Today we are featuring our glorious client Suzie! Suzie was my very first client and will always hold a very special place in my heart.. I hope you enjoy reading her story!
So here goes…. March came around with the news of a lockdown…. I knew I needed a focus.. I needed something to keep me sane. The world was about to plunge into chaos and chaos was not what I needed, I need structure and focus. I thought this may be the opportunity to deal with the way I thought about my body, I was unhappy with my weight, my fitness and the way I thought about myself. I knew if I wasn’t to reach out to someone then my mental health would again suffer, and I was terrified of the possible consequences, both physically and mentally. Rewind two months earlier to the January. January had already been a difficult month, I am bipolar and during this time I had what they term as an episode, and I tried to take my own life, this is not something I easily talk about but I think its important to share, as it is part of my journey. I have lived with bipolar for many many years and during this time I experienced my first mixed episode. The over powering feeling that I wasn’t enough has always been a battle for myself. Obviously it’s a little more complicated but this has always been a difficult thing for me to deal with. I managed to get myself back to some form of stable but as the news broke in march it was vital for me to reach out and give me a focus… so I managed to get hold of nicoles number. I knew she was training to be a PT and hoping she would take a chance on me…..thankfully she did, she did more than take a chance on me, she believed in me and for this I will be forever grateful.
I have lost around 3 stone and what feels like a million inches. But it is what I have gained that is so much more important.
I have gained self belief again, I have gained confidence, more reliance and more strength, I have boulder shoulders which I absolutely love. I have gained positive habits, I have managed to stabilise my bipolar again, yes I have difficult times but I am able to manage these in a much more healthly and positive way. I am able to challenge myself and step outside my comfort zone. I have gained new perspectives. More energy and better patterns. I look forward to things, to challenges. I smile and laugh again.
Not only has my mental heath improved but my physical heath, I have a condition which produces fluid on my hips, when I started with Nicole I had a very limited range if movement, this has significantly improved and my hips are stronger! I am no longer medically overweight, scans have showed previously I had a fatty liver and now this is not the case. I can now out run my teenage son!!! Previously I would get out of breath and be too embarrassed to play football with him or go out on activities with him. Nicole has given me much more than my old life back she has helped me create a better life, with better habits and a more positive outlook, with the ability to see myself much clearer. I am heathier and happier. I am a better person, I am a better friend, I am a better mum.
My journey has not been linar, there have been ups and downs, there have been obstacles, but with Nicole’s help and support we have always managed to get right back on track. I continue to push forward and chase my goals, both physical and mentally. Nicole and the NRF team have definitely given me back the ability to dream again, to set goals and achieve them. I don’t want to live I the past anymore I want to continue to strive forward, but it is important to look back just to see how far you’ve come. With my past I would abuse my body, Nicole has given me the ability to respect my body, to see it for the amazing thing it is, to treat it with kindness and compassion rather than hate. To listen to it and most importantly not to compare myself with others. We are all fantastically unique and this should be celebrated.
Nicole and the woman at NRF have been absolutely fantastic with their support. One of the highlights for me was the trip to Cardiff. These was completely out of my comfort zone, you could see this as I was physically shaking, questioning myself. But afterwards I felt fantastic, this felt like a big win for me, along woth all the other small wins which are just as important . On reflection made my journey has made me realise that with a little bit of courage to reach out and a little bit of help, with the right people around you you can overcome obstacles no matter how small or how big. That challenging yourself in all different ways can remind yourself you are brave enough, you are strong enough, you are simply enough.
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