Pro/Am Contests Blog

I had the honor of being able to compete in Carla Sanchez’s Fitness Fiesta in Denver, Colorado on October 20, 2007.

As a rookie Figure hopeful, I found this to be the perfect show to step out from the training regimen and show the results of all of that work for the first time.

The Fitness Fiesta is oriented to Figure and Fitness, and emphasizes FUN and ENERGY for many different styles of competitors. Among the ranks of Fiesta competiors with their own SPECIFIC CATEGORIES were moms, juniors, collegiates, and even couples! It wasn’t just the gals sporting their stuff, we also had the pleasure of checking out the guys of the show in the Men’s Fitness category and the Model Search!

Overall Figure Winner Tara Green.

What I noticed right away was that there were a LOT of competitors! In hand with that, there were a LOT of people in the audience! As a competitor who entered as many categories as possible, I found myself making several mad dashes to and from the dressing room. I was able to catch glimpses here and there of my co-competitors and the guest entertainers, and can say this:

Nothing in this show is halfway put together; it is very well organized and professional. The VIP guests and entertainers were people and teams of high quality, such as Elaine Goodlad and the Denver Nuggets Dancers. There is no sense of uncertainty in which performer or guest appears next; the show maintains a high energy and clean schedule throughout.

Backstage, the rookie is not left to her own defenses as backstage volunteers appeared around every corner, “More suit spray? Vaseline? Water?” Other competitors offered encouragement, and sometimes even a helpful nip and tuck on unruly suits strings and folded-over straps. It was not the intense, overly-competitive environment that I had thought might exist. We all knew we were in this together, and excitedly watched each other from behind the curtains.

Go Broncos!

Despite all of the help and organization, a rookie is a rookie, and nerves are part of the deal. I stepped out on stage in Prejudging as one nervous gal! Mentally I reviewed my checklist: walk sassy, don’t rush, smile!

Much to my suprise, I calmed down very quickly, and the stage felt good; it felt good to be up there. Several gals had the same feeling; after appearing once on stage, they felt more at ease the following times. I knew that every one of us was going through the same thing, so thinking about myself as part of the group helped.

On stage, I would hear a shout of encouragement from the crowd, but I would process it with a delay. I was thinking about the position of my body so much that everything else was slowed down. At one point, I realized that a quarter turn was just called for, and I almost missed it! Every one of us on stage appreciated the encouraging shout outs we heard from the audience!

As the show progressed, many of us found our personalities emerging on stage, and the show really became fun! I saw a lot of sass and pomp in the night show, which I’m sure was just as fun for the audience as it was for us!

Nearing the end of the show, shoes were coming off backstage, candid photos were being snapped, and Halloween candy found its way into the dressing room. The chatter changed course from posing and suits to cheat meals and showers.

At the end of the night, deserved awards were presented, judges thanked, and volunteers emerged from the shadows…

I wound up being presented with the Overall Figure award, something that I had dreamed of, yet never expected. I was also able to place first in my height class in both open and novice, first in my age class, masters overall, and third in model search. I learned a lot, and have a lot of room to improve, as well. The show provided the perfect environment to step out, show off a little, and even make some mistakes in the middle of all the fun. I knew I would have fun, but now I know why competitors insist that they’re ‘hooked’ on the sport!

Camo Girl!

For every competitor, there is a support system and meaninful plan. I was lucky enough to began training this summer with Carla Sanchez and the Performance Ready Team members. My coach and teammates are inspiring and amazing gals who helped hone my plan to this competition. Many of us rookies look up to the accomplishments of those that have trained and competed before us. Demonstrating grace, sportsmanship, and perseverance, I am humbled to be amongst competitors of this caliber.

As figure and fitness progresses, there is a responsibility to bring integrity and excellence forward. I saw it on this stage, in the volunteers, the organizers, the judges, and most of all, I saw it in the competitors. Let’s bring this to our next stage. See you there!