"I began my journey in November 2019, tired of feeling sick and unhealthy, weighing 220 pounds. I began to develop health problems at such a young age like prehypertension. My body was overcome with inflammation and my fears of developing diabetes grew. I showed up to what is now my CrossFit gym. I immediately fell in love with with the communal support, the focus of “running your own race”, and training the body to overcome adversity. I found in this gym something I’ve never found, a welcoming community ready to support, uplift, and encourage. A challenging task to overcome allowing myself to grow strong spiritually and physically.
Going through the quarantine and closure of my gym was a devastating blow. I lost almost all of my progress and I was determined to crush my goals when the gym opened again in May 2020. I worked hard every day in the gym. Motivation isn’t something that is readily available. Discipline is the key to overcoming these obstacles and I knew at this point there’s no stopping me. All I can do is keep moving forward no matter how little progress I make. While the number on the scale isn’t my most defining measure.
The satisfaction in knowing I worked hard on my nutrition and training losing 57 pounds. In shortly over a year, I have lowered my blood pressure into a normal range, increased strength, and improved cardio endurance. I had the pleasure of competing for the first time alongside a gym mate and making my fitness journey a fun and enjoyable experience.
I have become a motivator in my gym encouraging those around me to learn how to properly nourish and fuel their body. I have focused on learning how to develop a healthy relationship with food. Once I learned the importance of the food I eat, my success in the gym became unstoppable.
Overcoming years of bad diet culture and the wrong ideas of how to fuel my body prevented me from giving myself the necessary nutrients to fuel each day and make the most of my training. It is important to remember that every journey is unique to the person. When you learn to focus on your own lane and the quality of your training, you begin to learn to trust the process. Then will the ability to succeed surpass any boundary in your way."
