Hello IAF FAM!
I want to introduce you to Tara Sawchuk. Tara' story is one of never giving up and the positive effect of eliminating self-doubt. When she realized that she was not happy with how she felt, she made a health change and never looked back.
Hi, my name is Tara Sawchuk, and I am the 2024 WNBF Winnipeg New You Transformation winner! I
started my journey on November 27, 2023 at 304.8 lbs, and now weigh 255 lbs. Within 7 months, I lost
63 lbs of body fat and gained 15.8 lbs of muscle.
For most of my life, the scale has been my nemesis; despite countless attempts, I could never get a
handle on my weight. As a result, I suffered from chronic headaches and chest pain; I took multiple
prescriptions for high blood pressure & acid reflux, and had zero energy. I struggled to breathe after the
slightest bit of exertion, and questioned on more than one occasion if I was going to wake up the next
morning. I found I was extremely negative and I had lost my desire to smile. I started to think about all
the things I hadn’t done, all the people I would miss, especially my two little nieces, if I died.
Immediately my eyes filled with tears and I knew this was it, I had to do whatever necessary to take my
life back.
On November 27, 2023 I met with my Wellness Coach Anthony Guzzi from G-Fit; we’ve worked together
over the last seven months and have hit many mini goals and one major objective, competing in the
2024 WNBF Winnipeg New You category. Over the last few years, I’ve really struggled with confidence, I
felt very small on the inside. As the competition date drew closer, I didn’t feel like I made enough
progress in my journey to compete. When I told my coach that I was thinking of pushing the
competition to 2025, he assured me I had put the work in and encouraged me to register. Thinking
back, not wanting to compete had nothing to do with how much work I did or didn’t do, I was scared! If
I had let fear win, I would have lost out on all the amazing experiences I had during the weeks leading up
to the event, the day of the event, and the huge confidence boost I felt as a result of walking on that
stage. Fear always has two meanings: Forget Everything and Run OR Face Everything and Rise. You get
to decide which meaning applies to you!
If you are thinking of transforming your body, know that you CAN do it! When I decided to replace the
phrase “I can’t” with the phrase “I will try” things got infinitely easier. I knew it was no longer an option,
I was doing it! Be prepared and open to change; I remember early on telling my coach that I didn’t do
early morning workouts or workouts on the weekend, I now do both happily and consistently. I highly
recommend finding an accountability partner or two; it’s much harder to say no to a workout when you
know someone is waiting for you! Say bye-bye to your comfort zone; if you really want to grow, it’s
going to be anything but comfortable… do things scared! Last but not least, I recommend checking your
circle. You want to make sure that the people closest to you are positive and supportive. Don’t be
afraid to put some distance between you and those people whose actions aren’t aligning with yours. I
am beyond grateful to Anthony, my Ride or Die crew and my family for the support and encouragement
they have shown me during this process.
The last seven months has been quite a ride and I’ve worked hard… really hard! I no longer suffer from
headaches or chest pain; I’ve reduced the number of medications I am taking and I no longer struggle to
breathe! I not only transformed my body, but I gained a positive mindset, the belief, and confidence in
myself, as well as the discipline to be my best version. That said, this is only the beginning, I can’t wait
to see where the next six months takes me! I can promise you I will be finishing 2024 STRONG, with a
big smile on my face!
