AMBASSADOR STORY - SARAH FRITSCH

This week I had the pleasure of chatting to Real Active Ambassador Sarah Fritsch or @seeinglessofsarah on Instagram. She's an amazing self love warrior who documents the highs and lows and everything in between of her health, fitness and weight loss surgery journey. Here is more about the beautiful Sarah!

• Why did you want to become a Real Active ambassador?

I am really passionate about supporting and sharing local Aussie and NZ small businesses, and when they have such a great message like Real Active, I knew I had to be involved.

• What is your favourite Real Active product? 

It’s super hard to choose because I love them all but I can’t go past the amazing gym towels. I use mine every time I head to the gym and I love the gorgeous patterns and colours, as well as the super handy zip pocket.

• Tell us a little more about you. 

I live on the Mornington Peninsula with my hubs Dan and my 12 year old Samoyed, Mischa. My weekends are kept busy doing sporting clay target shooting, which I absolutely love! I’ve also started umpiring netball again this year, which I haven’t done for many years due to my fitness, so I’m excited to be back on the whistle again. When I’m not out smashing clays or going to the gym, I love reading and singing.

• Tell us about your health and fitness journey. 

I’ve struggled with my weight for all my life, and for a long time it really impacted my self worth and mental health. Feeling unhealthy and a stranger in my own body, coupled with the societal expectation having the ‘perfect body’, often left me in a really dark place.

Before I could start my health and fitness journey, I had to learn to love myself, and that was something that my husband taught me to do. He showed me that I was worthy of love and that I was more than just the size of my body.

Day by day, I worked on having a positive mindset and eventually it became my way of life, and not something I had to constantly remind myself of.

And this led to me making the decision to change my health for the better, because I knew I deserved to live the best life possible, and in my 180kg body I wasn’t able to physically do that.

I’m now four years down the track and 60kgs lost, and it hasn’t been easy but it’s been 100% worth it. My health is better, both physically and mentally, and I have found an enjoyment for exercise that I’ve never had before. It’s become a mental release for me, time I dedicate to myself, and I’ve realised that it’s so important for me to do, to keep feeling balanced.

• You had weight loss surgery last year. What would you say to someone considering it? 

Making the decision to have weight loss surgery was a huge and anxiety ridden decision for me, but one I have never regretted for a second. I made the decision knowing that I had tried all that I could to lose weight without long lasting success, and that I needed to take that next step towards medical intervention. Ultimately, I made the decision because I was sick of missing out on life, and knew that I needed the extra tool of surgery to assist me with lifelong weight management.

So what would I say to someone trying to make the decision? Remember it is just a tool. It still takes hard work and good habits, and it’s not a magic wand. It won’t be easy, you will need to make a whole new relationship with your body, but it will be worth it.

• Being from Victoria, you have had some very trying times with coronavirus lockdowns. How did you keep positive when stuck inside all the time? 

At times it was definitely difficult, but I also tried to focus on all the positives. I was able to keep working, keep financially stable, technology allowed me to still connect with friends and family, and I was safe at home with someone I love.

It also allowed me to slow down, spend time doing things I enjoy like reading and yoga and ultimately it allowed me to recover from my two surgeries (gastric sleeve and gallbladder removal), which I’m also thankful I was still able to have.

• What is one of your favourite quotes or mottos? 

My favourite motto would have to be “Be the woman you looked up to as a girl”.

A big thank you to the beautiful Sarah for sharing her story with us. It was so great to get to know you better and find out more about your health and fitness journey. We look forward to seeing you smash more of your health goals this year! 

You can follow Sarah's journey via her Instagram page @seeinglessofsarah.