From the beginning of grade 11, I started going to the gym before the school time, early in the morning. I joined the gym to remain fit, having a huge appetite. I thought I should burn some calories in order to balance it with what I intake. Also, a sufficient amount of physical activity in the morning kept me completely awake through the entire day rather than being lousy. Being a member of a Surat’s club, I had access to a fully equipped gym very near to my house. 

LO 2 – Demonstrate that challenges have been undertaken, developing new skills in the process

There were several challenges faced while I went to the gym. Firstly, waking up early after sleeping late at night studying for school; but I managed to take out an hour after school to sleep and give my body a rest which made it easier for me. Furthermore, I even developed gross motor skills which require the use of muscles, arms and legs. Those skills are important for everyday physical activities. 

LO 3 – Demonstrate how to initiate and plan a CAS experience

There were a lot of studies and other activities after school, so I planned on going every morning before school hours. It turns out that planning such a timetable is easy, but initiating it by waking up every morning is a difficult task. Usually I was not a morning person, the first 2-3 months it was really hard to wake up everyday, but after that it became easier as a new habit of waking up early was developed. 

LO 4 – Show commitment to and perseverance in CAS experiences

To remain fit, skipping gym does not help. It requires consistency and hard work. Planning and initiating with a lousy attitude does not help in an effective CAS experience. As mentioned earlier, it was hard for me to show determination at initial stage of the long term goal, but then it becomes a habit.