Monique Cormier, who has overcome obesity and severe depression en route to becoming a world class amateur bodybuilder, joins Dave [ ... ]
Spotlight On IFBB Figure Pro: Dawn Fernandez
Category you compete in: IFBB Figure
Date of birth: Oct. 30th
Hometown: Phoenix, AZ
Career: I work for a major financial company as a Corporate Facilitator/Trainer.
Competition history: Earned pro at the 2012 North American Championship – won open class and overall figure award.
Pro figure debut at 2012 Miami Pro Show – placed 5th.
Next competition: Pittsburgh Pro Show May 5th – very psyched. I am looking forward to being on stage again and connecting with the other elite athletes.
In your opinion, how important is motivation and confidence when aiming to accomplish a goal? I believe both motivation and confidence are very important to accomplishing a goal. I am a firm believer that we can motivate one another or be motivated, but that motivation comes from within. Motivation is the act of movement. It’s what we do once we are motivated. Confidence is a state of being sure of oneself, it comes from within as well. Motivation and confidence work together to drive a plan of action. Goals aren’t accomplished without an effective and well executed plan. Having the assistance and support of others can increase the level of motivation and confidence. The individual’s level of motivation dictates the execution and their level of confidence dictates the effectiveness of the action plan. Highly motivated and confident individuals successfully reach their goals.
As an athlete I know it’s up to me to effectively execute my action plan. I trust and value the advice and guidance of my coach and training partner. I appreciate the encouragement and support of my family and friends. When it’s time to step on stage, I know that if I have followed the plan accordingly that I can do so confidently and that’s what motivates me throughout my contest preparation!
In your eyes, what combination of hard work and natural ability is needed to reach the top? In my eyes the top professional athletes in bodybuilding have an equal amount of natural ability and hard work. All of the top professionals are the best in the industry and have to compete against one another. One athlete may not have a natural ability that another does, but with hard work they can improve or enhance what they don’t have and still be competitive and reach the top. Athletes with natural ability may find it easy for themselves to execute certain activities of their action plan, but a hard working athlete can execute those same activities just as well. So it’s important that one works hard regardless of their natural ability in order to reach the top and stay there!
What are some motivational strategies that have or currently work for you? Last year I made a promise to myself to be positive and to believe in myself regardless of what might be going on personally or at work. I set a number of personal and career goals for myself. I met with those that could help me devise a plan of action and the
n I made a commitment to myself to make it happen. There were challenges and obstacles along the way, but I kept a positive attitude, adjusted the game plan if needed and kept moving forward. I am thankful to everyone that helped to guide, motivate, inspire, encourage and support me along the way. Their positive energy helped to fuel my inner motivation and confidence!
Give me some examples from your life where confidence has helped you to achieve? I am a very confident person and it has helped me achieve much in life. At work networking and partnering with others throughout the organization is important for strategic planning and project management. Being a confident individual has helped me reach out to others, introduce myself and build a strong network of contacts. As a result I am able to meet goals, earn recognition and respect as a colleague and offered promotions. As an athlete I am judged by a panel of judges and compared against other competitors. We judged on our physique, conditioning, presentation and overall appearance. Being a confident individual and athlete has helped me in terms of stage presence and being in front of the judges and audience. As a result I have met goals, earned respect as a competitor and most recently as professional athlete.
What do you find the most challenging about competing? I find that balancing my career and family while being an athlete is the most challenging. I find that it is challenging because the financial industry I work in isn’t related to the bodybuilding industry. In addition I also have to make sure that I tend to my duties as a mother and wife to my family. So I have to divide my time, prioritize and coordinate my daily activities accordingly. It hasn’t always been easy, but finding a way to balance it all for the most part has made it possible for me to be successful at work, home and in bodybuilding.
What are your top 5 key strategies for success? My top five key strategie
s for success are; inspiration, time management, prioritization, organization and
What is your favorite protein powder? Why do you like it? My favorite protein powder is MyoFusion by Gaspari Nutrition. I like it because they have a Probiotic Series that has 9 carbohydrates for every 24 grams of protein and a brand new Elite Series that has 5 carbohydrates for every 25 grams of protein with fewer sugars. Plus they are coming out with an isolate protein powder called IsoFusion that will be available later this year. Gaspari is a superior supplement company with products that are designed specifically to do what they say to enhance performance and endurance at every level of athleticism. Gaspari is a brand name that I trusted for many years before I started competing and I am proud to represent their products now as competitor.
Favorite Inspirational Quote:
“Being healthy and fit is a lifestyle, not a life event” ~me
“You are already perfect, so strive for progress, not perfection” ~author unknown
In closing, Who would you like to give a shout out to? I would like to give a huge shout to my competition coach, Damian Segovia co-owner of AZ Pro Physiques and Team AFD. I value his guidance, expertise and knowledge of the bodybuilding industry. He is an interracial part of my development and success as an athlete. I would also like to give a shout out followed by a huge thank you to my training partner who puts up with me every day. I know that I’ve been difficult, my schedule is hectic and I am not always as appreciative as I should be. He is always there for me, pushing me in and outside of the gym to be a better person and athlete. In addition I would like to thank all my family and friends who encourage me and support my goals, visions and aspirations.
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