Welcome to Raw Fitness YYC!! I am SO excited to launch. I cannot wait to both inspire and be inspired by you, should our paths cross through nutrition or personal training, or at a spin or yoga studio around town, or in line at Bridgeland Market for a Made by Marcus ice-cream sandwich.
The first blog post! So many ideas. Do I be funny? Smart? Capture their attention with a delicious recipe? Offer summer beach-body fitness tips? Nothing seemed to fit. One principle I adhere to is "walking the walk". So what does seem fitting, is instead giving you a little raw insight into how my brain works, what I draw on for inspiration, and a little about why I do what I do. The below is an edited version of a few personal entries I wrote last month, so without further ado...
This post isn't going to tell you exercise tips nor that you need to eat healthy. On the contrary - I had mini-eggs for breakfast. I reach for sugar during times of high stress and have known this about myself for a long time. Just look through photos of me over the past decade - you'll see my unhappy moments by a very round face. I'm proud to say that by making big changes to my life both in relationships and work I've landed an immensely healthier and truly happier version of myself. I now rarely use sweets to fill those empty feelings inside, but that's not to say that it doesn't still happen now and then.
I found out a friend succumbed to his battle with cancer and passed away yesterday. He was 33 years old. Hence, mini-eggs for breakfast and a lot of other sugar packed stuff that doesn't register anywhere as breakfast food. We initially crossed paths in grade 8, but really became great friends in University after attending separate high schools. To quell any romantic questions, we never dated nor even close to it - I think we looked too much like siblings to ever be attracted to each other. It was always an adventure with Darcy - reading break ski trips, summer concert road trips to BC, or attempting (unsuccessfully) to race a couch down a hill. Trips included unplanned twists and turns that somehow turned out amazing even when my internal danger radar was going off.
If there was one thing Darcy was good at, it was going for it. You know how most people say "we should do that sometime!" but then never follow through? If Darcy had an idea and you agreed, you were in and probably leaving the next day. Pack your bags, it's on. Where most people say "someday", Darcy did it - small or big. He made some of the best, and some of the absolute worst home-made beer I've ever tasted. I'm not sure how many times he changed his major in University, but it didn't matter. When he did something it was because he believed that was the path for him. He wasn't afraid to stand up for what he believed in or speak his mind - his latest research regarding animal cruelty would lead to watching what felt like a 10 hour documentary, or he'd let me know "you can do better" regarding my at-the-time boyfriend. One day after listening to me talk about track & field practice Darcy decided he'd like to give this running thing a try. So he did. The next day, he was at practice. Darcy was a do-er.
Darcy taught me that ya, sometimes life can be scary. Driving through complete white-out conditions in a tiny little Civic to Red Mountain where you literally can't see anything and won't know if there's a semi coming until it hits you: scary. Getting lost at sunset on a ski hill that you've never been to before: petrifying. Getting on a boat with a stranger that Darcy just met moments before and drinking slushy beverages this strange captain made for us (out of our line of vision): slightly unnerving. But the worst never happened. The best did. The best laughs, the best memories, and the best stories to tell.
To take a positive out of a completely sad situation, I have taken a page out of Darcy's book and am going for it. There are numerous things on my "to do" list which lets be honest, ends up being more of a "maybe kinda I think I should someday" wish list. What is holding me back? What am I waiting for? What is the worst that could happen? I want to stop holding back. I want to let this energy and noise inside of me spill out, and maybe the result will be an ugly mess, but quite possibly it'll be a beautiful mess.
The stories that have since been shared about Darcy are both heart-breaking and exhilarating. The Darcy I remember is echoed in story after story. What a true beauty of an individual - to be so solid in his ways and true to himself, that everywhere he went he truly exuded who he was to everyone he met. Where I fall short on words, Darcy's girlfriend spoke beautifully, "Darcy committed to bettering himself... He said the only constant in every situation is you. You can control nothing but how you react to the situation." And, about being sick, "there's nothing to be afraid of if you've never been there before. Fear is only made up in your head."
We can't change overnight, but with practice, patience, support from others, and pushing past fear, change will happen. Choose to make today the day you start bettering yourself. Surround yourself with amazing human beings. Choose how you're going to come out of a situation. Work hard to support yourself and your family, but also spend money on what makes you giddy. Go for it. Truly, honestly, live this life to the fullest. Ask - what does that look like for you, and are you moving in that direction? Start.