Follow Nicole on her WBFF DIVA FIT MODEL Journey at Fitness Atlantic!

Second Time Around....

I've always loved fitness and staying active.  Sports teams, fitness classes, at home workouts - I've done it all.  I'm an eternal student and love the opportunity to learn a new skill, master it and continually improve.

About 5 years ago friend of mine started prepping for a fitness competition and encourage me to try.  I initially refused, as I didn't think it was for me.  She looked incredible!  After the show, she kept telling me the prep changed her life and made her adopt a happier, healthier lifestyle. Seeing her planted a seed and made me consider it, but I wasn't quite ready.  It wasn't until my daughter went off to college and I was an empty-nester did I really start thinking about it.  At the time, I was going through a lot of changes - a new job, an end of a relationship and health issues that turned into a 30 pound weight gain.  I wasn't happy with how I looked or felt, and didn't want to go into my 40s feeling miserable,overweight and overwhelmed.  I had taken a class with Malenna several years prior and stayed on her email list, so I signed up for her 16 week weight loss program in January 2018, which turned into prep for my first show (July 2018).  I loved the results of the 16 week program, and I wanted to push even harder, and see what I was capable of.  I had no idea what to expect, but I was ready to work and my last excuse was away at college :).

Prep was no joke.  Lots of hard work, commitment and HUGE changes.  The funny thing is, I liked it.  The discipline and regiment provided order and stability, which anchored and balanced me.  It was nice fitting back into my clothes and walking on the beach in a bikini and not scramble to put on a shirt or cover up.  It also had an unexpected side effect of making me more assertive and focused.  I was saying no, standing up for myself and removing toxic people and things from my space without apology or second guessing.  I had a limited window of time and I didn't want to waste it on things or people that did not serve me or make my life better.  When I stepped onstage in July, I felt and looked like a warrior.  

So why a second show?  I had to step back and really think about it.  Did I really want to put myself through that a second time in less than year?  At first I thought it was just post show blues, but it was more than that.  I've heard retired athletes talk about walking away from the game and "leaving it all out there".  As hard as I worked for the July show, I didn't believe I left it all on stage.  I still had more in me; it was a nagging feeling that I couldn't shake.  I just knew I didn't want to live with regret or what-ifs.  I'd rather say 'I'm glad I did' instead of 'I wish I did'.

I'm now a few days away from Fitness Atlantic and I can't wait.  This prep was much different than the first one; but then again, so I am I.  I feel stronger, more confident and READY.  I can't wait to leave it all on stage April 13th.

Follow Roz as she makes her WBFF TRANSFORMATION debut!!

I Want to Live..Giving up is not an Option.

My name is Rosalind E.Tillery. I was born in U.S. Naval Hospital in Queens NY. I was raised in Brooklyn, NY and within Petersburg, VA.   
I am one of 4 siblings the only girl with 3 brothers. Both of my parents are deceased.   My mother died in my arms and was my true inspiration. 

In 2014,  I was approached by a co-worker and friend about  Phoenyxfitness.  This is where I met my coach and trainer, Malenna. My good friend noticed my disposition after the loss of my mother and got me off the couch.  I began working out 2x’s a week with PhoenyxFitness and taking Zumba classes. During the winter I kept getting sick & having knee issues especially going up the train station stairs. I stopped working out. I frequently stayed in contact with Malenna. 
I gained a lot of weight because I wasn't eating right, or taking care of myself. My conditions persisted and my blood pressure escalated.   

On 1/2/2015 I retired after 40 yrs of service  with the  Federal Government.  I finally decided to get complete control over my life.  I joined Y-Fit at the YMCA , Coach by Mr. D.A. & Zero Hour X trainer Mr. E.T working out 6-7 days a week. I realized I needed more of a physical challenge. 


One day while watching television I saw Ernestine Shepherd, a professional bodybuilder that is 83 years old.  She became my inspiration. 

Late 2017, I attended a PhoenyxFitness meeting. The discussion was about competing in the WBFF Fitness Show.  The doubt immediately set in. I am too old. I cannot compete against the younger ladies. What about the elasticity of my skin. Will I be able to transform. 

No matter the circumstances or obstacles I may have or face in my everyday living,  I must learn and understand what it means to attack and focus.   It  begins with a healthy mind and healthy body. 
I also realized I want to live and age gracefully. 

I decided to take the challenge. I was inspired to change my fitness profile and life which consisting of intense weight training, intense cardio, nutrition and food  preparation. I registered for The WBFF Fitness show being held on Saturday, 4/13/19 Transformation Division at the Mohegan Sun with Fitness Atlantic.  

This is the 2nd best decision I made in my life. The first one was giving birth to  a now adult young man who also helped train me along this journey.

The grind is real. I began training diligently.   It took me a while to master the food prep and discipline. During my process I have to pray and tell myself you are stronger than you think. Have I cried? Yes. Have I vented Yes? Have I ever wanted to throw in the towel?  Yes. 
I will admit there’s nothing like having a support system. A coach, a trainer, a mentor, your team members etc . I appreciate the listening ear and positive advice.  

Presently,  I am 95% mindful of  what I put into my body. Why I am not 100% is because I am not perfect. 

Since 1/2018 to the present I have lost 26lbs. I have lost inches.  I feel better inside and out.  I still have a long way to go such as toning. I have a life style change for the better. I hope and pray that my bio gives whoever reads it courage. 

Take the challenge. Take charge of your life.  Love yourself, Exercise, Develop positive thinking, Focus on your goals, Eliminate non essentials, seek support & nutrition. 

My motto: “I want to live”  I told my doctors I only want to see you for my annual exams.   By the way, I thank God Blood pressure is now stable under medication, and knees issues - I can climb stairs in train station, and use Stair-master & Treadmill. 

Finally, I am dedicated, and disciplined to embrace a new fitness life style. 
Overall goals to enhance my appearance and strive to be prepared for potential opportunities in T.V. Movies, and Multimedia, and  Fashion Style Athletic Apparels. 
Giving up is not an option - Water is now my best friend😂😂😂😂😂

Follow Kim as she makes her Diva Fitness Debut!!

A Journey Come Full Circle

Kim's journey with Phoenyx began as a private, online client looking to get into better shape for carnival in Trinidad.  The first time I met Kim in person was the WBFF Fitness Atlantic show in 2016.  A mutual friend and client was competing in the show that year.  She may have mentioned then that she was possibly interested in taking on the stage at some point in the future. I have many people that say that to me, but those words do not always translate to participating in a program and actually going through prep.  

She reached out again though, expressing an interest and we got the ball rolling last year.  It's not easy going from an online program to COMPETITION PREP.  These two things are not even in the same realm of preparation, but Kim was diligent with her program and determined to do it right. One year later, we are just hours away from the same show and stage that Kim witnessed 2 years ago for the first time.  This time, this stage is hers. We are so excited to showcase Kimberly Ashley in her diva bikini debut!!

My Why....I’m 41 years old and have always been into fitness. In college I was on the crew team for 4 years and was captain my senior year. When I returned home from college, I continued to exercise regularly but it wasn’t the same.  I missed the competitiveness. My exercise habits started to not be consistent and because of that my weight was up and down. When I first decided to participate in a bikini competition, it was more of a “bucket list” type of fulfillment.  But as I was going through the process of comp prep, it became much more. I’ve had to confront my weakness (which were hard for me to accept). Consistency has always been a challenge. But in order to be successful in this journey, consistency HAD to happen.  I also saw that I was stronger than I thought I was. There have been days where I felt sorry for myself and that  I’ve wanted to cry and just give up. But I’m so happy that I decided to push through. I’m a nurse practitioner and I work with patients that have advanced heart failure. I want to set an example for my patients.  I want them to know that I understand that maintaining a healthy diet and regularly exercising is hard.  But I’m right there with them.

FRIDAY Featured Athlete - Clare

Nonstop Champion....

It’s one thing to set a goal - it’s quite another to know how to connect your actions to that goal.  I had always enjoyed working out and aspired to being fit, but if I am being honest, I also wanted to look the part, to look like I worked as hard as I did.  I enjoyed running and taking classes, and in 2010, I began training with a triathlon team to attempt to conquer my fear and dislike of swimming.  To some degree, I succeeded - I’ve managed to complete several triathlons, but near constant panic attacks in the water always meant I was last out of the water and I could never make it up on the bike or run.  I am a competitive person, and constantly coming last was tough to take.    The other thing that was frustrating - not looking like I wanted to look.  I felt a bit shallow admitting it to myself, but I wanted to look fit, cut, not skinny-fat as I seemed to, no matter how hard I trained.

In February of 2012, I tore one of my hamstring tendons playing ice hockey and spent the following months trying anything and everything to avoid surgery - to no avail.  Having surgery meant I would have to give up running and biking for months while I went through rehab, and I honestly wasn’t sure I could handle it.  But by spring of 2013, it was clear I didn’t have a choice, and I was going to have to put endurance training aside temporarily and find a new aspect of fitness on which to focus.  As I was getting ready for hip surgery, I happened to read an article in the Wall Street Journal by Elite Heat team member Alyssa Cendrowski, who wrote about training with Malenna for her first fitness competition.  I had never thought of trying this, and thought I’d never have the nerve, and was much too old, to take the stage in a bikini.  I had never owned a regular bikini, much less a tiny, sparkly one.  The only bathing suits I ever wore were of the one piece Speedo variety.  But I wanted to look the part.  I contacted Malenna and began setting new goals - if I couldn’t run, bike or do much lower body exercise, I could learn to do pull ups.   I was really worried about gaining weight, not having all that cardio to fall back on, but the fact was, the cardio wasn’t getting it done anyway.  Working with Malenna, I learned you can’t out-train a bad diet.  Starting with the Advocare 24 day cleanse, I became much more aware of what I was eating and what it was - and wasn’t - doing for me.  Gradually, I let myself believe that I could prep for a show, and in May 2014 I competed at Fitness America.  It was easily one of the most challenging things I’ve ever done, and while I didn’t place very high, I ended up a better and fitter athlete as a result.  In fact, the day after the show, I raced a duathlon - a run/bike/run event, a triathlon with no swimming.   No swim meant no panic attacks and no anxiety - and thanks to focused strength training, I am much more injury proof than I used to be.  Many runners and endurance athletes skimp on weights and it’s a mistake.  But it took training with Elite Heat to take it to heart. I’ve been focusing on endurance sports this year, and have qualified for the age-group Duathlon World Championships in Australia this year and Spain next year.  My running has improved greatly as well, and I am hoping to qualify for the Boston Marathon.  As I turn 50 in two months, I’m in better shape than a decade ago, and looking forward to what’s next.  I’m not the best, the fastest, the most talented - not by a long shot.   But I keep showing up at the start line.

Follow Hecthan as he makes his WBFF Debut!!!

The Road to Perfection

This has been a long bumpy road to get here. I say this because of all the obstacles I had to adapt to and overcome. Skipping drinks at social gatherings, to eating prepped food (which I thank my wife for her huge help) and eating totally differently. Recovering from nasal surgery, and doing double shifts in law enforcement and still making time to lift at the gym is NOT easy.

It all comes down to how badly you want it.  There will never be enough time in the day.You just have to make it happen. So with the motivation and support of my wife, whom gave me idea to try it out, I decided to take the challenge, and push my body further.  As I stated before, I had to make the time. So my days of Muay Thai/Cardio, lifting , eating and work....FOCUS and PROGRESS leads to PERFECTION

Follow Daphne as she makes her WBFF Fitness Diva Model Debut!!!

Continuing the Journey to Learn, Grow, and INSPIRE....

Here I go again.  This Saturday, I will be on stage competing with the WBFF Show in NYC!!  Preparing for this competition was nothing like the first time around.

In April 2014, my goal was to face my fear of getting on stage in a bikini.  I couldn't tell you how afraid I was with just the thought, let alone actually going through with it.  But none the less, it turned out to be one of the best moments in my life.  I had such a great experience prepping for my first show.  I just made up my mind that the only thing I was going to do was to have fun and showcase my hard work.  Ad that's exactly what happened.  I had the time of my life.  Still nervous as hell, but I had a blast. I promised myself to live in every moment and appreciate it, instead of thinking about the 'competition' aspect of the show. 

That evening, I placed second in Diva Bikini Masters. I was so proud of myself and happy that I was able to do something that made my daughter proud of me.  She was one of the biggest motivations.  As parents, we sometimes look for moments for our children to do things to make us look good. I think it should be the opposite.  As parents, we should constantly work on ourselves and have our children feel proud of us.  They will learn to understand what it takes to motivate and inspire themselves and others.  

With that being said, after I placed second, I couldn't wait to prepare for my next competition and see if I can 'bring a better package to the stage' as a competitor would say.  But after binging on not so clean food, I ended up looking like I did when I had prepped before my first comp.  I was so disappointed in myself and had my first setback.  I started doubting whether or not I could even do this. When I finally found the motivation to 'go hard' in the gym again, I pushed too hard and my left arm went numb.  I pusched hard with the wrong mindset and wrong motivation.  I pushed with anger, anxiety and pressure that I believed people placed on me.  The 'people' aka the voices of insecurities started creeping in.  Mine said ' You placed second. Everyone will expect you to place first'  ' People are expecting you to get your pro card.

I was no longer having fund and couldn't remember why I was even doing this anymore.  Am I doing this because I am trying to prove something? What and to who? Am I doing this because my coach worked so hard to get me to this point and I don't want to let her down? Am I doing this because I received so much praise the first time and I need it to feel good about myself? Am I doing this because this is the one thing that brought me sanity when I fell into a depression in 2013 and it filled a void? What void am I trying to fill instead of dealing with it?

After my left arm went numb, I lost mobility in my hand. My next setback. 6-8 weeks of both physical and occupational therapy 3x a week. WTF!!!  I thought to myself, I am done. This is not gonna happen. And it didn't.  I was unable to compete in WBFF Rhode Island that November.  The first WBFF show I went to  the year before, that made me decide to compete.  And now I can't be a part of that. I was pissed off and again found myself angry.

During the weeks of PT and OT, it gave me time to reset and re evaluate what I'm doing and why.  And boy was that process ugly.  Not only  did my insecurities come out, but this time I was backing them up with excuses. Are you ready for my excuses?

This industry is for the young sexy Latina girl and the blue eyed blond girl.  I have no business competing.  That same year, my teammate, Courtney Allen won her pro card and later that year, WBFF Pro Fleur Yvette won in the Championships in Montreal.  Two beautiful black women with amazing physiques.  The Universe, God, whatever or whomever you chose to believe in got in my face and told me to STFU.  You either want it or you don't.  You are either going to work for it or you're not.  Stop bullshitting. Stop hiding and most importantly stop making excuses.  Check yourself! And I did.

I love the stage. I love working out and I love competing. We all want the prize at the end. I would be lying to you if I said I didn't care about that.  But I win regardless.  Because through ALL my insecurities, setbacks and hardships, I had an amazing coach, teammates, friends and family who carried me through this process and continue to be there for me.  I will NEVER forget that.  I am truly honored to be on the Elite Heat team. I am grateful for my family and friends.  There's nothing in the world that can replace the lessons I've learned while pushing my way through comp prep.  The new relationships Ive built on this team and the closer bonds I formed with my family especially my daughter.

I've shared my struggles and obstacles with my 8 year old daughter. I know that, although she is fearless now, one day she will find out about her shortcomings, will make mistakes and go trough hardships. I am ready to show her how to fight and work through them.  And I get to do it with one of the things I truly love to do with the right positive mindset; working out, competing and most importantly inspiring people to go after their goals in life no matter what.

What do I want out of this? To pay it forward. Give back the way this process has been rewarded to me. I want to give myself and help a person in need the way Ashley McCormack has done for me. I want to be that breath of fresh air, motivation and inspiration at the perfect time, the way Courtney Allen was for me. I want to be the person you can say what ever to me without judgement or restrictions when angry, the way Joanne Cajuste was for me. I want to change lives the way my coach and now my dear friend has changed my life.

I want to be my daughter's role model and show her that no matter what stage you are on in life, you can achieve the impossible by NEVER giving up.

Everyone has a moment and a time to shine and inspire someone...Saturday will be my moment and time.

Follow Jennifer as she makes her WBFF Diva Fitness Model Debut!!!

(Wo)Man in the Mirror.....

My name is Jennifer Castillo. I am 23 years old, and I will be competing for the first time on July 11th.  My reason for competing is deeper than just wanting to look pretty on stage and showing off my muscles.  Its about a journey on building self confidence and finding happiness within myself.  For many years, I was self conscious about how I looked because I believed I didn't have an attractive feminine body.  I would always tell myself I looked like a 12 year old boy with no behind and a man chest. Because of that, I considered myself to be ugly.  My own negative thoughts were eating me alive.  Now I have learned that is is not how you look that makes you beautiful but how you feel about yourself on the inside.  Fitness brought me the confidence I needed to believe in myself not just because working out kept my body in shape but the happiness it gave me.  Everyday, I look forward to going to the gym and challenging my body and everyday I surprise myself on what my body is capable of doing.  In the back of my mind, I always thought of the idea of wanting to compete but I've always been such a shy person.  I couldn't imagine myself walking across a state in front of hundreds of people.  It wasn't until I met former Elite Heat member Laura, who introduced me to the Elite Heat and the world of beauty and fitness.  I saw all the amazing pictures of her transformation throughout here competition years and it truly inspired me.  I thought to myself, if she can do it, then why can't I.




On July 11th, I will no longer be this shy girl who's self conscious about herself. Instead, I will be a strong confident woman showing everyone how happy I am to be in my own skin.

Follow Sabrina as she makes her WBFF Diva Bikini Debut!!

The grass is not always greener...

For me, the journey to stepping on stage has been emotionally trans formative as it has been physically.

Growing up I was criticized constantly for being too skinny.  People would make comments about it relentlessly - "Ugh, you're SO skinny", "Go eat a cheeseburger","Easy for you to say, you're skinny!"  As many comments as the people made about wanting to be skinny, I began hating myself for it, and became extremely self -conscious of how long and lean I was.

Everyone is met with obstacles in life, and I was faced with a few that really knocked me down and kept me down for a while.  But after each one I pressed forward stronger and learned to grow from each challenge I was faced with. The problem was that as much as I had accomplished and as much adversity as I had overcome, inside I still felt like that skinny self- conscious little girl I had always been.  I couldn't shake her.  

For me, there is something that translates from physical strength into being able to feel confident in all other areas of your life. The first time I stepped into the weight room at the gym, I had not idea what I was doing. I just anted to get in shape for summer.  What it turned into was something so much greater than I had ever imagined.  The more work I put in at the gym to becoming physically stronger, the more my emotional strength befitted. 

After a while, I started asking myself "what next" - I loved the changes I was seeing in my mind and body and loved that every day I was becoming a better version of myself than the day before.  With that in mind, I decided I wanted to start competing and joined the Elite Heat to surround myself with like minded women searching for the same things I was.

One thing I know for sure is that this competition is not the end of my journey; it's the very beginning. When you are on a mission to be the very best you can be, there's no tellin where your drive will take you.

Competition Prep Workshop

We are hosting a competition prep workshop, Saturday April 21st. Check out our flyer and email us to register or for more details.

Follow Clare as she makes her Fitness America Bikini debut!

Fearless...

"In all my 48 years, I have never owned a bikini. Ever until now"

Something happened to me when I hit my 40's - I woke up one day and was tired of settling for what was staring back at me in the mirror.  Like most women, I struggle daily with body image and tend to see only my flaws.   Given that, the decision to train for a fitness competition is some what difficult for me to explain, even to myself. I've always enjoyed sports in some form as a child. I began running for fitness in college, and have continued with that throughout the years, finishing a couple of marathons and a number of shorter races. But always, in the back of my mind, I wanted a certain look. Why didn't I look like I worked as hard as I felt like I was?

Pushing myself through endless cardio classes didn't seem to be getting me where I wanted to be, but I realized now the issue was in my head. I was afraid to acknowledge that I wanted to look cut, to look athletic.  It seemed shallow to me - if I was healthy, why should I be unhappy with how I looked? Especially when I had a job I loved as well, as a network producer. It seemed unseemly to be complaining about something like my abs.

As an adult, I moved on to sports where looks didn't matter. I learned to play ice hokey at 40 and play on 3 teams.  Having been afraid of team sports, fearing I would be picked last, be the weakest, etc, it's been a joy to experience what being on a team means.  I also took up triathalons four years ago despite a paralyzing fear of swimming.  For the most part, I have been able to work past my fears. All of them except the fear of how I look, and being openly judged about it.  But last year, a number of things happened that changed my outlook.

• surgery on a torn hamstring that would sideline me from most cardio activity for months
• turning 48 which meant 50 was just around the corner

A friend of mine, Kelly Kalley, did her first bikini fitness competition with WBFF in Montreal.  A fashion designer with a great sense of style, Kelly seemed fearless. I remember saying to her that I couldn't imagine putting myself out there to be judged in that way.  But her journey intrigued me more and more as it went on, and I resolved to get past my surgery and refocus my training.  If she could stay so impressively fit without a lot of  cardio, I wanted to see if I could do it as well.  But the training is only half the battle. As they say, you cannot train a bad diet, and I needed real help. That's when an article in the Wall Street Journal, by a woman who reminded me of, well me, caught my eye. Alyssa Abkowitz-Cendrowski wrote a great story about her coach Malenna Saunders, and a team named the Elite Heat describing her journey to the competititve stage. It was clear from Alyssa's story that diet was the missing link in my regime, but I needed a road map, and I didn't want to do it alone. 

When I met with Malenna and the team members I realized I didn't have to. With Malenna's help, and starting with the Advocare 24 Day Challenge, I have been able to revamp how I eat, and while it hasn't been easy. it truly was the missing link in the chain. 

The final fear to face will be standing on that stage. But I know I can face it with the help of my great coach and wonderfully supportive teammates.  Losing those fears and hangups is the best weight loss I can ever imagine.