Week 40

Briana's spirit and drive continue to amaze me. With everything happening in her life, she definitely has more reasons to give up this fight than she has reasons to continue. I think of what the "average" person would do under similar circumstances, and I know that health and weightloss would take a backseat to everything else. For this reason alone, I am more dedicated than ever. This week, Briana was bubbling over with excitement. At the end of last week, she auditioned for the Be Beautiful, Be Yourself fashion show. This is the fashion show she attended as a guest in October 2011. At that time, she was too heavy to even audition. She would not have been able to fit into any of the clothes. After watching the fashion show, she was determined to lose weight so she could audition for it in 2012. I had the honor of being with her at the audition. She was excited and confident. She was the first person to audition then sat and cheered for her friends when they auditioned. When I saw Briana on Tuesday, she was giddy. "Oh, I hope they pick me," she said as she did her treadmill warm up. "If they pick me, I will be up on that stage and be able to thank everyone that loves me." She named the list of people who have been there to support her in her journey. "I sure hope my mom will be there to see me," she concluded. For Briana, the realization is setting in that her mom is very ill. She has been diagnosed as terminal and Briana understands what that means. In spite of that, she stays hopeful that her mom will have enough time to see her accomplish her dream and be there at the fashion show. This makes it even more important to her to be chosen. As we worked out that week, Briana was motivated to do her best. I offered more praise than normal and she lit up every time I said something to her. She pushed hard, never complained and stayed on task. "Briana, I bet they will pick you," I said at the end of our last workout. "You are working so hard and you are so amazing. I know the judges could see that," I assured her. "Really? You think so? I can't wait to find out!" she said as she headed up the stairs.