The Sunshine State

This first adventure is where it all started.. where I decided I needed to change my life. During my first month taking Fitness and Health, we were presented with an opportunity to visit IMG Academy in Florida. I remember sitting there, watching the presentation and looked straight away at my girlfriend and said, "WE HAVE TO GO!" Her, being an olympic lifter herself, was just as keen! That same night, we both submitted our applications/essays explaining why we should be chosen to go and when we were accepted, we had a week or so to come up with the money. Where the heck were we going to get a couple grand after just paying for tuition annnd our books annnd all the fitness equipment we needed to buy?! I think we both maxed out our credit cards, went into our savings and asked our parents for the rest, promising to pay them back. I remember telling my boyfriend at the time and he was NOT supportive, and let me tell you, he sucked at having my back. He didn't understand the reason why I wanted to go, he was extremely insecure and felt like all I wanted to do was party. He was wrong and he was not going to stop me from going. More on relationships and love later... Either way, my gf and I made it work. WHY? Because we wanted to go and there was nothing on this planet that would stop us.

The calm before the storm

Our first stop was in Dunedin, Florida, home of the the Dunedin Blue Jays and where the Toronto Blue Jays have their spring training. We got to tour around the whole facility and work with the operations team for two games. We also got a chance to watch their practice and meet with the athletic trainer, who by the way is Canadian! He taught us some training techniques they use and showed us their recovery process/facility. Altogether, it was a great weekend with the Dunedin Blue Jays! And thats not even the best part...

Our next stop?! IMG ACADEMY!! Located in Bradenton, Florida. If you don't know what IMG Academy is, its pretty much a highschool where all the students are athletes. They have some of the best facilities and coaches from all over the world. They're also sponsored by Gatorade and Under Armour, where almost all their gear comes from. The first day we got there was the Florida State track and field championships and we got a chance to volunteer in the event. Pretty awesome watching some of the fastest athletes in the United States perform! As the days went by, we met some of the management team, the coaches for several different sports and some of the athletes themselves.

I am a huge basketball fan and so, I was keen on meeting the basketball team and coaches. One of the girls' coaches was an ex WNBA player and she showed me some of the drills and equipment that they used for timing. It was so crazy! I wish my basketball practices were like that! After watching their practice, I found out the NBA pre draft training was being held there at the same time!! I got to watch their practice and learn some of the strength and conditioning they do. Pretty intense!! And so amazing at the same time!! I remember being on the tram with one of the players and I knew he looked familiar but I couldn't figure out who he was until we both got off at the same stop. I asked where he was off to and he said, "practice. You?" I told him I was going to watch the pre draft, he laughed and told me not to make fun of him when he starts to cry. I laughed back, trying to keep my cool, still confused, not knowing who he was, but knowing I've seen him before. And there it hit, he played for Wisconsin state!! I'm not allowed to disclose who he was but I KNEW I've seen him before and seeing him in person was incredible!! Along with watching the other college basketball players train at the same time. Not only did I get to watch their practice, I got to train WITH them too.

Everyday, my gf and I were up at 5am (although I admit, I did miss one day lol) so that we can train, catch breakfast for 6-7am and be ready by 8am to start our day. The coaches also went in at the same time, so we trained with them and learned some new drills. Even on their active recovery days, I was dead but it was totally worth it. I got close to one of the Strength and Conditioning coaches, Justin Russ and he was pretty badass. He runs TRX certification courses, is partnered with TriggerPoint and coached at IMG. He helped some of his athletes become champions in their sport and helped others achieve their goals. He worked his ass off! And guess where he is now? Residing in Dubai, Justin is now the Director of Education for the largest fitness distributer in the Middle East!! Pretty amazing where life can take you when you have the passion and drive for what you do. He's definitely one of my inspirations and I know I can always count on him whenever I need. Throughout the trip, he helped me improve some of my techniques and kicked my ass when we trained, as a group and individually. He pushed me to my limits, thats for sure! Thanks @coachjustinruss !! This experience wouldn't be the same without you.

Saying bye to @coachjustinruss

Going to IMG was an experience of a lifetime and I am SO grateful for all the people I've met and all the things I've learned. Despite all the training and health stuff, I learned a lot about myself and what I wanted to do with my life. I knew I wanted more. After a bit of thinking, I knew I wanted to graduate school, quit my day job at Costco, break up with my boyfriend and start doing something more with my field. I wanted to start giving back to the community, y'know? I thought of a million different projects but I had NO IDEA where or how to start. Finally, I realized... I just need to START. So, here I am.. starting this journey with all of you. I want to start by asking you what do YOU want? I want to know what would make you happy and I want to know why? This trip made me realize how much control we have over our own lives, from waking up in the morning (WHAT makes you WANT to wake up?),To what motivates you to KEEP GOING? WHY? I definitely did NOT want to wake up at 5am, especially if I didn't have to. So, WHY did I? For me, it was waking up knowing I'd be able to train in an amazing facility, it was knowing these coaches will be there to help me reach my goals and teach me new knowledge about the fitness industry, it was knowing that if I wake up, I will be a better person and I will thank myself for it. So, everyday, I woke up and got my ass to the gym.. I hit a new PR on my deadlift, despite pulling my groin in the process, I didn't stop.. and I found my WHY. That's what kept me going.

So, let me tell you this:

Don't stop chasing your dreams!!

You don't know where to start? Start by asking yourself what and why. Start by figuring out what your passion is and what drives you! Start by starting!

This is only the beginning..

Stick around and find out how I got to party at the Playboy Mansion and visit the LA Clippers' Training facility!

On our days off, we hit the beach! // Siesta Key Beach

Catch ya later, Babes!

Always,

Me

xo