Twee minute…

Twee minute klink lank, né. Twee minute VOEL lank wanneer jy jou tande borsel, of die ketel wil kook vir ‘n laaste, vinnige koppie koffie. Twee minute IS lank wanneer jy ‘n “plank”-posisie probeer hou, of in spitsverkeer sit en net twee minute oorhet om by ‘n belangrike afspraak uit te kom.

…Hie hie, maar het jy enige idee hoe KORT is twee minute wanneer dit die enigste minute is wat jy het om ‘n groep vroue toe te spreek? Ek lag nou, maar dit was nie Donderdag vir my baie snaaks nie… Jip, ek moet myself nog steeds knyp om te glo dat hierdie scenario himself regtig afgespeel het by die “Women in business” FNB-geleentheid by Kralinbergh.

Dankie vir almal wat sterkte gesê het, en agterna wou weet hoe dit afgeloop het.  Man. Ek was “opgesaaik” vir hierdie besigheid – ek het ‘n bevange praatjie geskryf en ‘n ligte, lekker dansie uitgewerk waaraan die gaste sou meedoen – Meghan Trainor se “I wanna thank me”, wat anders!

Ek gaan nou liewer nie te veel uitbrei op die rampspoedige gebeurlikhede nie – ek wil nie op tone trap nie…Om ‘n lang, teleurstellende storie kort te maak – my praatjie kon ek nie na hartelus sê nie.  Punt. Ek was laaste op die program…Lekkerste vir laaste, né? Toe nou nie. Die tyd het uitgeloop, die gaste wou huis toe gaan, en ek moes soos ‘n aflslaer by ‘n bulveiling probeer om ‘n paar vinnige kerngedagtes af te rammel, want dit was reeds 13.00, en almal was uitgekuier.  Huis-toe-gaan-tyd, want die program het dan gesê 10.00 tot 13.00.  Die kersie op hierdie gebrande koek is dat die klanksisteem nie wou werk toe ons moes dans nie!  Klink soos iets uit ‘n Alfred Hitchkock-fliek, ek weet…

Daarom het ek besluit om my “Fitness is fun, fun, fun” praatjie in my Blog te verewig, want ek het baie tyd daaraan spandeer, en ek glo dis iets wat vir elkeen op ‘n manier betekenisvol kan wees. Hier kom dit!

Good morning, everyone! I am Mirna Bothma, owner of Mirna’s Aerobic Studio in Ermelo, and thank you, Lelandie and FNB, for this wonderful opportunity to address you today… I think I know exactly what you were thinking when you saw the title of my talk this morning – Fitness… fun, fun, fun! I know – it’s easy for me to call exercise fun, right? It’s my job! Did you know, that according to surveys, only 50% of all people who exercise, actually CALL it fun…?

But yes, it’s true – fitness to me IS fun, but it’s much more than endorphins and feel-good hormones flying around. It’s much, much more – I can keep you busy for two days sharing my thoughts on exercise, but what do I say to a group of businesswomen, in 5 minutes, to inspire them to make exercise a priority…?

Before I say anything further, let me give you a little background…I have been involved in the fitness industry for 30 years, but I haven’t always been a fitness instructor – I studied teaching at the University of Pretoria, and I was a high school teacher for four years. I met a farmer from Lothair, Schalk, we got married, and I very soon realized that I am “’n boer se vrou”, not “’n boervrou.”

I have always had a passion for fitness, so I decided to do my training as a group fitness instructor, and started teaching Aerobics classes, on an extremely small scale, in the farmer’s hall of Lothair, with only six members. Sometimes we were only two. We stepped on handmade Amstel Lager benches. But I was hooked!

When we sold the farm and moved to Ermelo a few years later, we built our own beautiful studio, Mirna’s Aerobic studio. I have never looked back. I have found the most fulfilling calling in the world – assisting women in becoming the best versions of themselves, by being stronger, healthier and more confident.

Success stories don’t only happen in movies and TV-shows – I know it may sound melodramatic, but In Ermelo there’s living proof that any woman, every woman, can become a success story of overcoming physical and mental barriers. We have hosted 27 Fitness Challenges over the years, and I have been blown away by the results of hundreds of women…

…What about you? Hmm, don’t have time for exercise, you say? The busiest women I know MAKE time to exercise. A one-hour workout is just 4% of your day! …Too old to start, I hear you say! Our oldest member turns 82 next week, she is still part of all our fitness Challenge, and for the past two years she has improved her body stats! You are never too old to set a new goal or dream a new dream. Too many pains and aches? No excuse. It’s never too late to start moving. As Kenneth Cooper, the father of Aerobics, once said: “We do not stop exercising because we grow old – we grow old because we stop exercising…”

The American politician Joan Welsh recently said: “A man’s health can be judged by which he takes two at a time – pills, or stairs.” Too stressful to run a business AND try to fit into your favourite jeans from 2019? Nope. Not at all. I get up at 4.10 most mornings, and I open our studio at 4.45. Of the 20 classes we present at our studio weekly, I still teach an average of 8 and attend at least 4 more.

I have two amazing instructors, Jacqueline and Michelle, who assist me, and we try to stay on top of all the latest trends in the group fitness industry.  You may not believe this, but Lockdown was a gamechanger for us. We were forced to start Zoom classes, and this has taken our studio to a whole new level. We have members from all over the world joining in. Our YouTube channel has grown from 400 to 18 000 subscribers in 4 years, and our social media platforms are booming.

…What inspires me? My mother has always been my biggest inspiration. When she was 50 years old, she was diagnosed with cancer, and her prognosis was really bad.

At the time, she was an Aqua Aerobics Instructor in Warmbaths. She simply refused to give up. She never complained. Every month after her chemotherapy session, she took off two days, then she was back in the water with her clients. She bravely fought the illness, and we were blessed to have her with us for five more years…

My kids and my family have stopped asking me when I am going to slow down – I take it day by day, week by week, and everyone has accepted this: While I am still able to go full-blast, I am moving. Our lives can change any minute, any day, our health is not guaranteed. Tomorrow is not certain. Every moment of vitality is a gift.

Exercise should be a non-negotiable part of every woman’s life. Why? Because working out gives you the strength to elevate your business and your goals, but most importantly, to lift up YOURSELF. It’s about so much more than having strong muscles and looking good. It’s much more than opening a jar without help or carrying all your shopping bags in one trip.

It’s standing next to your son on his matric farewell and seeing the pride in his eyes. It’s experiencing how your good habits and example brush off on your children, and it’s watching how they also strive to become the best versions of themselves when they are grown-ups. I exercise, because I want to teach my grandchildren how to play tennis and run around with them on the beach. If I live that long, I want to be able to tie my shoelaces with ease until I’m 80.

Fitness means celebrating the small things your body can do. Fitness is self-empowerment, because it allows you to take charge of your health, push beyond your limits, and feel proud of the person you are becoming, every day. Exercise strengthens your mind, and it gives you confidence that carries over into every area of your life. And, it’s much needed me-time.

Is it easy? Of course not! As the beautiful popstar Cher, once said: “If fitness came in a bottle, everyone would have a great body!” In fitness, and in business, you don’t see results overnight. If you did, we would all have sixpacks and million-dollar companies by now.

Unfortunately, fitness is also not a one-time endeavour – it’s not like studying for an exam, passing with flying colours, and owning a title, forever…It’s a lifelong commitment, but the good news is – all you need is the decision to start, patience, and small consistent efforts.

My question today is – what inspires YOU? If you’re not sure – then go and find out. Find your inspiration, but don’t wait for it. Because you’ll wait forever. So, let’s say you’re one of the statistics – one of the 50% of people who view exercise as a task, something unpleasant to check off the list. Why don’t we flip the script today? What if you decide to make exercise something different – not just a means to an end, but a powerful way to create resilience.

It’s up to you, and you only to redefine what it means to be fit. To make it a journey of growth, not perfection. To celebrate your progress, no matter how small, and to be kind to yourself when you stumble. Maybe you ARE a fitness fanatic. If you are not an active person, I’m challenging you today to make fitness your power and your joy, you owe it to yourself.

It’s not about how you look – it’s about how you feel, how you show up in the world. And all it takes, it’s the decision to start…

Mirna
082 779 0507