UC PIQ

Junior year of high school, I threw myself into weightlifting after quitting aquatics. I showed up to the gym five days a week, tracking calories and pushing myself to eat more than ever, but the scale never moved. My friends celebrated new personal records every month, while I struggled to add five pounds to a lift only to lose it the next week. The same thing happened in school. I studied for hours, but my mind raced so much that a single assignment would overwhelm me. No matter how much effort I poured in, the results never reflected it, and I convinced myself it was because I simply wasn't working hard enough. Each failure hit hard, and roadblocks in school and the gym felt like massive walls I could never get over. A small conversation at brunch revealed just how wrong that belief was. My mom had hyperthyroidism and received radioactive iodine treatment. That day, she noticed how much my hands trembled just holding a napkin and grew concerned. After bloodwork and a visit to an endocrinologist, I was diagnosed with Graves' disease right before freshman year of college. I began taking methimazole in September of 2024, and change began almost immediately. I started gaining weight, the weight on the barbell increased week by week, my energy stopped crashing throughout the day, and studying became more productive. I felt my sense of self returning as it became clear the issue wasn't my ability, but my condition. The box I felt I was stuck in had been self-imposed. As my health improved, I realized I could take more risks and handle more than I once believed. I began working while being a full-time student, something I once thought I couldn't manage. I picked up surfing, golfing, and fishing, and regained confidence in my learning ability. I joined case competitions, research symposiums, and clubs, and eventually became the President of the Economics Club I once joined as a member. Balancing school and hobbies once felt impossible, but once the restriction of my condition was lifted, I discovered I could handle much more.