“I’m better prepared for the next curveball life will throw at me.”

I was tired of being told what I was made of by people who knew nothing about me. When I was 13, my parents were told I wouldn't make it to 21. After my second surgery at 15, I was told I wouldn't heal in time to cheer. At 16, I got pregnant and was told I didn't have the skills to be a good mother. I was told the same at 25 when I got divorced with two children. They didn't know who they were talking to because I found the means to prove them all wrong.

Three months after starting my dream salon job, I was diagnosed with cancer again, and it literally knocked me off my feet. I tried to get back up too soon, and the world showed me it had a different plan than mine. The hardware from my original surgery broke, but it didn't stop me. After two years of walking with a 4-inch leg discrepancy and a mangled pelvis, waiting for options, technology finally advanced, and 3D implants became available. I went for it. They told me that I was walking as well as I probably would ever be able to walk and to get a scooter to make me comfortable. Those words, "make her comfortable," rang through my ears, reminding me of what they told my parents when I was 13. My life has never been comfortable or easy. To me, that's not what life is about. We get up and fight every day. We do the absolute best we can with what we are given. So, I looked for a new tool and found DDPY. I listened to the words Dallas said in Relentless, and I could relate. I trusted the program and started getting results.

I learned new ways of feeding my body, and the pain started to get better. I connected with people who actually listened and were able to help. I've worked on my own negative voices and discarded tools that no longer benefitted me. I use therapy and friends to heal the trauma and relationships broken along the way. I'm older, wiser, and well-prepared because I learned from every mistake I have made in my life. I didn't let any of it break me. I'm not wasting any time. I have a plan again, and that is what makes me unstoppable.

“Change the way you think, and you can change your life.”

During this year’s Positively Unstoppable challenge I wanted to truly understand myself. I realized that I don’t have to do it all, I only have to do what matters to me. Most importantly, I wanted to have fun doing it. When I began the challenge, I still had 25 lbs to go to achieve my goal weight. To achieve this goal, I chose to implement a dairy and gluten free lifestyle. I also increased my meal prepping to accommodate breakfast, so all my meals and snacks were ready to go each day.

I also increased my protein intake to help achieve one of my goals for this year, to transform my body using PowerCuffs. In order to achieve this goal, I scheduled PowerCuff workouts frequently. Though this was really challenging at times, it proved to be very rewarding. I have muscles that I could only dream of having. My arms have definition, and my chest is developing. Most importantly though, I have noticed a significant increase in my strength and stamina. The increase in strength played a significant part in my goal to conquer 10 second push-ups.

I started with focusing on 1 in hope to complete a minimum of 3 by the end of the challenge. I am happy to say I am now working towards getting up to 5. Going to Summit showed me what I am truly capable of. I had a goal to attend every class and we made all but 3. One morning we even hiked Stone Mountain before attending classes for the day. For me this was an example of DDP’s “Don’t just think it, ink it”. I had this goal inked since last year to visualize what I was working towards.

I got to meet Dallas and share this story with him. This was a truly beautiful moment I will cherish forever. I gave a presentation at work about “Living Life at 90%” with many coworkers interested in trying DDPY, some even adopted things I’ve implemented in my own life such as inking goals and reminders to yourself. Through the many ups and downs of everyday life, one thing has remained consistent this year, my belief in myself. Every day I am working towards creating the best version of myself for my wife and son, but most importantly, for me. I am the strongest I’ve ever been both mentally and physically.

“It’s time to take control and start living because you are worth it!”

For as long as I can remember, I had my innocence, voice, and childhood taken away by the person who was supposed to love and take care of me but instead abused me every day. Growing up, I was bullied and made fun of for being skinny, ugly, and poor. Before starting DDPY, I weighed more than 220 lbs. I suffered from severe depression, PTSD, and 15 other severe medical issues. I couldn't walk much, was in constant pain, had no flexibility, and was obese. I had no self-love, no self-esteem. I felt worthless. I felt my family would be better off without me. I hated the life I was living and myself, but most of all, I hated the reflection I saw in the mirror of that woman who was just not me.

One particularly bad day, I came across the Arthur video. It was an amazing story, but I felt more inspired by the man who stood by his side and never gave up on him. His name was DDP. Little did I know these two men would inspire me to give my life a second chance. I joined the Positively Unstoppable Challenge, took the six pictures, and felt sick to my stomach. I was disgusted. I hated myself. But I decided to stop tormenting myself and started the program. I wanted to quit every day. The only reason I didn't was because I didn't want to live like this anymore. I actually wanted to live.

I'm not gonna lie to you; it wasn't easy because of my limited mobility, and I had good days and bad days, but I kept on pushing, and I didn't give up. As a Police Officer, I learned to be disciplined and committed, so that's what I did with DDPY. The transformation in my body was undeniable. I felt stronger, more flexible, and full of energy. I couldn't believe it; my stomach was melting, and my abs were forming! What the pictures don't show is how I could walk and run without pain. I'm taking 12 bottles less of medication and no longer using a CPAP machine. My mental health has never been better, and I'm a happier person.

I forgave my abuser, and by forgiving him, I finally liberated my heart, mind, and soul from the chains that had me prisoner for so many years. I forgave myself and realized that I was never a victim. I was a survivor. I have mobility, freedom, and I feel alive. I can finally look at myself in the mirror and say, "Johanna, I Love You, You are Beautiful, You are Strong, You are Enough, You are Worth It, and You have become Positively Unstoppable!"

“When you truly decide to become positively unstoppable you will subconsciously root out all the negativity in your life.”

I haven’t always been big. I didn’t actually hit 100 lbs. until my first day of high school, and I was always bullied for being small. I did what I could to pick up weight, but instead, I developed some really bad eating habits. I played football and worked out, but after school, I got a driving job and started sitting all day, so I didn’t lose weight. I traded muscle for fat and got bigger over time while also picking up some injuries as a mechanic. I got less mobile and bigger. Finally, the most embarrassing day of my life, at an amusement park, I didn’t fit on a ride. Two workers tried to close the harness, and everyone stared at me. I wanted to disappear.

So, at 290 lbs in 2021, I started DDPY. In my first year, I had a big physical change. I lost 120 lbs, and over the last year, I’ve focused on the mental aspect. I’ve managed to have the discipline to maintain 180 lbs over the last year. There was still a mental hurdle I kept avoiding that needed to be addressed. I needed to address my relationship with my mom. I knew if I truly wanted this, I needed to make it a goal; I needed to write it down and verbalize it, so I did.

Over six months, I realized that making this connection with my mom was helping me to process my sister’s death. I hadn’t thought of her a lot in the past few years, but I started thinking about her and my mom’s relationship, and I started to see my mom through her eyes, and it changed everything for me. At the end of the six months, I lost my mom, I was with her, and I mourned for her. Without this challenge and that goal, I would be trying to suppress a tremendous amount of regret. When you truly decide to become positively unstoppable, you will subconsciously root out all the negativity in your life.

“If I can do this then SO CAN YOU!”

I had major lung surgery at age 72, five months before entering this challenge. While recovering, I searched each champion’s story and found NOT one person who looked my age or weight. Despite these mental barriers, I set out to become a DDPY Positively Unstoppable Champion like NO other!

At the age of 72, the 5-day hospital stay with a collapsed lung, pain, weakness, and a liquid diet restriction was brutal. However, I kept a positive attitude and had the strength to get up and walk to the bathroom and down the hallways. I was determined to rebuild my strength and balance, lose the weight gained from comfort foods, and maintain my goal weight for years. When I restarted DDPY and committed to daily workouts, the leaderboard would motivate me to work out at least 75-90 minutes daily to remain in the Top 10. I completed the “100-Day Challenge” and three “30-Day Challenges”.

I took daily photos of my scale and created my first reel using my birthday bikini photos for accountability. This combination finally helped me get a streak going for maintaining my goal weight. I developed the discipline to do daily workouts, so my strength and mobility drastically improved. I’m thrilled to share how this program helps me achieve my goals and build confidence to step out of my comfort zone. Fear once held me back, but my desire to help encourage others has grown more significant than my fear. This mindset shift allows me to embrace new opportunities and challenges with a new “I CAN DO THIS!” attitude. Dallas helped me understand that my discipline has helped me succeed. The results I’ve achieved doing DDPY have inspired many and given me a new purpose in life with confidence I’d never dreamed possible.

“I can do anything I want as long as I believe it. I’ve gained the heart of a champion.”

If I had to sum up my six months into one word, it’s Belief. I BELIEVED from day one that I could do this. All I had to do was make a plan and do the work. I’ve wanted to run an Ultra Marathon for over a decade since I first learned of it, but I never believed a guy like me could do it. When I lost my Mom, she showed me such courage and fortitude while facing her own death. It led me to believe that it was possible and that I COULD DO IT.

It wasn’t only my Belief in myself. It was the Positively Unstoppable community that really made the difference. The inspiration I’ve gained from these people this year has made me more driven than I could have ever been on my own. Forged in hardship, bonded by our successes. I made two other goals that I never reached before; I did a two-minute Black Crow, which I struggled with due to an Abdominal Hernia, and I was able to reach a 6:09 plank. Now, with the challenge behind me, I know for a fact that this is only the beginning for me. I can do anything I want as long as I believe it. I’ve gained the heart of a champion.

“Challenging my body daily has undeniably changed my outlook and approach to life.”

The journey to self-realization can be a tough pill to swallow. The DDPY program has helped me find a strength within me that I didn't know I could possess. In 2019, I weighed over 400 lbs. I am not sure how far above 400 I was because I stopped weighing myself. I was in complete denial of who and what I was. If I had known how to be honest with myself, I would have said I was an addict, I was lazy, and I had no motivation to improve my situation. Instead, I had an excuse for everything. To feel better, I indulged in self-destructive behavior and self-doubt. I compared myself to others, felt sorry for myself, and simply gave up. This ultimately led to depression and anxiety. I felt like a lost cause. The worst part was I wasn't sure how to truly change.

Everything changed when I found the Arthur Boorman video. I started with the DDPY DVDs and then the app to see what it was all about. The moment of clarity came with reading "Positively Unstoppable." It helped me realize that I needed to change my mindset! I had to learn to rewire my brain. Success came with changing my inner monologue.

To change my mindset, I start every morning by being grateful for something. After I hydrate, I spend ten minutes doing breathwork and meditating on how to be a better me. Once I am in the right headspace, I start my morning workout. I learned that it's easy to skip a day, and one day can lead to another, and so on. So, I now have zero compromise with myself. Even if I only spend twenty minutes stretching, I have done something good for my body and mind. My daily healthy habits have become a strong foundation for the life I am building. I'm no longer sinking, and my foundation is strong. I have faith in myself and a strong support system around me. Challenging my body daily has undeniably changed my outlook and approach to life. I have been able to create habits that have lasted. I have pride in myself.