I would like you to meet Angela Brooks. Angela is the most recent WNBFCALGARY New YOU Winner! Angela has a story about resilience, overcoming mental health situations, and being there for her kids through tough times as a single parent. She has pulled through and is now on the path to turning her and her kids' lives around.
My five kids are the reason I get up each morning before sunrise to go for my walks. Just over two years ago in 2023, I had grown to 322lbs and was unable to zip up a XXXL jacket. My pants were beyond sizes, and I looked like I was 11 months pregnant. Daily tasks were difficult, and other physical and mental health complications arose due to my weight gain and inactivity.
Baby steps. Seemingly backwards steps. No steps. And baby steps again...and again...and again. Each area of our lives—physical, spiritual, emotional, intellectual, social, family—had major recovery to do. I say “our” because, as a mom, there was no “my” recovery during that time. I focused on my kids’ needs first until an Elder told me that I needed to heal myself first if I truly wanted to help my kids heal. So, the journey of “adding some extra movement” each day began. Some days were just a shuffle down the sidewalk in my slippers.
Eventually, I worked up to doing sunrise walks for five to nine kilometres most days. There were times when I missed days or weeks of this routine, but the desire to be healthier for myself and for my family got me back out the door again.
Isolation for so long had prevented me from seeking out community. Part of the healing journey meant I needed to choose to reach out for help to overcome the days of inertia, the mental games that led to plateaus in progress, and to learn new ways of thinking and approaching wholistic wellness. I approached a coach, Brody Atkin, who specializes in seeking out the whole picture of where a person is at and building a program based on multiple ways to succeed at a pace each person can handle. His patience, kindness, and daily nudges to ask what I did for movement each day kept me going on the hard days.
By September 2025 I had lost 141 pounds and regained so much energy and confidence in myself! I chose to reward myself by recognizing my own efforts through entering the “New You” category at the World Natural Bodybuilding Federation (WNBF) competition. The support and encouragement from everyone there blew me away!
Today, I joyfully went out for my pre-sunrise walk. I know and feel the benefits of it in every
area of my life. My kids are proud of me for persevering to become healthier. I am proud of myself for choosing to care for myself and to be gracious to myself through this process.
Now—on my own, with my family, and with my community—I am stronger and more at peace. Now, I hope that my victories inspire others to inspire others—daily.
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