'Second chance at life': AJ Meaux finds purpose, overcomes hardships through fitness
LAFAYETTE, La. (KLFY) -- The gym could be a place people go to to find confidence or at least a new hobby. But it could also be the place where lives change. For AJ Meaux, the gym became the place where he overcame a lifetime of struggle. It also became the place where he found his purpose.
When asked how he would describe his life, Meaux compared it to a phoenix.
"I have been through a whole lot of hardships from the very second I was born, my umbilical cord was wrapped around my neck, so a fighter from day one," Meaux said.
AJ says growing up, he dealt health issues only that got worse with bullying -- leading him to binge eating and depression.
At 24, doctors told AJ he could die if he kept gaining weight, so he made the extreme change from binge eating to starvation.
"I lost 100 pounds in six months. I did a whole lot of damage to myself. I did it the wrong way. I didn't change my mentality. I gained all that weight back," Meaux said.
Hearing doctors tell him once again that his body would eventually fail, AJ had to make a choice to change his life or die by the age of 30.
AJ signed up at Revfit gym, but during his first training class, he collapsed and lost consciousness.
"What I do remember was me having an out-of-body experience, and the devil came up to me. He said, AJ, give up. And right before I could, God put his hand on my shoulder and said, Anthony, keep holding on. Fight back," Meaux said.
From there, he never looked back. Beginning the relentless pursuit of his health and his happiness.
AJ would form friendships with gym members that kept him coming back and training harder than last time.
Now, after 8 years of that pursuit, AJ is on staff at the gym and training members as they begin their journeys; showing them that no matter what circumstances you face in life, you can continue to get better.
"Just celebrated my eight-year anniversary, 140 pounds down. This place, the people surrounding me literally saved my life, gave me a second chance at life. I wasn't supposed to make it past 30. I'm 36 now in the best health of my life at the best place of my life," Meaux said.
"I finally know what I want to do with my life. My purpose is to help others with my story. It's a struggle every single day. But, just like the phoenix, are you going to stay down or are you going to rise up out of the ashes?" he continued.
And with each day being a gift and a chance to start over, AJ hopes to see his story reach even one person to find the Phoenix in themselves.
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- 'Second chance at life': AJ Meaux finds purpose, overcomes hardships through fitness