at the height of my anorexia,
giulia told me about the spark of light inside all of us
how it waxed and waned with starvation
and how it is who we are
more than the muscle she helps build
or the fat protecting our bodies
we are light.
a spark inside each person,
always fighting yet surrendered
it’s a unified light,
waves coursing together
giulia tells me that her gym is a space
to hold for me
protecting my light when it fades,
keeping me safe and seen.
helping nourish it with each
compound lift and superset,
each check-in and call
she holds my light when i need
callused palms to rest in
giulia is a holder, a carrier of light.
as i heal
i stretch my limbs
to soothe a restless ache of stagnation
movement is medicine.
she molds the nuances of the universe
the physiology of the world’s breath
into something palatable for 16 year old clients
weaving a conversation
of wonders and miracles
into her tapestry of programs.
giulia is a weaver, a healer,
and her own spark of light fills the studio
as she fulfills her gift.
-Julia Dingman (16 year old OPRF junior)