For Roger Moss, isn’t the mistake that defines the individual — it is how that particular individual decides to respond to life’s adversity. Roger Moss knows this better than most.

 After coming back into society from being convicted of drug possession in 1996, Moss, 46, decided to relinquish the past and shift his focus to bettering his life.

Moss began reinventing himself by starting down the road to an education. He began investing the same hustle he once had for drug distribution into a newly found passion: bodybuilding.

“Getting my associate degree from Donnelly College was a great investment,” Moss said. “I met a gorgeous woman while attending, and I [was] enthralled by the knowledge she possessed. I immediately wanted to go back and finish my degree in exercise science.”

Now a junior at Wichita State, Moss is learning the art of compartmentalization. When it comes to the arduous goal of getting a degree from a major university, being a father and pursuing a professional bodybuilding career, Moss is learning how to maximize every hour. He said it is demanding at times.

“Sometimes I feel there aren’t enough hours in a day,” he said. “But I’m extremely grateful of life’s opportunities — I wouldn’t want to change very much.”

Being a father and student at the age of 46 is exceptionally difficult, he said. But bodybuilding is another challenge in itself.

“I’ve been lifting weights since I was 18,” Moss said. “Someone in my family was always lifting weights.” He started competing in October and placed third in the open and third in the masters in the NPC Natural Ohio Bodybuilding Physique, Figure and Bikini Championship & Expo in Ohio.

I’m 46, but I can still do all the things a young person can — run, jump, play basketball, football – I just choose to lift weights.”

The most recent event Moss has competed in was the NPC Natural Ohio Bodybuilding Physique, Figure and Bikini Championship & Expo, in Lakewood, Ohio. It was an all-natural, drug-tested competition filled with individuals who were far more seasoned with their bodies and routines, Moss said.

“Those guys had their routine down and everything. I have intermediate goals,” Moss said.

But Moss said that doesn’t keep him down. He acknowledges he has plenty of room for improvement and plans to compete in several competitions in the next few months.

Moss said that his story is more than just his achievements in life — it’s about going against the perception of convicted felons and turning his dreams into a reality.

“The past doesn’t define who I am or anyone else,” Moss said. “Any life experience can be deemed profitable with an open mind.”