Carol Macdougall

I joined Vision Five Dock by chance when I won some PT sessions at the Five Dock Ferragosto in August 2015. It was perfect timing as I was unfit, overweight, lacking confidence and generally pretty unhappy with where I was at in life, so it was the wakeup call I needed to focus on my health and fitness.

At my first PT session with Brianna, I set some goals to improve my fitness and lose some weight. From that very first session I took away some of the fundamentals that helped me not only reach my goals but exceed my own expectations of what I could achieve, and I still refer to these 2+ years later when I need some motivation:

• I have to own this and want to do this - we are all busy so don't make excuses instead find a way to make time for my health and wellness.
• I wasn't alone, Bri would be there to help me along the way and I had the support of the Vision Five Dock team and enlisted my family to help keep me on track.
• 70% is what you eat, so keep on top of what goes in and manage portion sizes.

I knew if I didn't stick to the program I was only cheating myself so from my very first session something just clicked - I diligently stuck to my food plan, made time to exercise and stayed focussed on my goals. The first 2 weeks were the hardest but I pushed through that with the encouragement of Bri and the Vision team and then I was on a roll and it just became my routine, it wasn't a chore but something I started to enjoy. I was seeing the results, clothes a bit looser, less fatigued and after a solid workout I just felt incredible. Over about 6 months I lost 14kg and now 18+ months later I've kept that weight off and continue to improve my fitness and achieve goals I would never have thought possible.

Initially I only did PT and trained alone, not confident to join group classes. Then I realized that I needed to mix things up a bit or I'd become tired of the same routine, so started joining some of the group classes - there were people in the classes at all different stages of their fitness journey so I didn't feel out of place. The Trainers were really encouraging for you to train within your own personal limits. I now love the group classes and training with others whilst pushing myself personally and I hope now that I've gained some confidence I can be encouraging to others who need some support like I once did.

Since joining Vision, I've exceeded my own fitness expectations completing Tough Mudder, Raw Challenge, Diamond Women's Triathlon, Sydney Duathlon, Sydney Spring Cycle 50K and Blackmores 10k. Most of these I've done as part of a Vision team, so there is always that team support and camaraderie which makes a huge difference. Running has been my biggest surprise - I ran the Bay Run for the first time ever in October 2016 and now I have a love/hate relationship with running, it's hard when I'm in the middle of it but I feel amazing when it's done. Vision's Saturday morning Run Club helped me prepare for the Blackmore's 10K in 2017 - I finished in the top 5% of over 6,500 women runners - something I would never have thought possible let alone in my 50s. All of that I put down to the encouragement and support of Vision Five Dock - they walk the talk with the trainers setting their own health and fitness goals which I find incredibly motivating - we are all in it together learning and setting/achieving new goals.

My goals now are to maintain my weight, stay fit and healthy and continue my love/hate relationship with running perhaps with a half marathon in 2018. Vision Five Dock has been my lifeline - 2 years on I wonder where I might be had I not taken up the Vision Five Dock challenge. Thanks Simon and the team.