“I’ve found a new voice, a new strength a new why and a new me- I’m learning to love who I am and accept myself” It’s taken me a long time to get to where I am today. I don’t mean physically- I’ve been here before- a few times actually. Once in my late teens, again for my wedding, and then again after my 3rd son was born. But it was something I could never maintain. It wasn’t only the food aspect- I could follow the diets for a time, but they weren’t sustainable to become my lifestyle. And it wasn’t the working out- I’ve always been active in some way- sports, dance, gym. It was deeper than even I knew. There were a lot of emotions that were connected to my roller coaster of getting to the place where I could be proud of myself- that I not only had to fully confront, but overcome. April 2020 as I could hear my boys playing outside, I knew I needed to finally move forward. It felt like the Rafiki moment in the Lion King…”It is TIME”.I remember texting Jes and telling her I was finally ready. For so many years she has been encouraging with tough love, constantly telling me to get my “stuff” together…and that hasalways stuck with me. She ensured me that I would have her full support and she has definitely stayed true to her word. As I started to look into getting the extra support and help I needed, everything just fell into place. I found a coaching program that paired me with a coach- not a coincidence- that has helped me get to the root of my struggles and has given me tools to start finally moving forward. It has not been easy. Many days I have wanted to tap out, but with my coach-Jenn daily reminding me of my “why” I’ve been able to keep moving forward with imperfect consistency. HT has always been my escape and in that, God has brought many unexpected moments of healing over the past year. In January 2021, I started powerlifting training and it has been so amazing to realize how strong I already was, how strong I have become and to know how much stronger I can become. Not only physically, but mentally and emotionally, by not giving up and pushing through. Jake, our coach, has taught me a lot about trust, not only trusting myself but others as well. My journey is nowhere near over. I still have a long way to go. But I can say that when I look in the mirror, I am becoming proud of who is looking back. I’m not the same person I was in April 2020. I’ve found a new voice, a new strength, a new why and a new me. I’m learning to love who I am and accept myself- scars, bruises and all. I’m excited to see where this lifestyle will lead me. I know with the continued support of Jes, Jenn, Jake, my HT family, and most importantly my faith I will keep going.