My Story I was born in a small Ontario town the second daughter by 11 years. I was well looked after by my parents and older sister. By the age of ten I was beginning to notice that I was bigger than the other girls in my class. Kids who used to be close friends were now teasing me daily. I hated my body and wondered why I couldn’t look like all the rest of the girls in my grade. My mom reassured me that I was just big boned and would soon grow into my 5’2” frame. I, on the other hand, wasn’t so optimistic. So the summer I turned 11 years old I formed a plan in my head that I was going to do whatever it took to lose the weight I had put on over the years. My starting weight that summer was 145 pounds and by the following summer I felt had accomplished my goal. I was thin, but it didn’t stop there. In the beginning I ate healthy, cut the junk food, and ate lots of fruits and vegetables. However as time progressed I began looking and feeling so fantastic that I couldn’t stop. The attention I received over my weight loss was phenomenal. People who knew me didn’t even recognize me and those who did were curious to know my secrets. I felt invincible. By the age of 16 I had developed a full blown case of anorexia nervosa. My weight had fallen to as low as 93 lbs and some days I was eating as little as a salad and diet coke. My parents felt helpless. All I cared about was being thin. Nothing else mattered to me; it took over my mind. My grades began slipping and I could not finish the last semester of grade 11. By this point depression had begun to sink in and my next and only step was to seek counselling. By my 18th birthday I had graduated high school, and felt I had beaten this horrifying disease which can in fact affect one out of every hundred females. I didn’t feel the need to starve myself any longer. I was happy with having breasts again and my hips no longer felt like extra baggage. I was happy being a teenager, going out with friends. I no longer obsessed over how many calories was in a spoon of ketchup or if I could gain weight just by baking a cake. My mentality changed and I felt human again, free from the hell I had gone through for so many years. But it could only last so long. Up until then I thought it had all been put behind me. I had begun a new job as a hairstylist, and tried not to let society’s image of what a women should look like seep into my brain. Then she walked through the door. She was 5’6”, one inch taller then me and weighed no more then 110 lbs. I hadn’t seen her in years, she was pale and thin. I couldn’t believe my eyes. There stood my best friend who 2 years previous had moved out of the country. Deep down I knew I had a few pounds to spare, but at 135 lbs I had been comfortable. Anorexia kicked in again. At the age of 23 I reached my all time low of 103 lbs. Even though my friend had come and gone the image remained planted in my mind, and I was on a mission. My cardio routine was up to an hour and a half a day. I faithfully followed the no carb diet and before I knew it my body had been stripped away, and virtually no muscle mass remained. My friends and co-workers were noticing my depleted body and finally I realized once again that I was on the same downward spiral. I was tired of the negative images of women in the media, tired of dieting and still not feeling satisfied with my appearance. Finally I approached a trainer at my local gym for some advice. After working with her for a short time, I made the decision to enter a figure competition. For once I was working towards a tangible goal. Instead of a never-ending battle to become thinner and thinner, I was now on a path towards positive, healthy results. Slowly I began introducing more food into my diet. Working with weights and not just cardio was new to me. But the results were there and in my first competition I was rewarded second place. Being on stage was a fulfilling experience for me. I was proud of what I had accomplished in such a short time. Since my first competition in May 2004 I have been building lean muscle mass, lifting heavier weights, and I’ve competed two more times with great results. Competing has become my passion and I’ve never felt better about my body. I’ve come through a tough illness and overcame it. There are so many girls going through the same trials I’ve been through. The pressures on young women to be thin can be very overwhelming. What we need are more positive body images for young girls to have as an example of health, fitness, and strength. No matter what your body type, fitness is something anyone can achieve. I hope my story will reach out to women of every age who are battling with a negative self image.