You may be asking, “What do you mean by trauma?” Well, sometimes, trauma can feel like a weight that holds us back, but it also has the potential to shape and strengthen us in ways we never imagined. In those moments of adversity, we are forced to face who we truly are and what we’re capable of.
I never knew why I was here or if my life would ever amount to anything. When my father left, it left a void, a deep gap in my heart. Were we a perfect family? No, but no family is. In my mind, the questions kept coming — “Why me?” I carried resentment, both toward the world and myself. I had always done right by the people I cared about, yet I felt victimized by the traumatic circumstances that seemed to define my life. At one point, I found myself asking, “What if I was gone? Would anyone even notice? Or would they be relieved?” There was a time when I truly didn’t want to be alive. All I wanted was peace. I was 15, struggling with emotions I couldn’t express, and I had no idea how to make sense of it all.
Then came Dragon Ball. You don’t need to be an anime fan to know who Goku is, but for me, Goku represented something more. He was an escape, a way to get away from the noise and negativity surrounding me. Goku wasn’t just a fighter; he was someone who kept going, no matter the odds. I admired how, despite being a victim of his own circumstances, he chose not to take it out on the world. Instead, he helped others, put their needs before his own, and brought joy to those around him. I didn’t realize it then, but Goku’s character showed me what I needed most: strength, resilience, and compassion.
In a world that often seemed against me, this fictional yet real character gave me a model to look up to. He was my inspiration, and it was in these moments of struggle that I realized something: what if I could be the person for others that I needed when I was younger?
I didn’t have super strength or super speed like Goku, but I did have the power of resilience, of perseverance, and of character. I began to understand that true strength comes from what we choose to stand for — integrity, selflessness, and the drive to help others. And I wanted to use that to help others, just like Goku had inspired me.
Through fitness, I found a way to channel my pain into something constructive. I spent years training, pushing myself through the pain, using the gym as my therapy. One day, out of nowhere, a younger kid came to me asking for fitness advice. At first, I didn’t think much of it, but then it happened again and again. I started to realize that this kid, despite his youth, had a similar struggle. Like me, he was dealing with his own family issues and the gym was his escape, his way of dealing with things.
I didn’t know if I was the catalyst for change in his life, but I recognized that, in those moments when we would talk or train together, I was offering him something healthy to hold on to. The gym had become a place of refuge, a safe space, even if just for a little while. It wasn’t much, but it was something — and that “something” was exactly what I had been seeking when I was his age.
That was the moment I knew what I wanted to do for the rest of my life: I could help people through fitness. By helping others find strength and purpose, I was also building myself. I believe that we are all given unique abilities and purposes, and I’ve come to realize that mine is to connect with others, to bring out their best. I want to help people see the potential within themselves — to push past their limits, to heal, to grow. And in doing so, I will continue to grow too.
Nearly a decade has passed since that pivotal moment, and I’ve never looked back. The struggle shaped me, but it also built me — and it’s through that journey that I now have the privilege of helping others do the same.
