Challenges

Peak Week - Ahh one week and one day away from my first show of the season.  Mixed emotions definitely as I try to hone in all my energy and focus to my final week and repress my current life stressors that are affecting my mental health. Besides the focus on diet and exercise, it is also crucial for non-competitors to understand that although us bodybuilders and athletes are committed to our sports and passions, we also have to make a living.  We all have jobs, deal with life stressors as well as have obstacles and life challenges that throw off focus as well.

Earlier this year some of my followers know that I was diagnosed with hyperthyroidism.  I was diagnosed with this about 11 weeks into my prep for the 2017 Jr. Nationals Show.  Right after I got diagnosed all the symptoms became very heightened and I dropped about 40 pounds in two weeks, with this happening I unfortunately had to pull from my show and focus on getting my health resituated before I could step on stage again.  This upcoming show next week is super important to me.  It allows me to prove to myself, that although challenges always have a way of greeting us through life, battling through them is what makes an individual stronger.

Some of you also know that originally I am from Michigan but moved down to Kansas to live with my fiancé for almost a year to help him through the Med-Board process from the US Army.  When I moved down to Kansas I left my job, my family and my home.  Although we are now back in Michigan, getting situated again is also deeming  a challenge.  Finding a personal training job has been tough, finding a home has been even tougher and through it all I still continue to prep for both of my upcoming shows.  I am not writing this for anyone to have sympathy, I am simply writing this to let everyone know that all of us, every human, has stressors and struggles.  Through life, through prep, etc.  It happens, part of being an athlete is how we are able to utilize that stress into a more counterproductive asset.

Although each of us may live different lives and lifestyles, we all have one thing in common, we are all just trying to get by and live our short lives in the vast universe.