How one man’s fitness journey became his lingua franca to a new life
Source: Slawomir Brzozowsk, Mariusz Saigon before a run.
The winding path to success can be unconventional for some. This was the case for Mariusz Swigon, a Personal Trainer and Fitness Instructor based in Glasgow. When Swigon arrived in the UK over 15 years ago, he spoke very little English and struggled to manage financially, having endured several bouts of unemployment in the previous decade.
He initially landed in Northern Ireland after following some friends who had left rural Poland in search of greater economic opportunities. With a very limited grasp of English, Swigon was reliant on the local Polish community and was unable to find well-paid work, he said: “When I first came here, I worked in low-paid jobs. First in a factory and then eventually in a kitchen. I used to work with only Polish people - so my English did not improve at all.”
After years of working tirelessly in minimum-wage jobs, Swigon became depressed. He became overweight and developed an unhealthy relationship with alcohol. At his lowest ebb, he turned to fitness for salvation – which proved exceptionally challenging initially, he said: “When I started training, I was hurting myself, because I didn’t know how to do the exercises properly. I kept repeating the same mistakes and couldn’t understand what I was doing wrong.”
At this point, Swigon realised that he wanted to learn how to train properly, and for that, he would need to study, he said: “I knew I needed to improve my English before I could do a fitness course, so I started learning English at the local college.” It took Swigon two years to get his English to a level where he felt confident enough to apply for his first Fitness course. Then it took a further two years for him to complete his qualification, he said: “It took me a lot longer than native speakers. There was a lot of terminology to learn about anatomy and physiology – it was tough for me.”
After earning his certification, Swigon began to pick up work in local gyms, however, he struggled to secure permanent work and experienced discrimination from within the industry, he said: “The industry is very small in Northern Ireland. Everybody knows everybody and people were giving jobs to friends. They didn’t want foreigners to have these jobs.”
Frustrated with his lack of options, Swigon decided to relocate to Glasgow. There he was embraced by local gyms and offered regular work. The abundance of work meant regular contact with native speakers and greater linguistic fluency, he said: “I was meeting so many locals. My English improved so much, and I was able to complete another fitness qualification.”
Training is at the heart of Swigon’s life nowadays, and he derives great joy from his job, he said: “I love helping people of all ages improve their fitness and seeing them make healthy changes. I have class with older people and I absolutely love it.”
Now years sober, Swigon is studying a part-time degree in English and French and has ambitions to lead fitness classes in French and perhaps emigrate to France. For now, he is content with life in Glasgow, he said: “The fact that I speak English now, am learning another language and have my dream job is amazing. I think I’ve achieved a lot.”
No longer on the treadmill to nowhere, free on the open road, Swigon is living life beyond his wildest dreams.