Employees Diaries - Ariel’s journey from the worst shape of his life to running his first 10k

"Last month (March), I ran my first 10km in my life, at the Tel Aviv Marathon.

I’ve participated for my 3rd time at the event. My first time was in 2019, I ran 5km.

It may not seem like much to run 5km, but truthfully a few months earlier I could barely run 0.5km. A few months after that run, I had reached my highest weight ever, and I realized I needed to make some drastic lifestyle changes.

Feb 2020 marked my 2nd marathon in Tel Aviv; I ran 5km again with a group that was led by the relentless Ayelet Shrem. At that time, I was in good enough shape to complete the run and even consider taking it to the next level: 10km.

For me, Feb 2020 also marks the beginning of a new era. I decided to join?Lumen?after ten years at?CodeValue. While I was negotiating my contract and asking Eden Cohen, our head of People Growth, a million questions, I saw the company's employees receiving their running kits for the marathon.?I remember thinking, "How cool is that?" and felt a sense of excitement that one day I would be able to join them.

Joining Lumen was not an easy decision for me, and some people even saw it as a step down from the position I had at CodeValue. Though they weren't that far off, and I also doubted myself at times, they simply didn't grasp the full scope of my plan. I wasn't only shifting between jobs, I wanted to change my whole lifestyle, and a health-oriented company suited my plan perfectly.

To be honest, it took time for me to find my precise place at Lumen professionally. COVID played an integral role in preventing everything to fall into place perfectly. Working primarily remotely, with small kids around the house surely didn't help. I also hit a wall in my struggle to stay fit. Some people would give up, but I didn't. Slowly things began to shift. Lumen has a unique culture that is unlike anything else I've encountered, and when you are proactive, things move forward.

I am now in the epicenter of the action, in a company that really gives you all you need if you choose to take it.

Creating a consumer product is a different experience from anything else I’ve ever created and it allows me the privilege of being my own customer. A product that aims to improve one's health is perfect for my new lifestyle.

So it shouldn’t come as a surprise, to those of you who read this far, to learn that last month I was able to run 10km. This time, I had my great colleagues from Lumen besides me... and that was a remarkable feeling.

Looking forward to what's next - it’s only the beginning, I’m just getting started."