Chapter 10: The Final Task

Kipwil leapt out of bed in the morning, excited and nervous all over. Today was the day of the last task.  What would it be?  What did Queen Mish mean when she said " most challenging task yet"?

Kipwil walked into the screening room to see a set of scales, a tape measure and a camera.

Hmmmm, Kipwil though anxiety mounting. I think this means....

" Morning Kipwil! " Queen Mish cheerily interrupted Kipwil's thoughts.  " Today is the day of your final task.  Are you ready?"

" I...I think so", Kipwil replied a little nervously, her heart beginning to thud in her chest

" Great!", Queen Mish went on. " Today is your first weigh in and measurement day and after that, we will take a photo of you....this will be stored in the 'OLD ME' vault"

" erk," said Kipwil a little sickly.  Kipwil avoided cameras whenever she could.

" Come on, you can do this!" Queen Mish encouraged. " This is the benchmark for you to start from.  It will only get better from here I promise, but how far will you know you have come if at first you don't know where you've been?"

Sighing heavily, Kipwil nodded and turned to look at the equipment lying on the table beside her.

" First, let's weigh", said Queen Mish. " I expect you to do this first thing in the morning every Wednesday morning so we can keep track of your progress."

Kipwil took down the scales and positioned herself . As the numbers flicked over and over, she squeezed her eyes shut and tried not to whimper.

" That's not so bad!", said Queen Mish.  " Remember its a starting point, we'll see what happens each week. Now for measurements."

Kipwil waited patiently as the tape measure flew around her, measuring her bust, her waist, her hips and her thighs.  Her eyes remained tightly squeezed throughout the whole process.

" Kipwil, you can open your eyes now, " said Queen Mish, a laugh bubbling up in her throat. " Now for the final step and you have completed the task.  The photo."

oh HELL no, Kipwil thought and with a pounding heart she fled the room.

Hubba Hubba found her outside a little while later,  sitting in the garden despondently, staring at a bee hovering over the flowers. He sat down beside her and just held her in a huge hug.

" Queen Mish said I'd find you here," he said " What's up?"

" I'm so podgy and fat and awful" Kipwil said tears sliding down her face." I feel disgusting and disgusted with myself and now she wants me to take a picture of me like that.  A picture of disgust."

Hubba Hubba sat silently with Kipwil in the sun for a little while.  They watched the bee fly off fully laden with his pollen before he spoke.

" This is the final step babe. And you've been through so much to get to this point.  Let's not stop. We can do this.  It's just a picture, it's not you. You are not the fat or the flab.  You are amazing and funny and my wife whom I love very much and I would be lost without."

" I'd be lost without you too", sobbed Kipwil into his arms.

" So let's do this.  I'll take the picture if you want.  Who knows?  What you achieve may inspire someone else to change their life and move from Nothing Ever Changes.  You will have helped someone without ever knowing you did or how you did.  Besides, it's not that bad."

Kipwil nodded and said tearily, " You're right. Can you take the picture please?  I can't hide away forever and Queen Mish said it was just to see the change in me over time, hey."

" Exactly" Hubba Hubba replied and smiled.

And that's how Kipwil found herself in the now dark screening room with Hubba Hubba, standing in her swimmers that she never wore without a tshirt over the top, getting her photo taken.  As soon as the picture was taken, a golden light, like a laser appeared and inscribed the following beside the communication screen on a chart:

KIPWIL'S AMAZING ADVENTURE IN 12 WEEKS.
Weight:   55.9 kg
Chest:     88.5 cm
Waist:     76cms
Hips:       87.5 cms
R Thigh:  44.5 cms
L Thigh : 45 cms.

OLD ME

Kipwil gasped when she saw the photos and burst into tears again.

" Why have I never seen that in the mirror?" She sobbed, a little panic in her voice.

Hubba Hubba held her and stroked her hair. " I love you" is all he said.

Queen Mish's voice interrupted Kipwil's crying. " Kipwil, come here so I can see you."

Kipwil turned her face towards the screen, tears pouring down her face.  She felt so ashamed of herself.

" Kipwil," Queen Mish began gently," no one is here to judge you or to revile you.  All 12WBTers start somewhere.  Some have chosen to share their pictures, watch."

On the screen flashed up photographs of men and women, all sad, all overweight, all looking defeated in their bodies.  Then amazingly, the photos were each replaced by other photos but while the people were the same, they were also different!  They were healthy, shining, glowing with smiles and strength and you could just tell they were adoring life and doing everything they could.  Life was GOOD for them and they showed it in every part of them.
" Kipwil, in 12 weeks, that will be you" Queen Mish said looking straight at her. " You have made the commitment, now it is real and now it will be done.  If you follow my rule, do the hard work and keep to your goals map, you will succeed. I promise you. Do you believe me?"

" yes" whispered Kipwil, then louder " yes, I do believe you."

"Kipwil, your first duty as a 12WBTer is coming up.  I will give you the details tomorrow .  For now, relax and enjoy your family and your new city.  Welcome, my friend, and I look forward to working with you."

And with that, Kipwil and Hubba Hubba were left alone.

What is Kipwil's first duty?  Will she get over the self loathing she felt when she saw the photos?  Stay tuned for the next episode.

Chapter 9: Plan, plan, plan

Kipwil, Hubba Hubba and the children spent the next few days experimenting in the kitchen....porridge with mixed berries and yogurt or egg white omelettes with herbs and spices for breakfast, salads and wraps galore for lunches and stirfries and steamed chicken and vegetables all came alive with the different flavours of the vegetables and spices used.  Tummies felt full all day long, tastebuds were happy and they enjoyed themselves immensely playing outdoors, going for walks and runs and visiting The Workshop now and then.  Everyone felt strong, happy and positive.

Then came one morning when Kipwil got up out of bed, she noticed an enormous calendar on the wall opposite her bed.  I wonder what that is there for? thought Kipwil as she padded out to the screening room to say Good morning to Queen Mish.

Queen Mish appeared as soon as Kipwil had pressed the button.
" Morning Kipwil!  Did you see the present I left for you?" Queen Mish cheerily greeted Kipwil.

" I did!  What is it for?  I can see it is a calendar but the pages are all blank.", Kipwil replied

" This is the second last task, Kipwil.", Queen Mish explained." Our most successful citizens are ORGANISED citizens.  In the envelope behind you, you will find a list of class times The Workshop offers.  This is your task.  Go through your calendar and mark down every time there is a birthday, or other celebration or function that may disrupt your new routine.  This is so you can see them coming up and work around it."

" Ok", said Kipwil readily, " Put down birthdays and other stuff. I can do that."

" Great! Now for the harder bit.....you need to use the timetable and plan out 6 workouts each week, that will help your body change in a balanced way.  You'll need 2 toning sesssions, 3 fitness sessions and one stretching and light toning session.  Got it?"

" Yep, got it!"

" Then next to get put in is shopping day!  This is where you stock up on goblin free ingredients for your meals. And last but most DEFINITELY not least, you need to plan some milestone activities at the 4th week, the 8th week and the 12th and final week. Mark it all down on your calendar and I'll see you tomorrow!"

Hmmmm, I can plan alright because I'm pretty organised now but what can my milestones be? thought Kipwil as she picked up the envelope and went back into the living area to retrieve the calendar.

For the next two hours, Kipwil sat and planned.  She chose classes, marked in her hours of other commitments and all the functions and other celebrations.  In the end her calendar ended up looking like this:
MONDAY: 8.45 am Walk with friends, 10.30am Body pump class, 8 pm yoga
TUESDAY:  8 pmWorkshop circuit.
WEDNESDAY: 12pm Swimming lesson then 5 K run, 8pm yoga
THURSDAY: 9.15 fatburner circuit 7.55 Zumba
FRIDAY: 7.30 Zumba toning
SATURDAY : 9 am Body attack and Body pump class.

Fortunately the way the classes were Kipwil could adjust and change to mornings or evenings if she needed. She included some extra classes for unforeseen events that meant she couldn't make an earlier class and added some others in because she loved it so much. Kipwil even outlined contingency plans for when she was away on holidays or unable to go to a class because she wanted to watch her terrific children play hockey and cricket.

But now came time to plan her milestones.  Kipwil had been thinking long and hard and decided they needed to signify something to her personally.  So for the 4 week milestone, she opted to walk the 1000 steps at Mt Dandenong.  The steps signified to Kipwil the thousand steps she will have taken to get her life in a better, more exciting place, rather than still stuck in Nothing Ever Changes.

For the 8 week milestone, Kipwil chose an 11 km walk at the Grampians, walking the Grand Canyon and Pinnacle track.  This was a test of her endurance and an opportunity to allow the bush to soothe her mind, fears and worries.

For the last milestone, Kipwil decided to team up with several other 12WBTers and run a funrun.  This not only coincided with one of her goals on her map (so she was feeling very pleased with herself.) but signified the team effort everyone was making.

Kipwil sighed contentedly when she saw the next three months mapped out in front of her.  As she hung the calendar on the wall, the marked out times became blazing beacons of colour, colouring the room with a rainbow of light.  Kipwil smiled widely as she felt the light all around her.  The blazing light gradually faded and left on the calendar, on each planned activity, was a rainbow. I love rainbows! They always make me feel hopeful thought Kipwil.

I know a whisper floated past Kipwil's ear, you have done a great job planning.  So now you just have to stick to it!  Your contingency plans are sound and everything is clear to read.  I'll see you in the morning with the most challenging task yet.  Pass this, and you have successfully met all the tasks required.


Kipwil was a bit apprehensive at the words 'most challenging' but knew whatever it was, she could do it.

" BRING IT ON!!!!!!!" She shouted to the world outside and was rewarded with fading laughter in the wind.

What is the final task for our girl?  Why is it the most challenging?  Will Kipwil go through with it?  Find out next time  in Living Life with Kipwil.

Chapter 8: Makeover time!

Kipwil was lying happily beside Hubba Hubba in the dim morning light when a bloodcurdling scream from the eating area shot her out of bed.  Racing into the room she saw Queen Mish staring in horror at Kipwil's cupboards.

" ARE YOU KIDDING ME?!!!" screamed Queen Mish, " WHAT ARE YOU DOING WITH COCO POPS IN YOUR CUPBOARD!!!! OH MY GOD, THERE ARE GOBLINS EVERYWHERE!!"

" They're not for me, the children have them as a treat.  Usually they eat weetbix but I wanted to give them something special to say thank you." Kipwil replied still not quite sure what was going on and where were the goblins?  Kipwil couldn't see any in the cupboard.

"Are you trying to POISON them?!!" demanded Queen Mish, " THROW THEM OUT!!!!"

Kipwil rushed in and threw out the offending product.

" That's better, " Queen Mish said in a somewhat more normal voice. " Kipwil, it is time for your next task.  I thought it would be easy for you but now I'm not so sure.  Kipwil, we are going to have a makeover."

Kipwil was a little confused at this because she thought she already HAD a makeover, when she bought all her new 12WBT gear.

" Yep, that's right, " went on Queen Mish," a KITCHEN makeover.  Your health and your fitness and your weightloss are all about the food.  It is 80% what you eat and 20% what you do.  If you ate what you want and exercised like a demon, you would not lose as much as someone who had a squeaky clean diet.  We all eat clean food here, not food that is processed and laden with goblins that will clog you up and bring back your Other Self. Now go and get a bin and we'll start."

Kipwil and Queen Mish worked throughout the morning, pulling out everything from the cupboards and checking it to see if it was clean food or not.  At the end there was a beautifully clean and ordered pantry and fridge/freezer and quite a few items waiting to be binned.

" I can't just throw them away, they're still in their unopened packets!  It's such a waste!" Kipwil pointed out.

" What about wasting your life?  What about wasting your health? Are they not just as important?" Queen Mish gently countered.

" Well, I won't just throw it out.  I'll take it to the church and they can give it to someone who needs it." Kipwil replied determinedly.

So that is just what she did, she put the unopened things in grocery bags and took them down to the local church, where they were gratefully received.

" Now", said Queen Mish, " here is a list of things we need to buy."

Kipwil and Queen Mish went off to the shops while Hubba Hubba and the children went to kick the football around the large park in the centre of the town.  Kipwil and Queen Mish made music along the paths giggling and leaping from stone to stone until they were in front of the fresh grocers shop.

Inside were rows and rows of the freshest, most sweet smelling fruits and vegetables. Kipwil avoided vegetables generally but these were just looking so green and colourful and delicious she couldn't wait.  She loaded up her basket with the things on the list and as they were packaged up for her, she dreamed of the meals she could create with them.

Next was the fishmongers and the butchers shop.  At first put off by the look of all the meat just lying there, and the fish laid down with their dead eyes staring at her, Kipwil soon found she liked being in the coolness of the shop and learned quite a bit about what meat would be best and how to pick good fish.  Another few items were ticked off the list and off they went again.

The last shop was the markets.  Here, Kipwil and Queen Mish stocked up on dried beans and lentils, oats and cereals, herbs and spices and all sorts of other things.  The smell in here was divine, Kipwil could have stayed in here all day.  At last laden down by the bags, Queen Mish and Kipwil turned for home.

On their way walking in the sunshine, Kipwil remembered Queen Mish's comment about her cupboards being full of goblins.Tentatively she asked, " Queen Mish, what are goblins?  I couldn't see any in my cupboards."

" It is important to read your nutritional information when you purchase anything you eat," Queen Mish warned.  "We are not above the plague of goblins that infect our foods. Their names can be seen as sugar or fat.  These goblins will hurt your body and prevent you from reaching your potential to move on.  If you find an infected food in your cupboard, just bin it.  You cannot save it. Some goblins you can see easily, but others you can only see if you read their names in the nutritional information.""

" Right " said Kipwil " I will read the information and when I see those words I'll avoid it or get rid of it."

" Uh uh uuh," Queen Mish smiled a little, " they don't always go by names but by numbers too.  They are so tricky that way.  They change their names too, to fructose or corn syrup.  You will need to find out what all their names are so you can be better warned."

" Ok," Kipwil said slowly thinking this was harder than she thought.  " But if I eat as fresh as I can, that will avoid a lot of the goblins won't it?"

" Absolutely," Queen Mish agreed," Goblins hate fresh food!  They tend to wait until someone processes the fresh food to be able to infect it."

At last they were home.  Hubba Hubba and the children were walking up the road towards them.
" We're STARVING Mum, What's for dinner?" called out the children.

 Kipwil looked at all the fresh ingredients she had still in her hands.

" I don't know yet but it will be DELICIOUS!" was her laughing reply.

Queen Mish joined in the laughter, hugged Kipwil and said," Good job Kipwil, that's another task down.  Only 2 more to go.  I'll see you tomorrow.  Don't forget to check for goblins!"

Waving, Queen Mish turned and jogged down the road, back towards the city and Kipwil went inside to begin the best dinner her family had ever had.

Only 2 more tasks to go!  What could they be?  What DID Kipwil cook for dinner that night?  We may find the answers in the next instalment of Living Life with Kipwil....

Chapter 7: The Power of Words.

Kipwil ran heavily, she felt dragged down by the weight of the worries in her mind and that beautifully light feeling she got when she ran just didn't happen.  It became harder and harder to run, the more she thought  and thought about how to get out of her task the easiest way out until she was plodding along at barely more than a shuffle.  Hubba Hubba ran back to meet her.

" What's wrong babe?", said Hubba Hubba, concern written all over his face.

" I don't know, just doesn't feel right.  Maybe it's not so good to run today. Its just too hot today."

At the sound of those last words, Kipwil spun around to see her Other Self clinging to her clothes. Quick!  I need to find the solution to vanquish her!

Kipwil said strongly, " Then I'll have a  run along the river in the shade of the trees, it's much nicer there.  Come on Hubba Hubba, let's go."

To her surprise, the Other Self didn't disappear like before.  She faded but she was still there, weighing her down. What is it?  What have I tried to make an excuse for this time? thought Kipwil almost in a panic, desperate to be rid of the Other Self.

' Have you figured out what you will commit to yet, Kipwil?", Hubba Hubba asked gently.

He had hit the nail on the head.  Kipwil realised that once again her own self defeating and self doubting thoughts had brought Other Self back into being.  She knew exactly what to do. Standing beside Hubba Hubba, she put her hands around her mouth and shouted with all of her power and might,

"MY COMMITMENT IS TO LEARN TO SWIM, TO FOLLOW THE 12WBT PROGRAM TO THE LETTER WITH TRUST IN QUEEN MICHELLE'S ADVICE, KNOWLEDGE AND WISDOM. I COMMIT TO SETTING ASIDE TIME AND THE EFFORT TO COMPLETE THE PROGRAM AND LIVE IT IN LIFE BEYOND. I COMMIT TO ACHIEVING MY GOALS FULLY. IT IS TIME TO WOMAN UP AND ACHIEVE THROUGH CONSISTENT ACTION. I....CAN...DO...THIS!!!!"

The last 4 words came out like a scream and indeed Kipwil could hear the echo of a scream ringing in her ears.  Kipwil turned to find the Other Self gone and realised that final scream was from her.  Kipwil felt so much lighter and free. A whisper floated by on the breeze Well Done Kipwil breathed Queen Michelle in Kipwil's ear, that shout has echoed throughout my land.  It is recorded on the forum and the Facebook.  I accept your promise, Welcome to my newest citizen! You can call me by my 12WBT name Mish now. Kipwil startled, smiled broadly when she heard, and was amazed to hear all the birds around them sing out in celebration.

Thank you Mish! Kipwil thought back in return.

 " I've been accepted!  I'm now a citizen!" said Kipwil happily to Hubba Hubba. She received a  fierce hug and kiss in return, lifting her off her feet.

" I KNEW you could do it babe!  I am so proud of you. You always were accepted, you just needed to believe that yourself.  Now let's finish that run."

And with that they ran off together into the sunset, with Kipwil's spirits lighter than the air around them.

A victory for our heroine!  And yet there are still three tasks to go.  What will our new 12WBTer do next?

Stay tuned...same 12WBT time, same 12WBT channel.....

Chapter 6: A little surprise.

Kipwil spent the next few days trying out her new gear and getting to know people in The Workshop.  She tried Yoga successfully (apart from falling into the wall once) and loved it. She shook her bootie with a passion in Zumba, amazingly even Zumba'ed with weights AND didn't knock herself out!

It's easy if you can remember you left from right, giggled Kipwil to herself as once again she bumped into the dancer beside her.

Kipwil also invited her family, her husband Hubba Hubba, and children to come and stay with her.  She wanted to share what she was learning and Hubba Hubba really encouraged Kipwil to go out and get moving.  He went along to the Workshop with her and mastered the tricky Crow pose in yoga in record time.  He even danced Zumba once but being the only male in the room, he figured he really was just too sober to continue with classes.

Life was good, and active.  There was good food to eat and the rare times Kipwil felt she couldn't continue without a hearty supply of Maltesers and Clinkers, Hubba Hubba would remind her of what she was trying to achieve.

It's like having my own little cheer squad and workout buddies, Kipwil thought on one of their many walks along the river.  She loved seeing the children race ahead on scooters, or see her son run ahead and drop and do 10 pushups while they caught up...just because he could. I will do that one day soon and shock them all! planned Kipwil inwardly.

Then came the morning Kipwil approached the viewing room and pressed the button, a little guiltily.  She'd been having so much fun experimenting and sharing, she'd forgotten she still had tasks to do.  Queen Michelle flashed on in an instant.

" Kipwil!! How are you!!  I see you have some visitors, they are MORE than welcome.  The more the merrier!" Queen Michelle began.  " And who is Mr Tall, Dark and Handsome?"

" This is Hubba Hubba," Kipwil laughed back. " He's here to support me and keep me company in the Workshop"

" Fantastic!", beamed Queen Michelle, " We all need someone to support us and....to keep us accountable.  this brings me to your next task Kipwil.  Are you ready for it? Are you a woman of your word?"

" YES!", Kipwil shouted enthusiastically, " I can do ANYTHING!"

" Great!" said Queen Michelle, a glint in her eye." Because your next task is to make me a promise.  You need to tell me what your commitment to yourself, to your family, to others and to me is.  And then you will broadcast this commitment on our networks 12WBT Forum and Facebook.  Say it LOUD and say it PROUD!  And I will be waiting to hear it."

" Ok", said Kipwil a little less enthusiastically.  Inside she was feeling a bit nervous.  Up until now her goal map seemed more like a wishlist, a hidden thing that if she failed, noone need ever know.  Kipwil had a horrifying fear of failure, which prevented her starting things and learning new things.

Kipwil turned to Hubba Hubba, who was dressed and ready for their run.

" Are you ready? Let's go," said Hubba Hubba.

Kipwil didn't feel like running, she just felt like hiding.  She was wondering how she could change her goalmap to make it easier so she wouldn't have a chance at failing.  She even went to try and prise the frame open to make a few changes but it was stuck fast. What am i going to do?  i'm such a fool, i should've realised this was coming up."

Kipwil ran outside after Hubba Hubba, her mind so preoccupied, she didn't notice the shadow behind her growing more solid.

Has the Other self returned with a vengeance?  Will Kipwil realise in time, or will Hubba Hubba come to the rescue?  See more in the next chapter, Power of Words.

Chapter 5: Let's Go Shopping!!!

The next day dawned as rosy and bright as Kipwil's spirits.  She leapt out of bed and did a little happy dance, stamping her feet, spinning round and round until she collapsed on the bed again in fits of giggles.

" Kipwil!  Are you EVER coming out of bed!" laughed a familiar voice from the next room.

Kipwil rushed in to see Queen Michelle standing in the viewing room and she looked almost as excited as Kipwil herself!!

" It's time for your next task and you will LOVE this one! It's one of my favourites," Queen Michelle said, " You have worked so hard and fought so hard it is time for a little retail therapy.  We are going to get you outfitted and ready for life as a citizen here."

Kipwil gave a little squeal, and jumped up and down.

" I can't wait! I can't wait!", she said excitedly.

" Well come on then, let's go shopping!" and with that Queen Michelle was running out the door with Kipwil chasing her hot on her heels.

It was a short walk to the main street of 12WBT.  The shops were lined in an orderly fashion with wide, wide pathways out front.  Kipwil noticed several 12WBTers were running, jogging and walking along the pathways, greeting each other as they passed.  Some were in groups and others walked alone but all were pounding the pavement.  Kipwil could hear snippets of energetic music as they went but couldn't see where it came from.

' The music?", said Queen Michelle, noticing Kipwil looking around.  Kipwil nodded.

" It's the pavement." Queen Micchelle explained." Every step the 12WBTers take they create music.  The pavement picks up their energy and releases a sound which in itself becomes motivating to the people here exercising.  Nothing pumps you up like a good beat!!!" She laughed out loud.  " Come on!"

Together they ran onto the path and Kipwil could hear tunes coming up all around her.  It was not chaotic but harmonic, as if the stones themselves knew which note to make to create a fantastic sound.

All too soon, Queen Michelle stopped in front of a shop called " Hearts Run Free".

" In here," Queen Michelle showed Kipwil, " is a range of heart rate monitors.  This is a fantastic thing to have, it measures your energy in and out and helps you keep an eye on how that heart rate is going.  So what do you fancy?"

Kipwil browsed the shelves and was dazed at the varieties available.  Eventually she settle on a Polar FT7 in black and gold because it was able to be used in water when she learned how to swim.  Plus, it looked cool, way WAY cool.

Queen Michelle and Kipwil went in and out of many shops that day...shoes for running, swimmers for swimming and everything else you need for that! They even signed Kipwil up at The Workshop gym, where Kipwil could do all the different types of exercise that was available.  Lastly, at the end of the day, they emerged from the final shop, " Gym for Him and Her" with a few different workout uniforms.  Kipwil was exhausted but was beaming, she was finally going to wear the 12WBT uniform!

" I can't wait to put all this stuff on and give it a go," Kipwil said to Queen Michelle happily.

" Well don't wait, let's do it! Go on, you can get changed in the store's changeroom.  I'll wait for you." was the immediate answer.

Kipwil raced off and soon was all rigged up.  Queen Michelle showed her how to work the heart rate monitor and off they went, walking briskly all over the town and the countryside, chatting and laughing and meeting more and more people.  At last they ended up back at Kipwil's rooms and Kipwil was suprised to learn that in only an hour and with lots of fun, she'd managed to burn off just over 500 calories!!!

" You go in and get a good night's sleep" Queen Michelle advised. " We'll talk again in the morning.  You are doing so well in your tasks, I'm so very proud of you for sticking to it and keeping on full steam ahead."

" Thanks Queen Michelle, today has just been fantastic.  I had a ball and I can't wait for tomorrow."  Kipwil replied happy but a little tiredly.

Kipwil watched as Queen Michelle ran down the road back toward the town.  She shut the door and stumbled into bed.  Before going to sleep though, she looked up at her map, looking at the first set of goals.
Today I truly believe I can do this", she thought to herself a little fuzzily as her head rested on the pillow.
But what she thought after we'll never know, because Kipwil was fast fast asleep.

All dressed up and nowhere to go for our heroine?  What is next in store?  Tune in next time to see the next task.

Chapter 4: Map making

The sun was sending rays of warming light onto the bed where Kipwil lay.  She thought over how close she'd been to letting herself get defeated and how with determination and courage, she won the final battle with Other Self. Stretching a long lovely soothing stretch, Kipwil rolled out of bed and immediately went into the next room to see what the next task would be.

The screen flickered awake again, with Queen Michelle sitting there waiting for her.

" Hello there Kipwil, I am so proud of you, the way you fought back yesterday shows me you have the grit and the strength to continue on." beamed Queen Michelle.

" But I nearly failed", said Kipwil a little guiltily.

" RUBBISH!", countered Queen Michelle," nearly?  Who cares about nearly? I care about what is and what is done.  And you DID IT!  Be proud of yourself and see what you did and not what you didn't do."

" But, on to today's task", Queen Michelle continued, " today you will be making a map, a detailed map with instructions...for YOUR life.  You will need to tell me what you want to gain and what you want to do while you are here in 12WBT and beyond.  I need to know what you are looking for and will achieve so we can work together in building a new healthier, fitter and achieving Kipwil.  This map is one of the most important things you will do during these tasks, so take your time.  If you want to aim for the stars, go ahead!  We will work together to see you dance among them.  The materials you need are held in the satchel behind you."

Kipwil turned to see the brown satchel leaning against the wall. Inside she could see mapping paper, and writing implements.

" But where do I start?" Kipwil asked, turning back around.  But the screen was blank.  A whisper though floated by " Start at where you want to end up and work the steps out backwards."

Kipwil picked up the satchel and stepped outside.  She was heading for the river that ran through 12WBT, a calm place with glossy green grass to lie in and enjoy the sun.  When she arrived she saw other 12WBTers running, cycling, diving and swimming and enjoying life.

" Man, this is too hard.  I'm hopeless at mapping and goals and stuff." Kipwil started to say but in the corner of her eye she saw a glimmer of a familiar menacing shadow.

" But I can do it and I'll do it right now!" She hurriedly said and the shadow disappeared.

Looking around, Kipwil saw how much fun everyone was having and got to thinking.  Then she started to draw.

She first drew an island with a treasure chest on it. The treasure is the 12 month goal, and there were three, to stay at a healthy weight, to compete in a beginners triathlon and to run the Gold Coast half marathon.  Underneath Kipwil wrote the instructions, like sparkling jewels, for how she would achieve these.

Then she drew another island with a tall palm tree in the centre.  This was where the 6 month goal would be.  These were to run 15 k in under 2 hours, reach goal weight of 50 kg and to start riding a bicycle as one of her daily workouts for the week.  The instructions and detailed plan hung like coconuts on the tree.

Next to appear on the map was a coral reef, with beautiful fish swimming in and out or alien like colourful coral.  This was the 3 month goal site. The goals here were run 10 k in under 1 hour, lose 5 kilos, and swim10 laps of the large pool.  Instructions were painted on the sides of the glorious fish, just to make it interesting.

Lastly came the one month goals.  Kipwil drew a large bird soaring into the sky, to symbolise the freedom and the excitement at starting this journey.  The goals here were lose 2 kilos, run 5 k once a week and to learn how to swim.  Instructions decorated the feathers of the bird.

When Kipwil finished the day was only half over so she rolled up her mapping equipment and went to join the others in their play along the river.  Life was good and for the first time in a long time, Kipwil was feeling good about herself and her future.  The possibilities stretched on and on like the ripples on the river, so many and so far reaching. Kipwil  paused a moment, lingering in the sun and whispered a tiny " Thankyou"  then left to take her map to Queen Michelle.

When she arrived, there was a large ornate frame against the screen. A note was attached.

"Dear Kipwil,
This frame is for your map.  Hang this above your bed where you will see it every day and keep your mapping materials nearby.  Maps change as our goals change and this will help you remember how we are going to reach the treasure at the end.
Love Queen Michelle."

Kipwil did as requested and went to sleep that night, smiling up at the plan for her future.


What next for Kipwil's tasks?  When will she embark on her map to a better self?  Stay tuned for tomorrow's episode.