MDH nursing assistant still ‘feels like a winner’ after falling short in competition for cover of Muscle & Fitness HERS

MACOMB (WGEM) – A McDonough District Hospital certified nursing assistant’s quest to be featured on the cover of Muscle & Fitness HERS magazine has ended.

Voting concluded in the last few weeks, where Leslie Godfrey finished 4th place in the quarterfinals, which wasn’t good enough to move on.

Despite not coming out on top, Godfrey still feels like a winner and does not let her placement drag her down.

”Even that the competition is over, I have people saying ‘hey can you help me do this, do you want to help me do that,’ you know, it’s people coming to me and saying, ‘you have inspired me, I want to change my ways.’”

Godfrey’s fitness journey began four years ago and quickly became an addiction to self-improvement. The last few months, though, have been especially humbling for her. Along with people reaching out to Godfrey for assistance in the fitness world, she said she’s received an immense amount of support from friends, co-workers and MDH as a whole.

Her message to those who want to change their lives is to jump head first.

”The only lesson that I have learned is don’t be afraid to jump out there, don’t be afraid to start, don’t be afraid to fail… just like this, it’s not failing, I didn’t win but it was okay,” Godfrey said.

Had Godfrey won, she said she would have given the $20,000 grand prize to her sister, who has ALS.

Godfrey doesn’t plan on throwing her hat in the ring for this same competition again next year, and instead is now gearing her efforts towards stepping on the competitive bodybuilding stage. Godfrey’s reasoning for likely not competing next year is that up to a certain point in the competition, votes had to be purchased, rather than gaining votes simply based on a contestant’s physique.

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