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Spotlight On IFBB Fitness Pro: Fiona Harris
Category you compete in:Fitness
Date of birth: November 2
, 1979
Hometown: Welland, Ontario, Canada
Career: Pharmaceutical Sales – Specialist Representative
Competition history:
2012 Pittsburgh Pro Fitness, Figure and Bikini Championships – 3rd Place
2012 IFBB World Qualifier – Overall Fitness Champion (earned IFBB Pro Card)
2012 IFBB World Qualifier – Best Routine Award
2012 IFBB World Qualifier – 1st Place Fitness Tall
2012 Arnold Amateur Championships – 2nd Place Fitness Tall
2011 Ontario Natural Provincial Championships – 1st Place Women’s Fitness Open
2011 CBBF National Championships – 2nd Place Fitness Tall
2011 Henderson Thorne Natural Classic – 1st Place Women’s Fitness Open
2011 Ontario Championships – 1st Place Women’s Fitness Tall
2010 London and Western Ontario Championships – 1st Place Women’s Fitness Open
Next competition:
2012 IFBB Toronto Pro Supershow, Toronto Ontario – June 1
How has your life changed since you adopted this lifestyle and started competing? I have always strived to live a healthy lifestyle. I have been a very active individual from a young age. If it involved sport and competition, you could find me at the center of it. I was a competitive gymnast growing up, so I spent long hours in the gym training. It required a lot of sacrifices along the way, but I loved it! Gymnastics taught me self-discipline and commitment. And that has carried through with me into adulthood. Competing in fitness rekindled that competitive fire inside me. There are definitely sacrifices that come with competing in thi![206053 142109739205797 100002203165099 268466 5454367 n[1]](/images/stories/Rx%20Girl/fiona%20harris/206053_142109739205797_100002203165099_268466_5454367_n[1].jpg)
s sport. A lot of time is spent training. But it is no different than when I was 10 years old and a competitive gymnast. I am loving every minute of it and wouldn’t change what I am doing at this point in my life.
What have you found to be the best way to balance family, friends, career, this lifestyle, etc…
For me, it’s all about keeping things in perspective. In this sport I find a lot of competitors allow it to consume them. And to be expected, it affects every aspect of your life … the unending hours training and restrictive dieting. It’s by far the hardest sport I’ve ever competed in! But, there is more to life than competing. I am married to a wonderful man that supports my dreams and aspirations. I have an amazing group of family and friends who always encourage me to succeed. They are always the number one priority in my life and as long as I always keep that in perspective, I believe that I’m on the right path.
If you could change places with one athlete for the day who would it be and why? Georges St. Pierre – UFC fighter. He inspires me for many reasons. He is clearly at the top of his sport and will stop at nothing to stay there. His athletic talents are far superior to that of any of his competitors. He’s managed to stay modest and humble in all his success. Georges shows a level of dedication to training and nutrition that are second to none in his sport and it definitely shows. I think he is a great role model for young Canadian athletes regardless of the sport they compete in. This is something that I strive to be each and every day that I train and compete.
Name two of the most inspirational people in your life and tell why they inspire you. My friend and coach IFBB Fitness Pro Mindi O’Brien. She was pivotal in the inception of the sport of women’s fitness in Canada. Her competitive history is nothing short of astounding to say the least – Canada’s first IFBB fitness champion, 6 time Olympia competitor, 6 time Arnold competitor. She has established a successful training business and team of inspiring and dedicated athletes. Most importantly, she practices what she preaches. She advocates a healthy lifestyle for her athletes, no short cuts or quick fixes. Just persistence and hard work. In an industry where people are always looking to edge out their competition with performance enhancing products and supplements, she ensures her athletes reach their best through hard work and dedication. No exceptions! It is a privilege to train under her guidance!
My dad! He is the most unselfish and generous person I know. His love for his family is endless and will do everything and anything to help us out. He has had to take on the role of both parents after the passing of my mom and has managed to exceed the expectations of not just one, but 2 people. He inspires me each day to be a better person. He raised me to always stand for what I believe in, work hard for what I want in life and never let anyone stand in the way of my dreams and happiness. A daughter could not ask for a better dad!
Tell one recipe or supplement you can’t live without. I LOVE sweet po
tatoes!!! And the best part is they are delicious just the way nature intended – plain! Typically I cut them into wedges, spray them with some olive oil, sprinkle them with chili powder, cumin, smoked paprika and pepper and roast them in the oven at 425 degrees for 45 mins. YUM!!!!
In terms of supplements, I have to say the one I could not live without is my Greens+ Multi. It supports my immune system, restores the healthy pH balance, boosts my energy levels naturally and provides me with all the vitamins and minerals my body needs to perform at its best.
Tell about a typical training day for you. What exercises, how many sets/reps…etc…
I continuously change up my workouts to keep my body guessing. Typically I train one body part per session. An example of a back workout for me would be:
Wide grip lat pulldowns/superset with pull ups: 4 sets of 10 reps
Single arm db rows: 4 sets of 10-15 reps
Close grip lat pulldowns: 4 sets of 10 reps
Wide grip seated rows/superset with reverse grip seated rows: 4 sets of 10 reps
Lower back extensions: 3 sets of 15 reps
The amount of cardio I do highly depends on how far out from competition I am. Typically I do 35 mins of moderate intensity cardio such as incline walking, cybex or spinning. But I also like to incorporate interval training into my regimen to boost my cardio capacity for my fitness routines.
In closing, Who would you like to give a shout out to? There are many people that support me in my journey to compete and without them I would not be where I am today – my family, friends and teammates. But my husband and coaches are by far my greatest support system and cheerleaders. My husband Steve has unwavering patience with me and my dreams to compete. He is at every show I compete in, providing me with words of encouragement and cheering me on from the crowd. I know without his support, I would have hung up my heels long ago! My coaches Mindi O’Brien and Dennis Beitler are responsible for where I am today in my competitive career. They saw potential in me from the beginning and developed my physique and skills to enable me to compete at the pro level. I definitely would not have achieved as much as I have in such a short period of time without them. And lastly to Sassy & Fit Boutique for sponsoring my beautiful two-piece suit and routine costume.
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