Omayra Acevedo, Peak to Peak. Growing up, I was overweight, insecure and bullied. I felt stuck in a world that I didn’t belong in. I can recall moments when I would have given anything to have a different life. But it wasn’t life that needed to change. It was me! 

Believe it or not, I was a very negative human being. Almost everything about me was, what I like to refer to as, nasty. My attitude, my outlook, my thoughts – you name it. I was a completely different person than I am now. I was miserable.

So, what happened that turned me into a positive, motivated, hyper-creative individual? A lot of things happened, but the most important thing was making the conscience choice to change. And I wasn’t going to just change one part of me. I was bound and determined to change everything about myself.

A new life began. I changed my diet, began exercising, practiced positive affirmations, kept a daily journal to stay focused and help me keep up with my progress. It was, in hindsight, the best decision I had ever committed to making. No, it wasn’t easy. It still isn’t. Like most things in life, it’s a lot of work, but well worth my efforts.

I was reminded of that this week while trying to push myself into the next phase of my workout routine. I was shaking, breathing heavy and breaking a sweat like I haven’t done in a long time. I placed myself under the pull up bar, I looked up and felt a bit of anxiety and doubt, but I knew I couldn’t walk away. With an underhand grip, my core engaged and a slow deep inhale, I pulled myself straight up. I thought maybe I could do five chin ups, but then came six and seven, before I knew it, I finished at 12. 

I felt so empowered and energized I couldn’t wait to push myself again. I prepped the leg press machine with six 45-pound plates and then two more, followed by an extra 50 pounds. By the time I was done with my leg presses, I had reached 410 pounds for three sets of eight reps. I was on the high of my life! 

Changing isn’t just a decision. It’s a choice, a commitment and an improvement to a lifestyle. Why do I continue to put myself through so many challenges at the gym? Because, I not only want to create the best version of myself, but when I am also faced with challenges outside of the gym, I want to remember that the pain I feel today, will be the strength I feel tomorrow.

(Originally published in the February 6, 2020, print edition of The Mountain-Ear.)