ORLANDO, Fla. — One Apopka mother drew strength from hurdles to transform her life and show up for her daughter in ways she never imagined possible.
“Yes, I’m competing and lost weight. But, out of everything I’ve done, she’s my biggest success,” said Jwan Nguyen, referring to her daughter. “She’s the one who motivates me to keep going.”
What You Need To Know
Jwan Nguyen battled with weight issues for years before undergoing a gastric bypass
The nurse committed herself to the gym, losing more than 180 lbs.
She recently placed fourth in the “Transformation” division of Summer Shredding competition in Texas
Nguyen’s journey inspires her daughter, an 11-year-old competitive gymnast
Nguyen lost more than 180 lbs, placing fourth in a recent Summer Shredding competition held in Houston, Texas, and adding another medal to her now-growing collection.
But, it’s what she overcame to walk across the stage that serves as inspiration for her competitive gymnast daughter, Elodie.
Nguyen lost her mother, who was often sick when she was a child, at the age of 16. For a period of time, Nguyen was homeless.
She was also the first in her family to go to college and as an adult, battled with weight issues, and later dealt with infertility.
“I felt like by the time I got to rescue a patient, I was the one who needed oxygen because I couldn’t make it there. I thought, ‘How can I take care of someone and save their life if I’m not taking care of myself?’” she said.
Nguyen decided to make a change, and underwent a gastric bypass surgery. And while it was the gateway to a healthier life, it was her grit and determination to hit her local Planet Fitness gym in Winter Garden—for hours each day, five to seven days per week—that propelled extensive weight loss.
After hiring a coach, she began entering Summer Shredding competitions, entering the Transformation Division, which she explained is not about perfection, but progress.
“I wanted to challenge myself, to see exactly what I could do with my body. I was inspired by the people on the stage like, ‘Let’s see if I can do this … pushing myself to see what I can do in the newfound body,” she said. “I spent so much of my life being unhealthy. I didn’t have the self esteem, the self confidence to go out and enjoy life. Thank God this has given me a newfound confidence.”
Now, Nguyen cheers on Elodie, who competes at level eight and nine, as the 11-year-old cheers in tandem for her mother.
“She’s always like, ‘I’ll do my workout because even if I don’t want to do it, I’ll get better,’” said the girl, adding, “I’m proud about that because now she has more opportunities to do more things.”
“I’m just ready to go there and kick butt, hopefully bring home the trophy,” said Nguyen. “Show my daughter and everybody else that if you want something hard enough, push hard enough, you’ll get there.”