WEIGHT’ OVER!

Traci Oliver has lost an incredible amount of weight during the past 16 months without fad diets, gimmicks, or surgery. In the process, she has gained a healthier overall life —physically, mentally, and emotionally. Her big reveal has been a year in the making… dible without fad diets, s, he

WRITER: JAMES COMBS PHOTOGRAPHER: FRED LOPEZ+TRACI OLIVER

Traci Oliver, 42, gripped the rope tightly with both hands as she ascended a mud-covered and slippery 30-foot climbing wall. She huffed and puffed and occasionally slipped while trying to conquer this challenging obstacle at the Warrior Dash 5K Mud Run in Lake Wales.

Having spent most of her adult life morbidly obese, Traci recognized those old feelings of self-doubt, insecurity, and failure that were creeping into her mind.

“I thought the rope would give out because so many others had used it throughout the day,” says Traci, a resident of Fruitland Park. “You cannot let go because you’ll fall and hit your back on the ground. I kept thinking I would fall and possibly never walk again.”

But those negative thoughts soon became a source of self-motivation. Since embarking on a lifestyle change in January 2013, Traci has conquered many obstacles — and she realized this would just be another in a long list. As she inched her way to the top, Traci recalled all the amazing feats she had achieved that once seemed impossible for a 5-foot, 4-inch woman who weighed 300 pounds: avoiding fast food, jogging around her neighborhood, whitewater rafting down a wild river, and making public appearances without fear of ridicule.

“There was a point going up the climbing wall where I told myself to let go of the fear and trust the process,” she said. “During this weight-loss journey, I have doubted myself many times before and ended up surprising myself.”

This time would be no exception.

“When I finally reached the top, I started crying because I was so happy. Before going down the other side of the wall, I stopped and told the crowd I would like to make an announcement. There was total silence, like I had stopped time or something. I let them know I had lost lots of weight and told them what a miracle it was for me to be standing where I was at that exact moment. Although the people in the crowd did not know me, they began cheering like crazy.”

This obstacle was symbolic of her lifestyle change — it was an epic fight to the top. But for Traci, the view from the top proved to be breathtaking.