I have two kids, Kamden who is 4 years old and Simon who will be 3 years old in July.  After Simon was one  I decided that I no longer wanted to make excuses for my weight and decided that I would give it all I have to lose the extra weight I was carrying.  I joined Weight Watchers in September of 2003 and lost 30 lbs in 10 weeks...the transformation was incredible...I felt like a completely different person.

After losing weight I had a lot of other gym members that would come up to me and ask me what I was competing for.  I did not know anything about the bodybuilding, figure or fitness industry.  However, the more I was asked that question the more curious I became Someone at the gym had pointed out Bernie to me so  I knew that she competed in fitness competitions  and was one of the top athletes.  I watched her go from off season to dieting for her competitions.  Watching her lean out was something to see.  You could just see the determination and drive that she had for this sport.  It really is hard not to want to be like her.

After months of searching the internet and flipping through as many Oxygen and Muscle and Fitness magazines I could get my hands on I thought I may as well give competing a try.  I met Bernie for the first time at the end of October 2004.  She was so excited for me and was full of enthusiasm. We talked a lot about competitions (the pros and cons) and decided what competition would work best for me.  Unfortunately, at the time there were no competitions scheduled until the following spring.  So I had a few months to try to gain some muscle mass before I'd start dieting for Western Canadian Bodybuilding Competition in Kelowna BC on April 30th.  My competition diet started January 8th, 2005-16 weeks before.  It was an extremely long process but Bernie was about honest about everything the entire time. She is realistic in your goals and will tell you how long it will take to get to your end result. So far, she has surpassed my expectations and I feel that I have accomplished more than I ever dreamed of, I am eating better and most of all, my self esteem is at an ultimate high:) Her business professionalism and desire to succeed are inspiring. I didn't do as well as we had anticipated at my first show, but this is only the beginning...

I am extremely honored to know Bernie and to able to call her my friend...I tell her this all the time.  Bernie, you are truly the best!!