This is an interview with Alica Kavuljakova. If you are not familiar with her, get familiar. This young woman has all the potential in the world. She can be a star in this sport if she wants to. She is also a very bright woman, and you can tell by her pictures she is incredibly beautifull. This is the kind of woman you really want to support. ? Find her on Facebook here.
Q: Before I begin, Alica, I want to thank you for agreeing to this. I am a fan of yours so this is an honor for me. A: Thank you for doing this for female bodybuilders. All of us work hard and deserve some appreciation. Thank you for caring about us.
Q: OK, so why bodybuilding. What interested you in it and how long have you been doing it. A: Well, my father has been doing bodybuilding since he was 15 and he just gave me his passion for this. I didn’t do much sports till I was 15. Then I went to college and gained weight. I asked my father for help. He made me train and I started to study nutrition. Afer awhile I lost some fat, and my little muscles began to “pop out”. One day when I got out of the shower, I started to pose in front of the mirror and I saw my “wings” or lats. That day the idea of comepting was born in my mind.
Q: Did you find that your family and friends were supportive, and ahs that changed now? A: My father was the biggest help and support for me. My mom was at first not really happy about her daughter doing a man’s sport, but she got used to it and later she was even proud of me. My parents are a big support. I know it hurt them whenever I was stressed cause of dieting, loosing my cheeks, failing from fatigue. They support me a lot. My big support was also my grandmother who is watching me now from heaven.
Q: Did you or do you still ahve any people in the sport you admire? A: Of course. Every person that keeps up the ahrd work and is dedicated has my admiration. Look at some of the girls that are able to work hard to lose weight after delivering, or older people working out in higher age. Whoever works hard should ahve our appreciation.
Q: Would you care to share your contest history and what you learned from doing them. A: Every contest is a lesson learned. YOu learn about your body, about training and dieting, about performance, makeup, posing,e ven about smiling. I did alot of shows. Lots of good placements and a lot fo wrose placements. SHows I value the most are *May 2003-Slovak Championsip 4th palce-my fist show as a junior competing in women’s class *2003 European Junior Championships 5th place *2003 World Junior Chamionships 4th place *May 2006 Slovak Championships mixed pairs 1st palce with Lubos Turcina *2006 European Chamionsips mixed pairs 5th place with Lubos Turcina *2007 World Championships Santa Sussanna 5th place ( my first season as figure) and first time in senior class * Between these shows I did a few Grand Prix’s that I won, but these are the most valuable to me
Q: Do you keep track of measurements? A: No, I don’t measure myself
Q: What do you think is your best bodypart? A: Back or arms
Q: Do you have a cerain bodypart or exercise you like to train most A: I love leg workouts. Deep squats, leg presses, and deadlifts
Q: Do you prefer to train alone of wit a partner. A: Depends. Sometimes I do and smetimes I do like to do everything myself. Right now I ahve a training partner who motivates me, so I enjoy working out with him. He is strong and pushes me, and I like that.
Q: What is the general reaction when people see your physique. Is it more positive or negative. A: In my country, Slovakia, peoples’s reactions were more negative. It think it’s cause they were not sued to female bodybuilders. Here, in the States, people react positive and I like that. We are different, but I think people shouldn’t judge us because of a little more muscle. We still are people, who just “wear” our sport on us all the time.
Q: When people do see the physique for the first time, what is the one question you are sick of them asking?
A: Would you armwrestle me?LOL
Q: Besides training, do you ahve any other hobbies or interests? A: Sure. I lvoe kids, animals, walking, and having fun. I like things other people like. Bodybuilders are people like every other. We love doing sports, going for a walk, going for coffee, or just watching tv with friends.
Q: Describe a day in the life of Alica Kavuljakova.
A: Wake up, eat breakfast, send kids to school-that’s my work as a nanny, go to the gym, east, go out for awhile with the dog for a walk, or just sit in the garden, getting the kids from school, eat my other meals while taking care of the kids. My day is like everyone else’s
Q: What do you think is the biggest misconception about female bodybuilders. What do you wish people knew? A: We are women as every other female. We feel, we love, we do the same things. We just have a big passion. YOu know, someone likes to sing, someone likes to read, we like to workout, and the results of our hobby are more visable, but we are still women.
Q: I have been critical of the judging in female bodybuilding. Is there anything you would like to see changed or is it ok the way it is? A: Sport is sport. We see progress in every kind of sport. Jumpers jum higher, sprinters run faster, this is the way sports and world move. Even if i like the decade of Cory Everson and Lenda Murray and others, I can do anything about the direction my sport is going. But still there is the option of figure.
Q: What is one thing about you that people would be surprised to know?
A: That I lvoe kids and I am a nanny. I take care of special kids-autistic
Q: If a young woman came up to you and said asked for adice on starting bodybuilding, what is the one piece of advice you would want to give her? A: GIve it your heart and mind. Study and try. Bodybuilding is a way tog et to know your body. Try to udnerstand, and take advise, but think and adjust everything to fit YOU
Q: What do you avhe planeed for 2010 as far as ompeting or any otehr projects? A: I want to do several shows next year. Gonna try bodybuilding and figure. Trying to find my class. There is soemthing I like on figure, but alos posing and routine in bodybuilding is part of competing that I love. Several shows this spring is the plan. Mayland, philly, New York, maybe some in California.
Q: Is there anything you would like to promote. A: I am a certified personal trainer and i’ve been doing this sport for ten years now. Being a trainer is actually a very nice part of my bodybuilding. I like to see people changing and see them happy.
Q: Are you looking for sponsors, if so anything you want potential sponsors to know about you. A: Who isn’t looking for sponsors?LOL. Yeah, sure some help would be nice. YOu know it’s hard to cover all the supplements, food and stuff for training and competing. ALso some promotion would be nice. But I know sponsors or nor sponsors, I’m gonna keep doing my work
Q: If I sadi Describe Alica Kavuljakova in five words, what would they be? A: Crazy, passionate, bodybuilder, woman, friend
Q: Anything you would like to add before you go? A: I wanna say THANK YOU to all the people that help and stuppodt me, my friends, parents, people that say “wow” or “nice body”. People that listen to me when I’m sad and I need ears to listen. People that make is easier for me to keep going.
Q: Thanks again for your time, I wish you nothing but success. A: It was my pleasure
