THE DREAM:
My dream honestly as crazy as it sounds is probably to move to Cincinnati in about ten years and open up my own espresso shop/gym, and create a lifestyle that you really don’t see. Cause I feel like – not I feel like – I’ve seen a little bit of it as I am, but apparently bodybuilders come off as like intimidating and whatnot. Not completely ostracized, but in a sense it’s like… I guess there’s just like a stigma added to them and they’re not represented as well, so I’d want to create a gym for that. And I also like barista work. I’ve been a barista for about three years now, so coffee’s also a big part of my life, so I just want to kind of like go out West to some place that doesn’t really have anything like this and create this like, this thing within a community in Cincinnati where it doesn’t matter how you look, whether you’re big or small, whether you’re black or white, whether… no matter what. I picked Cincinnati because I figured there’s not a big market over there, as opposed to somewhere around here or San Fran. It just seems like the right place to go.
THE STRUGGLE:
A recent struggle I had was probably getting kicked out of my apartment this past Saturday. I moved in with my mom in [neighborhood]. And then I also got released from my job on Sunday, but luckily I got hired by another one on Monday. So, I mean, it’s a struggle because I know I won’t… There’s like at least a week or two gap where I won’t get paid or whatnot, but as soon as I pass that personal training exam, I’ll be able to work for myself and figure everything out.
WHAT I DO:
Well, right now I’m studying. I’m almost done with my personal training exam, but aside from that, my passion is bodybuilding. I’ve done one competition so far and I plan on doing two more this year. And I plan on doing that and then just entering the fitness world from that perspective.
WHY I DO:
I do that mostly because part of... It’s because I was bullied growing up -- because I was like a “fat kid” growing up -- and then part of it’s because I love it. I’ve literally been working out since I was 14. So it’s like, it’s gone from let me get in shape to this is what I do. This is part of my life.
OPEN MIC:
The only time that you’re not successful is when you stop trying. Like you’re successful everyday you try, no matter how far you get, whether it’s an inch or whether it’s a mile. The only time that you’re not successful is when you don’t try.