I was always a chubby kid- I never had that long, lanky, gangly phase most kids seem to go through. Though I was always active when I was young, it never seemed to help. When I was in highschool, I got out of gym because of health issues- "growing pains". The gym teacher LOVED to make students run, so for me to get out of gym, I thought I was the luckiest person around! When I got out on my own, I really noticed a difference because I wasn't in the habit of working out or exercise, so I slowly packed on the weight.
My HUSBAND and I would work out together at gyms and though he's never kept it up, I've always gone. We've also done other active things like Kenpo Karate, Tai Chi, and Swing/Latin dancing. Dispite all this, because of depression and poor eating habits, my weight got up over 200 lbs.
I've always admired fitness and bodybuilding physiques- even when I was pre-teen, I'd watch Fitness America. I personally hate cardio, so I always gravitated to weights. I've always workout out off and on over the past 15 years or so.
In 2005 I saw my first live show and I decided I wanted to do it. Prove to myself I could. As I had always struggled with my weight, I wanted to prove that I had control over my body, not the other way around. The rest is history!