As a teen, Jessie had no idea that her part time job at a local gym would lead to a career in fitness. After all, working at the gym was only temporary while she made her way through university. Plus, teaching fitness classes seemed to balance out the increasingly hectic party lifestyle she was adopting in her twenties.

Indulging in unhealthy foods and celebrating with a little too much alcohol left Jessie with painful intestinal cramps and frequent visits to the bathroom – symptoms of Irritable Bowel Syndrome. Preparing for her first fitness competition meant that she had to completely change her diet, and along with it, her IBS symptoms disappeared. “I used to think I was fit because I worked out all the time,” says Jessie, “but I realized you can’t be healthy unless you change your diet, too.”