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
Indian envoy warns of 'big red line,' days after charges laid in Nijjar case
India's envoy to Canada insists relations between the two countries are positive overall, despite what he describes as 'a lot of noise.'
Stormy Daniels describes meeting Trump during occasionally graphic testimony in hush money trial
With Donald Trump sitting just feet away, Stormy Daniels testified Tuesday at the former president's hush money trial about a sexual encounter the porn actor says they had in 2006 that resulted in her being paid to keep silent during the presidential race 10 years later.
U.S. paused bomb shipment to Israel to signal concerns over Rafah invasion, official says
The U.S. paused a shipment of bombs to Israel last week over concerns that Israel was approaching a decision on launching a full-scale assault on the southern Gaza city of Rafah against the wishes of the U.S.
Former homicide detective explains how police will investigate shooting outside Drake's Bridle Path mansion
Footage from dozens of security cameras in the area of Drake’s Bridle Path mansion could be the key to identifying the suspect responsible for shooting and seriously injuring a security guard outside the rapper’s sprawling home early Tuesday morning, a former Toronto homicide detective says.
Northern Ont. woman makes 'eggstraordinary' find
A chicken farmer near Mattawa made an 'eggstraordinary' find Friday morning when she discovered one of her hens laid an egg close to three times the size of an average large chicken egg.
Susan Buckner, who played spirited cheerleader Patty Simcox in 'Grease,' dead at 72
Susan Buckner, best known for playing peppy Rydell High School cheerleader Patty Simcox in the 1978 classic movie musical 'Grease,' has died. She was 72.
Jeremy Skibicki has 'uphill battle' to prove he's not criminally responsible in Winnipeg killings: legal analysts
Accused killer Jeremy Skibicki could have a challenging time convincing a judge that he is not criminally responsible for the deaths of four Indigenous women, a legal analyst says.
Bye-bye bag fee: Calgary repeals single-use bylaw
A Calgary bylaw requiring businesses to charge a minimum bag fee and only provide single-use items when requested has officially been tossed.
Alcohol believed to be a factor in boating incident after 2 men die: N.S. RCMP
Two Nova Scotia men are dead after a boat they were travelling in sank in the Annapolis River in Granville Centre, N.S., on Monday.