Soon, I realized that the whole point of the competitions was not to show off my body or be sexy, but to celebrate strength, muscles, and hard work.
I wish I could go back and tell my younger self that the muscles everyone made fun of me for would actually go on to mean everything to me, and define my entire career.
The best piece of advice that I got during this time was that it was okay to take time to be depressed, as long as I didn't get stuck there.
When I got injured during American Ninja Warrior in 2018, it changed the way I saw my body yet again.
While I was rehabbing my injury, it often felt like I was taking two steps forward and then two steps back.
Looking back, I'm glad I went through that because it makes me appreciate where I'm at today so much more.