Mothers Finding Balance: Meet Angela

I had a conversation with Angela in Tupelo, Mississippi where she was competing for the first time in the NPC Total Body Championship.

“I did a body building competition when I was in college. One time. I did not pursue it after that mostly because I did not want to do what it seemed to take to get my body ready. Since then, the rules have changed. I have been thinking for a while that I wanted to get back into it, but there wasn’t time or opportunity.

After college, I got married, and I now have 6 children aged 12 to 24 years old. With each child, I gained weight. A couple of years ago, I began to look into the sport again. I was pleasantly surprised by the look of the women in competition. I’ve never liked that in the past, women had to look like the men to get anywhere in the rankings.

I began to adjust my diet, eating healthier and watching my portions. My body began to look like I could compete again. I made the commitment and began to look for competitions that took novices. I have always enjoyed the sport. Challenging myself to do something I love.

My husband supports me. He is all in, helping me stick with my diet and exercise plan. He was actually mostly concerned about the finances involved. I needed coaches, attire, and gym time. This all worked out so I could focus on getting ready for competition.

Mothering my children while doing this has been amazing. They tell me I look great, and encourage me to follow my passion. I have 3 adult children, two teenagers and a preteen. My four daughters watched me get ready over the months, and each has been challenged to eat better and exercise to stay healthy. My teen son noted that his friends keep telling him that they see his mom at the gym. He has been very supportive. Helping out at home so that I have time to do the work it takes to get ready for competition.

I plan not to go back to pre-competition poor eating habits. This is a lifestyle change that has benefited me and my family.

I am excited to see where this will take me. This is my first competition and I have a long way to go. It is exciting to see my family embrace better eating habits and more active lifestyles. I am doing what I love, still raising my last three children, loving my husband, caring for my home, growing in my faith.

What would I tell other mothers out there? Follow your dream. Do not worry about what others have to say. Set your priorities, and when the time is right, do it. Get your support team around you and go for it.”

Angela

I attended the NPC Total Body Championships in Tupelo not knowing what to expect. Of course I know about body builders, I mean, I have watched Arnold Schwarzenegger, and Dwayne ‘the rock’ Johnson. But somehow in my mind, they were just a different breed of human. I never imagined that they may have been skinny boys, or over weight teens. Not that those two have ever been. But I was amazed to see where it all starts. The novices not quite sculpted yet, and then the intermediates, and then also seeing some already heavy weights. I had a fleeting, very fleeting, image of me bench pressing something. Well, because, all these men and women started somewhere!

For those mom’s who have thought that this could be something they would love to do, Gyms like www.totalbodygym.net may be helpful. I have no affiliation with them, but I loved their definition of the competitors: …’a pure athlete whose will power is the strongest force within them.’

We wish Angela success in her path!