Then in January 2007 I had Achilles tendon surgery; where they cut out 1 inch of the tendon that was damaged and then had to re-attach the tendon. I was 12 weeks in a cast (non-weight bearing)...and then 5 months of therapy to re-stretch the tendon. Then I was given the go ahead to join a gym to gain muscle strength back in my legs.

So at the end of September 2007 I joined Fit4Life. It was at that time that I made a commitment to myself to do something for me. So after talking to Dave; I decided to have him set me up on the "Starting Fresh" package; where I learned how to use the cardio equipment and weight machines. Cardio was a little difficult at first. Heck, I was lucky to walk on the treadmill at 1.5 mph. But for the first 3 months I did the program on my own and lost close to 26 lbs.

Then on Christmas Eve 2007 I was reading about the "Body for Life" challenge on line. It inspired me even more and I was determined to do this challenge. I asked Dave if he would be my personal trainer for this challenge and he told me he would "provided I did everything he said and didn't complain". Well, the rest is history. I did the 12 week challenge and continued on with the challenge till I lost 72 lbs. and 40 inches. I found that I LOVE to weight train and have made this a part of my life. I like the challenges and the hard work. I even tried my hand at running my first race in IOWA...called "The BIX". It was a ten K...and believe it or not I did finish. There were 13,000 runners and it was awesome.

This transformation I made for myself has given me a whole new outlook on life. I am more outgoing, I have a lot more energy, I feel better about myself, and I am the healthiest I have ever been. I plan on making this a part of my life from now on. It also makes me want to help others achieve their goals as well.