06/11/2024
STORY TIME
The First 5 Years
Sitting at the dinner table at my dad's house, I was 14 years old, and it was my turn to share my “High” and “Low” of the day. I don't remember my Low, but I do remember turning to my oldest brother, Kameron, and saying how I thought his big muscles were awesome. That’s when it hit me—I could also have big muscles!
Of course, I didn’t actually do anything with this newfound knowledge until a year later. At 15, Kam, now 19, invited me to the gym. Who wouldn’t want to work out with their older brother? After all, I was four years younger, smaller, weaker, and just his little brother.
I got hooked! We ended up going all the time. We’d play basketball for hours and then lift weights. Fitness became the cornerstone of almost all my relationships. It was an excuse to get together. Fitness gave my brothers and me a common language and goal. It gave me a foundation to build confidence in myself.
What’s interesting is that I didn’t really consider myself “fit” at the time. My circle of friends was also getting fitter. It wasn’t until this picture was taken that my mental construct of myself really shifted. I wasn’t just fit—I was JACKED!
Unfortunately, all good things come to an end. It was time for college! Heading off to Snow College unexpectedly changed everything that made working out easy. It was a new social circle, a new environment, I was a broke college student, and had new responsibilities. Suddenly, working out became a whole lot harder! Having taken for granted even the little things like Mom and Dad’s endless food supply, I started dropping weight. In a semi-starving state, I dropped 15 pounds in the first month, going from Goliath to David.
Fortunately, my good buddy Mike and my brothers wouldn’t let me off the hook so easily. When I came back home to visit after the first month away, they set me straight in the loving way only your as***le brothers and best friend can. Through a mix of insults, goading, and flexing, I left more inspired than ever!
With their timely intervention, I got back on track.
HERE'S THE PIC 😅
