11/13/2021
**ATHLETE SPOTLIGHT**
Neel O'Donnell
Never in a million years did I think that I would be a guy writing something like this, a testimony about my journey with health and weight. But if there is one thing I learned in Tribe, you do what Coach tells you to do. Let me be very honest with you - I have struggled with weight loss for over 11 years with little to no success. I have tried all kinds of programs from Keto to Advocare to Weight Watchers to personal training to having someone meal prep for me. I am not saying these programs are not good for people, they just did not work for me. After COVID was upon us, I hit a new low, or high rather, when I stepped on the scale in December of 2020 and saw I weighed over 315lbs.
I was ashamed, I was embarrassed. I was the guy who would purposely unbutton the bottom buttons of his dress shirt at church so I didn’t pop a button while sitting down. I was the guy who would try and stretch his t-shirts out just to make them longer to hide just how big I was. I had no muscle to speak of - In fact I was so out of shape I couldn’t even carry my wife to our car when she fell and hurt her ankle. I could see in her eyes day in and day out I was not the hot, attractive guy who dated her and she fell in love with. I felt alone and useless.
It was at that moment in my life when I saw that number on the scale that I knew I had to change my path that I was on - that I needed to make an adjustment in my journey. My wife Michelle introduced me to Tribe as we were looking for something we could do together; an activity , a sport, and Tribe kind of landed in our laps. Being virtual created a ton of challenges, and our living room became our workout room. Gallon-filled water jugs and other Knick-knacks around the house became our weights, but we were working out together with a group of people we had never met before. After the first workout I pulled muscles in my body I didn’t know existed. I was gassed, in pain, but I wanted to keep going - I had no desire to quit which was rare for me. Not only did I want to keep going for me, but for the comradery with my wife and others in our tribe.
One season turned to two and three and before I knew it I had been through six seasons of Tribe. Today, I weigh 288lbs, and have lost 27 pounds. I am only part of the way through my journey as my goal is to lose more but more importantly to be healthy. Now don’t get me wrong, I do not do every workout perfectly with perfect form every time(ask coach) nor do I eat 100% healthy every day, but I give 100% effort to both. Tribe Life fits me, and with my amazing wife Michelle next to me, our awesome coach Audrey motivating us, and all of our Tribe-mates from Tribe Life and Tribe Fit, it will continue to allow me to become healthy and be the man I want to be.