OCOEE, Fla. – An Ocoee mom who works nights as an ICU nurse has dropped 185 pounds and is now headed to Texas to compete in a major bodybuilding championship.

Jwan Nguyen remembers exactly where she started.

“My heaviest known weight was probably about 311 pounds. I was living a very unhealthy lifestyle,” she said, shaking her head at the memory.

Now, she’s gearing up for her second shot at the Summer Shredding competition in Houston next month. Last year, she grabbed fourth place in the Transformation Division – a category created specifically for competitors who’ve shed at least 150 pounds.

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The journey hasn’t been easy. As a night-shift ICU nurse and mom, Nguyen knew something had to give.

“I wasn’t the mom I wanted to be,” she admitted.

While gastric bypass surgery kicked off her transformation, Nguyen quickly realized she wanted more.

“I wanted to see what I could do. I wanted to challenge myself, I wanted to be more active,” she said.

That’s when she stumbled across the Summer Shredding competition’s Transformation Division and thought, “Hey I can do that.”

Nguyen’s biggest fan is her 11-year-old daughter Elodie, herself a competitive gymnast. Watching her mom’s transformation has left a lasting impression on the young athlete.

“It’s teaching me to keep going when things get tough and keep doing things even if I don’t want to,” Elodie said, tears welling up as she talked about her mom’s journey. “Now that she’s healthier, I’m glad to see her like that. Happier than she used to be.”

You’ll find Nguyen putting in work at Planet Fitness in Ocoee, cramming in intense training sessions before heading to her night shift at the hospital. Last year’s fourth-place finish has only fired her up more for this year’s competition.

Her message for anyone thinking about making a change?

“It’s never too late. It’s never too late to take that one first step,” she said with a smile.

Next month, she’ll head back to Houston for the worldwide Summer Shredding championship, with daughter Elodie right there in the crowd, cheering mom on as she goes for gold.

The Championship Show is scheduled for Sept. 13.

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