 Ms. World Physique Contestant
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 I've been a fitness enthusiast all my life. I began participating in competitive sports as a child and always admired strong, athletic women. In my mind these women served as symbols of fearless independence, which was something I knew I wanted.
After graduating high school, I moved away from my friends and family to attend college. A veteran overachiever, I started my first year with two solid loads of courses and a full-time job topped with a very unhealthy relationship. I felt I was in total control of every aspect of my life. What I failed to realize was the toll it was taking on my physical and mental health. There I was a young twenty-year-old girl, with two college degrees and the unstoppable determination of achieving any and all of my goals. But, on the outside, people only saw me for the fragile 62-pound helpless anorexic girl I had become. I've never forget the turning point for me. I was on the treadmill, in a torrential downpour of sweat, heart pounding, and one destination in mind burn off the calories from my last and only meal of the day! My sweaty fingers thumbed through the pages of a fitness magazine as I came across an article about Carbohydrates (the enemy in my mind). In a nutshell, the article explained that without carbs, our brains could not function properly and diets that eliminated good carbs could actually promote the loss of brain cells! I stopped dead in my tracks, sick with disbelief. No amount of begging, bribing, crying and pleading from my friends and family could have changed my perception up to that point. Then just like that, in a matter of seconds, it was as if the entire world stood silent for a moment, watching and waiting for my reaction. Instantly everything was perfectly clear. As I left the gym that day, I left more than a puddle of sweat behind me. The weight of the world had been lifted off my frail little shoulders as I rediscovered my love for competitive sports. A newfound appreciation for living healthy and a personal vow to never go back to the dangerous lifestyle I once lived is the only reason I'm still here today. Voting begins August 2, 2010 |
