In the Spring of 2020, I came to the long overdue realization that I was on the wrong track in life. I absolutely needed to make significant and sustainable lifestyle changes if I wanted to be there for all of the important milestones in my young son’s life.
I chose to stop drinking alcohol in May of 2020. I chose to stop smoking in June of 2020. The next step on my journey to health and happiness with those two horrible vices in the rear-view mirror was to lose weight. I weighed 215 pounds in July of 2020 before joining DEFY and could barely jog for 2 km. I now weigh 165 pounds, have maintained my muscle mass and can complete half marathons on a whim. DEFY has without question helped me to become better at life. I was introduced to DEFY Functional Fitness by Sonya Walker, a member of DEFY (and an inspiration) and her husband Sven. I cannot thank the Walkers enough for introducing me to DEFY. Joining DEFY has permanently changed my life for the better.
Before joining DEFY, I had it in my mind that I would not be strong enough or fast enough to keep up and that I would embarrass myself. I quickly came to the realization that DEFY’s programming is flexible and could be scaled so that no one feels that they are being left behind. The coaches at DEFY take the time to teach members new skills and to encourage their growth as athletes. I have also been heartened by the positive and encouraging attitudes displayed by all members of DEFY that I have had the pleasure to interact with to date. Everyone has been incredibly welcoming and supportive. What a fantastic community of people!
Before joining DEFY, I could not do a single pushup. My first bright spot at DEFY was when I completed my first set of five unbroken pushups.
I am working on routinely running 5 km in under 25 minutes with the goal of beating my personal best time of 21:40. I am also working towards the goal of 20 unbroken pull ups. When I joined DEFY, I could not complete a single pull up. I completed 7 unbroken pull ups this afternoon.
The John of 1 year ago is almost unrecognizable from the John of today. That being said, I would read the following passage to myself from the book titled “You are a Badass Every Day” by Jen Sincero:
“When you commit to transforming your life, you commit to getting very uncomfortable over and over again. Befriend the unfamiliar, the risky, the me no wanna. The discomfort means you’re almost there”.