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YouTube fitness stars talk about healthy living, pursuing their passion
Australian dancer Jayden Rodrigues and Malaysia-based fitness trainer Joanna Soh did not expect to become international sensations on YouTube.
Since getting "discovered" on the online platform, Rodrigues and Soh have been creating unique content for their subscribers, while staying true to their advocacies.
In a casual press conference held at the Google Philippines office last Friday, Rodrigues and Soh gave the opening remarks, narrating how they each ended up with hundreds of thousands of subscribers.
Joining Rodrigues and Soh at the event were six Pinay YouTubers: Ana Victorino, Janina Vela, Kristine Roces of Real Asian Beauty, Anne Clutz, Zendee, Say Tioco and Anna Cay.
Read: 5 tips from Pinay YouTubers on creating a successful channel
The media meet was capped with Rodrigues and Soh challenging each other to a plank face-off. After a grueling two minutes and forty five seconds, Soh emerged as the victor.
In an exclusive interview with GMA News Online, Rodrigues and Soh talk about their amazing journey as successful YouTubers.
‘Just keep moving’
Before Joanna Soh became a full-fledged YouTuber, she was a TV producer. Aside from managing her career, she was also a personal trainer who advocated healthy living.
According to Soh, there came a point where balancing both jobs became too difficult; and she had to make a choice. In the end, she chose to pursue personal training.
“I thought, how could I reach a wider audience and more people in the world? How can I use my knowledge in video production to create something that is uniquely mine; that can reach out to people?” she said.
Four years ago, the online platform was relatively new. It was in this milieu that Soh started uploading fitness videos that soon gained traction among YouTube subscribers.
Four years later, she has garnered over 800,000 subscribers on her YouTube channel. Today, she is known for uploading videos featuring fun workouts, nutritional tips and easy-to-prepare recipes.
“I also generate motivational videos that inspire people to be the best version of themselves, inside and out,” she adds.
Asked about her daily diet, Soh says that she aims to “eat healthy” most of the time. “I don’t believe in diets. It’s all about eating your favorite food in moderation.”
She also suggests that health buffs should aim to have 80 percent of healthy meals, and 20 percent of indulgent food, in their diet.
Aside from eating in moderation, Soh says that one should just ‘keep moving’. “It’s not just about going to the gym and following a restricted work plan. It's about having fun. When you have fun and when you move you would want to look after your body better,” she smiles.
‘Pursue your passion’
Jayden Rodrigues perfectly imbibes Joanna Soh’s “just keep moving” mantra. A multi-faceted entertainer who regularly uploads dance videos, Rodrigues has garnered over nine hundred thousand subscribers on YouTube.
In 2013, Rodrigues started posting dance tutorials for fellow students who couldn’t remember their routines.
“A couple of months later, one of my students told me that I got a lot of views on a certain video. I didn’t know why. I wondered who else was watching that video,” he said- his curiosity getting the better of him as he scrolled down the comment section.
Since many of the comments were in Tagalog, Rodrigues has reserved a special place in his heart for all his Filipino fans.
“They wanted more [dance tutorials]” he said. “I just kept uploading dance videos until it became my lifestyle. It's consumed my life and I love it,” he laughs.
Asked about advice for people who were too shy to pursue a dance class, Rodrigues says that “practice makes perfect.”
He encourages all his fans to take a dance class. But if they can’t afford such, it does not mean that they cannot be great dancers. “That’s why I upload dance tutorials so people can practice their dancing skills in the comforts of their homes,” he says.
Rodrigues caps off the interview with an inspiring message to all his fans: “You should do what you love. And that's what I'm doing. If you have a heart and a passion for something, definitely pursue it.”
The YouTubers were in the Philippines to attend the YouTube Creators’ Meetup. — BM, GMA News
