I put my headphones on and focus, sometimes I dig deep and think about my purpose and that drives me to go harder.
My name is Jennifer Erhardt, most people call me Jen or Jenny and I’m 27 years young. I’m from Grand Rapids, Michigan but I’ve been traveling all over for work since 2019. I’m a registered nurse, I started out working in trauma at a level one hospital so I’ve seen a lot and I definitely have a passion for helping people under such extreme circumstances. I’ve worked in North and South Carolina, Texas, and Florida where I currently am. My next move is coming up and I will be relocating to Minneapolis, Minnesota to work at the Mayo Clinic.
Bodybuilding and powerlifting are a huge part of my life, I grew up playing sports and I come from a very athletic and competitive family. I played softball in college and after that I stayed in shape by going to the gym with my family and best friend. I didn’t start lifting seriously until 2015 after my best friend passed away from leukemia. The gym became my safe place and the only coping mechanism that worked for me and still is very much a form of therapy for me to this day. Losing someone so close really gave me a new perspective on life and taught me a lot so I try to share my experiences through social media to connect with others and show people that it’s okay to not be okay, life does get better and the gym can help you let go of those emotions. I was diagnosed with major depressive disorder and had frequent panic attacks so I was put on medication for it and after about a year of lifting I had fewer panic attacks and eventually I was able to completely come off of my medications.
I started competing in bodybuilding in 2016 as a bikini competitor and in 2018 I got into powerlifting because I have always loved challenging my strength. In 2019 I was training for my first professional meet when I injured my lower back. I went through 6 months of physical therapy before I felt good enough to start training legs and back harder again. That’s when I got back into bodybuilding and that’s where I currently am today. I finally stepped back on stage in August 2022 and won the overall for WPD, so now I’m qualified to compete for my pro card which is my ultimate goal in this sport.
I hope I continue to thrive in this industry and I’m so incredibly thankful for the opportunities I’ve had thus far.
My favorite product is Progress because it gives me the extra boost I need to get through my workouts!
