JGarcia28
04-05-11, 11:17 am
Dear Animal,
Thanks for being a straight forward company that gives a shit about friends, family, and community more than making a buck. I started lifting seriously when I was 16 and I've always looked up to frank, house, OX, and a few others. I started off as a chronically obese, 15 year old that would sit around all day eating cheese sandwiches and playing World of Warcraft as much as possible. I was homeschooled with absolutely no social life. I was simply...existing. Not contributing to anything worth shit, never had a girlfriend, a best friend, nothing.. When I decided to smash the iron with everything I had, I knew I had to. My family has a backround of heart issues, blood pressure issues, and asthma. I knew it was gonna be one hell of a commitment, but I wasn't expecting this. I was 5'4" 206lbs. I began eating so much due to losing both my grandparents back to back, infront of my face 3 weeks apart. My grandfather passed with a heart attack, was brought back to life against our families will, and passed shortly after on life-support. My grandmother was a soldier. She could withstand any pain in this world and would turn it into a positive. She drowned due to her lungs filling with fluid while also on life support. I've never seen anyone else with the amount of willpower and determination my grandparents had. I grew up without a father, single mom with 3 kids. Both my bros had a different father but were still tighter than ever. I was abandoned by my father twice, first was before birth when he offered my mom an abortion and second after I had the balls to call him and ask him why he didn't want me. Out of curiosity...ya know? His reply? I'm his most expensive mistake. He said other things are so painful I cant even type them.This motivated me more than ever to make a change. I ran 3.5 miles a day. For 3 months straight. I was looked at as crazy cause thanksgiving night I'd be running off dinner. Infact, i was running so much i was developing a fracture in both of my legs and had to stop. So,I began lifting. Giving it my absolute ALL. Every fiber of my existence was catered towards family, God, and iron. After a couple years of transforming, I'm now looking better than ever, have a girlfriend of 1.5 years, and my confidence level is through the roof. During my journey, I worked out with my bros friend grant. He was a really cool guy that me a ton of stuff about lifting and took both of us by the hand. He's also had crohns disease since birth. Whenever he pushes himself his intenstines tangle up and knot together. One day my bro tells me he hit it full force and went into the ER and had emergency intenstine removal and reconstructive surgery. They stitched a bag to his side so he could use the bathroom. It was unaffordable for him and his family. His mom had to pawn all her jewelry and have a yard sale to pay for it. He started working at his job again and is recovering well as time continues. He used to tell me this whenever id ask for a 5lb plate: "what's a five?!" expressing that its nothing and I needed more intensity. He was right. So to everyone reading this, I'm now ~5'10" tall and 185-190lbs solid. Mid teens BF, holding my own in the gym every day. Animal, when I look at an iconic logo, I see my past. I see what has pushed me forward more than ever. What has aided my journey to becoming an animal. When I look in a gym mirror, I see myself. With both my bros, my grandparents healthy and alive behind me along with grant telling me I need to raise the weight. I see my father as shit that fuels the fire of my rage when I hit the iron. This is not a sympathy letter, a plea for help, etc.. Just my story expressing my upmost gratitude towards animal and the animal family. I just got accepted as a FORVM member and am already loving it. To everyone at animal, thanks for doing what you do and by all means, DON'T STOP.*
I'm out guys, thanks again for reading.
Peace
Thanks for being a straight forward company that gives a shit about friends, family, and community more than making a buck. I started lifting seriously when I was 16 and I've always looked up to frank, house, OX, and a few others. I started off as a chronically obese, 15 year old that would sit around all day eating cheese sandwiches and playing World of Warcraft as much as possible. I was homeschooled with absolutely no social life. I was simply...existing. Not contributing to anything worth shit, never had a girlfriend, a best friend, nothing.. When I decided to smash the iron with everything I had, I knew I had to. My family has a backround of heart issues, blood pressure issues, and asthma. I knew it was gonna be one hell of a commitment, but I wasn't expecting this. I was 5'4" 206lbs. I began eating so much due to losing both my grandparents back to back, infront of my face 3 weeks apart. My grandfather passed with a heart attack, was brought back to life against our families will, and passed shortly after on life-support. My grandmother was a soldier. She could withstand any pain in this world and would turn it into a positive. She drowned due to her lungs filling with fluid while also on life support. I've never seen anyone else with the amount of willpower and determination my grandparents had. I grew up without a father, single mom with 3 kids. Both my bros had a different father but were still tighter than ever. I was abandoned by my father twice, first was before birth when he offered my mom an abortion and second after I had the balls to call him and ask him why he didn't want me. Out of curiosity...ya know? His reply? I'm his most expensive mistake. He said other things are so painful I cant even type them.This motivated me more than ever to make a change. I ran 3.5 miles a day. For 3 months straight. I was looked at as crazy cause thanksgiving night I'd be running off dinner. Infact, i was running so much i was developing a fracture in both of my legs and had to stop. So,I began lifting. Giving it my absolute ALL. Every fiber of my existence was catered towards family, God, and iron. After a couple years of transforming, I'm now looking better than ever, have a girlfriend of 1.5 years, and my confidence level is through the roof. During my journey, I worked out with my bros friend grant. He was a really cool guy that me a ton of stuff about lifting and took both of us by the hand. He's also had crohns disease since birth. Whenever he pushes himself his intenstines tangle up and knot together. One day my bro tells me he hit it full force and went into the ER and had emergency intenstine removal and reconstructive surgery. They stitched a bag to his side so he could use the bathroom. It was unaffordable for him and his family. His mom had to pawn all her jewelry and have a yard sale to pay for it. He started working at his job again and is recovering well as time continues. He used to tell me this whenever id ask for a 5lb plate: "what's a five?!" expressing that its nothing and I needed more intensity. He was right. So to everyone reading this, I'm now ~5'10" tall and 185-190lbs solid. Mid teens BF, holding my own in the gym every day. Animal, when I look at an iconic logo, I see my past. I see what has pushed me forward more than ever. What has aided my journey to becoming an animal. When I look in a gym mirror, I see myself. With both my bros, my grandparents healthy and alive behind me along with grant telling me I need to raise the weight. I see my father as shit that fuels the fire of my rage when I hit the iron. This is not a sympathy letter, a plea for help, etc.. Just my story expressing my upmost gratitude towards animal and the animal family. I just got accepted as a FORVM member and am already loving it. To everyone at animal, thanks for doing what you do and by all means, DON'T STOP.*
I'm out guys, thanks again for reading.
Peace