I spent the rest of the day working alongside Mr. Karmali in the school’s gymnasium. I’m sure he wondered why I was not attending my own classes however not once did he ask me why I had so much free time that day. Looking back now I think he knew on some level that I was unhappy in school and wanted to leave. I believe he thought that by allowing me to assist him with his classes that I would feel needed which in turn would make me less likely to leave that day. And he was right.

Ironically the day I was suppose to drop out of school turned into the day that made me want to go back and graduate. I really enjoyed working with the other students and teaching them new exercises as I found something that I was good at and became passionate about. I still didn’t know exactly what I wanted to do with my life however I knew if I wanted to move forward I would need to graduate secondary school first.

But how was I going to graduate? It was my senior year yet I was so far behind that I thought the task at hand was hopeless and was going to be next to impossible to accomplish. I decided to seek out the advice from the man who I had come to admire the most. The man who gave me a chance. The man that changed my entire perspective about the education system. And that man was Mr. Karmali.

As it turns out, one of the best decisions I ever made was to to ask Mr. Karmail for his assistance. He helped me get back on track with my education and my life. Together, we devised a plan that would allow me to graduate with my peers however it was not going to come easy.

With the help of my high school counselor, we set out to design an academic schedule that would allow me to take both day courses and evening courses during my senior year. I even enrolled in a couple of Adult Continuing Education courses that were offered on the weekends at a different school in addition to the hours that I was already putting in during the rest of the week. For my community service hours I would work alongside Mr. Karmali for 1 hour each day after school. I supervised the weight room, organized sport games and cleaned up the gym after each class.

My schedule was hectic. I was constantly busy and I absolutely loved it. I finally had a goal to work towards and thrived under the pressure of graduating in time. I quit working at the club and dropped back my hours at the restaurant I was working at. Education was now my priority and I decided it was going to come first. I was 100% committed to graduating secondary school and improving my quality of life.

Incase you’re wondering I went on to graduate secondary school. Once I graduated I decided to continue with my schooling and enrolled in a few Personal Training courses. At the time I still didn’t know what I wanted to do as a career however I did express some interest in learning the anatomy and physiology behind the human body and how it functioned and operated. I considered working out to just be a hobby yet wanted to learn how to maximize my results in the gym and transform my physique safely and naturally. Little did I know that my little hobby would turn into a very successful and fulfilling career a few years later.

The more time I spent in the gym learning my body and how to train and fuel it properly the better results I achieved. As I started to enhance the look of my physique more and more people started to notice and ask me questions and for advice on training and diet. Before I even received my Personal Training license I had a full roster of clients wanting to work with me.

15 years later working out is still my hobby and helping other become more fit and active has become my full time job. The experience I gained from working with Mr. Karmali and helping him teach his classes in my secondary school gym prepared me for the career that I have today. I owe a great deal to Mr. Karmali and an equally great deal to the fitness industry. For without either I would have never found my calling and passion in life.

I now own and operate a fairly successful personal training company that continues to grow to this day. I’m one of the lucky few people who can say that they actually enjoy what they do for a living and look forward to the challenges of running a small business that arise as a business owner on a daily basis.

I guess in a way, one could say that fitness saved my life. And the only way I can think of to return the favour is to continue to work hard, help others and be the absolute best health and fitness expert that I can be.

And I will…..

Yours in Good Health,

Nick Cosgrove