A bit about me:

Although I lifted early in my 20’s and went on and off through my late 20’s I developed degenerative disc disease and was pretty much halted in any progress in my early 30’s.

At age 36 I was told after severe back surgery that I would never lift more than a bag of cat food that I would be in for repeated surgeries, and that I would probably be in a wheelchair by age 50 and if I was LUCKY, I could use a walker by age 45. Screw that.

So began my journey to heal myself. I started 3 months after I got out of surgery on Sept 18, 2000. I was bedridden with my children and family helping me for 3 months. I got into a pool and started water jogging which I continued for three months until I was strong enough to start some basic strength training. I am diagnosed with degenerative disc disease and hip dysphasia. My grandmother on my fathers side was bedridden for the last years of her life on such heavy amounts of prednisone that we couldn’t touch her or her skin would fall off, my mother has had THREE hip replacements, my younger sister both, one at age 32 and one at age 36, my father has had one that they caught in time after it perforated his pelvis but before it severed his femoral artery. Basically if we were German Sheppard's someone would have had us euthanized at birth. 

At one time I weighed over 240 and was a size 24 dress. I had breast reduction surgery at age 22 due to rising back issues but at 240 you couldn’t tell the surgery had been done. I was in so much pain that I would have my children place pillows on the floor in front of me while sitting on the couch so when my back spasm would hit I could go to my hands and knees and catch my breath before trying to stand. I tried to exercise and lose weight to take the pressure off my back but it honestly hurt so much I couldn’t even put my back on a bench to lift. I was depressed and fat. I even had to put a belt under my leg while I drove to lift my leg from the gas to the brake. It sucked in general.

Now after a double fusion to my lower back where I FINALLY got a doctor to listen to me and do the surgery despite my age I have worked myself down to 200 lbs and solid muscle. It took 2 years for my back to heal and be strong enough to really lift. I got down to 168 at one point but became a cardio queen and carried too much body fat. I started listening to and talking to Titania on bodybuilding.com and reading EVERYTHING I could get my hands on about different exercises that would relieve pressure and strengthen my back and basically if it didn’t hurt- I would do it. I have been competing for two years now and work with a trainer in Bridgewater NJ, Randy Joseph.

Today I have little if any back pain; I will eventually need a hip replacement on my left side and sometimes have leg pain when I sit for many hours such as in a car. But the pain from a big squat workout is much more doable than the crushing pain of what I felt before my surgery. I did not PLAN to compete. People started seeing my progress and mentioning that I may do well in a competition if I cranked things up a notch.  I had to visualize it internally as I certainly didn’t believe it of myself.

I love bodybuilding because it is all based on your individual work. I depend on no one for my success and no one is to blame for my failure except me. I have limitations due to my bone issues, which I can work around and every day I wake up feeling stronger and looking like I never IMAGINED I could. Some Doctors call me a medical miracle and perhaps I am in some ways, but more so I am healthy, strong, and look 30 when in fact I am 42.

Each day I lift, before my workout, I think it out in my head as to what I want to accomplish- and I do it- I don’t stop till its done- I do some crazy huge workouts and can bury most men my size and weight- which always makes me smile!!! Most people are amazed at how hard the lower weight higher rep workouts are. But the results??? Well you can see for yourself.

I would like to win a major show overall just once. Due to my unique size and weight, (I cannot find another competitive female in the USA who is larger than I am at this time) many judges are hesitant to place me too high because it sets a precedent to the other women to get bigger, which the NPC seems to be shying away from. So it’s a bit of a challenge as to how I should look coming into the shows. My trainer, Randy Joseph of Bridgewater Sports Arena, is constantly speaking to people in my behalf and we wrack our brains trying to figure out what is good but not too much as far as the size thing goes. Last year I went onstage at 176 but looked MUCH better this year at 197. I have all the size I need, now its time to get as cut as possible.