Everything fitness, nutrition, food and even hobbies of today, it all started during the summer of 96. More specifically, a two week caravan holiday in Devon. Football fever of euro 96 continuing well into the summer, adventure playgrounds, climbing trees, discovering wildlife of the great outdoors, open water swimming through treacherous 1 foot waves, barbecues everyday, and of course the main event that I can call the origin of my fitness journey, the Atlanta Olympic Games.
Watching events like gymnastics and powerlifting for the first time, the patriotic proud emotions towards Sir Steve and Matthew, and of course, Michael Johnson, one of my first sporting hero's, wearing those iconic gold spikes and being the first male athlete to win gold in the 200 and 400m. Human performances on a scale that lit fires inside me wanting to know how and why.
Movies were also a magic factor of influence that Summer. Indiana Jones somewhere deep in the South American jungle, inside an ancient temple swinging across “The Well of Souls” whilst outrunning giant boulders and poison arrows. Being mesmerised by the spiritual guidance of Mr Miyagi in Karate Kid, taking on Daniel LaRusso as his student, teaching him the crane kick on a tiny log; and the one I will never forget, my first encounter of Arnold Schwarzenegger, Predator to be precise (ridiculous that I was 8 at the time). Those movies cultivated my obsession of aesthetics, mobility and performance.
And there you have it, hook, line and sinker, I was caught and been nibbling as a student of the game ever since. Ironically, It's only until now thinking about what I was going to write in this introduction, that it was in fact those intoxicating blend of ingredients in 96 that merged together creating all things health and fitness that I love teaching today.
So if your looking for your ultimate physique, perform to your true potential, become more flexible and/or no what to eat and take care of yourself better without being an archaeological, muscular paramilitary rescue, Yoda styled karate master Olympian, then I want to here from you.