Chasing my Dreams!

#177. Perfect a 3 minute plank (without a break)

Anyone who knows me, knows that I LOVE a Challenge – especially in the fitness world!
I thoroughly enjoy “dominating over this body which doesn’t work 100%” (my ‘WHY’ I do what I do!) and once I discover something new I am able to do…I love to push the limits of it!

One day during 2015, I discovered the Plank…

Its a lot harder than it looks…trust me!

I started off seeing if I could make it to 30 seconds..meh…easy! haha.  Over time, I thought, you know what I’m going to set myself a Challenge here – so I put “#177. Perfect a 3 minute plank (without a break)” on the bucketlist.  Game ON! (Truth be know, I was going to put 5 minutes as the target – but, 3 minutes seemed enough of a ‘first target’ to strive for!

I started working at it at home inbetween my PT sessions…

…over time, I started to find even 1 minute easy!  “Hey…this really is within my reach I’m sure, one day!”

During a PT session, with Mike timing me – he boomed out
“30 seconds”
“1 minute”
….”1 minute 30 COME ON you’ve got this!”

I ‘broke’ at the amazing mark of 1min 57secs…WOWzers!! SO proud…SUCH hard work! haha

At that stage…even if I never made it to the 3-minute mark – I was SO, so proud of my efforts – being SO close to the 2 minute mark, I was very determined to break that time!
So, the work continued late 2015 – into 2016…at home, and at my gym sessions (solo, and PT)

My health then started to take a turn for the worst (it had been for a while but I pushed through, until I had no option but to face surgery) – I was booked in for major surgery late February 2016.  The last thing I was capable of at this stage was stretching and holding all the muscle groups which holding a Plank requires.  The Game Plan will have to change…

Fast forward to mid-2016, post-surgery and into recovery mode.  My medical team gave me a big NO (for life) as to whether I could continue doing full Planks (plus other exercises I had my eye on/had been doing already), or to push my body incredibly hard in certain areas as I had been previously – I can still ‘push hard’ but in different ways than before. From now on, my approach to my Fitness Goals has to be more of a ‘slow(er) and steady’ approach, instead of ‘fast and furious” so as to protect the repair work, and this ‘newly structured body’ of mine.  This was a big shock to me (I knew some things would change post-surgery, but I was too busy dealing with the very tough road I went through medically etc to actually process it privately in my mind). I absolutely LOVE pushing my body hard through anything and everything I throw at it, fitness-wise and I know I will miss pushing that hard in all areas) – but you know what, creating your Dream/ultimate life requires a certain amount of sacrifice.  I was very, very happy to go through major surgery (and its difficult, still ongoing recovery) and to forego/change my fitness technique if it meant getting permanently rid of the regular horrid pain and fatigue I been submitted to for a very long time, previous to the surgery.  Quality of life is SO important to me..if it means that I had to change things up, and permanently let go (and grieve, because that’s exactly what happened) my ‘fast & furious’ fitness approach I had been doing for so long (and Planks, as I LOVE doing them and trying to beat my previous time) – so be it.  As long as I am still able to be as active as I was before, and still strive for my Fitness Goals (and in some ways over time, I’ve become more active/strong (and definitely healthier!) because of saying goodbye to the issue which the surgery fixed…yay!) having to let go of some things/ways was fine with me!

Now this is where my Mantra, “Anything is Possible….in your own Way” comes in!

Imagine my surprise when, late August during a PT session with Belinda (I now have two awesome PTs – Mike, and Belinda), she brought the Swiss ball over to the Floor area where I was working, and introduced me to the ‘half-Plank’.  Wow….so I could still do a modified Plank?  I could not believe it…I was SO happy about this! I had accepted in my mind that Planks were a no-go zone – so to have it back in my life, in some form…well, this was just awesome!

It may look like I’m just relaxing against the Ball…but trust me, this was hard work – that’s a moving/rolling surface! Awesome to be doing a (modified) Plank again!

Suddenly, the fact that I had to ‘let go’ of not only aiming towards my 3 minute Plank target, and of the full Plank altogether – this did not matter one bit – doing them was BACK in my life! “oh Plank, how I have missed you!”

Thank you so much Belinda for re-introducing me to the Plank!

(this is crossed off the List now, as I have achieved what I wanted to achieve with it…even if I didn’t quite get to 3 minutes, I am very, very happy with the 2min10secs I achieved before I had to ‘let go’ of the full Plank). The fact I achieved that close to 3 minutes, in the state my health was in at the time, pre-surgery – yep, very proud of my efforts!

ANYTHING really IS POSSIBLE…in your own Way!

#257. EXPLORE THE FOREST – Get ‘off the beaten track’ (Blog part #3)

continued from Blog Part #2)

Shaking with excitement, I then made the phonecall I’d been waiting to make for so long now – to inform Anna from Anna Gilbert Photography that my outdoor terrain equipment had arrived, and that I was now free to book in my Shoot, out on location in the forest! I LOVE the moment I make that step by locking in a ‘tick off the List’, there is no other feeling like it….especially when it is one of the more very sentimental/meaningful experiences I’ve always wanted to do!

Confirming the date and location with Anna, I then waited for the day to arrive (‘making it happen’ does involve a lot of waiting at times, inbetween taking the steps – this still hasn’t taught me much about ‘patience’ though haha…I still want everything to happen NOW!).  But, waiting in anticipation is one of the most beautiful feelings to me, deep down inside – there is no other feeling quite like it!

Finally, the day arrived – after meeting Anna at her Studio, I followed her out to the highway, where we were off to explore one of the forestry areas out in the beautiful Glasshouse Mountains.  SUCH an incredibly picturesque area, I absolutely love that we are surrounded by so much beautiful nature here on the Sunshine Coast!

Arriving at the spot which my Shoot was to take place, I had to just sit in the car and ‘take a moment’ to myself for a little bit…I was completely blown away, I couldn’t believe that I was IN this absolutely beautiful forest – something I had always wanted to experience, but never had….until now, that is! I got out of my car, unloaded my outdoor terrain wheelchair…and set off to explore! I almost shed tears, that’s how much this experience meant to me!

After Anna and I talked for a bit, discussing how awesome this was and how grateful I was to her – we then got to exploring different areas of the track/forest, ready to ‘capture the moments’ in my Shoot.

The Shoot itself was AMAZING, I absolutely loved discovering with Anna, the beautiful aspects of this beautiful forestry!  I truly didn’t want to leave, as the sun started to go down!  Anna is absolutely amazing at ‘what she does’ – she is able to tune right into you, your personality, and what would be perfect for you, as images/atmospheres to create – so that the true ‘you’ shines out! I could not wait to see my images!

I came home from the Shoot a little dirty and dusty (from clambering through the forest, to find that ‘perfect shot’)…but you know what, I have never been happier to BE dirty and dusty..after all, this is what ‘getting off the beaten track’ is all about, isn’t it? 😉

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The images which were taken by Anna from Anna Gilbert Photography were absolutely perfect, and really captured the wonder of ‘exploring the forest’ like I had always wanted to do! I wish I could have purchased all of the images Anna captured – they are stunning!
I also got to ‘#110. Hug a Tree’, which was another magical ‘tick off the list’!

Truly an amazing spot, and perfect for my first experience of being in the middle of a forest!

(images I took with my own personal camera)

Thank you so much to Anna, for bringing this beautiful experience to me, and sharing the magical moments along the way, with me – as I said in a previous blog, this adventure unfolded in the most magical way possible.  Still cannot believe the perfect timing of the Shoot voucher which I won, which tied in with the timing of me discovering the existence of outdoor terrain equipment – making this all possible!  I thoroughly enjoyed sharing this experience with you Anna, you really seemed to ‘get’ (in your own way of course) why this day was so very important for me!

Exploring the Forest…getting off the beaten track.  There is no other feeling quite like reaching deep down into your soul and taking yourself to where you know you are ‘home’. The forest, and raw nature, is this, for me.

ANYTHING IS POSSIBLE…when you live with Intention!

#243. EXPLORE THE FOREST – Get ‘off the beaten track’ (Blog part #2)

(continued from Blog Part #1)

THE DAY HAD ARRIVED!
Excitedly, I woke up on the morning my new equipment was to arrive, almost trembling with anticipation – and then there it was, I hear the Wicked Wheelchairs van pull up!
I raced out the front, eager to get started into this moment which was about to change my life!

Jon from Wicked Wheelchairs  unloaded the equipment from the van – and there it was, my tough little beast which was about to change my life!

How tough (and awesome) is this!

I couldn’t believe it, it seemed surreal – there it was, this equipment which a few months ago I never even knew existed! My world was about to change and expend in the most magical way…a way which I had yearned for, for so long!  ‘Nature’ is a part of me, deep down in my soul…but I had never been about to truly get out into raw nature (especially without assistance) – but through this tough little beast, I will now be able to fulfil that part of me which had been missing all my life!

I transferred into it, wiggled a little and thought ‘yep, that’s it, this feels so ‘right’ ‘…it was so comfy!  I’ve always had a bit of a ‘boys mindset’ which loves to be around ‘tough, boy things’ – this machine, with its big ‘fats’ (bigger/tougher tyres which make going through tougher terrain so much easier) and ability to go ‘play in the dirt’ really reaches into this mindset of mine! haha

Thank you so much, Chris – NorthCoast Rehab, and Wicked Wheelchairs!

After making a few tweaks and adjustments, and trialling it up and down the outdoor area outside my home – Jon then drove away leaving me to my own devices with this awesome piece of equipment.  Uh oh…this could get awesomely ‘dangerous’! haha

Straightaway, I headed down to the coastal strip to explore ‘Chambers Island’ a little island in the Maroochy River which is surrounded with dirt/leaves, and plenty of grassed/sandy areas for me to test this thing out!  It felt AMAZING to be able to freely explore areas other than ‘staying on concrete paths’!  One moment which took my breath away was, ‘crunching over leaves’ – I was in ‘childhood joy’, plowing through a big pile of leaves on the ground, and hearing them ‘crunch’ over me – I was making that sound myself..it truly was the most magical sound, to me!  Over the coming weeks and months, I had an absolute ball, testing the limits of the equipment – which included me getting stuck by pushing it just that little bit too far, to areas I was told that it didn’t go too well, independently (soft, deep dune beach sand)….oops…oh well, I wouldn’t be me if I didn’t stretch the limits too far!

Next came the moment I’d been waiting for… to get out into that Forest
(continued in Blog part #3)

#243. EXPLORE THE FOREST – Get ‘off the beaten track’ (Blog part #1)

LIVING WITH INTENTION, REALLY WORKS!
As far back as I can remember, I have always had a longing to get ‘off the beaten track’, and yearned to find ways to explore this beautiful, natural world of ours.  When you have mobility issues…this can be a little (at times, a lot!) more difficult, and somewhat of a challenge!  But….as anyone who knows me, knows – I’m up for a Challenge!

In early 2015, this want of mine very unexpectedly and suddenly developed into my reality….in ways I could have never have imagined – or planned – more magically! Truly meant to be!

This train of events started by me intentionally creating my Word of Intention for the year at the start of 2015!

EXPLORE! 
*while having absolutely NO idea what was about to unfold!*

One evening I was simply sitting at home, googling away trying to find something in particular – and all of a sudden out of nowhere, in the search results appeared a tough-looking outdoor terrain wheelchair! (my ‘google search’ had absolutely nothing to do with this…it appeared as a random google image in the results!).  Excitedly, I clicked on the page where the image came from – and discovered that there is amazing mobility equipment out there which enables us with mobility issues to be able to…exactly as my ‘want’ – “get off the beaten track”!  Wow!  It may have been late in that evening, but suddenly, I was WIDE AWAKE! I had no idea this type of equipment even existed, until this moment!

Immediately I fired off an email, including the picture, to my occupational therapist who had previously assisted me in sourcing equipment and funding for new disability handcontrols for my vehicle.  If anyone could find a way to source this amazing chair (or something more suited to my own needs) – he could!

Next thing I know, after a few emails/telephone conversations and research – a trial of this awesome equipment had been arranged – I was actually ON MY WAY to quite possibly obtaining this way of getting “off the beaten track” independently, by myself (without assistance, which is how I’d always done it previously.  It has been a dream of mine to be able to explore our beautiful nature, independently, like so many others are able to do, too!

Trial Day…such an exciting day!

I was BEYOND excited at this stage…finally, my Dream of getting out into nature was becoming my reality! I could almost feel my heart glowing with excitement and wonder of ‘I wonder what’s out there…I wonder what I’m about to discover when I go exploring!” I was like a child on Christmas!  (…and this is what embracing your lives is all about – feeling the childhood joy that, as adults, many seem to have forgotten, or hidden deep down).

I literally could not believe what happened next, (when I was now in the ‘waiting stage’ (which potentially could take many months!) for my equipment application to proceed/be accepted..my equipment to be manufactured – and that magical day when it would one day arrive!)

I received a notification on Facebook that I’d been ‘tagged’ “Hmmm I wonder what this is?” – strolling across the tagged post, I had then discovered that I had earned “Member of the Month” at my gym, Suncoast Fitness! How awesome is that?  But what came next was even more awesome! The prize was a location shoot with Anna Gilbert Photography, a Sunshine Coast-based photographer where she takes you out to a location of your choice, and capture some photographs of you in your special location.

WOW!  Just when this magical experience of discovering a way I can get out to ‘Explore the Forest’ unfolds – and I win this voucher with a photographer who could quite possibly capture the moments I first get to experience it!  I literally could not believe it!  If I thought I was like a ‘kid on Christmas’ while waiting for my equipment to arrive…I was beyond excited now! haha.

Filled with excitement and gratitude, I then made the call to Anna at Anna Gilbert Photography, spoke to her about myself and ‘my journey’, and about how this equipment was about to arrive – and would it be possible for Anna to name a beautiful forest location for us to go and capture the moment where I experience being in a forest, for the very first time – but we would have to wait until my equipment arrived? (as I have never been able to access such deep nature as a forest before, I had absolutely no idea where to go…so I put my trust and this decision over to Anna.  I was about to discover that my trust in her choice was absolutely perfect!)

So now, I had TWO things to wait in anticipation for…the arrival of my equipment, and the knowledge that I was about to be IN a forest, for the very first time!  HURRY UP, EQUIPMENT!! haha

….that was the lead-up – now comes the arrival of the equipment, and to get out into that forest! (see Blog Part #2 to find out what happened next!)