*****September 15th, 2012*****
GLORY TO GOD for allowing us to participate in this journey from start to finish.
my first bodybuilding competition has come and gone! what a weekend/week to remember. i've been trying to collect as many pics as possible from my friends, family, and even some of the professional photos but i am so backed up with pictures and posts i need to just POST something already!!!
THANK YOU to my posing coach, Christine Anderson of CAC and Food 4 Thought. She is an amazing woman, exceptional teacher, and most important, a true pleasure to work with. she is always on time, pleasant, positive, full of energy, and so very passionate about sharing her knowledge and expertise with her clients. i highly recommend working with Christine whether it's your first or 50th show. she is as professional as they come! i definitely learned from the best.
Christine and i together at the dress rehearsal 1 week before i hit the stage.
i can't speak for the other girls, but i was waaaay more nervous for dress rehearsal than the actual show! i enjoyed meeting and making friends with the other competitors along the way. i loved hearing about their 'story' and why they chose to compete. that's definitely what i get asked the most too. as crazy as this sounds, it didn't dawn on me that these girls were my competition until that day lol! we all worked so hard for the changes we made to our bodies- it was an awesome thing to not only watch my own body transform, but to witness their progress too.
that following friday evening, Sonny and i attended the mandatory check-in meeting for all the competitors. the administrators gave us the run down on how things would go on show day and other important info we needed to know.
we also got our spray tans done that night as well as our numbers, 21 and 23. we had to wear dark, loose fitted clothing so that we wouldn't mess up the tan job. it looks like our clothes are swallowing us.
i also met up with and chatted with some of the funniest and coolest girls i've ever met, seriously. i expected show day to be SUPER long, but hanging out and laughing with these girls backstage all day made it fly by! the entire experience was that much more enjoyable because of them.
Sonny passing his drug test with flying colors. too bad they don't check for traces of popeyes chicken grease :shock:
show day!
i know, i know. looks disgusting but it's my big bowl of banana oats with cinnamon, pumpkin pie spice, and vanilla creme stevia. i ate it on the way to get my makeup done and hair curled.
it's a miracle! after 3 months of looking straight rough, i appreciated this makeover very, very much. THANK YOU to Tinnell Sloan for working every single ounce of her magic on me that day. i needed it.
ducklips = feelin myself.
headed to the venue, bright and early.
but still late :roll:
we all got dressed and ready for the big group photo outside the venue...Sonny missed it by mere minutes!!
however he made it for the guys only pic. this picture SCREAMS hard work, doesn't it!? among other things, LOL
after that, we took individual portraits outside as well.
Sonny and his washboard abs waiting his turn for his solo shot.
Dani and i waiting to take our individuals! i met this fabulous woman at our first posing camp about 2 months prior. we exchanged numbers and kept in touch and checked on each other throughout those crazy weeks of training.
after pics, we head back to the dressing rooms to change into our theme wear. the order of events was posted right outside the door - Sonny started the show and i ended it, literally. and this was only the morning show order of events, not the whole day like i thought!
in the dressing room joking, taking pics, primping, eating, and just waiting.
i was an Olympic sprinter and Dani was a pin-up girl. my baton was around there somewhere!
i went out to take a quick peek and was able to catch Sonny heading out to start the show! this was his club wear. super sharp;)
when they finally called our class to come line up my heart skipped several beats.
as i watched the girl in front of me take a deep breath and walk out on stage into the lights, i said to myself in my head, 'this is it, Leah, DO IT.'
the stage guy interrupted my thoughts and said 'alright, go, go, go'. i said a prayer and just went.
aaaaaaaaaand 1 minute later, it was over!!!
here are a few shots of my Nigerian soccer player doing his thing for the theme wear round.
way to sell it, Mr. E!
my gorgeous buddy Kaleigh (1st time competitor) and i after finishing up the theme wear -tall round. we did it, girl!! we survived on Walden Farms products (sugar-free, fat-free, carb-free, gluten-free, EVERTHANG-free) to spice up our meal plans lol.
**intermission break **
we were able to come out and visit with the friends and family that came to support us! we are so grateful for all the cheers, encouraging words, pictures, videos, well wishes, presence, and love. THANK YOU sincerely, family and friends!!!
being cheesy for a pic in my runner stance. my cheeks were so sore by that point.
my bro, Chiso, and i! during the break, i went home to spend more time with my little guy as i missed his butt so bad and we hadn't even left for Jamaica yet.
@ home taking more pictures.
halfway done- we then headed back to the venue for the evening show and swimwear/bikini rounds.
and we're back! all changed and ready to go....to wait some more.
the nerves were all gone at this point- i was just ready to get it over with more than anything.
no vid for this round, but i do think it went WAY better than my theme wear round. i was comfortable and nerve-free by then.
there's my front pose for the judges,
the back,
and the front again! how'd i do?
2nd place - bikini tall class!!
this was certainly an added blessing. my ultimate goal was to just get through this darn training journey and hit the stage for the first time and do my best. i am so grateful and humbled.
that leads me to my next THANK YOU which goes to my extremely patient trainer, Travis!!!! thank you for answering my bajillion questions, texts, emails, calls, and emails :lol: . even when i was dog tired on the way to our sessions, i would always be pumped and re-energized after our workouts. physically and mentally. he encouraged and reassured me along the way and promised to have my body ready for this show. he did just that! i share this win with him in my heart as he contributed to making my first competition a very special one to remember. he has plenty of clients but gave me his undivided attention and made my goals, his goals. he's an awesome, highly recommended trainer to work with! good luck on YOUR upcoming show, Travis!
Sonny also brought home some hardware too- that's my hubby!!! 2nd from the right in the striped bottoms. i am so proud of him.
ok back in the dressing room, i HAD to snap this of Dani savoring a snickers bar immediately after we were totally done. she is going to kill me but her face is PRICELESS. but those abs though!!!
'why wait?'
DON'T.
hahahahahaahaha
few more pics with the ladies before we parted ways for the evening. two bikini girls, two figure girls.
then i went to find Sonny so we could rep for anniversary #5! all natural, baby!
this girl here... my angel. THANK YOU, Ogechi, for inspiring me to even start blogging in the first place. you have been with me from the jump! you have prayed with me, over me, and for me and i'm so grateful to God for blessing me with your friendship. i was under the impression that Ogechi was all the way in Atlanta that day, but she surprised the heck outta me and was sitting in the audience for the evening show the entire time!!! her support means the WORLD to me and i love her (and her recipes i will be posting more of! ) so, so much. i appreciate you my dear sister and friend.
what an awesome 1st experience, period. so grateful to have done this with Sonny by my side and also celebrate 5 years of marriage and counting.
thank you for reading!
le
