BY MADDIE BEECH
MY STORY
BY MADDIE BEECH
My name is Maddie Beech , I was a 2023 CPA bikini competitor at the Barrie Naturals . Here is my story .
My Dad battled illness for 23 years and battled stage four cancer for eight months . He was a real-life superhero . He traded in his superhero cape for a pair of angel wings on October 5 , 2022 .
When I lost my Dad , everything went dark , I no longer felt I had anything to live for . Grief was consuming me . About 2 months after my Dad passed away I heard about competing . Within hours of learning what it was , I decided to compete in memory of my Dad . I immediately went to the gym and changed my diet . I joined Pure Muscle and Fitness in Burlington , not even knowing how to lift a weight or proper training . I just knew a spark lit in me and deciding to compete I can honestly say , saved my life . I jumped into being coached by Cody Amey , he trained me and did all my nutrition . I quite honestly went from never stepping foot into a gym , into being on stage 4 months later . Prep and competing gave me a goal to work towards , a reason to wake up , and dealing with grief in a healthy way . On competition day , I felt my Dad ’ s presence and knew he was very proud of what I accomplished .
I ’ m forever grateful for the competing I can say if you are going through a tough time , mentally , physically , family , or life , set a goal … focus on it , work towards it and turn that pain into power , and you will see you can do hard things and the end result will be so worth it .