“My childhood was normal, I would say. I played outside in the park with my neighborhood friends as much as possible. We didn’t have phones or iPads back then, so it was peaceful.”
She started training at home, but joined a local gym a few months later. She discovered fitness and was first introduced to bodybuilding specifically in her freshman year. After meeting Clayton, a retired competitive bodybuilder she called her “gym dad,” she decided to give the sport a try.
“He saw the potential in me like no other. He definitely played a role in my decision to try bodybuilding.”
Janssen was originally inspired by Whitney Simmons and Sophie Van Oostenbrugge, both of whom served as indirect teachers for her. When she started studying and pursuing bodybuilding, she started following IFBB Pro League athletes Peyton Dutcher And Tamara Dageraadalso known as ‘Tamz’.
“I was planning to enter the wellness competition, I really looked up to her.”
Her goals went beyond just competing. Janssen had Olympia aspirations, and seeing Trisha Pollydore make her debut at the Women’s Physique Olympia this past year only fueled those dreams.
Life-changing experience
Unfortunately for Janssen, any plans she had to walk onto the Olympia stage came to an end after an SUV veered from the driving lane into the parking lane where she and colleague Carter Higginson were standing behind a trailer. The vehicle crashed into Janssen and the trailer, severing both of her legs. She also suffered a broken arm and became trapped in the car. Higginson was unhurt and had to ensure that the driver did not move, which would have caused Janssen to bleed. That saved her life.
“After Carter prompted a local citizen to call 911, he comforted me and kept me conscious while we waited for paramedics. Carter is one of the many heroes who saved my life.”
That experience had to be recalled to Janssen because she does not remember the experience. The experience itself was very traumatic, but somehow she managed to focus on the positives once she was able to process what had happened. She credits her faith for that.
Janssen said, “At times I was overstimulated and overwhelmed, but for the most part everything was fine. This is because I felt Jesus by my side while I was in the hospital. I know he was with me during the blackout that I have no memory of.”
A new journey
Another positive outcome of the experience was the support she experienced from her family, partner, friends and even the fitness community. A GoFundMe was started to help her financially as she started walking forward. The gym she attended in Edmonton and a local supplement store also donated money to her.
“I have such a great community. I couldn’t ask for anything more.”
Faith, family and friends will all be great assets for Janssen as she learns to live with this new reality. Many see this as a tragedy and hope to make the best of a bad situation. She is much more optimistic about the days, months and years ahead.
“I knew that so many doors that were closed and chained would open.”
Her story has reached and inspired many people. That also helped her to stay on her feet. She has documented her process on social media, which has received a very positive response.
“I honestly never thought I would gain a large following or inspire people with what I post,” she said humbly. “The content was a little different, but it was still worth sharing with my 400 followers. I gained more than 100,000 additional followers in less than seven weeks.”
Janssen continued, “I am extremely grateful to everyone who has followed me, whether it is because I am inspired by my story, because I want to experience my journey, in a similar situation to me, need guidance from our Lord, because I want to change their outlook to be more positive, or something else. I am so grateful, I thank my Savior Jesus Christ every day, for helping to connect us all and helping people in darkness find my story. I never expected this to happen, but it was meant to be. My purpose in life is to help all these people into the light.”
As for that dream of walking on the Olympia podium, she made it clear that the only part of the dream that may have died out is the walking part. The Olympia has a wheelchair section, and although this only applies to men for the time being, more women are taking up fitness than ever before. A women’s division could certainly be possible, and being a part of it would be a way for Janssen to be a part of bodybuilding history that she wasn’t able to achieve before.
“It may be in a wheelchair, but I don’t care. It will be a dream come true.”
If you would like to support Janssen and her efforts, you can do so via visiting her Go Fund Me page.
You can also follow her on Instagram @raebolic.liften .
#Raelyn #Janssen #Olympia #dream #Muscle #Fitness