The new man in my life…

So…

I have this trainer.

If you know me (and you do know me right?), you know that the people I train with are very important to me. Superman was my first trainer when I walked into Allstar gym. Long hours on the Wii, rewiring my way of thinking about food, counting calories and a lot of time spent in the mirror learning how to love the body I was in so that I could let it go and go after the body I longed for, the membership was a gift to myself for having lost the first thirty pounds on my own. With the membership came two free training sessions and after those two I was hooked. Superman and I spent a few months together. It was the first time I experienced what it was like to be pushed to the point of exhaustion and have someone pat me on the back and say “way to go”.

When it was time to move  on from Superman, I was fortunate enough to find Godfather. He took my physical abilities to a whole new level. A higher level. A stronger level. A level of pushing down walls and screaming “What’s next?!?”. When I said I couldn’t he looked me square in the eyes and said “I’m about to prove you wrong” and each and every time he was right. For seven months he told me to lift heavy shit (and I did), he told me to move faster (and I did), he told me to keep going (and I did) and he told me that I could do whatever I put my mind to (and I did). With him not only did I knock down those brick walls that kept me from moving forward I did it like it was no one’s fucking business.

For a long time I didn’t have a trainer after Godfather. It was difficult to find my motivation and to keep pushing myself. While I didn’t pay someone to stand over me and say “One more sit up” I did find solace in the classes I was taking at the gym, Coach Robbie at boot camp and Anthony at boxing became my trainers for a short time. I owe them as much respect as anyone I called trainer. Because of them my burpees and my pushups are fucking fabulous. They are a part of who I am as an athlete and for that I thank them.

Now I have a new trainer.

Chris has been Meegan’s trainer for much of her weight loss journey. Though we didn’t meet in person until October of this year, I’ve known of Chris for almost the entire time I’ve known Meegan. Her relationship with Chris is much the same as my relationship with Godfather: Respectfully Intense. When I came to visit Halifax for the first time this last October I felt a sense of gratitude I’ve never felt towards someone I’d never met. I wanted nothing more than to hug him and say thank you for helping to save the life of the person I fell in love with. Without him, Meegan wouldn’t be who she was and without her my life wouldn’t be as it was.

For months like clockwork I would wake up when she was getting ready for the gym. From my side of Skype I would watch her leave only to return an hour later, sweaty, strong and ready to kick ass. He pushed her like Godfather pushed me and I respected the hell out of what they had built together over the last two years. I didn’t know how I was going to fit in to this already established trainer/client friendship. When I got here six weeks ago, I sort of fell into stride. Her time with Chris has become our time with Chris. Instead of watching her leave from my side of Skype, we leave together from this side of Halifax. Instead of feeling like I am intruding on what they had together, I feel like I am part of something spectacular…I didn’t know Chris when I was 230 pounds and crying because I didn’t want to do another set of jumping jacks. I didn’t know Chris when I was 190 pounds and didn’t want to do another box jump…But I know  him now. I came to him as an athlete and someone that likes to push the limits. I came to him as someone that isn’t afraid to lift heavy shit as a female (at least the 13% of me I consider female). I came to him looking for someone I could respect and work hard for so that at the end of the day I could earn the  pat on the back and the “good job kid” that I’ve missed for some time.

I’ve found it in him.

I think everyone deserves to know this man.

While you can’t come with me to sweat it out everyday (unless you’re in Halifax to which I say get your ass in here), you can check out his website. He’s got an amazing blog that doesn’t preach talk about what you should or shouldn’t be putting in your mouth, or how you should spend all your money on a trainer or an expensive gym membership. He just writes about life and what we can do to survive the madness of it all…

Thanks Chris.

Merry Christmas ya freakin wanker!

xoxo

T-Rex