I was in decent shape, and had been all my life up until I had surgery on my chest for pectus excavatum - a deformation of the chest wall which limited my breathing capacity - in early October 2011, and I quickly lost whatever muscle mass and endurance I ever had. I never got really serious about working out until around May of 2013 when I started noticing my stomach was getting a little bigger and I was afraid I was headed towards becoming a fatty. I was 130 lbs of pure bone and fat. I had absolutely no triceps definition when I flexed, no ab definition, no back definition, I couldn't even run a mile without stopping. This was my turning point.

Bodybuilding is a passion of mine because it makes me feel better, look better, and boosts confidence, to name a few. Getting up early and starting out my day lifting weights is a feeling that's second to none. I have more energy throughout the day, reduced stress levels, and feel better in all aspects of my daily life.