Fitquests

My journey in sports started when I was a kid. Since kindergarten, I have played soccer and table tennis and learned how to swim. Later, in primary school, I added basketball and tennis to the list. Attending sports practices for several hours every week became a part of my lifestyle, and I loved every moment of it.
However, a very serious illness struck me just as I graduated from fifth grade. I was diagnosed with leukemia and spent a year in the hospital undergoing treatment and rehabilitation. Unable to walk and confined to a bed for almost a year, even something as simple as walking became a challenge. I remember spending months just learning how to walk up the stairs again. After not using my legs for nearly a year, the muscles in my legs had severely deteriorated. After consistently taking medication and continuing my recovery for another year and a half, my doctor finally told me that I could start playing sports again.
I started playing tennis again, but I quickly realized that stamina, something I had never thought about before, had become a major challenge. During every practice, I would sweat heavily and struggle to keep playing for even an hour. Still, I never gave up, simply because I loved sports. Eventually, I made the varsity tennis team at my school. Although I was not as skilled as many of my teammates, being able to compete again was already a huge achievement for me.
What changed my life the most, however, was my decision to start working out in ninth grade. During Christmas break, I went to a friend’s house, and he took me to a gym for the first time. I do not want to say the usual things like, “The gym made me more disciplined,” because, honestly, I go to the gym because I genuinely enjoy working out. It gives me a way to relax and I enjoy it.
At the same time, I have to admit that taking that first step into a gym can be intimidating. You see people benching 225 pounds or squatting 300 pounds while you are struggling with an empty bar. But there is really nothing to worry about because everybody starts somewhere. Everyone who is strong in the gym today was once a beginner, just like you.
As I continued working out, I also realized how much the gym could improve my performance in other sports. Building muscle strength and endurance helped me become a better athlete, and I found strength training to be incredibly beneficial to my overall fitness.
This is why I want to help other people become more familiar and comfortable with the gym and, hopefully, help them develop a habit of exercising as well. You do not have to become a professional athlete to benefit from sports or fitness. Even if you never compete at a high level, building a healthy and active lifestyle can benefit you for the rest of your life.
I have not talked about my illness very much, and many of my friends have no idea that I was once sick. However, I have come to understand the importance of opening up and being vulnerable. Sharing the parts of our lives that are difficult or painful does not make us weak. In many ways, it is what makes us stronger. That is why I want to share my personal story with you.
I truly hope that everyone can have a healthy and active life. Let us start treating fitness not as a destination, but as a lifelong quest.