Pro/Am Contests Blog

Il y a deja 3-4 semaines de cela et je viens de terminer un des plus prestiieux concours naturel de figure, fitness, bikini, ect…

FITNESS UNIVERSE est un des concours les plus populaires au USA parce qu`il fait apelle a des centaines de beauté naturelle et en forme!!  Ous recemment, en novembre dernier j`avais remporter le World Figure Championnship de la meme federation a Hollywood, CA. J`avais enormement de pression de l`exterieure et de ma part aussi…

Quand j`ai vu la qualiter et la quantite de filles qui il avait dans le line up, j`ai cru n pas remporter ce concours. Mais ma grande surprise, je suis arriver premiere dans ma classe, petite taille, et manquer de 1 point le Overall. Wow, me retrouver avec un tel titre apres seulement 1 ans et demi de competition m`as remplie d`emotion! 

J`ai egalement participer dans la categorie Model Universe, avec presque 80 filles tous plus belle les unes que les autres, j`ai reussi a decrocher la 4 ieme place!!

Michele
www.michelelevesque.com

A month after the FAP Fitness Universe, I am looking at my trophy and God! am I happy and proud of myself!  Once again, I came back home with a trophy!

After winning the Short Class at the World Musclemania Figure Championship, it was quite a challenge for me to do it again at the Figure Universe Musclemania. There was a lot of pretty girls in this contest. So you really need to have the total package to stand out of the lineup.

I also competed in the Model Universe category and (what a surprise!) I placed fourth in that category, too. I wasn’t even sure I’d place in the Top 10!! There were like 80 pretty girls, sexy, all with hot bodies. I was really surprised when they called out my name and awarded me the trophy! 

I’ve only been competing for 1½ years and I am very proud of what I’ve accomplished so far. I’m not even half of were I wanna be, so you’ll see more of Michèle Levesque in the years to come… Oh! That’s for sure!

Oh, and don’t forget to check out the latest issue of Musclemag International (September 2007 edition), ok?! 

Michele
www.michelelevesque.com

Wow, I had never seen so many stunning people with the gorgeous faces with hard bodies all in one place. What an amazing weekend and great experience it was!!!

Universe weekend was by far the biggest event that I had attended as a competitor. Not only it was my first time competing in the FAP/FUP organization, it was also my first time being in Miami. Since it was my first time, and didn’t have much idea of the show, I decided to compete only in one category (Model Universe) where most other girls would do two.

Model Universe had three competition rounds: Clubwear, Sportswear, and Swimwear. I had a lot of fun playing dressed up as a boxer girl in the Sportswear round and it was really awesome to see both the guys and the girls showing off their personalities with the theme they chose.

I was half way dieting back down from reaching 133 lbs over the Spring, when I decided I was gonna compete a month before from the Model Universe I was weighing about 117lbs. With all my dedication and hard work in the gym, I was able to cut down to 110 lbs by the competition day. It had always been pretty hard for me to stay lean in the off-season, but I guess third time’s a charm since I have been doing well on my diet and the workouts ever since after the Model Universe, and more motivated than ever.

I ended up placing the top 10 at the contest out of 46 beautiful girls, 10th place to be exact   Haha! I’d be lying if I said I was satisfied with where I placed, but all I can do for now is to train hard and diet harder to bring my best to my next competition.

Overall, it was wonderful meeting and networking with all the fitness enthusiasts, and fitness professionals all over the world and I can not wait for next year 2008 Universe Weekend, where I would come back in strong as a competitor, could it be bikini, model, or figure?

You definitely will be seeing more of me in the near future.

God Bless! Much love,

May Maung

How it felt to win:

At first I didn’t know I had won! The girl next to me grabbed my arm and said “You won!” I was like, “I didn’t hear my name!” It all happened so fast! How did I not hear my name?! I walked up to the first place spot, I felt like I was in slow motion and I could feel the look of shock was on my face! I didn’t know whether to laugh because I was so nervous or to cry for joy. I kind of did both.

My smile was quivering and my legs were shaking in my heels. I thought,” What?! I won the tall class!” I was shocked! I had to go back out for the Overall. I felt like I had achieved a huge victory winning the tall class. After all, it was my first competition ever!! Then they announced the Overall and I was the only one on stage. They called my name again! I was living my dream!! A dream I had wanted to do for four years!!

“Marzia Prince is this year’s 2007 Ms. Bikini Universe…” I was on a smiling high and my cheeks hurt! I have to admit writing how I felt on stage brings a smile to my face right now. I am in absolute disbelief. I still can’t believe it.

What I expected coming to the show:

I tried to be as prepared as possible. I talked to other girls who had entered it previously. I talked to staff members to make sure everything I was going to wear was within regulation. I practiced walking in my high heels, doing my half turns, and smiling in the mirror at home over and over again. I even had watched last years DVD many times to get an idea how the girls walked, carried themselves, what they wore, and what I should expect.

You could say did my research! Since it was my first competition, I didn’t want to spend a lot of money. So, I did everything on a budget. I really expected to come learn and have a great experience in which I could hone my skills and then come back knowing the ropes, so to speak. Never in a million years did I expect to win my first competition!

I have done a few bikini contests in local clubs (many years ago in my early twenties!!) but, never to this extent where I was televised and competing against over 100 of the worlds most beautiful hard bodies! There were also many fitness stars I had looked up to and read about in major magazines for many years that I competed against. I felt like I was up against many forces. The competition was tough! I felt like the underdog or rookie.

“If you’re not hard on yourself…who is?”  I believe you need to be hard on yourself to achieve your own personal goals. After all, you are the one who will really feel the sense of accomplishment when you do achieve it! Feels good huh! Work hard! Play hard! Live the dream!”

Yours in Health,
Marzia Prince

I worked the Bodybuilding.com Booth at the Fitness Universe Weekend in Miami, Florida June 22-24, 2007.  What a weekend!  I had a blast!!!!

The Fitness Universe Weekend in Miami, FL held at the Hyatt Regency/Knight Auditorium seemed to go off without a hitch!  I arrived on Friday at about noon and dropped off my Bodybuilding.com boxes.  We had a table already set up for us and we organized our belongings immediately!  The first day was mostly pre-judging stuff and there were not that many spectators there.  We still got to talk to many people and hand out some stuff though.  People loved us!

Saturday was a blast at the booth!!!  It was busy, busy with competitors everywhere and a lot of fans, friends, and spectators.  As far as vendors and exhibitors go, I feel that we had the best booth there and so did the patrons coming up to us!

I was given a lot of great stuff to hand out to people!!!  We handed out key chains, iPod Nano cases, towels, car fresheners, pamphlets, Mass Gainer protein, Whey Protein, Oh Yeah bars, Muscle Cell volumizers, and other goodies to the customers in these great plastic bodybuilding.com bags!  People loved the fact that we were giving away such great stuff and all for free!!!!

It was difficult getting people to sign up on the computer as I do not think they fully understood what it was for, and many of them claimed to have accounts already with bodybuilding.com!  My husband was a great asset working the booth as that allowed me to do a little mingling with other people, like Muscleology, Natural Muscle magazine, HardCore Gear, the competitors, and fans wanting to have their picture taken with me.

It is truly a blessing and an honor to be working along with THE BEST Bodybuilding company in the world!!!!  They are renowned everywhere and even people from other countries had nothing but great things to say about Bodybuilding.com.

I hope to get to work future events with the company, whether they are for local, regional, or national shows!  When you work with the best, you never want to go back to the rest!    Thanks to Dave Middleton, Richard Barnet, and Will Weidenmann for having faith in me!  I am having so much fun working alongside Bodybuilding.com!!!!!

Tamar

I had a great time at the Universe! It was a huge show with 400 competitors, which included Model Universe, Fitness Universe, Ms Bikini Universe and Muscle Mania Superbody and Figure.

It was the first time I was able to watch some of the competition. I loved it. The girls and guys were ALL beautiful! I like the level of fitness in both, not too HARD, MUSCULAR or BIG. Just the right amount of each.

The rounds were so much fun too watch too. I like the incorporation of clothing wear in some of the divisions. It allowed you to see the competitors individuality and personalities come out on stage.

I complimented Ava Cowan on her showing. Her physique looked amazing. She has a much softer look than last competition season. I loved the way she looked! Still super tight with curves in all the right places She also wore a show suits she made herself! She is planning on competing in fitness sometime this year!!!

Brittany Lane, a fitness competitor had a great showing first time out! I helped her with her routine that got her a 14 placing in a field of seasoned veterans! The fitness division was unbelievable! Every time the next competitor came out, I said “that’s your winner!” They were all AMAZING!

Marzia Prince competing for the first time looked totally at home on the stage, I had no idea she had never competed. She was in great shape and very poised on stage, a real natural! Not surprising that she took home a 1st place win! I had the pleasure of meeting her after the Friday morning pre prejudging. Not only is she beautiful, but as nice as can be!

Jamie Sheridan, a newcomer to the circuit, looked stunning and will be someone you will see climb the ranks in the future!

Princess Mulkey, also a first time competitor, is an amazing story! One year ago she looked like a totally different person. She stepped on stage 70 lbs lighter!

I was only there for the events on Friday but will make my way back next year for the weekend! Its a great event showcasing some of the worlds top athletes!

The 2007 Fitness Universe Weekend was a whirlwind of excitement.  I barely had enough time to breathe while I was there… so I felt right in my element.  "I love to live life with my hair on FIRE!"

My flight landed at 1 a.m. Thursday morning… There was a meeting from 8 a.m. till noon on Thursday, then a 2 p.m. media session, then off to hair and makeup for a beach photo shoot:

The FAP Universe competition lasted all day Friday!  I placed 2nd in the 2-piece division of bikini and 8th overall!  I was very pleased with my placement.  The next day was the Bikini Finals… the air was tense.

Me and a girlfriend, Angelina Harvey placed in the top 10!  Then off to another photo shoot and party at Privé in South Beach… till 3 a.m., LOL… And my flight left the next day at 8 a.m…. Ouch!

All in all, it was a wonderful experience.  I absolutely love the FAP organization… high class act all the way!!!  I’ll be back there next year 4SURE!

I just got back home, and wanted to let you know that I got 2nd place in the short division.  By two points.  I am very happy with that placing, and I will use this competition to mark my preparation for the Figure America and FAME North American in November.

This particular competition is much more, um, pageant-like.  So if you want to do this show, you have to practice the t-walk for sure and lay it on thick. lol  I don’t think I was quite prepared for that aspect of the show.  I was more interested in showcasing my physique.

I decided 3 weeks out to compete in the figure division, but now that I am feeling better health wise, I cannot wait to come in at 100% of my potential in November.  I will be bringing it in November…so I will see you there! 

Whew, this weekend is chock full of pro and amateur shows!  In addition to the IFBB Jan Tana Pro/NPC King Kamali Classic, there is also the Fitness America Pageant (FAP) Universe, NPC USA Wheelchair and Greater Gulf States Classic, and Lonnie Teper’s 2007 NPC Junior California.  To learn about the USA Wheelchair Championship, visit their official website.

BB.com writer, video show host, and BodySpace member Tamar will be working the BB.com booth at the FAP Universe, so if you’re in Miami this weekend, go up and say “Hi!”

Lonnie Teper’s 2007 NPC Junior California show tomorrow should be a great one, and we’ll have photos and contest coverage from our man in the field, SecondFocus.

For more information about the Jr. Cal, visit these pages:

http://www.npcjuniorcal.com/

http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/2007npcjrcal.htm

http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/2007jrcal_info.htm

http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/2007npcjuniocal_info.htm