For the past year or so, my life was drastically affected by the pandemic and the lockdown that followed, but not all the ways I was affected were negative.

Several weeks before the first lockdown happened, I had tragically lost my father. In a way, the lockdown was a well-needed break for me mentally — it allowed me to think about the things that were really important to me and gave me the opportunity to more or less get myself back where I needed to be.

To quote my father, “There are many different ways to see things. Find the way that allows you to see it in a positive light.”

Being a competitive weightlifter and coach, the pandemic left a lot of these things in limbo for me. Many gyms started to close down or use restrictions. Competitions were canceled, and it left a lot of doubt in my training. But trying to find a positive, I found different ways to train and was able to pass what I learned on to others who were facing the same issues.

I understand how tragic this pandemic has been for so many other people. I know that it is hard to find positives in such a tragedy. But with that being said, I have tried to look at everything I have learned, experienced, and discovered about myself as a positive thing.

I have learned what I once thought was necessary in my life is of little importance. “Necessity is the mother of invention.”