LONDON, ONT. -- Local personal trainer, Jennifer Summerfield, is one step closer to being crowned, Ms. Health and Fitness 2020.

Over 18,000 women around the world submitted their photo for the online contest, including Summerfield, who is now a top eight finalist as of Sunday.

Summerfield is asking for the public's help in crowing her Miss Health and Fitness, by voting online every 24 hours.

“It means I can help and inspire people to believe in themselves… I’m a local girl and I want to help people,” says Summerfield.

Summerfield fell in love with fitness after experiencing a tragedy that almost took her life.

She was involved in a bad car accident when she was a teenager, the accident sent her into a coma.

“It totally changed my life. I wasn’t able to walk, talk, do anything I had to learn that all over again,” says Summerfield.

Doctors told Summerfield that she would face many ‘limitations’ including a possible limp when she did regain strength, says Summerfield.

“I imbedded in my head that I was going to get through, I was going to get strong, and I wasn’t going to have any setbacks,” she says.

Stepping foot in a gym after her accident and re-teaching her body how to move made her fall in love with fitness.

Over a decade later Summerfield is now a professional fitness trainer at Combine Fitness in London.

“I believe that my accident happened for a reason. I am here to influence people, help them and show them that they can do it… I wasn’t supposed to be here and I am. If I can influence people thats what I want to do,” says Summerfield.

You can vote for Team Jen once every 24 hours online.

The next voting cycle starts on Monday at 3 p.m.

Miss Health and Fitness is the world’s largest online fitness competition. The winner gets a grand prize $20,000 dollars cash and the cover of Muscle and Fitness Hers magazine.