Growing up I always participated in numerous sports throughout the year, including football, wrestling and track during high school. After graduating from high school I attended Florida Institute of Technology with an Army ROTC scholarship. Classes and ROTC took most of my time, so I only participated in intramural sports. Although ROTC had physical demands, without organized sports, I turned to weightlifting to keep me busy. I loved the increases to my muscle and strength and soon became addicted. I started reading every magazine or book I could get my hands-on. A fun afternoon for me was heading to the local Barnes & Noble and reading for hours. I still love reading about fitness and nutrition, and occasionally find myself doing so on the Internet for hours.

During my junior year of college, after dedicating the summer to eating and training, I suffered a serious shoulder injury playing football. I was flown home from college just before Thanksgiving for surgery without being able to finish my classes. The doctor told me I wouldn't be able to lift weights for 6 months. Considering my love for weightlifting, and the level of muscular development I had reached, having to watch my muscle quickly deteriorate from inactivity was a nightmare. Additionally, I was concerned about losing my ROTC scholarship, failing my classes, etc. I returned to college for spring semester and had to take 18 credits for spring, complete the 15 incomplete credits from fall semester, and fulfill my ROTC duties while performing rehabilitation on my shoulder. Everything turned out okay. I was able to complete all the credits, and keep my ROTC scholarship. The school even recognized me as Outstanding Business Student of the Year.

During my senior year I suffered another serious injury playing football, but this time to my ribs. Although no surgery was performed at the time and my scholarship wasn't jeopardized, I wasn't able to compete with our Ranger Challenge Team at the annual competition held in Fort Benning, GA. Considering this was my senior year, and I was the battalion cadet command sergeant major, I was upset at myself for letting my team down and not being able to help them in the competition. At that time, we had been practicing for months, 5 days per week, every morning starting at 6:00 am, and some weekends had been filled with practice competitions.

After graduating from college and receiving my commission as an officer, the Army performed my second surgery on my shoulder, and a surgery on my ribs. These injuries led to me being medically discharged from the Army. Weeks later I received a high-paying job as an executive at a distribution center for Target.

Unfortunately, I was miserable, and I soon quit when I got a job paying half as much as a teacher. My days of preparing soldiers for combat, were exchanged with days of preparing 10 and 11 year-olds for life.

Although the injuries I suffered were very frustrating at the time, God has always taken care of me in that I love teaching more than being an officer, and if I hadn't suffered those injuries, I would still be an officer and not a teacher. A few months ago I became the 2003 EAS Body-For-Life Grand Champion, which has been another wonderful blessing. Now I'm looking forward to helping others through my articles. Age: 26
Birthday: June 13, 1978
Height: 5'8"
Weight: 165-175
Occupation: elementary school teacher and wrestling coach
Location: Lemoore, CA
Favorite body part to train: chest
Favorite exercises: bench presses and weighted pull-ups
Favorite supplements: creatine, glutamine, meal-replacements
Hobbies: reading, weightlifting, church activities, spending time with my friends and family
Favorite bodybuilders: Jeff Willet, Chris Zaino, and Layne Norton