I still live in Illinois not far from
where I grew up, and where my parents still live. There was a time in my life
when my husband and I were traveling like crazy around the U.S., that I would
have moved back to California, but once we became parents I never thought twice
about leaving my family. Some things are more important!
Today
I am a personal trainer and full-time mother of two. I have been married for 5
1/2 years and know the meaning of multitasking! I have always been athletically
built with wide shoulders and muscular legs. I was a sprinter on the track team
in Jr. High (usually anchoring all my relay races), and I was heavily involved
the art of dance. From the age of 8 years old I have been performing in front
of an audience under those bright stage lights. I have always felt alive and exillerated
performing and creating...it is there that I feel fullfillment beyond words.
When
I hear the beats of a drum or the keys to a piano, my mind is creating movement.
I even had the opportunity to audition for the Chicago Academy for the Arts High
School at age 14 and was accepted. I declined the scholarship to attend my local
high school and dance at numerous studios in the suburbs and the city of Chicago
(including a scholarship for Joal Hall). In the end I feel I made the best decision
with my mother's help.
My life would have been very different
had I chose to attend high school in the city. While performing with the dance
company in college, rehearsals several nights a week, and completing 22 credit
hours, I was approached by a male graduate student (5' 11", 260 lbs.), who was
looking for a mixed pairs partner to compete with. That individual along with
all my "North Quad" buddies are the reason I competed in my first competition,
and my hunger for bodybuilding began.
Their passion and committment
to their goals and dreams lives within me today! Smitty, Ron, Big Dave, John,
Tony, Justin and Gabe, what can I say except...I will never forget any of you!
How I actually got involved with lifting was with my husband, Michael. I lifted
in high school a bit and was nominated "most likely to FLEX in front of the mirror",
but didn't incorporate it into my daily life until my husband and I began working
out together my sophmore year in college.
I was a phycology
major, realizing that I wanted to help people in a more preventitive way by teaching
them how to cope with stress and problems by exercise and obtaining the natural
"high" that comes from physical work . My maiden name is Reilly, and the alcoholism
in my extended family runs deep. Finding a possitive way to deal with difficulties
was something I was forced to learn at an young age with a lot of incredible people
such as Dan, Char, Rex and the public speaking I did for the snowflake program
and peer counceling groups I led.
My husband also introduced
me to the magnificent great outdoors! WOW! What adventures we have had all over
the United States. Rock climbing, river rafting, sky-diving, cave splunking, back
country backpacking, living on the road for up to two weeks. There is nothing
in the world like waking up under the stars or on the beach...when it's all so
simple you realize what life is all about....you become a part of the beauty and
feel connected and balenced. True peace! We even pumped our own drinking water
in the back country and hung our packs in the trees so the bears would stay clear.
I will never forget my travel days and the stories that still make me smile.
My
husband and I had some fantastic times with some incredible people. It is not
where you are in life but who you are with that makes it memorable and unforgettable!
My life is very busy and filled with love these days. Married with two children
ages 5 years old and 7 months old keeps me busy at home, not to mention my personal
training clients and my own work outs. But I have gotten very good at slowing
down and taking lots of time to enjoy what's important. My husband is very involved
with our kids as well. I am so fortunate to have that. There are so many fathers
who miss out and moms who never get their time away. I am blessed!
My
goal in body building is to be a possitive role model to others that natural female
muscle is beautiful and that being a mommy, (or struggling with a challenge),
doesn't mean you have to lose yourself. I want to stand for what is possible and
attainable with hard work, multitasking and a lot of love and support of family
and friends! Anything is possible... the only limits are those we place apon ourselves.
Bodybuilding is an art to me. I am sculpting my own masterpiece and embracing
the athletic, strong, feminine, creative women that I am.
Life
gets tough when I train for a competition and I become extremely focused on my
goal. I expect a lot of my husband and I don't think I can express enough just
how much it means to me that he has supported my dreams and ambitions, picking
up the pieces where they have fallen over the years. I am truely blessed to have
such an incredibly devoted and supportive partner and friend. When I'm not working
out I am kissing my baby boy and big girl! I am changing diapers, driving my daughter
to pre-school and picking her up, taking her to gymnastics and dance, cleaning
the house, washing the dishes, feeding our German Shepard (all 110 lbs of him),
cooking dinner, grocery shopping, the dreaded chore (laundry), training clients,
e-mailing and calling family and friends, mailing bills, scapbooking, watching
a movie or decorating the house.
I am a busy woman, wife,
mother, athlete and professional but I would trade my life with no one! I have
everything I want and all the tools to make my dreams a reality. My plans for
2004... Enjoy every moment and milestone in my son's first year and my daughter's
5th, nurse my son until he is a year old so he can grow up to be the healthy,
strong man that I know he will be. I will return to the stage... stronger and
better than before, as I will have one more little voice in my cheering section
and one more smile in my life! I will be returning to the stage in 2005. I plan
to take your breath away! :) Back to the Top
