This Is Why We Do It – 30×30 Bootcamp

Hey guys, I have something really special for you today.

We are taking a break from workouts and drills to focus on something bigger. Something that could change lives, which after all, is why we became trainers.

Let me introduce Amy Clover and her story.

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I used to hate exercise. Walking. Running.

Anything that required me to exert effort was a no-no in my book.

When I was diagnosed with clinical depression and obsessive compulsive disorder in high school, I wasn’t given the option to try to overcome it. I was given medication and told to, “just stop doing that.”

I was too scared to reach out for help because I didn’t want to face the judgment or look weak in front of others. Without support from people who understood what was happening, my diagnoses festered in me until I couldn’t handle all the pain and anxiety anymore.

In 2005, I was sent to an in-patient program against my will for considering suicide. My rock-bottom was a turning point for me, as it is with many people. I finally realized the freedom I had been taking for granted, and the love around me that I was pushing away by refusing to reach out for help.

I had a choice to try to change my life this whole time, and I never wanted to exert the effort. I didn’t want to have to try for fear of failing.

What I realized was that I was sinking deeper into my hole by refusing to try, by refusing to hope that life could get better.

Over the next few years, I started to adopt positive thinking habits with the help of a trusted therapist. It was only after I discovered a consistent workout routine that they started to stick.

I started being able to focus better than I had without exercise. I finally got relief from overwhelming anxiety when I ran. I started feeling stronger, inside and out, every time I made the commitment to myself to take physical action to better my life.

I have completely turned my life around, becoming a personal trainer in 2008 and founding Strong Inside Out on the foundation that you can empower yourself through fitness and positive action to overcome any setback.

Now, I’m taking Strong Inside Out from message to movement.

To celebrate the 30th birthday I almost didn’t have, I’ll be going to 30 cities across the US and Canada, teaching 30 donation-based bootcamps to benefit the nonprofit, To Write Love On Her Arms. They encourage peer support in teens and young adults who suffer with depression, self-injury, substance abuse and suicide.

You can help make this tour happen by visiting the IndieGoGo page and donating to the cause and/or sharing the movement with your friends and loved ones.

This spring, I’ll be coming to a city near you, so please do come out and support!

Stay strong, guys,

Amy

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Kyle here again. I really recommend you get behind Amy’s cause. Not only is it a great project but it’s also a great opportunity for your bootcamp to get involved with something bigger.

If you are like me, you have had some dark moments in your life. Possibly before you also found fitness, health and helping people.

Here’s how you can help. Pick one or do them all:

1. Go to the IndieGoGo Page (like Kickstarter) and donate to her awesome cause.
2. Spread the message to your clients in person or via Facebook or email (there is an easy option to do this after you donate).
3. This step is where your bootcamp power really comes in. Contact Amy via Facebook, Twitter or email to offer to host her in your city. That could just involve a workout location or it could be giving her a place to stay for a night too. It’s up to you guys.

Thanks for you attention. See you Thursday for a new workout.

Kyle Wood

Kyle Wood created Bootcamp Ideas in 2010 when he was hunting around on the internet for workout ideas. He ran a successful bootcamp in Victoria, Australia and spends his spare time managing this site, adventuring (or lazying) with his wife and find new ways to make bootcamps even better.