Fitness isn't just about looking good, it's about resilience, strength, agility – and being able to bounce back from whatever life throws at us. Here's how my body's fitness saved my life – twice!

Pic: Me and Charlie Woofles - family member and Magic Disney dog

In 2017 I was living in South Africa - newly married and fur-mom to Charlie Woofles. As a micro-family, we love to move, travel, and adventure. We plan our holidays (including our honeymoon) around the ability to explore with our fur-child.

Based in Stellenbosch (close to Cape Town) at the time, we decided to take our honeymoon adventure to Namibia (picture the setting of the Lion King feature film).

After a week of deserts, ghost towns, and breathtaking wildlife, we stopped in a game reserve in proximity to Etosha National Park. Bonus: they had horseback riding safaris.

I jumped at the opportunity to see some wildlife on horseback. Sadly, there was a BIG miscommunication with the staff (and may I add negligence!), and I ended up riding a horse that was highly unsuitable for tourists. Unbeknown to me, I was given the dressage horse belonging to the owner - the equivalent of handing over a commercial jet to someone used to driving a go-kart. Little did I know this would be a genuine test of my fitness for survival...

Namibian Adventures...

After a pleasant ride through the wildlife, my equine partner had other plans. It was a sudden bolt for the Kentucky Derby. We puffed into a cloud of Namibian dust at a speed of about 50km/h for almost two kilometres. This ordeal lasted for a total of 5 minutes and let me tell you; this is a LONG time to be in a situation of panic. 

I tried everything to stop it within my limited knowledge of riding, but nothing I could do would stop this wild Namibian fury. Thankfully I was able to muster images of the Ascot races and managed to hold on for dear life, hoping I wasn't going to get smashed off onto the road or worse, trampled and dragged through the desert. 

Then, I see it: THE END. I was about to get blasted through a pathway of rocks and thorny bushes. As the pathway to doom approached, I realised that I needed to do something drastic, or things were about to get really ugly. My only option was to muster all of my courage and throw myself off onto safer grounds, knowing very well that I was probably going to break a lot of bones - hopefully, not my neck, head or spine. 

DISCLAIMER: I am NOT a regular rider, and I am not a stuntwoman!

So as I saw the words THE END slowly starting to appear in the sky above this beautiful scenery, I made the split decision to throw myself off, trying to remember all of the things I knew about falling: don't get tangled, relax, breathe out, protect your head, roll. All at once. 

I tried to picture how all the cowboys fell off horses in the Western movies, and I made my best impression of a barrel roll off the evil beast. At the same time, trying to avoid rocks and being trampled on. The thump with which I landed still haunts me today.

Miraculously, and because of the rolling/avoiding and rolling action (and a ton of luck), I came out of it with only a badass scrape and bruise on my arm. I couldn't quite believe it, but I managed to avoid disaster. My underlying fitness levels had helped save me from disaster. Husband and tour-guide were able to locate me soon after, thankfully before any wild cats did. 

(left) Minutes before this nutter decided it was time to train for the Kentucky Derby

(right) Considering the impact, this was a lucky escape. I wear my Indiana Jones "scar" proudly as a reminder that thanks to fitness, I had a lucky escape

Let's just say our honeymoon remains a very memorable experience. 

Three weeks later, after some yoga and physiotherapy, I felt ready for the outdoors again. The three of us set off for a hike in the Stellenbosch hills; a regular activity for us as part of our South African lifestyle in a pleasant University town. 

Sadly, little did we know what was waiting for us at the top of the hills. Our Sunday hike soon turned to action as we were held at knifepoint by two criminals. Let's just say that being held at knifepoint in South Africa won't always end well: in a country where the price of life is equivalent to that of an iPhone, it's not a situation you want to gamble with. Having to face a split-second decision that could have ended truly horribly, I took a sprint through the bushes. I figured thorns and snakes could be a deterrent for our escape if we left our belongings behind... so here I was again freefalling through nature, tumbling downhill for my life.

The adrenaline was pumping high, and even though it was a tumble after another, thanks to my overall fitness and the chemical boost of adrenaline, I was able to roll and pick myself up again and keep running. This time, what saved me was my quick reaction, my ability to continue running and falling safely and just keep going.

Disney endings, out of Africa..

In the madness, we lost our beloved 6-month-old Charlie pup on the hill. Once we were out of danger, I called the campus security to help me find him.

Of course, Charlie is not just an average pup - he's a Disney type of action dog. He had already made a 4km run back to the car park all on his own, hoping his parents would turn up soon. We had a real Hollywood magic moment when he ran into my arms,.

Tears of joy and relief pricked my eyes. We were reunited after thinking we had lost each other forever.

The months that followed our great African Adventure gave me time to reflect and come to some conclusions that formed the true core beliefs of the #BodyBeforeSkill ethos that are also a cornerstone of our nature-based training and leadership courses:

• You never know what's around the corner, but if you use your body as it was designed, it can save you. Fitness is key. Keep moving and stay healthy and resilient – in the face of danger, it can do things you never thought were possible.

• Fitness should not be a cult: anything in extremes is never good for you. Living a little and finding balance is vital. It's not all or nothing: do what you can, but remember to do the things you want to because before you know it, you may not even be around to enjoy them.

• Training strength and aesthetics might get you Instagram followers, but training resilience is the most powerful tool that you can have. You can't avoid injury altogether, but you can minimise it.

• Keep moving: whether it's hiking, yoga, cheerleading, boxing, football... (maybe not horse riding!) because sports keep you alive, REACTIVE and keep challenging your body with the unexpected.

I am eternally grateful for the role that fitness plays in my life, and my biggest wish is to help more people find joy and health through staying active.

Yours in Fitness & Wellness

Jessica Zoo Christensen

Nature for Sports, Fitness & Wellbeing | Join The Mavericks Way

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