February 1, 2008

Meet Michelle De Maria – the Fall 2007 SAF Model Search Fitness Model  Runner-up

Normally for this series of articles, I interview the person being profiled and write the article myself. However, in Michelle’s case it was different. Michelle wanted to write her own story and send it to me to use as the basis for the article. However, when I read what she wrote and realized how complete and motivational it was, I knew there was nothing I could add. So, I decided to publish her article as she sent it. The result is "'My Story' by Michelle De Maria." I hope you enjoy it.

...Doug Schneider

"My Story" by Michelle De Maria

My story is one that I hope will inspire and motivate women in different ways and for different reasons. It may seem like the usual story of moving on and getting ahead in life, but truly, and most importantly, my hope is that it may inspire others to create challenges and goals in a world that may seem, at times, full of closed doors and shattered dreams.

There was a time in my life when I thought I had it all. I had the career I always wanted; I was married to the man with whom I had spent most of my teenage years; and I had a house, car, great vacations, and love and support from my family and friends around me. So life seemed good – and even at times, too good. Then finally, the one thing I wanted most in life, which was to be a mom, happened to me. My beautiful baby girl was born and my life seemed to be totally complete – until the unexpected happened.

Two years after my daughter’s birth, things suddenly changed. All my hopes and dreams of continuing to build a bigger family along with the plans I had for the rest of my life came tumbling down. At the time, it seemed to happen in an instant, and for reasons that are far too complicated to explain, I saw myself in a situation I had never imagined I could be in – family members had died and the man I thought I would spend the rest of my days with had left. Finally, my house, the place that I once called home, was also gone.

So, after what seemed like a long, long time, there I was, reflecting on a year of turbulence and loss. In a matter of one year, I had lost an uncle, a very dear grandmother, my marriage, and everything that I thought ever mattered in life. However, soon enough I began to realize that the things that really mattered and were most important to me were standing right in front of me – I had the support of my family and my truest friends, my health, and, most important, my daughter.

I started to spend most of my free time at the gym, trying to regain my strength, both mentally and physically, by focusing on getting stronger and keeping busy. However, my daily routine at the gym just didn’t seem like enough – I wanted more and I realized that unless I set a real goal for myself, I wasn’t going to accomplish anything concrete. I began to surround myself with people in the fitness industry: trainers, competitors, nutritionists, anyone and everyone who could inspire me and give me that extra push that I really needed to do something about this newfound fascination I had with the fitness world. I finally decided to hire a trainer and get myself on a stage to compete. The goal in the end was to see just how far I could push myself and my body to take it to its greatest limit.

I went to Pam Bortmes, a personal trainer from my area (Kitchener-Waterloo), and asked her to train me to get me ready for my first-ever fitness competition. I was determined to stick to this new plan, this new goal in my life that I had set for myself, and found in the end that this was real therapy for me. Essentially, focusing my energy and time on preparing for my first competition was a great way to forget about the troubles I had left behind and to really focus on ME – the new-and-improved ME, the "all-I-can-be" ME.

Exactly 12 weeks is what it took to get myself ready for my first competition in Hamilton, Ontario – the UFE Halloween Mayhem. It was the show that I had set my heart on and had given me the determination to get myself on stage in front of judges and hundreds of unfamiliar faces. I never imagined that at the age of 30 I would be in the shape that I had achieved and be able to step on the stage and show the world what I had accomplished. The long, hard hours at the gym, the strict diet, and the endless bottles of water I’d been drinking had all paid off. I felt good about myself, and I was proud of how far I had come. People were also noticing that I was inspiring others to do the same and make positive changes in their lives to feel better and look better.

Michelle during the "swimsuit" round of the Fall 2007 SAF Model Search... ...and in the "fitnesswear/themewear" round. (Photos Nov. 2007 by D. Dave Paul)

The bonus for me in winning the "fitness model" category at the UFE Halloween Mayhem was not the money or the first-place title, but the feeling of my own personal achievement. Frankly, the only real expectation I had for myself was to step on the stage and to once again feel good about who I was, knowing that what I was doing for myself had a main purpose. And that purpose was to feel stronger in order to be a better mother, teacher, daughter, and friend, as well as being a better person to everyone I know. So, that day in October of 2007, when I stepped onstage and heard my name being called as the first-place winner, changed my life for the better. It was that day that made me realize that only I can make positive changes in my life and that nobody else will do it for me. I also realized that I am stronger that I ever imagined and that everything happens for a reason. In the end, I also learned that whenever you set your mind on something, the greatest victory of all is proving to yourself that you can do it and that you can achieve any dreams and goals that you set for yourself. The key is to have the drive and the will to make it to the finish line.

However, the dream did not stop there. A week later, I competed in the IDFA Canadian Classic and placed second in the figure competition. Honestly, I was having so much fun I did not want it to end, and seeing my four-year-old daughter in the audience screaming and cheering for her "mommy" kept me going. She was proud of me and that was all that mattered. She made me stronger by the minute, and the greatest feeling of accomplishment was knowing that we had been through it all together.

From these first two shows, I was offered photo shoots with some amazing photographers who helped to capture all the beautiful memories and hard work from those two exciting weeks. After that, I was offered the most memorable opportunity: to compete in Fall 2007 SAF Model Search in Ottawa, Ontario. I had worked so hard leading up to these competitions without even realizing the potential and ultimate success that it could grant me in return. Doug Schneider encouraged me to go up to Ottawa to give this show a shot, and, of course, I was honored and ready to accept yet another challenge and give it a try for the third week in a row!

At this show, I was up against some of the bigger names in the fitness industry. In fact, the girls at this competition looked amazing and I was happy just to be standing next to them. The rush of getting up onstage and meeting all these beautiful and motivating women who dedicate time to themselves along with everything else in their busy lives, is beyond words. I placed second at this show in the Fitness Model category, but the experience alone and the opportunity to meet all the people involved with SAF was a prize over and beyond any type of placement or trophy. It was the most positive and rewarding finale to a wonderful beginning in this whole new world of fitness that I had very quickly grown to love.

So here I am now, four months after this whole dream began for me, and asking myself: What’s next? I have now learned to look ahead and to keep challenging myself to greater limits. I have since taken part in the filming of the DVD, Building a Beautiful Body #2, with Natalie Waples and Chantal Dicaire. Having worked with them and Doug on this project, as well as being an SAF Elite member, has been a true highlight of my goals and dreams that only seem to get bigger and bigger as the days go by.

I have now made fitness and nutrition an integral part of my healthy lifestyle. Today, I have my family, my daughter, my job as a high school teacher, and my health, and I now feel as though I have lost nothing and gained everything in life. I believe in new beginnings and in setting goals that are never impossible to achieve. In fact, I have set new goals for 2008 and will continue training alongside my trainer to compete in a couple of shows again this year. I plan to achieve my personal-training certification so that I can improve my own training skills in order to be able to help others as well. I also would like to expand my skills to teach in the physical education program to add to my languages classes in the high school. I believe that life is about taking risks and getting the job done, and I believe in looking for new opportunities and not waiting for them to happen. I also live by the saying, "That which does not kill you can only make you stronger." It’s something that I’ve proven to myself many times now.

...end

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