Dear Reader,
Welcome back to episode seventeen of Tizi Talks with Dr. Bright Gameli Mawudor. He is not your conventional medical doctor but a cyber security engineer and a holder of a PHD in I.T Convergence and Application Engineering; a qualification he got at the tender age of 28 years old.
He is currently the head of Cyber Security Services at Internet Solutions Kenya. His job entails offering cyber security services to organisations to keep them secure either by training them on cyber security awareness or breaking what they have to see how they can build a cyber security strategy. Bright is also the founder of AfricaHackOn; the first live demonstration cyber security conference to be done in Africa where they show you how you can get hacked. He is also a cyber security consultant and started a company called Foresight Tech Group which offers similar services.
On top of being a cyber security guru, he is also a Kung- Fu enthusiast and draws inspiration from Jet- Li, the world renowned actor. His passion for Kung- Fu even led him to train others while he was in university. I was so intrigued by his lifestyle and fitness journey that I had to get him on this series. I wasn't aware that he is such a comedian until we met; but I am sure thousands of his social media followers are not new this fact. During our meeting, this is what he had to say, on top of cracking jokes half of the time...
TIZI: How old are you?
BG: I am 30 years old.
TIZI: How long have you been working out?
BG: I have been doing it for about 11 years now.
TIZI: What made you start?
BG: I was so inspired by Jet- Li when I was younger that I even knew all the words to most of his movies! Many years ago I walked into a Chinese restaurant and saw a Rwandese doing Kung- Fu movements and ever since, I was obsessed! I asked him if he could train me and we would train at Saint Mary's which was my high school at the time. My trainer got a scholarship to Quebec and I proceeded to university to pursue a degree in Applied Computer Science which was my passion; but I would also train other students in Kung-Fu. One of my best students was actually from Nigeria and we would train twice a day.
TIZI: Do you feel like it has made a difference in your life? If yes, how so?
BG: It has. I used to be asthmatic to the point where I would be hospitalised. I haven't used an inhaler for the past 6 years! A Buddhist friend also taught me how to breathe and this made a huge difference with Kung-Fu practice.
TIZI: Can you please take me through your daily fitness routine on a weekday? And the weekend?
BG: During the week, I will try to alternate between going to the gym and doing Kung- Fu after work. But since it can be a bit tough to workout at the end of the day, I want to get back to the routine of working out in the morning from 6 to 7:30 am since my work is a bit flexible.
TIZI: Do you find it difficult to include your workout in your daily routine?
BG: Yes it can get a bit difficult because of unplanned meetings or activities you didn't anticipate. Sometimes you can get so busy with work and you are constantly meeting clients for meals and drinks. I also try to reduce my drinking when I go out where I have a glass of water after each drink.
TIZI: What keeps you motivated?
BG: Seeing other people working out motivates me. I am also motivated by looking at the fitness routines of my master in martial arts and people I admire like Jet-Li. When I don't train for two to three weeks, my body starts to feel different. Fitness also keeps me productive.
TIZI: What can you advise people who want to start their fitness journey?
BG: If you are going to start, make sure you are doing it for yourself; don't do it for other people.
Yours in Wellness,
Photocredits: Backdrop Agency
Subscribe below to get more of these weekly articles directly to your email.
