I started working out when I was 16 years old. I was tired of always being called gay because of how I acted and being treated like a little kid. I felt like I was never good enough to date any girls and I had no confidence in myself. The anger I had helped me motivate myself to make a difference. People would always make me feel like I was not capable of dating a girl and it frustrated me beyond belief. Words are very powerful and people don't realize how much they can affect a person. A fire started within me and I don't think it will ever stop burning. The amount of anger and frustration I have had inside of me for so long is so extremely powerful and it gives me energy to prove every single person wrong. Once I started working out, I fell in love with it. It became an addiction and I couldn't get enough of it. I started to love myself and become more confident. Use the negative things that people say to you as motivation because you always have to remember that people are meant to be proven wrong. Be who God made you to be and never stop working towards what you want in life.

I love bodybuilding for so many reasons. It really is not even about impressing other people at all. It is for me. Working out is the only time in my day where I am doing something for me. Something I WANT to do and not something I am REQUIRED or HAVE to do. The gym is my time. The fitness lifestyle was meant for me and I don't care what anyone wants to say about me. I love bodybuilding because it is individual. I can improve myself by myself and don't need anyone else. I can support myself and motivate myself all alone. I have so much motivation and so much ambition. I take out all my inner anger and frustration from the things that make me feel that way in my life on working out. I have a passion for working out and I never ever want to give it up. I will never give up no matter what anyone has to say about it. I BELIEVE IN MYSELF. I WANT ALL OF IT. I WILL DO WHATEVER IT TAKES TO LIVE MY LIFE THIS WAY. I have so much inside of me that people don't know or never knew. I have something special that gives me that drive to workout and want to workout. There seriously isn't anything else I would rather do than go workout. I am serious. I used to struggle with self confidence very badly. I never thought I was good enough for anyone and I always looked at myself in a negative way. Bodybuilding helped me improve my self confidence and made me believe in myself which I think is extremely important. I have kept this passion a secret in my life because I am not sure if people will support me. I know I will always support myself though and that is what you always have to remember. Bodybuilding requires everything that I am about. Self discipline, hard work, motivation, ambition, and it is just amazing. I love bodybuilding because it helped me learn to love myself. I think every single person has to learn how to love themselves. Never ever let someone tell you that you can't do something. I can and I will. Believe that you can and prove people wrong. Follow your dreams because people are meant to proven wrong. Give yourself the freedom to express yourself and not care about what anyone thinks. Working out is something I would choose to do over absolutely anything because nothing brings me that feeling of satisfaction as working out does. DEREK KLINGEL IS GOING TO BE A PROFESSIONAL BODYBUILDER ONE DAY. Follow me on BodySpace to watch me grow and I hope that I can inspire people to follow what they feel inside and do what makes you feel like yourself. I want to live a life where I can TRY MY BEST. I don't want to drink alcohol and eat unhealthy foods. I want to go all out and eat extremely healthy and avoid anything that is even slighly bad for my body. Bodybuilding has given me a purpose and I believe in it wholeheartedly and I am going to shock a lot of people that knew me growing up. I will never stop working out and I will live my life the way I want to. Never let someone tell you how to live your life and listen to what you feel inside. Fight Back.