Competed at the APF-AAPF Orlando Barbell Florida State Meet and won Best Female Raw Lifter: 297/181/352.5.
Current total: 830.5 at 132 lb BW - Florida State and National Record Holder in Junior and Open Women's Raw division
Qualified National Strongman competitor and will be competing in Nationals this coming October to qualify for The Arnold in 2016
I am here to live, learn, and pass on.
The last few weeks have been a little crazy -- between prepping for a competition, finals week, graduation, family events, and my birthday, it has just been non-stop. Now that I’m able to sit down and write about what has been going on, it’s also a chance for me to reflect on them.
Graduation. It’s been a long road to get to this point for many different reasons but to be brutally honest, I was not that excited about it. Not taking anything away from it, I just felt it was another stepping stone accomplished and it’s on to the next step. I was more excited about seeing a few of my family members come together for my graduation. We have not been together, literally in one place, in quite some time. Years to be exact. It was nice to feel like yourself; laugh and reminisce about the times when you were younger and worry free.
How time flies. My uncle and I were talking about how when I was a little girl, I use to think he was the strongest man alive. My uncle is pretty fit, played football in College, and can talk in the deepest voice. So when we use to visit my grandmother in Queens during the summer, he would bolt through the door yell “superman is here” and I would come running into his arms and ask him if I could hang from his biceps because, of course, I thought that was the coolest thing ever. Forward 20 years later, my biceps are almost his size. We were cracking up.
These past few weeks have been an emotional rollercoaster and all I can really say about it is:
- I’m scared shitless of what’s next
- Don’t overthink everything even though that is exactly what I’m doing. I’m human.
- Don’t compare your progress to others. That is probably the worst thing you can do to yourself. Everyone is different. You don’t know what that other person had to go through to get where they are and you shouldn't be concerned about it either, Think about yourself and how you should get where you want to be.
- Family is the most important thing. Yes, Yessica’s brother, I am talking to you.
- Generally speaking, we are not perfect and we probably won’t get it right the first time. But if we learn from our mistakes and experiences, we can only grow to be wiser and better people for it. There is no manual. Stick with your gut and have faith in yourself.
What I re-learned from others since we can gain a little perspective looking at the glass half full, not half empty:
- How to ruin your 20’s is thinking you should have it all figured out. One of those motivational posts Casey found and sent to me while he was taking his morning glory. It was fitting at the time.
- We may plan our future in the order of how we want it to be and when it should happen and think it will pan out that way. Negative. And it’s overrated.
- In the wise words of Alexander “progress is a zigzag” and as long as we are moving forward to reach our goals, then things will come together overtime. Of course, it just doesn’t happen that way, you have to make it happen.
- Above all, reflect. Look at your past and look at you now. It may not seem like you’ve made much progress but in the grand scheme of things, you’ve made it this far and you are headed to bigger and better things. Even in those moments of weakness, where we question it all, that’s when we have to remind ourselves that we’re better than that. That we have to keep moving forward. Keep. Moving. Forward.
Training. Strongman prep has been going well, despite the shenanigans, and I've been making progress every week. Whether it is a PR or my technique is improving with the implement. I am gaining confidence as time goes, which is the ultimate goal, even though I am nervous/anxious/scared/excited about Nationals. I am really looking forward to it.