I started working out when I graduated from college in 2010. After graduating, I really felt that I needed a serious change in my lifestyle. No more snacking on potato chips and soda. No more eating out late and having desserts whenever I had a sweet tooth. I joined a gym right after graduating college and went every day possible. I only ran on the treadmill because that is all I knew how to do, but at least I was doing something - right? I watched people work out with weights and wanted to be able to do what they were doing, but I guess you could say I was a little intimidated. At the time, though, the treadmill and changing my diet was giving me the results I desperately needed to spark the fire for fitness. I was losing weight and eating healthy and seeing the scale drop. Pretty soon that spark did turn into a fire and I wanted more than just the treadmill! I applied for a job at The Vitamin Shoppe where I met the love of my life, Michael, who has to this day trained me and taught me pretty much everything I know about weight/strength training. Since training with him at Gold's Gym, I have learned so much about strength training and I absolutely love it! I am no longer afraid of weights. I am benching 185lbs for a 1 rep max at 120 lbs! I have come a long way and I am NEVER looking back!! I hope I can encourage others to follow their heart no matter how intimidating that place seems! It is so important to have goals, reach them and then set higher ones. That is what I've done since my first step in the gym and it has made my life so fulfilling, challenging and I have grown as a person so much! I wouldn't change a thing and I hope my story can help others step up to their gym challenges :)

I love training for figure! This sport has absolutely changed my life and is making me a stronger woman every day. I never knew I had the discipline to compete in figure! Really, it was more of a choice than something that came natural. Honestly! For my whole life I mostly ate what I wanted, when I wanted... There was no way eating super clean every 3 hours came naturally lol. It was a choice! I chose to COMPLETELY change my diet and stay on a strict program in order to be able to win competitions. It came from a deep desire to have a healthy lifestyle that can be inspiring for others around me and even at times for myself because there are times when I mess up and I can look back at where I have come from and what I have done and remember that I am stronger than my cravings. I love training because it gives me a sense of confidence that I have never had before and that only comes from following after a challenging goal like hitting that 185lb bench or that 275lb squat! I feel strong not only physically now, but mentally and emotionally because of working out. I feel more responsible, more alert, more active and healthier than ever! There is nothing better than going to bed at night knowing that I have made one step closer to achieving my long-term goal of stepping onto the Miss Figure Olympia stage!