This mother’s 100-pound weight loss journey inspired her 9-year-old daughter to become a professional deadlifter and taught her child an important lesson about self-image.
Sherry Nelson decided to start losing weight in 2016 when she weighed 350 pounds.
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The busy mom brought her then 3-year-old daughter, Stella, because she couldn’t find a daycare when going to the gym.
Stella eventually took up fitness on her own and can now deadlift almost twice her body weight.
“At first, it was more fun,” Shelly said in an exclusive interview with the US Sun.
It’s been a slow progress, but now Stella trains with her CrossFit and weightlifting coach, Caleb Foxworth, for an hour each week and takes two lessons every other week.
Stella, who also loves softball, started doing cardio at the gym because she was “getting used to it.”
“She’s an athlete, so it was natural,” Shelley said.
While Stella gained muscle mass, Shelley lost over 100 pounds and now weighs around 237 pounds.
Stella’s fitness journey has taught her about a positive self-image.
“She loves her body,” Sherry said.
Mother added:
Stella thinks muscles are cool and weight training is what makes her feel strong.
“She likes to be strong. She likes to be able to wrestle.
It’s recess time for the boys playing football,” Shelley said.
Weighing just 70 pounds, Stella can deadlift 135 pounds, almost half her body weight.
She can perform 25-pound weighted planks and squat 75-90 pounds.
A small but mighty weightlifter can do a 70 lb clean and jerk and a 55 lb snatch.
Sherry does not impose any kind of diet on Stella.
“She lives like a child,” Shelly said.
“We never take anything good from her,” she added.
Stella said she was “pretty positive about her body” and her mother didn’t want to change it.
Participating in athletics is when Stella feels most comfortable.
Stella’s participation in sports and weightlifting has helped her in her mental health struggles.
“Athletics is where she really immerses herself,” Shelley said.
Foxworth recognizes that Stella has ADHD and has “learned to work with her”.
“I think the connection she has with her CrossFit coach is really big,” Shelly said.
say something you don’t like
Stella has a lot of support from her family, coaches and people at the gym.
However, Stella and her mother have mostly received backlash on social media.
Sherry recalled trolls saying comments such as “She’ll hurt herself” and “She’ll hinder her own growth.”
Sherry tells haters:
“He’s a certified nutritionist. He would never do anything to hurt her.”
She said: “If you don’t like it, you don’t have to look.”
“I’m not stupid and I would never put a child in danger,” Shelley added.
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