Our Spotlight Member this month is Juliana! She brings an amazing, energetic spirit to every training session, and lights up the gym with her smile. In her interview, Juliana shares how her commitment to training has helped her reduce pain, build her strength, and get back to doing things she loves to do!
BREAKTHROUGH: Juliana, thank you for being our Spotlight member this month.
JULIANA: My pleasure.
BREAKTHROUGH: So, tell me what got you started with us at Breakthrough in the first place. It’s been since November, I think.
JULIANA: Yeah, November.
BREAKTHROUGH: What brought you to us back then?
JULIANA: Well, my wonderful neighbor, Sara lives across the street from me. I am going to cry just talking about her. She and her husband are amazing. So, I needed to start doing something. It had been a few years since my husband passed away. I needed to do something for my mental health and my physical health, and I had just started walking again. She was coming here, and she gave me a VIP pass.
BREAKTHROUGH: Yes.
JULIANA: And she said, if I give this to you, will you go? I promised her I would go, and I came, and I haven’t left!
BREAKTHROUGH: Yay!
JULIANA: I have been here ever since!
BOTH: Ha, ha!
BREAKTHROUGH: And we could not be happier to have you! It so great! So, tell me how you were feeling when you first got started. What kind of things were you noticing?
JULIANA: Oh gosh! Pain everywhere. My knees, my ankles, my back, my elbows. I was just…. You know, three years of inactivity really took its toll. And I felt weak. I didn’t feel like myself. So, I really just wanted to focus on getting strong and reducing the pain.
BREAKTHROUGH: Now that it has been a quite a few months, how are you feeling now?
JULIANA: I am feeling great! I mean, I still have some knee discomfort from time to time, but I think that is just age… My elbows feel great, my wrists feel great, my ankles feel great. My back pain went from being a 9 –
BREAKTHROUGH: Oh! That is a lot!
JULIANA: – literally barely being able to get out of bed in the morning – to a 4 or 5 now.
BREAKTHROUGH: Okay! We are on the right track!
JULIANA: Absolutely! I feel like the more we build my core, the more it helps my back.
BREAKTHROUGH: Yes, definitely! What are some things that you have done in training that surprised you? Things that seemed challenging, but that now you have accomplished?
JULIANA: Oh gosh! A lot! I mean that Turkish……
BREAKTHROUGH: The Turkish get-up?
JULIANA: Yeah. The get-up. That boggled my mind at first. I mean, I never thought I would be able to do it. And now I can do it. And I can do it with confidence, which is great.
BREAKTHROUGH: I just watched you do it a few minutes ago. It was great!
JULIANA: There you go! Squatting weights! I mean, and the weight that I squat is just remarkable.
BREAKTHROUGH: You were just doing 55 pounds for your first time ever doing back squats.
JULIANA: And I forget what I was doing with Caleb the other day. I don’t know 100 and something pounds…
BREAKTHROUGH: On the deadlifts.
JULIANA: Yeah. Those kinds of things just blow my mind that I can actually do it.
BREAKTHROUGH: Yeah. Is there anything that you are doing outside of the gym that you notice?
JULIANA: I mean I can walk. I love to walk, and I walk for miles. I do like two hour walks and I can just climb hills and mountains now…
BREAKTHROUGH: Yay!
JULIANA: …with a lot more umph. I can stay out longer. I can garden again. Garden! I had lost the ability to really do it because of my knees and my back.
BREAKTHROUGH: It’s a physical thing.
JULIANA: It is a physical thing. I loved it and I love that I can get back in there and do it.
BREAKTHROUGH: That’s great!
JULIANA: Yeah! It’s impacted a lot of my life.
BREAKTHROUGH: That’s what it’s supposed to do – make life easier outside the gym. So, the last thing that I am going to ask is what keeps you motivated to do this, to prioritize yourself this way? What’s your why?
JULIANA: Well, I think my why is that I need to be strong for myself. I need to take care of myself. I don’t want anyone to have to take care of me. I don’t know if that is a why but that is my motivation.
BREAKTHROUGH: Yeah!
JULIANA: I feel my body transforming and that is a huge motivator. I know I am getting stronger. I love that we do it slowly but steadily. I don’t know if that is a why.
BREAKTHROUGH: Well, I think it is a why. What you mentioned about wanting to be able to take care of yourself and be independent. I totally feel the same way. I want to be able to function and do the stuff I want to do as I get older.
JULIANA: I want to be able to garden.
BREAKTHROUGH: Exactly!
JULIANA: I want to be able to go on a hike. I want to travel. And not you know be exhausted. I want to have energy and stamina to be able to do it.
BREAKTHROUGH: No matter what you want to do, you will be strong enough to do it.
JULIANA: Exactly, exactly.
BREAKTHROUGH: I think that is definitely a why! It makes perfect sense to me!
JULIANA: Oh, good!
BREAKTHROUGH: Is there anything else you want to share? Anything else we didn’t cover?
JULIANA: I just love being here. I love the atmosphere here. Everyone is so incredible. I know everybody says that, but it is true.
BREAKTHROUGH: Yeah, it is true. You guys are the best!
JULIANA: I felt included the minute I walked in here. That’s huge in keeping everyone coming back.
BREAKTHROUGH: That is the best news ever! That’s how we want you guys to feel.
JULIANA: You did it!
BREAKTHROUGH: Yay! Thank you so much, Juliana!
JULIANA: You are welcome!
BREAKTHROUGH: You’re the best! I appreciate it!