Transformation Tuesday with Davina!

Hi Everyone!  Laura here.  I’m honored to share with you a special young lady’s story who has just recently become a stunning bride!  She is one of the hardest workers I know, constantly pushing herself as hard as she can, which in turn motivates the entire class (and us as trainers to make the workouts high intensity!).  I’m honored she is sharing her story with you today! 

Here’s Davina, in her own words:

I have always been fairly active.  I was a rower in high school and although I didn’t work out frequently in college, walking long distances to class combined with a fast metabolism kept me thin.  After college, I moved to Florida to attend grad school. Life as a PhD student entailed sitting at a computer for hours each day doing research. Despite eating healthy, the number on the scale started creeping up and my clothes were no longer fitting.

I knew I needed to start working out, so I began running a few times a week. I signed up for 5k races for extra motivation, and while some of the weight came off, I was struggling to lose the remainder.

After grad school, I got a job in St. Pete and moved to downtown. I immediately fell in love with St Pete’s waterfront park space and started running in North Shore Park in the evenings. I noticed the Bay View Boot Camp flag accompanied by a large group of people that seemed to be having a great time even though they were working hard. The exercises they were doing looked challenging but manageable. After reading a few transformation stories on the website, I decided to sign up for a trial.

When it was time for my first class, I was nervous. I didn’t know anyone and I wasn’t sure if I would be able to keep up. However, everyone in the class was welcoming and Laura was extremely helpful and made sure I was doing all of the exercises correctly.

When class ended, I couldn’t believe that an hour had gone by. I couldn’t wait to come back again!

Over the next few months, I built myself up to attending class four times a week. On the weekends, I continued running. It didn’t take long for me and others to notice that my legs and arms were becoming more toned. My strength and endurance increased to the point where I needed to buy heavier weights, and running 3 miles was no longer a challenge so I started to increase my distance.

About a year after I started bootcamp, I got engaged. I was determined to be in great shape for my wedding. The trainers and my friends at bootcamp knew this was my goal and would motivate me to work harder in class to “look good in that wedding dress!” I was diligent about attending class and on the weekends I continued to increase my running distance and eventually reached 9 miles. At this point, I decided to sign up for my first half marathon, which would take place a month before my wedding. This was scary because I had never considered myself a runner and I wasn’t sure if I would be able to run the entire race.

When I told my fellow boot campers, everyone was so supportive. Each week people would ask me where I was in my training plan and offer words of encouragement from their own experiences. To my surprise, I was not only able to run the entire race, but my time was much faster than I anticipated. Completing the half marathon was the apex of my fitness journey thus far, and I am already looking for the next challenge.

I feel so proud of how far I have come in just two and a half years since starting bootcamp. I have lost 10 lbs, 2 inches from my hips, 1 inch from my waist and 1 inch from my thighs. My energy has improved and most importantly, I feel confident in my body again. 

Laura and her group of trainers have completely changed my outlook on fitness. At the end of each work day, I genuinely look forward to working out alongside people that I now call friends, against the beautiful backdrop of Tampa Bay.

Congratulations Davina!!  What a beautiful bride you are!!  We are so proud of you for all you’ve accomplished and we’re excited to cheer you on for your next challenge.  Thank you for being a part of the Bay View Boot Camp family!  We’re lucky to have you a part of our tribe!