Growing up with my two brothers we would work out together trying to gain muscle like the heroes we would see on TV. I remember seeing pictures of bodybuilders in magazines and want to have a physique that I could be proud of. When I was in the military, the career I chose was a highly physical job that required the most elite conditioning and strength. While others were starting work, we were required to spend the first two hours working out. During my deployments is when I fell in love with lifting. Between missions it was either eat, sleep, or train and with the stress that came with the job I trained as much as I could. Since then it has been a roller coaster of staying in shape and letting myself go. That is mainly due to the depression I suffer from the PTSD diagnosis long ago after Iraq and Afghanistan but I always manage to find my way back in to the gym.

Bodybuilding has honestly saved my life. Since being retired from the military and being a part of the wounded warrior foundation, I have suffered severely with depression and anxiety to the point where I have been medicated and treated since 2011. When I am at my worst and everything seems pointless to me, bodybuilding is the one thing that brings me back. When I feel the struggle of the weight and see the results of the work I put in, nothing can compare. Since the military I have lost faith in almost everything you can think of. I lost what I believed to be my purpose in life and my motivation was shattered when that went away. Now I have bodybuilding. Although I may never have the best physique or win any competitions, I still want to compete and strive to better myself. The focus and motivation that bodybuilding gives me makes me feel like I used to before I experienced all that comes with combat. If it is possible, I want to make a living bodybuilding and inspiring others that struggle the way I do on a daily basis.