Meet Hannah Sim, an Oxfam trail walker who made fitness a social mission. For her, health is not just about losing weight, it is about creating a society in which everyone has equal access to health and wellbeing
Hannah Sim is an inspiring trainer and influencer with more than 10 international fitness certifications. As a personal trainer, group trainer and lifestyle management coach, she also has the benevolence of thousands of people; she has helped them get fitter.
You may have seen her in various commercials as well, as a model for brands like Samsung, Godrej, Pepperfry and many others. However, this success was not easy for her, but what benefited her was the motto “If you don’t want to do something you will find excuses, but if you want to do something you will find a way!”
She discovered this meaning early in life when she tackled her personal weight loss journey as a challenge.
Hannah weighed over 90 pounds as a teenager, but then worked her way out of this phase by studying fitness with unwavering focus. She started running marathons, training CrossFit, learning aerial silks, lifting weights, and taking classes in zumba and martial arts.
She says: “Fitness should be part of our routine like brushing our teeth. My personal journey taught me that fitness, like life, can never be one-dimensional. This is why it has been so rewarding to work with Oxfam Trailwalker repeatedly because this is where I not only want to get fitter, but also do my part to make the world a better place. ”
Although she has received multiple awards as a fitness icon from the American Council of Sports Medicine, the International Health Sports And Fitness Festival (IHFF), and also won the 100km Oxfam Trailwalker, Mumbai, she remains of the greater importance of a healthy society.
Hannah shares, “I wouldn’t call it inspired. I was more of an overweight teenager and although I had a lot of friends and was very good at studying, I felt kind of out of place at social gatherings, school trips, etc. when I went shopping and every second store said they weren’t my size , that has affected my morale. So, I think it started with losing weight, studying, and understanding that fitness isn’t just about aesthetics. ”
The journey was difficult for Hannah, she says: “For a gourmet and lazy child like me, it was hard to move at 90 kg. I never had the confidence to go to a gym thinking what people would think of someone so obese. I started climbing stairs while listening to music. At the same time, I started reading and researching about fitness. I understood that a bad diet can work out, so I drastically reduced my food intake. Walking 35-40 kg was a lot of weight to lose. But when I started seeing change it only got better and made me work harder. Six months later, I had lost 40 kg. ”
About her inspiration, she says: “It was inspiring for me when I completed the 100km Oxfam Trailwalker Challenge to watch the Army / Navy team run and finish it in 13 hours. A mother of two who takes the time to exercise is inspirational I did Everest Base Camp where everyone struggled, the porters that carried tons climbed with ease. That’s inspiring. So we should look for inspiration every day. But I look up to every single athlete. ”
She says: “I may be internationally certified in various fitness areas, but I realize that a society needs a lot more to be really healthy. We need equal opportunities and social and economic justice to make our world a better place, and that’s exactly what Oxfam is trying to do through its many initiatives. ”
She was deeply moved by the theme of this year’s Oxfam Trailwalker Challenge, #walkinmyshoes, and she says, “It’s no secret that the second wave of Covid-19 hits India’s marginalized communities hardest.
As they continue to struggle to get affordable health care and livelihoods, they also face severe discrimination. Oxfam’s Walkathon for a Cause fundraiser hopes to change that and I feel privileged to be able to help in any way I can.
You can either run 100 km in 10 days or cover 50 km / 25 km in 10 days.
She adds that she is also reinforcing this message to encourage more people to join the walkathon, saying, “We can all be the change we want to see in the world and it is no longer an option to others on See the edge suffer. ”
For every woman
• Don’t just look at the scale at first. We don’t go out, our weight is on our foreheads every day.
Second, don’t be afraid to lift weights or eat high-protein foods.
• Third, no, you don’t get manly or bulky. You will only get stronger and your bones will thank you.
• After all, don’t train for aesthetics. Train to get fitter, stronger, faster and more flexible to increase your endurance. Appearance and aesthetics will follow.
