In honor of mental health awareness month we are sharing some of our resilient #fightfam members stories about how KickHouse has impacted their mental health.

“I’ve struggled with mental health my entire life. I’ve been through so much that my depression and anxiety are parts of me. I’ve had a past of self harm and suicidal tendencies due to my mental health being so bad. I remember feeling so sorry for myself in 2020 and I was gaining weight and I couldn’t even lift up a marker to write on my white board calendar. Instead of continuing to not do anything, I saw an opportunity to make a change for myself. 

I’ve been with KickHouse since August of 2020 starting it off with the six week challenge. Main reason I wanted to do it was because I wanted to be better for myself and love myself. I wanted to be happy and confident in my body and the six week challenge kick started that for me. For a lot of people, 2020 was a hard year and that was no different from me. After the six week challenge I was planning to get married and a few days before the wedding, my ex decided to leave without a trace and I was faced with heartbreak and I questioned my self worth. 

My mental health deteriorated so fast. I couldn’t breathe, think, or even want to be alive. I felt like a shell of a person I once was. After a week of crying (a lot of crying) and unable to move from my couch; I dove right into kickboxing. At first I didn’t think it could help me. Once I walked into the doors and onto the mat, I pushed out all my anger and sadness. I was too tired physically and mentally to think about what was bothering me. I finally felt at peace. My mind was quiet and I could relax and breathe again without my anxiety and depression taking over. 

I redirected my energy into something I could control. I remember only being able to do 3 classes a week and within months, I was in 7 times a week, taking doubles, and pushing my body to accomplish things I would dream of. From August to December, I lost 32 pounds and started gaining confidence that no one could take from me. My emotions were still haywire and I was still crying every now and then, but I was amazed by what my body was doing and what my mind was capable of. 

I still have to work on my mental health like everyone else, I still have bad days as well as good days. Now, it is easier to conquer those bad days. I can go into KickHouse and kick and punch out my frustrations and feel so much better afterwards. KickHouse continues to be my sanctuary in relieving my stress and redirecting my negative energy and turning it into a positive one. If I didn’t have KickHouse, I honestly don’t want to think of what could’ve happened to me. The community, the workouts and instructors helped me become a better, stronger version of myself. 

Angelyanne Garcia

KickHouse Chantilly