Meet Daniel — your personal trainer at iLift, Kuching.

Daniel sees fitness less as a chore and more as a relationship — something to fold into your identity, not force into your calendar. Get that right, and training becomes something you actually want to keep doing.

His trick is focus. Celebrate what you did improve rather than fixating on what you didn’t, and momentum builds on itself; do the opposite and pressure mounts until it all feels too hard. Small, steady wins are what make fitness stick for life.

And he coaches gently, always. He’ll never shout, never lose his temper, never lean on aggression — he believes there are far better ways to motivate someone, built on patience and encouragement.

As a boy, Daniel was captivated by Hercules — but always felt a little caged, like real strength was just out of reach. That feeling followed him through a curious, winding life: a biomedical science degree, clinical research at a hospital, a stint as cabin crew, and six years teaching piano.

Along the way his health slipped, and so did his spirits. In 2025 he started small — morning walks with his parents — which grew into running 2.5km, then 5km, then a 10km race, alongside learning to swim again and training with a coach. Bit by bit, he rebuilt himself.

The lesson that finally set him free: failure isn’t the end. Accepting your imperfections is exactly what breaks the cage — and it’s what lets you enjoy the journey and keep improving. Helping others feel that same freedom is why he coaches. (Away from the gym, you’ll find him at a piano, over a chessboard, or deep in a book — and never turning down kolo mee.)