Team Beachbody ¡preestreno!Español Guest

For 15 years, I was a competitive swimmer, never fully appreciating the shape I was in. I swam through junior college, competing on the intercollegiate swim team. I also played water-polo for two years and was active in tae kwon do. My final year at JC, I blew out my knee in a swim competition and was told by my doctor that the cartilidge was shot in both knees from so many years of

More ...

For 15 years, I was a competitive swimmer, never fully appreciating the shape I was in. I swam through junior college, competing on the intercollegiate swim team. I also played water-polo for two years and was active in tae kwon do. My final year at JC, I blew out my knee in a swim competition and was told by my doctor that the cartilidge was shot in both knees from so many years of "breast-stroke" and improper stretching and tennis shoes during dry-land training. I red-shirted a year for water-polo and slowly tried to recover my knee. Over-time, I learned that I could get out of "uncomfortable" exercises if I used my knee as an excuse and having always hated running, slowly started putting gaining weight. Six years later, due to a busy schedule and overall neglect towards my body, I weigh 205 pounds, 65 pounds heavier than I was at peak athletic shape. I miss my six-pack and toned body and though I able to get 10-15 pounds off here and there, always put it back on within a matter of months. My knees bother me but I have learned to get around them by doing low-impact exercises, swimming (non-breast stroke) and using the eliptical. Asthma is actually my biggest enemy right now and is not a crutch to get away from things like my knees were. I fight it on a daily basis and with the help of a doctor, am able to do cardio longer without triggering an asthma attack. Beyond all that, I am a graduate student, I will finish my MBA in July, and I work full-time at a Vet Hospital. I prefer to work out in the morning but have a hard time getting up when I've staid up late working on homework. This contest is more of a challenge for myself to make the life changes I need to make so that my health is not always on the back burner and so that my health problems are no longer an excuse to stay overweight. I don't care if I ever make it down to 140 pounds or not, so long as I am firm and fit.

Close