My Fitness Journey

I was born almost 3 months early and apparently tried to make up for this by eating more than every baby in the hospital, but as a child, I was still extremely scrawny. Think 4’11” and 68 pounds. :o!

I started and ended my gymnastics career in high school–tis the only thing I absolutely completely suck at that I love. 

For the first two years of college, the only form of physical activity I got was through powerwalking and/or biking all over campus (Davis is quite likely one of the most biker-friendly areas in the country), a summer of horseback-riding (I worked there in exchange for lessons <3) and Tahitian/hula dancing.

Green Rose Hula!

In my junior year, I switched one of my majors to Exercise Biology and decided that enough was enough! I’d be a complete disgrace to my major if I didn’t do more of some form of physical activity! :O! So I took up weightlifting and have not looked back since.

You’ll have to excuse my form. This was probably my third silks class.

I had a very brief stint where I decided to run the SF Nike Women’s Half-Marathon in 2010, but long-distance running and I didn’t get along too well, so I branched out to salsa, archery, running, pole dancing, BJJ, aerial silks, yoga, and pilates. They keep me happily occupied and sane when studying is driving me up the wall.

#TBT: Grandmaster Relson Gracie offered me a job and I turned it down to finish medical school. ;_;

 Whilst destressing at the gym in med school, a classmate noticed me and offered to train me for a powerlifting competition. He ended up not being able to because life happens, but I decided to go it alone and try for it anyway. I had to attempt to cut weight for the first time in my life, but I’m so glad I went for it!

June 2013 was my first powerlifting competition. I set a state record and a personal PR. This is what I learned on prepping for powerlifting competitions, and I’ve adopted IIFYM for the time being.

Here’s me unknowingly setting a state record! (259 lb. deadlift in 123 lb. weight class.)

I have since set all the state records in my weight class for Kentucky under the federation I lift under! :D

Currently, I’m working on upping my numbers for the next competition I enter so they’ll be much harder to beat! Someday, I’d like to set some national records. *-*

Med school and residency took a pretty big toll on my free time and ability to train, so I’m going to have to work up to my old numbers before I get anywhere new. I’ve been squeezing in a lot of day trips and hiking whenever possible!

Since I can’t find a pole studio anywhere in central Jersey (sigh), I found a dance performance group in south Jersey that I perform with and have also joined the Rutgers Salsa Club + Rutgers Ballroom Dancing Club! :P I need to get back into BJJ at some point too…