Hello friends.

I was blessed this month to meet one of Australia’s champions. Shelly Taylor-Smith. Do you know her? Well let me tell you a little about her story.

As a young girl Shelley had a dream - to be like her role model Shane Gould and win a gold medal. Despite most of her school years in a back brace and spending three months in traction with partial paralysis when only 23 years old, Shelley never let go of her dream. Her coach told her "Do you know, you have the potential to be a World Marathon Swimming Champion?" Shelley took up marathon swimming because it didn't require her to make those back bending tumble turns and has since achieved what no other woman has in sport.

From 1984 to 1997, Shelley achieved consecutive victories against the best men in the sport worldwide and in 1991 gained the No.1 World Ranking in Marathon Swimming for both men & women - the first time this had ever been achieved by woman - and to date the last!

In 1998 Shelley was told she had six months to live. While swimming in polluted water she had picked up deadly parasites and giardia. The infections had manifested as Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and she was warned that if she continued to push herself her system would completely fail and she would die. Six months later Shelley won the Manhattan Island Marathon Swim for a record fifth time and only then did she decide to retire from representing Australia. She retires having achieved 7 times world champion status for our great southern land. HOW awesome is that. She continues to inspire and to reach out to our swimmers with her support and caring nature and was present at the recent Fina world championships swimming finals.

As I met her, and introduced myself, and after a short chat I felt .. well.. I don’t know quite know how to say how I felt as she placed her GOLD medal around my neck and draped the Australian Flag around my shoulders. The same flag that she would drape around her shoulders after swimming for GOLD.. for herself, for her family, for her coach and for AUSTRALIA.

As I left, I got to thinking about the challenges we all face in our lives, how important it is to place importance on them, discover what it is about those goals that make us WANT to achieve them, to do them, and see them thru to the end. WHAT makes us a champion?

What was some of our swimming champions like Grant Hackett thinking when he dived in the water in a pool so far away from home?. What was Shelly thinking as she swam the cold unfriendly waters of the oceans in a far away country. Let me share you something that Shelly sent me today in an email. I think it sums it all up perfectly.

~:~ Your life is what you make it The opportunity is within YOU It's not in your environment It's not in luck or chance, neither is it found in others It's found in YOU! When door of opportunity appears closed, you must knock on it and keep knocking until it opens. Be an opener of doors YOU can build up your opportunities by applying persistence and tenacity to all your possibilities. Success doesn't come to you - YOU must go to it!                   ~:~

I hope you all enjoy this month’s newsletter.

With much respect,
Debs

Friends.. I just couldn't have this newsletter go out without including a meal that myself and FAB client Katrina are enjoying at the moment… you guessed it.. GO THE GOW GEE !!!  I like to have mine with jasmine tea and steamed mixed vegetables with just a splash of soy sauce.



Ingredients:
Makes about 40

500 g (1 lb.) raw prawns, peeled, deveined and finely chopped
4 finely sliced green onions
1 tablespoon fresh ginger, grated
2 tablespoons chopped water chestnuts.
3 tablespoons cornstarch
2 teaspoons sesame oil
1 teaspoon soy sauce
1/2 teaspoon sugar
salt and pepper
gow gee (or pot sticker) wrappers
fresh hot chili oil (if you like hot foods like my friend Jean does then I’m sure you will include this!)
chopped spring onions.

Cooking instructions:

In a bowl, mix chopped raw prawns, sliced green onions, ginger, grated and chopped water chestnuts. Blend cornstarch, sesame oil, soy sauce, sugar and a little salt and pepper until smooth, and stir into the prawn mixture. Working with one gow gee (or pot sticker) wrapper at a time, put 1 rounded teaspoon of the mixture in the center of the circle, and press the edges together to form a semi circle. Twist the corners down to form a crescent. Line the base of a bamboo or metal steamer with a circle of baking paper or wax paper. Arrange the gow gees on the paper, making sure they are not touching. (You may need to do this in several batches) Steam, covered, for 8 minutes.

Quick easy and delicious to make. Wonderfully high in protein and all the good stuff. I hope you enjoy this months recipe and make it part of your nutrition plan this week.

MY CLIENTS are all on FIRE. I just want to say a big THANK YOU to some very fit, inspired and motivated clients who are all achieveing their personal challenges. They all put in 100% effort and believe me, I rarely go easy on them. The “round the block” runs are going well, with several challengers laying down the gauntlet… I shall soon post results and photos. Meanwhile.. a BIG round of applause to Desire Clients Janina, Alice, Lara, Anne-marie, Courntey, Kathy, Beth, Emily, Kylie, Scott, Karen Stephen, Ruth, Damon, Shazza, Sam, Caroline, Kaitlyn, Cathy, Narelle, Aleshia, Katrina, Trish, Michelle, Leah, Ashleigh, Paul, Linda, Brooke and Andy, Sue, and to my online clients as well, especially Vivian and Amanda who are progressing FABLOUSLY.

WELL DONE.. * hands you all gold medals.. fanfare music is playing in the background, crowd is waving excitingly.*

Yours in health,
Your friend,