“There is no competition here, there are no winners or losers” – Kayla Itsines

Kayla Itsines, an international fitness Instagram sensation with 3.5 million followers and counting, is a must-follow for any Fitstagrammer. She shares progress shots of women who follow her ‘Bikini Body Guide’ (BBG) alongside workout tips and motivation in the form of photos of her own enviable abs. Her most impressive feat, however, isn’t the thousands of burpees she can crunch out, but the online community that she has cultivated of women looking to get stronger and healthier as well as supporting and commenting on each other’s workout progress through the hashtags #thekaylamovement, #bbggirls, #sweatwithkayla, and #bbgcommunity.

We emailed her recently, and she replied sharing a little bit about herself and her famed Bikini Body Guide, as well as tips and words of encouragement.

So who is Kayla Itsines and what has she been up to?

I’m a 24 year-old personal trainer from Adelaide, Australia and I’ve just completed my first ever World Bootcamp Tour where I was privileged enough to meet and train with nearly 10,000 girls in the UK, USA and Europe. I absolutely love that I can train, educate and give healthy lifestyle advice to girls all around the world through my Bikini Body Training Guide, Healthy Eating Lifestyle Plan, social media accounts and my website, kaylaitsines.com.

Do you remember how it all started? What inspired you to pursue a career in fitness?

During school, I always had a passion for playing sports and helping people that led me to study Personal Training at the Australian Institute of Fitness. It all started when I began to upload the amazing transformation pictures of the clients I was training at the Personal Training studio to my Instagram page. Their motivating and relatable transformations drew the attention from girls all around the world who were curious as to how my clients and I were training and achieving these results. It was my clients who inspired me to continue to grow and learn as they were finally feeling the confidence they deserved, and nothing made me happier than seeing them being able to work towards and achieve their health and fitness goals.

Why do you think your BBG exploded? How is your BBG different compared to other exercise regimes and fitness guides?

I think my program has received so much positive feedback because the results are from real women who have all achieved REAL results. It’s not about a quick fix, it’s not a fad, and it’s a healthy, maintainable lifestyle change that is adaptable and REALISTIC for women of all ages, body shapes and fitness levels. My 28-minute high intensity, plyometric, resistance training sessions are designed to help girls achieve the results they have been seeking for so long – toned thighs, flatter stomachs and strong, slim arms, without having to spend hours a day in the gym. The biggest difference of my guides is the end goal that women worldwide are achieving; rather than being a weight-loss or a muscle-gaining program, it is simply a plan for women to develop a routine and discipline themselves to keep active and healthy in order to feel the confidence they deserve.

What do you think are the most common mistakes girls make when it comes to fitness and diet?

Girls often have the all or nothing attitude, where they fluctuate between taking their health seriously by eating extremely healthily and exercising every day, to doing absolutely nothing at all. Going through these constant changes is only going to have a negative effect on your body. This yo-yo type of attitude is frequently the main cause for rapid weight gain or weight loss, bloating, disappointment and emotional eating. My tip is to not overdo it, take things slow and make small, realistic changes; soon your body will develop a habit it can maintain long-term!

What motivates you?

My amazing BBG Girls are my motivation. Their inspirational, amazing, transformations as well as uplifting and encouraging energy keep me motivated to continue to provide health and fitness education, advice and support to women all across the world daily. These incredible women are SO dedicated and have put in so much hard work to feel fit, strong and confident and that gives me motivation to keep striving to be the best version of myself every single day. I feel blessed to be a part of such a positive community of women.

Did you ever think you would come this far? What do you think is the key to your success?

I had no idea that I would be in the position that I am in today and I feel honored and blessed that I have been given the opportunity to educate and help women from all over the world on their healthy lifestyle journey. I believe that it’s not my success that is being celebrated through my Instagram but the inspirational success of the amazing BBG girls. These girls have worked so hard and dedicated themselves to get the results they desired.

What is the most exciting thing that has happened to you since you become a worldwide fitness icon?

The last 12 months have included so many exciting moments; on both my Australian Tour and World Tour, but I’ll never forget walking on stage at Basketball City in New York City in front of 4,000 girls. I was taken aback that so many girls had travelled from all over New York and the USA to come and train with me and start their weekend actively! It was a very overwhelming experience and I count myself extremely lucky to be fortunate enough to be able to not only train, but also meet all these beautiful girls in person.

“Falling down is a part of life. Getting back up is living” – Kayla Itsines

Closer to home, our founder, Sherlyn Tan, also found inspiration and motivation through Kayla and her Bikini Body Guide. What started as a means to overcome her battle with depression has turned into a veritable change in lifestyle, driving her to pursue bigger dreams. Read all about it next week!

“I first noticed the lumps on my breasts in mid 2008 but refused the use of any western medicine. Instead, I opted for traditional Chinese medicine to try to cure it. But with no progress, I realized it couldn’t be delayed any longer and went for an operation in November 2008. My breast cancer was at stage 3.

I remembered asking God, “Why does it have to be me? What have I done in the past to deserve this cancer? Was I a terrible person?"

The chemotherapy sessions took the most out of me. I was in terrible shape, physically, mentally and emotionally. It made my body very weak and I lost most of my appetite. This was amplified by the ulcers that had formed in my mouth due to the treatment as well as lack of sleep.

What helped me the most with overcoming this bleak period of my life was the encouragement from my friends and family. They constantly told me that I have to face this instead of giving up and that I have to stay strong. There were still many more things I wanted to do with my life and I couldn’t die just yet!

Every morning during my cancer period (and even now), I would wake up early to exercise at the nearby park, whether it’s doing chi gong or to climb the hill. I love the feeling of the morning sun when it hits my skin; it instantly lifts my mood even during bad days. I do take an enjoyment from climbing hills despite the path being difficult at times. For instance, it could be too steep but I see it as a reflection on life. If the road gets tough, you shouldn’t give up, you should persevere and try to overcome the obstacle presented in front of you.

I was originally a tailor who sewed uniforms. But because of this cancer, I had to eat mostly organic food, which led me to the decision of opening my own organic food store! Because of this, I could also help people facing similar problems by becoming their one-stop shop and source for healthy food! 6 years have gone by since I’ve beaten breast cancer and I’m glad I survived It.” – Moei Ho

Casey, a breast cancer survivor, wearing the Andie Dress. 

"My name is Casey Chu, and I am 27 years old. I discovered a lump on my right breast in April of last year. Cancer was the last thing on my mind. I was young, and supposed to be at the peak of my life. In fact, I consulted three different doctors and all three of them told me that the chance of getting breast cancer at my age is very low, and it was probably just swelling. 

I took a scan because my family has a history of breast cancer, and the tests confirmed it. Cancer, at 26.

Upon receiving the news, my mum broke down crying, and my brother tried to console me by urging me to bawl and let it all out. I remembered asking myself, what's the point of crying? My cancer would still be there even if I did.

Chemotherapy was difficult. I would just vomit uncontrollably for the next three days after each session. The physical pain was incredible, and I don't wish that upon anyone.

Emotionally, it was no walk in the park either. Twice, I broke down crying. The first time was when my mum wept because she couldn't accept the fact that her child had cancer. She prayed and begged God to take her instead of me, and my heart just broke. I understood her anguish, though. I can't imagine seeing her suffer from cancer, too.

The second time I broke down was when my doctor advised me to take half a year off from work to rest. Something as innocuous as that, and yet I wept! I suppose it was the apparent finality of it - like this is it, i'm not even useful to society anymore. I simply couldn't accept the fact that I could not go to work!

It's been a few months since I officially beat cancer. However, even though it's in remission, I know that there's a possibility that it could come back to bite me again. So I've vowed to enjoy my life each and every single day - there's no bigger incentive to do so than having stared cancer down. First step: I've already made travel plans for next year!" - Casey

Breast cancer is the most commonly diagnosed type of cancer in women. It is caused by a genetic abnormality of uncontrolled growth of breast cells. In conjunction with Breast Cancer Awareness Month, throughout the whole of October we will be interviewing breast cancer patients and survivors to share their inspiring stories of strength.

Jenny wearing the Fournier Top, a breast cancer survivor and her daughter, Maggie wearing the Andie Dress.

“I was diagnosed with stage one breast cancer at 38 years old after discovering a lump on my breast. At the time, there was only one type of treatment available, which was Radiotherapy. I had to undergo 12 sessions of radiotherapy, with each session taking place every few days. Many people who discover they have cancer immediately dive into negative thoughts of dying, or how many months they have to live. I on the other hand decided to stay positive because all I wanted to do was beat cancer as I had a family to take care of. I never told them then, as I didn’t want them to worry about me – this will be the first time most of them will have heard of this! I've only told my mother-in-law because she was diagnosed with breast cancer too. I did my best to help her with household chores like cooking, and to support her in times of need even though I was suffering from cancer myself. After completing the initial treatments, I underwent regular check-ups in my first year followed by a check-up in my 5^thyear, 10^th year etc. I have since beaten breast cancer.” – Jenny

Sherlyn with Jenny and Maggie. 

We first noticed Natasha Capol while having an evening drink at Mr. Brooks, a hidden bar that serves up stylish concoctions in a quiet nook of Bangsar Shopping Center. Natasha, a master mixologist and brand/area manager for a number of household names such as Mr. Brook’s and Tate under The BIG Group, turned out to be much more than meets the eye. Her story is nothing short of awe-inspiring.

Here, she shares with us snippets from her time dancing Salsa in Spain, to overcoming a difficult part of her life following an accident by reminding herself on ‘The Theory of Awesomeness’, to her present career in the Food & Beverage industry.

Please give us a little introduction of yourself?

I grew up in Malaysia before moving abroad to Europe at a very young age. I learned dance in Spain before pursuing a degree in acting in Singapore, followed by working with a design company in Switzerland. I currently live in Malaysia now.

Natasha in the Achille Dress from Sher By Twenty3.

That’s quite a life! Having lived in so many locations, was it difficult moving from one place to another?

Well, I moved to Spain without knowing any Spanish. At that time, hardly anyone in Spain spoke English. I had no relatives in Spain and I think I had about 100 Euros in my pocket. My parents asked me, “Why did you want to go to Spain?” I said, “I don’t know? I just feel like it!” I was at a very young age when I decided to move abroad alone. I remember when I first arrived; I took a train into the center of Madrid. They have these telephone booths with little tags on it that have a number you can call to rent a room or whatever. Armed with a little translation book in my hand, I called the first number. The first one didn’t speak English nor understood my ‘try-hard’ Spanish, however, on the next call, there was this lady who spoke a little bit of English. She ended up taking me in and I was fine. I managed to get a job as a waitress as well.

Were you not afraid as you were alone and moving to a country where you didn’t know the language?

I guess at that age, I was fearless, I felt like I could conquer the world. Growing up in Malaysia, you are constantly faced with so many challenges. You come out not as a normal, ordinary person, but one that’s toughened. I had a tough time fitting into school despite achieving good results. It was difficult for me to get accepted into college but eventually I was accepted with a partial scholarship as well. When you go through things like that, you have a different focus, energy and drive. I live by the mantra of “accomplish or do not begin”. You just go out there and do whatever you want to do.

You mentioned you danced in Spain; tell us a little about that?

My passion has always been dance so I started going to Salsa clubs to dance the night away. One guy invited me to join his Salsa group. I was like “sure, why not?”. They were mostly Colombians and Venezuelans. Old ladies taught us how to dance; they tap on your chest so you learn to feel the beat that way. The men would lead you around the dance floor. When I used to dance in competitions, nothing was choreographed, you just danced to whatever music they were playing. Dance is about living in the moment and having the freedom to move and the freedom of expression.

 Natasha in the Achille Dress from Sher by Twenty3.

So why did you decide to move back home after living abroad for so many years?

While I was in Switzerland, I was in a really bad car accident that left me hospitalized for a long time. On top of that, someone close to me had passed away from that accident. I went back to Spain for another 5 years to get away from that situation. I went back into dancing after my broken bones recovered and, having regained my joy for life, I decided to move back home to be closer to my family.

How did you manage to recover emotionally from that period of pain?

My family deals with situations like these by just getting over it, without time to grieve or mourn. I grieved alone during those 8 months in the hospital.  You just tend to deal with the consequences as they come and there were many. I didn’t let anyone talk to me even the psychologists and therapists. I had so much rage and anger inside me for a very long time but after a while you realize that hey, I am still alive.

What kept you going?

It required a lot of self-endurance for the first couple of months because it was such a difficult period in my life. For a lot of it, I tried to stay as positive as I could. I have this theory called the “Theory of Awesomeness”. It’s people trying to be the best they can (thus being awesome) and that applies to me as well. It’s the same as always trying to be the best version of myself. When you go through things like this, you realize how strong the human mind and body is. You then realize how strong someone can be. Also, I used to do a lot of charity work and see kids go through a whole lot worse. Finding motivation and inspiration from people who have nothing but manage to survive due to the world working this or that way, pulls me through.

Natasha in the Savannah Dress from Sher by Twenty3.  

So why did you decide to path a career in the Food & Beverage industry?

The reason I’m in F&B right now working for The BIG Group is that it’s the only thing I know other than acting and dancing. I was working in bars as a dishwasher when I was 12 years old. I’ve climbed that ladder to get to where I am. I’ve been a dishwasher, a waitress, a bartender, and I’ve worked my way up. I didn’t get to where I am because daddy gave it all to me. I worked at the age of 12 to buy toothpaste for my family. That’s my upbringing.

So how long have you been with the BIG Group?

I’ve been with them for two years. I’m in charge of Mr. Brook’s, Tate, and Barlai to name a few. I’m in charge of many brands under The BIG Group.

Is it difficult to manage so many brands as well as your staff at the same time?

I’ve realized that people don’t need to be managed. It’s the process that needs to be managed. I have this thing I call “Brules”, which is short for “bullshit rules”. If you give me a rule, I’m going to break it. There are so many rules and regulations for everything, especially in Malaysia. Giving my staff a say and an opportunity to take ownership at what they do is a better option, as long as they don’t step over boundaries and work according to their responsibilities. You tend to realize that many people won’t overstep their boundaries when they’re given freedom.

However there are a few that do, and it breaks my heart, as I treat them like my family. Someone really crossed a line once so I asked him to pack his bags because I gave him a chance that was his key to an opportunity, but he let me down.

Do you usually give second chances to people?

They all end up asking for a second chance, whether I give it or not is a different question. It’s never final but it’s the way they approach the situation, the severity of it, as well as if they’re apologetic. I gave someone a second chance once and that person turned out to be pretty amazing. Everyone makes mistakes; I made so many mistakes myself.

 Natasha in the Savannah Dress from Sher by Twenty3. 

What is the best advice that you could possibly give your staff, or anyone at all?

Many people tend to set realistic goals. I ask myself, “...Why?”. I think people should set unrealistic goals because that’s what you should be trying to achieve, like the saying, “aim for the moon, even if you miss you’ll land among the stars”. However, I do feel that there is so much Malaysian talent and stories to tell but there’s a lack of opportunity.

Have you ever thought of going back into acting?

I do want to use the skills I learned from acting but maybe to host documentaries or travel shows. I’ve acted in a few shows in Singapore but I didn’t really enjoy it. I would love to host documentaries on controversial topics and things people aren’t aware of, like child prostitution, human trafficking, and things like that. My ultimate goal is to help children.

Any other hidden talents we should know about?

I did Kung Fu for 10 years in Penang, and I was the only non-Chinese there, and I can also speak Hokkien!

Seems like you are an avid traveller, what’s the next destination on your bucket list?

If I ever go to Cuba I’ll never come back, so that’s for last. South America is also last because I’ll never want to leave. Maybe somewhere close to home since I’ve travelled all of Europe; somewhere like Cambodia, Laos or Vietnam. I guess places like Papua New Guinea, Kazakhstan, Bhutan, places like those. Anywhere that inspires the mind.