In January of 2013, I was probably at my heaviest weight and going through an extremely tough time as my parents were getting divorced and I was very angry about this. I remember one night in particular, when I rolled over on my side to go to sleep, I could feel my belly resting on the bed. I thought to myself that I never wanted that feeling ever again. Around the same time my father had introduced me a book for women about weightlifting and nutrition. This book didn't really say anything new or revolutionary, but it presented the real science of how to make long-lasting, positive changes to your body with lifting and eating right.

I learned how to calculate and count my macros, using my fitness pal, and I started to attempt some of the exercises in the book. I would go to Bodybuilding.com and look up each exercise, try it out in my very small home gym in my basement, not yet having the courage to go to a gym.

Soon after that I moved to Germany for six months. I wanted to continue my fitness journey and so I continued to count macros in Germany (not easy, lemme tell ya!) and I signed up for a gym. It was here that everything really began.. I first started in the sectioned off "women's section" with lighter weights, as I was too afraid to go up to the weightlifting floor by myself. Slowly but surely I gained confidence every day as my body and my mind changed and eventually was slinging weights in the weight room up there with all these huge buff German guys! I was the only girl. I felt really proud of myself.

After a few months I discovered the world of competing on social media. I loved the idea but realistically, living in Europe, I didn't have the money or coaching expertise or shows around to pursue it. I waited a year and a half until I came home to the US, and then decided to compete in my first show.

After placing first in both my classes as well as winning the overall at my show, I was hooked. I did two more shows after that, and my third show (First national show ever!) I won my IFBB Pro card. For me, competing had started as just a way to set a new goal and to help me gain the mental and physical strength I needed during tough times. Now it is a true passion of mine, not only in competing but in my career as I left the corporate world to coach girls who want to do the same thing I did, as well as working at various shows on the East Coast. I love the community of people involved and they inspire me every day.

I love working out because not only do you look amazing, but you feel invincible. It's the internal changes that are the most powerful. Knowing that you are in complete control over your body, and the confidence that comes with it.

Bodybuilding is also one of the most empowering things I've ever done. The mental strength, discipline, and commitment required teaches you a kind of lesson that you really cannot learn elsewhere. It's the kind of strength where when you hear people say "I could never do that," you know that because you've tried and succeed at a prep, that anyone is capable of anything, with the right mindset. It has help me overcome some very dark times in my life, including my parent's divorce, my brother's attempted suicide, and when I was diagnosed with a brain virus.

Each time I had felt like I was in the darkest place possible, bodybuilding and fitness brought me back my light. It gave me the strength to set goals again, to breathe again, to dream and hope again.

That's what I love. And I love sharing that with others because there is no greater feeling in the world than seeing someone's face light up with excitement when they know they are changing their lives through the better through fitness.