• 2006 CBBF National Fitness and Figure Championships, 1st Figure Medium and obtained IFBB Pro Status
• 2005 CBBF National Fitness and Figure Championships, 1st Figure Medium Class
• 2004 CBBF National Fitness and Figure Championships, 2nd Figure Medium Class
• 2004 ABBA Provincial Bodybuilding and Provincial FigureChampionships, 3rd Women’s Middleweight
• 2004 ABBA Northern Alberta Bodybuilding and Provincial Fitness Championships, 1st Women’s Middleweight
• 2003 CBBF National World Qualifier, 1st Figure Short Class & Overall Winner
• 2003 ABBA Provincial Bodybuilding and Figure Championships, 2nd Figure Short Class
• 2003 CBBF National Fitness and Figure Championships, 1st Figure Medium Class

I love to train my shoulders! Although my routine varies from week to week, here’s a few of my favorite exercises:

seated dumb bell press — 4 sets, 8-10 reps, 35-50 lbs.
smith machine military press — 4 sets, 8-10 reps, 20-30 lbs. (per side)
front dumb bell Lat raises — 3 sets, 8-10 reps, 15-25 lbs.
side dumb bell lat raises — 3 sets, 8-10 reps, 15-20 lbs.

I have always been athletic; involved with competitive gymnastics, track and field and horse back riding. However, due to a knee injury in 1990, I had to dramatically decrease my level of activity. After knee surgery in 1991, with the help of a physiotherapist I was able to continue to be fairly active.

In 1999, I started to get serious about my diet and started lifting weights. With the encouragement of my husband and friends, I decided to try competing. In 2002, I started training with a goal of entering a fitness competition in 2003. However, the gymnastics proved too much for my knee and I decided to focus on figure competitions instead.

In May 2003, I competed in the 2003 Canadian National Fitness and Figure Championships as a medium class figure competitor. This was my first show and much to my surprise and delight - I took 1st place! I didn’t have to pre-qualify to enter because this was the first national level figure show in Canada.

Later in the year, I competed in the July 2003 CBBF National World Qualifier and took 1st place in the short figure class and won the overall figure title! Three months later, I competed in Santa Susanna, Spain in the IFBB 2003 World Amateur Women’s Bodybuilding, Fitness & Bodyfitness Championships. There were 32 amazing competitors in my figure short class. Unfortunately, 17 of us were cut during the elimination round. Although I did not compete with the final 15, I was proud to have represented Canada at a world level show in my first year of competition!

For the 2004 competition season, I wanted to push myself to the extreme and compete as a bodybuilder. In June 2003, I took 1st place in the ladies middleweight class at the ABBA Northern Alberta Bodybuilding and Provincial Fitness show and later that month, took 3rd place in the middleweight class of the ABBA Provincial Bodybuilding and Provincial Figure show. I went on to compete in the 2004 CBBF Canadian Fitness and Figure Championships and took 2nd place in the middle height figure class.

In 2005, I regained my title as National Figure Medium Class Champion at the CBBF National Fitness & Figure Championships by winning my class and, in 2006, again won the Medium Height Figure class and was presented with my IFBB Pro status.

Oxygen, Muscle Mag, Alberta Bodybuilding & Fitness (on-line magazine)

David Ford Photography