I grew up a jock. ? At age 6, I was already on the swim team, waking up and going to practice just like the big kids. ? Up until high school, I was a 6-sport athlete all year round, playing soccer, basketball, field hockey, softball, running track and also swim team. ? In high school I continued with my 3 favorite sports, soccer, basketball, and field hockey and excelled in all with many awards.
I was then recruited to play soccer at West Chester University (PA), where I majored in Kinesiology and a minored in Health Science. ? I was a 4-year varsity letter winner and starting defender for the Golden Rams, where I helped my team to division playoffs and NCAA’s my junior and senior year. ? I was named defensive player of the year my junior and senior year.
After college soccer ended for me, I had all this extra time on my hands that I never knew existed. ? For the first time in my life, since age 6, I had no more practices to be at, no more coach’s telling me to run, and worst of all no more games or competition! ? So my boyfriend at the time (now husband) Rob, said if you ever want to see me, go to the gym. ? He was working in a restaurant at the time as a sous-chef and obviously worked horrible hours and I never saw him until late at night. ? So I started tagging along to the gym. ? I had the basic understanding of lifting from my high school strength/conditioning class and also lifting with the soccer team here and there, but I followed him and did everything he did. ? We lifted heavy and hard!
After just a couple of months of lifting, I really started noticing some changes to my body and also my strength. ? My once skinny little arms started getting some shape and my weights kept increasing. ? It then became an addiction! ? I was training harder and harder. ? I wanted to keep seeing changes and keep moving heavier weight. ? I do not train like a typical girl. ? I train like a male bodybuilder. ? One body part a day and always go as hard and as heavy as possible.
My obsession with moving heavy weight then had me entered into my first power lifting competition, which I won. ? There was only one other girl entered and I don’t even think she got passed 115 lbs on bench. ? I believe I finished with 190 lbs on bench and I would like to add that is without wearing one of those neoprene shirts (I think that is cheating). ? This is just a raw press coming from a 120 lbs girl. My current max bench to this date is 205lbs!!!
I continued to train as I did, hard and heavy. ? A couple of girls at the gym I was training at were getting ready for a figure competition. ? So I thought I would enter too! ? They were all on these strict, crazy diets. ? I have never watched what I ate. ? I was still in college living off the college diet, ramen noodles and McDonalds. ? So I got a little advice on nutrition and changed up my diet to a higher protein lower carb diet. ? I had to waive goodbye to my cheap ramen noodles.
So I entered my first show in May of 2006, which was the NPC Lehigh Valley show. ? I got 6th place and was told by the judges I was too lean and too cut. ? I entered the NPC PA championship in Harrisburg a couple weeks later and didn’t diet and ended up and took first in my class and overall. ? I was then I really kicked up my training even more. ? I finally had some more competition in my life! ? I then took try at bodybuilding. ? I already train like one, so I figure what the heck I will just enter for fun! ? Not really expecting to win anything, I entered the NPC Mountain Valley Championship in Nov of 2006 for lightweight bodybuilding, and once again, unexpectedly I took the overall. ? I enjoy competing in bodybuilding because I love going through the mandatory poses and I like making a routine to dance to. ? Even though I like competing in body building, I feel aI am a little better suited for figure because it is more femine and I’m not looking to get any bigger than I already am. ? I then competed at NPC Pittsburgh Championship in 2007, where I got 6th place. ? I took some time off till 2008 and was introduced to a different affiliate, NABBA, which has different rules for figure. ? NABBA figure is like bodybuilding in heals. ? You have mandatory poses and also a routine, which gives you more stage time. ? I entered couple shows in 2008 taking first and overall at the NABBA Eastern USA and also 2nd in NABBA Ms. Figure America. My most recent shows that I have done, since my 2 year break from competing, were the 2010 Tracey Greenwood Classic, which I took first in my class and took the overall of the show, and the 2010 Team Universe, which was my first national show where I got 12th out of 40-some girls. ? I plan on competing in another national show soon, hopefully before the end of the year.
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