Editor’s Note

S T R O N G F I T N E S S M A G A Z I N E A U S T R A L I A VOLUME 1, ISSUE 1

PHOTO CREDIT: JESSICA APAP

Before I could read or write, I’d tell stories. At age four, I would sit with my grandmother and ask her to jot down the words. As I got older, I learnt the power of fact, of stats, figures and studies, of PhD candidates and scientists whose brains I could tap. When I was 16 and studying for my high school exams, I’d sit with my grandmother and tell her about the things I’d learnt that day – why and how they happened. Day one of my journalism degree, the first words out of my lecturer’s mouth were: “People want to hear about people, but only with the assurance that the principles behind those stories are based on research.” I told my grandmother about that, too.

All these years later, and this intertwining of narrative and evidence is exactly what we’re trying to achieve at STRONG Fitness Magazine Australia. You can see it in the different approaches to fat lossspecific training adopted by our STRONG Camp experts (p. 22) and in the macro-friendly recipes Grace Shelmerdine used to regain her body confidence post-baby (p. 48). You can see it in Head Trainer Alexa Towersey’s tale of resilience during a difficult childhood (p. 69), and how it’s used to illustrate the importance of exercise to mental health (p. 66). You can see it in writer Rachel Debling’s first-person account of her journey to adult acne-free skin (p. 70) and in my own exploration of food addiction (p. 42). You can see it in the bravery of cover model Stephanie Sanzo’s back story (p. 4), which led her to the ‘powerbuilding’ training style she now loves (sample workout p. 28). And you can definitely see it in the variety of female body shapes and voices within our pages.

All of these moving stories are designed to motivate, but they are also grounded in research and expert opinion from the wider industry. We hope they encourage you to embrace your body as is, but also give you the tools to improve your mindset, fitness and health in the ways you want to. Choose the pieces of information that best suit your goals and lifestyle, and let the stories that resonate with you sink in.

If I could sit with my grandmother today, I’d tell her about my most recent lessons. I’d tell her that I understand my faults and I’m always wanting to improve, but I like who I am and I’m proud of where I came from. I’d tell her I’ve landed in a fantastic team with a beautiful purpose, and we plan to change lives – even if it’s only a little.

I know she would say: “looks great matey, but I hope those young women in the magazine didn’t get too cold while you were shooting them.” I hope she would say she is proud.

This one’s for you.

Stay strong.

Katelyn

Katelyn Swallow EDITOR-IN-CHIEF @deadlift.to.deadline