Athlete Bright Spot
Steven Xu: Feeling Like a New Me
By Coach Luke Karsana

Steven, first and foremost, I am so happy for you. Thank you for letting me share your story.

Steven was 13 when I met him and is now 14.

At 13 years old Steven had the goal of losing 20lbs of Body Fat.

20lbs of Body Fat.

Let that sink in…

During the shutdown, Steven ate anything and everything he wanted. He had no limits to his choices and along with that there just wasn’t much to do.

But one day Steven realized that running the mile in middle school would become one of the most daunting things he’d have to do and it never was. At his most, he weighed 194lbs at the beginning of his 8th-grade year.

Steven came to me and said two things I will never forget:

“I don’t feel good about the way I look and feel.”
“My friends sometimes make jokes about my weight and it doesn’t feel great.”

It was heartbreaking. And I was determined to help him.

We are now at the end of a 12-month journey and now weigh 183lbs.

But it was not just an 11-pound change.

He lost 27lbs of Body Fat.

He gained 13lbs of Muscle Mass.

40 pounds. Body composition changes over a year.

What did we focus on?

NOT the numbers or measuring tool.
NOT the weight.
NOT a “diet”.

We focused on making stronger nutritional choices that felt easy and enjoyable.

We focused on getting stronger every day we trained together.

We focused on making his health a priority in his conversations and his relationships.

Today, Steven’s mind is somewhere different.

“I can’t wait to go back to school to show how strong I’ve gotten.”
“I feel confident in myself and what I’m capable of.”
“I’m feeling like a new me.”

Even as a young man, Steven is an inspiration. We wait to see how he uses all his fitness.