Body Talk: #Fitnessgoals

Two years ago, I started taking dance lessons, once a week. Learning the different steps for the cha-cha-cha, rumba, jive and salsa was, to be honest, quite confusing to a novice like myself, and I ended up not remembering the steps at first. But when my dance mates and I had the chance to participate in the Bachata Festival last year, we had to force ourselves to learn the routine, resulting in better memory retention. After that experience, our teacher deemed us fit to learn more advance routines, as we were able to pick up more. It just goes to show that when you’re determined, you get it done—even though it’s more like baby steps for me. In this issue, we’re proud to feature Suhaili Micheline, a renowned name in the dance fraternity, and was a finalist in the first season of 8TV’S So You Think You Can Dance. Looking at the way she moves, you wouldn’t think that she had been diagnosed with a lateral curvature of the spine when she was a child, resulting in a crooked and hunched back. But she persevered and went through the necessary treatments to fix it. Today she’s an in-demand dancer and choreographer, a teacher, as well as an ambassador for an international fitness clothing label. Life is good. Aidil Azman, her boyfriend and fellow cover star, shares her passion for active living, being really into sports and fitness himself. In fact, he had signed up for a Navy-style training boot camp and entered power-lifting competitions. Like Suhaili, his body is an instrument, and he has never been happier seeing his body undergo a transformation. At age 38, he can even outrun and outpace people who are a decade younger! It’s so beautiful to see them in their element, and our photos in the spread showcase that (see So Highly Ideal, page 128). Also in this issue, we interview four other fit individuals—a racer, mountain biker, Indian classical dancer, and