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Category: Miss Figure
Contest History:
o Miss Plymouth’95 (Winner)
o Miss Westward ’95 (Winner)
o Miss West Britain ’96 (Winner)
o Miss West Britain ’97 (3rd)
o Miss West Counties ’97 (2nd)
o Miss Nabba UK ’97 (3rd)
o Miss Nabba Figure Britain’ 97 (3rd)
o Miss Nabba Short Figure Universe ’97 (10th of 22)
o Miss West Britain ’98 (Winner)
o Miss West Britain ’99 (2nd)
o Miss Nabba Figure Britain ’99 (6th)
o Miss West Britain 2000 (Winner)
o Miss Nabba Figure Britain 2000 (3rd)
Australia
o Miss INBA Qld ‘Open’ Figure ’04 (Winner)
o Miss INBA Australia Figure ’04 (4th place)
o Miss ANB ‘Open’ Figure Australia ’04 (Winner)
o Miss WNSO-ANB World ‘Advanced’ ’05 (3rd place)
Hobbies/Likes: Weight training & competing, Traveling, Studying (not a lot of time spare while at college!), Love the beach & being away from the city, Eating out, Cooking (when not dieting!), Watching old movies, Writing, Making mosaics/being creative, Decorating/renovating, Love animals.
Post school certificates:
ITEC certificate in Beauty Consultancy (’95)
Diploma in Nutrition & Health (’97)
NVQ in Customer Services (’00)
Adv. Dip’ Naturopathy (’05)
Bachelor in Naturopathy ('06)
Sponsors:
Britain – Prolab (1998-2000)
Australia – currently looking for quality company to represent as a natural competitor and Naturopath
Bodybuilding Biography:
I have been weight training since the age of 13yrs, and was persuaded to enter my first show (along with my school friends) at 14yrs. We didn’t have a clue what it was all about, but soon found out that a good tan and a routine to music might of helped!, beside the lean body..
Needless to say, that show frightened the hell out of me, but the top 2 girls looked great so I started going to watch the shows for many years to come.
Steve Weston was the gym owner who first got me hooked back in those days and we later laughed about it when he was a Nabba official at the Miss/Mr. Britain & Universe shows much later on when I finally looked like a figure competitor!
Years passed and even though still weight training and watching shows, the time wasn’t quite right to compete and my weekend nights out with friends wouldn’t mix well with the diet!, but finally, when I was in my late twenties, I got talking to the gym owner of my then current gym and he said ‘here, I’ll give you the diet, just do it, if you don’t feel good enough near the time..no worries, don’t enter’, so I thought no harm in starting the diet, I was actually quite exited about getting lean, as even though I was slim, I’d never dieted properly, and one of my ambitions at the time was to one day get a six pack. I started training harder than ever, as there was no way I was getting on stage without a six pack or with a fat butt!, within 6 weeks (and probably the fact my body was still in shock at the diet!) I had a four-pack, hehe, and my upper body leaned up pretty quick. By show day, there wasn’t an ounze of fat on me, Graham Lakey (gym owner), helped me throughout those first 3 years of competing, showing me how to tan, trained with me, encouraged me the whole time. Graham was Mr Britain ‘Master’ Winner and won Nabba ‘Master’ Europe, in ’98 or ’99.
I got sponsorship with Prolab Europe in ’98. Rid Alden (owner) was a great sponsor, he supplied me with every supplement I needed and even paid for me to go to Italy to be on their trade stand at the Expo’ in Rimini in ’99, which was a huge inspiration. Bodybuilders such as Gunter Schlierkamp, Milos Sarcev and Natural bodybuilder Tito Raymond were there guest posing.
I didn’t get to watch the shows that were held there due to me being on the stand but numerous figure competitors were wandering around looking leaner than I’d ever seen any female.
Unfortunately, in ’98, when I dieted for the West Britain, I just wasn’t getting lean; I wasn’t fat but just couldn’t shift the last 1 & half kilos. Luckily for me, the competition wasn’t that great that year and I still won. I then entered the Miss Britain 5 weeks later but still didn’t look any better (I shouldn’t of entered in hindsight), I knew something was wrong but just thought my body perhaps just got used to the diet and wasn’t working for me anymore.
Come July ’98, and my best friend and I decided to go to Turkey for a holiday, it wasn’t until I came back and saw the holiday photo’s and knew it was time to see a doctor, I looked very big in some pictures, it was like looking at someone else. Was that me?
I got blood tests and was diagnosed with an underactive thyroid gland and told I had to take medication for the rest of my life as the thyroid controls metabolism and it wasn’t just my weight that had suffered. My throat was always swollen, I couldn’t think straight (it was like I was on another planet), it took a few minutes to recognize people walking down the street and I was so tired all the time, my skin was looking rough and my hair was falling out a lot more than normal.
Anyway, I started the medication (if I knew then what I know now, I’d of gone to a Naturopath or Herbalist), and within a couple months I was back to normal, however, when I dieted down for my next show, I STILL couldn’t get as lean as before. I came 2nd in the local qualifier, and then still got in the top six in Britain, but I knew things weren’t good. I just felt burnt out and was losing enthusiasm to compete because of it.
I started working as a gym instructor and kept to a good diet all year round and decided to enter one more time. As I was working in a gym, I just trained every opportunity I got; I doubled the cardio and went even stricter on my diet. I entered in 2000 and won my qualifier, then came 3rd in Britain. I at least matched my best placings but that was it. I couldn’t do it any more; it nearly killed me to push myself. I’d qualified for the Miss Universe which is held 6 months later but didn’t do it. I went to watch it with my current boyfriend Devin and some friends, and also realized that the Nabba figure girls looked so different to a few years previously and no longer had the ‘look’ that I wanted for myself, and I also wasn’t prepared to do anything that was going to ruin my dream of creating a perfect ‘feminine’ figure. In the early day’s my idols were Rachel McLish and Gladys Portugues (Later became Mrs Jaun Claude Van Damm) and a Scottish figure competitor called Mary Scott who had had 3 children and had the ‘tiniest’ waist!
In the late ‘90’s I thought Susannah Perez (Miss Nabba Universe ’93-95) had the ultimate trained figure while keeping ultimate femininity. Things have changed a lot.
In 2002, my boyfriend and I sold our belongings and moved to the Gold Coast, Australia. We did some traveling on the way, and stopped to train in the legendary ‘Gold’s Gym’ California. Wow, I couldn’t believe Lou Ferrigno (The Hulk) was in there, and James Cann having a personal training session. A few well known ‘fitness’ girls were in there too. It was very inspiring, and deep down I knew I wasn’t over competing. I had a disease that makes many people obese but there was no way it was going to mess up MY dream!
My boyfriend started his own business and I went back to college to study natural medicine. What better, than to combine a National or one day ‘International’ natural bodybuilding title with my Bachelor of Naturopathy.
I decided to compete for the first time in years, September 2004. I’d had 4 ½ years off and enthusiastic after going to watch the Natural shows for the previous couple years. Devin had entered in 2003 and was going to in 2004 too so would be easier dieting together. I dieted and trained hard but admittedly found it hard while doing seven subjects a semester at college. I took on a personal trainer once a week, (Dave Berry, a previous Mr INBA Masters Olympia winner himself) to keep me motivated.
Winning my class at the ANB Australian ’04 was unbelievable. It made every minute of the struggle worth it. I wasn’t as lean as many years ago and didn’t win the ‘overall’ title, but I’m just going to train and diet harder than ever. I’m enjoying it again and got the support of my boyfriend and I’ve taken on the dietary advice now of INBA Mr Olympia 2004 Warren Clampit who works for AST Sport Science. He’s been a great help these last few months leading up to the WNSO Worlds.
The ANB show was so relaxing to do, if that can be possible. It was very organized, on schedule and no Hitlers back stage! I always look better when relaxed, thanks ANB. Robert Powell and Ron Ziemiecki have made their support known and so enthusiastic toward the competitors, it’s a joy to know we have full support from ANB; it makes me want to do the best I can, not just for myself but for the organization and country.
I’m really looking forward to competing this year and already feel I’ve improved a lot since last year.
My ultimate dream is to be a successful Naturopath, helping people overcome their difficulties and diseases and to stay actively involved in natural bodybuilding, with some awesome titles under my belt!!!
I have just started writing a book on cellulite so will be looking for a publisher in a few months (it’s taking a while putting my proposal together due to my continual studies), but have many ideas on a mini-series of books.
I’m also looking for a sponsor while I’m a struggling student and competitor. And whom I could either work for part-time and promote to my patients when I’m a practicing Naturopath.
I have another ambition to be on the front cover of a fitness/bodybuilding magazine, all the more reason to win more titles to increase my chances!
Update: Devin and I had a great experience representing Australia as part of the team at the WNSO-ANB Worlds in Toronto Canada June ’05. An even better experience the fact we both placed 3rd in our divisions!
Uncannily, 4 of the 5 of us in the Aussie team came 3rd, so a fantastic weekend. The crystal trophies and prizes (protein, boxes of tuna, clothing etc) were very generous, especially as there were so many categories to supply, so we can’t wait to go again.
The ANB is definitely the most professional bodybuilding organization we’ve competed with. They are very encouraging and respectful of every competitor, which in turn makes it less stressful for us at the show. We’re now really looking forward to the comp’ season in October 2006 where we shall compete again.
It's hard to believe it's August 2009 already and I haven't competed in 3 years. I have spent all this time gaining experience as a Naturopath and finally in January 2009, have set up my own clinic in Hope Island, Gold Coast called 'Isis Health & Vitality', concentrating on wellness, disease management, natural hormone balancing & weight loss. I have one of my rooms let out to a Massage & Beauty therapist who has very strong hands (for any of you who like a thorough relaxing massage!).
One thing I have learnt as a Naturopath and experienced competitor is that bodybuilding diets no matter how seemingly healthy can really mess up the hormones & metabolism if not 'thoroughly' supplemented correctly during the duration of your preparation. I hear of so many backstage horror stories of girls discussing their hair falling out, kidney pain, fatigue, recurring infections and the cessation of the menstrual cycle for many months - none of which are healthy symptoms to have while preparing for competition. So if you want to remain healthy during your diet then book in to see me for a consultation - I wont change or interfere with your current training or diet (unless asked) but will definately recommend quality nutritionals and/or herbals to keep you healthy. The benefit of me being a competitor myself is I know that there are many considerations to competiton diet such as not giving sugar based supplements or herbs that will cause water retention etc etc, that many other practitioners will not consider.
SPECIAL OFFER to ANB competitors: 10% off Consultation fees
Good Luck to everyone competing, I hope to be back soon :-)
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