Not so long ago, Jonathan DeLaRosa’s life was the envy of many. He was married to the beautiful IFBB Figure Pro Swann Cardot, and together they owned their own retail supplement store. His competitive career was also on the rise. The business, like most small businesses, didn’t make it, and then early last year, his marriage ended abruptly. Committed to competing in a series of contests, he persisted despite the chaos and turmoil his life had suddenly become plagued with. Thankfully, that wasn’t the end of the story. I spoke with Jonathan, now living in Florida, as he was eight weeks out from his seventh appearance at the New York Pro, to learn how he turned things around.
Where to begin? Your life has changed in several major ways recently.
Yes, a lot has happened in my life over the last year or so. as some know, I’m no longer married. I went through a tough divorce— tough on my end at least, more so because it was completely unexpected. there were no signs that things were headed in that direction. Long story short, my life was upside down real quick. that bomb was dropped on me four days before heading off to compete in the 2018 Arnold Classic. I had commitments to the promoters, my fans, and to the companies that sponsor me. not only did I compete in that show, but I also kept competing for most of the season. I did the Arnold, the Arnold Australia, the new york Pro, the Toronto Pro, and the Chicago Pro. It was a long, hard year, definitely the worst year in terms of placings I ever had. I still did oK at the Arnold, I guess because the news was so fresh. eighth wasn’t a bad showing under the circumstances. It was difficult to keep stress under control as time went on. as the season progressed, it got harder to ignore what was going on in my home life, and harder to control my stress levels and get any sleep. It was like fighting an uphill battle, but I needed to do it mentally and for myself. I needed to stay busy and not obsess over that situation. I went from living in my own home to living in my parents’ basement. It was a complete shit show. I left my house with just the clothes on my back. several months later I went back and got the rest of my stuff. It was bad. I’m not making excuses. It was my decision to keep competing. I could have pulled out and my sponsors and everyone else would have understood. I need to keep myself busy. once the season was done for me after Chicago, I kind of looked at my life and figured I needed to make a change.
Is that how you ended up moving to Florida?
This story is from the May 2019 edition of Muscular Development.
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This story is from the May 2019 edition of Muscular Development.
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