When I was nine years old I found some 5 lbs gold dumbbells and a five day Solid Gold workout video tape that my mom had . I popped in the tape and put the dumbbells in my hands and fell head over heels with aerobics I loved the rush of working out and pushing myself to failure with workouts. Little did I know the benefits of exercise until my uncle who was a (street competitor) body builder in the Bronx streets of NYC, who took me to a workout session. Men would have contest to see who had the biggest and strongest looking physics with little to no fat (pure street shredded muscle). Anyway in the Boogie Down Bronx in the summer when school was out my uncle used to take me and my cousins to the gym. Noooo not your average gym these gyms were complete with all hardcore equipment, dumbbells, home gyms, dip racks medicine balls and of course no plate was less than 45 lbs. OOOOHHH! So I forgot to mention these street gyms were on the rooftops of buildings in the hot blazing SUN and only the best of the best could come. When I first heard the metal clapping against mental and all the grunts and yells I WAS TOTALLY HOOKED. I was then and forever addicted to the life style of health and fitness. It was something I could do in my hood free of charge and be great at it. Where I'm from it's survival of the fittest and only the strong will survive and health and fitness has taught me to survive mentally, physically and spiritually. I hope to meet many friends and people on this same journey and I only hope that we all can support and encourage this great world of health and fitness. Thanks to those who took the time out to read and share this memory with me.