“Like most people, I’ve made choices that did not line up with who I’ve been created, called, or specialized to be. One of the most memorable took place almost 6 years ago, before my senior year of college. I had already experienced a couple years of “recreational” drug use, and was pretty comfortable trying substances that I felt weren’t ‘too extreme’. “

“Chicago was very different from the south. You would see a lot of things. I mean you would see people do drugs just walking down the sidewalk. I’ve seen a man get shot right in front of me. When you heard gunshots you automatically knew to lay down on the ground…”

“I was born in Birmingham, Alabama and I spent two weeks in the NICU weighing only four pounds. The doctors told my mom that I might not make it and if I did, I’d have a special disability. Obviously that didn’t happen and eventually I became the person you see right now…”

“For all of my childhood, I lived in poverty. I didn’t have my basic needs. We moved probably 18 times when I was a kid. Honestly, it may have been more, but those are the times that I could count. We didn’t have toothpaste, soap, running water, heat, food, adequate clothing, or shoes….”

“I’m from South Korea and my father was an aviation mechanic, so the financial status of my family was not too bad. Not rich, but not too bad. My father kind of had a quick temper so I was afraid of him growing up. Most times when you feel afraid, your thinking stops, you cannot make a good judgment. It can be emotionally abusive…”

“The biggest challenge I’ve had to face is trying to live life after losing a child. I had a realization that life is short and it’s precious. As a minister of the gospel, you try your best to teach people what God requires, to implement that, demonstrate that and you tell them about the blessings and promises that come along with that. But, life is reality…”

“I got married pretty young, I think I was 22. Right out of college. We lived in a rented house and then his grandparents offered us to buy their house and 20 acres. So at an early age we had a 2-story house and 20 acres…”

“I started lifting while playing football in highschool. I remember wanting to put on some muscle so I would workout during practice, then after practice I’d workout on my own. That eventually led to me lifting on the weekends. My father got me some weights and I just fell in love with working out..”

“Between the ages of 3 and 4, my uncle and I would play his version of hide-and-seek. When we played, he would always make me go hide with him. There was a closet in my grandparents' dining room and he would always pull me into that closet, which was always junky…”