Filed on 9/1/02

Career Highlights

Why did you become interested in fitness?
I became interested in competing in fitness after I saw a show on ESPN-2 when I was a teenager. While cheering in college, I decided to do a regional show and I ended up placing in the top 5 and qualified for the 2000 Fitness America Nationals. However, because of cheerleading and our demanding game schedule, I had to put my fitness career on hold until the following year, when I decided not to try out for the cheerleading squad and just focus on fitness.

Since then, I have competed in my first Fitness America Nationals, and my first Fitness Universe Pageant and I love it. I've always been a competitor and fitness pageants give me the opportunity to continue competing and performing and they keep me in great shape! However, I never knew how hard it was going to be to learn to walk on stage in a bathing suit and heels.. I'm still learning!

When did you first start working out?
If you count gymnastics as working out, then I was three yrs. old when I started taking gymnastic classes and working out. Since then, I have been doing gymnastics, cheerleading, track and field, dance, and I taught my first aerobics class when I was sixteen. I have always been very active and athletic. I can't remember a time in my life when I wasn't doing some type of sport activity. I have been training for fitness competitions for almost two years.

What other physical activities do you enjoy to stay fit?
Other activities I enjoy to stay fit include running (I want to one day get involved in running marathons), gymnastics, dancing, and I love to golf.

What are your goals within the fitness industry?
My goals in the fitness industry are always changing. Right now, I enjoy the competition of the sport and I'm happy to just meet all of the girls and I'm having so much fun. However, I have many goals that I would like to pursue one day in the fitness industry that include: fitness modeling, hosting a competition in my hometown, personal training, and one day winning a title, but with school and work, I'm happy with just finding the time in my schedule to train for a show.

 Additional Notes
In addition to competing, I'm a full-time student at the University of Kentucky (Go CATS!), I work part-time as a bookkeeper for Redmond's Garden Center, and I'm a personal trainer at Gold's Gym in Lexington, KY.