Built Not Broken

For all those that were willing to take the risk 🦾

There’s something incredibly special about the South Africans who, after school, packed up their lives, said goodbye to family and friends, and stepped into the unknown.

They didn’t know exactly where the road would take them. They simply knew they wanted to explore new horizons, experience foreign lands, build something for themselves and take a chance on what life could offer beyond the borders of home.

It takes courage to leave everything you know behind.

It takes bravery to start again somewhere new.

And it takes an enormous amount of sacrifice.

Being abroad isn’t always the glamorous adventure people see on social media. There are tough times! There are moments when you miss birthdays, weddings, family dinners and the people who have known you your whole life. You miss the familiarity of home, your mates, your family and the feeling of simply belonging.

But through the good times and the difficult ones, the brave souls who made that leap kept going.

They took the risk. They backed themselves. They adapted, worked hard, built businesses, careers, relationships and communities — and slowly, piece by piece, created a new life.

And hopefully, in doing so, they’ve created something even bigger: a better future for the next generation.

Today, I want to give a massive congratulations to two incredible people, Billy Pullen and Lizel Birkenstock , on the amazing achievements you’ve made over the last 10 years.

Ten years of taking chances.
Ten years of sacrifice.
Ten years of building.
Ten years of choosing the road less travelled.

You should both be incredibly proud of what you’ve created.

To every South African who made that decision after school — whether you left at 18, 25, 30 or later — this one’s for you.

You weren’t guaranteed success.

You simply had the courage to give yourself a chance.

And sometimes, that’s the biggest risk — and the greatest reward — of all.

Here’s to the brave ones who left home, backed themselves, and are making it happen. 🇿🇦🌍

TheJourney 10Years BuiltNotGi

“We don’t have to do it, we get to do it!”

Another Turf Games Singapore is in the books, and I just wanted to take a moment to say thank you.

Firstly, a huge thank you to the organisers Turf Games Australia au & Andy Manteit for putting together another incredible event. The amount of work that goes on behind the scenes to make a competition like this happen is something most people never get to see, and it certainly doesn’t go unnoticed.

To all of the judges and volunteers, thank you for giving up your time, keeping the standards high, and helping create an environment that allows athletes to perform at their best.

To every team that stepped onto the competition floor, thank you for bringing the energy, intensity, and sportsmanship that make events like this so special.

And finally, to my team Daryl Stuart Diplock Online CF Coach | Aaron Forrest , thank you. After almost 15 years of competing in functional fitness, my perspective has changed. These days, it’s less about the result and more about the opportunity to throw down with my best mates and share experiences that we’ll remember long after the competition is over.

I’m also incredibly grateful that my body can still hold up and allow me to keep doing something I’ve loved for so many years.

The older I get, the more I realise that competing isn’t something I have to do.

It’s something I get to do.

Until the next one ✌🏼

👕 & 🩳 lululemon Southeast Asia

The strongest people don’t avoid discomfort—they train with it.

Every hard workout, every uncomfortable situation , every early morning and every moment you choose discipline over comfort is more than a test of willpower.

It’s training your brain.

The anterior midcingulate cortex is heavily involved in effort, persistence and overcoming challenges. While it’s not the only part of the brain responsible for resilience, evidence suggests it can adapt with repeated engagement in difficult, effortful tasks.

So if life feels hard…

Good.

Your brain doesn’t grow in comfort.

It grows when you repeatedly prove to yourself that you can do difficult things.

Do hard things. Become harder to break.



Singapore Cancer Society

Sometimes life has a beautiful way of slowing you down when all you want to do is keep pushing forward.

Not being able to run over the last six weeks was frustrating, but it created space to work on the things I may have otherwise overlooked: strength, muscle, energy, resilience, and the little weaknesses that needed more attention.

The running took a temporary hit, but the bigger picture improved. I’m coming out of this phase feeling stronger, healthier, and more complete than when I went into it.

For anyone dealing with a setback or injury right now, hang in there. It may not feel like it in the moment, but there can still be a silver lining — an opportunity to build, learn, and come back better in other ways.

A reminder that not every setback is a step backwards.