“I'm now living a life that's pain-free, allowing me to run my business like a powerhouse, spend evenings outside with family and friends, and even plan those vacations I've been meaning to take for years!”

Every time it rolls around to Challenge Week at The Quad when all trainees test their strength, skill and endurance levels, many of us are talking numbers. The fancy PRs, failed reps, the killer sets and some big numbers. Numbers that turn into emotions - the happy faces and also the shrugging shoulders. For many, these numbers motivate us to plan our meals, sleep better, recover better and train harder. And that's awesome. But many others aren't driven by these numbers. Especially when life has been plagued with severe pain for almost a decade and all you wish for every morning is a pain-free day where you can go through the motions of life without wincing. This post is about a strong-willed woman who has experienced this kind of pain, but did everything in her power to overcome it by exhibiting paramount dedication to her training plan, without being phased by all the squatting, pressing and numbers flying all around her. When we met Sujatha, she was in a tremendous amount of pain. She had been suffering from chronic lower back pain for 9+ years. Reflecting on those terrifying months when she needed painkillers directly injected into her spine to get her through the day, Sujata says "I just wanted to be pain free from 9am to 6pm", after which she was confined to her bed, unable to move due to the pain. She had undergone two major surgeries in between that kept her away from any form of exercise let alone strength training. Popping pills, regular yoga and gym visits didn't help either. An interior stylist and a creative artist by profession, Sujatha Giri, just like many others, juggles a hectic career and a busy home. She'd wanted to train at The Quad for a while, but mornings just didn't work out. So the minute we announced our evening classes at Weebees, she was one of the first ones to sign up. And from that day on, she focussed on her primary goal - being pain free. She did the non-flashy, behind-the-scenes rehab and strength work that steadily drove her pain away. The only numbers that mattered to her - the 1 hour she spent training and working on her goals, 3 days a week. Calm, composed, dedicated and mentally strong as a rock, Sujatha approached training methodically. When we speak to her about how she's doing she'd always say *+1 from yesterday. And that's the kind of simple and powerful progress we love seeing in our trainees. After 9 months of consistent training and rehab, Sujatha now is absolutely pain-free. with a committed heart and consistency as her weapon, she trusted the process, trusted the coaches, set smart goals and came out stronger than ever before. Not only does she deadlift 80% of her body weight, and can effortlessly clean and squat 20kgs, she's now living a life that's pain free that allows her to run her business like a powerhouse, spend evenings outside with family and friends and even plan those vacations she's been meaning to take for years! Becoming pain-free after a decade of suffering has been possible only because of her grit, determination and patience and that we consider to be the biggest, most badass achievement of it all. Huge props to you, Sujatha! You are an inspiration to many out there who are looking to take charge of their lives and make a lasting change. Thank you for being you!