Sore feet and legs, sweat dripping down her face, the desire to stop and turn around – yet senior Sierra Reynolds perseveres through her run across the dusty trail with tiger eyes.

“It’s become a part of my life that I absolutely love. I go to the gym so often that it has become part of my routine, and I love it,” Reynolds said.

Reynolds began her fitness journey because she wanted to live a fit and healthy lifestyle.  She says this decision constructively changed her life and allows her to feel like a more positive person.

Reynolds regularly goes to the gym to stay fit and is an active member of the Fitness Club on campus. She said she also enjoys breathing the natural air on hikes.

“Peter Canyon is one of my favorite hiking places, because there is a lot of open space and wildlife,” Reynolds said.

Reynolds revised her food diet to gain the energy she needs to work out and stay healthy. Reynolds disciplines herself with lots of protein and vegetables and minimizes fruit consumption due to sugar amounts. She does not consider her eating habits a diet because, in her opinion, diets do not last.

“It all started one day when I stepped on the scale, hated the number and, even worse, hated myself. I think it was around my sophomore year I began to change the way I ate and exercised,” Reynolds said.

Balancing school and a passion is a struggle,because there is only so much time in the day. Reynolds is able to balance this by putting fitness first in her schedule, then tackles her ROP course and homework afterwards.

Being able to stay in good shape came with challenges. When a loved one passed away, her immediate instinct was to turn to food. However, Reynolds did not let circumstances get to her and continued living her healthy lifestyle.

“Luckily, I kept picking myself back up and let the obstacles motivate me to push forward,” Reynolds said.

As a young child, Sierra played soccer and also participated in cheer teams.  Last year, she was a member of the softball team but is now committed to cardio and lifting workouts at the gym to complete her goals.

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