If you’ve ever seen Eddie Murphy’s comedy special Delirious, you would have seen a segment that he does, in which he explains how a child feels after he’s been disciplined by his mother and is sent to his room. While he has unconditional love for her, he stands behind the door and says “God please kill her” with a laugh. After I work out with Dayana, I think about this skit and how much I hate her and love her at the same time. She laughs it off and says that if I didn’t hate her, she isn’t doing her job. I also hate her because she is right. Nevertheless, I hardly miss a day and I love it. I’ll be the first to admit that I’m lazy and not all that into fitness, but working out with Dayana makes me feel strong and accomplished.
She’s a crazy, funny girl who was born in Venezuela, grew up in Colombia and moved to St. Maarten in 2010. She has a fitness training degree with an emphasis in physical therapy and training for injured people (which works in my benefit, since I had knee surgery and that knee has never been the same). Besides all of that, she’s a Shaolin Kung Fu Instructor, and has practiced Shaolin Kung Fu for 18 years, so naturally she’s a badass. You can call her Lao Shi Dayana or Ms. Mota if you’re nasty lol. She has represented St. Maarten in China in the Shaolin Kung Fu training for an elite group from around the world for the last 4 years. Everyone in this training was chosen from the best of the best and she describes the experience as a nightmare for 4 to 6 weeks that you have to survive.
I was looking for motivation and I got it. When I punch the bag, she pushes me to keep going. When it’s the last sit-up, burpee, or bicep curl, I have to get it done. (Side note: God, I hate burpees). She laughs at my pain with her silly face letting me know that pain is weakness leaving my body. When I tell her that I had drinks the night before, she gives me enough bicep curls to make it hard for me to lift my glass the next night. We have happy banter in the gym, while I scream out four letter words and other expletives. I also call her a slew of names in between my heavy breathing, but she knows it’s all in fun, because I show up again and again. I know her ears ring when I get home everyday after my workout because I curse her name when I can’t bend to pick up something or stretch my arms around to unclasp my bra.
Ultimately, it makes me feel great when I double the weight that I used to lift, or when I get through the first set with a breeze, or when I see my tricep muscles forming. Progression is encouraging. If you aren’t moving, you’re standing still. I hate standing still. I am a warrior…
xxx
Cherise
Curly Girly 