CANADIAN PHYSIQUE ALLIANCE November/December ISSUE | Seite 88

19 COLIN GREW UP WITH AN AUTOIMMUNE DISEASE KNOWN AS ANKYLOSING SPONDYLITIS AND BY THE TIME 2014 ROLLED AROUND HE ALREADY HAD A COMPLETELY FUSED RIGHT KNEE AND PARTIAL FUSION OF HIS SPINE. In 2014 he began to suffer intolerable pain throughout his body, which made no sense because for 14 years he had been receiving IV medication every 6 weeks to keep the pain away.   Going to the doctor and then being sent to a specialist in Edmonton, AB, it was determined that he had a second autoimmune disease known as Primary Biliary Cholangitis which attacks the liver. He was informed that his liver was so badly damaged that his liver was already at stage 4 and he was given a prognosis of 1-3 years. Difficult news to share with his wife and two young daughters aged 3 and 5. Relentless Faith As most have heard the story of Jesus walking on water, Jesus was asking Peter to brave the storm and come to Him.Being a family of faith, Colin believed God was asking him to “step outside the boat’ and do his part. On days that he could he would shuffle downstairs into his home gym and do whatever he could that day. Colin, and his wife Jacelyn, both took on the initiative to clean up their diets and commit to fitness to help improve their health. Relentless Endurance Colin reached out to Dustin Cosman for help with his health. Both Colin and his wife agreed that if Colin could get his health back on track, prolong this prognosis, then they would commit to getting on a bodybuilding stage. Exercise, while to some, may be an aesthetic pursuit, became a matter of obedience. He could have given up. He could have spent his days suffering, immobile, depressed, living in fear. But each step he took, he moved forward. Slowly, slowly, he began to feel better as the prayers of so many people penetrated through the fear and pain.