My life has changed quite a bit in the last 90 days. I had the pleasure to not only participate in the challenge but to coach some of my peers and train boot camps. When I agreed to take on these tasks I was a bit apprehensive as to what I could contribute and how I could inspire my fellow FitManiacs. I am relatively new to FitMania myself but am passionate about the program. If you know me you know I am a soft-spoken person who typically doesn’t like a lot of attention. I knew that getting up in front of a group and leading them was going to be a little bit out of my comfort zone, but I’m always up for a challenge.
It has been a really great experience seeing the successes of others and helping to encourage both those I was coaching and the people I was training. One of the ladies I coached had many significant setbacks throughout the challenge (surgery, injuries, vacations) which was extremely disheartening for her. She had really been successful in the previous challenge. I encouraged her to finish anyways and was so incredibly proud that she did. The best part was that despite all odds she even made even more progress than she had hoped.
One of the things that brings me the most joy in life is feeling that I am helping others. I found lots of joy and success in training, coaching and encouraging those around me this challenge. It is fun to recognize the progress of others and be able to build them up. I also feel like I grew leaps and bounds in confidence by stepping outside of my comfort zone. Growing up one of my dad’s most frequently used sayings was “You can do hard things. It builds character.” I always hated hearing that as a kid, but as an adult I recognize that doing hard things is important. It’s okay to be uncomfortable and tackle things that may normally scare/intimidate you! It really is good for building confidence and gaining new skills.

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