Today we’d like to introduce you to Adrianna Wegiel.
Adrianna, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
Before fitness and health became a large part of my life, growing up I wasn’t athletic. I grew up with (brachydactyly), a condition where the bones in the fingers/toes are stunted in growth, so some of my toes never grew to their full length. This caused pain in my feet when I ran, walked or stood for periods of time. About the age of 15, I went under three surgeries and spent two years on crutches. The surgery required the surgeon to cut my metatarsal bones in half so that they can put a device in to lengthen the bones. During this time, I wasn’t able to walk without the assistance of crutches, weekly hospital visits, and lack of appetite for painkillers. I never realized how much I took a simple act such as walking for granted.
This is when my fitness journey started, I began exercising more, lifting weights and stopped taking the things my body can do for granted. I created an Instagram account “adriannkaw” to keep track of my journey and day to day progress. Little did I know, that this would take me on a rollercoaster of unhappiness, binge eating, self-judgment, and competing in bikini bodybuilding, to finding self-love, balance, learning more about myself, and pursuing happiness.
October 2017, presented a new challenge for me, I was diagnosed with PCOS, a common hormonal imbalance that women have. At first, I didn’t take it seriously, I already ate healthily and lived an active lifestyle. A few months later I kept feeling sick and fatigue, something wasn’t right. I started to pay more attention as to what, how, and why my body reacted to certain foods, situations, habits, and exercises. I slowly realized the more research I was doing online the more lost I got in it or I couldn’t find anything useful at all. So, I took things into my own hands and started experimenting with foods, supplements, and activities with my own body. I started using my Instagram as a place to share with others what I do, eat, train, motivate, tips, and my story. A place where I can connect with other women who struggle with the same thing as I do, share my findings, how certain things help me deal with symptoms.
Today, I still share my findings, meals, activities, self-love, happiness, tips, and exercises. I also offer and do online personal training. I believe in living a healthy and balanced lifestyle. I believe it’s important for us, to learn as much as we can about ourselves, what works and what doesn’t. Take our overall health, physical, mental, and emotional as a priority.
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
It hasn’t always been a smooth road, I spent a lot of time on myself to help overcome a fear of being judged by others, times where I would compare myself to other people, and just finding who I was myself. It’s been a series of baby steps and leaps of faith to get to today. I’m not going to lie, it’s scary to say what you’re going through and tell your story out to the public. There were times, I had people I knew who would tell me not to post things because “people are not going to like you”. Funny thing happened, instead, I was able to connect with more people than I had before.
My advice for younger women is to not be afraid to pursue your passion and speak about it. Try new things and figure out what works best for you, and never let negative thoughts take over your goals.
Alright – so let’s talk business. Tell us about your business – what should we know?
I’m known for sharing my fitness/health journey and being able to help others through my story, workouts, and health tips. It allowed me to create training guides and one on one training with women who wanted to create a healthier lifestyle for themselves. My current focus is talking about PCOS and hormonal imbalances. Sharing food, exercises, and supplements that would help women with creating the healthiest lifestyle for themselves.
Finding a mentor and building a network are often cited in studies as a major factor impacting one’s success. Do you have any advice or lessons to share regarding finding a mentor or networking in general?
The best thing I have ever done was be completely vulnerable, tell your story, hear other people’s stories, and talk to others. Go out to networking events, random facebook events you get invited too and talk/introduce yourself to people you see at your local gym, school or community. Talk to people on social media that you follow or follow you! You would be surprised how many wonderful and like-minded individuals you would meet and befriend. The more you allow yourself to be open and honest with yourself and others, the more confidence you build, people you meet, support you get, and memories created.
Contact Info:
- Email: adriannkaw@gmail.com
- Instagram: adriannkaw
Image Credit:
Krystian Swierk
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