Callie Marunde began her life in Sequim, WA five years ago, when her husband, the internationally known World's Strongest Man competitor Jesse Marunde, brought her back to his hometown.
On June 10, 2007, Callie gave birth to their daughter, Jessica Joy.
Six weeks later, Jesse suffered a massive heart attack during a workout and died. He was 27, the victim of a genetic heart defect.
Today, Callie Marunde, a fitness-contest competitor since long before she met Jesse, must draw on another kind of strength, to move through life without her mate.
Jesse has been gone for almost two years -- yet he's here, Marunde said, in his extended family members, in photographs and letters, and most of all as a force of inspiration.
"After losing Jesse, my whole life is a struggle: Everything I do, from getting out of bed in the morning to making the right nutrition choices to creating a healthy environment for my child," Marunde said on a recent afternoon at her home just outside Sequim.
"Nothing is different," she added, "except his physical absence. My standard of excellence in parenting, in personal relationships, personal goals -- nothing has changed."
Marunde and J.J. are a blond, blue-eyed, fit pair who, on their daily walks, could stop traffic. To a stranger, they look as carefree as any mom and toddler.
But Marunde, at 29, has a steely determination behind her fitness-competition smile.
Marunde has been competing in fitness and figure contests for nine years now, and has no plans to back off. Instead, she has made it her mission to set an example of healthful living, for her daughter, for the women who come to her for personal training and for other single mothers.
Children are faced with temptation every waking hour: candy, fatty fast food, television and computer screens that immobilize the body.
"It's probably even harder for adults," Marunde said, "with all that money that is spent to trick people into buying things."
"That's the hardest thing for me as a trainer, making my clients realize all of the fallacies" inherent in marketing and advertising of packaged foods."
"I'm a big fan of whole foods. If you can pick it, if you can grow it, you should eat it," Marunde said, adding that she and J.J. live on fresh produce, whole grains and lean meat and fish.
"You only have one body," she's fond of saying.
Marunde also believes in moderation, not deprivation.
Her advice for her personal-training clients and anyone who wants to be in good shape: "Eat."
And when it comes to lifting weights, "a little bit goes a long way," to prevent osteoporosis and sculpt Michelle Obama-esque arms.
On Saturday, she will compete in the Natural Bodybuilding Championships in Vancouver, Wash., and then in the Emerald Cup, another competition in Bellevue.
Also competing were two of her clients, Laurie Joslin and Leticia Swanson, both of Sequim.
Marunde said a key to feeling fine as she steps before the judges, wearing only muscles and a bikini: Don't "cheat" on a meal by slipping yourself a little sweet treat, and don't miss a meal.
For the past seven months, Marunde has also served as a personal trainer to staff and volunteers at the Boys & Girls Club in Sequim.
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