We recently had the chance to connect with Desiray Marie Ferrer and have shared our conversation below.
Hi Desiray Marie, thank you so much for taking time out of your busy day to share your story, experiences and insights with our readers. Let’s jump right in with an interesting one: What is a normal day like for you right now?
Oh, absolutely — I’m thankful for another amazing opportunity to work with y’all again!
A normal day for me starts pretty early. I’m on my husband’s work schedule, which honestly makes things a lot easier for us. We just welcomed our newest addition in July 2025, so life has been a whole new adjustment the last couple of months. I try to be up and getting things situated before our daughters wake up, but truthfully, that depends on my energy levels.
Once the girls are settled (fed and changed), I finally get myself situated. I usually pair my workout with my caffeine fix, and if I’m lucky, I can get through it uninterrupted. Nap time is when I tackle the rest — content editing, housework, and starting dinner. Some days it all flows, other days we just wing it and make it work.
When my husband gets home, he jumps straight into dad mode and helps with whatever needs to be done. Having that kind of partnership and true teamwork makes all the difference.
At the end of the day, no two days ever look exactly the same — but that’s motherhood. It’s chaotic, exhausting, beautiful, and worth every bit of the hustle.
Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
Sure! I’m Desiray Marie — a wife, mom, and content creator with a full-blown obsession for all things health and wellness. I recently launched a new project called Deadlifts x Diapers. It’s my current season of life of navigating the chaos of ‘two under two.’ It’s not pretty, it’s definitely not filtered, but it’s my world.
I started Deadlifts x Diapers as a way to reignite and combine the two things I love most: working out and motherhood. Don’t get me wrong — I love a good aesthetic, but that’s not my reality. My reality is leaky sports bras, pump breaks, and workouts interrupted by toddler meltdowns, diaper changes and nonstop babbles. And I wouldn’t change it for the world!
I’ve been through the trenches — from surviving abuse to rebuilding my life piece by piece. I created my own happy ending by turning to fitness, working on my mindset and learned to create healthy boundaries and most importantly, committing and wanting to become a healthier version of me. That’s why I share so openly: because I want other moms to know they can survive, too, and they can find themselves again.
Amazing, so let’s take a moment to go back in time. What did you believe about yourself as a child that you no longer believe?
Great question. I think what stands out the most when I reflect — and what’s not talked about enough — is being taught to believe that “Blood is thicker than water”.
In my opinion, you create your family. Period. The big events and hard moments show you who your real village is. The people who check on you, who show up even if it’s just for 10 minutes — those are your people.
But the biggest game changer? Realizing that the people in your life are often just mirrors of you. That shift made me stop and reflect on who I wanted and needed to be. It pushed me to walk away from toxic relationships and forced me to raise my standards, set boundaries, and finally demand the kind of love and respect I deserved.
Now, with my husband and kids, I get to live that truth every day. Together, we’re showing our kids what real love, teamwork, and family should like — and setting the standard so they’ll grow up expecting nothing less.
Was there ever a time you almost gave up?
Oh yes, there were plenty of times. I can’t even count the number of times I’ve had to pick myself back up, start over, and just keep going.
The biggest core moment of my life was when I put all my belongings into a storage unit, bought a one-way ticket, and traveled with no agenda. That season forced me to focus on self-love, heal bottled-up trauma, create healthier boundaries, and raise my standards. I wanted to attract a healthy partner, but in order to do that, I had to unlearn bad habits and completely shift my mindset.
I worked out nonstop. I listened to countless podcasts and self-care books. I meditated, hiked, and saw new places. I finally learned to reflect, release, and enjoy the present in all its messy glory. When I came back, I was a new version of myself — filled with grace and ready to motivate others to chase their own healing.
Almost a year later, I met and started working out with my now-husband. Together, we’ve built a life with our two beautiful daughters. One day, I hope our family can be reunited with my oldest, but until then, my job is to stay consistent — to keep being a healthy, present mom.
Because at the end of the day, if you want to break cycles, you have to make changes. It won’t be easy, but I promise you — it’ll be worth it.
Alright, so if you are open to it, let’s explore some philosophical questions that touch on your values and worldview. What would your closest friends say really matters to you?
I think if you asked my closest friends, they’d probably say what matters most to me is growth and breaking cycles. They’ve seen the cards I’ve been dealt and how many times I could’ve stayed down, but instead I kept fighting for a better life.
They’d say I care deeply about my family — that when they see My Husband and I, they see a team. They know that I deserve the partnership I finally found with my him and they’d probably tear up saying this, too. But most importantly, They’d say it matters to me that my kids grow up seeing love, respect, and resilience in action.
They know fitness and health aren’t just hobbies for me — they’re tools I use to stay strong, grounded, and present, because I have little eyes watching me. And more than anything, they’d tell you I’m passionate about making sure the cycles of abuse, trauma, and brokenness don’t repeat in my kids’ lives.
So yeah, if you asked my friends, they’d say I’m tough, but they’d also say I’m soft where it counts — that everything I do comes back to creating the kind of love and legacy I want my kids to inherit.
Okay, so before we go, let’s tackle one more area. What do you understand deeply that most people don’t?
What I understand deeply — that most people don’t — is that survival doesn’t always look pretty, but it’s powerful. I’m a domestic abuse survivor and an advocate for parental alienation, and both have taught me that the hardest parts of your story can either be bitter or do better. I will always choose to do better.
I’ve also learned that the people in your life are mirrors. If you don’t like what you see reflected back, it’s on you to change — to heal, to grow, to raise your standards. That realization changed everything for me.
And when it comes to motherhood, I know it’s not black and white. It’s messy, it’s heavy, and it’s layered with both exhaustion and joy. Most people only see the highlight reel, but I live in the in-between — the chaos, the grit, the small victories no one claps for.
So what do I understand deeply? That resilience is built in the shadows, love is a choice you fight for, and cycles don’t break themselves — you have to be brave enough to be the one who breaks them.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: @DeadliftsxDiapers
- Linkedin: Desiray Marie Ferrer
- Facebook: @DeadliftsxDiapers
