London, Ont. woman documents amazing weight loss journey while striving for new career
Christina Topic is on a mission to start a new career.
"I've always wanted to be a police officer," says Topic, 35, from London, Ont.
She's on her way to making her dream a reality, but until recently she felt it was impossible. In 2019, she decided to change her life after a vacation with her friends and family, opened her eyes.
"My one girlfriend took a picture of me from the side and after I got out of the water, I saw the picture of myself and burst into tears because I couldn't believe that was me," says Topic.
Just over two years ago, Christina weighed 330 pounds.
"I got home on Nov. 1, 2019 and that was the day I did my first workout and I haven't stopped," says Topic.
Over the past 26 months she's lost 140 pounds and now hopes to go from working as a police dispatcher, to being an officer.Christina Topic, 35, works out in the basement of her London, Ont. home on Jan. 19,2022. Topic has dropped 140 pounds as she strives to become a police officer. (Brent Lale / CTV News)"It's always been a dream of mine and being able to help somebody at their absolute worst is something that I've always been really attracted to, but my weight always held me back from that," says Topic.
"I decided that kind of the next best option where I still got to help people every single day would be to become a police dispatcher. So that's my current job and I absolutely love it but I still had this fire burning inside me that I just wanted to achieve that goal and I'm almost ready to apply."
Once unable to even run for 30 seconds, Topic can now do five km without stopping. She runs, cycles, stretches and works out every day before and after her job which requires 12-hour shifts.
Topic has been documenting her journey on Instagram and TikTok while gaining thousands of followers. She's inspiring others and receives dozens of messages daily.
"It requires motivation, resiliency, mental toughness and having strategic specific goals in place," says Sarah Pinhal, a London, Ont. psychotherapist and personal trainer.
"I think she did an amazing job of demonstrating what our capacities are as human beings even through tough times and challenges."
Christina Topic, 35, works out in the basement of her London, Ont. home on January 19,2022. Topic has dropped 140 pounds as she strives to become a police officer. (Brent Lale / CTV News)With closures to fitness centres, the pandemic has been difficult on people who enjoy going to the gym and staying active.
Pinhal believes it is a growth mindset that helps people like Topic achieve their goals, even during times where obstacles can be presented.
"I can control how much water I drink and how I sleep at night," says Pinhal. "I can also control the foods that I put into my body and just getting up and moving. It doesn't have to be going to a gym. It just means simple body in motion."
That's what Topic has done.In what she refers to as her second job, she's made a conscious decision to wake up and put herself first every day. Her meals are on point as she strives to be her competitive best.
"I know it sounds kind of crazy, but I give myself a high five in the mirror and I say 'Okay, today's going to be better than yesterday ,” says Topic. "That's my goal every single day. I am better today than I was yesterday."
In addition to aiming for a new career in law enforcement, Topic is also preparing for her first fitness competition in Texas later this year.
Her journey to that competition will also be part of a documentary on Amazon Prime in the U.S.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
BREAKING Average hourly wage in Canada now $34.95: StatCan
Average hourly wages among Canadian employees rose to $34.95 on a year-over-year basis in April, a 4.7 per cent increase, according to a Statistics Canada report released Friday morning.
From outer space? Sask. farmers baffled after discovering strange wreckage in field
A family of fifth generation farmers from Ituna, Sask. are trying to find answers after discovering several strange objects lying on their land.
This iconic Canadian song is turning 50
Andy Kim's 'Rock Me Gently' is marking a major milestone, as it celebrates its 50th anniversary.
Oprah Winfrey: I set an unrealistic standard for dieting
Oprah Winfrey said on Thursday evening that she has long played a role in promoting unhealthy and unrealistic diets.
Ontario family receives massive hospital bill as part of LTC law, refuses to pay
A southwestern Ontario woman has received an $8,400 bill from a hospital in Windsor, Ont., after she refused to put her mother in a nursing home she hated -- and she says she has no intention of paying it.
Toronto police called to Drake's Bridle Path mansion for another alleged intruder on Thursday
Toronto police say a man who allegedly attempted to access Drake’s Bridle Path property was taken to hospital on Thursday after an altercation with security guards.
Flat tire on a highway? Here's why you shouldn't try to fix it
If you're cruising down a highway and realize you have a flat tire, you may want to think twice before stopping to fix it on the side of the road.
Storm-battered U.S. South is again under threat. A boy swept into a drain fights for his life
Dangerous storms crashed over parts of the U.S. South on Thursday even as the region cleaned up from earlier severe weather that spawned tornadoes, killed at least three people, and gravely injured a boy who was swept into a storm drain as he played in a flooded street.
Broadcaster and commentator Rex Murphy dead at 77: National Post
The National Post is reporting that Rex Murphy, the pundit and columnist who hosted a national call-in radio show for decades, has died.