Testimonials
Ganesh's Story
Meet Ganesh.
Ganesh attended the Conditional Pass programme 2 years ago when he was 15. Before attending the programme, he was struggling with weight management and studies. He had low self-esteem and often dwelled in self-discrimination, fearing how others would look at him.
Read on to find out more on how our programme has gave him a new perspective in life!
Here’s an interview with Ganesh after attending the Conditional Pass programme.
INT: Hello Ganesh, please introduce yourself and the ACORN programme you attended.
GAN: Hi There, my name is Ganesh and my trainer’s name is Mr Rajiv Jude. I was attending a Conditional Pass Programme when I was in Secondary Three and Mr Jude was our Trainer for two weeks in November 2014.
INT: Could you share briefly, what you were struggling with before the programme?
GAN: Before the programme, I was struggling with weight management and studies. I also had low self-esteem, because I was overweight. I was embarrassed, as I would take up two seats in the bus. I avoided sitting in the MRT, as I felt that people would judge me for my size. Some of my friends would even joke about me being similar to a hippopotamus. They even laughed at me when I was at the gym.
INT: What impacted you the most during the programme?
GAN: During the programme I was told to think about my future. And I remembered I doing it. I thought further and pinned my dreams on the vision boards which Mr Jude and team gave us. But when Mr Jude told me to share my dreams, I stumbled. I did not want to tell everyone, as I thought I would make myself a joke. But no, he encouraged me and I did it. After I finished, they were speechless. I was even awarded as the “Most Inspiring Student”. This brought my hidden confidence out and made me realise I was often judging myself because of what others had said.
INT: You mentioned you had a wakeup call, could you describe the experiences that gave you a wakeup call?
GAN: The experience which made the most impact would be the programme and the sharing I mentioned above. After that experience, I could better plan my life what I wanted to be. It was truly a wakeup call, as it helped me realise this life was my own and that I could make changes before it was too late.
INT: What are the differences between your life then and now?
GAN: The difference now is that this former 120kg guy, is now 77kg. I, who was once a joke to others, is now an inspiration to some of my friends. And my studies went really well along with it. I am following the steps to achieve my goal. In the past, I kept changing my mind about my future. Now, I am able to better plan out my future and to try to gain success through hard work. Most of all, it is my physical fitness which has changed the most. Now I’m stepping into the fitness industry and I will make the best out of it.
INT: Do you have any inspirational messages or anything to share to whoever will be reading this?
GAN: No matter how hard it is to climb, keep going. Drop once and never drop again. Look back, but never make the same mistake again. And once you reach the top, know that it's never the end, because every summit is the beginning and secret of success.
Also that, every one life will have problems and obstacles. The important thing is how we solve them and if we give up, will we have any regrets for not trying. As I like to say, no harm trying.
Lastly, if you are a 10, don’t give up trying to achieve your goal even when those who are 90 laugh at you. Because one day when you’ve achieved 100, those who are 90 will be below you and you will thank 90 for who you have become.