The Adventures of Gym Class
I feel it is only appropriate to recount some of the unfortunate memories from my many years as a fat kid.
I was always picked last for everything in sports. I would not say I was the most un-athletic kid in the world, but I certainly could not run to save my life. I remember coming in with a mile time of 14 minutes. I know people who can walk a mile faster than I ‘ran” it. Today I can run 2 miles in the time it took me to run one mile for the State Physical Fitness testing. Do you know how embarrassing it is to have the class have to wait for you as you finish the mile run? Everyone watching you, hoping you make it soon because everyone wants to go inside, but I was still there chugging around the track.
Besides the mile test, there was also the sit-ups or push-ups. You had to have a partner and then report your number to the coach. I always picked the other fat kid to do sit ups with, but I was always the worst one in class. Some kids were coming in with 80 sit ups, I was lucky to break 10, and for some reason the coach always liked to announce the scores for “accuracy”. It was not malicious, but still, it felt like he was just pouring more salt in a huge open wound.
The one area of gym I always succeeded at was the sit and reach; I always could and still can palm the floor without bending my knees. Don’t ask me how, but it was the only time that I had clout over the other kids in the class, but it was certainly not enough to make up for all of my failures in physical education.
Gym class was by far one of the worst experiences when I was fat. Going in the pool swimming, I am not ever sure I need to say more. I had a bigger chest than most of the girls; it was sad and pathetic at the same time. I was more embarrassed than the kids who did not know how to swim. My shear inability to excel at anything in gym class was a horrible feeling for me.
(This story does get much more encouraging and cheerful as I get into the weight loss part, but I feel it is important for me to preface the entire feel good story with an accurate portrayal of how bad my situation was before I decided it was time to get my life under control and do something about my weight loss.)
I was always picked last for everything in sports. I would not say I was the most un-athletic kid in the world, but I certainly could not run to save my life. I remember coming in with a mile time of 14 minutes. I know people who can walk a mile faster than I ‘ran” it. Today I can run 2 miles in the time it took me to run one mile for the State Physical Fitness testing. Do you know how embarrassing it is to have the class have to wait for you as you finish the mile run? Everyone watching you, hoping you make it soon because everyone wants to go inside, but I was still there chugging around the track.
Besides the mile test, there was also the sit-ups or push-ups. You had to have a partner and then report your number to the coach. I always picked the other fat kid to do sit ups with, but I was always the worst one in class. Some kids were coming in with 80 sit ups, I was lucky to break 10, and for some reason the coach always liked to announce the scores for “accuracy”. It was not malicious, but still, it felt like he was just pouring more salt in a huge open wound.
The one area of gym I always succeeded at was the sit and reach; I always could and still can palm the floor without bending my knees. Don’t ask me how, but it was the only time that I had clout over the other kids in the class, but it was certainly not enough to make up for all of my failures in physical education.
Gym class was by far one of the worst experiences when I was fat. Going in the pool swimming, I am not ever sure I need to say more. I had a bigger chest than most of the girls; it was sad and pathetic at the same time. I was more embarrassed than the kids who did not know how to swim. My shear inability to excel at anything in gym class was a horrible feeling for me.
(This story does get much more encouraging and cheerful as I get into the weight loss part, but I feel it is important for me to preface the entire feel good story with an accurate portrayal of how bad my situation was before I decided it was time to get my life under control and do something about my weight loss.)
posted by Aaron T at 6:19 PM
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