I must admit, I have always been a goal-oriented individual, but certainly never had aspirations to apply goals to my "physical" life. I have never been an 'athlete' or 'athletic' for that matter. As a kid, I enjoyed playing basketball with my brother and throwing a baseball around with my dad. So, I decided to enter a softball league in elementary school and began try outs for the basketball team in grade 8. After a few basketball practices, I decided it "wasn't for me" - and with respect to softball league, I was undoubtedly the worst player on the team. I of course had to participate in gym class throughout school, but always felt awkward. I couldn't even do a straight summersault. I'd always look behind me to try to see where I went wrong (could all of the floors be tilted?). However, I do remember being good a sit-ups and the flexed arm-hang! and I enjoyed long-distance running…admittedly, team sports just weren't (and still aren't) my interest.
After high school I went traveling and maintained a reasonable shape - I enjoyed running occasionally, riding my bike and hiking. Then in the early 90s, I joined the Valley Racquet Center (VRC) in Abbotsford due to encouragement from some friends. After a while, I got bored - as could be expected, since I only either rode the bike or swam in the pool. It seemed almost wasteful - to continue what I was doing when weather permitting, I would have just as soon been doing these same activities outdoors. So, I decided to speak to someone at the front desk about obtaining some information regarding a training program. I'm not really sure why I did it, other than sheer boredom. I was not even a regular gym 'patron'. On a good week, I would go three times. I went because I figured it was "good for me" and like most people, I would feel a sense of guilt if I missed a week entirely. I distinctly remember the assistant at the front desk said to me, "I can set you up with Ted Kewin, but only if you want to get really sore." What did that mean? Well, I fell for it, and I fell for him (sorry Denise!). I was immediately impressed with his personalized style, his knowledge, his candidness yet sensitivity, and his intuitiveness. He set up a training program for me, and over time, eventually was able to motivate me and to encourage me not to be intimated to enter the "big weight" room at VRC. My comfort level in the gym and with using weights improved tremendously.
If someone would have asked me seven years ago if they thought my physical appearance would be different now then it was then, I don't think I would have given it too much thought - other than I would expect to look more or less the same. I would have perhaps suggested that I might lose a few pounds, but that thought is likely in the back of the minds of most people. If someone had told me I would participate in a body building/fitness and figure competition in my life time, I would have said, "not a chance". Today I am writing this as a physically changed person who has just competed in a figure competition.
I don't recall how many programs Ted designed for me and over how many months, but every time there was a change, we would work through them together, step-by-step. One day after he had given me a new program, he openly asked me what was next for me…you see, Ted knew that I was starting to get 'bored' and he also saw my potential. He challenged me - - Ted knew (and knows) that that's what makes me tick…and that's Ted, he is exceptional at getting to know you, understand you, and what makes you tick (and ticked off!). Shortly thereafter, I hired Ted as my personal trainer and the rest is history. Ted saw in me what nobody else could see, my body's potential to look different. My favorite line of Ted's is "slow and steady wins the race". He never oversold me, he never promised me something he couldn't help deliver, he never said that it was an overnight process or that it was easy - - he always told me that it was up to me, and that he would always be there to help maximize my potential.
- Melinda Friesen
