My first abstinent day in FA, I weighed 197 pounds (89 kg) and wore size 20-22 clothes. I am only 4 feet 11 inches tall, so that was a lot of weight for me! I had been what I called “fat” for years and had struggled to do something about it, joining many weight loss programs, but to no avail. Only with FA was I truly successful. I now weigh 128.5 pounds (58 kg) and wear size 10 clothes. 

My story begins the morning of my 75th birthday. I was now three quarters of a century! My husband and I filled our car with gas and headed to the grocery store. En route, I spotted a sign on a building that read “Indoor Climbing.” A friend and I used to walk at our neighborhood mall, and we would stop and watch the children climb the rock walls. I would tell my friend, “When I get thin, I want to climb that wall too!” I knew that, in my fat state, I would not be able to do it, but my dream was to get thin enough and here I was—thin, on my 75th birthday! So, when I saw that sign, I could not resist. 

I went into the building, which was filled with different walls to climb. The manager showed me a wall suited to a novice, such as myself, and asked, “Do you want to do it now?” “Oh, no,” was my reply. “I need to grocery shop first.” Was I building up my courage to actually climb one of those walls, or did I have to convince my husband, who thought I was crazy for wanting to do such a thing?

Off to the grocery store we went, home for lunch, and, you guessed it, back to the indoor climbing place. I was outfitted with a harness and rock climbing shoes by a sweet girl named Tuesday who would help my dream come true. The 30-foot wall looked very high, but I was determined. After all, it was my 75th birthday, I was thin instead of fat, and it was my dream, right? I reached for the first hold, which are the things to grip and stand on as you go up the wall. I put my foot in place and up I went, moving one hand, one foot, one hand, one foot, up and up, higher and higher on the wall. It was hard work, but fun.  I got at least two-thirds of the way up the wall, about 20 feet, when I stopped and thought, “Those holds above me look awfully small, I am getting tired, and I am 75 years old. I think that’s enough for today.” Tuesday told me to let go of the holds and grip the safety wire, which was attached to my harness. She gently let me down to the ground. What an accomplishment! She even asked if she could put my climbing picture on their company’s social media account.

In thinking more about my day, I wonder how many first-time climbers started on their 75th birthday. I did, and why could I do it? It was because of FA. Without FA, I would still be in my fat state and would still be dreaming about climbing the rock wall instead of actually doing it. I know that we can do whatever we want to do. FA allows us to fulfill our dreams. I am forever grateful for FA. My dream had come true!