Sports has always been apart of my life since I was a little girl. I took swimming lessons since I was 6 months old. I liked the water even though it was quite cold at times.
At the age of 7 I also became a cheerleader and a gymnast. I was always at the top of the pyramid and being thrown in the air due to the fact I was always the smallest and lightest to lift. Then I traded in my pompoms and my leotard for a jersey and a soccer ball at the age of 9.
I liked soccer way better because I had a group of girls who supported me and we always had a great time together both on and off the field. I was also one of the fastest runners and I liked being a part of team.
At the age of 12 I stopped taking swimming lessons and started taking lifeguard courses. I would always be in the water swimming, whether that be to go and practice help save someone or to keep up with time swims.
In the winter I started snowboarding. It was quite hard when I first started learning but I found it to be really fun. Every time I fell I would always fight to get up no matter how tired or exhausted I was. It taught me to keep going and to never give up.
When I was in high school I joined the dance team in grade 9. Throughout high school I played soccer and danced. I even joined the volley team in grade 11. I liked being active, and winning games was a good incentive to keep going. I was the best defender in the league in soccer and one of the best hip-hop dancers on my team.
At the age of 16 I became a lifeguard. It was not easy, especially passing all the physicals but I am so proud of myself for pushing myself and succeeding. I was never bored growing up and I liked to keep myself busy. It was hard to say goodbye to dance when I graduated high school and aged out of soccer.
A couple months later University started and I needed a good stress reliever to help deal with my load of homework and studying. So I went to the gym and started lifting weights. I did that for about a year but I found it kind of boring and I kept cutting my reps short because I tended to get lazy sometimes. It got kind of lonely because I was so used to playing on a team and having a group of people support me and share the same struggles I had. I was always interested in doing kickboxing.
Punching and kicking a bag is always a good stress reliever. So I looked online and found a UFC gym. I joined within a couple days and couldn’t have been more happy. The UFC gym offered a bunch of different classes and the trainers are all super nice and push me to new limits. This way there was no way for me to cut my reps short or get lazy like I did at a regular gym. It is also a very good stress reliever for school and just in life in general.
Last summer I took up paddle boarding and surfing. I found it to be really fun and I enjoyed it. It taught me balance and built up even more of my determination. Whenever I would fall into the water I would always get back up on the board. I would also laugh at myself. I am still currently a lifeguard and snowboard at least once every season. I work out at the UFC gym 4-5 times a week, depending on my homework and study load each week. I use the gym as an escape from school and life in general. It also helps me with my job. Fitness is definitely a necessity to be able to do my job. I hope to surf and paddle board in the every summer.
When I am at the gym I forget about my responsibilities and just focus on myself. Pushing myself to new limits and I like trying out new exercises. The gym helps me keep sane and seeing results makes me try harder and push myself. It keeps me happy and healthy. It also teaches me discipline and helps me sleep. It is where I can be selfish and just focus on myself and what I am doing. I am going to continue to try new things and push myself out of my comfort zone. Grow more of my determination and perseverance. I no longer use the gym to lose weight and keep skinny but instead use it as a place where I can build strength both mentally and physically.
Rachel Li, Fitness Enthusiast.
Any individuals in sports and fitness who would like to share their voice, please submit to hank@hankfittraining.com