I would like to introduce you to Christine Fenton. It was a pleasure to meet Christine at the WNBF Calgary show, she was always smiling, soaking in everything backstage with all the competitors, enjoying her moment. We wanted to share Christine's story because it comes from dealing with personal situations and overcoming them, and having the resilience to go after your fitness/health goals.
Enjoy her story.
I was brought up in a home where sports were essential. But I was also brought up in a home where there was verbal and physical abuse that I witnessed, also there was a toxic body image problem as well an unhealthy relationship with food. So, at a young and impressionable age I was told I was big. Because of all this turmoil, in my elementary school days I ended up turning to food; it comforted me and I could always count on it.
I always participated in sports, it was my saving grace, a healthy and fun outlet most of the time. Once a young adult, I got my own place and then started to relax some and think about what I would like to do, so I got back into running and competing. I then married and had 3 amazing kids, I managed to keep competitive running and added swimming into the mix, but the unhealthy eating stayed with me. Instead of being a closet drinker I was a closet dessert eater. It tasted so good and it took me temporarily away from my emotional problems, but of course then I had the weight gain to deal with. So it was a constant battle.
I then found the sport of CrossFit and completely fell in love with it, I trained hard and my goal was to make it to the CrossFit Games and I came close, I was 133 in the world in my age division, but my sister had to tell me that I didn't have the elite athlete body that I needed to make it to the top, so of course that crushed me. So from all the harsh negative comments she made to me throughout my life I couldn't take it anymore and I distanced myself from her. In that time period I self-educated myself in my healing process by finding self-help workbooks that dealt with the emotional issues and searched and studied till I figured it all out and then eventually I was able to forgive her and start to talk to her again slowly and a little at a time.
I then started having health issues that just didn't make any sense. I was starting to lose a lot of my strength and was getting tired really easily. This was not like me at all. So goodbye to CrossFit. I didn't know what to do, but I had to keep moving so I hired a personal trainer and worked out at the gym. But then I developed neck and head issues to the point where I would have to lay in one spot and not move at all for one solid hour. So that's when I started going to spin class, mountain climbing, and walking because it didn't affect my neck and head.
Over the next 6 years I would lose my dear mother first, then my amazing mother-in-law and then my sweet sister. After my sister's passing, I had reached an all-time high in my weight. I knew I had to do something but what. During all these years I was always trying diets and more diets and nothing ever worked. I wished there was a program that dealt with the underlying issues that I was dealing with because I was still using food as my scapegoat.
Then one day, I read a poster that described everything I was looking for, a program called Craving Change. A change it definitely was, a life-changing program! After a lot of hard work and determination I finally had control over my eating!! I then looked for something I could compete in because that's what keeps me going, and then online I found this, The New You event in Calgary! It inspired and motivated me to work harder, keep exercising and to keep on track with my eating and with dedication I did lose weight and felt the best I ever felt in a long time.
And I also used this moment on stage to declare that once and for all ' IM NOT BIG' , I am beautiful! Thank you, I Am Fitness Apparel, for this NEW YOU event it was an amazing experience that I will never forget!!
Kindly,
Christine :)
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