2011 Jr. Nationals Figure...We Are All Witnesses

A truly historic moment in our sport. (Photo credit: RxMuscle)

Date: Saturday June 18, 2011
Place: Chicago, Illinois

The title said it all, we are all witnesses. On this night in the Windy City, the unheard-of took place at the Jr. Nationals, six women won their figure classes and four of them became pros. Although that was a great moment in itself (winning your class and joining the pro ranks), it's WHO won them that made it special. All six figure winners were of African-American decent. NEVER in the history of this sport have anything like this took place. SIX black women out-shined every other competitor to win their classes, and four of them would become IFBB Pros.  Those six women are Gloria Keplinger (Class A), Vicki Counts (Class B), Tambra Johnson (Class C), Candice Lewis (Class D and overall champion), Chaya Boone (Class E) and Tiffany Archer (Class F)! They will forever be known as the First Black Ladies Class of NPC/IFBB. And isn't it a bit ironic that this took place at the hometown of the current United States President (who is also a man of color, the first in U.S. history to hold the office)?

I witnessed this historic moment of the figure ladies being crowned on Siouxcountry, and the reaction blew me away. The positive vibes and overjoy of many members was truly unbelievable. And reading the comments and even typing this blog post, as a man of color himself, I couldn't help but shed tears over this amazing news. We as a people have come a long way, and the Jr. Nationals was a prime example of that.

If you were to have told me that this would happen, you would have been called crazy by yours truly.I'm no history buff and I'm no racist person by any means, but it seems like one group of individuals seem to get everything and it makes it hard on everyone else. If we were all meant to be the same, God would have made us all the same. But did he? NO! He made us all different, and I'm glad He did. Besides if everyone was exactly the same, life would be a bit boring, don't ya think?

These wins the ladies earned this past weekend are bigger than most realized, because it's showing that diversity is a GOOD thing. I wish we were at the point where race didn't matter, but sadly, we're far away from that. I'll admit, things have gotten a bit better over time, but we're far from that point, but we're getting closer and closer to that promise land. In the words of Martin Luther King, Jr., "I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by their character." While there are still those that judged from the outside rather than the inside (that's in life in general), it was evident that the figure winners at the Jr. Nationals were judged based on the outside AND inside.  Here's hoping their careers in the IFBB will go far.


Make no mistake, this was not a victory for ONLY black competitors, nor was it a just a historic moment for figure in general, or just an historic moment for the NPC and IFBB, but it was an important moment in American history, showing the aspiring competitors that you CAN accomplish your dreams despite the obstacles society throws at you. Throw it back at them with success. These six ladies did it, and this will hopefully inspire others who have doubted themselves (regardless of color) to take adversity head-on and thrive. On behalf of FitGems Nation and every single competitor that's ever stepped on stage, you gave a lot of us reason to believe again. Thanks for just stepping on stage and proving that you CAN make a difference. All you gotta go is make that first step, and the rest will follow. Gloria, Vicki, Tiffany, and Candice Lewis, welcome to the IFBB, ladies! You've earned it. Tambra and Chaya, your time is coming! Grab that pro card!.

To ALL six of you, and everyone reading this blog, keep on reaching for the stars. Move all obstacles out of your way, and shatter any glass ceilings you come across. I'll leave you with this quote from Arthur C.Clarke, "He only way of finding the limits of the possible is by going beyond them into the impossible."

My Tribute to Jason Adams

I know I have quite a bit to write about, but I wanted to take this time to write about someone who has said to me over and over that I'm an inspiration to HIM. The man I'm talking about it Jason Adams.

The first time I heard of him is when I saw his post on Siouxcountry about his blog called Promoting Real Women (http://promotingwomen.blogspot.com), his blog dedicated to MMA and the fitness industry. I highlighted his blog on FitGems (http://fitgems.blogspot.com/2010/01/fitting-review-promoting-women.html) as it was starting to take off. I check out the blog every day, as it's one of the coolest and most unique blogs in the world right now, not just for the fitness and women's MMA (which I have a newfound respect for, thanks to Jason), but in ALL of sports. I follow a lot of sports and sport blogs, and I can't think of one blog that gives people a chance to shine like his. An interview blog?! That's beyond innovation, in my honest opinion.

Over 2010, his star began to rise and rise to unbelievable heights. He opened a fan page for his blog, which is now approaching 7,000 members (I see it reaching 10,000 by summertime). He decided to make me an administrator to the fan page, as well as a writer for the blog. For him to ask me to be an admin and guest writer meant a lot to me, as this is reserved for the females that have made the biggest impact of his life. I returned the favor by making him an admin to the FitGems fan page, a guest blogger, and also gave him his own special section on the main FitGems website as well as making him a top moderator for the site. I never looked back, as making him a part of FitGems was one of the best decisions I ever made in my life.

I've said this to him, and I'm going to say it here: I see Jason as an older brother of some sorts. That's how much respect I have for him. When you diss him, you diss me. I don't give a damn if you call me a jerk or a creep or perv(I'm used to it now, even know I know it's not true), but please don't stoop so low as to call Jason out of his name. He doesn't deserve the crap he's getting from certain people, who won't be mentioned here on this blog post.

So when you get the chance, let Jason know how much you care for what he's doing for this sport. Let him know that you appreciate what he's doing. I sure as hell do. From the bottom of my heart, I know I can speak for the many female muscle athletes and female MMA fighters when I say...Thank You. :)

Welcome Back, Sue!

This past weekend was the 2010 Jacksonville Pro, and it was a DEEP contest. Six ladies punched their tickets to the Olympia being held next month, but there's one person who can claim an award that's just a big as qualifying for the Olympia. That competitor is Sue Upson, who returned to the stage for the first time since the removal of a brain tumor last year.

Jacksonville Pro 2009-Her Pro Debut

I became very familiar with Sue on the Siouxcountry board. In fact, she became the first person on the board that became a pro, so I call her one of the S.O.S. (Siouxcountry Original Stars) (Editors Note: S.O.S....hmm, that sounds like a future part of my blog. Will keep you all posted.) Anyways, Sue competed for a good deal of 2009 (three shows to be exact). SO...other people compete in three shows. Well, try competing in three shows, much less at least ONE show...with a freaking brain tumor!!! So, she did what she needed to do in terms of competing last year, and in October, she had her tumor taken out. During that time, I saw and part of EXACTLY why Siouxcountry's more than just the leading board for the female physique world, it's a family that sticks together through thick and thin. The moderators got together and decided to surprise Sue with a gift, and asked for members to donate. I didn't hesitate and donated, as I knew Sue was AND IS a special competitor. For those wondering about the surgery, it was a 10-hour process. OUCH!!

Europa Super Show 2009 (She will be at this show this weekend)

This past weekend, she made her return to the stage that was her proand looked better than ever, and it was just like how she competed last year; no signs of a tumor whatsoever. No signs that the average person can see, though. Sue has some complications with the right side of her face, but that's to be expected after having a tumor removed from her head. Despite a few minor setbacks, she's looking to continue her comeback to the stage in Dallas at the Europa Super Show (the original Europa extravaganza). We at FitGems Nation welcome you back Sue and wish you best of luck this weekend in Dallas and for the remainder of your pro career! :)

2010 Jacksonville Pro. Welcome back, Sue!!!

For more on Sue's comeback, check out RXMuscle's interview with Sue after the 2010 Jacksonville Pro.

Words of Wisdom (June 26, 2009)

Hey everyone.

I woke up this morning hoping yesterday was nothing more than a nightmare. That things were going to be alright. Unfortunately, that is not meant to be.

Yesterday, the world lost two iconic stars. First, it was Farrah Fawcett who lost her battle with cancer at the age of 62. Most people remember her as one of the original Charlie's Angels. What man didn't want to be with her and what woman didn't want to be her? Most fitness/figure competitors would probably put her at the original bombshell. She helped paved the way for beautiful women to make it in the entertainment.

Then, in the late afternoon, news got around that Michael Jackson collasped in his home of Los Angeles. He was rushed to the hospital, in hopes of reviving him. Many fans waited outside the UCLA hospital in hopes he would come out fine. One hour later, it was announced that the King of Pop was dead. I was outside helping my family when my sister came out and told us the news. I felt like a part of me died after hearing that...correct, I know a part of me died after hearing the awful news. In my eyes, there will never, ever be another King of Pop. The throne is his and his alone.

In addition to Ed McMahon (who died Monday) and David Carradine, June has not been a good month in terms of Hollywood. I have a couple of qoutes I would like to share with all of you. This first one is gonna piss some people off.

"Keep your words short and sweet. You might have to eat them later"

This is directly at those who are trashing Michael after his death. Good Lord, the man's dead, lay off! He didn't have the perfect life, and I have no clue if he was doing child molestation or not. If he did, he will answer to God and God only. He owes you nothing whatsoever. I mean, I've read some of the comments on message boards and Facebook where they say that boys and mothers can breathe a sight of relief. Well, I wonder who can breathe a sight of relief when YOUR time has come to take that final breath? Hmmm...didn't like that huh? Imagine what the family is going through. Put yourself in their shoes. When you lose someone, it hurts. You don't have to like him, you can even hate him, but as a human being, as a child of God, as someone with some decency (BTW, this obviously doesn't include that punk Perez Hilton (read his Jackson take and you'll see why)), show a little class and a little respect to those that are hurt right now. If you can't say something nice, just don't say anything at all. It's that simple.

Yep, that was a little harsh, but I needed to get that off my chest. And the other words of wisdom I have for you today is something that I think everyone needs to do:

"Live life like there's no tomorrow"

We all have one life to live, and there's no telling when it will end. No one knows except for God, as He will decide when He wants us to come home. Live life to the fullest, and don't sweat the small stuff. Tell everyone you know "Hello" and "I Love You". Never take anything for granted in life. One day, you could have it all. The next, it could all disappear. I know, I've been there.

Thank you all for taking the time to read this. I didn't post this to create enemies. I made this post to make you think. Take care, and enjoy your weekend. :)