Year after year, my New Year’s Resolution remained the same: “to lose weight” and yet, I never did. I became the definition of insane. According to Albert Einstein, “insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.” Albert hit it right on the nose with me!

“Fear is made up in our own minds. Ultimately, we have the choice to let go of the fear or hold onto it.” In the days prior to the Ironman competition, I had to keep reminding myself that fear is a story that one tells themselves, it's not real, it’s imaginary, something we manufacture in our heads that prevents us from reaching our true potential.

We all encounter our fair share of hardship in life, and I’m no exception. I grew up an overweight child in a single parent household – a young girl who endured fat jokes on the playground and in the classroom. It didn’t get any easier, as I was met with rejection when trying to break into the world of plus size modeling. And in college, I endured an emotionally abusive relationship that threatened to crush my spirit.

Are you looking to get inspired? Well, wait, till you meet Tara Costa! A woman whose warmth, empathy, energetic spirit, and can-do-attitude will make you believe that anything is possible through hard work and dedication.