What is my background, where did I come from?

Some people have been asking me these questions lately, so for those of you are are new to my blog here is the beginning of my story........

I remember swimming laps in my family’s seven metre above-ground pool when the Olympics were on, thinking that I could be an Olympic champion. My relatives used to say I was a chubby kid; I used to hear them but I never really listened.

I grew up in a small town and I always wanted more than it had to offer . . . I wanted to achieve great heights. Somehow I always new I would. My mum was a major influence; she used to always tell me I was beautiful and intelligent and I could do anything I wanted . . .I am not sure who first called me "Wonder Woman", but it was quite a few years ago now as someone looked at all the things I did and wondered how I not only got them all done, but how I also maintained a successful career. The answer to "how" is massive amounts of energy, an unstoppable desire to make the most of my time in the world, precision timing and sacrifice. However, it wasn’t always like this.

In the late 1990s, I remember watching Demi Moore in GI Jane and “those abs”. I wanted that fabulous six pack and to be strong, tough, yet still feminine like Demi. However, at the end of each day after working in my stressful IT sales job and picking the kids up I was so tired that I sat on the couch had a few drinks and nibbles and “relaxed”. The next morning I would look at myself naked in the mirror and say today was the day I would gain control of how I looked. I did regular exercise, I even did a few corporate triathlons at one stage, but on the weekends or at night I still had those few drinks and other treats. I deserved it right? After all, I worked really hard, I looked after the kids, I was only a few kilos too heavy, and well, I’m sure there were plenty of other justifications and excuses.

Then one day I woke up and realised that at 32yrs old, 63kgs and 30% body fat, Demi’s abs were never going to magically appear for me. I was going to have to make some drastic changes. I am not sure if there was an incident that inspired the change, but I do remember that day like it was yesterday. Something had lit a fire inside me and I knew that I deserved better than what I was giving myself. I finally understood that all the responsibility to change was with me.

Over the next 4 months I trained weekly with a PT, I read books and magazines; I talked to people about fitness and health, and did a 12 week challenge and successfully dropped my body fat to 22%. The journey had begun. My self esteem increased, I became more successful in my job and life was getting better. At that time I was training in a bodybuilding gym, and around comp time when the girls were leaning down I came face to face with Demi’s abs. That was it for me, I decided that to gain my long term desire of the six pack I would become a figure body builder!

So two years after getting into pretty good shape for a 30 something mother of two, I decided it was time to “get serious”. We had made a move from Melbourne to Brisbane, so I did some research and found myself a trainer who could take me from what I was to figure competitor. Nunzio was a former Mr World, and he created amazing changes in the first month of training with him. As I had been weight training for two years I had some muscle to work with, and being the focussed type I embraced the nutrition changes with open arms. Within the first month I dropped 3kgs, and I had a visible 4 pack – a little soft but it was there. GI Jane was on her way.