Dear Pioneers,
I grew up in Quincy, Massachusetts - a large city just south of Boston. I graduated from the University of Massachusetts, Boston, in 2013 with a degree in Criminal Justice.
I'm happiest when I am making people smile. When people smile because of me; whether that be because I am on stage performing, I am telling a funny story, or if I am congratulating them on their health & fitness successes, seeing people smile and laugh and knowing that I caused that is exhilarating and absolutely humbling. I love to be with my friends and family and embark on adventures. I love being on the ocean in my fathers boat, or hiking the mountains of Vermont with my sister and her family. I love being with people who I love, period. I am absolutely obsessed with organization and DIY's.My journey into health and fitness started when I found myself unhealthier than i’ve ever been. I was 15 pounds heavier, my acne was out of control, and I was just not enjoying life like I used to. I was not as active as I used to be, I was not as happy as I used to be, and I actually didn’t feel like the same woman I used to be. I was in the process of transitioning back to living in Boston. Prior to that I spent a year living in Honolulu, HI., living life to the absolute fullest. The transition home was hard, both physically and mentally, and I found myself not fitting in with the friends I used to have. I actually found myself uncomfortable with my cement surroundings, and I found myself feeling trapped in a place that just wasn’t meant for me (or so I thought).
This stress and unhappiness contributed to my negative habits and weight gain. I longed to be back with the friends who wanted to hike on a friday night, go enjoy the sunset on the North Shore, or surf on a sunday afternoon. I wasn’t used to the friends who wanted to go to bars thursday, friday, saturday night, and sunday day. But, that is who I became.
Enter Beachbody. Finally it was time to deal with my weight gain. I succumbed to an infomercial, purchased a beachbody program and went at it full force. After years of diet pills, expensive workout programs, and crash diets, I finally found something that worked for me. It wasn’t just due to the workouts or nutrition plan, it was due to the support and motivation I received from my sister and mother. We kept each other motivated every single day by checking in with each other and pushing each other. I realized that this is what I was missing. I was missing someone pushing me and keeping me on track.
I immediately signed up to be a beachbody coach so that I could show others that they, too, can take their lives back into their own hands. I finally felt like I had a purpose in life, that I could actually do some good in this world. I am now dedicating my life to showing others how motivation and accountability is sometimes all you need to stay on track and reach your goals, whatever they may be. This whole experience has changed my view on life. Now I am not stuck in the past wishing and hoping to be “back” in Hawaii. Now I am focused on the present and where I am in life today. Currently, the city is my playground. I appreciate that cement skyline because it made me into the strong, street-smart woman I am. I am striving to be a new type of role model for our younger generation, and to prove to them that you do NOT have to go with the grain, you CAN go against it. You do not have to be the girl that does things because all of your friends are doing it. I went to Hawaii knowing NO ONE. I became a Beachbody Coach knowing NOTHING. And I am committed to changing lives REGARDLESS of the negativity that may be out there and directed towards me.
All you need to do is change the way you react to things, shift your mindset. Don’t strive to be “skinny”, strive to be strong. Don’t strive to fit into your jeans from high school, strive to fit into the jeans you are going to buy a month from now. Most importantly, don’t strive to be the same, strive to be different. You are unique, and that is what makes you YOU, so embrace it. You never know what can happen when you start being yourself.
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