One Tough Rose

“But he who dares not grasp the thorn/Should never crave the rose.”
― Anne Brontë

Kimberly Rose - backstage at Texas Shredder — Kimberly Rose – backstage at Texas Shredder

“The first week after my thyroid surgery I gained 28 lbs.,” said Kimberly Rose backstage at the Texas Shredder bodybuilding competition. We are surrounded by scantily clad women and men scurrying back and forth from the stage, nervous about baring their skin in public.

Kimberly is calm. She conquered bigger fears than stage fright. She lives with thyroid cancer, and her doctors are monitoring her for the next year to see if the disease will progress or go into remission. The thyroid is a butterfly shaped gland located beneath the Adam’s apple and is responsible for monitoring such things as heart rate, blood pressure, body temperature and weight. (Source: Mayo Clinic: Thyroid Cancer.)

“The first two months I had no metabolism. I kept gaining weight until I reached 250 lbs.”

The disease and weight gain impacted her self-esteem. “I didn’t take many (pictures) while I was obese. It did not feel good to look at myself.”

You would never know that looking at her today. Standing in her green bikini she is ready to pose for the Masters Figure and Masters Physique divisions. While the weight gain came on fast, taking it off was a much longer process.

“I was tired of going up stairs and my knees hurting. I started slow. I started playing on my kids’ Wii Fit and progressed from there. I just decided to enter a bodybuilding competition and ended up losing 100 lbs in the process.”

Kimberly Rose - progress pics — Kimberly Rose – progress pics

“What advice would you give to someone diagnosed with cancer or someone struggling to get fit?”

“This advice isn’t just for someone with cancer, it’s for anyone. If I can do it, anyone can do it. It doesn’t haven’t to be bodybuilding, but it does have to be the right thing for you so you stick to it.”