And the Trophy Goes To......

How'd they do?

Daphne

Laura

A few days ago you were introduced to Daphne and Laura, our newest fitness competitors in prep.  Each of them shared their personal journey, the reasons they wanted to compete and the struggle of competition prep. Their debut occurred in Wallingford, Connecticut, just this past weekend.  Bikini, Fit Model, Muscle Model, Figure and Male Fit Model athletes from all over graced the stage in over 4-6 hours of comparisons, posing, quarter turns and pose downs.

We hopped in our SUV rental early Friday morning and made the 2 hour drive to an unknown and exciting fate. Friday, after arriving at the hotel, we could rest, get situated, hopefully nap, but energies were flying all afternoon. We made a trip to the local Walgreens for incidentals and once we made it back to the hotel, we needed to get ready for the athletes meeting.  At this meeting, the ladies were to be informed of the agenda for the following day so their attendance was mandatory. After the meeting, we grabbed dinner just to get together one last time before the big and long day.

Dinner !

Daphne and Laura ready for the athlete's meeting!

Saturday morning began at 5am with hair and makeup, determinations on meals, tanning, and packing for backstage. By 9am, we had to be at the venue and ready to hit the stage. Showtime began promptly at 10am. When the ladies for bikini short filed onto the stage, we thought the line would never end. 44 ladies later, all the athletes were on the stage and ready for comparisons. The competition was long, and tough. 

Backstage before prelims

All the athletes in the bikini short division

Prelims occurred in the morning. We had a small break, and then went back to the theater for finals. This show had all the lights and glamour Fitness Atlantic delivers every year for their audience.  I had the distinct honor and pleasure of being a presenter during the awards ceremony and looked on at the table of trophies wondering if two of these were going to our girls.

 How did they do? See for yourself :) Our next show is May 17th...Stay tuned.

Daphne Espinal 2nd place- Bikini Masters

Laura Gutierrez- 5th place - Bikini Short

Follow Laura as she makes her WBFF Diva Bikini debut!

Not Just Another Pretty Face

  


Being the first born of an extended immigrant family was never easy. I had to take on many responsibilities at an early age.  I also had to be a good role model for my siblings.  These life challenges, though, made me the independent individual I am today.

Shortly, after graduating high school, I moved out on my own. My parents could not afford to pay my college tuition, so I had to work three part time jobs, in addition to attending Long Island University full time.   My schedule would consist of my morning job, classes,  my night shift, and finally I would bar tend on the weekends.  This is the time in my life I put on the most weight.    ' All nighters ' to study and then running to class and work left me with little or no time to prepare my own meals.  After graduation, I found one full time position as a clinical lab technologist, and was able to ditch all my other part time gigs.  With the extra time, I attempted to workout and eat healthier.  A few fad diets and trainers later, I was still overweight and could not understand why.  It was then that I started doing research on macros , clean eating and weight lifting.

One day, I ran across a familiar face on instagram. She had just one her pro card with WBFF and her transformation inspired me.  I attended a competition workshop held by Phoenyx Fitness and that was when I met the Elite Heat.  I then decided I wanted to do something for myself and compete.  I had already tried everything and felt this was my last chance.

I distanced myself from family, friends and food as I knew it.  I set sail on my journey towards better health with the WBFF show as my goal. I cannot lie! It was not easy.  I was still working and going to school, this time for my masters. I knew how badly I wanted this, so I cut the excuses and made the time.  I was fortunate enough to have an amazing man by my side.  He would push me to my limits and helped me every step of the way. He is my rock and my number one supporter!







My goal was never to win, but simply to fit in on stage.  To me, my progress was the prize, and that prize is one only I could win.  Since then, I have lost nearly 30 pounds, and have overcome my tachycardia.  With every week, I saw a change and I loved it.




I slowly regained my confidence and control of my body.  My relationships are stronger with those who understood and supported my journey.  Today, I am the happiest and healthiest I have ever been. As they say, eat clean and train dirty. STRONG is the new SKINNY!

Follow Daphne as she makes her WBFF Diva Bikini Debut

His Death Ignited My Vision...

I never really struggled with weight until after getting married and giving birth to my beautiful baby.  I guess with the balancing act of having a career in the financial world,coupled with being a wife and mom, it finally took its' toll on me.  Not just physically, but also mentally and emotionally. After several years of what seemed like an out of control, undisciplined lifestyle, I knew I needed to do something and get my life in order.  I chose to start with my weight. I couldn't believe how much weight I gained and I started to hide who I knew I was behind it.  A person who was once confident, believing she could achieve whatever her heart desired was feeling insecure, ashamed, embarrassed and ugly.  I started going to the gym and I was losing weight, but I as what you called ' skinny fat'.  You know, when you look great in clothes, but once the clothes came off, everything else falls out along with it.  

I could not figure it out.  I was no stranger to the gym.  When I was 21, I went to the gym all the time and in three weeks, I was in shape again.  I was going to the gym for about a year and still left with a gut and skinny legs.  I decided to hire a trainer. His name was Alex.  I told him my story, and he said to me, ' You are not 21. You are 36. And there are factors in your life that you didn't have when you were young that can affect you physically. Some of those factors are stress related.' 

In my research regarding fitness, I came across an advertisement that asked  - Do YOU want to look like a fitness competitor/model - And immediately thought HELL YEAH!   This brought me to another personal trainer named Jennifer.  Her program alongside Alex's guidance at the gym triggered the necessary changes in my body.  Nutrition was a huge part of the program, and believe it or not, getting plenty of rest.  Jennifer then planted the competition seed. ' You are training so hard, so why not compete?'  I was so excited that she actually thought that I could compete and at the moment I believed I could too,...and then I got into my head.  I didn't think I was pretty enough.  I didn't believe my body would ever look like the girls on stage and that BIKINI! It's way too small. There's no way I'm wearing that.  I prepped for roughly four months for a show in April of 2013, and then I chickened out.  The thought of getting on that stage freaked me out! ' I am going to FAIL! I am going to look stupid.  It's not gonna happen'

That summer, I lost Alex to a massive heart attack.  I knew him for about a year and a half so he was not only my trainer. He was my big brother, and a good friend.  Competing came back into my head. One thing he always told me was that I needed to remain consistent.  Stop putting in the work, and then just give up.  Then, a couple of months later, I lost my job. These events kicked the 'thought' of competing into 'action'.  It was time to face my fears.  I had to do this, for me. For other women like me who feel like they are too old, or don't have time, or can't juggle that lifestyle and a family.  For the mothers who are tired of their ever changing bodies and want to FEEL SEXY again!  I reached out to Malenna, and she responded right away. I went to a workshop and was blown away by the warmness of The Elite Heat, the fitness team.  Right then and there, my journey began.  It's been an amazing journey. The physical aspect was pretty easy. I was able to stick to the diet and fitness program.  The emotional and mental part was my challenge.  Everyday, I worked through so many of my insecurities, and built up my confidence.  And now, I could and would probably walk the streets of NYC with a bikini and heels in a heartbeat! 

All that being said, that was not even the best part of this journey.  The best part to me was meeting so many amazing women and the support they have provided me throughout. I cannot wait to hit the stage!!!

In loving memory of Alex Hillian

1970 - 2013