When I was 19 years old, I participated in a reenactment of the Passion of Christ on Good Friday. As part of the performance, I was supposed to break through the Roman soldiers, crying out in agony. But in that moment, something deeper happened. As I witnessed Jesus’ suffering, it hit me like a brick wall—His pain, His sacrifice, mirrored the suffering I had been carrying. The burdens I had felt—t
he loss, the hopelessness—suddenly felt real in a way they never had before. And then, without realizing it, I found myself crying out, not as a character in a play, but as myself:
"¡Me arrepiento!"
"I repent!"
It was at that very moment that my heart became flesh and I felt the weight of my past pain being lifted. It was the real me, facing my suffering and asking for God’s forgiveness. The Moment I Turned My Back on God
But that moment of conversion didn’t come out of nowhere. It came after years of inner turmoil. Two years before that night, I was 17, and I had been living with undiagnosed health issues that only grew worse over time. I had loved sports—basketball, track, cross-country—and had dreams of running in college. But a doctor’s visit shattered that dream. I was diagnosed with osteoarthritis, a degenerative disease that causes the breakdown of joint cartilage, and sciatica, nerve pain that shot down my legs. My doctor told me that if I continued with my athletic pursuits, I’d be risking further damage. The news crushed me. My whole future, my identity, was tied to sports. And now, it seemed like that part of my life was over. I remember sitting in the car with my mom at a Del Taco drive-thru, the tears rolling down my face. I thought to myself:
"This is it? The one thing that made me feel alive… gone?"
I was angry. I blamed God. If He was real, why would He take this away from me? Why would He allow me to suffer like this? That was the moment I turned my back on God. I stopped praying, I stopped trusting Him. I walked through my senior year of high school with a heart full of anger and bitterness, battling depression and hopelessness. Kneeling Before the Holy of Holies
Fast forward to that Good Friday, after the reenactment. I went to the chapel, knelt before the Holy of Holies, the Real Presence of Jesus in the Eucharist, and poured out everything I had been holding inside. All my anger, my pain, my suffering. For years, I had blamed God. I had questioned Him. I had pushed Him away. But now, I felt something shift. In that chapel, I realized that I didn’t need to carry my pain alone. Jesus had already carried it for me. And so, I prayed:
"I repent and give my life to You, Jesus Christ, my Lord and Savior." That was the moment I surrendered. I offered my suffering to Him. And from that moment on, I knew my life would never be the same. From Pain to Purpose
At 20, I returned to college—not for a degree, but to take a strength training class. I started with just a 35 lb bar. It was difficult at first, but little by little, I got stronger. At 21, I started my own house cleaning business to make a living. I fell in love with Catholic teachings and the beauty of the Church. I was inspired by Our Blessed Mother Mary and her obedience to God. Her words, “Do whatever He tells you” (John 2:5), became a guiding principle in my own life. At 22, I completed four semesters of strength training, bench pressing 80 lbs. My body began to heal, and so did my spirit. I realized that true strength doesn’t come from lifting weights alone—it comes from surrendering to God’s will, from trusting Him in every part of my life. The Birth of WCA
That’s why I created WCA (With Christ Alone). This brand isn’t just about fitness or style—it’s about empowering people to live out their faith, both physically and spiritually. When you wear WCA, you’re reminded of your strength in Christ. You’re reminded that every step you take—whether in the gym or in life—can be rooted in faith. This is my story, and now it’s yours too.
