Fitness guru, pageant powerhouse, and Christ-follower Tori Leigh gives us the inside scoop on her exciting Malibu life! Tori is one of those girls that immediately brightens up a room, from her smile to her character to her contagious laugh! She not only upholds a humble attitude, but she puts others before herself. Let's dive into Tori's life story.

How did you get into fitness?

My health and wellness journey began when I was in fourth grade and the boy I had a crush on called me fat. It forced me to confront the reality of a world filled with societal standards and judgment. That day I went home and tried to read my first nutrition label so I could go on a diet and lose weight. What devastates me looking back is that I was not overweight, but from that day forward I would be concerned about being “skinny enough”. I tried to learn about diets and joined sports teams excited for the six pack abs it would bring me. But as I was pursuing these things with the wrong intensions, I fell in love with health and wellness. It is amazing how God works in such round-about ways. He uses everything to glorify Him even when it seems painful at first.

Through years of struggling with body image issues, I found my God given passion and my calling. I fell in love with hiking and experiencing God in nature, going to the gym and working out, clean eating and yoga! I stumbled upon Beachbody when I was looking for a more structured program that would give me more self-discipline and accountability to take my health and fitness to a new level! As a Nutritional Science major, I am devoting my life to a career in health and wellness and aspire to be a Chiropractor. Being a Beachbody coach allows me the opportunity to give others the gift of self-acceptance and pursue my passion!

Loving health and fitness allows me to feel confident and to love my body. A kind of confidence that glorifies God because we are all created in His image. Steven Furtick, pastor of Elevation Church, once talked about using the Lord’s name in vain (Exodus 20:7). This is most commonly thought of in reference to phrases, such as, “Oh my God.” But Furtick says that when we say “I Am” we are talking about what we think of our Creator. “I Am ugly, I Am stupid, and I Am weak” are statements that use the Lord’s name in vain. The God we worship is none of those things; therefore, if He is in us we aren’t any of those things either! Instead proclaim, “I Am gracious, sufficient, and qualified by His grace.”

It is not easy to always make the right choices, I am human and often want some pizza over a veggie packed salad, but when I stay disciplined, I feel so much better than when I cave into cravings. Just as Christianity does not promise to make your life easier, devoting your life to health and wellness will not either. Both are choosing a lifestyle that will take self-control, but can reap a bountiful harvest. Some of the blessings of good health are confidence in yourself, loving your body as God created you, feeling more energized and able to tackle the world, seeing advancements in your strength, and the peace of knowing that you are taking care of health. C.S. Lewis said, “You do not have a soul. You are a soul. You have a body.” Our bodies are a temple for the Holy Spirit; let’s take care of our bodies in a way that honors God. Matthew 7:13-14, 1 Corinthians 9:24-27, Galatians 6:8, 1 Corinthians 6:19-20

Favorite Quote:

“Tell your heart that the fear of suffering is worse than the suffering itself. And that no heart has ever suffered when it goes in search of its dreams, because every second of the search is a second's encounter with God and with eternity.”
― Paulo Coelho, The Alchemist

Favorite Book:

Redeeming Love - Francine Rivers, The Alchemist - Paulo Coelho

Favorite Movie:

Frozen, A Walk to Remember

Favorite 'Purse Essential':

Chapstick! (EOS egg)

Tell us about your pageant experiences:

My mom was Miss Dallas and Mrs. Arizona. After those experiences, she became the director of “Miss Arizona USA” and “Miss Arizona and Miss Texas Teen and Jr. Teen America”. So I grew up going to pageants, meeting and hanging out backstage with pageant girls, and going to all their special appearances. I saw pageants from the behind the scenes view. I looked up to them and always wanted to be them one day. I did a few pageants when I was young, but when I got to college I got more involved. I started with competing at Miss California Teen United States representing Malibu, then competing in Miss Malibu USA and Miss Beach Cities (MAO). They have been an incredible experience and I learn and grow every time. The Lord put the desire on my heart and thinking about the moment I get to grace that stage keeps me up at night. Whatever childhood dream you have, don’t give up on it! Don’t believe the lies about why your dream is no longer attainable. If you never try you will always wonder, and if you try you just might get it! Who cares if you fail! Winston Churchill said, “Success is going from failure to failure without loss of enthusiasm.” So dream big and if you can dream it, YOU CAN DO IT!