Mentally Strong

Defying MS:Genevieve's Journey into Bodybuilding

• Callum Sutherland • Season 1 • Episode 10

Share episode

Ever charged headfirst into an obstacle and emerged victorious? This episode is a testimony to that spirit. Join me as we welcome the indomitable Genevieve Daigle, a mother, and an MS warrior, who dared to venture into the demanding world of bodybuilding with Kim Peppers, a transformational specialist and bodybuilding coach guiding her.

Navigating life with MS while raising two children is an uphill task, but Genevieve reshaped her life to accommodate her passion and health necessities. Hear about the role of discipline, the art of prioritizing self, and the power of clear communication in this challenging journey. Kim throws light on how to balance the rigors of fitness with enjoyment, striking the perfect equilibrium between striving for results and having fun. From discussing the financial aspects of fitness to setting a healthy approach towards it, this episode is a goldmine of valuable insights.

Lastly, we share the uplifting story as she competes in a transformation division at a fitness competition. The courage, determination, and immense pride reverberating from their experiences form a saga of inspiration. Their stories are a testament to the fact that no obstacle is insurmountable if one is ready to take the leap. So tune in and prepare to be charged with the energy to chase your dreams, no matter what stands in your way!

Speaker 1:

Welcome to the Mentally Strong podcast. I appreciate you taking the time to listen in. If you enjoy today's episode, please subscribe, like, comment and share. We could use your help reaching more people. You never know who needs encouragement and inspiration. I can't believe today is already episode 10 and we're going to celebrate with something special. We welcome back the inspiring Janaviev Dagg, who is thriving with MS. In the previous episode she shared her personal journey and today she's going to share how she stepped into the world of bodybuilding. But that's not all. We also have Kim Peppers joining us, who help train and prepare Janaviev for competition. Kim is a transformational specialist and bodybuilding coach with a passion for nutrition, and she has had her own training studio for over 13 years and works with a variety of body types and age groups. She works with clients both online and in person. I was introduced to Kim when she trained me back in 2012 to help me earn my CanFit Pro personal training certification. Kim and Janaviev, welcome to the podcast.

Speaker 2:

Yay, thanks for having me back.

Speaker 1:

I should have said welcome back First. I want to say thank you both for coming on, and I think we'll pick up where we left off. Janaviev, We'll start there. We were talking about your goals before you hit 40 and you had two of them. One was to become a basist and the other was to be a bodybuilder. So you hit the basis goal, no.

Speaker 3:

Yes, and I hit the 40 goal as well. So I'm in a new club now. So I've been told.

Speaker 1:

I jumped out of your club to make room for you. So we're good. So what inspired you to pursue bodybuilding despite the challenges of multiple sclerosis and two kids at the time?

Speaker 3:

Yeah, that's you know. I really had to think about that and I don't know, it's just out of curiosity, and I've always been into health and fitness. At the time I was also working in healthcare and I just realized that, you know, for me to take care of others, I have to take care of myself too. I have to be in tip-top shape, and I think I saw a few. I don't know where I got the idea from, but it just intrigued me just seeing women be able to take their bodies to another level with their fitness, and I've always wanted to see how far I could push my body?

Speaker 1:

I don't know I like to.

Speaker 3:

I like to push boundaries, that's for sure. And it happened during when I decided to start the bodybuilding journey. It happened during COVID, actually, funny enough, I was doing a vision board and I'm like I want to do this. I don't know why, but I just had this urge to want to, physically and emotionally and on all levels, try to push myself, just to see where you know it'll take me. And I didn't think it was going to happen right away, even during COVID. It just I put it out there in the universe and it happened. That's basically how it happened. Didn't even think it was going to happen during COVID, didn't know how long it actually would take. I thought maybe a few years.

Speaker 3:

I was one of the fortunate ones where I was able to accomplish that goal within a very short period of time. So I've been very fortunate in that sense and just knowing what to, not knowing what to expect, but during that time, just seeing the transformation was very mind-opening. Can I say that? Yeah, mind opening. I can't think of another term, but it was definitely mind opening. Yeah, that's probably the best way that I can describe it.

Speaker 1:

So what inspired you to reach out for a trainer?

Speaker 3:

Excuse me, I did some research. Like I said, I had no idea whatsoever. I was just like I want to go to.

Speaker 3:

Builds. I want to see how I can build my body into a different shape. I did some research. I really didn't know what avenue to take, who to reach out to. I didn't have any friends that worked out to begin with, and I wasn't part of a niche or group of fitness enthusiasts or at the time I was a group fitness instructor but I didn't know anybody. So I tried to do as much research as possible, looked it up online and things just kind of fell into place.

Speaker 3:

I don't know how, but like I said, you put it out there, karma, whatever you know the great divine, but it just things kind of literally fell into my lap.

Speaker 1:

So how did you find Kim?

Speaker 3:

How did I find Kim?

Speaker 1:

I think, or how did Kim find you? No, it was through the.

Speaker 3:

It was through the great line it just went from. I did my research on how to find a trainer or a coach. So at the time I didn't even know the difference between a trainer and a coach and a life fitness coach and online versus in person. I knew nothing about that. I think how I started was I just started going to the gym and asking more questions to the trainers and getting a little bit more information, did some Google research and I think I found a couple of names, like literally less than a handful of names. It just that's how she fell into my, into my lap and you know what, and I started asking around where I used to go to the gym. There was a supplement store right beside it and just you know, you start talking to people and Kim's name has been around in the body building worlds, especially in Ottawa, so she's very well known in the Ottawa community and I just heard her name several times. I'm going to reach out.

Speaker 1:

So Kim, when did you start training female bodybuilders?

Speaker 2:

Well, it's interesting path on how we got to doing that, because when I first moved to Ottawa in 2003, I used to watch the competitions, because back in the day they used to broadcast them on ESPN and all those channels. You could watch fitness competitions. So I was really like into just watching it and I used to like do stretches and think about what it would be like if I was to do one one day and I would watch them and fast forward. I was in college and I remember somebody I was dating at the time was like you should do one of those and I was like, yeah, maybe. So I went and I watched one and I was like I like it. So fast forward to, I think, 2009. I had a client at the gym that I was working at the time and I was like I'd really love to put you in a fitness competition. But the gym closed and I was like oh bye, and that was the end of that. So fast forward to 2011.

Speaker 2:

I had a client who started to really change shape really quickly and I was like you think maybe we could like give this a go. I was like I'll pay for half your entry fee and I'll pay for half of your suit, I'll do your tan, your hair and your makeup and let's just like throw our hat in the ring. She ended up placing like fifth out of 22. And I was like, okay, this is really fun and she really enjoyed herself.

Speaker 2:

And next thing, you know, we had like two other women who were then curious. One person I approached them and said I'd really like to see what I can do with you. And then the other young lady. She had some medical problems but was always really really curious about what the sport would be like. So the two of them trained together and they did everything together and I prepped them and that was sort of the beginning of coaching athletes for competitions, even though I had never done one yet myself. So, yeah, that was, I guess, yeah, 12, 13 years ago. And I was like I'm going to do a little bit of a workout and I was like, yeah, that was, yeah, I guess, yeah, 12, 13 years ago. Now.

Speaker 1:

And you eventually did some yourself.

Speaker 2:

Yeah, after seeing the woman that I approached that had twins, I sat in the audience and I said what am I doing on this side of things? Let's go. So a year and a half later, I did the transformation challenge, which is what GenViv has done. I did that just as a personal goal, and then I started competing after that, and then I started in 2014 coaching men as well, and that proved to be a really, really great avenue for me as well to explore bodybuilding and to try different techniques. So now I coach both men and women, as well as do posing for both men and women, and there's not a lot of female coaches that coach men for posing as well.

Speaker 2:

It's very rare, but it's certainly something I really enjoy doing, and I just think bodybuilding is such an artistic thing and there's so many divisions now that make sense for different body types, whereas when I was 19 and I would watch it on TV, there's only two for women, and I was kind of like I don't really fit in either of those right now. And then things evolved and so it's nice because when I meet a client, I can go they are suited for this, or let's try that, or let's try to and see what the judges say. So yeah, that's how. That's how bodybuilding came into my life.

Speaker 1:

And the appeal for you was the transformation or the development.

Speaker 2:

Yeah, I love a transformation.

Speaker 2:

Transformations for me, are really, really key.

Speaker 2:

The other thing that I like about, you know, transformations is that especially when somebody does a competition like that, they're really putting their body on and saying this person helped me achieve this, Whereas if you have, like a day to day client who has, you know, regular day to day goals, it doesn't have the same extreme and they're not in a small amount of fabric, being like ta-da, you know. So it was really for me, bodybuilding or prepping women for their wedding day, that was also a really big popular draw as clients and I think that bodybuilding really amplified my business because people were literally putting their physique on display and saying this is what I did. And you know, there's something special about seeing somebody on that day do their thing and the emotions that come out of that, and it's just a very thing to very special thing to share. That's very personal with somebody, especially depending on what their story is and how that maybe they had to overcome a lot of stuff to be there and it's transformations are really, really they touch my heart for sure.

Speaker 1:

So when Janabi approached you, did she bring up that she had multiple sclerosis?

Speaker 2:

Yeah, yeah, she's very forthcoming with that information. I did not see it as a hurdle or a challenge, just more of an opportunity for communication. You know, I really just think that it's a really good opportunity for somebody to be as open with me as possible, because when those kinds of things get left out, then we're playing with fire, you know, and it and again it's another thing that kind of adds to their transformation. Right, that makes it that much more special for them when they do eventually achieve that goal.

Speaker 1:

So, janabi, did multiple sclerosis affect your training at all?

Speaker 3:

No, fortunately, for the first time, I would say didn't. I would say after, like postpartum, this time around I find it more challenging, but the first time, no, not a problem, I was able to, and when I did have to change a few things due to either lack of equipment, I believe at the time I had started off working out at home, because that's when the gyms you know, remember, this is during COVID so at some point the gyms were no longer allowing people to go in and so, finding equipment that I can use at home, I ended up buying a few small pieces, right, because people need to also understand and realize that. You know you have all these expenses. So bodybuilding is not, it's not cheap. It is definitely, it's definitely an expensive hobby, especially, you know, it can get even more expensive the higher, you know, level you want to get into and depending on the competitions that you want to enter. And, that being said, if you're not equipped from the get go, it can be challenging, not impossible, but challenging.

Speaker 3:

So at the time I didn't have anything. So I know that Kim was able to work with what I had. So I believe at the time I had, you know, like those, those booty bands from what a lot of people call them, but you know the elastic bands. I had smaller weights and that is just being able to use typical things that you have in your house, like stepping on your on your stairs, running up and down and, you know, using your bike or whatever it is that you're able to use. So at the time being at home, working with what I had, that was my situation.

Speaker 1:

So did being at home help you, being a mother of two at the time.

Speaker 3:

It definitely had, like I had to change my perspective as far as putting myself first. You know, even though I woke up early, it was more of, instead of waking up early and trying to figure out, okay, how do I take care of my kids, it's more of, you know, waking up early and taking care of my needs first so that I can take care of my kids needs, and being selfish in that way, and also learning discipline. That was definitely a hurdle. Even to this day, learning discipline for oneself can be challenging, especially as an adult. I finally tend to revert back to being a kid and being like no, I'm an adult, I can go to bed whenever I want to, knowing that not only is it important but even beneficial for your health. So that's, I find that's the part that's super, super challenging. That I definitely had to overcome and still trying to overcome is knowing that, in the long run, this is, this will be beneficial to me.

Speaker 1:

So I tend to go in circles.

Speaker 3:

I tend to go in circles with my answers.

Speaker 1:

Well, it'll be beneficial for the kids too. You're creating a good role model and you're healthy. It's good.

Speaker 3:

Yeah. So that's definitely my mindset had to change. You know, waking up in the morning it's not about okay, well, I wake up early in the morning to prepare food for my kids, it's more. I need to wake up early in the morning so that I can get my workout done, so I don't have to worry about it later on when I don't have the energy. And this goes for anybody, right.

Speaker 3:

I mean, you ask any parent who has the energy by the end of the day, after they've taken care of, you know, their basic needs and then the needs of their kids, and then going to work, and then going back to doing the parent job, and then like, and then finding time for yourself, for your hobbies or your downtime, and then, let alone, you know, try to think of I need to work out so that I can still stay fit and, you know, look super hot, like nobody wants to really do that at the end of the day. So you know it's trying to change my mindset of how do I do this first thing in the morning for myself so that I can maintain all the rest of that stuff for everybody else and myself for the rest of the day, you know, and feeling good by the end of the day. So that's definitely like with having two kids at the time that I had to change my mindset and think that way instead.

Speaker 1:

Kim, when you were doing the training and coaching, were you looking for anything in terms of monitoring her for anything related to a possible illness, holding her back?

Speaker 2:

The biggest thing for me is communication on energy levels and just being honest. If you can't do something, you know, if you feel like today's not the day, that's fine. She wasn't my first client with MS. I had had experience coaching somebody who for their first two shows did not have it and then for the third and fourth show had it, and so to transition from them being, you know, fully able bodied to oh, we have a new level of energy and needs was a really big transition.

Speaker 2:

But you know, we were blessed that we didn't really run into any hiccups which envy of you know. So there wasn't too much of that. It was just more of like having that awareness and, just like with any client, just communicate with me, just let me know, like if something's not possible today, that's okay, like we're. Like she had said initially, right, I don't care if it takes me a year, two years, three years, five years, it's going to take as long as it takes. And it just so happened that it was much sooner than she anticipated and yeah, so we just, you know, you just make adjustments as you go along and you know she's, she's moldable, she listens and she's honest about certain things that are true to her situation, so it's good, it was easy.

Speaker 1:

And you're probably going to give me the same answer for this question, but it's for having the two kids and working at her home. Same adjustments, same thing. Communication.

Speaker 2:

Yeah, absolutely yeah. I tell people all the time like, just like, show me what you have access to, show me what you have in terms of a schedule and we will adjust accordingly. If you tell me I only have three days a week and you tell me that your window is this and you have, you know, access to this equipment, well, we're just looking at an extension of the time. It might take you, but if you can fit in a little more or you can make an adjustment or you get that gym membership or whatever, then we're going to speed up the process a bit. You know, and compliance is also a big thing. If you're like, yeah, I'm going to do whatever it takes, and then it's just hot dog city, then we have a problem. So it's just like all that stuff comes together as a team.

Speaker 2:

If you're doing the things and I know what it is that you're going to do, because the thing I always tell people is I want this to be enjoyable as well. That's been a huge thing for me with any client is you're not going to tell me I don't like mushrooms and then I'm like okay, so I need to eat mushrooms every single day. You know like, I want you to enjoy yourself. If you tell me you despise a certain type of cardio, I'm not going to make you do 55 minutes of it per day. If I think it's a better cardio for you, I'll suggest it, but it's not going to be mandatory. I'm going to try to find ways for you to enjoy it because if I wasn't going to do it then I don't want the other person to feel like they have to do it. This is an enjoyable process. You're not at the top level. We're doing our first, second, you know show here. This isn't a win at all costs thing. We're here to see what we can accomplish and at the end of it I don't want to be like I hated that I'm never coming back. I'm never coming back doesn't put that person back on my roster next year, right?

Speaker 2:

So I really try to make it as an enjoyable experience as possible because you know I'll see posts like I remember a client said to me they saw a post that said if you're not dying the last two weeks, you're not doing it right. And I was like I've never experienced that. I personally don't want to experience that myself, nor do I want that for anybody, I know, for a piece of plastic or a piece of metal, you know it's really not worth it. In the end we're setting an example. I want have bodybuilding to be viewed as a healthy thing, especially when we're trying to do things naturally Like let's just, let's just take our time with it. The stage will always be there. There's always more shows. You know there's no point in, in killing ourselves for for something like this. It's not worth it. So, especially long term, I don't want anybody rebounding heavily all that stuff. So yeah, their long term health is my first priority and then fun is also up there.

Speaker 3:

I think mindset to is definitely like if you're not ready, then it makes it really really challenging to be able to switch and really really want to do it and enjoy it. Right, it's like your hot dog city, you know.

Speaker 2:

Yeah, that's what you enjoy right now, then please stay there, you know. And the other factor is financial. Some people don't realize how much it costs going into it and generally have made a good point. You know, it might start off kind of cheap, but then the higher level you want to go, or the more categories you want to do, these things start to cost more money. If you want to travel for these things. You know stuff like that, like it's like night and day. I did a show in Miami versus a show in my living room. Well, the cost difference there was thousands, you know. And so it just. It just comes down to like what are you prepared to spend in terms of time, energy and money?

Speaker 1:

Yeah, Speaking of time. How long did it take?

Speaker 3:

Um, I think it was under 20 weeks. So I think actually the second competition I can remember it happened so fast. I don't even think I was able to really track how long it took. It was to the point where every week I was like dropping weight, but it definitely took a lot less time than most people would put aside, for it took less than I think. It was like maybe half a year.

Speaker 1:

So, kim, would you say that's because of her previous conditioning or her adherence to the program, or a bit of both?

Speaker 2:

Both. And I smile because when I first met Jenvieve I thought this woman's going to give me a run for my money. I'm going to have yeah. I thought, oh boy, I thought she's going to. She's a do it my way kind of gal. And then she turned out to be incredibly compliant and she really surprised me.

Speaker 2:

I didn't know what to expect. She was very determined, but she also had a vision of how things were supposed to go and I was like, are we going to be on the same page? But I quickly saw that she was actually more flexible than I initially felt and what I was feeling that first meeting was her passion, not her fighting me. And so once I realized that we were more of a team, I was like, oh, this woman can do anything. And yeah, she literally vanished physically before my eyes. She really changed her physique very quickly. She was super, super determined and she was one of those people when you meet her you know she's capable of anything and it was really really impressive to see what she did. And when we saw the results from that second competition and we got them in I was crying and freaking out, aw yeah, and I remember calling because I was in Winnipeg at the time when we saw the YouTube video and I remember just like losing it, I was like oh my gosh, this is nuts, you know. So that's what you want.

Speaker 3:

I appreciate that Honestly, yeah, a lot of people would probably take that as like a little jab, but I appreciate your honesty. And a lot of people will say that directly to someone you know, because, yeah, I can be a little stuck in my ways or very determined.

Speaker 2:

But I just didn't know you yet. You know, I just really didn't know you and you were just showing me how much it meant to you and I understood that later on, as fire, I went oh wow, she's just fired up, that's all it is. You know, and it's good. It's good to again. That comes back to communication. You know, that's her way of letting me know like I really really care about this thing and she really showed me that and her determination paid off.

Speaker 1:

So Jean-Evillard Kim hinted that you did well, so how did you do?

Speaker 3:

For that. That one I placed second and what else? I think I did a transformation for that one.

Speaker 2:

She won the transformation I won the transformation.

Speaker 3:

Yeah.

Speaker 1:

I won the transformation I was entered into two categories.

Speaker 3:

So I won the transformation and then came second in my you know my career but in my second, in the second category, yeah, I think it was fitness model novice yes, yes, yeah, yeah.

Speaker 2:

When I saw that transformation win, for me like it's already a win to be in a transformation division. It's a whole other thing to win the actual transformation. Yes, that was super cool. I love that.

Speaker 3:

Yeah.

Speaker 1:

What did you mean by? It's a whole other thing to be in a transformation division.

Speaker 2:

So I think the transformation division is already like such like there's a level of bravery to it, because we're often dealing with extreme body changes. Most people that enter a transformation division have been either extremely overweight, overcome some type of a medical condition, suffered a great loss in their life, or they've overcome something like bulimia, anorexia. So you're basically saying like this person has a story that they want to share in amongst what they've accomplished and then to win with their story and their accomplishment to me is like it's just a beautiful thing to see, like I, there's an extra sense of pride as a coach for me to see that person really overcome the odds, to be where they were that day. For me, I just love it. Like anytime I have a client that wins a transformation is like it just touches my heart. It really does.

Speaker 3:

It's already a win for anyone who enters a transformation.

Speaker 2:

Yeah, absolutely.

Speaker 2:

It's definitely you know it's a vulnerability to it. Right, you're telling you're not just walking out there and being like, cool, I have a great body. You're also saying like I really went through some stuff to get here and and I want to inspire others, and you don't know who's watching in the audience that's going to say, ah, you know what? Because when I first did transformation in 2012 or, yeah, 2012, that was the first of its kind, so it was one of the first times that they ever offered it. And then when I did it nine years later and I won, I was able to tell what happened in that nine years. And it was really cool to tell the story nine years later and to say like, okay, so this is what took place in that time. This is what I've been through, because there's something.

Speaker 2:

There's something special about sharing and being vulnerable and being honest about how how life's challenges can get in the way and how we fit these things into our life. Anyways, like Jean-Vier has said, with having kids, with having MS, you know all that stuff is there's. There's an extra obstacle. It's not just I love fitness and I have a great physique, it's I also did all these things in while trying to balance all of it.

Speaker 1:

So, jean-viet, how did you feel going into the competition?

Speaker 3:

I felt pretty confident. I just because I knew it was my own accomplishment. So, regardless, you know, just like how Kim said, that anybody that does enter the transformation competition or category, it just feels like a huge accomplishment. So, even though I accomplished those goals, you're still on a journey. So for me I felt really, really good.

Speaker 3:

I had that was probably I was I was in pretty good shape already. I was pretty average size. My my endurance was great at the time, but I wanted to really transform my body physically. I wanted to see how far I could push it, and so I definitely pushed it to the limits at that time and so I felt really, really great. And then, stepping on that stage felt even more. I felt even more inspired and almost beside myself because I had a lot of support as well. So it felt really really good to accomplish that goal, to accomplish it in such a short period of time one and to just have so many people back me up. So overall, just a lot of accomplishment. So it felt really, really great to step on that stage.

Speaker 1:

And how did it feel to win?

Speaker 3:

I already felt like a winner. To be honest, it sounds so corny and so cliche and I've never won to say that. I've never won to say like, oh, I've had a cliche moment, but definitely I think at that time I hadn't stepped on a stage in a long time. I used to be a dancer when I was younger, so I've already had that experience of being on stage and being in front of a big crowd, and this was even a more intimate crowd, so I got to see everybody's face, which is the weirdest feeling. I don't know how other people feel about it, but I know, for me, if I can see your face and I can recognize you, it's definitely something that I had to overcome, but it felt really, really good to just be there and accomplish that. I have to go back to what was your. You see, I go in circles, you know, and I'm just thinking I'm just replaying it in my head of how it felt.

Speaker 1:

Yeah, You're smiling, so that's really it.

Speaker 3:

Yeah, it definitely brings back really, really good memories of just having everybody there support me and winning yeah, winning first. It just felt like a great accomplishment just even being up there and being beside other participants felt really, really great, because I knew that I wasn't the only one that was going through something, just of whatever it was that they had gone through, whatever journey they're on, to just be on stage with them and to be on stage with even the other participants, it just felt great. It felt overall, just a great experience.

Speaker 1:

And that was done, live or virtual.

Speaker 3:

This was live, live. Yeah, this was live.

Speaker 2:

Yeah, the second one was the virtual one.

Speaker 3:

Yes, the second one was a virtual one, very interesting.

Speaker 2:

So different.

Speaker 3:

Yeah, very different, because you don't get to. I was fortunate, like I was with Kim, I was at her place, so we were taping everything there and then you just submit it and then it just gets put together in a video and then they submit that, they put that on their channel and then from there they tell you like who has won, what, they've won what category, everything that has to do with the whole, not procedure, but just the whole outline of how, how voting works and whatnot. So definitely, yeah, like the two experiences were very interesting. Yeah, very different from each other. Yeah.

Speaker 1:

What are you taking from that and using, going forward? But like, what does that give you bigger, more ambitious goals? Is it just about staying healthy? Like, where are you going to next?

Speaker 3:

So right now, given the fact that it's a little backstory, I was training for my third competition when I found out that I was pregnant. So now that I am nine months postpartum, I'm hoping to get back into it. We'll see. The goal is to get back into bodybuilding. I haven't.

Speaker 3:

When I set my mind on bodybuilding like I said before, there was no. The goal was just to bodybuild. I knew nothing about bodybuilding. I didn't know what competitions there were, nothing. The goal was just to bodybuild, just to see how I can change my body.

Speaker 3:

And so now, being more familiar with the whole genre of bodybuilding and how it's changing drastically I don't know about you, kim, but I know in the bodybuilding world things are just changing up, especially for women and all these new categories and these new partnerships and federations and all that stuff. So, that being said, I think my goals are changing slightly. I had started off as in my transformation, had started off, I believe, in bikini and then realizing that my body does not fit in that category, and that happens a lot, where you think you fit into one category and realize you need to switch it up to another category. And it's just learning from that and just not just being healthy for the long run. But I believe I'd like to get back into it, see where I can challenge myself. So on a personal level of just being healthy overall and also seeing if I can reenter the bodybuilding world and see now I'm in another category.

Speaker 3:

I mean it's gonna be 40 and up. So we'll see you laugh, but it's true. And let me tell you, those ladies that are 40 and up, they're in great shape, they're in amazing shape. Most of us have had our kids and they're a little more independent and so there's a little more time for us to take care of ourselves. So I mean I think that's a good thing. So I mean, some of us, yeah, we have babies later on as well. But for a lot of women in their 40s, they've done, they've had their kids, and so now they're ready to shine and take back their independence, and so they're hitting it hard and it's 40 is the new 30. Women are in much better shape than they were back in the 50s. So we'll see where this takes me. So right now it's just trying to be healthy, getting back to a comfortable weight, comfortable mindset, and then from there I think the goal is hopefully to get back into the bodybuilding world.

Speaker 1:

I have zero doubt you'll do whatever you want to do or whatever you put your mind to it, because your history shows that to this point.

Speaker 3:

Yes, I'm a very determined person. I just gotta get my mindset there and then, once it's set, it's go time. Yeah that's true.

Speaker 1:

From the outside. Kim Jean-Evee's story is super inspiring and has. Go get her written all over it. What do you take away from her and training her? Maybe is there something different about her that you don't see with everyone you train.

Speaker 2:

Well, again, there's a level of determining how badly somebody wants something and that will determine the speed in which things happen as well, or how well they handle disruptions or hiccups or setbacks and things like that, and some people can get derailed by the smallest things and some people are a when it all costs type of attitude. She really was somebody who showed me that she would utilize the people around her and said to her husband I need this from you and I need that from you, and these are the kinds of things I wanna do. And there's a lot to be said for having that support. We all need it, whether it's a spouse, whether it's your children, whether it's a family member, your parents or whatever. But yeah, knowing that she wanted this really badly, I knew that I could expect her to put her best foot forward as much as possible every day, whereas some people would tell you, some people have been telling me for years, I wanna do that and then nothing happens. So it just really really depends.

Speaker 2:

But I think those who really decide to do it will do it most of the time. I'd say like 80% of the ones that are like okay, I'm really been dreaming of this my whole life, or I've been curious about this or that, et cetera. They'll follow through. It's the hum and ha's and I think you see a lot of that in the audience. A lot of people friends and family will come up. Oh man, I really wanna do that. And then, like a month and a half later, I'm like crickets, you know. Or you show them the meal plan and they're like ah, yes it's the best plan.

Speaker 2:

It's a food for most people, and people always come up to me all the time. I would do it, but I love food and I think JenVF can tell you there's no shortage of food. It's just not the food you want, but there's no shortage of food. Most of the time people say there's too much food. They can't eat all the food. So I think there's a misconception that everyone's out here starving to death the whole time. That's not happening either.

Speaker 2:

So, yeah, no, somebody like JenVF is an incredibly determined person and can be a great example for others, especially those with MS, to push through. You know, and we are grateful that she would share her story Because, again, the more we tell people about what we've overcome, the more we're going to get people to come out and participate in this sport who might not have considered it in the first place, who are that person that's like, oh, but I have this, or I can't do it because I have kids, or I don't have time because this or whatever. So I thank her for sharing that story and I'm grateful that you know that you would receive her today on this as well, because, again, this is going to motivate at least one person, I'm sure of it, at least.

Speaker 3:

I hope so.

Speaker 2:

Yeah.

Speaker 1:

If I could have described a perfect person to come onto this podcast when I had the idea this is what I want all the time, because we never know who needs to hear a story or a message on this given day because of what they're going through. And maybe someone is sitting at home right now going. I know I need to get healthy, but I have this issue, this issue and this issue and I don't know if I can, and your story says that you absolutely can. And Kim, you brought up. You don't have time. We all have the same number of hours in a day. It's what do you prioritize and how badly do you want it?

Speaker 2:

Well, and when you had asked me, did I know anybody or whatever? When I when, like, the first thing that came to mind is to show you the interview that she had done before, I said that will say it all and you can decide from there if this is the right person, Because I think that that interview was a great catalyst, you know, for bringing her on your program here, and I'm just so glad that that, that you could see that, and and I'm glad that she was the right person for this very, very event.

Speaker 1:

And she just didn't come on once, she came on twice.

Speaker 2:

That's it. There you go. See reoccurring guests. Already she's a fan favorite.

Speaker 3:

Oh, thank you guys, honestly, like I'm so humbled to like very thankful, and you know, I think I don't. You know, when somebody asks you to do something like this and when people speak highly of you, it's just I find it so surreal. I mean, I just see myself as a normal everyday person, you know, doing my job, and for others to view me that way, to say that my story is very inspiring, I mean, I feel like my story is like anybody else's story. Everybody has something, you know. But it's always nice to hear that if you can just inspire one person and, like I said before, you know it always sounds so cliche or sounds a little corny, but it's true, you know, whenever you can touch someone in any sort of way to inspire them, it just feels good, it feels really good well, and what are the chances that he would have a podcast about this and then say, hey, do you want to come on this show?

Speaker 2:

and I go well, I have somebody who should really speak for herself. So let me introduce you to this person who has this really really special story.

Speaker 3:

And, yeah, and I love how how this all fits- together, you speak out loud and you know things get answered.

Speaker 2:

So yeah, you start to ask people for stuff too right, because if you don't ask, you just don't know what, what's really out there or what people might say yes to or reveal to you.

Speaker 1:

Yeah, so super cool it's been sort of a nice feeling, because doing this podcast is to help people feel something or get inspired or hear other stories so that they know they're not alone. And what I've loved about this whole process is when I share what I'm doing. Most people just want to help and what's been very surprising to me is, like I know this person with multiple sclerosis and this is what they do. How would you feel about having them on? And it's exactly how it happened with you, kim, and it's been. It's just keeps going and going and going and it's really showing me a better side of humanity that you don't always see. So it's been really cool that way that's awesome it gives me a little bit of the feels.

Speaker 1:

You guys have both been amazing. I loved having you both on. I was super excited about this. All week I've been telling the world about it. Well, my friends world, my world your world hey same here.

Speaker 3:

Everyone's bugging me like when do we get to hear it? When do we get to hear it? I'm like it's coming, it's coming.

Speaker 1:

I can tell you, cuz I mapped it out, so I'll share it publicly, cuz now I have to do it, it will be September 4th, terrific. So I'll release it September 4th and it will be the 10th episode. So, or it is the 10th episode, so I'm super happy to do it that way, and it's it's my, my first, repeat guest. It's the first time I've had two guests on at the same time. It's the 10th episode. It's beautiful. So September 4th it is perfect.

Speaker 1:

We look forward to it, yeah thank you again and hopefully maybe down the road we'll we'll do it again yeah, that'd be great yeah, thank you for having me on again after the next show.

Speaker 2:

Then we have awesome, thank you no problem you.