Bodybuilder on a Mission

This is my first year as a Professional Bodybuilder. But I feel like I have been called to do more than just compete at a high level. I think sports are a platform for us to give back and to inspire others. One of the groups I want to inspire are orphans and those with disabilities.





For the last 10 years I have been working in Shanghai China. In that time I have made many friendships with kids who have been abandoned and left to the orphanage system. A lot of these kids are abandoned because of China's one child policy. Many families do not want their only child to be one with a disability. Many families are ill-equipped to help their children with disabilities and it causes a lot of social shame. That is one thing I noticed whenever I took pictures with any of them. All of them learned to hide their disabilities by shrinking away or hiding a deformed part with clothing.


I think that there are ways to help those with disabilities in Shanghai, China. Part of the answer is just mentoring them and investing in them. One of the stories that encourages me is about Connie.

I remember going for a run one morning and some of the girls wanted to come along. Many of them have never run before so they just did a combination of running and walking. Connie though was pushing a nine minute pace without really trying. I then challenged her to push the pace to seven minutes a mile and see how she would do. She ended up running really comfortably at a seven minute mile pace and I knew that I wanted to get encourage her to continue running. Seven years later she is still a runner. She sees herself as an athlete. That is a huge change for someone who has been told that she is a cripple her entire life.

People don't have to live in the belief that they are worthless. I think for a lot of the orphan and disabled people in Shanghai, China they just need someone to come along and help them understand all the ways that they are still blessed and gifted despite their disability. This is why I want to go to Shanghai this summer and be a mentor to them.




I could not have become a Professional Bodybuilder without people coaching and mentoring me. Now I have the chance to give back and really empower a population that many people overlook. Please join me in my mission to mentor orphans with disabilities in Shanghai, China. I will be leading a team there in June and in December. You can join us by being part of our support team!