Born on December 12, 1981 in Indianapolis, Indiana, Josh was adopted at 3-days-old and raised in Fort Wayne with three brothers and a sister. He grew into a skinny kid, whose low self-esteem often overtook his natural athleticism. He started smoking at the age of 13 and continued the habit for seven long years. Then, in 2001, he lost his good friend Tony—and quit for good.

 

Just one year later Josh’s older brother, Ryan, died of Cystic Fibrosis—a medical condition affecting the lungs. Everything changed. Ryan had loved weightlifting and playing sports, so Josh made it his goal to help others reach their goals. A friend said it best when she told Josh, "Do what Ryan couldn’t."

 

In late 2003, standing 5'11” and weighing 145 pounds, Josh began reading everything he could get his hands on about the eating right and building muscle. He had always wanted a muscular body like the ones he saw in magazines, and now, motivated by thoughts of his brother and his friend, nothing could stop him.

 

Every time Josh reached a goal, he set a higher one. All of a sudden, people were looking at him like he should be in magazines. People were actually e-mailing him and approaching him in stores with questions about diet and weightlifting. Before long, the once-skinny kid who looked up to his big brother and best friend became the one to inspire others. From the glossy pages of national magazines to the weight room of his local Michigan gym, Josh continues to make it his mission to help others.

 

"I feel like it is not only my hobby and not just my job to motivate others, it’s my responsibility,” Josh says. He has a ceaseless passion for helping others grind away at their goals, and hopes people recognize that hard work is part of the process. “Progress is a slow process, but the hard work does pay off!"

 

After appearing on Bodybuilding.com in 2007, he was snatched up by Silver Models. Today he is a fashion and fitness model for the New York City-based agency, works as a certified personal trainer at Great Lakes Health and Fitness in Michigan where he currently resides, and serves as an elite model spokesperson for Cellucor Supplement Company.

 

"I would never have thought I would be ‘that guy’ who people look up to and are inspired to look like. It’s kind of unbelievable."

 

Today, as in the beginning, Josh’s friends and family are his greatest influence. "They push me,” Josh explains. “They are my mirror on the wall, and they don’t sugar coat anything.” His biggest supporter is his friend Barb, who took the struggling teen under her wing. “If it wasn’t for her, I think I would be in a much darker, unhealthier place.” Luckily for Josh, and for his growing number of avid supporters, a healthy place is exactly where he’s at.