James Asosi

Connect What fuels your passion for health and fitness?

When I first started my journey, I was fueled by fear for my health. I had been severely overweight my entire life and was afraid what the future would hold if I continued down this path. But, as I worked out more, my motivations shifted, as a genuine passion for weight lifting developed. Soon it wasn't the numbers on the scale that motivated me, it was the way I felt. It was how easily I could run up stairs, or how I could lift 8 bags of groceries at once with ease. I now workout for fun.

What’s your favorite way to train or stay fit?

My college includes a super nice gym in tuition, of which is like my second home. Every week day for about an hour and a half in-between classes I'm there training. I train heavy with a focus on weight instead of reps. Inspired by figures such as Eddie Hall, my ultimate fitness goal is absolute strength, pushing my body as far as it can go. Upper body is my favorite to train, especially chest. I've recently gained the ability to do full pull-ups, something that I've never been able to do before.

What would you do with $20,000?

As a college student graduating this Spring, I would use a chunk of the money to pay off student debt. As a filmmaker I would divert a bit of the prize to fund a film I've been working on, using it to buy props, pay crew, and rent locations. Growing up, my mom waws almost taken by breast cancer, but she was lucky enough to get it treated in time. Not every mom is that lucky. I'd like to donate the rest of the prize to breast cancer research.