As the semester progresses, we’re excited to spotlight the incredible individuals involved in UBC Recreation’s fitness programs. Meet Maillika, a personal trainer at UBC. We had the opportunity to sit down with her to hear about her journey from student to personal trainer and how UBC Recreation has significantly shaped her university experience.
Interview with Maillika
How did you become a personal trainer for UBC recreation?
“I have been part of UBC Rec for, I think, a year now. I was honestly looking at positions here as a part-time job. I was considering research positions or anything revolving around fitness, even working at the front desk or something similar. Then I saw the opening for personal trainers. I applied and instantly felt so excited about the job. I went in for the interview.”
Photo Credit: Dyne Hong
For a readers who might not be familiar with what personal fitness is all about, would you tell us more what a typical day would look like for you and your clients?
“So with personal training, we are doing one-on-one sessions with our clients, and we are catering workouts for the client itself and for their goals. That could include things like body composition, so weight management, fat loss, muscle hypertrophy. Or it could be people just want to be more consistent with being in the gym. We come in for a session, we do a little bit of a warm-up, and I take them through like a workout. Either it’ll be like an upper body focused or a lower body or a full body, just depending on what we want to do.”
How is juggling the balance between school and personal training?
“Position-wise, the schedule is really flexible. You book your sessions with the clients when it works for you, so it’s very flexible schedule-wise. That’s something I was looking for, and it worked out. Like, I can literally do it before class, after class, or in between classes. I can come in and do a one-hour session with the client.”
What do you enjoy the most about being a personal trainer?
“What I like the most, I think, is the fact that it helps that I’m in Kinesiology because whatever I’m learning in my classes here, I can directly apply to my programs for my clients. And I can see a difference—not just me kind of progressing as a trainer, but also as a student, because my grades would also be better since I’m applying my knowledge. I’m getting a better understanding of what I’m learning. So I think that’s one of the biggest things I find.”
What has been your most memorable experience being a personal trainer and being part of the UBC Recreation community?
“There are so many things going on, but I think the biggest thing that I find memorable is that each day, each client that I have, is about that connection that I’m building. Having an in-person interaction and helping people through fitness and what really matters to them, and helping them feel good. I think that every day when I go in and make that connection and see my clients progress, that is something I will always take with me.”
Check out a quick segment from the interview below or our Instagram page:
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Get started on your fitness journey with one of our knowledgeable Personal Trainers, like Mallika, at UBC Recreation. In celebration of Move UBC Month, enjoy 15% off 1, 3, 6 and 12-session Personal Training packages throughout February!