I was born on April 6, 2002, in Louisville, Kentucky, where I grew up with my parents and brother. As a kid, I was pretty shy and introverted. I was passionate about gaming early on and was naturally good at it. Sports never really interested me, and I gained weight around second grade, which led to bullying and made me even more reserved. Middle school was more of the same—socially distant from the popular crowd but not as much bullying. I kept to myself, but by eighth grade, I started coming out of my shell a bit, handing out gum and answers in class. I never put much effort into school, staying an average C student because I just didn’t care about it. Most of my real friendships were online, formed through gaming. By freshman and sophomore year of high school, I hit my highest weight—around 230 pounds at 5'7". I wanted to join the lacrosse team since my brother played, but I was too intimidated by the coach. Sophomore year, I finally joined but struggled with my fitness and motivation. That same year, I started making more friends. At 16, I got a job at Krispy Kreme, which, ironically, is where my health journey really began. It started with the simple decision to discipline myself not to eat donuts. That led to cutting out soda entirely (haven’t had one since January 25, 2017). Working there also helped me break out of my introverted tendencies. I started selling donuts at school for extra money, built friendships, and gained confidence. That spring, I smoked for the first time. The following summer, I worked a lot and lost a ton of weight. Senior year, I became more popular, which had been my goal—but in hindsight, it wasn’t worth it. I had fun, but it came at my own expense. In March 2020, COVID hit, and school essentially ended for me. I was going to pass regardless. Around this time, I watched Food, Inc., which, looking back, feels like a pivotal moment. That long COVID summer, I worked, hung out with friends, and played games before deciding to attend Western Kentucky University. Freshman year of college was still partial COVID, so it was an easy start. I got serious about weight training, joined a fraternity (not for the partying but for networking), and lost a lot of weight. Math was my only real struggle. That summer, I quit smoking cold turkey after being a heavy marijuana user. I had landed a job at a PT clinic, and since the owner was a family friend, I didn’t want to show up high. I also joined a summer frisbee league. This was when I first started resonating deeply with organic food and health, but I also began struggling with binge eating—extreme fasting to compensate for overeating. Sophomore year, I moved into the frat house, hit my lowest weight at 155 pounds (at 5’10"), and was in peak physical shape. But I was also under-eating, and sleep in the frat house was terrible. I became more aware of food quality, water quality, and health in general, but I spiraled into an “all or nothing” mentality. I told myself, I’ll eat this one last time—which led to indulging in every junk food imaginable. I gained a lot of weight, stopped training, and fell into a cycle of self-isolation. At the start of 2022, I recommitted to change, though my relationship with food was still shaky. I experimented with raw primal and carnivore diets but struggled to maintain them in college. That year, I started drinking only reverse osmosis water and worked at Lowe’s while focusing on organic foods. By the end of summer, I moved out of the frat house and into my own apartment, which was a turning point. I locked in on my health and started an internship at a leadership center to help pay for tuition. I also started serving at Red Lobster, thanks to a friend's suggestion. Junior year was solid—I worked two jobs, stayed involved on campus, hit the gym consistently, and started realizing I needed to build something of my own. But then summer hit, and I relapsed into gaming. My sleep schedule fell apart, I broke my celibacy streak, and everything spiraled. I wasn’t binge eating, but I was stuck in self-hate, isolation, and avoidance. School started back up, and I tried to get back on track, but I was just going through the motions. By winter break, I was at my worst—addicted to video games, binge eating, and completely disconnected from my purpose. I genuinely believed my problems were too deep to fix, and I hated myself too much to try. That cycle lasted until July 2024, when I was done with school and moved back home. For a while, I kept repeating bad habits, but I eventually broke free by taking on hard challenges and letting the momentum build. Everything I’ve been through has shaped who I am today. My journey has been full of highs and lows—self-destruction and rebirth. But now, I’m fully focused on building something meaningful, sharing what I’ve learned, and pushing myself to new heights.