I was one of the lucky ones. I grew up in a family filled with unconditional love.  The best part was no judgements but the not so great part was how it contributed to my unhealthy eating habits as a kid. A typical afternoon snack was a half a jar of peanut butter, an entire row of Ritz crackers and whole milk to wash it down.

Yes, I was a growing boy, but my behaviors created some not so good habits over time.

A turning point was when, at the age of 13, my older cousin walked into our  grandmother’s house, looked right at me eating a cookie and said “Get out of my girlfriend’s chair, fatso”.

I was crushed.

From that moment, I was on a mission.

I wanted to find a new way to do things like eat right and exercise.  I lost 40lbs in a single summer by overtraining, undereating and truly just smelling ice cream. It was not the healthy way, but I was driven to show my cousin what I could do. Sadly, he died in a motorcycle accident before I could ever show him I was no longer a fatso. I will never be able to thank him enough for helping me find my true passion in life thru fitness.  34 years later, Robert, I am forever grateful, and I love you. Thank you for showing me that every day counts and what it means to have purpose.

I believe I am here for one reason, to help anyone who has ever felt like that 13 year old kid, and to inspire them to find a healthy way to create fitness in their lives.