AND the Tortoise Wins by a Hare!!! (Part 2)

Hi my No Apologies Family

Guess what??!!!! I took first place at my show this weekend and I am so stoked!! This was really a long time coming ladies and gents. I first began competiting in 2008 and it has been a long and exhausting journey. I remember my first show. There were 20 girls and I didn’t place top 5. I wasn’t disappointed by this placing because it was my first show, I lossed a lot of weight, and I later found out that I placed 6…just shy of the top spot. However, the next show I did was a major blow to my ego. I messed up in my presentation and again I wasn’t called for top 5. I was hurt because I felt that I looked tons better than the first show and I felt I deserved a better placing. Two weeks later I earned my first NPC trophy by placing in the Surburban classic, but I still wasn’t satisfied. I felt I deserved better than that, so I decided to step my game up a notch.

I asked my uncle for training advice and I began training with him mid- December for a Valentine’s Day show. At that show I placed 1st and 2nd in figure and the fitness model category. Needless to saly, I was very encouraged by these results. I pressed forward with my training but then I hit hard times in the second phase of my training when my friend (Salamon Legend) died tragically. I don’t know where I found the strength but I forced myself to make the commute to my uncle’s gym (a cool 30 minutes away) in the weee hours of the morning . Even though I broke down crying on the treadmill I kept training and resaying my motto over and over in my head “NO ONE STOPS THE SHOW!!”

I’m so glad that I continued with my training. It was great to win but it was even more satisfying that the win came after a year and some change of training. Had I won right out the bat or placed top 5 at my first show, I would’ve been full of myself and thought that I was unstoppable. Each show I competed in made me more focused and determined to be in the coveted top 5, and boy did it work. Check out some behind the scene shots below.

My Spray Tan the night before...yes Black people must do it too!!

Getting all oiled up before the show

Practicing my turns before I head out on stage.

Pumping up!!

We are all lined up and ready to go.

Front pose

Side Pose

The money shot

First Place

So don't give up peeps. Keep on moving and stumbling with every twist and turn. It's the dead ends that make us stronger. No Apologies people.