Tell me about your background and how it influenced your career.
I had an eventful childhood, filled with memories of my active participation in soccer. Before playing D1 soccer and eventually graduating from Central Michigan University with a Bachelor of Science in Health Fitness and a Minor in Nutrition, I started playing soccer at eight years old. At 14 years old, I was already playing in the U17 Ontario Provincial Team. I was then invited to train at the national training camp of Ontario, and one of my major achievements was earning a full athletic scholarship at Central Michigan University. I took a 5-year program where I went on to complete a 6-month internship with the hopes to go to medical school.
Playing soccer built my interest in physical fitness but the 6 months I spent at the hospital particularly shaped this growing desire. It became more than an interest but more of a desire fueled by my longing to assist people around me.
What Shaped Your Interest in Fitness and Sport to a Desire to Help People?
I had a passion to help people because of the empathy I developed from watching my family suffer from the impacts of mental illness and divorce. I also had a deep yearning for world peace and thought the medical field would help. During my 6 month internship, I realized just how sick people were, and at that point, I knew I wanted to help other people before they got to that point. I noticed the root of the issue/ sickness was not being addressed. They weren’t dealing with what was at the root of their disease( what stems from the Heart).
What Steps Did you Take to Accomplish Your Desire?
I worked as a personal trainer and I was able to continue with my passion for fitness and health. All my choices were driven by ways I believed would be most effective to help people with their health. Being an athlete and fitness enthusiast my whole life, it was an easy decision to make to become a personal trainer. I worked as a personal trainer at GoodLife Fitness and was able to continue with my passion for fitness and health. I worked hard to help as many as possible to curb the delinquency that leads to poor health and sickness.
Every client I worked with always taught me a new challenge they had. Very quickly I learned that it was their mindset and lack of self-love that was the most common challenge.
Did you Face Challenges Along the Way?
Not just one but lots of challenges most of which strengthened my determination to keep at my goal. The challenges came in waves that left me physically and emotionally traumatized. I had four accidents and a near-drowning experience within a short period of 2 years. The fourth accident which happened in the 2nd semester of my 4th year at Central Michigan University was the hardest to deal with. I was hit, thrown into the air, landed, and waited 45 minutes for the ambulance. My body wasn’t the same anymore; it wasn’t responding to fitness the same way as it used it and was always hurting & swelling after workouts. To make matters worse, I lost my identity as an athlete, and it changed the trajectory of my path. Those were dark and trying times in my life. All these coupled with my experience as a child raised in a family with a case of mental illness triggered unprocessed emotions in me.
How Did you overcome these challenges?
With a grateful heart, I thank God for I found him in those challenging times. And it was the turning point for me. I felt called to a course. A course of helping people. So instead of sulking over my situation, I chose to fight my way out, letting the burning desire to help people around me and achieving a peaceful society spun me on.
Looking back, I can’t help but feel grateful for the time spent on recovery and coping. I have in that time learned a new approach to helping individuals who are traumatized emotionally and physically. I was in a state common to many people with traumatic experiences. And since I can identify with their pains and worries, I have learned ways to better help them.
How have you enjoyed Success?
I have enjoyed success in any sphere of life. At 24, due to my passion and how much I immersed myself into not just perfecting my skills, but also driven by the desire to help, I became the first level, 5 trainer, at work and in my region. I ranked top 5 trainers out of 2800 trainers in the companies across Canada
Additionally, I was the top seller at work. And by the time I was 24 I was making a 6-figure income. I brought in a lot of people for Good Life Fitness Center and most of these people motivated me to open a place of mine.
In 2012, I opened Rise Mindbody Fitness Ltd. There I used the Rise Method –a method created through my revelations and after reverse engineering all my clients’ challenges. I then went on to create the Journey to Rise Program: A Journey of Self Love towards Self Discovery and Life Purpose.
I never wanted anyone to be limited to have access to the RISE program, so I released the book; Journey to Rise : How to Master Self-love and Discover Your Life Purpose—this is a book telling my story, the evolution of the Rise Method, and the Journey to Rise Program.
In all, my most cherished achievement is being able to render help to people the way I have always wanted. I have assisted people who have spent countless hours and dollars on therapy come off medication and heal themselves within months. Beyond physical therapy, I have assisted many copes with emotional distress.
How Do You Extend Your Expertise To People Beyond Borders?
This is a question I asked myself at a point in my life. I wanted to achieve world peace but there is little I can do from my facility. Then the idea of the book struck me. I wrote my first book which came with a workbook. It’s a compilation of my experience, struggles, and especially how people can work on their body and mind to stay healthy physically and emotionally.
How can people reach you? And what encouragement do you have?
I’ll touch on the encouragement first. I simply would say, know that hardship and challenges are there to make you stronger so don’t allow them to define you. Find balance in taking time to heal your past, for the purpose of finding peace. So that each day, you can find joy in the process of working towards your goals. The success is in the process, not in the outcome.
You can reach me on:
YOUTUBE: I AM Rosa Rago
INSTAGRAM: @IAMROSARAGO, @THEJOURNEYTORISE, @RISEMINDBODY
Podcast: RISE WITH ROSA: on Spotify, iTunes, anchor I”m also on insight timer I also have a podcast with a friend of mine called @thespirtualbadasses
Facebook: I AM Rosa Rago (personal and business)
Facebook: RISEMINDBODY
website: www.risemindbody.com
