Monique Cormier, who has overcome obesity and severe depression en route to becoming a world class amateur bodybuilder, joins Dave [ ... ]
Spotlight On NPC Figure Competitor: Steely Springham
Category you compete in: Figure
Date of birth: June 20 1969
Hometown: Edmonton, Alberta Canada
Career: Figure Competitor, Fitness Model, Health and Wellness Mentor, Inspirational Speaker, Writer, Muse
Competition history:
2012 Competitive Season
MAY 19 2012 ~ BCABBA WESTERN CHAMPIONSHIPS ~ Canada
2nd place ~ Class A Women’s Open Figure
APRIL 20 2012 ~ The Emerald Cup ~ Bellevue Washington USA
11th place ~ Class D Women’s Open Figure
2011 Competitive Season
JULY 16 2011 ~ BC CHAMPIONSHIPS Provincials ~ Canada
6th place ~ Women's Medium Open Figure
JUNE 5 2011 ~IDFA ~ Canada
1st place ~ Women's Open Figure Medium
1st place ~ Women's Masters (over35)
MAY 28 2011 ~ WBFF BC CHAMPIONSHIPS ~ Canada
1st place ~ Women's Open Figure Medium
2nd place ~ Women's Masters (over35)
MAY 21 2011 ~ BCABBA WESTERN CHAMPIONSHIPS ~ Canada
2nd place ~ Women's Open Figure Medium
Next competition:
BC Provincial Championships 2013, which is equivalent to State Championships in USA. Goal is to qualify for Canadian NATIONALS earn my CANADIAN PRO CARD and then I have my sights set on the Arnold’s & Ms. O stages. Yup, I am a big dreamer, but I BELIEVE IN DREAMS! Seeing isn’t believing, BELIEVING IS BELIEVING! And DOING makes them happen!
I am doing it!
How has your life changed since you adopted this lifestyle and
started competing? I have transformed as a woman in ever aspect. Of course, yes physically, that’s a given when you train, diet, do cardio & focus, your body will respond! But I have transformed mentally, emotionally & spiritually. You really become in tune to everything about yourself when on a journey such as this. It affords you the opportunity for such growth and awareness of every aspect of yourself if you are paying attention and really tapping in. Which I have. I always joke that carb depletion is like taking ‘TRUTH SERUM’.
My fundamental core is still the same, but now I have built and worked on mental & emotional strength and power. It has been the best decision I have made to train, compete, and follow my passion relentlessly! I was born for this. I, for the first time, FIT IN MY SKIN!
My life long goal has always been to do great things and to inspire and influence people in a positive way! I really did think it was going to be thru my music career, thru my lyrics and my songs, which are all pieces of me. However, when my life took a huge turn in 2008, I now clearly see that Health and Wellness, training & competing is the vehicle to my life long dreams coming true! I am inspiring people and I am influencing people in a positive way. There truly is no greater reward in life than realizing your passion and living it daily! Find it! Do it! Do it RELENTLESSLY! DON’T LET ANYTHING STOP YOU! YOU CAN! I AM!
What have you found to be the best way to balance family, friends, career, this lifestyle, etc…
Well to sum it up….. Breathe ~ feed ~ succeed ….. & Meditate on Law of Attraction!
Breathe ~ is taking time to relax, set goals, meditate, spend quality time with family & friends, work at bettering you daily… while focusing on training and dieting.
Feed ~ not only your body with healthy choices of nutrition, & training… but FEED your mind as well…KNOWLEDGE! For without the mind your body cannot function. FEED your spirit as well! Fill your mind up with love, empowerment, positive, quality concepts, ideas and philosophies. YOU BECOME WHAT YOU BELIEVE! YOU BRING ABOUT WHAT YOU THINK ABOUT! YOU ARE WHAT YOU FEED YOURSELF ~ mind, body and soul! CHOOSE WISELY!
= SUCCESS!!
If you could change places with one competitor for the day who would it be and why? I can not pick just one. It would have to be Adela Garcia, Oksana Grishina & Erin Stern. They were the first competitors I came across when I started doing research on the Fitness and Figure world after having committed to my trainer and to this journey to become a competitor. I knew nothing about this sport so I needed to focus and set my sights of where I wanted to go and learn what I was about to become. So I looked to the pro’s to find who had already done what I was wanting to do. All 3 women had stories of overcoming triumph in different ways. Each spoke poignantly to me. Erin’s story of missing the qualifying high jump for the Olympic trials after training for it all her life. To then find herself doing Figure competitions and WINNING. I related to it after having pursued music for a decade and it not working out. There I found myself and my life taking on a totally different path thru health and wellness. Adela Garcia her age, her accomplishments totally inspired me to ‘go for it’ that AGE was NOT a factor. Oksana because of her grace and poise and movement on stage was powerful, graceful, sexy, feminine yet strong and it reminded me of my mentor Sharon Bruneau. I would want to be each one for a day to be able to gain wisdom, strengt
h, and gain perspective to be able to improve.
Name two of the most inspirational people in your life and tell why they inspire you.
Sharon Bruneau: Pro Bodybuilder, true grace and class on and off the stage. She has always been an example of what I hoped to become. A strong, graceful, empowered, inspiring, real, down to earth, powerhouse female. She has been a friend and mentor for years. She taught me the most important and toughest lesson years ago when I was at the height of my food addiction. I am forever grateful to her for the hope and strength to want more and better for myself.
Nico De Feo: nicodefeo.com my trainer, my coach, my rock! He is unlike any other! A gem! A relentlessly determined, talented, focused health and wellness coach, trainer and genuine friend. He inspires me daily as he kicks my ass daily. But with him it’s a mind, body and soul journey. For you cannot have any one with out the others. I knew this, he believes this and this is why we inspire each other on this journey daily. He is a dreamer, as too am I, together we are soaring to great heights, mind, body and soul.
Stephen Sumner: My man. Former International model, turned author, humanitarian. He is the sole force behind www.meandmymirror.org. A blog about one man’s journey by bicycle through South East Asia to help show people how ‘mirror therapy’ can give amputees relief from phantom limb pain. Being an above-the-knee amputee himself, Stephe has first hand experience on how debilitating this pain is as well as how effectively mirror therapy can cure it. He makes the unbreakable, collapsible mirrors himself and then cycles on his cargo bike in to major South East Asian cities and remote villages; 1 man, 1 leg, 1 bicycle, 1 mission, many mirrors, much relief! Helping people one reflection at a time & making a “BIG LIL’ DIFFERENCE “. ALL BY DONATION!
MY HERO…
Tell one recipe or supplement you can’t live without.
Yogi Tea, Apple cider vinegar, cinnamon, dill, parsley, mustard, my AOR multi vitamin, MSM, Glutamine, gosh there are so many things…. List is too long….
Tell about a typical training day for you. What exercises, how many sets/reps…etc…
Nothing about training is typical with my trainer Nico De Feo. Depending on whether its competition season or off season, how many weeks out of competition and how my body has been responding to the diet determines what type of training we do and the duration we need to do it. All these factors will determine training goals and techniques and sets and reps. There is boxing, kick boxing, ol school heavy bodybuilding, high cardio intense functional training, TRX, running, jumping, pushing, pulling and flipping tires. The motto has always been and still is ‘PICK THINGS UP, PUT THINGS DOWN, ANYWHERE, ANYHOW, JUST GETTER DONE! SET THE GOALS~EXCEED THEM~ SET NEW ONES! Always striving to improve!
I do train every morning, I incorporate yoga, running, stretching, a massage technique called “ROLFING” done by Vern Marshall at Skillful Touch Massage, as well as deep tissue massage by Lisa Ryan at Mainland Massage. Breathing & meditating at home.
In closing, Who would you like to give a shout out to?
First to RX Girl & RX Muscle’s Gail, Jeff and Dave, for their support early on in my competitive career. Of course Nico De Feo & Nicki Pimm my amazing trainer and nutrition coach. My mom and dad who stand by me and support and push me even though they don’t totally understand all this dieting and training stuff. My dear friends, especially Terrie and Lana. I would like to thank all my sponsors who so graciously support me, either by donations or services. I am truly blessed and could not do this without their help.
Frilly Lily, Mainland Massage, Kix Tanning, Reflex Yaletown, Jason LaChance photography, Public Myth Clothing, Finlandia, Body Energy, Steve Nash, Yogi Tea, brian gottmers photography, Thinking Man Productions, Skillful Touch Massage, Posy Nails, RX Muscle, Isolde Semple & Myles Laphan at Avantgarde Salon, Susan of Sexy Bikini’s, Dr.Shafiq Kara.
“…BE THE CHANGE YOU WANT TO SEE…” (GHANDI)
breathe ~ feed ~ succeed 2012
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