My Story
When I was in high school in Adelaide, I struggled with the subject English – writing was not one of my strengths. My parents kindly hired a tutor. When I told my English teacher that I was receiving tutoring, she cruelly responded by saying that she believed it was “too late” for me to improve my grammar. I was unaware back then that I was actually dyslexic. Fortunately I didn’t listen to my teacher’s negative comments and I continued to see a tutor.
Fast-forward many years – when I published my first cookbook “Good Food – Good Life” in 2007, I sent a copy to my former English teacher and wrote a personal note: “See it’s never too late. Happy Cooking! Rocco.”
We all have our own hurdles to overcome, but with persistence and surrounding yourself with people who support you, anything is possible if you choose to put the effort in.
High school for me was not the most pleasant place or time of my life. I was bullied from the morning till the end of the school day and received little support from my teachers. I had two choices: either sit around feeling sorry for myself, or get motivated and find my passion. I chose the second option and have never looked back. Fitness and healthy cooking helped me to focus on feeling good.
We all have our different stories, and we all cope with our challenges differently. I don’t claim to have all the answers, but one thing I know is that we all want to feel good about ourselves inside and out. In mastering anything new, the journey always starts with practice.
Once you start looking after your mind and body, you can take control of your own happiness.