My Story of Triumph

03.11.2025

My Story of Triumph

by Samantha Russo

I struggle with Autism Spectrum Disorder, anxiety, and some depression issues. My biggest triumph has been working out with my personal trainer every day from Monday through Thursday.

When I was a kid in school, I was bullied and made fun of for being overweight. The other kids called me fat and picked on me a lot. As I got older, working out was very hard for me. It didn’t come easy, and for a long time, I felt like I couldn’t do it. Then, just recently, I was introduced to my trainer. Right away, I got into working out with her—I was hooked and started doing it with her every day.

I grew a love and passion for exercise. I became comfortable and confident in my body. I was no longer weak or bullied—I felt powerful. It changed my life. I would say I’ve improved a lot, and I feel healthy.

Growing up with autism, I also faced battles with anxiety and depression. But when I work out, I feel better. Exercise relieves some of the anxiety and pain I’m feeling, and I can let out my frustration in a way that makes me feel healthy and positive. When I’m with my trainer, she makes me feel like I can get through my anxiety and depression, and the weight of those struggles slowly lifts. Somehow, it’s one less problem on my shoulders, and I don’t feel so much darkness anymore.

Exercising with her saved me. She keeps me from becoming too depressed to work out, and instead, she makes me want to keep going and enjoy it. I could always quit, but she pushes me to fight through my depression. Every time I complete my workout, I feel a sense of achievement. I’m so glad I don’t quit—I do it every day. In the end, I feel like a winner, a fighter who is beating depression and anxiety.

Autism doesn’t make me give up on working hard—it makes me a hard worker. I let autism be the reason I push myself to exercise every day, to sweat hard, and to train hard. If it weren’t for my personal trainer, I wouldn’t have overcome my struggles with anxiety and depression. Her motivation and support uplift me every day.

My Advice

To other people who have autism like me: don’t let your disability make you believe that you aren’t enough or that you’re not as good as others. You matter, too. You are good enough, and you can do anything you put your mind to. You are important to so many people. Don’t let others talk down to you or tell you that you’re not valuable. People have done that to me before, but it’s not the truth.

My Passion for Writing

Stories and writing books have been my passion for a long time. I wrote my first children’s book when I was five years old, and that’s when I fell in love with writing. Since then, I’ve aspired to be a writer and publish books. I have written many novels, and writing means so much to me—it has had a serious impact on my life.

When I create a plot, build characters, and write stories that people can relate to, my anxiety and depression fade away. I feel happy because I know people will have someone to root for in my stories, someone who understands what they’re going through. I know other people dealing with anxiety and depression can read my stories and feel less alone.

Writing is more than just a passion for me—it’s something I want to pursue professionally. I hope that one day, I can publish my stories for people who struggle like I do, so they can see that they, too, can fight their dark thoughts and find ways to overcome anxiety and depression.

My journey is one of triumph. And I hope my story inspires others to keep pushing.