of weight, however, I did not build any muscle.
With some help from my friends, I started learning the better ways of working out. I started eating regular balanced meals, full of nutrients, and energy.
A year after working out, I started to learn better ways. Eating healthy and lifting heavy. And that was when, I found myself. I found true happiness. I found something I truly love doing, lifting. I love the feeling of pushing myself to the limits, and build strength. I love how my body improves and changes overtime. With this whole process, I learned how to love myself, and how to have the right mindset on life. I learned how life is full os challenges, but it is always better to face them then to run away from them, and learn from mistakes. Feeling comfortable and confident in your own skin and body is such an important factor in the fitness world. It is all about loving yourself. I have my parents to thank for now, after putting me through tough times, they are the reason why I found “home”, I found my passion, and the reason for my growth as a young adult. Fitness helped a young woman find herself. Life is truly a roller coaster of rides, full of ups and downs.
Marina Silva, Fitness Enthusiast.
Any individuals in sports and fitness who would like to share their voice, please submit to hank@hankfittraining.com