Student works to improve personal fitness

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Boi-Han Nguyen / Legacy Media

Junior Hannah Grabarkievtz works hard to improve her personal fitness and strength.

Dedication. Clients must always stay dedicated, fighting towards their ultimate goal of one day participating in body building competitions. In order to do that, they must be in shape, perfecting every aspect of their figure.

Gym Jessop, located on Spring Cypress Road, trains clients for different categories of Fitness competition. As the only trainee under 19, junior Hannah Grabarkievtz constantly pushes to keep up.

“I train at the gym three days a week,” Grabarkievtz said. “Along with that I train at home. Competition is the ultimate goal and preparing for it is a lot of work. We dedicate days to working out different parts of the body, in hopes of eventually reaching the perfect figure.”

For Grabarkievtz, staying on track can become overwhelming. With work and school, her commitment to the fitness program challenges her, requiring her to always be on her feet.

“The hardest part of all of this is time management,” Grabarkievtz said. “Balancing everything with the program causes me to push myself, and leaves me with little time to relax. I have to remember to stay strong. If I keep my mind focused and remind myself that I can’t afford to get off track, things usually end up working out.”

Despite the hard work, Grabarkievtz finds the program worthwhile, helping her improve both her physical and mental health.

“The program taught me to be disciplined about what I eat and to always stay on track,” Grabarkievtz said. “Not only is my body starting to look better, but I feel physically better.”

According to Coach Tracy Kilgore, Grabarkievtz previous workouts were not effective. Since beginning the program, Grabarkievtz has developed physically, working towards a tougher core.

“She’s getting stronger in each workout,” Kilgore said. “She started off with a weak core, but she’s definitely improved a lot, and she’s able to do more of the exercises we require. All of this has taught her to have a good work ethic and to be an overall stronger person.”

Although Grabarkievtz is currently working to compete, the long term effects of the program motivate her to keep going.

“I originally joined this program because I needed a way to get fit,” Grabarkievtz said. “Some days are hard, but working out will be good for me in the long run. Knowing that I’m spending my time doing something that will benefit me in the future is a good feeling.”