Overcoming Challenges : Michael Jefferso
BY JUAN ROJAS
Bodybuilding is all about overcoming challenges . It is about troubleshooting , problem solving , and being able to surpass these challenges successfully . Every person has different challenges . Some may struggle following their diet , some may struggle with injuries , others may struggle with genetic limitations etc . No matter what the challenge may be , a good bodybuilder is resilient and finds a way to succeed no matter what . They find a way to get their training in . They find a way to not skip meals . They always find a way to overcome these challenges and reach their goals . One man who is a great bodybuilder and has overcome many challenges has been Michael Jefferson . Michael is a man who fell in love with the sport of bodybuilding . He is somebody who loves the challenge and continuously shows that no matter what your situation may be , you can make it happen if you
learning about his amazing fitness journey as he shared it with me and the CPA newsletter readers .
Juan : Hello Michael ! Thank you very much for doing this interview with me and taking the time out of your day to share your story . How did you get started into fitness and at what moment did you say “ I want to do my first show ”? Michael : At age 30 , after playing sports for a long time , I wanted to do something different . I met a personal trainer in Edmonton who got me hooked into fitness and especially into bodybuilding . I moved back to London , Ontario where I worked out at several different gyms . I got to make friendships and gained more knowledge in bodybuilding through that . There was one little problem …. Most people can hear and did not know want to !
Michael is deaf and has had to overcome many challenges that most bodybuilders do not have to face daily . The beauty is that Michael does not let this hold him back at all . Now you may think , being deaf probably does not affect bodybuilding too much … does it ? You lift weights with your body and the nutrition aspect does not involve much to do with hearing . But have you ever wondered what if you were on stage and you couldn ’ t hear the judges giving you direction ? Or , what if you couldn ’ t hear your name getting called out when you were back stage ? Or how would you gain training knowledge when a lot of resources to learn about bodybuilding are audible ? I had the privilege of interviewing Michael and
American Sign Language , so I felt I did not fully grasp the information . My dad suggested to look for other bodybuilders who were deaf as well and I found a group on Facebook called DeafFit . I met a deaf female bodybuilder name Shari Moore who competed in Florida . If it was not for her , I would not have attained the confidence to enter my first CPA show . She believed in me and fully supported my bodybuilding journey . My dad was also a huge inspiration for me wanting to compete . When my dad was 48 years old , he entered a bodybuilding competition in Sudbury and won the Master ’ s class . Throughout 8 years , he continued competing in the CPA as a grandmaster . We hope one day we can pose together on stage .
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