Michelle Troll
...in her own words...
June
2004 - If
anyone knew me as a child, it would probably seem strange to see me on
stage posing in a figure competition. Growing up in a family of four girls,
I was considered "the shy one". To walk to the front of the
classroom to sharpen my pencil was an anxiety-ridden experience. I was
painfully shy and self-conscious. To make matters worse, I was terribly
thin and incredibly smart. In other words, I was the epitome of "the
geek".
Children
were cruel and gave me all sorts of nicknames like "bookworm",
"string-bean" and "toothpick". This treatment from
my peers caused me to withdraw even further.
My parents
divorced when I was young. A few years later, we moved away with my mother.
It was an opportunity for a fresh start. I continued to suffer low self-esteem
but worked hard on trying to "break-out-of-my shell". I even
began training at the age of 16 years in the hopes of putting on some
weight.
After graduating
from high school, I moved to live with my dad. I worked hard and played
harder. I led a very physically and socially active lifestyle. I now had
many friends and seemed to overcome a great deal of my shyness.
At the age
of 19, I entered what can only be described as a "living nightmare".
I married an extremely violent and abusive man. I endured almost four
years of hell while suffering both physical and mental abuse at his hands.
He systematically stripped me of my identity while controlling my every
move. He instructed me on every aspect of my appearance and told me what
I was allowed to wear or not wear. I was virtually a prisoner in my own
home.
The light
that shone in all of this darkness came a year and a half after we were
married. My daughter was born and with her, came a new reason to live.
She gave me the strength and the courage to leave a potentially fatal
situation. I refused to have my daughter grow up watching her mother victimized
for the rest of her life.
We moved
to Canada with little money and only two suitcases filled with our belongings.
I took odd jobs while trying to upgrade my education. It was with great
satisfaction that I attended college for two years. This was something
that I had always wanted to do but was not permitted to during my earlier
marriage. I studied law and achieved top honors on the Dean's List each
semester.
I became
a regular at the gym once again and began to weight train, swim and participated
in all sorts of outdoor activities. I also developed an active social
life like any other young woman my age.
In the summer
of 1991, I was a passenger in a relatively minor motor vehicle accident.
I suffered the typical whiplash injury and related symptoms. However,
I also began to experience dizziness, numbness, blurry vision and extreme
fatigue. As the fatigue worsened, every day became a challenge. I began
to experience symptoms that left me completely bedridden and unable to
walk. After years of testing, I was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis.
Unable to work, I spent most days in bed. I took my daughter to school
(sometimes while still in my pajamas) and returned home to sleep most
of the day. I would get up in time to shower and put on my makeup. The
last thing I wanted was to show up at my daughter's school looking like
I'd spent the entire day in bed.
Twelve
years after leaving my first husband, I met and married my soul-mate.
We knew it would be unwise for us to have any more children due to my
complicated health issues. However, we were happy with the four children
we already had and, to be honest, we loved our time alone together.
Year after
year - I had good days followed by bad days. Fatigue and dizziness were
my main symptoms. I also developed arthritis in both hands and left shoulder.
I began to dread the fall/winter season as the painful swelling and inflammation
in my joints would flare up as soon as the rain began. I could barely
lift the bed sheets at night or grasp a pen or fork let alone lift a dumbbell
due to the pain and stiffness.
After years
of decreased activity, I experienced chronic muscle pain and muscle wasting
so severe that my doctor prescribed physiotherapy. She told me that I
had "no delts, no bicep or tricep muscles". My muscles were
so weak and deteriorated that they had begun to atrophy due to lack of
use as a result of being bedridden for so long.
I was determined
not to end up like so many other patients with multiple sclerosis. I decided
that it was time to head back to the gym. With the support and guidance
of my husband, I became more health conscious with my diet and implemented
a regular weight-training program. I soon noticed that my naturally lean
body responded well to the change in diet and training. We took things
slow at first and listened to my body. Rest was equally important for
me.
Following
the advice of my husband, I increased my protein intake, avoided sugar
and starchy carbohydrates and added supplements like glutamine and branch
chain amino acids. The results were dramatic!
Although
I struggled with fatigue and often found it difficult to hold a dumbbell
in my hands due to the arthritis, I continued to persevere with the encouragement
of my husband and daughter. Eventually, my strength and energy increased.
I read every fitness magazine available for tips on diet and exercise.
In August
2002, my husband and I attended our first figure competition together
as I had recently been approached about competing. We met IFBB pro Tanji
Johnson at the Max Muscle booth and I was inspired to enter my first competition
the following April. While still recovering from a bout of pneumonia,
I began to train for the Emerald Cup. Four months later, I finished a
somewhat disappointing seventh place. I was extremely disciplined with
my diet and training. In fact, I was so disciplined that I ended up coming
in to the contest "too lean" and "overly conditioned".
At first I struggled with the results, but then I pulled myself together
and prepared for my next contest.
Two months
later, I went on to win first and overall in the Oregon State Championships.
I qualified for the Nationals and went to New York with absolutely no
expectations. I managed to place 18th out of 67 competitors in my class
alone.
In October,
I competed in the Washington State Championships where I swept away the
first and overall awards. Six weeks later, I traveled to California to
compete in the Excalibur where I won first place in the tall category.
This was particularly exciting for me as my three sisters live in California
and now had the opportunity to see me compete for the first time.
Following
the Excalibur, I decided to compete in the Ironman contest held in Pasadena,
California on February 21, 2004. I won the tall class with a perfect score!
However, it was a bittersweet victory as the constant training and dieting
had begun to take a toll on me physically and mentally just prior to the
contest. In fact, I nearly pulled out of the competition as I began to
experience a relapse of my symptoms and was in terrible shape the day
of the contest. I now had the difficult decision whether or not to persevere
and see if I could pull myself together in time for the Junior USAs as
they were just around the corner and I had little time to prepare.
With the
encouragement of family and friends, I decided to keep going. However,
I was unable to train with the same level of intensity and my diet was
no longer as disciplined. For the next month, I struggled with an upper
respiratory infection further complicating matters as I also suffer from
asthma. Naturally, I found any cardio activities extremely challenging.
I required a great deal of rest during this time. I was somewhat discouraged
about my ability to train but began to look forward to the nationals nonetheless.
I was extremely happy about my second place finish and further encouraged
by the many positive comments from both judges and photographers.
I am now
preparing to compete in the Junior Nationals held in June followed by
Team Universe six weeks later. It's a busy schedule but I am excited!
My daughter graduates from high school next month and it is so thrilling
to have her realize that it is never too late to set goals for yourself
or to follow your dreams.
Fitness has
literally changed my life. I am now approached on a regular basis for
advice on diet and training. I plan to continue competing to see just
how far I can take this dream. I hope to inspire others to set their own
health and fitness goals even if they are living with a chronic illness
or disability. I still struggle with various symptoms and must always
be careful not to overdo things (part of my personality) but I would not
trade the life that I am living right now for anything. Not too many years
ago, my doctors told me that I had about a 50 - 70 % chance of being in
a wheelchair one day. I think that the odds have increased in my favor!
With determination and perseverance, any dream can become a reality….
|
Age:
|
38 |
|
Height:
|
5'7½" |
|
Weight:
|
145
lbs. (between contests)
135
lbs. (contest)
|
|
Marital
status:
|
Married
with four children |
|
Favorite
bodypart to train:
|
Back
and abs |
|
Favorite
cheat food:
|
Hot
fudge brownie sundae and nachos |
|
Years
training:
|
2 |
