They don't breed them much tougher than the diminutive Sam Hall.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
or signup to continue reading
The a single mother of two has just endured the most harrowing five years of her life.
At age 27, Ms Hall has raised Kaleb, 7, and Elli, 5, while battling obesity, the painful disorder endometriosis and a rare form of renal cancer that usually only strikes people over the age of 60.
With a dramatic weight loss of 45 kilos and numerous abdominal surgeries, doctors told the young Rutherford woman she would never firm up her abs without a $15,000 tummy tuck.
It was a luxury she could not afford.
"I knew there had to be another way so I hit the gym," Ms Hall said.
As a result, she has dropped to 60 kilograms, is now employed at the gym where her weight loss journey began and will enter her first body building competition in May.
In 2011 Ms Hall, 164 centimetres tall, weighed 102.3 kilograms.
While she would always cook healthy meals for her children, her diet consisted of fast food, soft drink and a block of chocolate a night.
When Sam hit the 100 kilogram mark she knew she had to do something to change her life.
For a few weeks she flirted with fitness and started a weight loss program which only gave her a quick fix.
She lost 30 kilograms within a few weeks.
"I had learnt nothing and ended up putting most of that weight back on," she said.
In 2013, doctors found a mass on Ms Hall's left kidney.
They diagnosed her with a renal cell carcinoma, which resulted in the partial removal of that kidney.
"This was the result of an unhealthy lifestyle and some pretty bad luck," Ms Hall said.
"I started to do some research of my own into healthy eating and exercise.
"I started off walking around the block with the kids just for 10 to 20 minutes each night," she said.
"Now I'm training two to three hours a day, seven days a week.
"I now have a different outlook on life.
“I'm positive and have a passion to push myself as far as I can rather than being down on myself and giving up," Ms Hall said.
"Every five minutes you do on the treadmill you're lapping everyone on the couch.
"It's never too late to start setting goals for yourself.
“I now have clients in their 60s who have just been diagnosed with diabetes and know they have to get up and do something for themselves."
Ms Hall will compete in the novice section of the National Amateur Body Builders' Association 2016 Championships in Newcastle on May 22. The event will mark her third year in remission.
