A BIT ABOUT ME - ISAAC
When I was 11 I was diagnosed with juvenile idiopathic arthritis, which threw a spanner in the works for my teenage years and set out a load of challenges in the years to come! Having spent years with no control over my body, pain and inflammation ruled all. But with some kick-ass meds and a friend who saw an opportunity to help a brother out, he invited me to the gym with him. I remember shaking like a leaf chest pressing just the 20kg bar! But after persistence and a solid few months of determination, I saw changes in my body and my confidence grew exponentially. My body is nowhere near perfect but I love it and what it can now do.
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MY STORY
At 11, I got a bad case of salmonella. I recovered from the illness, but soon my wrist inexplicably became swollen & painful. Then other joints followed - knees, ankles, toes, thumbs, you name it, it was affected! Doctors were stumped. Eventually, a rheumatologist diagnosed me with reactive arthritis. My immune system had mistaken my joints for the salmonella infection and attacked them... causing me to develop this rare type of arthritis, which later was classed as JIA as I didn't grow out of it.
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Soon, I couldn’t attend school, see friends, or sleep an hour without being waken up by the pain. By 15, I’d tried nearly every painkiller and anti-inflammatory under the sun! My school attendance dropped below 50%, and I was losing hope - until I started a biological EpiPen treatment. It was an absolute game changer! My pain eased, inflammation reduced, and I felt alive again. After more ups and downs (and cortisone injections), I was pain-free and back to living - mountain biking, running, partying!
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At 18, I was gifted a month gym pass for my birthday. My wrist was fused, so training upper body was initially challenging, and my knees crunched with every squat, but I fell in love with the feeling of training and how empowered I felt. Within weeks, I felt incredible changes in my body, my confidence and after feeling like a passenger in my own body for so long, I had finally regained control and was back in the driving seat again.
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Now, ten years later, that passion has become my career. It’s a cliché, but the gym has truly changed my life! And I couldn't be more grateful.
QUALIFICATIONS
Nutritional Therapist
Level 2 Gym Instructor
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Level 3 Personal Trainer