When Life Knocks You Down: A Lesson from Unlock Your Greatness

Yesterday, I sat in a hospital room and heard the words no athlete wants to hear:

You’ve damaged your spine.

In that moment, my dreams for the upcoming Regional Powerlifting Championships felt like they were slipping through my fingers. Four weeks away from competition, stronger than I’ve ever been, preparing for the British qualifiers… gone. My promise to myself and to Arnold Schwarzenegger felt shattered.

But as I sat there, sedated from the medication, I realised something: this is exactly the type of challenge I talk about in my forthcoming book Unlock Your Greatness.

Life’s seasons are unpredictable. Sometimes they bless you, sometimes they break you. Sometimes storms destroy the house of your dreams, and sometimes even your own shadow walks away. But as I share in the book every obstacle carries within it the seed of an opportunity.

Lying on my couch later that day, I turned on Netflix. There was Arnold’s documentary, right at the point where he had to face surgery that could have ended his career. Instead, he pivoted.

He ran for Governor. He kept climbing his mountain.

Then Steve Harvey popped up on TikTok, speaking about his journey from struggle to success. It felt like the universe or God was sending me a message: Mak, get up. Your story isn’t over.

I remembered my granddad’s motto: Every problem comes with a solution. And I remembered why I wrote Unlock Your Greatness in the first place — to remind you (and myself) that your past doesn’t define you, your setbacks don’t break you, and your purpose will always pull you forward.

Even though political parties have approached me to stand in the 2026 local elections, I know my heart is set on living my dream competing at the World Masters Championships and stepping back into film and TV.

This injury isn’t the end. It’s a plot twist. And with prayer, research, and the right recovery plan, I believe I can still climb my peak just like Arnold said: no matter what it takes.

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