Motivation Monday with Tim

Ever since re-starting this blog recently I have been toying with the idea of doing little blog interview posts with some awesome people that inspire me. I thought it would be fun to give a shout out to certain awesome people once in a while, but also have them tell a little bit about themselves plus talk about a certain topic pertaining to fitness/ a healthy active lifestyle. I want to try and make this an every other week thing or if I get really good and get to two posts a week then weekly is my goal!

And who better to start off with then my awesome fitness friend Timothy (Insta @patriotic_fitness )This guy is always super positive and upbeat and definitely motivating to follow. But thats not the only reason why this guy is so motivating… About five years ago he was in a motorcycle accident that resulted in multiple major injuries that left doctors telling him he might never be able to walk again, BUT today he is posting fitness posts and inspiring others and is even a certified personal trainer now! So I wanted to share a bit about him!

Q: Could you give me a little back story on your injury and surgery?

A: I was riding my motorcycle in the middle of the day before work when I hit an oversized pothole. It caused me to high side, throwing me off my bike and I landed on my left side. I suffered a fractured left clavicle and scapula plus facet point fractures of T2-T6, and spinous process fractures of T8 and T11. My spine is fused from vertebrae T5-T11. My first surgery was right when I got to the hospital because my clavicle fracture was an open fracture. The next two surgeries were over the next week and a half.

Q: What was your rehabilitation process like after the surgeries?

A: I did physical therapy for about 2 years after my accident. It started with 6 days a week of physical therapy for at least 5 hours a day while I was a patient at the hospital. Once I got out of the hospital, I would go 3 days a week for an hour and a half. It got to the point that I would go to the hospital and just end up using the staff gym. I realized that it was just easier to go to the gym close to me and do the same workouts there.

Q: How long has it been since your injury?

A: 5 years on the 10th of July.

Q: How has your progress helped with your motivation? 

A: Well, when the doctors told me that I might never walk again, I just laughed at them and told them that it was crazy. I guess, even before my accident, I had my motivation. The accident gave me more drive than anything else. I knew that I would never be happy with not being able to be active. That isn’t who I am.

Q: What made you decide to become a certified personal trainer?

A: Ive actually always wanted to be a personal trainer. When I had to restart my goals and change my job, it was the logical next step. I want to be able to get people into shape and also be able to help those with injuries get back to their best.

Q:What are some tips you can give people to be motivated to workout every day that work for you?

A: It was actually really easy for me to stay motivated. I had a goal that I wanted to achieve and knew that I wouldn’t get to it if I didn’t work for it. That is the advice that I would give. Set yourself a goal and don’t stop until you achieve it. Set yourself a goal that is attainable. Set a specific goal that is measurable. Make sure that it isn’t too lofty, it has to be something that you can actually reach. When you set your goal, set yourself a timeline that you can stick to.

Q: And lastly the fun one…. What’s one of your favorite muscle groups to workout?  

A: Favorite would actually be legs. It is my favorite because I am so bad at legs that I am ALWAYS wanting to improve. The only way to improve is to work at it. So, working my legs is what I like doing best, even though it is really, really frustrating at times.

 

Motivation is a hard one for all of us sometimes, I know I definitely struggle with it especially if I’m not feeling at my best. But his goal mentality is really good and like he states above setting a goal you can actually achieve! Like in “What about Bob” its all about those “baby steps”. Don’t set a huge goal that might be too overwhelming for you so you ultimately down the road just stop completely. Set little gradual goals for yourself that then can help you see the bigger picture. Take it one day at a time and just try to be better than you were yesterday. xoxo We are all in this together!

For more super inspirational posts from Tim check him out on Instagram at @patriotic_fitness

AND he has a blog himself that you should check out as well! Scinjurylife.blogspot.com