After college I held a few jobs in Human Resources and in Marketing, but it wasn’t until after I went to work for my grandfather at his roofing company that I knew I didn’t want to spend my lifetime confined to a desk. Managing a crew of men was hard work but it taught me a lot about running a business, and I enjoyed being outside and making my own schedule.
While running the family business, Regional Roofing, which my brother still runs today, a friend convinced me to attend cheerleader tryouts for the NFL team, the Houston Texans. I was not feeling particularly confident competing with more than 1600 beautiful girls, but after a few days of rigorous tryouts and interviews, I made the team! It was a fantastic experience. By day I was standing on a roof; by night I was on a football field.
Unfortunately my stint as an NFL cheerleader ended prematurely. I found a suspicious lump in my breast which had characteristics of early stage cancer. Soon after, I had the neoplasm removed which took me out of the limelight and put me back behind a desk. It was not long before I noticed that my inactive lifestyle and poor nutrition were taking a toll on my body. In an attempt to shape up I joined a local gym and began going a few times a week. I would lift heavy, just as I did in college, but wasn’t getting the results I had previously gotten.
I longed for that toned athletic look but had no clue how to truly obtain it. It was not until I hired a personal trainer and visited a nutritionist that I ventured down my current path. They taught me the importance of exercise diversity and clean eating. Within a few disciplined months, my body began to transform. I felt amazing! I felt physically fit and emotionally, I had a true sense of accomplishment and well being.
After my first competition, and coincidentally, my first win, I realized I had found a path for my life. I decided I wanted to be an inspiration to others, just as those figure, fitness, and bodybuilding athletes had been to me.
This is your life. If you are not who you want to be, change it! It won’t be easy and it may take some time, but surround yourself with people who love and support you and go for it! No regrets! Only you dwell on your failures. Good luck and remember the inner strength you’ll achieve from adopting a healthy lifestyle far supersedes anything physical.
