For Aamir, working with Jordan has changed him as a coach.
“The journey with Jordan has been quite interesting. First and foremost it’s made me a much better coach, it’s made me understand that everyone comes from different positions.”
Aamir said establishing trust was particularly important because Jordan had found it difficult to take advice from other people.
“If I can gain his trust, do small things initially, then that leads onto bigger things,” he said.
With the photoshoot goal achieved, Aamir is already thinking about what comes next.
“Once you hit a goal there is always a period of where you’re kind of in limbo and I didn’t want that. I couldn’t afford to have that with Jordan.”
Aamir acknowledges that Jordan’s battle with his eating disorder is not a linear journey, but their close working relationship has reached the stage where he now considers him family.
“I have transformed thousands of people in my career but this is probably the best, simply because the relationship I have developed with Jordan has been a lot more than just a coach and a client.”
Reflecting on the moments leading up to the camera rolling, Jordan said it felt “pretty cool” to get a spray tan and try out bodybuilder poses for the shoot.
“I would probably say, if not the best day of my life, then it was the second best day,” he said.
The only other moment in his life that could compare, he said, was playing high-level sport as a young boy, before his eating disorder took hold.
“Bearing in mind my whole life basically has been living with anorexia – yes, it was the best day of my life.
“For me to now look back and think ‘that was me’, it shows you there is hope.”
