Hello, Kia Ora, I’m Ashley also known as Ash, 31yrs of age from Auckland, New Zealand. I would like to write something about myself and my time here at Tiger Muay Thai and MMA Training Camp and in Thailand itself.
For most my life I have suffered from being overweight due to low self esteem, and lack of confidence and an extreme comfort in food for protection. I had no real will to exercise, nothing about it excited me. Though I had great intentions of losing the weight as an adult, even achieving a small amount of weight-loss was a struggle for me.
In 2010 I had an awful but awakening series of events that changed my life forever, the first having my heart broken early April of that year. Because I was so angry and upset about it I needed something to put my energy out onto as I was not sleeping, eating or doing anything but laying in bed crying for 3 weeks. Thus I found the gym, and I also found Les Mills Group Fitness Classes. Finding a new enjoyment for exercise and the people I was meeting there, I was doing well, and losing a lot of weight. However not even 8 weeks later, On June 9th 2010 my father 53yrs of age passed suddenly at work of a heart attack. Leaving just my mother and I. I knew my father would want me to carry on the work I was doing at the gym so I went back a week after his passing. Started doing really well again. And then and as I say this I am getting emotional, the news came 7 weeks later that whilst my mother had been in the states, a drunk driver crashed into the vehicle she was in, resulting to her death. instantly…Pheww!!! I became numb, lost, and slowed incredibly down with my journey at the gym… the struggle didn’t stop there, I had a lawyer who wouldn’t move things along swiftly, my home was robbed, and people were also stealing things while I was inside my house, doctors and counselors telling me to just move on with my life. A lack of finances or financial help, I was on the brink of letting go of life, I sat in my house most days too paranoid to leave it. Only left it basically to do the shopping and come home again. I may state I have no siblings, no partner, no children so really nothing keeping me going.
I fell into a state of depression at the beginning of 2012, I had had enough of life and questioning its worth. It got to the point I started taking anti depressants which I hated doing. Somehow 3 weeks into taking them I started to think more clearly and rationally about life again, and woke up one morning and said I want to go to Thailand. Never dreaming of Thailand in my life I was Googling all possible options of things I could do from Yoga Retreats-Monastry- then a Muay Thai Camp. Hence I chose Muay Thai Camp. I chose Tiger Muay Thai as the camp I wanted to join and have not regretted one minute of choosing it. Now funnily enough I only ever really did do one little session of Muay Thai I instead turned to Yoga, Krabi Krabong and Western boxing at first, then later on after letting go of the fear of it.. I started Body Fit a few weeks ago which I actually fell in love with, and a little bit of Cross-training… These classes have been so beneficial to me, I have got bounce back in my walk, I can move freely again, I don’t know how many Kgs I have lost but I have lost a lot of inches, I feel better, I have got more than what I asked for, I also worked on myself mentally and emotionally, learning more lessons about myself and others. This place has been so spiritual and peaceful. I came with the thoughts Eat, Pray, Love, Exercise.. and to work on Mind Body and Soul, I have definitely in the 4 months I have been here September 17th 2012- Jan 23rd- 2013 got that and a whole lot more. I have met some really amazing people, conquered fears, done things I never thought Id do before. Gone too and seen some beautiful amazing sites. The List goes on.
I would like to thank from the bottom of my heart for not only the support, the help, the lessons, the love, the friendship, the advice, the company the everything that I have received at my time here at Tiger… The inspiration, the kind words of others… just all of it…Thank you so much from the bottom of my heart, I will miss you all dearly and no doubt I will be back here as soon as I can…Nga mihi nu nui ki a koutou katoa.