Monique Cormier, who has overcome obesity and severe depression en route to becoming a world class amateur bodybuilder, joins Dave [ ... ]
To any of you who attended the recent Junior Nationals in Chicago, Vickie Biberian may just have been another figure competitor. Gaining a respectable 9th place she presented herself well in a tough line up. However, Vickie is far from just an average competitor doing what it takes to get up on that stage. For Vickie, just the mere fact that she is a successful figure athlete is more than just a little remarkable and, dare I say it, awe inspiring. For you see Vickie suffers from a condition known as Pro Long QT Syndrome, an electrical abnormality of the heart that causes a prolongation of recovery following excitation of the cardiac ventricles. It is associated with fainting and even sudden death due to ventricular arrhythmias.
Recently interviewed by ‘Bloomberg News’ due to her having been involved in a product recall of an Internal Defibrillator, Vickie now shares her story with RX Muscle readers and, to any of you out there who complain about the rigors of contest prep and dieting, this may prove to be a very humbling and inspiring experience…….
In the midst of one most jam-packed contest schedule in history, August kicks off with Dexter Jackson’s Jacksonville Pro in sunny north Florida. Proving to be as a great a promoter as a bodybuilder, Dexter puts on a top notch event that is pleasure for athletes, media, and fans alike. It’s in a great theater located at the University of North Florida and Dexter runs a tightly organized, yet fun and relaxing show. The Jacksonville Pro has grown to three divisions this year: Men’s Under-202 bodybuilding, figure, and bikini. This is an interesting mix and an entertaining combination. It allows us, as the media, to give more attention to these divisions that might otherwise get overlooked in jam-packed show. And for all of you RX GIRL fans, it puts the ladies front and center and the IFBB Figure and Bikini Pros have come out in large numbers. With 35 figure pros and 17 bikini pros scheduled to appear, the line-ups are deep and the talent is large. Along with Rx Muscle’s own Sally Taylor, I sat down and sifted through the names in an attempt to preview and predict the action to come in Jacksonville.
"Just a small town girl, living in a lonely world. She took the midnight train goin' anywhere...." (Journey)/IMG_0106a1.jpg)
Opening lines from a classic song which could very well describe the early life of one of our favorite bodybuilders, Sheila Bleck. However, despite being a fan favorite and having a very successful career in bodybuilding the fact is that very little is known about the REAL Sheila Bleck. Preferring to stay in the shadows rather than court the spotlight, Sheila has kept herself very private over the years and interviews have been few and far between. In fact her quest for solitude may have led to some people finding her somewhat aloof and unapproachable. As it happens, this is far from the truth. Sheila is just one of those people who prefer to quietly go about their business and keep their private life PRIVATE.
"My big picture goal is to produce materials to inspire younger girls in their personal journey - whether it is to be fit, follow their dreams or just believe in themselves. I already have thousands of girl fans that are looking for inspirational role models and physiques that are strong, sexy and empowered - and these fans are very loyal! So I hope to keep challenging the age stereotypes and increase my credibility as a spokesperson for being strong and staying young.”
It has been a year since I spoke to figure competitor and fitness model Belinda Benn and she shared the above goal. Now since Belinda is not the type to just wait and let things happen, she goes out there and makes things happen, I figured a return visit was well overdue. So let’s see what has been happening in ‘Benn’s World’ since our last encounter…..
When Marina Lopez took to the stage at the recent Junior Nationals in Chicago she was a woman on a mission. That mission was to alter the perception some people may have had of female bodybuilding and make a positive contribution to its rebirth.
After winning both the lightweight and overall titles (at a height of 5’ 2” and weighing in at 112lbs) she was well on her way to successfully completing that mission. Currently preparing for the USA’s in Vegas I decided to check up on Marina and find out a little more about her time in the sport, her diet and training strategies and what her future hopes are for the sport …
Asylum Angels: Only the Elite - TARYN RUT
National Level Fitness Competitor
Age: 26
Location: NY
If the term ‘figure athlete’ ever found its way into the dictionary one of the women who is sure to be listed as a prime example is one Heather Mae French.
Sponsored by SPECIES NUTRITION, Heather is surely the epitome of what it is to be a figure competitor and this year has gone a long way to underline that fact. So far she has managed to gather three wins (in Pittsburg, New Zealand and California) and take third place in the Ms Figure International.
As the Ms Olympia gets closer and closer, I thought it was time to catch up with Heather, find out what is going on in her world and get her to share some diet and training tips with the readers of RX Muscle….
The Tampa Pro is one of my favorites of the year and promoter Tim Gardiner always rolls out the red carpet for the judges, media, and fans. It’s a weekend where you get to see everything that’s right about our sport and truly enjoy competition at its finest. In addition to the battles on stage, there is a press conference with all the athletes, an amateur portion of the show, and a special award given this year to the legendary Lee Haney. What could make all this better?
For top figure Pro Angela Mraz life is about one thing PASSION. Angela has a passion and a drive for everything that she does and just one swift glance at her track record in the sport provides ample proof of that fact.
A winner of four consecutive WNBF Pro World Figure titles, Angela switched back to the NPC last year (having previously competed with them in 2002) determined to become an IFBB Pro. Winning the NPC Team Universe Masters Overall last year accomplished just that and now her eyes are on the prize of standing on the Ms Olympia stage.
With so many goals achieved and many more waiting in the wings, I am sure you will agree it is time we got to know the amazing Ms Myraz a little bit better. So read on as we take a journey into the mind of a born winner!
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