The fitness industry in the Philippines has endured some of the harshest consequences of the pandemic, with most clubs closed and Instructors locked down since March 2020. Les Mills Asia Pacific caught up with Krizhelle Mendoza to find out how she coped and stayed strong with the relentless challenges that the pandemic created in her country.
Krizhelle Mendoza has been teaching since 2014 and is a BODYCOMBAT®, RPM® and BODYPUMP® Instructor.
“The pandemic meant I went from teaching at least two to three classes every day, to staying home for almost 21 months. This affected me in every aspect of my life – physical, mental, financial, social and spiritual. However, this very unique situation also opened up my eyes to the things that I took for granted – life itself, family, relationships and God. I realised I had become so busy building my own life and glory that I forgot what mattered most.”
“I asked myself, ‘what benefit do we get if we gain the world, but lose our soul?’ Yes, we all love our industry, but we are not defined by it. In a snap, anything can be taken away from us because we truly don’t own anything. I’ve learned that we shouldn’t build our world around what’s temporary.”
“And even though this unforgettable season in our lives had its toll on me, I didn’t lose hope knowing that God is still in control of all things. Everything He does and allows to happen has its purpose and will always be for our best interest. People would often say that God won’t give us something we can’t handle. But I actually believe that God won’t give us what HE cannot handle. It’s never about us, it’s about Him.”
“What motivated me to return to teaching after lockdowns lifted, was my desire to give thanks to God who has blessed me so much. I vowed that when I started teaching again, I would offer every class to Him and give all the glory and praise that He deserves.”
“I felt so different in my first class. Aside from how few the people are in the clubs, I just had a new sense of drive and perspective to encourage others that after this big fall, we can stand back up, way stronger.”
“Before the pandemic, it was all about the ‘doing’ before the ‘being’. But today, I want to encourage all of us, including Instructors, to look after our being, knowing that then the doing will follow. This way, no matter what comes our way, we will have a strong foundation within our being that can never be shaken.”
