Death affects each of us differently. Some cry, some go into depression while others become withdrawn.
But for 31-year-old Sheena Hamilton, the death of her mother in December 2014 pushed her to take life on a whole more seriously – that included her fitness journey – taking care of her body inside and out.
“I was taking care of my mother for two years. She found out she had cancer in 2012. She did chemo for a year. She spent Christmas in the hospital, and she came out January 2013 and she spent that entire year doing chemo and she got a little better. In July 2014 she found out the cancer had completely gone and then she got sick again two months after that. She had a different cancer this time. In six weeks’ time she was gone.
“Her death pushed me to take everything more seriously. I started to look at life so differently. I don’t eat red meat at all. I don’t eat pork. I would eat fish every now and then. I’m not vegan or anything . . . . I just don’t use meat products. If I do, it’s hardly ever,” she explained.
Sheena said since then, her life revolved around fitness. But she pointed out that she was always into it, but never took it too seriously.
“I was always an athlete from primary school straight to secondary school. When I finished school I just fell off a bit, but I got back into it when I started working out with an older guy on the pasture at home in St Lucy. Then I used to train on the beach; then I came into the gym. But I wasn’t as serious then as I am now,” she said.
A strong love for fitness developed, that she decided to start a career from it. CAH Fitness is named in honour of her mother Clovine Angela Hamilton.
“When my mum was sick I started studying certain things to find out what could help her, but she was strong-headed and I was young; so I couldn’t tell her what to do. But I changed my entire lifestyle after that. And that’s how I got really serious with it and I started the business in May, 2015,” she said.
During the interview with EASY after a training session at Little Bristol Gym in Speightstown, St Peter, Sheena said she made sure she became certified in order to better serve her clients.
“I started a course with Kenny Williams at ABC Fitness but I wasn’t able to complete that, because at that time I was going through a lot and the doctor told me I was doing too much, and I was on the brink of a breakdown. So I had to drop that. But then I did an ACSM course online,” she said.
Her business is now thriving and she is living her dream.
“It’s been almost three years since I had this business. It was a little tough at first, and I think because of my personality it clashed with it because I’m a no-nonsense person and people aren’t always serious about their own journey. So you have to force them to do it,” she said.
The personal trainer said although some days are hard, seeing the results and happy clients, makes it all worth it.
“That’s the toughest part of it. My personality and still trying to motivate people that aren’t serious. For me as a person I would just cut them off, but as a business person I can’t just say I’m not going to train you because you aren’t listening to me. I have to keep pushing them and motivating them to do what they’re supposed to do. It’s a long, draining process, but who is serious will eventually tidy up their act. I love doing it. If I’m in a bad mood and I come here to train or go to a boot camp, I’m just on a high. I just love it and I’m glad to be making a living from it,” she added.
Sheena is now considering taking her business even further.
“Right now I was thinking to go a little further to become an osteopath. They deal with the body and the bones and know every detail. But I know it will be time-consuming . . . . But it’s just a thought for right now. I also want to do a nutrition course. Those are my goals; so I’m carefully considering things right now,” she said.
But for right now, Sheena told EASY magazine she was looking to put more energy behind her business to see how much farther it could go.
“This year I want to get a lot more serious about my fitness clothes line – Sculpt The Brand. I have a lot of different T-shirt slogans and so on. I would like to get them in stores as well. I have a lot more time to put into the business that I put elsewhere.
So I want to manage my time better as well,” she said passionately. (DB)
