I figured out my life! Being pumped for 2016

It’s crazy how often and how much your ambitions and aspirations can change in the space of 5 years. I went from girly fashion enthusiast who labelled herself as “the cheerleader” at sporting events (eg. stood there in non-sporty clothes yelling at people to run faster), to a fruit-munching fitness fanatic whose day is never short of a big berry smoothie. From never caring what my food was made of as long as it was out of a microwave in 3 minutes, to not touching it if it isn’t fresh, wholesome and vegan. I always had a hunger for fitness (I loved taekwondo and ran my first cross country in grade 4) but I always gave up too easily. I wanted to be glowing, fit and happy– but I never knew how, and never had anyone to teach me how. So I taught myself.

What I’ve noticed ever since joining the health world (yes, it really does feel like being on a whole another planet), is that most of us weren’t raised to be healthy– there was some catalyst that motivated (or forced) us to shape ourselves into someone new with a few simple tools: greeny vibrant nutrition, fiery fitness and peace from within to give us patience and a bucket of new-found, much-needed self respect. I was always slightly interested in health, but it would always slip from my fingers if I began to grasp it for too long. I’d read countless books on the effects of dairy on acne and our bones, go dairy free, then decide that “one cheese pie” won’t be so bad. The one cheese pie turned into yogurt for breakfast, milk tea and before I knew it I was back where I started. Same happened with fried foods, and cakes, and processed fatty junk. My body was preparing for an ultimatum that eventually led me here, as a whole new person with shining new responsibilities, goals and aspirations. Today I want to share them with you!

So what’s the plan? I’m only too excited to tell you!

The Blog

Obviously I’m going to keep working hard on developing Glowing Green Peace as much as I can next year, balancing it with the rest of my life to keep spreading the healthy vegan lifestyle message as much as possible. I want every day I live to be proof of the liberating, empowering essence a Glowing, Green, Peaceful vegan life fills you with. Every day I live with so much passion and that’s what I want to share with all of you– and how you can do the same. Working in the fitness industry, I also want to shift society’s view on veganism in association with health and importantly, strength and physical capabilities. I’m a high-carb, low fat vegan, thriving on a diet of mostly fruit with some salads and starches, and whilst many would believe I’m getting inadequate protein and nutrients, I’m extremely fit and energetic cardio-wise and the weights I lift are pretty heavy. I’m not looking to bulk up, so you won’t catch me doing 140kg squats, but in many incidents I’ve seen myself with heavier loads than the guys in my pump classes hehe ;) And I know I can keep improving in all areas of fitness! On a vegan diet!

When I can’t keep up with blog posts, I’ll keep in touch with you all with my instagram andtwitter x

The Job

I already have a part-time job at a sports store which I LOVE. It’s an amazing workplace to be in (after some bad experiences at other places in the past) with so many fun people and it’s like 6 giant steps away from the gym I train at. Woopee! I would like to stay working there for as long as possible to earn money to pay tuition fees/LIFE FEES haha etc. I feel like if you are in a good place, don’t throw it away, because you never know if you’ll find another great place like that.

The Uni Debate

I have actually opted to NOT go to University immediately after I graduate. I will already express that the High School environment as it was, didn't really suit me. I do love learning, and I am great at putting bucketfuls of effort into what really sparks my interest, but sitting in a classroom all day, 5 days a week tends to exhaust me. Combined with lots of fitness training after school, I’m usually pretty tired of the routine by Thursday. So whilst I do love school for what it is, and I’d chosen some pretty neat subjects that taught me more and more about the world on a health level, I’ve decided to take a break from the 9-5 style learning that school and uni are based on and go for a few other things like…wait for it…

The Les Mills Surprise

THAT’S RIGHT! Don’t worry, it’s taken me by surprise a bit too. I never anticipated how hard and fast I could have fallen in love with fitness last year. I’ve been a nutrition nerd for a while now, but fitness was barely a component until I started experiencing the high of a massive exercise session. I used to be someone who ‘made themselves run’ or ‘forced a few pushups’ once or twice a week. Ever since being immersed in the Les Mills group fitness magic everything I knew about exercise seemed to change. I know it seems like I credit this a lot, but really I now believe that if a Body Attack class can get ME to WANT to get up on a Saturday morning to be at the gym by 8.15am, anyone can change their view on getting sweaty :P

So I’ve become an instructor myself. This year I’m enrolled in a Cert III of Fitness, which certifies me as a group fitness instructor. Then I can sat my Les Mills module 3 weeks ago! So currently I'm in training as a fresh new Body Attack instructor.

In 2016 I hope to train in a few more programs, particularly looking at Body Pump, Body Balance, CX Worx, and GRIT Strength :)

(For those of you who don't know Body Attack is a sports inspired cardio workout that builds strength and stamina. You do fun dynamic whole body movements like burpees, tuck jumps, strength work, and aerobic movements too!)

Getting Personal…

Part of enrolling in my Cert III this year is that I also have the choice of continuing into a Cert IV Master Trainer course, which ties the two certificates together as a certified group instructor as well as a personal trainer. This is something I’m considering as more of a learning route, rather than focusing on becoming a PT. I know I want to work in fitness, but more as a Group Trainer rather than being a PT, however I believe that taking the course will help me understand how to work with participants on a personal level too during or outside a class. It will be a valuable load of information to have when considering the individuals within a group class, which is what I personally look for in an instructor. Can they help me with certain techniques I’m not comfortable with? Can I ask them for advice?

Sport. Aerobics/ Aerobic Gymnastics

I.LOVE.AEROBICS. It’s my thang. One thing I can't wait to do is coach younger levels of aerobic gymnasts for my school team next year, and I'm also setting up my own Aerobics club at a local primary school. I’ll always miss the magic when I stop competing for my High school (this is my last year of leotards and shimmer tights!) so I’ll be that cool kid that hangs around at school even when I’ve graduated. Ew. But I definitely want to keep around aerobics, and coaching newbies would be a really fun experience. I'm also going to keep competing at an outside club which will be freakin awesome, and my goal ia to try and make it into the Victorian State Trial Team wooo! Goals goals goals.

Nutrition Nerdism

SO, where does the uni come into play? Sometime, later. I will probably go to uni eventually, I just don’t have a crystal ball to say when. If I’m a practicing Coach, Vegan know it all (hahahahaha) and Group Fitness Instructor, I’d love to have some science to back it all up. Like I said, I just love having the knowledge bank rather than focusing on having a framed bachelor’s degree on my wall. If I do attend uni, it’ll be something like Nutritional Medicine/Naturopathy at Southern School of Natural Therapies or Exercise Science and Physiology at La Trobe University. Maybe I’d even do Human Biology (I did love yr 12 Bio…) one day…. there’s so many options out there and that’s all I need to be comfortable in. It’s not about when and where and why, you just have to listen to your heart and filter out the desires that aren’t yours, keep the dreams that you originally put there, not what someone else has told you to dream about. That sort of thinking got me into a failed Chemistry unit and a pretty shabby Maths Methods score– they weren’t MY passions, they were my teacher’s and family’s.

Go for what YOU want!! xx

I hope this post helps you get a bit of an idea about what’s next for this liddle vegan here, and how I’m going to use all I’ve been given to change the world! You don’t have to be in power, wealthy, superly-dooperly gifted or ‘older and more mature’ to make a difference… aim high, dream big :D

#myveganstory #Thoughts #MyLife