PHENOMENAL

That`s what the whole world all gasped last week when Dutch long-distance runner, Sifan Hassan, picked herself up from a nasty fall on the final lap of her 1,500-meter heat at the Olympic Games to not only finish that race – but win it, as well – “Phenomenal!”

A mere 11 hours later she won gold in the 5,000 meters, and yesterday we saw her win the 10,000m event like it was child`s play.  Six races in eight days – phenomenal!

On Thursday evening we celebrated our annual Winter Challenge event with a “Countries of the world” theme, and it was phenomenal too!  This year, with the help of Annelize and Odette, I managed to show each participant`s video highlights over the 12 weeks on a projector screen, and in Stacey`s words: “It almost felt like being at the Oscars!”

56 of the initial 88 Challenge participants managed to finish this long, tough Challenge successfully, and on Thursday, as I was watching them enter the studio with smiles and cheers and stunning costumes, I could not be more proud.  As promised, our Zoom members from all over the country also pitched, dressed up and ready for action.

It`s not a cliché to say that summer bodies are indeed made in winter, as our top two contestants proved with their before and after photos.  Just look at this, two solid six-packs!

Salmi en Carien

Hannelie Slabber came in third, and was also a worthy winner!

To me, witnessing the astonishing weight-loss transformations and body stats improvement of everyone, has been a wonderful confirmation that what we do and the workouts that we present to our clients, combined with a healthy eating plan, IS adequate and enough for everyone to reach their goals.

As always, we had tons of prizes, and today all these photos and details were uploaded to our Facebook page.  I wish I could present 56 prizes to our best dressed members, because everyone always goes through so much trouble! 

Here are our top 5:

Why is it possible for me to call my members phenomenal?  Because they put in the extra, they don`t think about it…the “extra” has just become part of their daily routine.  This “extra” effort also isn`t always very laborious.  It`s in choosing not to hit the snooze button for the extra 5 minutes of sleep, it`s in making time to compile a mini-challenge video even when they have tons to do on a Saturday morning.  It`s in pitching for class in a turquoise top even when the Fitness Challenge is over and in smiling during class although their day isn`t always wonderful.

Yesterday afternoon, as I was scrolling through the beautiful photos Erika took of our event, I thought of that song by Mario Resto and Eminem:

I am phenomenal

With every ounce of my blood

With every breath in my lungs

Won’t stop until I’m phe-no-menal

I am phenomenal

However long that it takes

I’ll go to whatever lengths

It’s gonna make me a monster though

I am phenomenal

But I would never say, ‘Oh, it’s impossible’

Cause I’m born to be phenomenal

–Phenomenal

And yet, deciding to go from average to phenomenal is not always the easiest thing to do.  It`s hard.  It takes work.  We all stumble and we all tumble, often.  To become phenomenal is painful because we`re forced to stretch beyond our capabilities.  And while the pain is temporary, it`s often easier to set aside the dreams of greatness in exchange for the present comfort of mediocrity.

A fitness challenge like our Winter Challenge of 2021, is phenomenal proof that when you allow yourself to dream and to dream big, it IS possible to expand your horizon.  And then, taking action, that`s the thing that closes the gap between talking and doing. I think of Rina, who managed to drop 10kg in 12 weeks, Liezel, who has already managed to lose 16kg since February, Riana, Betsie, Jacqueline, Ann-Mari and Marinda, who have all gone from strength to strength. 

I`m not going to bore you with every single member`s achievements in these 12 weeks, I`m simply trying to show you, that it`s possible.  Leonie completed 176 workouts in 12 weeks, 11 members managed to complete all 11 mini-challenges successfully – Lizelle Botha is one of them and she is 67 years old.  Phenomenal!

Marie, Annebie, Carien, Hannelie and Salmi ended this Challenge with a body fat  composition of under 20%, and 13 of our Challenge members reached their best body stats ever.  Phenomenal!

All four of our Challenge members who contracted Covid during the past 12 weeks, managed to still complete their Challenge journey successfully – phenomenal!

…On Thursday evening I didn`t make a speech, I just concluded our evening with the thought that to choose phenomenal over average, is a choice we make, daily.  Have you ever thought about that?  And do you realize how empowering that idea really is?

To know that, depending on the eyes we glance through, each circumstance can be a positive or a negative one.

Also, you can`t make a decent attempt sometimes and be a phenomenal individual.  It unfortunately doesn`t work that way.  I am so glad to see that most of our members have reached a point where they stay committed, regardless of a fitness Challenge.  Long gone are the days where they live from Fitness Challenge to Fitness Challenge, resting in between and then having to start all over again.

They have also acquired another skill so necessary in their quest to become phenomenal – patience.  I am experiencing that they are all less restless, they comprehend and realize that they will get everything that they need, and when they don`t, it`s not the apocalypse.  As Annie once stated: “The sun will turn out tomorrow…”

Today, on this beautiful August Sunday, I am so thankful.  For health, for Schalk, Eswee and Mariné, for the most amazing fitness family, and for the privilege of being able to pursue this career in fitness – fitness, the all-encompassing, magical elixir that can fight depression, boost confidence, enhance drive, burn fat, and turn the average into phenomenal.

“Phenomenal.

Phenomenally.

Phenomenal woman.

It`s in the reach of my arms,

The stride of my step.

It`s the fire in my eyes,

The swing in my waist,

And the joy in my feet.

It`s in the arch of my back,

The sun of my smile,

The grace of my style.

Phenomenal woman.

That`s me.” , said Maya Angelou years ago…

Let`s not simply be incredible, let`s be phenomenal.

Not good, not great.  Phenomenal.

Not to survive.  But to thrive.

Because, just like our Boks` phenomenal victory over the Lions yesterday was so much more than winning, being phenomenal is so much more than earning a six-pack, losing 10 kg or doing 100 sessions.  

Its bringing hope, being hope.  And.  Becoming hope.

Yours in fitness

Mirna

082 779 0507

PS: A huge thank you to all the sponsors of our Challenge:  Sweatgear, Probag, Mirna`s Aerobic Studio, Melinda from Footworx,  Nutrition Coaching with Marine, Carien from Avon, Vickie from Avon and Justine, Else-Marie Skoonheidsalon, Nails by Monica, Marelize from Cell-C, Annelize Prinsloo, Nicci from DP Signs, and a special thank you to Odette as well as Mari Kruger from Inkbox for the design of the certificates, coffee mugs and also who made sure that every members received her playlist and certificate via e-mail.