Blog #13

If you are already finding time to work-out, then great! Exercise can be one of the best ways to build confidence and position you to learn. Why? Because it stimulates the mind and body giving more energy and the fulfillment that comes from physical activity.

There are those students who literally hate to train; treating exercise like others deal with education. Wherever you find yourself it isn’t too late to get the maximum benefit from balancing your studies with (PE) physical fitness!

I used to hate participating in sports although often for PE lessons I would have been selected to play rugby. Although I was not bad at it I used to hate playing it. Often the pitch would be muddy from all the rain and continual classes parading up and down like gladiators going into battle. And then after the matches I used to detest sharing team shower cubicles with other boys; the thought of any of them inspecting my weapon was highly embarrassing; size wise!

Nevertheless, it was compulsory! So as much as I hated exercise I carried out only the necessary. Of course, I mustn’t forget my experiences with other bullies. That being said my fortune came when I was eighteen, going from a moped to a tuned up Yamaha RD250 I was in my element of control. A bike suited my persona of speeding away from life looking for an adrenalin push. The only trouble I’d have would be getting carried away and risking my life on bends like Barry Sheene, MBE in his glory days!

The following account is what I’ve been told by family and friends: the brother in law of my girlfriend in those days gave me a carburetor tune-up at his place, and then I tested the bike’s performance. Apparently the motorbike slipped on a roundabout and then landed on top of me from a 15 foot drop. I was unconscious for several days and according to my parents I was like a cabbage for two weeks after that before waking up one day in a hospital bed.

It took me six months to fully recuperate and I recall how my body became weak and flaccid. I couldn’t work, but remember spending my days in convalescence. The point is I began training after that recovery by walking around the block to running 5 mile dashes after months. Also I joined a gym and started pumping iron to rebuild my muscles to support my frame. All in all it changed my life to be more active, and today I maintain at least 8 to 10 hours of physical exercise every week.

But it doesn’t stop there it has helped me in so many ways towards reaching my goals, building my confidence, and helping balance my life. I only wish I had opted for a healthy lifestyle earlier on. As it stand I’ve got damaged eyesight from the accident. I received years of treatment at Moorfields Eye Hospital London. One of my toes has been amputated, a metal plate is holding my wrist together, and I have lacerations all over my body. There isn’t a limb that doesn’t have some form of deformity.

So you think you’ve got problems? I’ve been told by doctors that I’ll get old quick and as I age I’ll suffer in the process.

I am determined to stay strong, healthy and fit. What is holding you back?

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