The Diary of a UMC Competitor: Julian Kozulin.

When it comes to the Ultimate Media Champion, the scoreboard only scratches the surface. Behind every burpee, sprint and rep is a competitor with a story worth telling. That’s where The Diary of a UMC Competitor steps in: a new profiling series dedicated to capturing the competitor journey behind the competition.

With each edition, we hand the pen to a new competitor from QLD, VIC or NSW, giving you a front-row seat to their personal road to Ultimate Media Champion glory, including the highs, hurdles and everything in between.

Introducing Julian Kozulin, Investment Manager at OMD from VIC.

So Julian, what motivated you to sign up?

I’ve always had an on-and-off relationship with exercising. After I saw the Ultimate Media Champion launch last year, I was definitely intrigued, and when it rolled around again this year, I thought it would be the perfect opportunity to finish off the year strong. I see it as an excellent opportunity to work on myself as well as do some team bonding by going to the bespoke fitness classes with my colleagues.

What's one thing you've loved the most so far? 

The entire vibe has been great and I find I start each day off on a more positive note after attending one of the fitness classes.

What personal goal (beyond winning) are you chasing by competing? 

Winning is definitely up there, but the major focus for me is establishing some good habits over the 6-week training period. Participating with colleagues has kept me accountable, which has helped me remain consistent with my health and fitness goals.

How would you describe your experience so far? 

Challenging but fun. The classes are at a level where you definitely challenge yourself, but not to the point where you’re ruined for the rest of the day, which is great. It’s been great to get a sweat on in the morning and fire up the exercise endorphins straight away.

Looking ahead, what aspect of the competition are you most looking forward to? 

Finals day will be super exciting to participate in. However, staying consistent over the 6 weeks of training and finishing off the challenge strong will most definitely be the highlight.