Growing up I was always very active and involved in sports.  I started playing soccer when I was 5 years old, and continued to be an athlete for the next 12 years playing sports through school and traveling softball on weekends outside of school.  Because I was so active, I could eat whatever I wanted and not really worry about what I looked like.  In August 2008 I moved to Springfield to attend Missouri State University and to my surprise, I did not gain the freshman fifteen, I actually lost weight!  I think it was because my mom’s cooking was better than the school buffet 😉  The next three years were a completely different story, I started partying and eating out ALL THE TIME.  I really started to notice that I had packed on some pounds my senior year, but I didn’t do anything about it so I could enjoy my time with my friends instead.

In May of 2012 I moved from Springfield to Kansas City.  I moved to KC for a job and only knew a handful of people.  I decided I needed to do something with my time and find a way to meet people.  I joined a local CrossFit Gym and did this for about 6 months.  I LOVED it, the workouts were great, I had made so many new friends, but realistically, being an accountant, I couldn’t wrap my head around the monthly fee, so I joined Gold’s Gym.  I can say this was one of the best choices I have made.  I started going to the gym in November 2012.  I was a cardio bunny and did Body Pump every now and then for the next couple of months.  I got on a super big running kick doing a 5k every other weekend, but I still never really lost weight and I wasn’t happy with my body.  I knew the whole time that I needed to clean up my diet, but I wasn’t educated enough to know what to do.  I met with Tayler Perry in April 2013 and started a meal plan with her in June, during which she was whispering competing in my ear.  This is when my life CHANGED.  I had awesome results after just 4 weeks on this meal plan, and it had me CRAVING more.  The process was remarkable, I kept thinking, “if my body can change this much with 4 weeks, what can it do in 8,12,16?!”

I came back to Tayler in August and told her I was ready, I wanted to be on stage!  I spent the next 12 weeks training my ass off, meeting with her once a week for personal training, and sticking with the meal plan she had given me.  She was there for me 100% of the way and I couldn’t have done it without her guidance and constant encouragement and support! The whole process is more mental than anything.  I actually LOVED all the food I was eating, it was telling friends and family no to things I had done before that made it more challenging.  During this time, I had met some of my now, best friends.  They would be the people I would see first thing in the morning, who I would text throughout the day, and see again later that night at the gym.  The support system with Team TaylerMade and my “FitFam” of Gold’s are a big reason why I enjoyed prep and defeated the challenges that came along with it.

I ended up placing 3rd & 4th in my very first show! But for me, this lifestyle really changed my entire outlook on life and gave me the confidence I was lacking.  It wasn’t about having a six-pack all the time, or winning, it was about being proud of my accomplishments.  It was the one thing in my life that I had complete control of, by the effort that I put into it.  I have gained disciple, dedication, self-respect, dignity, patience and passion.  I am truly humbled that I was given this opportunity and I can’t wait to see what’s next!