Day: January 2, 2026

By: Samuel Ellison

Terry Beard speaks about transformation with the clarity of someone who understands exactly what it costs and what it’s worth. His journey isn’t rooted in trends, aesthetics, or motivational slogans. It’s rooted in survival, faith, and a strong commitment to becoming the ideal version of himself, no matter what stands in the way.

Photo Courtesy: Cecilia Beard

In 2014, Terry weighed 297 pounds. At the time, he was living in a body that was quietly signaling distress until one day, those signals became impossible to ignore. While driving home, Terry suffered two heart attacks. When the first one hit, he managed to pull over to the side of the road. When the second followed, the moment became life-defining.

“I asked God to give me a second chance to change,” Terry recalls. “And He spared me.”

That moment marked the beginning of a commitment. One Terry took seriously. After visiting the doctor to understand what needed to be done, he worked toward change, not as a short-term effort, but as a long-term focus. He didn’t frame it as a diet or a phase. He viewed it as a responsibility to God, to himself, and to the life he had been given a chance to continue living.

Photo Courtesy: Cecilia Beard

Today, Terry averages between 207 and 212 pounds. His health markers reflect significant progress and dedication. But the most significant change didn’t happen solely on the scale; it happened in his mindset.

That mindset is embodied in W.A.N.O.A., which stands for We Are Not Our Ancestors. The meaning is often misunderstood at first glance, but Terry is quick to clarify. W.A.N.O.A. is not about rejecting the past. It’s about honoring it.

“Our ancestors laid the foundation,” he explains. “We’re standing on what they built, and now we get to expand on their dreams.”

For Terry, W.A.N.O.A. represents freedom from limitation, both inherited and self-imposed. When you accomplish something major that you once believed was impossible, it can shift how you see everything else. That breakthrough can open your mind to continued growth. You stop shrinking your goals. You stop doubting your capacity. You start pushing toward what’s possible, instead of staying bound by fear or expectation.

W.A.N.O.A. is the reminder that you are no longer confined by the limitations placed on you by history, by circumstance, or by your own doubts.

The journey, however, has not been without challenges.

After working tirelessly to transform his body, Terry experienced a setback when negligence on someone else’s part resulted in severe physical damage. Seeing his hand and body broken after he had worked so hard to rebuild them was emotionally crushing. The injury threatened not only his physical progress but his mental resolve.

“Seeing my body destroyed after everything I put into it was difficult,” he admits.

During that time, Terry leaned heavily on his faith. Daily, he called on God for strength, clarity, and endurance. He knew he couldn’t stop, not when there was still more to accomplish, more to give, and more to become. That extra effort, he says, didn’t weaken him. It strengthened his resolve.

“I always want to present the best version of myself,” Terry explains. “Because when you carry yourself that way, it opens doors.”

That philosophy carries into his daily routine. Terry weighs his food portions every single day. He pays close attention to what he consumes, not out of restriction, but out of respect for his body and the second chance he was given. He sees the results not just in the mirror, but in how his clothes fit, how he moves, and how he feels.

One of the most encouraging moments in his journey comes during his quarterly doctor visits. Hearing his physician tell him that his numbers are no longer in the diabetic range but firmly in the normal column reinforces everything he’s worked for.

“That motivates me to keep going,” Terry says.

And yet, his approach to health isn’t rooted in punishment or perfection. Balance matters. After those appointments, Terry enjoys his favorite treats without guilt: Cheetos, a Hershey bar, and a Big Kit Kat. The difference now is accountability. He enjoys them, then he works it off. Discipline and enjoyment can coexist.

For Terry, health is not about deprivation; it’s about sustainability.

The message he hopes to share is clear: many people may be more bound by their own beliefs than by reality. Once you take the chains off yourself, once you stop telling yourself what you can’t do, you begin to see that the only true limits are the ones you’re unwilling to work toward.

“Your health is a crucial foundation for whatever you’re trying to accomplish,” Terry says.

He believes determination, confidence, ability, and willingness are the tools that can help fulfill that pursuit. And once growth becomes visible, something powerful happens; you begin to crave it. You protect it. You cherish it.

Through W.A.N.O.A., Terry Beard is offering more than a message. He’s offering evidence. Evidence that survival can become a purpose. That discipline can lead to freedom. And that’s when you decide to honor the life you’ve been given; everything else begins to align.

For those interested in exploring that mindset for themselves, Terry invites readers to visit www.wanoa.net and to consider what might be possible if they decided to stop standing in their own way.