I used to hate the gym. Really despise it. I’ve always been too self-conscious and nervous to be in an environment where everyone was fitter and more experienced than me. I knew that my fitness wasn’t at its peak anymore since I stopped playing basketball, football and boxing regularly, so I knew it was time for a change. Motivated by my friends also signing up with me, I joined Ms. Ashton’s Monday gym sessions. From 3-4:30 every week she pushed us to our limit, tested our perseverance and made our muscles ache for the entire next day. But her motivational words of encouragement coupled with the fact that I wasn’t doing it alone made the activity a lot more enjoyable for me. It made me realise how much I missed feeling energised and in control of my own health, and since then I’ve started going four times a week of my own choice. It made me proud to see that my efforts were slowly paying off, and also made me realise how much I regretted not starting a year or even just a month earlier. Upon reflection it made me realise how little I appreciate the outcomes of things just because I procrastinate them, and the new energy and motivation that this gymming activity has given me has had a knock-on effect to other areas of my life, both social and academic, another testament to how ‘worth it’ it can be to persevere and take actions for your own well-being