Charlie O'Grady

It would be a severe understatement to say I lived a sedentary lifestyle before joining Vision. At the end of the first year of lockdown I was tired, aching, and miserable all the time, and felt like life was just gliding right past me. I joined Vision because my family were all Vision members at the Kogarah studio - my brother Kieran is now a trainer himself there. I wasn't expecting to enjoy it at all, but pretty much immediately fell in love with the space, the people, and how much better it made me feel.

In my first 11 months as a Vision client I lost 40kg, going from 105kg at my first weigh in to 65kg. I also ran my first half marathon at the end of that year, and a year later conquered a full marathon at Melbourne Marathon Festival, my wonderful trainer Austin by my side through every step.

To see myself change, to feel lighter and freer and look more like the person I want to be, was obviously a life-changing and positive experience. However, the most amazing change to my life has been seeing all the things I can do now that I couldn't do two years ago. As someone who once couldn't even run for a bus, to have multiple half and full marathons under my belt now still astounds me to this day. The fact that I have come to enjoy running, weight training, swimming, boxing, and even just regular group exercise, is something I could not have foreseen at the outset. My life is so much richer for all of those things.

This year I had one of my proudest moments in my fitness journey so far. In May 2023 I fought my way through cold, 40kmh wind, and endless rolling hills to complete the longest run I've ever done, the Great Ocean Road marathon (45km). It was one of the first events I'd ever entered without someone to run with, so it was as much a psychological challenge as a physical one.

One of the best things about training with Vision is the community of supportive, enthusiastic people who surround you everyday. Everyone in the Vision family encourages each other, celebrates each others' successes, and supports each other through hard times. Without that I'm sure I wouldn't have come half as far as I have. The Vision methodology also taught me that it's okay to enjoy life--that I don't have to eat, drink, or work out perfectly 100% of the time, and that it's possible live a fun, free, balanced life while also committing to living healthier.

My advice to someone thinking about making a change would be first of all to keep an open mind, but also always value your own judgement and boundaries. Not everyone enjoys every form of exercise, and the best form of exercise for you is always the one you enjoy doing the most, the one that feels least like a chore you have to force yourself to do. Finding what works for you takes time, and experimentation, so be willing to explore things you wouldn't ordinarily do. But always remember that you're not doing it for anyone else but yourself!