WHEN I STARTED MY CAREER IN fitness, I did not have the goal to be the best in my field. On the contrary, I did not have the confidence to ever consider it. My hope was that no one would laugh at me. Now I did have a vision that kept me going; I wanted to create a safe space where everyone, no matter what their fitness level was, could be themselves and do their best while having a good time. Looking back at the classes I taught, I believe I achieved that goal. What I did not have was the drive to increase my exposure, such as working to be a fitness presenter at workshops and conversations. To do that, I would have had to collaborate with professionals in the fitness and medical worlds to create a presentation that was certified and safe. This would have taken up a good portion of my time that I did not want to give up. Seeing and getting to know some of the presenters, I realized I was not cut out to take on such an endeavor. The drive and motivation some of these individuals possessed was simply intense. It also included a strong sales personality which I absolutely did not have inside of me. MOST EVERYONE I MET IN THE fitness world achieved their level of skill from putting in challenging work. I cannot say they were all talented, except it usually was a necessity to have a sense of rhythm. It was not like they were born with the skills to lead a fitness class, unlike a singer or painter. The reason I say this is because there was a woman who had a gorgeous singing voice. Compared to her classmates, her singing ability was beyond anything the other students could achieve. Once you heard her sing, you would be convinced she would go far. Now, she had a dream of performing on Broadway, ever since she was a little girl. In school, there was never a school production that did not include her. The teachers realized they could not keep casting her as the lead, but they were reluctant to choose other students because they knew it would not be the same. Gratefully, they did give other students a chance at being the lead. She did not mind, but she always learned the score in case something happened, and they needed to find someone to fill in. Her dedication was commendable, and it paid off because right after college, she was cast in a Broadway musical. She was in the ensemble but was the understudy for one of the female leads. BECOMING FRIENDS IN SCHOOL, GEORGE MICHAEL and Andrew Ridgeley both had a love for music and decided they wanted to become the biggest pop stars in the world. They had stiff competition with Elton John, Tina Turner, Prince, and Whitney Houston. Directed by Chris Smith (American Movie, Jim & Andy: The Great Beyond); this music documentary was not only enjoyable to watch, but it provided me a flashback of a different era with some incredible music. With interviews and archival footage, I had no idea how devoted the two friends were to their craft and dreams. Whenever I watch a documentary about a well-known celebrity, it is a real treat for me to get the back story to that person’s famous contributions. I loved hearing how the two created their songs, besides getting insight into their insecurities and fears. This biography’s primary focus was the years Wham was in existence; it does not follow George and Andrew as they go their separate ways. I would have appreciated getting a deeper picture of their internal dramas, both at home and in business. It would have been interesting to see what the boys were doing prior to becoming friends. However, the lack of this did not deter me from enjoying watching and reliving the music they created. If you are not a fan of this group, then you will not care to see this biography. But if you are, then this film can put you in a happy place before you must go go.
3 ¼ stars