Balancing act; This competitor found what really matters: health and happiness

Muscle & Fitness/Hers, July, 2003 by Melissa Wilkinson

i grew up in a tiny village outside the small ski town of Fernie, British Columbia. I liked some sports in high school, but I was very insecure about my body. I was too shy to even take P.E. classes. When I got my driver's license, though, I began going to the local gym because it was something I could do without being around other kids.

By the time I was in my third year of college, I started taking aerobics classes in addition to lifting weights. When an instructor suggested that I take the instructor course, I was shocked--no way could I ever stand up in front of people! She assured me that it would change my life, and from the first time I taught, I loved the adrenalin rush. Years later, I was teaching a class in every club in the city.

I've been leading fitness classes of all types for seven years now and teaching high school for four. Two years ago, however, my fitness level hit a plateau. I no longer had time to lift weights, so I just taught aerobics and played sports. Then I watched a friend of mine train for bodybuilding. I was fascinated and inspired by the way her physique changed from week to week, but I chose to compete in fitness because the routine component and more feminine physiques appealed to me. My friend helped me train to add muscle, and I began taking gymnastics classes to boost my strength and flexibility.

Extreme Fitness

My mother was diagnosed with breast cancer that year, but she rarely complained during her two-year recovery. I was amazed by her ability to maintain a positive attitude, even when her hair fell out and she was so ill from chemotherapy. It helped me realize that we must do all we can to take care of the bodies God gave us. So I learned to eat healthy foods that build strength. I began running more, and I started doing yoga for mental balance and flexibility.

In October 2000, when I was 28, I entered my first competition and placed third. I was proud of how I'd changed my physique, and that I'd learned so much about living a healthier, happier life. I'd met my personal challenge and had no intention of competing again. Yet by April 2001, I was training and dieting again. That July, I competed in a fitness competition and placed fourth. Although I didn't win, I'd performed my very best.

Happy with my healthy lifestyle change, I realized that the extreme nature of competing was too strict for me. I didn't want fitness to become my whole life; I wanted it to be a part of me that kept me healthy and happy enough to enjoy all the other great things in life.

Making Time

As I gained weight going into the off-season, I began suffering from low self-confidence again. My job got stressful, and I started to overtrain. Then I blew out my calf in an aerobics class, which made me hit a wall of reality checks. I knew I wanted off the competition roller coaster for good.

I cut my aerobics classes to three times a week, focused on my job, reduced my coaching schedule, and began making time for myself. I began writing again, taking long daily walks in nature, practicing yoga and eating healthy without restricting myself so much. Once I realized that I didn't have to compete to be fit and happy, I was able to evaluate what I really wanted out of life. Now I feel that I can compete for a challenge and for fun while maintaining a healthy balance in the off-season.

Today, at age 31, I've moved back to my hometown, where I write, read, run, hike, ride horses, lift weights and instruct fitness classes. It took me three years, but I've realized that balance and moderation are the keys to happiness. I witness how strong the power of positive thinking can be, and I'm convinced that I've finally found my path to true success.

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