A Story from Asia : From Sick Kids to Bodybuilders and Life Coaches

Whenever my younger brother CJ and I step up a stage to give a motivational speech to people on holistic health and fitness, no one in the audience could believe that in our childhood, both of us suffered various medical and physical challenges, and were determined by fellow students and teachers alike to be incapable of any serious sporting activity.

Today, both of us can stand proudly on stage and inspire others to improve their health and fitness, including many of our peers who were sports people in their youth.

Most people would at least believe I am a competitive gymnast, or bodybuilder, while my brother is obvious as a competitive champion bodybuilder.

Our early years of medical challenges

I was very prematurely born, so much so that the presiding surgeon, the director of the hospital at that time, told my grandparents and parents that they might have to expect the worst, that I may not make it. Eventually, I survived, but not without a host of medical challenges that I had to grapple with, including serious myopia (almost clinically blind), structural left lumbar scoliosis (curved spine), multiple allergies, and asthma, that left me very skinny and weak in my youth. My brother was a little better, but suffered Thalessemia minor (deformed red blood cells).

We were told by physicians, parents and friends alike, that both of us should resign to our fate as "bookworms", destined to walk the corridors of laboratories or universities as scholars or researchers. No one would believe we could handle serious sports, or become strong and fit.

Conquering challenges

But something inside both of us, perhaps the rebellious streak, prodded us to disregard the negative voices, and we decided to pursue sports we enjoyed. My brother became a gymnast, rugby player, and then bodybuilder. I became a 100-meter track athlete, Karate student, yoga practitioner, and then bodybuilder. My brother proved time and again, his mettle when he turned runner-up at the Musclemania World Championships in the USA , competing against the toughest of competition in the USA and the world, as well as previously winning a gold medal at the Commonwealth Games and other events. Both our paths converged in bodybuilding because we discovered that resistance training provided many benefits quite unlike other cardiovascular activity, and was generally safe for anyone, including those seeking rehabilitative and curative effects. In fact, because of yoga, meditation and resistance training, I not only became much stronger, but managed to keep my bad scoliosis in check, and no longer have to forego outdoor trips or teaching whole-day classes.

Sharing our knowledge

Somewhere along our own personal journeys of discovering how best to conquer our own medical and physical challenges, many friends, relatives and colleagues kept asking us how best to improve their own health and fitness. In 2002, we both decided that perhaps we should take a quantum leap forward and co-write a book chronicling our own journeys to health and fitness, and teach the public how best to take the same path as well.

That effort became the bestselling "This Body This Life" (ISBN 9810456468, www.ThisBodyThisLife.com). Somehow, because of the book, both of us began our journey to offer our services as lifestyle coaches, since many would rather enjoy personalized coaching rather than just read and follow the advice in our book. Many of our readers turned to us for our advice, and I created the new venture TechPharma Labs (www.asiafitnesscoach.com), which now offers not only personalized coaching (including house calls), but also offer email and phone coaching for out-of-town clients.

It was never about the money, but our own passion to solve our own physical and medical challenges. And we enjoy the same journey so much more now simply because there are many who believe in us, and are inspired that if we can do it, so can they.

By Seamus Phan