Throughout a majority of my life, I have always been really small and skinny. People used to make comments of how skinny I was. During my teenage years, I was always interested in working out, but I never stuck to it. In high school, I played varsity soccer for 3 years. I was also playing club soccer when school soccer was not in season. On my club team, I was that small, little, and weak teammate that no one saw as a main player. Near the end of my junior year, I remember a classmate of mine saying, "Billy, do you even have any biceps?" My arms were that skinny. As senior year came around, I started to take my fitness seriously and wanted to become a leader on the soccer field. I started working out consistently and got stronger. I will never forget my first day in a gym when I was incline dumbbell benching 22.5 lbs and struggling. As I was lifting, I overheard a guy talking to his friend saying, "I remember when I used to look like this guy." It was spoken in a very insulting and comedic tone. Ever since this incident, I constantly remind myself that no matter how far I go, I will never judge those who are on a different part of their journey, because everyone starts somewhere. My hard work paid off because I was named one of the captains for my varsity soccer team. Being a bench player for a majority of my life, being named captain of a team is something that I will never forget.

1. Self-confidence booster
2. Stress relief/Navigate negative energy into workouts instead of other people
3. Good for my health, mentally and physically
4. I have the opportunity to inspire others to do something great
5. Push my body to its maximum potential