CHAT SESSION 3 with Angie
Topic- 60kgs lighter
1pm Monday 15th May 2023 https://rppfm.com.au/
Catch up and listen to our chat session https://megaphone.link/LCRUI8680904679
‘The Daily Mirror’ in the month of May welcomes some wonderful people who I have met in my new community who also reside on the Mornington Peninsula.
Angie Drakos was born in Melbourne, Australia and was raised by her Greek parents who for many years owned a variety of takeaway businesses including, fish and chip shops, milk bars and other take away food stores. Growing up and eating fast food became a way of life for Angie. She continued to make poor food choices and by the time Angie was a teenager, she weighed 115kgs. For most of her life she continued to be overweight and in her 20’s tried different diet regimes in hope of shedding kilos. However, she continued to be overweight. Even after giving birth to three beautiful children, Angie’s weight was literally weighing her down, emotionally, mentally, and physically.
In February 2008 at the age of 37 and weighing 98kgs, Angie decided it was time for a turning point. She took a leap of faith and made it her mission to join a Personal Training Studio. Stepping into a gym for the first time was the start of a new direction in her life and Angie hasn’t looked back!
Training at the gym involved hard work and something as simple as doing a squat, push up or sit-up made Angie feel physically exhausted and mentally drained. Her body often felt achy. Everything she was going through led her to suffer from anxiety and severe panic attacks. These health issues added more stress to Angie’s life.
Determined not to give up, Angie continued to exercise and realised that the more she trained, the better she felt.
Within 5 years Angie’s stress levels began to improve and her achy tired body began to feel stronger. A healthier lifestyle began to take shape and with patience and perseverance, she noticed positive changes when looking at herself in the daily mirror.
Losing weight felt good but Angie noticed that she was left with saggy skin under her arms and abdomen. Wanting to know as much as possible she started to research what she could do to improve the elasticity in her skin. Angie learnt that as we age, we do lose the elasticity in our skin, it is normal.
Wanting to do everything possible to reverse and slow down the process of the saggy skin, Angie introduced weight training to her routine. Where you lose body fat, you replace it with muscle and with consistent training Angie could see that her skin was becoming firmer. Firmer skin was more noticeable around her arms but overall, her figure was finally taking shape.
In 2013 Angie decided she wanted to study to become a Personal Trainer. By 2015 she was fully qualified and at that time she stopped working in the hospitality industry. In full swing to pursue a new career, Angie began work as a full-time personal trainer, a career change that has seen her flourish both personally and professionally.
Recently, Angie entered in Bodybuilding competitions. Her goal was to step out on stage just once, but she decided that she wanted to keep proving to herself and others that
when you commit to your goals, good outcomes can follow.
Weight training and nourishing her body with a controlled and managed meal plan, not only changed her figure but her overall health and well-being continued to improve.
Angie has competed in Bodybuilding competitions 5 times and in October 2022, made it her mission at the age of 50 to enter a Body Building Federation under a ‘Figure Category’. No one knew her story, or the journey of her life, or how she got to be on stage that day but for Angie it wasn't about winning the judges votes. In her eyes, she was already a winner.
Weighing 115kgs and then one day stepping on scales showing 57.5kg with no operations, and no excess skin removal procedures is such an accomplishment.
A healthy mindset to improve her lifestyle is how Angie lost over 60kgs. Her focus is about feeling healthier and more confident within herself. This is what her story is about.
Angie is unstoppable and loves being outdoors. She loves bike riding, bush hikes, and endless walks along the beach on the beautiful Mornington Peninsula. Angie also enjoys cooking and will never say no to eating chocolate, a self-saucing chocolate pudding or an apple crumble. She also discovered that she is a bit of a green thumb and loves growing her own veggies. Angie says she will never part with her sewing machine and thanks to her mother for teaching her the skills of dressmaking she was able to pass this talent on to her two beautiful daughters. Chilling out and watching a romantic love story or an action movie is another one of Angie’s pastimes. On a night out if the music is her vibe, you will always find Angie on the dance floor and if you make her a good coffee, she is as happy as can be.
When Angie isn’t training her clients at ‘The Boat House Gym’, in Rye https://www.theboathousestudiogym.com.au she enjoys quality time working out as a member of Anytime Fitness in Rosebud and Mornington. Managers Shaun and Marlee (Rosebud) have been amazing. Their support has played an integral part in her ongoing success and when Angie travels, Anytime Fitness studios provide her with the flexibility to train anywhere, anytime.
People often question Angie and suggest that the gym is her life. Angie says, “I’m just passionate about working on my state of mind and want to continue being committed to my physical health.”
Making to time to nourish her soul, focus on her self-belief system and becoming a resilient woman became her purpose in life. These wonderful traits are what Angie would like to continue to instil in her three beautiful children, and in the lives of the people she trains at ‘The Boat House Gym’, in Rye.
What else can life bring? Well, who knows what is yet to come along for Angie. Living in the moment and enjoying each day is what makes her smile. Angie wants to get up each day and live a happy life.
My hope is that when you’re looking at yourself in the ‘The Daily Mirror’
YOU SMILE
EMBRACE BEING YOU
AND FIND 10 MINUTES IN YOUR DAY TO NOURISH YOUR SOUL!
To get in touch with Cathy email smileinthedailymirror@gmail.com
'The Daily Mirror' acknowledges Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people as the Traditional Custodians of the land and acknowledges and pays respect to their Elders, past and present.
Beautifully written. Love this 🌟
A remarkable tale of mind commitment and the getting of wisdom. The chrysalis butterfly analogy is appropriate here for the transformation is staggering. She is a beacon to possibilities and those that see her light will understand and follow her path knowing that what can be seen as impossible is achievable. The beauty is in the mindset not just the vessel.