DALLAS — Fit, flexible and fierce, Sashi Wilson is a stunner.
“I was the person who always had a smile on [her] face no matter what,” Wilson said. “I was definitely competitive, a bit of a go-getter.”
That ambitious attitude started early for Wilson, who spent years as a competitive cheerleader and gymnast. A sudden accident stripped her of her passion.
“I was doing a standing backflip and just dropped face first,” Wilson recalled. “It’s a move that I’ve done my whole life, but for whatever reason that day I just didn’t get enough rotation.”
Unable to practice, train or perform, Wilson fell into a deep depression.
“That brought on a binge-eating disorder,” said Wilson, who gained over 100 pounds within a year. “I went from 125 to 225. I would eat myself into a food coma, go to sleep, wake up and do it all over again.”
Wilson admits that she lost herself during that period of time, but the fighter inside never gave up. A year and a half after her injury, Wilson was cleared to exercise again.
“Fifty pounds… just fell off, but the second 50 pounds, I had to really work hard for,” Wilson said. “It took me almost six years to lose the 100 pounds that I had gained in less than a year.”
Personal trainer Josh Wise is how she made it happen.
“Fitness actually saved her life,” Wise said. “She would literally be crying in pain doing shoulder presses. It’s never easy. It takes time.”
Wilson had a very specific training goal in mind.
“I came to him 50 pounds overweight, and my plan was to compete in a bodybuilding competition,” she said. “I kind of thought I was crazy, but he was like—no, you got this—let’s get it done.”
Together, with her dedicated trainer and self-discipline to see through to her goal, Wilson made a remarkable comeback, losing 102 pounds.
“It just takes time,” Wise said. “This is an extreme sport, so it takes an extreme attitude.”
Now a nationally qualified bikini athlete and fitness instructor, Wilson feels she is living her purpose-- inspiring others to meet their goals, too.
“Never give up,” Wilson said, when sharing advice that she offers to clients. “You can go slow, you can crawl, you can walk, you can whatever…but don’t give up.”