THE STORY OF DEZ
therapy and to hire a personal trainer to help keep me accountable . Through accumulating hardships , the support and reminders of what I am capable of based on qualities I already possessed helped me regain control of my life .
Through personal training and keeping a consistently healthy lifestyle , I eventually continued into a career in personal training . Through networking with like-minded individuals and hearing people ’ s stories with the growth of social media . The stories of other influencers overcoming worse obstacles inspired me . I began to cherish the relationship I had with myself and appreciate my body for all that it does for me .
With my 30th birthday around the corner , my close friend Justin McGuire convinced me to compete . My family let me know they were one hundred percent behind me and once the decision was set , we spent the next 15 weeks working at making my body look as balanced as possible . My posing coach , Ashley Earl , made sure my posing was tailored to me . Having supportive coaches throughout the prep process made all the difference . Ashley ’ s help with posing was more than just coaching to me – her support enabled me to feel comfortable and confident posing despite my scoliosis and rib flare . Her guidance in posing helped ease one of my greatest insecurities in the lead-up to my time on stage , Like everything in life , unexpected events can throw a wrench in your plans and threaten to set you back . During my prep , I suffered a small hernia that left me feeling discouraged about how I could adequately train on a timeline . Despite the tears and anxieties about how this would affect my training , I followed through with my commitment to myself and my goal by showing up regardless . Despite my tears , I committed to proving to myself that despite all the hardships that have led me to the decision to compete , I could also survive this injury .
As my show day arrived , all the hard work , sacrifices , doubts , and struggles I experienced in life could not overshadow the pure feeling of happiness and accomplishment that consumed me as my feet hit the stage . The sound of my family , friends , and coaches not only added to that sense of fulfillment but also further demonstrated to both my early twenties and late twenties that I am the furthest thing from alone . Scoliosis is very common , and by all accounts , I am incredibly lucky as some have had it so much worse , but the most valuable lesson learned from all this has been that overcoming obstacles and committing yourself to such resilience is of utmost importance . It ’ s in moments of fear and uncertainty that we are given opportunities to grow by embracing the deeply emotional and transformative journey of coming out of our comfort zone .