Month: October 2020

She wasn’t fat, but in high school she was teased relentlessly about her weight that Jazzy Tasdelen was made to believe she was fat. At that time, sports and health were not top priorities for the 38-year-old mother of a new-born and marketing director who was more into creative subjects at school. The bullying at school became so bad that she attempted suicide twice in her teenage years.

Things got slightly better after she left school but she faced a different set of troubles in her adult years. At the age of 30, she was diagnosed with hormonal conditions polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) and endometriosis, as well as lupus which is a long-term autoimmune disease. The hormonal conditions make it very hard for her to lose weight and also caused a heap of fertility issues.

Understanding that her weight gain was medical, Jazzy did not let that affect her too much and she continued to lead a healthy and active lifestyle. She engaged a personal trainer and started lifting weights. She also tried to do more activities such as stand-up paddle boarding, running, pilates, yoga, body combat and other gym classes like spinning.

Previously, fitness was all about the weight loss and appearance to her. But after giving birth, her mindset has changed. “Now that I’ve had a baby, my mindset has changed. Working out is not about weight loss but more about the future of my health and the longevity of my health. I want to be fit and healthy to be able to play games and sport with my son and live a long life,” she said. 

Through these struggles with weight and fertility, Jazzy’s biggest internal challenge was self-doubt. “I have a lot of insecurities about being a larger person and the fitness industry is so geared towards people having a certain physique and looking a certain way. I would often let myself be intimidated by this identity and not push myself or reach my full potential,” she revealed.

Fortunately, Jazzy had supportive people around her. She started sharing her journey on social media where she found like-minded people who encouraged her to rise above and beyond her anxieties, and she began to push herself to reach her full potential. Her milestones include completing her first ever 5km Fun Run and deadlifting 120kg in her first ever lifting competition. “Doing an early journey story with Cheryl from Rock The Naked Truth was a also really good starting point for building my confidence,” she mentioned. 

Jazzy believes that a huge misconception about fitness is that ‘big’ people can’t be fit; that they are lazy and they make themselves as such. “There are some physical limitations for some sports or exercises, but that doesn’t mean larger framed people can’t run, bike, swim, lift, do yoga and still be fit! I hope to change this by leading by example, by trying the sports and exercises that some deem I’m not fit enough for.”

*This #FitForAll series is brought to you by Rock The Naked Truth x HUAWEI, with the objective of promoting inclusivity for fitness. Fitness is for all and fitness looks different on everyone.

Jazzy is wearing the latest #HUAWEIWatchFIT that has many features to aid you in your fitness goals – for just $148. Click here for more details!

Fitness used to be a chore for Mandy Chan, 24, founder of lifestyle brand Bowforbold.

“Fitness is something I HAD to do,” she confessed. “Back in school, I struggled to complete the 2.4km run of my NAPFA test within 16 minutes.” In fact, during her primary and secondary school days, Mandy was more inclined towards the arts rather than sports with co-curricular activities (CCA) in the school band where she played the Guzheng. 

Then when she entered Junior College, she decided to challenge herself and switched to a sports CCA – she took up track & field as a high jumper. “By taking the first step to join a sports CCA, it lessened my fear and it also dispelled the misconception that you need to have a solid athletic background to join a sports CCA,” she said.

It was only when she took a gap year from university at the age of 19 and started her own business – bowforbold that designs multi-functional sports bags – that she became more involved in running. Not knowing what to do or where to start, a friend helped to guide her in running and the first running event she took part in was a half-marathon in 2017. Something changed in her when she completed it – it made her believe that she could do more than what was possible.

Her next big race was The Magnificent Merapoh Trail (TMMT) 2018 in Malaysia where she ran 35km of trails for the first time.  “After the TMMT, I felt it was time to prove to myself again that it’s truly mind over body and I should not be held back by any limitations not only fitness wise, but also in my arduous startup journey and in my personal growth. Thus, I signed up for the Standard Chartered Singapore Marathon,” she shared.

Last year, with only four months to train for her first marathon (42.195km) because she sprained her foot, Mandy managed to finish the entire run with only slight cramping. She had plans to run it again this year and made a $200 bet with a friend to see who runs it faster, but with the pandemic, that is put on hold for now.

To maintain her fitness, Mandy runs four times a week, practises yoga twice a week and does HIIT three times a week too. “Fitness is a way for me to catch up and bond with my friends. It’s also a way for me to relieve stress and have that personal ‘me’ time.

“One of the greatest fitness misconceptions today is that people think sporty and active people are born that way, instead of them actively choosing to lead that lifestyle. I hope to change this misconception by sharing my story of how I ran my first full marathon,” she added.

*This #FitForAll series is brought to you by Rock the Naked Truth SG x HUAWEI Singapore, with the objective of promoting inclusivity for fitness. Fitness is for all and fitness looks different on everyone.

Mandy is wearing the latest #HUAWEIWatchFIT that has many features to aid you in your fitness goals – for just $148. Click here to find out more!