I was raised in a very active family; we were always hiking, riding bikes, playing outside, etc. and that has continued throughout my life. In school, I played various sports (including softball, basketball, track, and cheer) and continue to engage in extreme sports (snowboarding and rock climbing) and outdoor activities (hiking and mountain biking) to this day. Even though it may not show in my appearance, I love fitness.

My active upbringing and lifestyle doesn't mean, however, that my family is a fit group of people. In fact, a majority of my family members are overweight and suffer from ailments including high blood pressure, high cholesterol, severe acid reflux, diabetes, and various forms of cancer. I've personally been diagnosed with GERD (gastroesophageal reflux disease), IBS (irritable bowel syndrome), Anhidrosis (the inability to sweat normally), and both active and benign cancer cells in various places on my body. After several years of battling these diseases, I have discovered two things:
1. That they are, almost certainly, hereditary; and
2. I will not allow them to define me or hold me back from my goals any longer.

I started working out to maintain an active life. Starting today I will work out to build the life I have always wanted. I will be a Physique or Figure competitor. I will eat clean and train hard. I will become one of the fiercest bodybuilders out there. It starts now!

Bodybuilding/Working out is not a hobby; it is a way of life. It has the power to transform you both externally and internally, but not just physically; fitness can change your entire outlook, improve you quality of life, and give you an internal courage and strength you have never known.

Bodybuilding/Working out is beautiful because it may be the one thing, in this universe, that we have control over. It is the one investment that you can make that is guaranteed to benefit you and those you love. It is the one battle that you must fight alone, against the most ferocious competitor you will ever know... you.

And victory, once won, is entirely yours!