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| Bikini competitor Sandra Reardon |
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Category you compete in: BIKINI
Date of birth: April 26, 1977
Hometown: Chantilly, VA
Career: Daycare Provider
Competition history:
•NPC Baltimore Gladiator Classic 1st place class B, 1st place Masters and 4th place Novice.
•Schakbuilt Muscle Blast Championship. 1st place Master, 3rd place class B, 2nd place Novice.
•NPC Max Muscle 2nd place Master, 4th place class B
Next competition: November 1, NPC Jay Culter Baltimore Classic.
What do you feel is the WORST part of contest prep? I really love everything of the contest preparations. I even enjoy the dieting and exercising 7 days a week. Before I started competing my eating habits were clean so it has not been hard for me when I am in a preparation program. The only thing is the focusing part where I must concentrate on my diet and training because I miss my quality time with my family. I miss my quality time with my family and they miss me as well. We can’t do a movie night with pizza or ice cream. They have been very supportive of me and all the time required, so after a show we do something fun and eat pizza as a celebration :-)
Tell us a little about your workout schedule. I am a daycare provider so I start the day very early. I work from 7am to 6pm every day. After 6pm it is my time to go to the gym. I work out from 7pm to 8:30pm and Saturdays after my daughter’s gymnastics I train from noon to 2pm. I love Saturdays and Sundays because I can work out without rushing and train a specific area longer, go for a run or just relax in the sauna. When there is sunshine, I love to run outside or ride my bike. Spring days are my favorite because I can do more of these types of workouts outside. I have been a very active person since I was a child. I can’t be indoors when I see it is a beautiful day, so on the weekends in summer time I hit the gym super early around 6am so I have all day to be at the pool and play with my family outside :-)
My favorite workout is legs and butt. I love to lift heavy and I push myself to the limit. When there is no pain I feel like I’m not doing anything to improve so I get back at it and work harder. I like to do new things all the time even when I’m at home. I work out when I can during the day on my breaks by doing abs, push up or some jump squats. Since I work with kids I love to make them run and jump and do exercises with them as well.
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| NPC Baltimore Gladiator Classic 1st place class B |
If you had to lose one of your 5 senses, which one would you prefer to lose and why? I would prefer to lose the sense of taste. There are couples of things that I love that make me feel alive. These are the smell of wet grass, the feeling of the wind on my face, listening to the sound of the ocean and watching a sunrise. I could not be without these things so the taste would not be as big a deal to me. Actually it may be a little easier with my diet :-)
If you could change one thing about this sport what would it be? I love everything about this sport but if there were one thing it would be the tanning schedule. I would prefer to get it done in the morning right before the show so you can take a shower before the show and not have too much stress about messing up the tan sleeping or going to the bathroom. The other thing I would change is the schedule for bikini within a competition. We are the last division and by the time we have to be on stage we have been waiting 6 hours back stage so sometimes we are tired and not very fresh looking by the time we hit the stage.
If you had a time capsules what would you put inside it and why? Mmm... I believe that everything in life happens for a reason and everything comes in the right time so it is little hard for me to think about a time capsule. I might put myself in there so I could find this sport when I was younger. If I discovered my passion for this sport earlier, I not only would have enjoyed the sport throughout my 20s but also I would have discovered the benefits of healthy foods, clean eating and exercise earlier that would have impacted my life longer.
What is your favorite vacation spot? Jamaica!! I love the people there. They are so nice, happy and so warm. I love the beach and actually all of the Caribbean. I like the feeling of being away and disconnected on an island. I think is very important to take a time just for you and relax.
What advice do you have for women who would like to get involved in and compete in the sport of bodybuilding? My advice would be to do this sport with passion and do not let anything or anybody stop you. Stay focused on your goals and don’t listen to what some critics might say. Most of them may make negative comments like “Oh you are not going to look feminine anymore”, “you will look like a man” or “why you do this? Life is too short so enjoy it”. Others who care about you deeply might say “you look great you don’t need to be dieting” or “oh this is more important than me”. Stay focused and balance life while staying true to your goals.
This sport is not easy for the people around you but I think those who really love you will support you throughout the process to reach your goals because if you are happy and successful, that person will be happy too. That’s is true love to me.
The other advice I would give is not thinking about a trophy or winning. It is more than that. It should be about being on stage, doing your best and trying to get better each time you hit the stage because you want to compete and improve. Growing as an athlete is focusing on your goals and learning from each show so you won’t make the same mistakes. Enjoying the entire process because this is your decision to reach this goal through all the sacrifice and obstacles. Wake up every day with your goals in your head so the direction will be clear :-)
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| "My favorite workout is legs and butt" |
What is a day-in-the-life of Sandra Reardon like? I wake up at 5:30am and I go for a run until 6:15. Then I wake up my daughter and get her ready for school. I prepare breakfast for my husband and I go to work at 7:15am until my assistant shows up. Then I drop my daughter to school. At lunch time I do some abs and some jump squats.
I finish work at 6pm then I go to the gym from 7pm to 8:30pm. After the gym I make dinner for my family and do some homework with my daughter. We will have family time until around 10. After that it is couple time with my husband and sleep around 11.
During the day I spend time teaching and playing with the 12 kids I care for. I love what I do. Every day, when I see those little smiles, I can say in my heart I love my job. :-)
Favorite Motivational Quote: Life is a beautiful adventure.
In closing, Who would you like to give a shout out to?
I will say thank you to my wonderful coach Michelle Johnson. She is a true inspiration in different ways. She has supported me very much not just in dieting and exercising but also in telling me when I need to rest and take a break. That is what any driven athlete needs from a coach; someone who is honest and thinks of you more than themselves. I’m so happy that I found her this year.
I want to say thank you to my husband who has been very supportive. He has been doing the grocery shopping and whatever I need, he is right there to give it to me. My girlfriends and I think he spoils me so very much. :-)
My little girl who has been working out next to me when I have to stay in the gym until late. She never complains about anything. She has started loving this sport as well and it seems like she will compete in the future.
Thank you for Team Knockout!! Awesome girls and we all support each other. It is a very elite team. Every single girl is so especial is so cool to be part of a team with such nice girls. I love my team :-)
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