The Weight of a Dream

All my life, I struggled with my weight. I was always the chubby kid in class, the favorite goalkeeper during our soccer games, the boy girls only saw as a friend, or the one the teacher would seat at the back because I blocked the view of my classmates. At first, I got used to it; I thought that was the life I was meant to live. When you're a kid, you don't realize what you're doing wrong, and you just believe that's the life you've been given. Many times, I spent my days feeling depressed, unless I had food and video games. That was the only way I could feel good without realizing that I was only prolonging my suffering.

When I reached young adulthood, I started playing soccer, went to the gym occasionally, and managed to lose a few kilos. But my weight was so much that the change was barely noticeable. My life remained the same—the girls still didn’t look at me, my friends still made their nasty comments, and after playing so much, I fell in love with being a goalkeeper. But my eating habits were the same.

Since childhood, I had a dream of being a soldier. I used to play with my toy soldiers and Legos, imagining myself delivering justice to the world and being part of a group of heroes. So, when I turned 18 during my last year of high school, I decided to visit the recruitment offices. How did it go? It was terrible. At the Marine Corps office, they told me I was too fat; they didn't even let me sit down to talk. At the Army office, they let me sit, but they also said I was too fat. The Air Force told me to come back when I was in better physical shape. So I went back home, defeated, feeling like this was the final blow that sealed my life as a complete failure.

A few months before graduation, while heading to the cafeteria, there was a recruitment table. As I passed by, a muscular soldier with a deep voice asked me if I wanted to be part of the Army. Inside, I was stunned; finally, a soldier was asking me if I wanted to be like him—a hero. Of course, I said yes, but I told him I had tried before and had been rejected because of my weight. With a frown on his face, he told me to visit him at his office the next day after school. I was nervous, scared that everything would repeat itself—the dreaded "NO."

The next morning, I woke up like any other day, same routine, but with nerves on edge, anxious for the day to be over so I could see him. Finally, after some time, the awaited moment arrived. The soldier sat me down and asked me what my plans were, what I wanted to do in the Army, showing a lot of interest in me. I answered all his questions, and he told me that everything was possible if I stuck to a nutritional program. He asked me to visit him once every two weeks to track my progress, and if at any point I thought about quitting, he told me to call him. Wow, I felt so excited and motivated, as if the motivation had come straight from God. And that’s when I realized that all I needed was for someone to believe in ME.

To make a long story short, after six months, I had lost 25 kilos and was on a bus headed to Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri, for my basic training. And you may ask, "What’s the point of this story?" Well, it's to tell you that maybe it's not about accepting the life we think we’re stuck with or believing that our life will be like this forever. I shared this emotional and personal story to tell you that you are not alone. Even if you feel like you're the only one feeling what you're feeling, that's not true, and YES, THERE IS A WAY OUT. Find motivation in a dream you have and keep pedaling until you reach the goal. Remember, giving up is not allowed. No one said it would be an easy road—far from it—but it's definitely worth it.

Stay strong, brother or sister, and good luck on your journey.