Since 2004, Eric was a devoted Les Mills class-goer at Fitness First in Penang, Malaysia. His regular participation in classes was always fuelled by his passion and joy which, over time, helped this shy young man to emerge from his shell.
Unfortunately in March 2011, on his way home from the gym, Eric suffered a catastrophic accident where his car collided with a bus.
The ordeal left him broken – both mentally and physically – which meant 2011 became the most challenging year of Eric’s life.
The severe extent of Eric’s spinal injuries left him struggling to stand up unassisted. So while he’d always had a dream of creating a like-minded community through a shared love for fitness, Eric had to quickly refocus his ambition into the goal of learning how to walk again.
“I could barely walk or stand for more than five minutes. I couldn’t sleep without painkillers, and my hands and legs would shake uncontrollably.”
It was two years after the accident occurred, when Eric connected with a specialist at Pantai Hospital Penang, who ignited the spark of hope that he needed to really kick off his recovery.
During this period where he was unable to exercise, Eric’s weight ballooned to almost 100kg, but his fighting spirit saw him remain committed to his recovery, even during the toughest of times.
As soon as Eric could walk for an hour without stopping, he returned to the gym. He started off doing light exercise like swimming and yoga and once he was strong enough to do so, he returned to his beloved BODYCOMBAT™ classes at his local gym in Penang.
Eric knew that to begin with, he’d be slower than the rest of the class, so he asked the instructor to avoid the embarrassment of having his name called out during the class. Despite his slower pace, for Eric, going back to the classes he loved and missed was the biggest test of his recovery.
“What touched me the most was how all the instructors took good care of me and showed me easy movement options during each class.”
Even after classes were over, the instructors would check on Eric to see how he was feeling, and it was actually this compassion, concern and genuine care – aka “the Les Mills spirit” – that inspired Eric’s decision to become a Les Mills Instructor.
And guess what? Today Eric is a Les Mills BODYCOMBAT and BODYSTEP™ instructor with a tribe of followers who love his classes and are inspired by his journey and incredible ability to overcome adversity.
He has returned to his initial weight of 75kg and continues to train hard, but always slow and steady.
“I will never stop exercising and teaching. I will continue to spread this spirit of healing, and I know my mentor and friends will always support me.”
You too can be like Eric and use your love for fitness to inspire others and create a like-minded community. Add to your current program offering and sign up for another IMT or encourage your regular class members with potential to sign up – click here to register or find out more.
You can catch Eric’s BODYCOMBAT classes at:
- M2 Fitness (Relau Golden Triangle)
- Peak Fitness (Gurney Plaza)
- Chi Fitness (Queensway Mall)
- Orient Fitness (Lip Sin)
You can catch Eric’s BODYSTEP classes at:
- Peak Fitness (Gurney Plaza)
- Orient Fitness (Platinum)
Pop on by and say “hello!”
