The Author of MY Story
" If you want something you've never had, you've got to do something you've never done." Let's hit it off with this delightful quote! BUT first let me apologize for any improper grammar due to no carbs and water depletion. Hope I didn't scare any of you just yet. I promise, it will only get better from here.
I was born and raised in the Bronx, and I have two amazing, supportive sisters. I was never interested in sports, let alone fitness. My theory was always " I don't run unless I am being chased, and if I am being chased by a dog, I won't even attempt it." LAUGH if you must, but this is the God honest truth! I was always very diffident. My mother, as much as I love her, always told me " In this world, you will only have your family. Your friends are your family. That's it" As I grew older, I realized she was wrong. As bad as this may sound, don't always listen to your mother. This caused me to have very few friends. I portrayed a cold, inapproachable, self centered person. I obviously was controlled by my mother's beliefs and it was time to put a stop to it. I was not happy with the person I portrayed to the world. With all these emotions running through me, I finally came to a decision...I got a dog. I figured why not get a dog.?!!??! Yeah.....that didn't work. I worked 40 hours a week and attended a university full time. My poor puppy experienced depression. For her sake, after a wonderful year, I shipped her to my aunt in Florida. My puppy is healthy as can be now, sipping on a pina colada somewhere. :)
Months later, I started feeling depressed again. I needed some excitement in my life. I was tired of living a routine life, and I needed to step out of my comfort zone. I ad the privilege of attending my friend Laura's WBFF competition show, and in that particular moment, I fell in love! It was the perfect change I had been seeking.
My main focus was never to compete. The competition was the ultimate push to complete my fitness journey. My first encounter with my coach Malenna was seamless. ( I swear I am not just saying this cause I know she will eventually read it. She is truly amazing! See for yourself! ) :) Of course, I was nervous, and frightened. I never imagined I would stick through it. BUT GUESS WHAT!?!? I am currently 6 days from my first WBFF competition and couldn't be more ecstatic. This wasn't a walk in the park. I approached this journey with blindfolded. I didn't know what 'macros' were. I hadn't ever been in GNC, and the only gym I ever attended was my school gym. (because it was mandatory) OH, and Lucielle Roberts, because it was strictly for females. I still don't know how to perform a perfect squat, but give it time, I am almost there! Hope I didn't bore you just yet. IF you got this far, please read a little further. It's time to get to the nitty gritty as to why I believe this team is so friggin awesome!
Our first team retreat was in Jan of this year, and was eventful. I was a little skeptical about attending. These girls didn't know me from a hole in the wall. How can they like me?! But I was wrong! All the ladies shared a similar purpose. A purpose to grow, better themselves, motivate others and to encourage one another. It was such a pleasant retreat, it actually made it much easier to stick around and witness everyone's success. To this day, these girls are a part of my family. Not blood, but certainly by choice. To have the privilege to be a part of a team with such beautiful, talented, motivated females really just inspires me to become everything I've ever wanted to be. Having so many people believe in you, even at the lowest point when you stop believing in yourself, is enough to keep you going.
I've come to realize I am my own worst enemy. However, I knew if I allowed fear to over take me, my journey would be ruined. I believe fear is born of a story we tell ourselves. From this point forward, I choose to tell myself a different story. Insisting on being fearless is a form of mind control. I refuse to let myself become afraid. In 6 days, I will step on stage alongside my girls and we will relinquish any negativity we may have encountered. We will continue encouraging one another because we are the Elite Heat and that is what we believe!
My name is Jennifer Castillo. I am 23 years old, and I will be competing for the first time on July 11th. My reason for competing is deeper than just wanting to look pretty on stage and showing off my muscles. Its about a journey on building self confidence and finding happiness within myself. For many years, I was self conscious about how I looked because I believed I didn't have an attractive feminine body. I would always tell myself I looked like a 12 year old boy with no behind and a man chest. Because of that, I considered myself to be ugly. My own negative thoughts were eating me alive. Now I have learned that is is not how you look that makes you beautiful but how you feel about yourself on the inside. Fitness brought me the confidence I needed to believe in myself not just because working out kept my body in shape but the happiness it gave me. Everyday, I look forward to going to the gym and challenging my body and everyday I surprise myself on what my body is capable of doing. In the back of my mind, I always thought of the idea of wanting to compete but I've always been such a shy person. I couldn't imagine myself walking across a state in front of hundreds of people. It wasn't until I met former Elite Heat member Laura, who introduced me to the Elite Heat and the world of beauty and fitness. I saw all the amazing pictures of her transformation throughout here competition years and it truly inspired me. I thought to myself, if she can do it, then why can't I. 
