I recall my science teacher from Year Eight Mrs Bashski used to tell me I was going to be a bum .“ Melinda Maloney you ’ re going to be a bum ” she ’ d yell , in her thick German voice . I was never the cool kid at school .
I remember once when we had an excursion . We had to meet at the train station and there was a psychiatric hospital located next door . While I was sitting there waiting , a man got up and jumped in front of the approaching train . He killed himself . When the train stopped , the driver got out , but the excursion went on .
Thanks to Facebook , I have reconnected with a few friends from school : Cathie , Kathy , Chris and some others . Some were considered “ cool ” back then , and some were not . I suppose in the end , we ’ re all just looking for acceptance . rejection can turn you into something your not . Some found it straight away , some found it eventually , and some are probably still searching . Have you ever stopped and thought about people from your school and wondered where they are now ?
My first job was at Coles when I was 14 . Then McDonalds and then Woolworths . Then , down the track , I told a white lie to get a job in real estate .“ Sure , I can type ” I told them . This was the point when I realised I was more than a housewife and mum ( aren ’ t we all ?) and could do a whole lot more !
What made me walk back into that fitness leader ’ s course after lunch on day one , was my love for exercise – that , and I didn ’ t want to get fat ( an issue that would later revisit me !).
You see , any relationship I ever had with my mother was always based on how fat I was , not they type of person I was , but my size . In her mind , being fat was unacceptable ; being a size 12 or 14 was not cool . So , off to the TAFE fitness course I went , for two days a week , barely passing the exams , but passing . With the exception of the ‘ Exercise to music ’ module , where I flourished ! I still remember “ Kim K ” taking us for a step class wearing her hat , lime shorts and a crop top ( note : Kim is still an important person in my life today ). But most of all , I remember the day I stood tall and spoke in front of the room . I looked one of the students right in the eye – she was the one who always got 100 or 99 per cent in her texts , and she was the one who talked all the time about how great her family / husband / life was . She was younger than me , yet she had no soul ! I stood in front of the entire class , looked her in the eye and to everyone there I said ,“ I might only just pass my exams , but I bet you in ten years time I ’ ll be more successful than half of you here !” I really need to shut my mouth sometimes !
A bold statement , I know ! The mature aged students smiled ; some even laughed – the younger ones were like “ huh ?” And today , some 16 years later , that fellow student is circuit instructor in our town . And despite me owning the most longstanding and successful gym in our region , she ’ s never said more than 100 words to me . Still , as long as she is happy and changing lives , then she has fulfilled her desire to help others so a high five to her ! Some students from my class have gone on to carve out very successful careers in different field . As far as I know , I ’ m the only one from our class of 28 students , who is still working full time in the fitness industry – understandably though , because it ’ s a bloody tough gig !
My journey in the fitness industry has never been easy .
Over time , I worked at a few facilities in and around my hometown . My very first fitness job was as a circuit instructor . I remember the manager gave me the job because I had ideas and concepts . One night the fitness staff had a meeting about me and the other instructors wanted me gone , because apparently I was over-servicing the members by bringing them
6 FROM SURVIVING TO THRIVING : THE AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF MEL TEMPEST