YOGA

POSTURES FOR THE SAND

Beach
Brings hope for a modern yogini

tropical island

turks & caicos

solitude

Haiti

3 Steps to Vex Your Vice

MACHINE
Stretching for Strength & Flexibility

LEAN

Crossfit Crusader
mandy gill shares her story
may/june 2013 // $4.95
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Contents

in every issue

07 sweatequitymagazine.com 08 Publishers Note / contributors 10 community sweat 12 stretch in the city 16 om news 18 teacher story 20 gear + eco swag 28 SPIRIT JUNKIE 37 99% perspiration 42 stuff we love 48 ambassador love 54 THE INGREDIENT 58 RAW AMBITION 77 1% inspiration 79 enlighten up 80 sweat etiquette

Delicious Living

52 sharing the goodness Local fare 53 nuts about pasta Pasta Fresca Villa Francesca 54 the ingredient Iced Tea 56 tastemakers Chef Yassir Qahawish

DO YOGA

72 ANXIETY HEALERS 4 postures for relief 74 TAKE YOUR PRACTICE TO THE BEACH 5 Poses for the sand

breathe in

work out

32 GET LONG & STRONG Yoga for strength and flexibility 36 Boost your fitness A holistic approach 38 FUEL A divine taste sensation

love life

43 FOOD FOR YOUR SKIN Aloe vera face mask 44 TURKS & CAICOS Island beauty

44

Mandy Gill shares her story

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crossfit crusader

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24 it aint so sweet Sugar is toxic 25 stress The good, the bad, and the ugly 26 eat this Food to aid digestion

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rossfit Saved mylife

From fragile teen to fitness powerhouse, Mandy Gill shares her story
By Eryn Kirkwood, MA

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Photo: Karolina Turek ; Hair/Makeup: Helen Dao

ou might recognize Mandy Gill as the Afternoon Drive cohost on The Beat 94.5 in Vancouver. But look beyond the persona, and youll find an against-the-odds story of fierce determination and a passion for life that paved the way for a dramatic transformation. There are millions of success stories about people recovering from addiction, depression, injury, disease, or trauma, and they always seem to revolve around a common theme: the ability to look deep inside and find inspiration, hope, desire, and the will to keep trying. This perky radio personality is no stranger to the theme. Anyone who knows Mandy will agree theres more than a little zinc lining on her clouds. Even something as sinister as the anorexia that plagued Gills teen years reveals an underlying determination to accomplish seemingly impossible feats. Sweat Equity connected with Mandy to learn a little more about the indomitable wellness warrior behind the soothing radio voice. Overcoming an eating disorder is not a once-and-for-all solution; that whiny inner voice of anorexia still whispers in her ear once in a while; whats changed is that now she has the tools to deal with it. Mandy says, The feelings are important; you have to know their origin and purpose. Whether stress, disappointment, or anxiety, it can all be mitigated. Doesnt it get old, battling that same whiny, destructive demon all the time? Not so much, according to Gill. She says, Down days dont fit into my vocabulary. Yes, Im human, and I have down moments . . . but rarely do they last. These moments are a challenge, not an obstacle. In a never-too-distant past, Gills greatest challenge was just getting through each day, malnourished and uninspired. Mandy says, The saddest part was the fear it instilled in my loving and supportive family. As she

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withered away in front of them, the problem was hardly a secret. But things came to a head when Mandys sister returned home from a long trip and found a mere shell of the sibling she loved. She insisted that Mandy seek professional help, and Mandy agreed. The first crossroads had been reached. But it wasnt the only turning point on her journeyCrossFit also helped plant some formative seeds to support her recovery. About five years ago, greasy-fingered from nachos and maybe a bit wine-glazed (hardly a Paleo prescription), Gill was sharing an innocuous conversation with her best friend Christina and Dave, who has since become Christinas hubby and one of Mandys CrossFit coaches. Dave was touting the benefits of CrossFit and encouraging the two to try it. We thought he was joking. Neither of us had the potential to perform those crazy exercises.

B
Left Photo: Caragh Camera Top Right Photo: Terry Peters Bottom Right Photo: Kate Webster

ut Dave somehow persuaded the girls to hit a CrossFit box (gym) for class the next day. And although Mandy couldnt yet see it in herself, Dave and the other coaches at CrossFit saw her strength and her potential. Its not just a Ne-Yo song, its a CrossFit trademark: Just walk through the doors and well love you until you learn to love yourself. He coached me from the first push-up on my knees, eventually bringing me to tears while learning overhead squats. Five years later, he still yells at me to push harder. Im grateful he believed in me. Its through CrossFit North Vancouver that I found an incredible community that I now call family; and most importantly [I found] myself. For Mandy, a little borrowed confidence and a program of intense physical exercise reaped benefits that were nothing short of lifesaving. But why? Its no exaggeration to say the philosophy underlying CrossFit surpassing benchmarks, meeting personal goals, and stubbornly refusing to surrenderis what enabled Mandy to find her strengthnot only for push-ups and pull-downsbut for the disease that was ravaging her body, and for whatever else life threw her way. In her words, CrossFit gave me the confidence to accept that my body deserves nothing but the best . . . it has pushed me to limits I never thought possible. She emphasizes visualization as the key to success. Her motto is, If I can believe it, I can be it! And although CrossFit is definitely physical, theres also plenty of focus on mental muscle. Gill was hungry for both. And the proof is in the puddingor the personal records (PRs, as they call them in CrossFit). Gills knocking them out left and right. Olympic lifting has become a new favourite aspect of her training since she started competing last February. After completing a stint in the Opens qualifier, Mandys joining a CrossFit team from North Vancouver for the Regionals in June. With the hope of making it to California for the sports biggest annual event, the Reebok CrossFit Games, Gill is sure to infect more than a few of her teammates with her passion and confidence. And the best part is that the personal records are not contained to the gym. Mandys blazing new trails to success everywhere, from her phenomenal physical health to a blossoming career. And its clear that plenty of deep work within has produced the visible results shes enjoying today. Reinforcing the fun in fitness, Mandy teaches a weekly segment on CTV Morning Live, where balance is the guiding factor. Shes opened up on-air about her struggles. A couple of years into CrossFit, she was asked to calculate her BMI (body mass index) but didnt realize that her weight would be part of the calculation. According to Gill, There was a time when that silly number on a piece of paper would have sent me into a downward spiral, but because I had been involved with CrossFit for nearly two years at this point, I was nothing but PROUD the moment I saw it. I thought, This is me! And I love it! Bearing a forearm to reveal her one and only tattoo, Life begins at the end of my comfort zone, Mandy summarizes the meaning of it all: This is what I live and breathe every morning, when I push through my workouts and chase dreams at workI am truly capable of ANYTHING I put my mind and heart into!

CrossFit gave me the confidence to accept that my body deserves nothing but the best... it has pushed me to limits I never thought possible.

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