Overcoming Injury

Get To Know

Get To Know

Genevieve Celaya had always been fit—until a knee injury caused her to gain weight and forced her to rethink her routine. Now she’s sharing how she got back on track.

Genevieve’s lifelong passion for fitness kept her in great shape well into her 40s. At 41, she competed in a figure contest and was at peak performance.

But a few years later, she tore a meniscus in her left knee. She was unable to do the workouts she was used to, and she gained 20 pounds. “Emotionally, I was unhappy with the way I looked and felt,” she confesses. “I had never been so heavy, unless I was pregnant with one of my boys. I know most people would not have thought of me as heavy, but in my world I was.”

On the road to recovery

Genevieve’s first step was to recover from her knee injury. “I was doing therapy to help me recover my range of motion,” she recalls. “As it healed, I became stronger. Then, as time went on, I started seeing the results I was craving.”

Continuing to be healthy was Genevieve’s main goal. “I also wanted to get back to my 2010 figure contest shape,” she adds. Once her range of motion had improved, she started out with cardio on her stationary bike, treadmill, and stepmill, plus daily weight-training. She eventually worked up to doing cardio twice a day, using a pulley system for her weight training, and doing abdominal workouts every second day.

Pushing through the pain

Genevieve’s recovery wasn’t a smooth one. “I was pushing through knee pain for months,” she says. “That led to a lot of frustration. I overcame it by keeping my eye on the prize—but in a healthy manner.”
As difficult as pain management was, Genevieve maintains that the biggest change was her mindset—especially when it came to controlling her diet. She attributes 80 percent of her transformation to changing the way she ate.
She knew the struggle had been worth it when she tried on her favourite outfit. “I loved the way I looked and felt about myself,” she remembers. “I felt healthy again, and that inspired me to motivate other people my age.”

Inspiring others

After achieving her fitness goals, Genevieve went even further: she earned certifications in personal training, sports nutrition, and first aid. With those achievements under her belt, she started her own fitness business, Gen Physiques.

“My journey will never be over, considering I took it up a notch and started my own business,” Genevieve muses. “I’m my own motivation. You should pursue fitness for yourself and no one else.”

Genevieve works hard to encourage her clients. She sees fitness as a way to fall in love with yourself and with your personal journey. And the best part? You’ll inspire the people around you to live a healthier lifestyle.

PHOTOS BY JAMES PATRICK (@JPATRICKPHOTO