AARON GUZMAN’S NEWBORN DAUGHTER MOTIVATED HIM TO NEW HEIGHTS

It’s been said that no other love in the world is like the love of a father has for his little girl.

For APEMAN, Aaron Guzman, that love actually saved his life. 

“I was 23 when I found out I wasn't going to make it to 40,” he said. “I became a father to a beautiful baby girl and by the time she was just 9-months old, I was 265 pounds eating nothing but junk food. I drank all the time. I was incredibly unhealthy.”

In fact, it was to the point where if Aaron would sleep on his back, he’d stop breathing. 

“I went to the doctor and after an ultrasound, they saw I had a large liver, kidney stones and a lump on my gallbladder,” Aaron said. “The doctor said if I keep this up, I won’t make it past 40-years old.”

The thought of leaving his family and not seeing his daughter grow up killed him inside. He knew he had to make a change.

“My best friend introduced me to powerlifting and from that point on, my life changed,” he said. “I started following powerlifters on YouTube and came across Ed Coan doing an interview with an APEMAN shirt on. I followed his career and saw how he came back from many injuries, and thought to myself I could do the same. I have already lost 35 pounds. At 6-2 I’m now 230 pounds and my doctor said it made all the difference.” 

Aaron still says every day is a struggle and temptation is always around. But his support system of his mom, aunt and fiancée has helped continue to move him forward. 

“Training has become everything to me,” he said. “It’s my escape from reality. When I’m at the gym, it’s just you vs. you. With weights, it’s something I can control; you better move the weights before they move you. People ask me how I keep up with my training and diet without struggling. I tell them, ‘Who said I’m not struggling?’ Every single day is a challenge but what gives me strength is seeing my daughter knowing I’ll be there to see her become the beautiful, successful woman I know she’ll be.”

His new goals? 

“Powerlifting has changed everything,” he said. “I am now training to compete in a meet and going to school to become a PTA. 

“But most of all, I just want to be a great father to my daughter.”