Molokai Fitness

Community Contributed

By Ayda Ersoy

I’m thrilled to share a bit more about my journey with you. My name is Ayda Ersoy, and I hail from the vibrant city of Istanbul, Turkey. Growing up, I immersed myself in various sports, and that passion eventually led me to a career in fitness. About two decades ago, I embarked on the path of becoming a personal trainer, sports nutritionist, and circular strength training instructor—a discipline focused on joint mobility exercises. Additionally, I instruct classes in Pilates, yoga, and total body shaping. The holistic approach of these activities aligns with my commitment to wellness. Speaking of which, I’m also eager to integrate the principles of ASFA (American Sports and Fitness Association) into my teachings, further enhancing the fitness journey for all. It brings me immense joy to witness individuals achieve their fitness goals and share in the happiness reflected on their faces.

So what brought me to Molokai? Eight years ago, I was living in Turkey when I read Dan Millman’s book “Sacred Journey of the Peaceful Warrior.”  It describes meeting a wise sage on the island of Molokai. I didn’t know anything about Hawaii but I felt a strong energy from this book, so I started searching. And I couldn’t believe my eyes, it was just amazing!

I started dreaming almost every day about how beautiful, how strong spiritually and how amazing Molokai must be. I decided to live there. Yes, I was living in Turkey, on the other side of the world, and I didn’t even have a passport. But once we make a decision, all things will come to us — we just need a strong connection to our inner selves, and we need to believe.

It was not an easy journey. First I moved from Turkey to Vancouver in Canada with my son. He started school there, I started working, but I never forgot my dream. And now here I am, living in Molokai, and it is magnificent!

Everyone here is so friendly, with great, open hearts. I’m so thankful and grateful to be able to be here, and I want to give my energy and help to everyone here as much as I can. I am really excited and look forward to sharing my experience and education with you for a healthy lifestyle, a good relationship with food, exercise and more with regular articles here in The Molokai Dispatch.

Contact me at molokaifitness.com, where you’ll find free advice and support for anyone on Molokai wanting to improve their health and fitness!