ANTHONYDANIELI 
I struggled with my weight since my childhood, and as a result of it I was bullied by everyone around me. I dealt with so much emotional, mental, and physical abuse as a result of being overweight. I had all sorts of stuff happen to me I would be pushed, shoved, have things thrown at me, be shouted at, and when I was in my 20s a random person on the street spat in my face for being overweight. This maltreatment from other people caused me to be a recluse and the only place where sought comfort was the gym and working out gave me a reason to live.
Going to the gym was always a comfort for me especially after I lost my mother to cancer 11 years ago when I was 22. My mother was my best friend, my biggest supporter, and my cheerleader she always made feel like I mattered that my existence meant something, so after I lost her I lost my world.
Even though I was working out consistently my eating disorder made it very challenging for me to make any tangible progress.
I wanted to find a way to overcome my body dysmorphia, and my eating disorder so I came up with the idea to compete in Classic Physique. For me competing isn't about winning but it is about getting better and improving with each show. My mind was made up and there was no stopping me . People had their opinions and ideas about me trying to discourage me from stepping on a stage for not being lean and muscular enough, but I didn't listen to any of it. Luckily for me for every naysayer that crossed my path those who encouraged and supported my journey was tenfold. Competing gives the motivation to keep up with eating healthy and working out so I don't fall back to my old ways of disordered eating.
Watching myself improve with each show only fuels my desire to keep stepping on the stage. Competing in classic physique is the best thing that I have ever done for myself. The most special competition that I did was the OCB Classic Physique show that was in Albuquerque, New Mexico. What was special about it was that it was in March the month that would have been my mother's 55th birthday , and coincidentally in her honor I got a 5th place in both the novice and the open. Getting that 5th place finish was special for me because I was in the best shape of my life, and it is motivating me to keep going. The Albuquerque trip also helped me overcome my fear of driving after a car accident 4 years ago. I drove from LA to Albuquerque all by myself and documented the trip on my YouTube channel. There are at least 2 more shows that I want to do now because of that Albuquerque show.
To keep the momentum going I want to continue competing in Classic physique and I want to become a bodybuilding and nutrition specialist to help other people on their fitness journey and help others also to fulfill their dreams of stepping on a stage .
