At first I don't think he really liked me nor did he think I was good for anything. Coach Julio was determined to put us through hell as he was just reading the Art of War. He wannted us to go into death valley. The rules were if you do what I say you can stay otherwise you don't belong here. He put us through the hardest physical tests he could. He made us run, do push ups, sit ups, squats, planks, yoga and whatever else you can do with your body. Rinse and repeat. From the moment we woke up to the moment we went to bed it was execution. As time passed and I did what he told us to do he started gaining some human respect for me and the ones around me. Mainly Artem was around me.
When I think about him I feel like I need to carry myself with dignity. Upright, focused. The first times I was in his group, while sitting and listening to him I was playing with little sticks that were lying on the ground. With distain he looked at me and said: "What the fuck are you doing Aloïs". I was shitting my pants. "When I talk you look at me and do nothing else". From that day on there was no more fidgeting while I was in his presence. It was 100% focus. Day in day out.
A couple of months later Artem joined. Then covid happened. Half the group was at home not able to come back to the academy we were staying at. It was time to rock. Julio stepped up his game. He made us do daily to do lists starting with waking up at 6am, making our bed, work out, yoga, eat, school, eat, work out, tennis, work out, 100pull ups, 100push ups, 7-9 studying (although it was pretty relaxed (if homework was done (which it was often) we'd play fortnite or brawlstars with Ai Hangyu). But after some time even the games went away. It was all growth. All focus.