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.

After Julie persuaded me to work on my legs, I noticed a change in my behavior. My legs got stronger as I lifted weights on the leg press. Club members began telling me how proud they were of me for all my hard work. As I received many compliments, I realized that I could do so much more from a fitness standpoint and in the world.

Julie quit being a trainer in the spring of 2005. I started working with another trainer right after Julie left. Scott Kiel also wanted to focus on making me less dependent on my wheelchair. However, his approach to improving my balance left me perplexed. After a heartfelt talk with Scott, I realized that life is meant to be a challenge.

Scott decided to get me on my feet and try to get me walking. I would grab his hands to hold myself up, and I would walk with his help. I felt so happy with walking that I even began using the stairs at the gym. I will always remember one of Scott's clients telling me how much he appreciated my drive and determination to be a fully functional guy. Once I let that message sink in, I made some life altering changes.

As my disability improved, because of working with Julie and Scott, I took my gym attitude into the world. I am now in school working toward a journalism degree. I am also on the verge of getting my license. Most of all, by trusting Julie and Scott, the best of my life is yet to come.

This I Believe Audio