Category you compete in: Bikini
Date of birth: July 6
Hometown: Manila, Philippines (lived there for 18 years but I was born in Libya!)
Career: Registered Nurse in a Cancer Center
If you could change into a superhero for a day who would you be and why?
Does Salt count? I've always loved that movie! Angelina Jolie was so bad-a**! So if that counts, then yeah, I would want to be her for a day and just kick some butts!
What made you begin dedicating your lifes
tyle to this sport?
The thing about this sport is that not only does it challenge you physically but it also challenges you mentally. I also had some confidence issues growing up and I used to worry so much about what other people thought about me. When I started competing, I realized that I needed a thick skin to be able to make it through this sport. Now when I hear people making fun of me or when I read hateful comments they leave on my pictures, I just laugh it off and think to myself: "I go on stage in the smallest bikini, in front of a large crowd, to be critiqued by a panel of judges... What makes them think I care about what they write on a picture I posted?!" Haha!
What approach do you take to dieting...carb cycle..keto?
Love, love, love carbs. I do not carb cycle when prepping for a show. In addition, I would probably act irrational if I go on a keto diet. So, no. I have a moderate intake of carbs throughout the day. Last year, I got really lean so I was bestowed carbs every meal! (It was a lot of food!) My red meat intake was also doubled at that time. Every now and then I will throw my body a curveball and hit it with a refeed day where I increase my carb intake 100%. Some days, I'll just have a cheat meal.
What do you think is the biggest misconception people have about competing?
The biggest misconception, in my opinion, is that its all about fish and asparagus. I love experimenting in the kitchen and coming up with healthy eats! From bison burgers to protein pancakes to sweet and sour fish (that is still prep-friendly of course!) I've whipped up homemade ice creams, homemade spaghetti, even homemade meatloaf!
What is your most embarrassing childhood memory?
I got plenty! One would have to be when I went to go watch "Something About Mary" with my older cousins and couldn't figure out why Cameron Diaz's hair went up the way it did. Haha!
What is the biggest lesson you have learned about YOURSELF during your contest prep?
I learned that I can do anything I set my mind and HEART to. May sound cheesy but at the end of the day, you've got to love what you're doing.
Who do you look up and admire and why?
Nathalia Melo and how she came to the US in her early twenties with nothing but a few hundred dollars to her name.
Competition history:
2013 Tampa Bay Classic - 2nd Place, Bikini B
2013 Mid-Florida Classic - 1st Place, Bikini Medium
2013 Florida State - 4th Place, Bikini B
2014 Europa - 7th Place, Bikini B
Next competition: To be determined but I want it to be out-of-state!.jpeg)
Favorite Motivational Quote:
People often say that motivation doesn't last. Well, neither does bathing - that's why we recommend it daily. (Zig Ziglar)
I don't think of myself as a poor deprived ghetto girl who made good. I think of myself as somebody who from an early age knew I was responsible for myself, and I had to make good. (Oprah)
Who would you like to thank?
My family, friends, Rya, Brooklyn, Owen, coworkers and DNC Supplements. They've all been an amazing support system. I'd be lost without them! Also, the Big Man Above for always leading me in the right direction.
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