In what event did you compete?

I competed in classic physique class A. The short people class.

Please educate me. What do you mean by the short people class?

Classic physique goes by height and weight. That is what makes it challenging. Regardless of how big you are, you still must make the weight limit. If you don’t make the weight limit, you can’t compete. You make it or you don’t. You can do all that hard work for nothing. If you don’t make that weight, try again next time.

Class A is anywhere from 5’ 5” to 5’7”. Class B goes from 5’7” to 5’9”.  Class C is 5’9” to 6’. Every time the height limit goes up, the weight limit goes up.

Tell me about your fitness journey.

I always lifted weights because it is fun. I am a competitive person. I just stumbled on this. I found I love competing. I love the challenge. I love doing new things. I travel, meet new people and see new things on a regular basis. I get to teach my family, friends, and those who look like me. A sport that we or us don’t normally do. I bring a whole different energy and culture to this sport.

What do you eat?

Eating is tough. We eat the same thing over and over. Fish and asparagus for 6 or 7 weeks. We must cut off the carbs. Water restrictions is the hardest thing. You go from 4 gallons to no gallons of water. Cutting off water, carbs, sugar, and salt, you get a little bit tight. That’s what makes it so special. Everyone can’t control what they eat. Everyone can’t control how much water they drink. Everyone doesn’t have the same willpower.

Tell me about your workouts.

The training is intense. You usually end up sleeping in the gym. I train two sometimes three times a day, five or six hours a day. Three hours of cardio. Two hours of sauna. The cardio and sauna doesn’t count, that is just what you must do to be in general condition.

Sidebar: I know I made a face. Past the eating and the hard work, this isn’t for me. Sitting in the sauna for two hours on the regular. Ummmmn. Nope.

There is a lot of isolation. It is more mental than physical. The head leads the body. If you wrap your head around what you must do to obtain the goal you will be ok. If you can’t mentally lock in, you can’t do this. This is like riding a roller coaster. You get strapped in and don’t get off until the ride is over. Focus and do whatever you have to do to obtain your goal. Whatever you must do to lose that weight, that is what you must do. If you can’t do it, this sport is not for you. It separates the real from the fake. It allows me to separate myself from others. It pushes my limitations daily.

Do you train yourself?

I’m on a team. Beast factory out of Atlanta, GA. It is about 70 of us. The majority are women. Even though we are all over the world, we can communicate through the internet. We motivate, support, watch each other and push each other. This is huge because when you are doing a sport that nobody understands it’s great to have someone you can call. We all suffer. There is not success in this sport without suffering. If it is the diet, eating the same thing repeatedly, the cardio, missing your family. It does take over your life. At the end of the day if you want it, it is paying your bills and it is getting you in new places in life. It is worth it.

Anything else?

Body building is a competitive sport. This is not a sport for the faint. It is hard. It is rewarding because it teaches you principles in life. If you can control what you put in your mouth, you can control anything in life. It teaches you discipline and self-awareness. Most importantly, I’m healthy. I’m going to live a lot longer than a lot of people because I take care of myself.  Most black people have high blood pressure, high cholesterol and diabetes and don’t want to exercise. Many don’t realize that exercise is the key or the cure to these diseases.