Page 30 - NGA NATURALmag 2025 Spring/Summer

Spring - Summer 2025 Spring - Summer 2025 From Setback to Stage: My Journey When I I was was eight years old my my life took an unexpected turn I was diagnosed with septic arthritis in my hip a a a a rare and aggressive
infection that can wreak
havoc on on joints The condi-
tion required two surgeries
and days of intense medi-
cal care before the infection was cleared but the dam-
age to my hip was irrevers-
ible What followed was a a a grueling recovery process:
months out of school tethered to an IV pole to administer antibiotics and learning how to walk all over again This early experience shaped my my relationship with my my body Over
the the years I grew accustomed to to pain and limitations By the the time
I was in in my teens activities that should have been simple—walk-
ing ing around the the block joining
friends for for a a a a a a day at the the beach—
were sources of discomfort and frustration As I I aged the toll on my body compounded After 30 years of of living with a a a a a a a a deteriorating hip I I faced not just the the the original damage but the the the effects of of develop- mental dysplasia in in in my my other hip and a a a a a a a a a a a a a herniated disc in in in my my my lower back Each challenge built upon the the last until I I made a a a a a a a a a a a a a life-altering decision shortly after my my 39th birthday It was time
for a a a a a a a a a total hip replacement The surgery was physically transformative but emotionally devastating I fell into a a a a a a a a a a deep depression feeling broken and and unlovable My body felt foreign to to me - swollen scarred and and unrecognizable One day catching a a a a a a glimpse of myself in in in the mirror I I decided something had to to change It wasn’t just about my my my physical state I I I needed needed to to to heal my my my mindset I I I needed needed a a a a a a a goal to to to pull myself out of despair and give purpose
to my recovery That’s when the idea took root: I wanted to to compete in in a a bikini com- petition The thought seemed outrageous at first after all I was recov- ering from major surgery But I wanted to to prove to to myself that my my body was still capable of great- ness More importantly I wanted to show my chil-
dren the power of determination and resilience I reached out to to a a a a a a a personal trainer whose dedica- tion tion and belief in in me me would become a a a a a a a a a cornerstone of my my transformation I told her about my my bold ambition and together we mapped out out a a a a a a plan Over
the 17 months that fol- lowed I I overhauled my life I I committed to rigorous work- outs adopted a a a a a a a healthier diet and found support in in in an an amaz- ing ing posing coach who taught
me how to walk confidently in in in in 5 inch heels The journey was anything but smooth Physical limitations illnesses and self-doubt often threatened to to to derail me me There were moments when I I questioned whether I I was pushing too too hard or aiming too too high but every every setback became a a a a a a a a lesson in in in persistence and every every small victory fueled my resolve On November 9 2024 I I stepped onto that stage The experience was was surreal I I I stood tall proud of the the journey that that brought me there It wasn’t just about the the physical transformation although that that alone felt 30 NGA NATURALmag