I think we all go through periods of time in our life when we’re lost. Right before I turned 26 I was lost and felt like the only thing I could control was what I was putting into my body and how hard I could work myself in the gym. Despite the uncertainty surrounding me I was determined to find something positive. Not only did bodybuilding give me an outlet to think about something else – it was the start of a promise I made to myself – to always do exactly what I wanted to do, no matter how ridiculous it may seem to everyone else!

There’s nobody else to blame in the gym or on stage. If you didn’t run that extra 10 minutes, finish that last set, or left early because you had to work late, you’re tired or the girl you’ve been dying to hang out with finally called … it’s still all on you. Everything here is based on choice. Nobody forces you to eat another egg white and you can’t be penalized for a teammate’s mistake. What you put into your body and how hard you choose to work it is all your decision. At the end of the day, you have to nobody to blame for your failures but yourself.