Hi there, my name is Ted Ryce and I want to personally thank you for visiting this post. My story is full of tragedy, but it's also a story of triumph.
Most people know me as a celebrity trainer who trained Robert Downey Jr, Ricky Martin, Richard Branson and a dozen of CEOs in Miami Beach. Also, they know me as the host of the top health and fitness podcast called Legendary Life.
But, not everyone knows how fitness saved my life...Keep reading.
The truth is that I didn't always want to be in the health & fitness industry. To be honest, I didn't even know it existed.
I liked to lift weights in High School and train martial arts. But I lifted weights so girls would like me and guys would think I was cool.
I was a nerd, not a jock. And I hung out with other nerds.
In fact, I wanted to study neuroscience when I was college. And I wasn't always so focused on health.
I loved to party, chase girls, stay up late, drink alcohol, and smoke weed.
I was on a fast food diet that involved plenty of burgers and Little Cesar’s pizza. (you didn’t see that coming, right?)
Unfortunately, all of that changed when I was 19.
On Sept. 11, 1995, Jimmy, my 9-year-old brother, went missing.
His disappearance devastated us. We were lost and scared. Every day we hoped that he would show up and that he was just hiding to play a joke on us.
Because my parents were both successful attorneys, my brother’s disappearance became big news.
The search for Jimmy riveted South Florida, where we all lived at the time. Hundreds of people got involved and searched for him.
The FBI got involved too, as they do with all missing children’s cases. I was interrogated multiple times and was given a lie detector test.
I remember being asked if I had ever hurt Jimmy. I remember crying and yelling at them, “Of course I did. He was my little brother!”
On top of that, it was a media circus every single day. News vans of all the major local stations would park outside my house early in the morning and would stay until sundown.
Whenever someone walked out off our property, journalists looking for the latest word on Jimmy accosted them.
My parents even ended up on Oprah Winfrey’s television show.
After months of searching, massive media attention, FBI interrogations, there was still no sign of him.
At that point, we were emotionally distraught and in disbelief. Our lived were turned upside down in a matter of days.
And things were about to get worse…
Eventually the Miami-Dade Homicide department, who took over the investigation after the FBI left, got a lead that changed everything.
Although it took us months to find out, Jimmy's life ended the same day he went missing.
We learned that he was kidnapped at gunpoint, raped and eventually murdered him.
He was shot in the back as he tried to run away from his captor. The bullet pierced his heart and he feel to the ground as he took his last breath.
I remember getting that call from an FBI agent very early in the morning telling me that they found my brother and that my family needed me and that I needed to go to them.
I also remember naively asking if my brother was okay. The FBI agent didn't answer my question and repeated that I needed to go to my parents’ house. So I immediately got dressed and drove over there.
When I heard the story in detail, I broke down hard. The intensity and mixture of emotions you feel when you get the news that your little brother was raped and murdered is difficult to put in words.
I was overwhelmed by rage, sadness, guilt, confusion, and disgust. I felt like I should’ve been able to stop what happened to him. I felt like I should’ve been there for him.
My life changed that day. I would never be the same.
A part of me had died along with Jimmy. And my big dreams about doing something meaningful with my life died too.
I was devastated--emotionally, physically, mentally and financially.
I dropped out of school because I couldn't focus anymore.
I stopped eating and began to lose weight.
I cried all the time and had outbursts of uncontrollable anger.
I was running out of money.
And I was alone.
That was the hardest part.
My parents were off fighting on behalf of missing children. They couldn’t or wouldn’t be there for me.
My sister was in University 6 hours away from Miami.
My girlfriend at the time left me because she couldn't handle what I was going through.
Somehow, I survived those dark years.
I wandered aimlessly through life bouncing around from odd job to odd job.
After a couple of years, I ended up in Miami Beach. I was working in receiverships and bankruptcies for a total asshole of a boss.
I hated my job but at least I had a place to stay and food on my table. But I had no plan for the future.
After all that had happened, I was just trying to survive, but the pain was always inside me. My world was turned upside down and I was struggling to hold on.
Eventually, I found my way to the fitness industry. I serendipitously discovered personal training after working out in a gym in one of the buildings I worked in.
There were several personal trainers training clients there. I was able to have a conversation with a couple of them. One guy was an Australian dude who taught tennis and trained clients when he was off the court.
The idea that I could show up in a tank top and sneakers and get paid to take someone through a workout blew me away.
And they were making $75 an hour! I think I was making $10 or $12 at the receiverships job. That would be one hell of a raise.
After a delay in getting paid, I quit my job and used what little savings I had to get certified as a personal trainer.
I got hired at the first gym I interviewed at—the Eden Roc Spa. Even though I showed up in a white tank top and blue Adidas warm-up pants, they hired me anyway.
They wouldn’t let me train clients initially but at least I was working in a cool gym. And got to workout whenever I wasn’t working.
I also started to study like crazy. And as I implemented all the fitness and nutrition knowledge I was learning, I began to feel stronger.
I put back on the weight that I had lost. My depression started going away. My mood improved. My energy levels increased. And the feeling that my life was over started to fade.
A new hope arose from the ashes of my former life. I began to think maybe I would be able to be happy again.
I also noticed that the people I worked with changed too. All of them were financially successful. But many of them had health issues.
As I took them through workouts and coached them on how to eat, they started changing too. Their energy levels improved, their confidence got a boost and their lives got better.
After experiencing what health & fitness did for me, and seeing what it did for my clients, I got hooked. I knew that being in this field was what I was meant to do.
When I say that health & fitness saved my life, it's not hyperbole. This is a story for another time, but I was involved with some bad people and in some bad things in High School. I could've easily ended up in prison or dead had I not taken the path I did.
Thankfully, none of that happened and I'm here today doing what I love to do: empowering people with health & fitness.
I'm sharing this because I want you to know that this is more than a job or profession to me. I want you to know how much I care about helping people.
More importantly, I know many of you are going through hard times...with relationships, health, money, family or even a devastating loss.
And I want you to know there's always a way to get through it.
You can never change the past. But you can build your mental and physical strength and push through. You can find a way to be happy again.
And the first piece of advice I would give you is to focus on your health.
The truth is that you can’t control the world. But you can control your actions. You can exercise. You can eat better. You can focus on getting quality sleep.
You can STOP drinking alcohol and eating processed junk. You can give your body the nutrients it needs to get stronger and more resilient.
And if you do those things enough, you’ll change.
You’ll wake up in the morning with energy.
You’ll feel good without having to take any medication or doing drugs.
You’ll have the strength and vitality you need to accomplish your goals and make a mark on this world.
Quality sleep, regular exercise, eating nutritious and managing your stress food works for everyone. It worked for me. It worked for all my clients that I’ve coached through over the past 19 years. And it'll work for you too.
That’s the story how fitness literally saved my life and I hope if you’re having issues in other areas of your life, you should use this powerful tool to transform your life too.
You might be thinking that all you need is motivation or inspiration. Or maybe you’re waiting for the perfect time to turn your life around.
But in my experience, the key is taking massive action towards your goals and taking care of your health and body. In other words, when your health is better and you wake up feeling better every morning, and you can accomplish more in life.
So if you’re struggling, don’t wait. Take action now. Even if it’s taking a walk or doing a set of squats in front of the TV. Take a little action every day. And watch as those small actions lead to bigger actions and more progress.
Remember, we only live life once. I want you to make it count.
Thanks for reading and if you like my post or can relate to my story, please follow me on steemit @tedryce.
WOW what an inspiring post! My heart goes out to you and your family. No one should have to go through what you did and endure the pain and suffering your family had to endure...
You story will touch the hearts of so many people that feel trapped and need to make a change! I loved this part of the post, "The truth is that you can’t control the world. But you can control your actions. You can exercise. You can eat better. You can focus on getting quality sleep."
The little steps like this can make all the difference and understanding that although the world can't be controlled, your life can be, is really important!
Just an incredible read! I hope the whole Steemit community takes the time to upvote this post.
Thanks for your comment, Anne :-) I never got to decide how to share my story. The media did that for me. And to be honest, I've been asked to do interviews to talk about it many times. But I said no. I didn't want it to be another tragedy that people heard about, then said "Oh that's terrible", then moved on with their day. Kind of like a horrible car crash that you drive by then move on.
Now I'm sharing it because there's a message that I feel is important for others. And it's the part you mentioned. We all go through tough times in life. That's part of being human. But it's how we handle adversity that matters. And taking care of ourselves is the first step towards reclaiming our confidence and ability to make a positive difference.
Welcome to Steem @tedryce.
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All the Best!!!
So glad that you have found the Steemit platform and community, Ted. Thank you for sharing your personal journey; while it is not beneficial to compare one's life experiences to another, it is healthy to allow others to inspire us. And your story of personal growth and dedication is inspiring to me and certainly others. I have external and quite a few self-inflicted pains in my past and used those to justify to myself that I wasn't deserving of happiness. Reminding myself of the staggering odds of me not existing, and understanding just how small I am in our known universe and the like...I was finally starting to let go of that evil thought. I stopped sabotaging my body and used a community similar to this one to help me learn how to start taking my life back via nutrition and exercise and I am working to create the career I love. Congratulations on how much progress you made, but it's clear that you are still rising, looking forward to learning from you!
You make the great argument for starting commitment today and it is so important. The only difference from the first day and the 500th day of a habit is that we kept saying "this is a priority, I'm going to say yes"...once we build our habit, it's our default mode and it becomes more strange to not participate.
I appreciate that. So true about commitment. It's amazing how a small habit can lead to massive change if we just keep it up.
And thanks for sharing your story too. I was in the same boat where I didn't feel I deserved happiness. I felt like I was cursed in life and things would never improve that much. Today, I'm genuinely happy with where I am and what path I'm on. But it could've easily gone the other way. It's my way of allowing others to know that they're not alone in their struggles. And that there's always a path out of the darkness if we choose to follow it.
Hi @tedryce. Welcome to Steemit. Looking forward to hearing more about how you improved your life through exercise.
Thanks, man! I've got a ton of science-based fitness, nutrition, sleep hacking, supplementation and natural health content. But I want you to know WHY I do what I do.
Hi Ted Ryce ... welcome to steemit.. and good luck 👍
Thanks! I want to use this platform to share my story and empower men and women to change their health, body and lives. :)
Very good idea.. I hope you will succeed.. 👌👍
I hope so too. But helping people is what I'm about. If success comes from that, then great.
I see.. I pray for you to succeed.. :)
welcome to steemit and good luck. keep spreading health and tips about fitness.
Will do. Most of my info on training, nutrition, sleep hacking, and natural health is science-based. But I wanted to share WHY I do what I do first. Thanks for your comment.
Hi @tedryce, welcome to Steemit. Your story is overwhelming and proofs that you should never loose hope. Wish you all the best!
Thank you for your kind words. I agree. One should never lose hope. The obstacle is always the way.
Wow! Just, wow!
Thank you. I know it's crazy. And sometimes I can't believe that it's my story. But the truth is that there are many, many incredible stories out there. Glad mine was able to bring value to you.
Thank you for this post. We are faced with challenges that either make us stronger or weaker. You have given me hope. I will work on my health. Thank you
You're welcome. I'm glad the post resonated with you. As hard and unbelievable as it may seem, there's ALWAYS an opportunity in adversity. There's always a way to push through and make something meaningful. But you need the energy to do it. And we create energy by how we take care of our physical body.
Strong man. Thanks for sharing. I'm Oatmeal Joey Arnold. Happy Easter 2018.
You're welcome, Joey. Happy Easter and have a great week.
What you have done in fitness is similar to what I have done in finance. Started to make it, fell down, and got back up. I think every day about improving my physical fitness, however with 5 herniated discs, I can barely lift and cardio seems too much with little rewards.
I am glad you found your calling, wish you the very best as you continue your journey.
I don't know what to say brother. Moved from within. Sending across positive vibes towards you. Being a professional mountaineer, I can agree to the fact that being fit can change your life in ways once can't imagine
Wow!
Welcome to Steemit Ted! xo
Welcome to Steemit! So nice you decided to join :)
I love fitness too. Have a nice day!