It you had asked me what I had thought of Gym class two years ago, I would have told you I despised it. You see, It’s one thing to understand the importance of health but to act upon it is another. But it wasn’t so much Gym that changed me to be who I am today; It was my bully. Every day when we were changing in the boys locker room he could call me “chubby” or tease me because I wasn’t very good at sports, or he would always brag about how fast his times were during the mile run.  

Look who’s faster now.

After my freshman year and during the summer period I had started to hate the way I looked, being 195 pounds and overweight. It especially didn’t help my self-esteem when acne entered the picture. For awhile I accepted who I was as my reality, but one day I had finally decided to get up off the couch and try something different. I ran around my small block 5 times and...it was hell. I was coughing the whole time, i was red all over, and my headache was piercing into the side of my skull. But I wanted to be healthy so…

As the days gone by I tried it again and again. I figured if I want to make my life a little easier for running I needed to change my diet. It wasn’t overnight but as I became more knowledgeable about how foods affect my body, it turned me off from eating those sweet and sugary delights.

Eventually, I got slimmer and ended up going longer and longer. But most importantly running was making me feel happy. Before what was dreadful became extremely satisfying.

Flash forward to the fall of my sophomore year of high school. Cross Country was now open and for the first time I really felt excited for a sport. To be able to show people how much i’ve been practicing and be part of a team. It was the best time of my life, and In the end I managed to get on Varsity, with my fastest time being a 3 mile in 20 minutes. It’s grown me as a person physically, but also socially. It helped me push beyond my limits.  

To conclude, I am now 160 pounds and am living a happy healthy life. I would like to thank my family who has been supporting me on this journey, specifically my sister who has also went on her own weight loss journey of her own. If there is any moral to this story, the most important thing you can do in life is to not be afraid to try something new. You’re stronger than you think.