oxygenmagAU Sep/Oct 2017 35
FEATURE
GG
rowing up, the fitness industry wassso
intimidating to me because it seemed you needed
to be a model or an athlete, or live a 100% perfect
healthy and active life, to be considered the least bit
successfsul on your journey.
I waas raised by a single father who commuted two hours
to workr each day, which meant I had to prepare my own meals
most of the time. What young girl wouldn’t choose fast food
and junnk food if no one was there to watch and intervene? So,
that’s wwhat I ate from the time I could drive myself to the drive-
througgh. My diet consisted of fast food three times a day until
my earrly twenties when I was in college.
Befoore I started working out, my life was work and school.
I have bbeen working since I was 16 years old, full time since
18 yearrs old when I started college fulltime. My days were
7am-1 00 pm nearly 6 days a week and the last thing on my mind
was takking care of my health. This is what contributed to my
junk-foood lifestyle and I used the easy excuse of not having time.
I waas 22 years old when I suddenly keeled over,not being
able to move or walk due to a sharp pain in my stomach. I went
to the hhospital and was prescribed medicine, but as time went
on I couuld tell there were still underlying problems not being
fixed thhat the medicine was simply covering up. I realised it
was myy fast-food diet; it wasn’t giving my body the nutrients it
neededd to effectively and properly function. It was also my lack
of activvity. Several years of those two things combined resulted
in setting me down the road of perpetual health problems if
somethhing didn’t change.
As thhat I was in my early 20 it was a huge shock. I realised
my heaalth was a result of my poor diet and lack of exercise. I
honestly hated this fact, I hated that I had to change and go out honestTTThhhe
Being left alone from a
young age to prepare
all her meals, Anna
visited fast food outlets
3 times a day. At 22
years of age, she found
herself keeled over and
unable to move due
to a sharp pain in her
stomach, and knew
things had to change.
BY ANNA VICTORIA
in m e
PHOTOGRAPHERDALLAS OLSEN |HAIR AND MAKEUPJEN STEYN