Dear Master Chief,
You have already changed my life! After finishing my third session of Boot Camp, I feel wonderful, and am myself again after a long haul.

Perhaps I should start by telling you about myself. All my life I have battled with my weight. I was a spindly, sickly little thing, and so my parents, being the good parents they were, made sure to feed me constantly. Even in our old home movies, I ALWAYS had a cookie in my hand! This turned me, by second grade into a roly-poly. ("All the more to love" said my teachers). When I was in sixth grade, my mom joined a program, and I got thin. Even so, not being athletic at all, I battled weight with diet alone. I was always the last to get picked for team sports, and NEVER, NEVER, NEVER ran! I was always more likely to sit and read. I managed to exercise sporadically over the years, and diet as my weight went up and down. Although I didn't have a consistent program, I usually would catch myself before I got too out of hand (read: too fat) but anytime I was under stress, I would find myself overeating. If I told you all the "diets" I tried, you'd laugh ( or maybe cry, knowing you). Fasting, Atkins, Pritikin, low fat, low carb, all raw veggies, diet shakes, name it and I tried it.

For the last four years, though, I thought I finally had a handle on it. Suddenly, I wasn't very hungry, I was working at a job I loved, and I thought maybe my metabolism had changed. Then I was diagnosed with kidney cancer. No wonder I had been wasting away!! No wonder I had felt so weak! (I had thought that I was just out of shape ... how easily we fool ourselves!) After the surgery, I bounced back, felt good, but since there was no longer a bowling ball sized mass smooshing my stomach and my body wanted nourishment to heal, and my life was crazy, and I gained (count'em) 50 pounds!!! I was horrified!!! I was out of control!!! I was desperate!!! I tried dieting...couldn't do it... I tried the gym...didn't go...

THEN Kristina Sanborn had been going to Boot Camp, and I had watched her go from a zafting woman to BUFF CHICK.... She had invited me to come as a guest camper, and suggested I call you before coming. When I called you, instead of asking to be a guest, I just signed up, and came the next day.
At first, I walked, and stopped, walked and stopped... my first mile was 15 minutes. But everyone cheered when I crossed the line. All through camp, everyone cheered me on and encouraged me, and my goal was to be able to run by the end of camp. My only competition was with myself, and though I walked most of the laps, my energy tripled, and my waistline shrunk, and my self- esteem grew!
At the end of my third camp, I found that I LIKE running! I've taken five minutes off my mile, six sizes off my clothing, and last camp I was a team captain, and my team won the prize for the six -week G.I. JERRY competition!!!!

Tina, I'd never done anything athletic in my life, let alone being the captain of a winning team!! And at graduation, my friends voted me "Most Likely to Morph!" I was happy seeing the difference in myself, but when I got that support and acknowledgment, it was wonderful! One more thing I must tell you....during my first camp, when I had a problem at home, you called me and left a message that you cared, and left your home number and told me to call any time I needed someone to talk to. It was such a loving and connected thing for you to do with someone you had only met a few weeks before. You are one of a kind, Tina, and I am very grateful to the Universe to have you in my life! Keep up the good work, and I'll see you at the next camp!! (and the next, and the next).

Oh... and I'm also taking Karate classes now... I'm on a roll!!! (a low fat roll with mustard!!! not mayo!!!).

Love,
- Corporal Suzie Kamins