This I Believe Essay ( Audio Included )

I believe in trusting people. As a disabled person, I have always appreciated the kindness of other people.

In 2003, I joined a fitness club to regain my self-confidence after dealing with some personal issues. My workouts were rough for the first month. As I began exercising, I realized that I needed to stop being sad about my friends who passed away in 2001. A few months later, two personal trainers would change my life forever.

I started training with Julie Stevens in September 2003. When I worked with her, she set some goals for me. She wanted to work on my legs in an attempt to improve my balance. I was afraid to train my lower body. I thought my upper body was more important than my lower body because I use a manual wheelchair for mobility purposes.