I have been asked a lot this year why I compete. This is why:
For an entire year I had been researching the sport, ripping out articles and telling close friends about my crazy idea. When I returned home from university I was introduced by a friend to "The bodybuilder at the gym" (aka my boyfriend Tyler :P) He told me in 16 weeks he could get me ready to step on stage. He was the first person to believe in me.
When I won my first show I remember leaving the stage with one thing on my mind- Seeing my coach's face. It was like one of those old fashioned movies when the woman leaps into her lovers arms after months apart. The whole world went still and I knew as that moment unfolded I would never forget it as long as I lived.
I'm not sure how many moments like this God allows us and have yet to experience one since but I will always have this memory and hold it close. That moment is one of the reasons I love to compete and as long as my body allows I will chase that feeling.
Life is complicated, uncertain and short. Very few people ever find the thing that truly makes them happy. I am not talking about something you merely like; something you are in love with. School girl crush, something you think about every night before you go to sleep and wake up excited about every morning. Something that can give you butterflies, something euphoric.
For me it is competing. It challenges my body, mind and soul. I have found many things in life I like but this is the one thing I LOVE. Do you remember when you were a kid on Christmas Eve? That is what I feel like the night before a show. I can't describe to you the high I get when I am on stage but it is the best feeling in the world. Win or lose living that moment is worth the pain and struggle that comes with preparing for it.
Thank you to my coach Tyler Brennan for believing in me and sparking my passion to compete. My journey is unfinished and I can't wait to see where this crazy unbelievable dream of mine will go.
