Personal Info
How I Started
Sports have always played a huge role in my life. I was naturally talented in soccer, basketball and baseball. My goal was to go to college and run track. But my dream was the OLYMPICS! To me, doing my best was never enough. Coming in FIRST was always the most important. What I didn't realize at the time was that there was more to WINNING than
that.
As a freshman in high school I ran the best 2 races of my life (see videos on my page).
I was one of the top runners in the state and it showed in my cocky attitude.
But everything changed in an instant; I broke my kneecap playing basketball.
I was devastated, and in a moment of depression and weakness I said yes to alcohol.
The downward spiral began and continued as my new sport became hard drugs and dealing.
I didn't care about anything or anyone. My life was over; there was no turning back.
After 12 years off drug and alcohol addiction, numerous arrests, interventions, treatment, jail and a son, I had finally had enough.
In 2000 I was arrested for the last time. Finally, I felt a ray of hope; a chance to change.
After 3 months of doing nothing and gaining 40 pounds of fat. Something finally clicked.
I started training in jail. Not just physically but mentally as well. I began running stairs at lunch, and doing pushups, crunches and dips in my cell at night.
It took me 3 months, but I finally lost the 40 lbs. As I began to change physically,
I started to change emotionally and spiritually as well. I was back!
While in jail I set a goal to qualify for the Olympic triathlon. When I was released I trained hard and fast.
Bang, another knee injury. Two surgeries later, my dream had faded. I then focused on work and making money.
My weight went up and down.
It wasn't until my daughter was born in 2006 that I realized I hadn't been doing the things I had committed to when I turned my life around.
I wasn't helping others; I was only helping myself and my family.
In 2007 I decided to share my life story in a book.
I entitled my book "800 Meters a Journey of Addiction, Recovery and Redemption."
I then embarked on a 12,000 mile bicycle ride around the US to promote my book
and the non-profit foundation I had started "A Generation Free."
During the ride everything that could go wrong went wrong. I made it to 11,789 miles and quit.
How could I quit after going that far? But I had reached my breaking point.
A few months later, a new goal emerged...the Hawaiian Ironman Triathlon.
The training was the only thing that kept me going but I suffered yet another injury, 3 broken ribs this time.
Broke and tired I gave up yet again. Depression overwhelmed me.
Food was all I had and my weight ballooned to 250 lbs.
How could I let myself get this out of shape, AGAIN?
I decided to start riding my bike again and the weight came down.
In November of 2010 I was down to 208 lbs. My knee started to hurt once again and I threw in the towel. Why me?
In January of 2011 I had found it...the BODYBUILDING.COM AND OPTIMUM NUTRITION TRANSFORMATION CONTEST.
This was just what I needed to motivate me.
I got a gym membership and started my 12 week transformation at a starting weight of 228 lbs.
I had to start slowly as my knee was still hurting. I was intimidated by the weights at first.
But, they helped me realize what winning was all about;
it wasn't about finishing first, it was after all, about doing your best.
I stuck to my nutrition plan and drank 1.5 gallons of water a day.
I started working on not just my fitness but my life. I wanted to be a better person.
I got involved in giving drug awareness presentations to high school students.
Their letters of thanks really motivated me to keep going strong.
On April 3rd, 9 days before the end of my transformation,
I decided to finish the 12,000 mile bicycle ride I hadn't completed in 2007.
Many times during this contest and in life I had called it quits.
But this time I was finally going to finish something I had started!
What a wonderful feeling it was to finally be able to complete my 12,000 mile bicycle trip!
I learned so much about myself during the 12 week transformation. In Sept. I had both my knees operated on but this time thing were DIFFERENT! I DIDN'T GIVE UP! I've stuck to my program and have almost completed my rehab. I haven't focused on what I CAN'T DO, I've FOCUSED ON WHAT I CAN!
There is INCREDIBLE STRENGTH to be gained by doing something that YOU FEEL IS IMPOSSIBLE. IMPOSSIBLE turns into POSSIBLE the HARDER AND LONGER YOU WORK! It's that ONE MORE REP, ONE MORE MILE, ONE MORE MINUTE, that MAKES all the DIFFERENCE!
Why I Love it
It's given me a SECOND CHANCE IN LIFE! One of the reasons I couldn't break my addiction is I felt I had lost out on the opportunity to COMPETE in SPORTS. NOW I can COMPETE EVERYDAY! When I'm working out my LIFE IS BETTER. The STRESS, ANXIETY and DEPRESSION that I've battled because of my addiction to alcohol and drugs is less. It ALLOWS me to DREAM AGAIN and feel like I can accomplish ANYTHING I'm willing to put the effort into. For 12 years I was LOST, not anymore. I enjoy PUSHING myself to the LIMIT and BEYOND. I believe ALL THINGS ARE POSSIBLE WHEN YOU ARE FREE. The great thing about it is there is always room for improvement. JUST LIKE IN LIFE!