I had been really chubby/overweight for alot of my life and my self esteem was in the pits :/ I had wanted to play sports or do something fun and active, but I felt I was too heavy to start and since I hadnt been placed in any at a young age I also felt I was way behind all the other girls, so who would want me on their team. Soooo when I got to college I started gaining the freshman weight of course and got up to about 230lbs, my highest weight ever. I started thinking to myself I cant keep doing this, I have access to a gym here included in my tuition, I need to take advantage of this opportunity as soon as possible and not waste anymore of my life in this state of perpetual low self esteem and fear of putting myself out there. Id never truly enjoy life that way. So with that desicion I started going to the gym, had a bit of a stuttered start, but once I got into the routine and formed a habit I really began to enjoy myself and seeing the progress I was making. I started making simple changes to my diet one by one, and I noticed how well it paid off when I was consistent with my changes. I went to fitness classes with the mindset that they were just as important as my academic classes, no skipping any days because I wouldnt want to fall behind and have to make it up later. By my junior year I had dropped about 60-70 lbs, and I had been to the classes so consistently i could substitute teach them lol. my fitness director had taken notice of my dedication, she had been there for me through my whole process, answering all my questions and helping me in my journey to learn how to train myself. Eventually she asked me if I had thought about becoming a personal trainer. It was such a great feeling to not only lose so much weight, but learn enough in the process to also be able to share with others. And since I was so comfortable with the fitness classes as well it only made sense to also become an instructor. So I got my certifications and became a student trainer/instructor. I still work for my alma mater and also YMCA now.

I love fitness and working out so much because of how much it has changed my life and my outlook on life. I am so much more confident in myself and outgoing, because through working out Ive seen for myself how strong I am and how strong I can become, both physically and mentally. I know I can accomplish anything that I set in my mind to do. Also I feel great when I workout and as much as I can complain sometimes when Im really sore, I also love that feeling and pushing my body to the next level.