About Denise

I joined the fitness industry as a fitness trainer after eight years as a restaurant owner and 14 years in the real estate community. In my 40’s I overcame a series of health issues and surgeries from car accidents to breast cancer and a serious crush injury—my leg was run over by a runaway trash dumpster—that left me in chronic pain. After hiring a personal trainer, changing my eating habits and living a disciplined lifestyle of exercise, I have been able to overcome my physical weaknesses and pain and live a much happier and healthier life. I have a new passion for living and helping others through my experiences of pain and suffering, and give my daily adoration to my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

A little about me and how I was able to overcome life’s adversity: After completing chemotherapy treatments, losing my hair, dealing with the burns of radiation therapy and the fatigue from puking and constant needle poking, I was “sick and tired of being sick and tired.” One of my goals in life had always been to be in my best shape by age 50. I was 46 then and hadn’t exercised or eaten right since my 20’s. Somehow raising two boys, being a wife, running a business and serving others had taken over my life, and 50 was approaching.

I knew I needed to do something about my deteriorating body and I desperately wanted to lose the weight I had gained from being inactive and making bad food choices. I was a realtor at the time and had some clients who had personal trainers and were getting great results. I decided I, too, would seek out the help of a personal trainer.

I hired a trainer and committed my goals to paper: to have more energy, feel better, get toned and lose ten pounds. Within four weeks my energy had improved, my skin was so much softer, and I had such an overwhelming feeling of wellness, I was hooked!

People began noticing and asking what I was doing. A new confidence and posture welled up inside me as I saw how proper nutrition and exercise was key to my health and well being physically and mentally. As for the spiritual aspect, three words came to me one morning in worship: discipline, change and preparation.

I’ll never forget that morning. I knew then that for me the word “discipline” meant “get your butt up an hour earlier and take control of your health and wellness.” I’m so thankful I was obedient and followed through. The change is obvious in my life today, and the preparation for a quality life filled with purpose and helping others find their way has become my quest and passion.

Many people were surprised that I would give up the lifestyle I had become accustomed to. However, it wasn’t about how much money I made; it was about being happy, helping others and giving back, and being all I was created to be. After reaching my original goal of more energy, better health and losing 10 pounds, I continued to raise the bar.

For my 50th birthday I not only was able to say, “I am in the best shape of my life,” I entered my first bodybuilding contest. I was scared to death and felt like a deer in headlights. Scared because the thought of having a couple of thousand people critiquing my 50-year-old tush was not a pleasant thought. The infamous night came and the six months of training a couple of hours a day and eating a diet of egg whites, oatmeal, chicken, fish, yams, veggies and brown rice was finally coming to a close—or so I thought. There was no way I’d ever subject myself to something so hard again.

It wasn’t easy. The last few weeks of preparation were the hardest. Had I not bought tickets for friends and family I may have been tempted to back out. However, it was too late. I had purchased my posing suit, my posing routine had been choreographed, and I had my painted-on tan and family and friends in the audience. I couldn’t let them down.

I walked backstage and right into the biggest, most muscular She-Man I had ever seen. I really wasn’t sure except that she had a bikini top on, so I assumed I was in the ladies room. What had I gotten myself into? I sized up my competition; were these ladies all over 50? There were nine of us and as we stepped out on stage I felt the excitement and fear well up inside of me. The crowd was screaming as they called us out one at a time.

I then heard a familiar voice yell, “SHOW ME YOUR BACK.” My proud husband was getting into it. I turned around and went into my back double bicep pose. The perspiration dripping, muscles rippling, this was awesome—the most surreal feeling of power, freedom and strength and total exhilaration. I had done it. I had overcome so many obstacles and stared fear in the face and said, “I will succeed.” I took 7th place that night and have gone on to compete in 16 contests to date. It has been an incredible journey.

Bodybuilding has taught me many lessons in life: discipline, self-control, sacrifice, mastering my mind over my body, patience and humility. It isn’t for everyone, but I do believe everyone can benefit from some form of exercise and proper nutrition. This is not about looking good in a pair of jeans, although it is a nice benefit. This is about life and death.

400,000 people die annually from obesity-related issues. It’s not about what the scale says; it’s about your BMI (body mass index)—your ratio of body fat to lean mass. With women anything over 35% is considered dangerous, which can cause heart disease, diabetes, stroke and on and on. With men, anything over 22%.

When I started my program I was 30%. I was considered skinny fat at 128 lbs. Being thin does not mean you are healthy.

If you want success in your life, do what unsuccessful people aren’t willing to do—push yourself, go the extra mile. Success comes from within. Whatever the mind can conceive and believe you can achieve. Believing is 90% of doing.

Shakespeare once said, “Nothing is good or bad but thinking makes it so.”

What are you thinking on? Do you think you can do it? If you don’t, you need to change your thinking. We have so much untapped power within us. There is so much power in our words.

Speak what you want, not what you have.

Tell your mind how you want to change and behave.

Commit your goals to paper; committing your goals to paper increases the likelihood of our achieving them by 1,000 %.

Condition yourself through daily routine.

Charles Swindoll said, “The longer I live the more convinced I am that life is 10% what happens to us and 90% how we respond to it. I believe the single most significant decision I can make on a day-to-day basis is my choice of attitude. My choice of attitude keeps me going or cripples my progress. It alone fuels my fire or assaults my hope. When my attitudes are right, there is no barrier too high, no valley too deep, no dream too extreme and no challenge too great for me.”

I too believe this to be true. Success happens from within. Set your goals, have a clear purpose.

Commit, focus and succeed.

Focus is continually thinking about what you want not what you fear. Make a plan. People don’t plan to fail—they fail to plan. Create daily rituals, write them down. Goals in writing are dreams with deadlines.

John F. Kennedy once said, “Physical fitness is the basis for all forms of excellence; therefore, be excellent.”

It’s all about YOU. Think big, dream big. If it’s to be it’s up to me.

In 2010 while training for the contest season, being in the best shape of my life at age 57, I was diagnosed with a collapsed lung, pneumonia and lung cancer. The cause: second-hand smoke. March 5th 2010 I entered the hospital and had my right lower lobe removed, leaving me with 64% lung capacity. Three weeks later, after leaving the hospital, I was back in the gym every day preparing for the 2011 contest season. I attribute my quick recovery to the bodybuilding lifestyle of good nutrition, exercise, and my faith in my God. Through Him all things are made possible.

Besides being diagnosed with lung cancer last year, I had surgery on both hands and then re-injured them and was not able to lift more than 5 lbs. for 10 weeks. The doctors also discovered a tumor growing inside the nerves of my neck, from an old injury. At this time it’s wait, watch and pray! 2010 was also the end to my 25-year marriage. Adversity comes in all shapes and forms and we all will go through it, some more than others. Falling down is part of life; getting back up is living!

I got back up in April at the 2011 Emerald Cup and took 3rd place in Masters Women over 50. A month later I got back up again at the Oregon Ironman and took 2nd in the Open Middleweight, and 3rd in Masters Women over 35 in a field of twelve. My life is filled with hope, wonder, and living life on purpose one day at a time.