RANYA GRUBER 
I get asked a lot: why bodybuilding?
My answer: January 5, 2010.
The tipping point that kickstarted my decline to rock bottom in 2016, which THEN kickstarted my journey into becoming the athlete I am today.
I started playing soccer when I was 4.
I was an extremely shy/introverted kiddo growing up, but on the soccer field - I was fierce. Loud. A force to be reckoned with. It was my outlet for everything. My LIFE GOAL was to play in college and keep playing until I had to retire from being too old - I loved that game more than anything else in the world.
It had become my identity and being on the field was where I felt the most free/most myself.
But then almost 12 years ago (I feel old haha) - I was a freshman in high school I got tackled by the goalie on the opposing team which resulted in me shattering my right tib/fib and needing to have emergency surgery to put my leg back together with titanium rods and screws.
MONTHS of not being able to walk, months of feeling like a part of me had died, months of me bawling my eyeballs out daily, months of me hating my life -
The YEARS of me recovering from that injury - playing again(even in college) but never being the same player I was before.
And even still now to this day, having had a many other injuries since then, I still have nerve damage, scar tissue, a dent in my leg, surgery scars, the works.
—
All this to answer that question:
I was born to be an athlete. It's in my blood. I became limited to which sport I could pour this burning passion into - and when given the option between swimming, golf or bodybuilding - bodybuilding was it. It intrigued me. I already loved lifting weights, already "eat to live" rather than "live to eat", already had discipline and held myself to the highest of standards, etc.
From the day I declared "I'm going to be a bodybuilder" - I discovered the "why" behind my injuries - they were all leading me to what I was meant to do, to the people I was meant to meet, to the lifestyle I was meant to live.
Growing up - I was taught as a striker/wing in soccer that the game was about having the confidence to say “give me the ball and I’ll put it in the back of the net” at all costs.
But that it was even moreso about playing with character.
I learned this thing called Zer-Zer; if I were to define it, it would be:
Zer-Zer: passion, self-confidence or a special quality that propels one forward to find success both on and off the field
That has stuck with me my entire life. But now it’s finding success both on and off the stage with what’s NOW my sports love ♥️
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When it comes to bodybuilding - you have to be a special breed to excel. You have to be relentless. Resilient. Tough as nails. You have to live breathe LOVE it - it’s a lifestyle. Because
Nobody can teach you passion
Nobody can teach you grit
Nobody can teach you discipline
Nobody can push you to take your top sets to failure, to hit all your steps, to be precise to a T in your macros, to hit your cardio with all out intensity, to practice posing until it’s perfect
Nobody but you can take a loss and keep going until you get your win
Nobody but YOU can will yourself to keep pushing when you’re hungry tired exhausted grumpy brain fried/prep brain etc
Nobody but YOU can exude positive and happy vibes when you’re around others because this sport is YOUR Choice and you must remember that always
Nobody can decide for you how badly you’re willing to work for your goal, how many sacrifices you’re willing to make, how much time you invest in becoming the best YOU that you can be
Nobody can teach you how to be bulletproof - that comes from within.
__
2021 was truly my first year of ACTUALLY competing at a high level. I've done a total of 6 shows so far, and each time, just keep improving. I am currently taking a solid improvement season to achieve the growth necessary before starting my next prep (whenever it will be) - and will continue down this path in improving until I one day become an IFBB Pro (when it is my time/I have earned it), and then continue to compete as a pro.
I am also currently back in school to get my masters in Sport Psychology so that I can rebrand my business to create a psychology/mental health footprint in the bodybuilding industry since it is MUCH needed.
Basically at the end of the day - I live eat breathe sleep LOVE this shit. The sport has brought me some of my best friends, the best coach and team (Mark Tomanek and Tomanek Trained), and has taught me more about myself than I could imagine. I couldn't see myself being anywhere else, doing anything else, living any other way and in my opinion, that's exactly how it should be :)
