Two years ago, Rebecca Smart was a new mom who had eaten her way to obesity.
"When you're bored, you eat, when you're sad you eat,” Smart admitted.
Out of excuses, she knew it was time for a different spin. So, she took a chance at reconnecting with a childhood passion—ballroom dance.
“It started out with one lesson a week,” Smart said.
But that didn’t last long. She loved those lessons so much that she started going more often—four, then five times per week.
"I was going to dance classes more than I would've gone to the gym for sure,” Smart acknowledged.
Her hobby turned more serious. She competed regionally—then nationally—winning five championships since.
“She got more confidence,” said her dance partner Adam Telessy. “She looks stronger, she looks happier.”
Her friends noticed the transformation as well.
“It’s been amazing to see how she’s just shedding the layers and coming home to herself,” said Elizabeth de Moraes, describing Smart's journey.
And since rediscovering dance, Smart has lost 128 pounds.
“I feel better about who I am as a person. Not just how I look. But how I feel, how I act,” Smart said.
While the process is grueling and requires a great deal of patience, the lesson is simple: do something you love and stick with it.
“Dancing is something that is very deep in my heart,” Smart said with tears in her eyes. “I didn't realize how much I missed it and how much it was a part of who I am. It made a huge difference for me.”