My first bikini competition will be in April of 2016! I have been a college athlete (running and pole vaulting), but post college I found myself stressed out at a desk job, and gained some weight. At my peak, I was 140 pounds and feeling exhausted, surviving off the motivation of sugar every day to cope with my stress. In 2014, I began eating healthy and coping with stress by running up and down the steps in my work building. I had more energy, and began to realize that I needed a more balanced career that was less emotionally draining. I got a new job, and started living a more balanced life. I have been considering competing for many years, and it's finally time to make it happen!

I feel powerful when I am in the gym! I love lifting, seeing improvements, and gaining more discipline. I also have a deep appreciation of the beauty of the body. Not in a conceited or creepy way, but in a way that presents it similar to artwork, as something that is powerful and inspiring. I grew up in a home that was extremely conservative, where the body was to remain hidden and shamed for wearing shorts that might "cause someone to look too long". Fortunately, I was able to process and disagree with my roots. I don't feel that the body is made to be hidden, shamed, or mocked, but instead appreciated, valued, taken care of, and looked at through the lens of athletic achievement. I hope that others can relate to my appreciation of the body, in a non-creeper way, and enjoy the transformative journey that bodybuilding is.