IRON MAN: What were you like growing up? Was fitness a part of your life? ROSE DINUCCIO: Growing up as a kid, fitness was a part of my life. I was involved in gymnastics from the age of 3 to 12 and always loved being active. It wasn’ t until my teenage years until I stopped really being active all the time.
IM: You underwent a pretty impressive transformation to be the fit person you are now after some rough years in your teens. Walk us through that journey. RD: My fitness journey really began when I was 21 years old. I had put on over 45 pounds at the age of 20. I had never been over 110 pounds in my life, but I had started hanging around with the wrong crowd of people when I was 17 causing me to lead a very unhealthy lifestyle for three years. I was addicted to opiates and smoked cigarettes. It wasn’ t until I really hit bottom that I decided I needed help. I moved to Florida and went to rehab and in that time... I put on all the weight. I was finally eating food again, and not just once a day anymore. My body didn’ t really know how to handle that. In just four months, I put on 45 pounds, went from a size 0 to an 8 in pants. Fast forward a year into my sobriety I was weighing about 138 pounds living back in Massachusetts. I met my current boyfriend when I came back to Massachusetts. After we were together for about six months, we started working out because we were sick of just going out to dinner every night and wanted something different in our lives. I didn’ t know then that fitness would become such a huge part of my life.
IM: Sharing your story must be difficult, but also very empowering. How has overcoming addiction changed your approach to life? RD: I’ m currently over five years free of opiates and couldn’ t be happier with how my life has turned out. I love more than anything being able to share my story with others, allowing them to not give up hope that their goals are achievable, as long as you put in 110 percent every day and never give up on your dreams. I also love to give hope to others that might be going through a similar situation that they can beat it, too. It’ s all just in how bad you truly want it. You are your only limitation! Everyone has some type of an addiction, whether it be good or bad. I look at it as replacing one addiction with another, but now my addiction is a healthy one!
“ You are your only limitation! Everyone has some type of an addiction, whether it be good or bad..”
IM: Why do you think you get such a positive response in social media? RD: I think I get such a positive
60 AUGUST 2017 | ironmanmagazine. com