CANADIAN PHYSIQUE ALLIANCE FALL ISSUE SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER | Page 119

She made everyone so happy, especially me! My This sport was very time consuming
parents say I wanted to help care for her all the and involved lots of travelling if I
time. I believe having her there gave me more wanted to continue. Because of this,
strength to get through all my treatments. I decided to stop swimming
competitively and get my lifeguard
Juan: Wow, what an amazing story. Despite these certifications to become a lifeguard
things, where you able to be active growing up and swim instructor. Going into high
and how did you fall in love with weight training school, I joined the wrestling, cross
consistently? country and soccer team. I fell in
Jamie: Growing up, I have always loved the water. love with the sport of wrestling as I
I started to swim and take part in swimming have always been very competitive
lessons at a very young age. After completing all and loved how it was both physically
of the swimming levels, I decided to join the and mentally challenging. I also
Guelph Marlins swim club and swim joined a wrestling club outside of
competitively. school for extra practice and fun for
a short period of time before I had to
discontinue the sport due to a blood
clot. I started to train with weights
through home workout videos that I
would follow along in my spare time
and eventually got to a point that I
really enjoyed lifting weights. I was
never super serious about the gym
until after my surgery in 2017 when I
realized how much I enjoy physical
activity and working out. When I was
well enough to move around and
workout, I quickly became obsessed
with it and learned my way around
the gym with the help of a friend
who taught me everything I know.