Jelani

Boxing, HIIT, Athletic Conditioning, Strength Training

Exercise for me is in the form of training for my goals on the track. I'm currently training for an olympic developmental track club with aspirations to compete for Jamaica. On the outside, it keeps me in shape and within striking distance of making Jamaica Senior National Trials.On the inside, it gives me mental stability to stay sane and keep my mind and energy focused on the next mission. That way, I'm never satisfied or complacent.

"If you have conviction, there's no room for doubt." It's a quote I told one of my athletes once, and I've been saying it ever since.

Growing up Jamaican, it's REALLY TOUGH for me to choose JUST ONE reggae song. If I had to choose, I'd say "Can You Play Some More" by Beres Hammond ft. Buju Banton. And that's just the first one of SO MANY that comes to mind. (Untold Stories: Buju, Rapture: Koffee, Spirulina: Chronixx, Jail: Busy Signal, Jamrock: Jr. Gong). I pick Beres mainly because it just reminds me of all the cookouts I'd go to as a kid, smelling the jerk chicken on the grill and and my uncles slapping dominoes on the table.

Getting out in nature doesn't inspire me as much as it helps me bring my sense inward to focus on what's happening within my body while I'm training. In athletics, it helps it helps so much to be proprioceptively aware of every movement that's occurring. Something about hearing the water whoosh back and forth, feeling the wind blow past my ears while I'm sprinting. It's truly an out of body experience.

The natural world helps folks shut off the unnecessary noise that comes with the push and pull of our modern society. If we turn off all the car horns and sirens once in a while, there's nowhere for the focus to go but inward.

Exercise embodies one's ability to challenge oneself to their absolute limit and beyond. If we all were to focus on this aspect of physical activity as opposed to the more vain focus of working out just for certain aesthetics, we'd all be working towards our own right to thrive by making ourselves better each day.

Other human being are like-minded individuals that endure similar strife and experience similar triumphs everyday. When we band together and share our energy and efforts, while learning from each other's mistakes, there truly isn't anything that's impossible.

This is a saying I've heard my entire life. This to me means that no matter how big our world seems, we have the ability to love one another and treat folks as we'd want to be treated. We only get one world, and if we love each other without intent and are genuine, it would make the world a better place.

One Firelight is special because its primary focus isn't what all other fitness platforms focus on, which is the aesthetics and physique, nor is it the ability to spread like wildfire across the globe in a week. It's about achieving TRUE WELLNESS of the self from within, and embracing all tools available to acquire such wellness.