My Journey to the Stage – My Mum’s Insight into My Character!
Well here is the next blog for my journey! This one has been kindly written by my dear Mum, who volunteered to write the next chapter and give you all an insight into my character…. Well Mum is even more biased than my sister so proceed with caution – and my twitching fingers have not edited it at all! Hope you enjoy and any other volunteers to keep writing my blog for me are most welcome! hahaha
I thought I might jump on the blogging bandwagon to help Nerida out as she heads towards her goal of entering the fitness modelling. It must be quite difficult for her to come up with an interesting read week after week, when the routine is pretty well established by the middle of the preparation.
What to focus on? Well I can’t go wrong if I try to cast some light on the incredible focus and determination that are key traits of Nerida’s character. (I hope those traits don’t result in this blog being heavily edited. )
When Nerida arrived in this world, the world that was to be her oyster, she arrived with no fuss and began to forge her identity in the world. Christmas’s were always huge and when she was 3 years old, there were only two things she had on her Santa list-they were a pair of thongs and a big bag. Santa was good to her that year, and she was lucky enough to receive a multitude of presents, but true to her wishes, she had only two things that even remotely interested her-the tiny red thongs and the over-sized colourful bag. Try to take the thongs off her and you were dead meat!!! As for the bag, it did not leave her hot little hands all day and sported a huge hole in the bottom by Christmas nightfall, from being dragged around all day. She was a happy little vegemite.
Her big brother-all of 17months older, was the bane of her existence at times. They had a love/hate relationship common to most siblings, and Nerida quickly learnt strategies to cope with this. One day he wanted to borrow a toy that she owned. He asked if he could and with her hard taskmaster ethics, she said he must ask her by saying please, which he promptly did, then pretty please, then pretty please darling Nerida, then pretty please darling, beautiful Nerida! He complied with all this, only to be flatly told at the end-sorry, no you still can’t have it! ( True Story) Today Exquisite Fitness girls, that converts to, “you can stop after 10 more burpees, no you can stop after 10 more burpees and 10 sumo squats, no you can stop after 10 more burpees , 10 more sumo squats and 10 lunges! No you can’t stop at all-do it all again 10 times!!!!!!
Unfortunately Nerida had to go to hospital when she was very young. She was very ill and missed her mother so much. She would cry when I left and fretted for me when I wasn’t there. The nurses apparently reprimanded her and one particular day I went in and she was completely dry-eyed. She told me in all of her important 4 year old determined voice that she was not staying there one more day and I was not going home without her. True to her word, that day I left with Nerida in tow and her doll dragging along behind her. She was not doing anything she didn’t want to and that is still her operating mechanism today. You fitness girls will do what she wants you to do too, come hell or high water, and that is why you are all making excellent progress.
Young children are often asked by well-meaning adults what they want to be when they grow up. The answers are the usual predictable ones of a nurse, a fireman, a policeman, a mummy etc. One day, when Nerida was all of 10 years old, her reply to the person that put it to her was an unequivocal and resounding “ I want to be a lawyer”. I was privy to that conversation and whirled around wondering where on earth did that come from. Not once in all the ensuing years did Nerida ever waver from that statement and sure enough, she graduated as a lawyer many years later. When she had to do her work experience in the latter years of high school, I said, “well I guess you will find a spot in a law firm”. But no, in typical Nerida fashion, she stated that she knew she wanted to be a lawyer, so she would try journalism just so she knew she didn’t want anything to do with that. That, of course, is exactly what happened. Our Nerida knows exactly what she wants and exactly how to get it. Are you surprised her business is such a thriving success? And let me assure you girls, she wants you to be lean, strong and fit women and by golly by gosh, you will be!!!!! Scary isn’t it?
Along with her wish to be a lawyer was another Christmas wish when she was 10 years old, for a desk from Santa. It was hidden until the last in the kitchen and her acute disappointment when she thought it hadn’t been delivered was only matched by her incredible excitement when she found it. A modest little white melamine desk that was the one she used all her primary, secondary and university years, as well as many years in her own home. Material things are not important to Nerida and she will make do, to make sure she has what is important in life. Of course, this does not include her love of glamorous bling, and pretty makeup, Lorna Jane work out gear and the odd spray tan!!!! Thank goodness for that because without those trademarks, she just wouldn’t be the girl we all love to bits and cherish. When sunbaking became entirely unacceptable, as did tanning beds, Nerida was determined that no matter what, she would still have that sun-kissed skin and spray tans are part of her daily wear. Where there is a will there is a way.
As a mother, I do worry that Nerida’s latest venture to compete in the fitness modelling will be too much strain on her seemingly endless energy and motivation, and that sheer tiredness will overcome her. However, I know that whether she makes it or otherwise, she will give it all she has, it will be a gutsy effort and full of the determination and motivation that drives her every day. No matter how hard it is, she will give it her best shot and what more can you ask of anyone. I would love to see her accomplish this goal as I know it means so much to her, but at the end of the day, she is a winner all round. A brilliant mother, a devoted wife, a loving daughter, a caring sister, a talented piano player, a wonderful homemaker, a clever fitness teacher, a formidable lawyer, a wonderful friend!
If you are lucky enough to be part of her life, to have been blessed with that infectious laugh, to be gently manipulated by that determined nature, you will know that this is one very determined and highly motivated human being. Good Luck and may your fitness journey be what you want it to be my dear.
