Though Kimberly Castle’s name might bring to mind royalty, she’s anything but stuffy upper crust. Here’s how she went from cover model to glamour model and what remains important to her as she approaches her fifties and takes us on her personal journey.
After winning Oxygen magazine’s Fat Loss issue cover search in 2007, Kimberly Castle knew for certain that fitness was her calling.
Born and raised in Regina, Saskatchewan, she had that homegrown, girl-next-door look that soon became her trademark and helped her land several prestigious titles, including first place in the Ms. Canada Beauty Pageant championship a whopping three times. “I even had the honour of competing twice in China and once in London for the world titles,” she recalls.
A Personal Journey
But behind the scenes, Kimberly was struggling with body image issues that many women of her generation would sympathize with. Though now a confident professional who travels often for her modelling career and offers assistance and inspiration to her clients as a life coach, it took years for Kimberly to feel confident in her own skin.
“My weight has been like a yo-yo over the last 20 years,” she explains. “It had skyrocketed over the last year, and I was up to about 150 pounds at the end of 2022.”
With a few changes to her lifestyle, and by adopting a back-to-basics approach, she has managed to steer the ship back in the right direction. “Since the beginning of this year, January 2023 I made a commitment to myself to get back on track and have lost 30 pounds,” she reports.
The journey there wasn’t always so straightforward, though. Still, Kimberly found strength by leaning on others who knew her and her goals best.
Expert Help
The support of a personal trainer helped her stay on course, and because of this, Kimberly is one to always recommend external help, no matter your goal.
“I have always worked with a personal trainer and nutritionist,” she explains. “I need someone to keep me accountable, and that is what works for me, in order to be consistent.”
By utilizing the gym in her garage and armed with a custom meal plan, Kimberly embarked on this journey to self-satisfaction with more enthusiasm than in any of her previous challenges – even the challenge of competing on stage in fitness and beauty pageants.
When asked about her program split, Kimberly says that the majority of her results are thanks to her diet – with 80 percent due to her nutrition plan and 20 percent to the time she sweats it out in the gym.
With this change in body composition came a new outlook on her entire life. Kimberly gained not only strength but the ability to value herself in all she does, inside and outside the gym.
Positive and On-Point
Setbacks have reared their ugly heads, but for the most part, Kimberly has stayed optimistic, despite the ups and downs. Nowadays, in her home of Fort Worth, Texas, she prefers to look on the sunny side of life – and has absolutely no regrets.
“It has been almost 20 years since I started this journey,” she says. “Relationships have come and gone; I have relocated several times, the most significant being the move I made from Canada to the U.S. I have changed jobs a few times. All these things make the journey challenging and could be seen as setbacks.
“But that’s why it is important to just get started. There will be no ‘right time.’ Now is the time.”
Sage Advice
Sage AdviceLooking ahead, Kimberly knows that no matter what life throws at her, she’ll be well prepared, thanks to the lessons she’s learned about who she is and what’s important to her.
“I don’t believe a journey is ever over,” Kimberly explains. “I am constantly changing and evolving. For me, those emotional times influence my health and well-being.”
She also reminds herself to be realistic through it all, especially in regard to what the future holds for her and her health.
“I also started this journey in my thirties, and with just two years away from 50,” she says. “There are so many hormonal changes happening in our bodies around this time, which means we need to pay attention and adjust to what our bodies need.”
For those who wish to follow in her footsteps, Kimberly has the following advice to offer.
“Set a clear goal,” she says. “Get help – even the most famous athletes have coaches. Be consistent and persistent. And above all, enjoy the ride.”
Photos by: James Patrick
