I was born in Mount Clemens, MI. on Feb 17th, 1967. I am the youngest of six (1 brother, 4 sisters), so you can believe I was "the baby", especially because of the fact there are 22 years difference between the oldest and me. Both of my parents are of Lebanese origin. My mother always loved to cook and bake, both Arabic and American dishes, so I do not visit my home town when I'm dieting. She bakes the most incredible apple pie, chocolate cake, cheesecake, rice pudding and Baklava
for you Mediterrainean fans.

I do enjoy cooking myself and being a lover of various foods, I like to dine in restaurants also. I live in Atlanta, GA (well 10 minutes north of) and there are so many incredible food joints here. I love it! Some of my favorite places are little cafe's with patios to enjoy the weather and scenery. 

I moved here from Michigan 19 years ago. I fell in love with Georgia the first time I visited. It's such a beautiful state. The hills and green trees everywhere are absolutely gorgeous. Then it all changes color in the fall. Mountains are only one hour away, the city is right here in the middle and east coast only a few hours by car. A very clean environment I might add.

I traveled to the south, Marietta to be exact, for school (Chiropractic college) and decided to make it my new home. Speaking of homes, I just purchased my first one! I closed on it November 4th, 2005, just before competing in the NPC National Championships, where I won the Heavyweight class and overall title. 

I began working out in August 1987. In 1988 I joined Coffee's Gym in Marietta, GA. The gym is owned by John Coffee, world-renown Women's Olympic Weightlifting coach. This gym was as hardcore as they came. You actually saw barbell head-butting, and barefoot squatting. Some of the finest bodybuilders, powerlifters, and Olympic Lifters came out of this place. Not to mention the wrestlers and many other athletic heroes. What a place to grow up in! I trained there for 10 years straight, bouncing around a bit for a couple of years after that since I moved out of Marietta, but eventually returned "home" to Coffee's. 

My athletic background consists of mainly softball (for 25 years) and basketball. I played some volleyball and even bowled for 7 years on a league, which could have turned into a professional thing, but I chose college instead. 

As much as I loved to play softball, it would have led me away from my calling (Chiropractic health and healing) with a University scholarship, but a slight detour (a broken leg during my senior season in high school) changed my path. Life is full of little surprises isn't it? Amazing how blessings can be so ill-disguised; doors closing, others opening, each one leading you through a journey called life. I feel it's important to keep your mind and heart open to changes, even subtle ones, because you never know how one event, thought, or idea can change your future. 

I have been practicing for twelve years here in Georgia; eight years with another doctor, and the last four privately. I have quite a variety of patients. They range in age from 2-72 years old. Both athletes and non-athletes; including amateur and professional status from sports such as football, golf, tennis, powerlifting, bodybuilding, Olympic Weightlifting, Formula One racing, baseball, and soccer. I definitely do not get bored with my work! Being a tool for good health and providing a care for those looking to enhance their performance as well as injury recovery is so rewarding spiritually and also very mentally stimulating. God was surely directing my path when I left my little nest in Michigan. My destiny was not to play softball on a scholarship as I thought would happen, but to sacrifice many things to become a Doctor of Chiropractic. 

This is where I became interested in weight training and bodybuilding. I had an idea of what it was all about as a teenager (a very long time ago) but when I moved to Georgia, I had direct contact with many bodybuilders at Life Chiropractic College, now called Life University. I became buddies with a few bodybuilders and after 1 month of exposure to them I bought my first gym membership. 18 1/2 years later, I am still pumping! I trained for 5 years, competed in my first contest, then again I entered a competition 5 years later. I never stopped working out out of course, and that was in 1997... 1999 rolls around and I did it again, this time I think I figured out just a "little" about dieting. LOL. I took 2 more years off from competing, and stepped back on stage to win the Eastern Seaboard Championships. That led me to the National level which was conveniently in Atlanta the same year (2001). So I blindly took a shot at it and landed in 8th place. Then I realized I might actually win this thing one day! But fate held me back another year as 2004 was a big disappointment. My faith continued to prevail, once again as 2005 was a timely victory for me as the National Champion, back home in Atlanta, GA. It was so special to have shared that moment with family (my sisters Diane and Michele flew in from West Palm Beach, FL and Oklahoma City, OK) friends, patients, and acquaintances. It made the entire experience so much more valuable for me. I would implement that value for motivation while dieting and training for the show, especially when I felt extra tired, both mentally and physically. It was a lot of fun! 

After the show I went to Florida for two weeks (Ft. Myers) and had a wonderful time chillin' out and eating a lot of great food, and feeling normal again. Did lots of shopping too! I did go to Michigan for Christmas and I enjoyed time with family. Oh, and of course Mom's cooking and yummy desserts!

As for 2006, it will be an incredible year; the best one yet in every area, I'm quite sure. I plan to have plenty of photos and video footage for all of you to enjoy throughout the year. Thank you for visiting my site... your support is appreciated so much!