Monday, May 26, 2014

Fitness Competitors Data Base

     Today I got the opportunity to do a photoshoot for Siri and Keen. They are the owners of a new business that is launching next week. It's called Fitness Competitors Data Base. It's basically where you can go and create your own profile saying what you do, and everyone in the fitness industry can connect through that. It's a really genius idea. It makes it easy for photographers to find models and for athletes to find trainers, posing coaches, etc. It's really cool. I'm so excited to be part of the website. I'll have more details on it when the site launches!
This is Keen! She is the sweetest and most creative little thing! Doesn't she look like Rachel McAdams?!

Sunday, May 25, 2014

NGA May 2014

      Last night I competed in my first NGA bodybuilding competition. It was AMAZING!! I loved it so much.\. This show was a lot smaller than my first one (NPC in March). I liked how small it was. It was a lot more relaxed. Still crazy... but not as much.
      I woke up at about 6:30 in the morning and started getting ready. I did my own hair and makeup because... I like to do my hair and makeup... :) hahah some people like to get theirs done professionally for the show. I was nervous all morning. I was focused. I was a little ornery... I think from my water depletion. I didn't talk much. That happened to me at my last show too... I just get nervous and I can't really focus on anything else. My mom tried to distract me by talking to me on the way there but I could hardly follow anything she said... hahah sorry mama. We got there at about 8 and the prejudging was scheduled to start at 9. Of course, nothing ever goes as planned at these things (at least in my experience of a whopping 2 competitions...). So if you ever compete... be prepared for anything and everything. A lot of last minute changes are made throughout the day because they have to kind of play it by ear. So as we were waiting for the show to start, they told us that our walks would be different. Remember how I mentioned in an earlier post that the NGA walk is different than the NPC walk? yaaaa welll.... they ended up having us do the same walk we do for the NPC. I was really glad that I had been taught both ways. What would I do without Tamara?!  It stressed me out a little bit, but it was okay. After a while, I took a caffeine pill and ate some steak and rice cakes and I started to feel a lot better. I was ready to go!
      I got all pumped up about 20 minutes before stage time. I was still so nervous but I was in the zone. It's really scary to know that you've worked so hard for something and now you only have a few minutes to show your hard work. For the prejudging, you walk out individually and do all of your poses and then you all line up. That's when they really start to compare you and see who they like the best. You have to hold your poses for what seems like ages. Especially under those hot stage lights. They have you turn and face the back a few times. You just gotta keep smiling and try not to shake too much. If they like you, they'll move you into the middle so they can compare you. Then you all file offstage and hope you gave them enough!! It's such a relief when prejudging is done! I went out twice because I did the novice division and the open division. Novice is all the new people, if you didn't know.
      We had a few hours between prejudging and the night show, so my mom and I went and drove around and just walked through a couple stores. Turns out people are not so friendly when you're an orange freak. But that's okay!
      The night show started late as well. about an hour and a half late. I was getting a little bit anxious because I was waiting in line because my division was one of the first ones on stage. Oh and guess what! SURPRISE! They decided to change our walk again... :) lovely. They changed it back to the regular NGA walk, which is the T walk. So you walk from corner, to corner, to middle. From backstage, I could see Chloe and Mario in the front row watching! It made me a little more nervous but also more excited! I did my walk and lined up and then we all filed off stage. Then they called out the top 5 in our division and I was one of them! I was so excited just to be one of the top five, I didn't really care what place I got!! They started calling out the winners, starting with the 5th place winner. When they didn't say my name, I kept getting happier and happier!! Finally they said the 2nd place winner is..... Tiara Lee!! I was sooo happy! They put a huge silver medal around my neck and I felt like a million bucks!! I was really really happy.
     I ended up taking 4th place in open bikini!! I was really happy with that too! It was a tough competition!! all of the ladies looked SO good. Everyone's body is so different, so I never know who the judges will pick. Backstage, they had a guy that was engraving the medals!! I thought that was really cool! They also had tons of photographers back there. I'm excited to see the professional pictures!
     Anyways, it was one of the best days of my life. I'm so so grateful for all the love and support I've gotten. I've become so passionate about this industry and I LOVE competing. My sweet mama has been right by my side through it all and I'm so lucky to have her. I'm also so so grateful for Tamara Watt. She's my coach and my inspiration. She and her husband Jeremy have helped me and encouraged me so much. Keaton Hoskins is the one that first got me into competing, and I will forever be grateful to him for that. I can't believe this show is over. I can't wait to compete again in a few weeks! Picture overload:










I love this picture my mama took! You can see the fear in my eyes as I'm practicing hahah and the clock on the wall just sums it all up!!
Nicole! This sexy lady is from LA. She is HOT!
My mama and #1 fan
Alright so not only is she perfect.... she has 3 kids!!!!! Holy smokes. It was so fun to work with her!
glamorous. Look at the bottom of their feet. #spraytanprobz.
Chloe and Mario :)
Tamara got to demo an AMAZING fitness routine. She is incredible. She inspires me so much.

Look at all these beautiful women in my division!!
I'm so excited to get to work with Keen and Siri! They are launching a new website. Their company is called Fitness Competitors Data Base. More details on that later!!
My team backstage. Tamara Watt and Mary Catherine Vinton! They are both amazing.
Pushup contest!
Finally got to eat my cookie butter!!
Theres Tamara in the middle!
Go Mario, Go!