One Rising Star

 “Don’t underestimate the power of a PAUSE; it allows you to reflect, recharge and refocus.” We live in such a fast pace world. These days, when people ask how we’re doing, we regularly say “I am so busy!” and “I am so tired!” When we are not occupied, we think something is wrong, we feel lazy, and we immediately try to find things to do to fill up our time. We’re constantly looking to move forward; to go, go go and to do, do, do. Why is it so difficult to stop and take a break? For me personally, when I am in ‘work mode’, my routine is pretty consistent; work, gym, eat, sleep, repeat. In the past, I was really hard on myself when I didn’t feel productive and accomplished, but over the last few years, I have really tried to look for and embrace ‘down time’. Now, I am more aware of my needs and my boundaries. I am capable of laying on the couch and watching TV without feeling guilty. I can also turn down weekend plans if I don’t feel like socialising and would prefer to have a restful n

 “Know when to push, know when to pull back, know when enough is enough.” I should be in Egypt right now, competing in a big fitness competition I qualified for over the summer…but nope! Over the last few months, my anxiety levels began rising again, and after a few consecutive breakdowns, and several nights of poor sleep, I knew it would be wise to ‘take something off my plate’.  Knowing myself, and my competitive edge, I could’ve still competed even with the bad sleep, diet and training, but at what cost?  Withdrawing from the competition was a really difficult last minute decision. I felt I was failing at seeing something through that I had committed to. However, I know that there are more important things in life, especially my health. Even though I didn’t make it to the competition floor, I know deep down that my efforts in training have not been for nothing. There have been several ‘wins’ over the last few months. Most of my gymnastic skills improved, I hit some new PRs on a few

 “Once in a while, it’s good to challenge yourself in a way that’s really daunting.” Since returning to Dubai in January 2020, I have participated in numerous fitness events around the city, mostly in pairs, trios or teams of 4,5,6 athletes ( aside from our internal community weightlifting/powerlifting throwdowns ). Many of these events have challenged me with new formats ( e.g. Hyrox and Primal Race ), movemenents ( e.g. swimming and sled pulls ) and/or equipement ( e.g. the worm and the yoke ). Being part of a team has been a whole lot of fun, and I’ve been so incredibly blessed to team-up with some really good athletes who have pushed me to achieve great things, both in training and in competition. That said, for a little while now, I’ve sort of wondered what it’d be like to compete individually again. Are my body and mind still up for this kind of challenge?   Throughout my time living in Vietnam, from 2017 to 2019, I became fully invested in the sport of CrossFit. I thoroughly enj

  “Be brave. Take risks. Nothing can substitute the experience.” As I was getting ready to embark on yet another adventure, this time to Miami, USA and Montego Bay, Jamaica, several people were eager to ask the question “Alone?”. ( I also got asked that same question numerous times throughout my travels .) Of course, there are some people who are no longer surprised by my ‘crazy’ adventures, but there are still many who, mainly due to the media and/or society’s expectations, disagree and/or have concerns about females travelling alone. Travelling solo, I will admit, isn’t always ideal. In addition to feeling lonely at times, not being able to share foods or split taxi/hotel costs, and struggling to have any decent pictures taken of myself ( Major dilemma, I know! ), I do often worry about my safety, particularly due to the fact that I’m a single female whose physical appearance sticks out almost everywhere I go. I am often on high alert, and constantly checking my surroundings. I tend

  “Sometimes we strive so hard for perfection that we forget that imperfection is happiness.” At a very young age, my parents signed me up for ice skating. They invested lots of money over the years, on skates, outfits, coaches, private lessons, and competitions, and I of course invested lots of time into improving my skills. Throughout my childhood and teenage years, you could find me at the ice rink most days, trying to prepare for my next test, competition or show. Now, I was a decent skater, but realistically, I wasn’t on a path to the Olympics. Once I went off to university, some difficult choices needed to be made, and for some reason, I decided to quit skating and invest more time in my education and career, as well as playing soccer during the summers. For several years after college, soccer became my main sport. Especially when I first moved to Dubai; I played indoor, outdoor, 7 aside, 11 aside, womens leagues and mixed leagues. Some weeks, I was playing 6 consecutive nights,

#BreakingFree2023 “Somewhere on your journey, don’t forget to take a moment to enjoy the view.” Ever since I began teaching, I developed an evident interest for travelling and learning about various countries and cultures. The students in my very first school came from various backgrounds, and as I got to know each of them, I became more and more curious about the World, beyond the North American borders. Over the last 15 years, I have had the opportunity to live abroad and to travel to over 35 countries. I must admit that with every trip, my desire to explore has increased. From participating in humanitarian trips, to chasing some of the worlds’ wonders, to going on fitness holidays, to adventuring with friends, to spending quality time with family and to seeking reflective time alone; each trip has provided me with a very unique and unforgettable experience. After COVID hit in 2020, I became quite anxious to travel again; not so much because I was worried to get ill, but more so beca

#BreakingFree2023 Thank you for sunshine Thank you for rain Thank you for joy Thank you for pain Night after night Things didn’t feel quite right Tears streamed down my face My heart would start to race My breathing was out of control Anxiety began taking its’ toll At times, I could see but black I’d be having panic attacks I was so incredibly tired Yet I couldn’t get the sleep I desired I’d sit up wondering “What’s wrong with me?” “Why am I so unhappy?” Negative thoughts regularly filled my head As I tossed and turned in my bed I tried to tell myself everything would be ok But deep down I knew I couldn’t go on this way Truth is, 12 months ago, I was depressed And this needed to be adressed  I had so much to be grateful for But for some reason I felt I needed more For help one day I pleaded As I realised it was needed  These gloomy feelings I could no longer ignore The light in me I wanted to restore For several months I went to therapy I worked hard to find some sort of clarity Inner

  #BreakingFree2023 “Quiet the noise in your head, find your own lane, go at your own pace, and move forward with intent” It’s no secret that I’ve struggled for quite some time with battling perfectionism and trying to live up to high expectations, set by myself and others. Though I have made great progress in several areas of my life, being a competitive athlete can often cause me an abundance of stress because I feel pressured to perform at the high standards set by my teamates and fellow competitors. After participating in a few back to back fitness competitions during the fall period, I made the decision to take a ‘break’ and to try to find joy in my day to day training. I realised that, though I absolutely love competing and being pushed to new heights, the amount of stress I was putting on myself was not only becoming unhealthy, but it was also making me question whether I still enjoyed what I was doing. After approximately 3 months of lowering the intensity of my workouts, follo

  #BreakingFree2023 “If you think adventure is dangerous, try routine, it’s lethal.” Throughout the week, particularly from Monday to Friday, I am known to be a very disciplined individual who sticks quite closely to a healthy diet and a typical routine; work, gym/soccer, eat, sleep…repeat! Discipline, commitment and hard work are traits within me that I am very proud of, and quite honestly, they are most likely the reason I have gained so much success, especially in my competitve sporting experiences.  Now, even though I thoroughly enjoy my day to day routine, after weeks and weeks of doing the same things over and over again, life can seem a little stagnant and redundant. With time, I have learned that, despite the numerous positives that come from a routine, for me personally, prolonged structure can also lead to negatively impacting my mental health. For this reason, as of late, I have been trying to make a few changes. I am attempting to make small sacrifices here and there and to