The thrill of competition

Posted by bodybuilder

Posted: May 27, 2008 - 12:57 pm

Stephanie Figarelle: Ms. Anchorage 2006

I was always a very active kid growing up, playing softball and basketball in school as well as participating in competitive swimming. I was on the track team in 9th grade and excelled in the throwing events, but not so well in the running events. I loved competing and of course winning, it was always very important to me. A fractured finger prevented me from playing softball for East High my sophomore year, so I decided to take a break from sports for awhile.

When my Senior year at East rolled around, I felt like there was something big I should do. Since I hadn't played any school sports for awhile, I decided to train and compete in the end of year Miss East bodybuilding competition and go out with a bang. I knew NOTHING about competitive bodybuilding, so I grabbed every single book I could find on the subject and absorbed as much information as humanly possible. I learned that I had to start drinking tons of water everyday, doing insane amounts of cardio, increasing my intake of lean protein and cut back on my intake of carbohydrates.

mmmmm, egg whites and veggies: lean protein

I made a lot of mistakes in my preparation back then, but something must have gone right because after months of discipline and hard work, I won the overall title of Miss East 2000. It was a great way to end high school and competitive bodybuilding became my new pursuit.

I have competed in 5 local shows since then and fall in love with it more and more each time I compete. There's nothing like it. Most people who have never been to a show or known anyone who competes, think that it is strange and often question why one would subject themselves to the hardcore lifestyle of bodybuilding- not to mention, the skimpy attire and tanning lotion.

S.Figarelle: Ms. Anchorage 2006

Sometimes I find it hard to come up with an explanation to this question because to me, it is just something I love doing- simple as that. I love disciplining my mind while preparing, I love the challenges I face and the journey of self-discovery that comes along with it. I love learning how to change my body and having complete control over those changes. I love being organized and eating healthy with a goal in mind and I love getting on stage knowing I look great and reveling in the comradery with the other competitors.

Just like anything else, competitive bodybuilding is a learning process. You prepare for 12-16 weeks while making sacrifices, you then get on a stage to have your body scrutinized by a panel of judges and POOF- it's over just like that. You have to have tough skin to be a competitive bodybuilder, not to mention great coping skills. Going to school and working full-time always added a lot of stress to my preparation and I found myself putting bodybuilding at the forefront of each day, much to the dismay of my GPA.

I encourage all of my clients to set their goals as high as possible when we start working together and upon first bringing up competing to them, most shy away from it and tell me they could never imagine themselves doing it, although they admit, it would be the ultimate goal to attain. I have persuaded at least one of my shy clients to compete and I believe she is hooked for life! Competition changes you in so many ways. The journey that is contest preparation is where most of the change and discovery takes place, but it is on the stage where you get to show your family and friends what months of hard work and discipline really looks like.

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