Ever since I was young, I have always been active and involved in team sports. I have never really thought about the importance of staying active and exercising until the pandemic. At the same time, I stopped running track for my high school, so boredom was at an all-time high. Naturally, I began to look for simple and even mindless hobbies to keep me occupied during the Covid lockdown in my hometown in Pennsylvania and found myself wanting to get into exercising again. I reminisced on the weekly soccer practices and basketball games I used to attend when I was young and craved the same motivation to be as active as I once was. After doing some research and planning, I decided I wanted to start lifting weights. In addition to making this decision, I also made other health goals such as eating a vegetarian diet and setting other positive goals for myself to accomplish daily.

At the same time, my dad and older brother were also getting into lifting and taking it more seriously. We all worked together to make an at-home gym in our garage and pushed ourselves to stick to our goals. This was the first time I truly disciplined and pushed myself, and in return, this significantly improved my mental health. I have continued to make working out a part of my routine as it serves as a very positive aspect of my life

Although academics do not require physical strength, getting back into fitness and prioritizing my health in several ways has taught me to apply the same determination and motivation to my schoolwork. At UGA, I have come to accept that college can be very difficult at times and that it is going to challenge me. The lessons I have learned since kickstarting my fitness journey have pushed me to become the best version of myself and to work hard in all parts of my life.