Throughout our lives, we come to crossroads and wonder which direction we should take that will lead us to our purpose. We question whether the choices we are making will bring us closer to what God has called us to do. Fitness has always been my calling. God has shown me repeatedly in my life that this is what I'm meant to be doing, but I ignored the signs. It wasn’t until I lost the love of my life that I realized fitness was also my place of peace.

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On November 5, 2016, I learned that tomorrow is not promised. The only person in my life who had all of my heart passed away in a tragic accident. My daughter, Maddison Choe Wilson, who was the love of my life and the one who taught me to love unselfishly, was taken from me.

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Every breath of life, love, and happiness was taken from me, and my life spiraled out of control. I became depressed and hopeless, even contemplating suicide several times. I had no one to turn to and no one who could understand the pain in my heart.

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The only thing that kept my mind clear and helped me breathe one breath at a time was fitness. I released my anger and dealt with my grief in the batting cage and through workouts at the gym. Fitness was the only thing that brought me real joy outside of my beautiful daughter.

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I believe it is important to recognize how fragile life is. We tend to forget the essential things that truly matter in our lives. We let moments slip by where we could have said a prayer for someone in need, left the house in anger towards a loved one, or forgiven a friend after a disagreement.

The only day given to us is today. We often let life take over instead of realizing that today is a gift. What we do with that gift is up to us.

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After months of depression that seemed to worsen rather than improve, I had an epiphany. God was calling to me through my grief, revealing that my purpose was to help others through fitness and the gifts He had given me.

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That is why I decided to open my own fitness studio and name it MAD5 FITNESS. I wanted this facility to be more than just a place for fitness; I wanted it to be about the whole person, fostering a sense of family and community.