Confessions of a Bikini Pro

ABBY REYNA; Reign Athletics Gym, 1st Time Competitor Musts, Sustainability and Joy

Today I speak with IFBB Pro Abby Reyna a personal trainer and owner of Reign Athletics gym in Houston, Texas. She started to compete in 2018 as a way to challenge herself to overcome shyness and discomfort in big crowds. Sh won her Pro card the next year at only her second show ever, and then took an extended growth season, making her Pro debut in 2021. Because of her decision to compete, she found her love for the fitness industry, which lead her to opening her gym.    Abby offers impor...

AMY VETTERS; Buckets, Health Routines And Movement Awareness, True Support In Relationships

Today I speak with IFBB Pro Amy Vetters, a Masters athlete living in Colorado who started competing in 2017. She began in bikini, dabbled in Wellness and returned back to bikini. Any has only competed in 7 shows total, and earned her Pro card I turned pro at her 6th show in November 2022 at Masters USAs. She then earned a top 10 at her Pro debut less than a month later. She owns two businesses; Alinea coaching and a tanning salon.  Amy shares the story of how a health scare lead her to to...

LAURA ZIV; When Heartbreak Hits, First Improvement Season, Bodybuilding in France

Today I speak with IFBB Pro Laura Ziv, an athlete, personal trainer, nutritionist and business owner. Laura grew up in the south of France, she has always been very sporty and has had a taste for competition since a very young age, having participated in the French horse riding championships for several years. After the death of her father, she fell into alcohol and drugs. In 2018, she discovered bodybuilding and finally managed to get rid of her unhealthy habits and live a happy life that...

MIA BARTSCHI; Self-Harm to Self-Love, Evaluate your Systems, Demanding Life Pursuits

Today I speak with IFBB Pro Mia Bartschi, who grew up as a cross country and track athlete. She lived the “bodybuilding lifestyle” for a little over 6 years before decided to get a coach and step on the stage for the first time. She recently graduated college and will be attending law school in the fall! She began her competitive journey in the NPC in March 2022, with her first show in June 2022. She earned her Pro Card only 6 months later at NPC Nationals in December 2022 and is planning he...

EMILY DEAN; God's Plan, Muscle Relief, Purpose in Pain, Above & Beyond in Everything

Today I speak with IFBB Pro Emily Dean, a Masters athlete who started competing in 2017  and earned her Pro card at the 2022 Teen Collegiate & Masters Nationals where she won the Overall in 40+ and 45+. She then made her Pro Debut at Masters World Championship 40+ where she won 7th Place. Emily is a mother, wife, grandmother, owner of Beauty Beast Skin Care, and woman of faith.   Emily shares what lead her to her fitness journey after her mom committed suicide in 2015, and how the supp...

COURTNEY USTRZYCKI; Solitude for Clarity, Be Where you Are, Balance for a Competitor

Today I speak with IFBB Pro Courtney Ustrzycki, a coach, wife, and taco queen. She lives in beautiful Cancun Mexico, where she manages her online coaching team, Courtney For Life. Since 2015 she’s helped hundreds of women build more capable and confident bodies, through nutrition, training and mindset. Before she got into bodybuilding, Courtney competed in powerlifting, which was a monumental foundation for her bodybuilding success. She started competing in 2019 and turned Pro at the 2022 NP...

ARIELLE ANN; Love in Loss, Respect the Journey, Second Callouts to Pro Card

Today I speak with IFBB Pro Arielle Ann Johnson, a momma of two amazing children and the first IFBB Bikini Pro from North Dakota. Growing up doing pageants and collegiate gymnastics and cheerleader, Arielle is no stranger to the stage. She first competed in 2019 and went on to compete in her first National show where she got second callouts. After taking time off, she came back in 2021 and experienced the loss of her boyfriend, Ty. After a short break, she then returned to the National circu...

TOXIC ANGELZ BIKINIS SPECIAL FEATURE WITH MARGARET BIALKIN

Today I speak with Margaret Bialkin, CEO and owner of Toxic Angelz Bikinis. She is a wife and mom of two baby girls and a Frenchie. She are up in Santa Rosa, CA. She competed in her first competition in 2009. When she’s not working, she enjoys going out on the boat, going on walks, and cooking. We talk about all things suits and presentation, and common mistakes competitors make. Margaret tells us her journey to starting her own suit business and why she’s more dedicated than ever!   TOP...

SAVANNAH WATCHMAN; The Lucky Toenail, Only Fans Your Way, Everything Happens As It Should, Joy In The Journey

Today I speak with IFBB Pro Savannah Watchman, a fitness coach who has been competing since summer of 2019. She did 4 regional shows, 4 national shows and has competing as a Pro! She earned her Pro card at the 2022 USA championships where she earned the overall title. She placed 5th in her Pro Debut as the 2022 Sasquatch Pro and is now in her first full season as a Pro. Savannah tells us about her experience on the National circuit working with different coaches for different peak weeks.  ...

KARENE RICHARDS-WISE; CEO of Your Life, Godly Marriage, Mathematics, Business & Finance Building

Today I speak with IFBB Pro Karene Richards-Wise, a health coach, pro athlete, board member, finance chair and inspirational speaker with 18 years experience in Investment Banking. She is also the former CEO of the Association for Women in Science. After her mom died at age 48 from breast cancer, she decided to live her life differently and practice better self care. After her own health scare, Karene hired a health coach and achieved an incredible physique transformation. In 2019 Karene was...

ANNA HISE; Is Enjoyment Necessary?, Self-Confidence, Finding Yourself, More to Life than Prep

Today I speak with IFBB Pro Anna Hise, a 27 years old competitor born and raised in Salt Lake City, UT. She turned Pro at her second show ever at 2020 USA’s. Her fitness journey began after a 10 year struggle with anorexia. She openly shares her experience with an eating disorder form a young age and tells us how she overcame it. Through fitness, Anna has establish a positive relationship with food and her body. Anna talks about her love for coding and her pursuit of a career in data science...

LAURA STALINKEVICIUTE & CELESTE IN PERSON CATCH UP INTERVIEW; Ms Bikini Olympia Goals, Environment & Support, American Dreams

Today I speak with IFBB Pro Laura Stalinkeviciute, a returning guest on the podcast! I had the chance to do a live recording with Laura in Las Vegas and I jumped on the the opportunity! Having previously competed in the IFBB Elite in Europe, she earned her Pro Card quickly after switching to the NPC. She has been building her physique since ten and hope to make her Pro Debut soon! Laura is a Lithuanian athlete and coach who works with women online. Laura shares the importance of surrounding ...

BRANDI SHANE; Key to Your Universe, Confirmation Bias, Manifesting, Representation, Self-Awareness

Today I speak with IFBB Pro Brandi Shane, an ISSA certified personal trainer, certified nutrition coach, a 3-time top 5 National NPC Bikini Athlete, and now a 3 time overall winner. She woke her Pro card and overall title at NPC Nationals 2022.  Although she has always been an athlete, she didn’t get serious about my own fitness goals until 2015 when I discovered the world of bodybuilding and fell in love with the science of fitness and nutrition.    She has seen how women have delayed o...

MEGAN LONG; Handling Reddit Hate, What Do I Deserve from a Man?, Performing Under Pressure, Competing for the Right Reasons

Today I speak with IFBB Pro Megan Long, Health and fitness coach, Raw and Revive athlete, and so much more than bodybuilding. She started competing in 2016 at age 18 and has done 6 regional shows and 5 national shows since then. After coaching changes, long off seasons, and deciding to take bodybuilding seriously she won her Pro card in July 2022 at USAs. Megan talks about her struggles handling pressure early on in her career and how coaching changes helped her grow mentally and physically....

HOPE CASTELLI; Emotional Posing, Self-Awareness, Personal Pro Standard

Today I speak with IFBB Pro Hope Castelli, a lifestyle, prep, and posing coach. As an amateur, she competed in 3 regional and 4 national shows. She won Pro Card at NPC Nationals in 2020, and then made her Pro debut a week later.  She has since competed in 8 pro shows, placing top 10 multiple times, and even placed 4th, earning Olympia points.    Hope talks about what inspired her to become a coach and how she supports her clients through all aspects of their fitness journey. She also sha...

TORI PARELLA; ED Treatment Experience, Post Show Adjustments, Advocating for 2nd Opinions

Today I speak with IFBB Pro Victoria Parella, who began competing at the age of 20, in the OCB. After two shows, she switched to the NPC to take competing more seriosuly. She took a four year hiatus to focus on health and things outside of competing. Then she game back and competed in 12 shows, including 6 national shows, and earned her Pro card at 2022 Nationals. She works as an online coach for posing, fitness, and nutrition. Tori is currently in nursing school and is looking forward to he...

MARINA MALIDEN; Israeli Army, Stop Prep if this Happens, Embrace Shapes, Female Life Decisions

Today I speak with IFBB Pro Marina Maliden. She was born in Ukrainian grew up in Israel, where she served Israeli army. After finishing collage, she moved to the United States where she became a NASM certified nutrition coach and personal trainer, as well real estate professional. She started competing in 2013 at a show Israel. Her first NPC show was in 2016. She then went on to compete in 9 National shows where she finally won her Pro card at Nationals in 2022. She made her Pro debut at Tex...

SHANTAL BARROS; 5 Years Off, Misunderstood in Relationships, Never Poor Again

Today I speak with IFBB Pro Shantal Barros, who turned Pro in 2017 at USAs. After winning her Pro card, she took 5 years off and made her Pro debut in 2022, where she placed as high as second. She lives in New York City and is a marine and owns her own business. Her passion for bodybuilding started when she lived in California and needed to lose weight to join the Marines. She started competing in 2015 after leaving her ex-husband.    Shantal talks about the long break she took away from...

MADELYN TAYLOR; Purposeful Weight Gain, Toughest Prep, Moderation is Boring, Is My Why Enough?

Today I speak with IFBB Pro MadelynTaylor. She first started competing in the NPC in 2017 and turned Pro in 2022 at North Americans after 16 total shows. As a new IFBB Pro, competing has been a BIG part of her life. She is happily married with 4 cats and 10 chickens. She and her husband have spent the last year flipping their home and focusing on prep, hoping to start a family in 2023 as she grows into her Pro debut.   Madelyn shares how she has worked with he coach, Adam, through almost...

SAMANTHA BEAUVIS; Retiring, Finding Your Look, Being a Supportive Partner

Today I speak with IFBB Pro Samantha Beauvis, a life-long athlete, who spent years in dance and theatre. She first competed in 2016 where she won the overall. After another regional show, she competed at her first National show in Miami where she got last callouts. Samantha went on to compete in more regional and National shows, but finally earned her Pro card at 2022 Junior Nationals. She finished 2022 competed in three Pro shows, placing as high as 3rd. She is also a hair extension special...

TESSA BARRESI; Do it for Dad, Tunnel Vision Gone Too Far?, Prioritize Joy

Today I speak with Canadian IFBB Pro Tessa Baresssi, She won her pro card at age 20, and placed 4th in Pro debut at Vancouver Pro Show. Tessa is a huge advocate for mental health in sports. She works as a posing and lifestyle coach for her company Rzlnt Fitness. Tessa shares how the sudden loss of her father when she was 18 years old shopped the way she views life and how she approaches her goals.    She has felt with eating disorders and mental health struggles, and has so much to share...

ANA SALLES; Brazil to USA, Motherhood & Fitness, Making it Work

Today I speak with IFBB Pro An Salles, a mom, wife, personal trainer with a masters degree in Political Science. She moved from Brazil to the US in 2011 and earned her certification in Sports Nutritionist and Personal Trainer through NASM. She started coaching athletes for competitions before she stepped on stage myself. She and her husband work together doing online and in person coaching. With her busy life, she never prioritized a show for herself, but finally did one in May 2022 where sh...

MIRIAM JENKINS

ANNA FALTOVA; Let the Judges be the Judges, In Depth Coach Research, IFBB Elite to NPC, Desire over Discomfort

Today I speak with IFBB Pro Anna Faltova, an online coach and posing coach, who started competing in 2016 in IFBB Elite. She rode horses and did show jumping for 15 years and then transitioned to gym, fitness. She switched to an NPC in 2022, where she placed first in every competition, and earned her Pro card at her third attempt. She is now getting ready for her Pro debut in 2023. Anna is also one of three IFBB Pros from Czechoslovakia!   Anna and I talk a lot about mindset and transiti...

Podcast Party Recap

A reflection on the podcast party this past weekend with thank yous, reading of people's confessions, a recap, and random announcements :O HUGE Thank you to Sponsors: Posing by A & Jewelry by A: use code Confession for 15% off your jewelry purchase. Visit: https://linktr.ee/PosingbyA Competition prep & Lifestyle coaching company Team Fflex: https://www.instagram.com/teamfflex/ Photographer & Videographer, Studio G: https://linktr.ee/studi0_g thank you to all who showed up, did giveaw...

YURIKA SHIGEMOTO; First Olympia Prep, More is Not More, No Standard Prep

Today I speak with IFBB Pro Yurika Shigemoto, a posing coach and a full time registered nurse at an acute care hospital. She started competing in 2015 and then took time off to complete nursing school. She returned to the stage in 2018 at the Hawaii Pro/NPC Pacific Islands where she won the Overall. In 2020, she competed at North Americans where she won her class and her Pro Card! She has since competed in 7 pro shows including the 2022 Olympia! As a former dancer and cheerleader, she loves ...

SOPHIA BERNARD; BTS of Lawyer Life, Potential through Doubt, Loose To-Dos, Free to Pursue

Today I speak with Haitian IFBB Pro Sophia Bernard, a transportation litigation/ regulatory lawyer, an avid blogger, traveler, and former NCAA Division 2 track athlete. She started competing in 2019, in the NGA. In November of 2020, she did her first NPC show at The Klash where I placed 1st in Novice and 3rd in open. After taking some time to grow, she returned to the National circuit. She finally earned her Pro card at 2022 North Americans where she took first place. Sophia shares how not r...

Glam Girl x Build More than Just a Body Retreat in Phoenix, Arizona on February 18th & 19th

Are you interested in making connections with other like minded women in the "Prep Life"? Are you wanting to get your season started on the right foot with posing and training techniques? Do you want to work on the mental side of prep and your mental fortitude when it comes to reaching and setting your fitness goals? If so, tune in as @celestial_fit and @glamgirlbikini coaches @amyehinger @chrisnicole_ifbbpro talk all things regarding the Season Kick-off Retreat. To register for the retreat ...

BRITTANY CARBULLIDO

Today I speak with IFBB Pro Brittany Carbullido, a mother to a 3 year old boy, a fiancée, and a personal trainer for online lifestyle clients. She also runs a home staging business and is a Real Estate Broker in Pagosa Springs, Colorado. She started her competition journey in the middle of the pandemic while working from home. She was inspired by her mom who is also a bikini competitor! She earned her Pro Card at Universe in 2022 with an overall win, at only her 4th show ever! She wants to p...

IULIA BABA; International Competitor in the USA, Pre Prep Season, Message to Romanians

Today I speak with IFBB Pro Iulia Baba, the first Romania IFBB Bikini Pro. She began her journey in 2019, after following WBFF and IFBB on social media. She has been involved in fitness for years and is a Certified Trainer in Europe. She won her Pro card at 2021 North Americans where she won her class and was runner up in the Overall. She then competed in her Pro debut at the Powerhouse Classic where she was 8th, and has since competed in 5 more Pro shows! She now does posing and consultatio...

GINA SWITZENY; Move on From Failure, Partner's Sacrifice, Habits of Consistency

Today I speak with IFBB Pro Gina Switzeny a lifelong athlete who started lifting after graduating university. She struggled with her weight in high school and university due to never having proper guidance on health and nutrition. In 2008, she started working with a nutritionist who taught her about meal planning and macros. In 2011, she entered a fitness model contest where she saw Bikini athletes who were competing that day. From that moment on, she knew that was what she wanted to look li...

KASIE RODRIGUEZ; Financial Commitment, Pressure to Win, Using Heart Rate, Natural Growth

Today I speak with IFBB Pro Kasie Rodriguez, a 35-years-old wife and mother of two children. She has called Yuma, AZ for the past 15 years ago. She started competing in 2019 and has competed in 14 shows total,10 of which were National shows. She won two Pro Cards at the 2022 North Americans, where she placed 1st in Open & Masters 35+ overall bikini champion. Kasie is an online coach for lifestyle and bikini competitors, and also offers posing sessions.   Kasie tells us about the changes ...

KATE ORARA; Relationship Work, Priorities, 14 Years of Competing & Lessons Learned

Today I speak with IFBB Pro Kate Orara, a full-time Partner Development Manager for a point of sale solutions manufacturer. She is married to her high school sweetheart and is a mom of 2. She also works as the sales manager for Boss Bodies.  Her first competition in bodybuilding was in 2008 in figure. Once the bikini division was created, she switch and turned pro at NPC Universe in July 2021. Before turning Pro, she competed in 10 national level shows starting in 2015 earning more last call...

DANIELLE COMBS; My Spouse Isn't Into This, Really Do It, PhD & Pro Card

Today I speak with IFBB Pro Danielle Combs, a 35 years old college professor with a PhD in International Business, who was born and raised in Cleveland, Ohio. She met my now husband while working on their PhDs at the University of Illinois. She doesn’t have an athletic background and grew up primarily studying music.   She was never really interested in competing, but started working out and eating relatively healthy to refrain from gaining too much weight while in grad school. When she ...

SHAUNTA MILLER; Master's vs Open, Living Now, Night Shifts, Time for Nationals

Today I speak with IFBB Pro Shaunta Miller who started competing in 2017 at the San Francisco championships where she placed 4th. She competed at regional shows for 3 years before stepping on a national stage in 2020. She recently earned her Pro card as a Masters competitor at the NPC Teen/Collegiate/Masters Nationals in 2022. She’s a NASM certified personal trainer and also works in radiology. Shaunta talks about competing both in Masters and in Open, and how her physique suits each divisio...

KAYLA ASHWORTH; Healing Gut, Regret with Body & Food Fixation, Love Your Curves, Enjoy & Be Patient

Today I speak with IFBB Pro Kayla Ashworth, a former volleyball athlete who stopped playing after her first year in college and decided to pursue bodybuilding. She always loved to workout, but wanted to take it to a competitive level and give herself a bigger goal. She competed in her first NPC figure show in 2020 where she got 4th in her class, then competed as a bikini athlete 4 weeks later and got 1st in her class which qualified her for nationals. She made her national debut in 2021 and ...

REBECCA FLACHNER; ADHD, Inner Child's Influence, Expect Suffering, Bye Birth Control, Follow Through

Today I speak with IFBB Pro Becca Flachner. She started competing at the end of 2019 and prepped all the way until March 2020 when Covid hit and cancelled shows. As soon as gyms reopened she jumped into her first season, competing in three amateur seasons where she never placed below second place. She earned her Pro card in 2022 at Junior Nationals. Becca tells us about working towards judges’ feedback and how she  made improvements to win her Pro card while progressing between shows. She al...

ALLIE MARTENS; Surviving Domestic Violence, Unplanned Prep Pregnancy, Good Addiction, Gym Community

Today I speak with IFBB Pro Allie Martens, a 28-year-old single mother and survivor of domestic violence. She started competing in 2016 and has done 8 shows total. She turned Pro in 2022 at USAs. Allie talks about how her life was when she first starting competing compared to now. She was in an abusive marriage when she first started her bodybuilding journey and has had many ups and downs during her efforts to prep. She has since made a promise to herself to fulfill her dreams and has never ...

KRISTEN REILLY

Today I speak with IFBB Pro Kristen Reilly. She was born and raised in Northern New Jersey and grew up with a super active/athletic background. She played almost every sport you can think of, but never really fell in love with anything except for horseback riding. Before her fitness/bodybuilding career, she poured her heart and soul into horses and competing in the show jumping arena. This was her life from the age of 7-28. She came to a point in life where she had to put riding on hold and ...

Adam Atkinson & Celeste Review the Season, Answer your Questions, & Have Passionate Rants

Today I speak with Adam Atkinson, to talk about my first season competing with him as my coach and his philosophy and approach to prepping and improvement seasons. We talk about how Adam helped me with my hormones and finally decided to work with him for prep. Adam is so dedicated to the health of his athletes through stress management and picking shows that will work with their lives. We go through the why and how behind my prep season and what we are expecting for improvement season. Towar...

ERIN KAMM

Today I speak with IFBB Pro Erin Kamm. She has been into fitness since an early age, having swam varsity swimming throughout Middle/High School; however, much of her life was overshadowed by a severe eating disorder that totally consumed her for over 15 years. But that all changed when she started weight training in 2015. What began simply as the desire to stay “skinny” and get abs, quickly turned into a true love for fitness and bodybuilding. Erin stepped on the NPC stage for the first t...

KAITLYN RAY; AOC Mentality, Pushing Calories Up, Inner Wonder Woman, Do What You Want

Today I speak with IFBB Pro Kaitlyn Ray, owner of AOC GYM, personal trainer and nutrition coach. She is a form police officer who won her Pro card at the 2022 USAs. Kaitlyn talks about how she developed her “Accept it. Own it. Crush it.” mindset and how she has used it to get through hard times in her life. We hear how she went through may knee surgeries playing basketball in high school and continued to pursue playing basketball in college. Through her life, Kaitlyn has embraced challenges ...

HEAD JUDGE & SHOW PROMOTER JOE PISHKULA

Today I speak with IFBB Pro head judge and show promoter, Joe Pishkula. His genuine love for the sport and passion to support athletes is apparent from the moment you meet him! He started out as a competitor as a teenager in Ohio and has now most known for his role as an Olympia judge and promoter of the beloved Klash Series.    Topics covered include: -the role ritual plays in bodybuilding -having passion for anything you do -knowing when you’re done -bodybuilding habits in the ...

LAWNA DUNBAR

Today I speak with IFBB Pro Lawna Dunbar, who started competing in 2014. After taking 3 straight overalls, she competed at USA where she got last call outs. After a 6 year break from the stage, she continued her 1st place streak and the won her Pro Card at the 2021 Ben Weider Natural Pro Am. She then made her Pro debut at the Texas Pro, taking 5th place. Since then she has had a breakout debut season, all while earning her Bachelor degree and starting a new job! Lawna talks about her goals a...

KRISTIN WRIGHT

Today I speak with IFBB Pro Kristin Wright. She earned her BS in Dietetics from an ACEND accredited program. She coached people online to reach their fitness goals while learning how to have a healthy relationship with food. She has a long history of learning the hard way and feels it’s her duty to share what she's learned with others. She is also the mom of two, wild boys! She spent 4 years in the US Coast Guard and had been competing since 2016. She earned her Pro card at 2019 NPC National...

8th Annual Cuties Conquering the Stage Event Special Feature

Today I speak with IFBB Pro Shawn Hektor-Lewis, owner of Shawn's Couture Cuties. She has been making waves in the industry for years both as a competitor and a business owner! She is the queen of Hair, Makeup, Suits & Posing and the founder of Cuties Conquering the Stage. I’m excited to announces I’ll be speaking at the 2023 event! CCTS is in its 8th year and is the premier event for bikini, wellness, and figure competitors looking to improve in their competitive journey. Shawn tells us the ...

LIZZY CUNNINGHAM

Today I speak with IFBB Pro Lizzy Cunningham, a former collegiate track athlete who felt lost after graduating college. This feeling lead her to finding bodybuilding and reigniting a fire within herself she thought she had lost after track ended. She has been bodybuilding since November of 2018 and has been with Bair Aesthetics and Progressive Performance since then. She went pro at Nationals in 2021 after being one spot away form her pro card for 3 national shows in a row.   Aside from ...

BRITTANY GILLESPIE

Today I speak with IFBB Pro Brittany Gillespie, a NICU nurse with a bachelors in healthcare studies and bachelors in nursing. She started competing in 2018 was the 2021 NPC Nationals Overall Winner where she earned her Pro Card. As a newer competitor, she still feels like she is finding her groove on stage. She talks about dealing with other people’s expectations in the process of getting her Pro Card and how she has approached her season since then. Brittany tells us how she handled traveli...

ANGELES BURKE TCHIVIDJIAN

Today I speak with IFBB Pro Angeles Burke, lifestyle and wellness consultant and VIP competitive coach and transformation coach for Bombshell Fitness. Angeles started competing in 2011 and earned her Pro status in 2013. She has competed in over 25 shows! In 2021, she returned to the stage for the first time since 2016! She talks about how the standards have changed in the bikini division since she first started competing and how she planned to bring a better package than she did in 2016. Ang...

STEPHANIE HING

Today I speak with Australian IFBB Pro Stephanie Hing. She recently spent 7 years living and working in Los Angeles, but is now back at home in Sydney, Australia. She competed in 2 regional and 3 National shows before getting her pro card in 2020. She works full time as a Senior Product designer. Stephanie talks about the mental barriers she experienced during her first and only national season when she had to put on 4 pounds after previously coming in too lean.   After earning her pro c...