Michelle’s Journey

I am an ordinary woman who has achieved extraordinary results in body, mind and spirit.

I have been challenged throughout my life so far but with incredible determination and a refusal to take no for an answer I have overcome these obstacles and achieved my ultimate health and fitness goals.

From age 7 I had a sporting dream of representing my country in equestrian at the Olympic Games one day. When this dream was shattered after a severe riding accident I went into a tailspin of destructive behaviour. I abused my body with alcohol, cigarettes and processed foods for years. I no longer cared for my body as I felt it had let me down as I did not achieve my ultimate goal and I felt deep pain and regret that my parents had given up everything for me financially to achieve my goal and I did not deliver.

I finally hit rock bottom when I nearly killed myself in a high speed car rollover on the freeway. While recovering from this horrific accident I thought to myself I really did not care that I could have killed myself but the thought of me killing someone’s mother, father, brother, sister with my reckless behaviour consumed me and created a shift within me

My mum bought me a gym membership after a few weeks of recovery as she wanted to reignite some passion and drive into her daughter. I accepted the gym membership and within days of going I loved it. I immersed myself into the gym lifestyle. I bought every fitness magazine and book of health and nutrition I could get my hands on and even attended a natural bodybuilding competition which some of the members were competing in. This competition transformed me as I saw an opportunity to train my body to peak physical condition and there was a pathway to becoming a world champion in another sport for me.

That night I set myself a goal of winning a world figure title within 5 years and I started to put together my plan of attack.

This plan comprised of me hiring a personal trainer, seeking bodybuilding diet and posing advice and most of all it saw me immerse myself in the natural bodybuilding lifestyle.

Within 12 months I won my first show the WA State Novice Figure title then went on to win the Australian Novice Figure title. I kept training for the next years shows and stepped up into the open Figure division where I placed third in the WA state titles and third again at the Australian titles. I continued training again for another year then was given the news that I would require urgent open heart surgery to replace my aortic valve due to being born with aortic stenosis (the abnormal narrowing of the aortic valve)

I was told by doctors that they would replace my valve with a mechanical version and I would never be able to exercise with any type of intensity again much less start a family. This was devastating for me as I was three years into my goal of winning that elusive world natural bodybuilding title within 5 years and I would definitely want to start a family in the future.

While waiting for the surgery I sat up late at night due to having a resting heart rate of 155 beats per minute and a heart that took up my entire chest cavity. I felt like I was having a severe panic attack 24 hours a day. These sleepless nights saw me watch an Anthony Robbins infomercial about his get the edge program. For some strange reason I ordered the program and when it arrived I completed it within a few days. This program changed my life as Tony was teaching a concept of alkalinity within the body and explained anybody can be regenerated if the internal environment is correct and we nourish our cells from within. He also taught me to believe anything was possible and there was always another way. Form Tony’s teaching I  decided I would not give up as I wanted to achieve my dreams so I underwent a radical new surgery called the ‘Ross’ procedure which posed more surgical risks but the outcome post-surgery was far better. The surgery was a huge success and I decided I would achieve that world title goal just needed to find the key to rebuilding my body, mind and soul.

Needless to say the road back was a tough one but I never gave up. While recovering, I studied to become a CHEK Holistic Nutrition and Lifestyle Coach, Master personal trainer, IPAC Physique conditioning coach and whole live food nutrition expert. I got back to basics and realised our bodies are built on whole live food nutrition and revitalising exercise could rebuild the most damaged body. After I adopted this lifestyle my body began to rebuild quickly and I went from not having the strength to open a small bottle of water to 18 months later winning the INBA Olympia World Natural Bodybuilding Title and I only went one month over my original five-year goal.

I have gone on to have a little girl named Sierra Skye who is 4 years old and my mission now is to educate, motivate and inspire you to get fit from within and become a living testament of health and vitality. I do this through my business Nazafit Online Fitness and Nutrition and I hope to inspire magnificence within everyone as it is in each and every one of us we just have to take action and believe.

Michelle x

Leave a Reply