More Details on Christine Pomponio’s Petite USA Campaign Including People’s Choice

Earlier this year on our blog, we talked about IFBB Legend Christine Pomponio competing at the Petite USA Pageant this year. The Petite USA organization has launched a People’s Choice contest. The winner of the contest will make the Top 16 automatically and will be announced on August 13, the day of the Petite USA Finals. It’s a dollar ($1) a vote, and you can vote as much as you want. So realistically, you can vote 100 times ($100) or 1,000 times ($1,000) or even more than that! Proceeds from each vote will go to the Stop Soldier Suicide organization. Click here to view more on Stop Solider Suicide. We’ll provide the link below for Christine.

As stated in our previous blog post, Christine will represent Colorado under the Elite Ms. Petite division. The National pageant will take place from August 10-13 at the Hyatt Regency in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.  August 10 will be the State Costume Contest. The Preliminary Competition (Mrs./Elite Ms.) will take place August 12th at 6PM with the Finals taking place the following day (August 13) at 2pm.  The Elite Ms. Petite division will compost of the following parts/scoring: Personal Interview (35%). Activewear (25%), Evening Gown (25%), and On-Stage Question (15%). BTW, the Teen, Miss, and Ms. divisions will have swimwear instead of activewear. While we know Christine would absolutely SMOKE the swimwear category, we have a feeling she’s gonna wow folks just as much in the Activewear portion. Click here for all ticket information.

The fact that Christine is stepping on any kind of stage for the first time since the 2006 Figure Olympia (where she placed in the top 5, making her one to the top five figure competitors in the world at that time) is pretty exciting, and anyone who has followed FitGems Nation knows the amount of respect and admiration we have for one of the First Ladies of Figure. As cool as this will be for her next month, a part of us hopes very sincerely this will lead to her doing at least ONE MORE IFBB show. Figure, Bikini, Wellness…it doesn’t matter. Just one more show in the IFBB. Anyone who has checked out her social media over the last year or so would probably agree with us on this. We’ve seen quite a bit of competitors come back to do a show of two over the last decade, and with the masters divisions having their own World Championship now, expect even more to do so in the years to come. Why not Christine one day?! 

To say we are excited for Christine is putting it mildly. Regardless of how far she goes in the pageant, we at FitGems Nation can’t express our excitement enough for one of the figure division’s greatest competitors. It’s pretty appropriate that one of the ladies that broke the glass ceiling for smaller competitors gets to compete in a pageant that is literally tailor made for her. Elite Ms. Petite USA Christine Pomponio…that sounds nice to us, and could become a reality next month! Good luck Christine!

Click here to vote on Christine in the Petite USA People’s Choice contest. For more on Petitie USA as well as their social media platforms, go to http://www.petitieusa.com.

Christine Pomponio To Compete in a New Kind of Stage in 2022

We have stated in the past that we would love to see figure original Christine Pomponio return to the stage one day. Well...in 2022, we will FINALLY get that wish...but NOT in the way you might think. Yes, Christine will be stepping on stage in 2022, but not on an IFBB stage...not yet anyways. Instead she will be stepping on the Petite USA stage represeting as Elite Ms. Colorado Petite 2022. 

So...you're probably asking yourself...what is Petite USA? Here's the history of it via their website:

The Petite USA Pageant was founded in 2009 by Hazely Lopez-Alvarez with a vision to empower and celebrate petite beauty, 5'6 or less. The USA Petite Pageant focus on celebrating the accomplishments of petite women and provides them opportunity to be a voice and spokesmodel for petite women around the United States.

Petite USA is the official United States preliminary to the Miss Universal Petite pageant. The winners in both our Miss and Teen divisions will represent the USA at Universal Petite. These two ladies will compete against petite women from all over the world for the coveted titles of, Miss Universal Petite and Teen Universal Petite. 

With a vision of serving, Petite USA is more than just a pageant. The Petite USA Family is a sisterhood that embraces healthy competition and a heart to serve others through our leadership and outreach. Each contestant is asked to champion a "Personal Platform" that is near and dear to her heart to encourage leadership, community service, and kindness. 

Our areas of competition include swimsuit, evening gown, judge interview, and on-stage question. We are looking for poised, graceful, and passionate ladies that understand that their height is no limitation to fulfilling their dreams.

 

As you can see, Christine fits this platform perfectly, as she is five foot one. At that height, she is also one of the shortest women to ever compete in the IFBB, but also among the most sucessful as well, winning two figure titles and competing in 2 Figure Internationals and 3 Figure Olympias, placing no worse than sixth throughout her pro career, paving the way for shorter competitors to be successful in the bodybuilding world. Christine's platform will be Postpartum, as well as Alzheimer's during the month of November. That is a deep topic to her due to her father having it and having a couple of scary episodes. Thankfully he is currently okay. 

The 2022 pageant will be in Milwaukee, Wisconsin on August 10-13. Because Christine will be competing in the Elite Ms. category. she will have an activewear round rather than a swimwear round. (We have a gut feeling Christine will WOW folks in that round...especially the way she WOW'd folks on the IFBB stage). If they do the pageant like they did earlier this year for the 2021 pageant, it will stream on Facebook. On behalf of FitGems Nation, we can't stress enough how proud we are of Christine for this amazing accomplishment and wish her best of luck as she represents Colorado as Ms. Elite Ms. Colorado Petite 2022 throughout the rest of 2021 and all of next year, and best of luck to her as she looks to become Elite Ms. Petite USA later on in 2022!

I have no clue how fundraisers are done in Petite USA, but we'll pass along the information as we get it, so we can all help support one of our own.

Follow Christine on the following social media platforms:

https://www.facebook.com/christinepompoino
https://instagram.com/christinepomponio

Follow Petite USA on the following platforms:

https://www.petiteusa.com
https://www.facebook.com/petiteusa
https://instagram.com/petiteusa

Photos are from Christine's social media accounts

Why We're Rooting for a Christine Pomponio Comeback Someday

Over the last few years, we have seen a lot of returns in the female muscle world: Oksana Grishina, Jenny Worth, Adela Garcia possibly in 2021 (it was aimed to be 2020 but she has put off the comeback to make sure she represents the fitness division the right way), Monica Brant made a comeback a few years ago (competing in the PCA and NABBA), and Yarishna Ayala became an IFBB Pro again a few years after leaving the sport to pursue different opportunities elsewhere. At the 2020 Arizona Pro, Melissa Teich returned to the IFBB stage after a four-year break and ended up winning the women's physique title. This year is the much-anticipated bthe return of the female Olympia event that started it all for the women: Ms. Olympia. In this industry these days, you just never say never. And based off what little we've seen of one of our number-one supporters, we would love to see Christine Pomponio, one of the first ladies of the figure division, make a comeback at some point. 

If we were to tell you how far apart these photos are, you wouldn't believe us. 
Credit to the original owners

Christine used to go by a slightly different name during her competition days, but things have changed in her life for reasons that we will not discuss here. But something that hasn't changed that much in her life is her dedication to living a healthy lifestyle, as evident in local commercials she does for Granite Depot in Denver. She last stepped on stage at the 2006 Figure Olympia, but you wouldn't know it by looking at her these days, as she seems like she would not be out of place at all in today's competiting world. In fact, she did a couple of photoshoots with Marc Thyssen back in 2010 and 2011 that made people wonder THEN if she was going to come back competing. Oh yeah...this was not too long after giving birth, a couple of years or so. She also did a few shoots here and there after giving twins and much like after giving birth the first time, she bounced back pretty quickly. 

If it were up to us, if she were to ever come out of retirement, we would love to see her make a return to the stage in late 2021 or early 2022. We say those time periods because from all the time we've known Christine, she is someone who prides herself in doing things right and never wanting to jump into anything without a solid gameplan. While figure posing in relatively easier that most, it STILL requires a lot of practice to nail every transisition, making sure every muscle fiber is flexed correctly during each pose to highly a complete physique. Christine was known for bringing a physique that was well-conditiioned (especially in the delts and quads) yet at the same time full in order to contend with the taller competitors. In fact, her competition resume (which included Top-6 Arnold and Olympia placings) helped paved the way for competitors of her height to achieve success in the figure division, which has historically favored medium-to-tall competitors. 

With big returns happening almost a yearly thing now, it would be great to see the figure division have one of their top first stars return for one final run, and based off how Christine looks these days, the only reason that Christine Pomponio will never step on stage again is because Christine Pomponio doesn't want to. But she has mentioned to me personally to "never say never". If Christine ever does return and it's anything similar to how others have returned to the stage in recent years, figure fans and those that compete in the figure division are in for a treat. 

She. Does. NOT. Age. At. All!

For more on Christine, check out her Facebook and Instagram pages: https://www.facebook.com/christinepomponio and https://www.instagram.com/christinepomponio. For anyone interested in working with Christine for commercial ads, photoshoots, print ads, and/or Covid safe appearances, etc., contact talent mgmt. Brett Myles at rarebeauty.tvmodels@gmail.com or Scott Dozier at toptiermodelproductions@gmail.com. If you want to read our blog about Christine from a couple of years, click here. 

Meghan Santa Barbara...The Next Big Thing in the IFBB?!

Every man and woman who enters the female muscle world IMHO deserves the upmost respect. They put in the time and dedication to create the best physiques on the planet. But like anything else...there is always that one person that catches your eye and you go "that person has IT." You can't train for IT, you can't eat IT, you can't fake IT. You either have IT...or you don't. This past weekend, at the Tampa Pro, a potentially former IFBB figure competitor who has gained a pretty good following over the past year (her Instagram following has grown tremendously since the event) showed us that IT factor.

Meghan Santa Barbara was one of 25 figure competitors who competed at the Tampa Pro, the first show for the IFBB Figure division since the pandemic and the first since the 2020 Figure International. Those that have been following her on Instagram for the past year couldn't believe the kind of physique she was bringing to her first show. We were among those people. We personally felt that she could have placed in the top three easily in her first pro show, at WORST top five. And for her followers, it was easy to come up with this conclusion. 

Despite her placing, she stole the show at the Tampa Pro over the weekend
Photo credit: NPC News Online

Like all IFBB competitors, you need to win a pro card in the NPC in order to become an IFBB Pro. Meghan won her pro card in 2018 at the NPC Jr. Nationals by winning the F class. Prior to that, she competed in the 2017 NPC Philadelphia Classic, cleaning house winning Figure Class C, Figure Novice, and Figure True Novice, as well as winning her class (Class D) in the 2017 NPC Pittsburgh Championships. Her only loss in her amateur career was a 5th place finish at the 2017 NPC Jr. Nationals (the show she would end up winning a year later). To say there were high hopes for Meghan as a pro would be an understatement. But rather than go face first into the pros, she purposely decided to not compete in 2019 so she can put on the right amount of muscle, conditioning, and shape to make sure she was 100% ready to compete with the best in the industry. 

2018 NPC Jr. Nationals Figure Class F Winner
Photo Credit: NPC News Online

In 2019, fans of Meghan witnessed one of the most incredible muscle transformations we have personally ever seen from a figure competitor. Her size, shape, and conditioning was unheard of for someone who had yet to step on a IFBB Figure stage. It almost made you question if this was really her first time competing in the IFBB. Despite everything that happened this year (we ALL know about that, don't we), the Tampa Pro happened and her pro debut happened...and unfortunately, things didn't go like many had hoped as she ended up with the dreaded 16th place tie among 10 other competitors. I'm sorry, but the physique she brought over the weekend was NOT a 16th place physique. Even Stevie Wonder could see that.

Of course, after the Tampa Pro, many went to Instagram giving Meghan their congrats on her pro debut, expressed their disappointment in the placement, and not suprisingly, suggested that she should give women's physique a shot instead. At first, she felt a bit offensive about that, and we can understand why when you have been putting in the work for the division you have been wanting to compete in your entire career. But on Monday, apparently she had a change of heart and did some soul searching as she announced that she's seriously considering women's physique in 2021 with a photo of her hitting a few manatory poses. Our honest opinion...she probably would have won the Tampa Pro Women's Physique show had she entered there with her look over the weekend. HOWEVER, she will give figure one more shot in four weeks at the Savannah Pro Show. What happens there will determine where she goes in the future.

When we look at her physique and her journey, she gives us vibes of three different people: Juliana Malacarne, Shanique Grant, and Natalia Coelho...three of the best women's physique competitors of all time...and three women who were just too much for figure. These three loved figure like Meghan but they needed to step out of their comfort zone in order to be successful in the IFBB, and boy did they ever! Juliana became the poster woman for women's physique, winning the inargual Women's Physique International and won the Physique Olympia 4 times. Shanique has won every women's physique show she's ever competed in (including 2 Women's Physique Olympias and 1 Women's Physique International). Natalia is a 2x and current Women's Physique International champion and is among the favorite in every single contest she's been in since joining the division. Meghan is now in that same boat as them with a once-in-a-lifetime physique that will only get better going forward and could go down as an all-time great when it's all said and done, despite where she ends up competing. With her ballerina background, don't be suprised to see some graceful majestic posing should she end up doing women's physique. If you could buy stock on a compeitor, we personally would recommend buying it on one Meghan Santa Barbara. It will be a worthy investment. Trust us on this. 

Juliana Malacarne...Shanique Grant...Natalia Coelho...Meghan Santa Barbara?! We shall soon see!
Photo credit: Her Instagram

For more on Meghan, make sure to follow her on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/meghan_scoobyprep. Also don't forget to check out her personal training page on Scooby Prep at https://scoobyprep.com/pages/meghan-santa-barbara. 

Go Figure Movement

Ladies and gentleman...the Go Figure Movement is a GO!

FitGems Nation has been my pride and joy for over a decade and it's something I absoutely love to do because of all the athletes and personalities involved in the female muscle world. I've seen a lot of people come and a lot of people go, but for me...FitGems has taken a third of my life up and I'll never regret it. Of course I was a fan of the female muscle world BEFORE FitGems Nation was even a thing. When I became a fan, there was only women's bodybuilding and fitness, so I was there when figure came along. I can remember when there were doubt about how long that division would last because unlike the fitness division with gymnastics/dance routines and women's bodybuilding with flexing and a routine...this division would have the two-piece and one-piece like the fitness division...but that's it. No flexing...just simple posing. How could a division like that last ANY time when the other two divisions would add more to offer. Almost twenty years later, the figure division is still riding strong as among one of the more popular divisions as far as paricipation is concerned. Many of my favorite competitors in the IFBB and NPC come from the figure division. Some competitors in other divisions got their start or made their COMEBACK because of the figure division. With this division being nearly 20 years old, I feel it's now the time to give the figure division the spotlight it deserves.

Today, I'm OFFICIALLY announcing the Go Figure Movement, a venture to showcase the IFBB and NPC Figure Division. I created a Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/gofiguremoment) and Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/gofiguremovement) to showcase the figure divison from the early days of Davana Iriel (Medina), Jenny Lynn, Monica Brant, Christine Pomponio, Mari Kudla, and Latisha Wilder to game changers such as Gina Alotti, Jennifer Gates, Nicole Wilkins, Erin Stern, Valerie Waugaman, and Ann Titone to today's stars (Latorya Watts, Cydney Gillon, Candice Carter, Bojana Vasiljevic, Wendy Fortino, Ivana Ivusic, Nadia Wyatt) and future stars and everything in the middle. I hope to educate people on what the figure divison is all about for anyone wanting to know more about it. BUT...that's not the biggest part of this.

The biggest part of this is I'm currently writing a book about the division. Yes...you heard that correctly..by the 2021 Olympia (aiming for that time frame), there will be a book about the figure division! The working title of the book is Go Figure: A Look at IFBB/NPC Figure. It will cover the beginnings and all the eras of the division as well as where I could see it going in the years to come. I'm aiming to interview several competitors in the months to come to get this all together, so to all figure competitors out there, don't be suprised if I contact you in the months to come! The book will also have words from other industry personalities (more to come later on who I will be talking so) and never-before-seen photos of figure competitors and competititions from the past and present.

While the book is a definite as well as Facebook and Instagram, I'm hoping to do a documentary about the figure division. If I do that, it will probably be in 2023, which will be the 20th anniversary of the official launch of the figure division. If there is enough interest, a YouTube channel may be launched in the coming weeks and months. We shall see.

In all, this is something that I have been working on in secret since quarantine began and I will continue to make this project something special. I feel it's high time the figure division got a big spotlight on them, and I aim to do just that. If you would like to be involved in the Go Figure Movement in any shape or form, email me at gofiguremovement@gmail.com. To all of you that have support everything I've done under the FitGems Nation brand, thank you so much and I look forward to continue making FitGems Nation a special place for all of you and hope you all join me in supporting the Go Figure Movement!

Christine Pomponio-Pate: A Figure "First Lady"

Each division has something for everyone (women's bodybuilding, fitness, fitness, figure, bikini). We have said over and over that the figure divsion is the comic-book division, where the women look like they are ripped straight out of a comic book or modeled just like an action figure. When the figure division began in 2003, it gae women who had "fitness-division like" muscle yet not the fitness/gymnastic background a platform to showcase their physiques and not having to do a routine. While something thought it wouldn't last due to the lack of posing involved, it has continued to be a top division for the IFBB and NPC with big numbers turning in, with bikini being the only division with higher numbers. While most successful competitors range from 5"6 to about 5"10, there have been those who repsthe "shorties" and let their physique stand tall about others who had the height advantage. One such competitor was Christine Pomponio-Pate.

Standing at 5 foot one and one of the founding ladies of the figure division, Christine had quite the journey of coming to the IFBB. She competed in soccer for 10 years and began working out with weights during her days in high school. in 1994, and worked in a gym, when an near-tragic accident could have ended everything for her. Here are details of the incident from the Denver Post (https://www.denverpost.com/2006/09/16/willpower-can-get-you-big-results/):

The former soccer player passed out due to low blood sugar. Her car crossed the median and hit a truck head-on. Mechanical failure kept her seatbelt from being fastened, leaving nothing to prevent her from exiting through the windshield. She hit the steering wheel with her face, causing severe oral damage on the way out. She was semi-conscious the next two days. Six years of difficult recovery followed. 

Within those six years, she had 11 surguries to fix everything. Looking at her during her competitions days and now, you wouldn't think she has been through hell, but believe me, she has. And the fact that she has been able to accomplish so much since then has made her so grateful for everything she has in her life and why we are grateful, honored, and humbled to celebrate #CPPWEEK this past week.

Christine began back weight training as part of rehab. One thing let to another and she ended up competing at the Colorado State Fitness Championships, winning the overall fitness title right off the bat. The next step was competing at the National stage, competing at the NPC USAs in 1999 and NPC Nationals in 2000 before winning her IFBB Pro card in 2001 by winning her class at the NPC Team Universe. Christine saw herself as a backyard gymnast, meaning having strong mandatories but that's about it. She has entertaining routines yet they were basic at best. The IFBB Pro Figure division came in 2003 and Christine knew that was more for her. While she has struggles in the inargual year, faith came a-calling in 2004 where she placed 6th at the Califronia Pro with a completely revamped and jaw-dropping physique. It ended up not being a case of sheer luck as was runner-up to Davana Medina at the New York Pro and placed 6th in her first Figure Olympia. She would only get better going foward, including placing in the top six at her Figure International competitions (4th in 2005 and 6th in 2006) and winning the 2005 Tournament of Champions and 2006 Califonia Pro. Christine's career would end at the 2006 Figure Olympia with an amazing 4th place finish, even betting out then-Figure International Champion Mary Lado. During her time as a competitor, she graced several magazines, including FLEX, Muscle and Fitness, and IRONMAN, in addition to a few local publications. In addiiton to competiting, she did commercials for local businesses such as American Warehouse and Granite Depot. She still does local commercials for the Denver area.

2004 Figure Olympia...when the one-piece suit was still a thing, LOL.

While she did qualify for the 2007 Figure Olympia...life came a-calling again...a life inside of her. She gave birth to her first child Riley in December 27, 2007 and then to twins Brax Disel and Colt Sterling on October 27, 2014. After giving birth to Riley, withing MONTHS she looked like she didn't even had a child. She shot with Marc Thyssen for a couple of awesome photo gatherings: FitHeat 2010 and Fitness Supermodel Weekend 2011. Both times, if she were to have entered the Olympia, she would have easily been a top-three contender. That's how good she looked. She did a shoot with PictureGroove seven months after the birth of the twins, and wowed people again.

Don't take out word for how amazing of a woman Christine is, here are what some have said about Christine:

dallas3, FitGems Contributer: "Christine is the ultimate professional and would define class. Whether on stage with her grace and poise or doing commercials, Christine has always been a positive representative of the fitness industry"

Michael Buso, fan: "I’ve never met her (in person). But when she competed, she had a beautiful physique."

Alissa Carpio, IFBB Fitness Pro : "Always loved her!"

2006 Figure Olympia. Her last show...for now, anyways.

Despite not stepping on a competiion stage since 2006, she has entertained the idea of maybe doing another show once the time is right. And the way she looks these days, it wouldn't surprise us if one day she decides to one day step back on stage to show this generation of figure competitors how it's done. But no matter what, we feel she is one of the best figure competitors in IFBB history and a champion for the "short girls" who feel they can't hang with the taller competitors. Christine is proof-positive that whether on the stage, modeling, commercial acting, motherhood, and life in general, size DOES matter...on the inside.

For more on Christine, check out her Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/christinepomponio. 

Camala Rodriquez's Next Fitness Venture

The 2017 Olympia was last time we'll see Camala on stage until potentially the 2019 Arnold, as she prepare to enter a new chapter in her female muscle career!
Photo credit: NPC News Online

2017 may go down as one of the most competitive years in IFBB figure history, with long-time competitors winning their first titles and BOTH the Figure International and Figure Olympia titles changed hands this year. 2018 will have a tough act to follow but with the talent that is currently competing and the new figure competitors that earned their pro cards this year, we do expect another competitive year for the division. There will be a noticeable name absent from the shows in 2018...Camala Rodriquez.

On social media, she announced that if she didn't automatically qualify for the 2018 Figure Olympia, she would set out for a year. She placed 12th at the Figure Olympia, her worst placing in a figure competition in a LONG time. Considering what she has been through (which we don't get into here, as the personal lives of competitors are not our place to discuss unless the athletes gives us the permission outright), we're happy she even placed period. She will be taking next year off from the stage to and plans to ,in her own words, "have fun for a year". By fun, we're talking powerlifting. Yep, the former fitness-turned-figure competitor and 2015 Figure International Champion is adding powerlifting to her already-impressive resume.

Camala has never been known for being a weak woman. She's built overtime one of the most powerful-looking physiques in the IFBB through years of hard training, but now she plans on taking it to a new level as she enters powerlifting. While she hasn't committed to any powerlifting competitions as of this writing, she has already broken a few of her own PRs (personal records) by a big amount. There's a very good chance that by the time she plans to return to figure competitions in 2019 (she is hoping for a 2019 Arnold invite), she will legit be pound-for-pound, one of the strongest women in the IFBB. And just think about how much her physique will benefit from powerlifting as well! To say we're excited for Camala in 2018 AND 2019 would be an understatement.

Check out a few recent clips from her Instagram, and you'll see why we are stoked to see what Camala is gonna be one to watch OUTSIDE of competing in an IFBB stage next year:

Yup....here’s my end of workout moves. #winning #militarymusclefoundation #BeTheCatalyst #purelinenutrition #ltemployee #beboutit #gains @amanda_carter7 learning how to #fly @ctlalpha #photobomb

A post shared by Camala Rodriguez (@therealcamala) on Oct 25, 2017 at 10:01am PDT

Gettin that form down!! You ready for my debut?? #BeTheCatalyst #powerlifting #gameface #gameon #2018 #motivation #thebestisyettocome Powered by @thepureline.com & @lifetime.life Order today with promo code CAMALA. #glutagenX #isofactor #crank #vegamax #carniclear #ltemployee

A post shared by Camala Rodriguez (@therealcamala) on Nov 22, 2017 at 7:09am PST

The Science of Perseverance: How Your Beliefs Can Strengthen (or Weaken) Your Motivation. “Permanence, perseverance and persistence in spite of all obstacles, discouragements and impossibilities: It is this, that in all things distinguishes the strong soul from the weak.” -Anonymous 1RM 285lbs——30lbs up from last week! Boom! How ya like them apples??? What’s your goal going into the new year?? #BeTheCatalyst #GetYourJoyOn #athlete @thepureline.com @tokyojoes @lifetime.life #motivation #fitness #figurequeen #beboutit #ltemployee

A post shared by Camala Rodriguez (@therealcamala) on Dec 5, 2017 at 8:10pm PST

“Do or do not. There is no try.” —Yoda #BeTheCatalyst #GetYourJoyOn #purelinenutrition #crank #athlete #lifestyle #bigback #beboutit #spiritualgangster #figurequeen #lightweight #ltemployee

A post shared by Camala Rodriguez (@therealcamala) on Dec 6, 2017 at 9:56pm PST

“To hell with circumstances; I create opportunities.” -Bruce Lee Not quite full depth for my 6th set. #buttstill #BeTheCatalyst #ltemployee #lifestyle #beboutit #bootygains #purelinenutrition #GetYourJoyOn @tokyojoes #athlete #2018

A post shared by Camala Rodriguez (@therealcamala) on Dec 7, 2017 at 3:16pm PST

Expect plenty more clips like this next year. She is only scratching the surface of what she is truly capable of, and we can't wait to see what she has in store! We at FitGems Nation wish Camala best of luck to her in the months ahead!

For more on Camala, follow her on social media at the following links:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/therealcamala/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Camala-Rodriguez-IFBB-Pro-153674027989808/

Bridesmaid No More: Wendy Fortino Gets Her Win At Last

The Champ is (FINALLY!!!) here!!!!
Photo credit: NPC News Online

July 30, 2011.

This was the day she won the NPC USA Figure Class A and Overall title. This was the day she became an IFBB Pro. For six years, she would go on to compete in over 30 pro shows. She would place runner-up in seven shows, and she stepped on the Olympia stage twice (2014 and 2015) due to the Olympia Qualification Series. Yet, despite her ever-improving and jaw-dropping physique and one of the most graceful stages presences of any figure competitor, she had yet to do the one thing that can truly call her a top competitor: Win a pro show. The way things were going, we honestly thought that Wendy would go down as the one of the greatest figure competitors in IFBB history to NEVER win a pro show.

Then April 15, 2017 happened.
The St. Louis Pro happened.

Bringing what she felt was her best look yet, in one of the toughest and deepest line-ups of the year (which included past and present Olympia qualifiers in their own rights), Wendy finally reached the top of the mountain. She became the 2017 IFBB St. Louis Pro Figure Champion. Everything she sacrificed throughout her career, her sweat, her tears, and maybe even some blood, finally paid off. She can finally cross "winning a pro show" off her fitness career checklist. The Olympia Qualification Series is a dead issue for her now. She is officially Olympia-bound because she WON a show. No qualification points this time!

I dare you to watch this video and not tear up a bit. I can't even begin to understand what is going though her head here.

I DID IT!!! 😭😭😭 Words cannot describe this feeling... I am absolutely speechless. There is no way I could FEEL this the way that I do if I did not have to fight so hard for it. I want to thank you ALL from the bottom of my heart!!! #OLYMPIABOUND 🏆 #FIRSTPROWIN #TheHarderTheFightTheSweeterTheVictory #stlouispro #teamcyberbodyshop #successrequiresobsession #winningeveryday

A post shared by Wendy Fortino Ifbb Pro (@wendyfortino) on Apr 15, 2017 at 4:45pm PDT

That is how an athlete who has given everything she has into her craft feels when her hard work is rewarded. I teared up for her, and I RARELY do that with any athlete. I've followed her journey before FitGems Nation was even a thing. I became an instant fan when I saw her on the Kriv Studios website when she was a track athlete and had an amazing physique before she even THOUGHT about competing in physique shows. While it's awesome to see someone win their first show, it's something about fighting for show after show for years to get that first win that makes it much better.

If I could personally think of one quote that fits her journey to her first pro win, it would be the one that Rocky told his son in Rocky Balboa. While the movie (to me) wasn't as good as the earlier movies, it did have one of the greatest motivational speeches I've ever heard of in my entire life, and this fits Wendy to a T:

Let me tell you something you already know. The world ain’t all sunshine and rainbows. It is a very mean and nasty place and it will beat you to your knees and keep you there permanently if you let it. You, me, or nobody is gonna hit as hard as life. But it ain’t how hard you hit; it’s about how hard you can get hit, and keep moving forward. How much you can take, and keep moving forward. That’s how winning is done. Now, if you know what you’re worth, then go out and get what you’re worth. But you gotta be willing to take the hit, and not pointing fingers saying you ain’t where you are because of him, or her, or anybody. Cowards do that and that ain’t you. You’re better than that!

Wendy knows what she's worth and she goes after it show after show after show. She has taken more hits leading up to her win than most in their entire lifetimes. She doesn't place blame on anyone, she doesn't go and say that politics are to blame. She just keeps hustling and fighting each and every show she enters in hopes of earning respect within the industry, which I believe she has done with flying colors, even without that pro win.

I admire and respect every woman who steps on a physique stage, but Wendy is one of the few who I've personally connected to and I've yet to meet her in person. She is one of the most genuine people not only in the physique world, but on Earth period. She ALWAYS see the good in everyone and always complements anyone and everyone she possibly can, even those that end up beating her. Her kindness is felt by many people in the industry and they always talk about on social media, how humble she is and how amazing a competitor she is and admire her determination and never-say-die attitude, the stuff I love about her as a person, not just a competitor.

When Wendy became the 2011 NPC USA Overall Figure Champion
Photo credit: Muscular Development

When you're good at something, you tell everyone. When you're great at something, they tell you. The way Wendy Fortino's win was received on social media proved what we have been saying for years: Wendy Fortino is a GREAT competitor. She is one of the greatest ambassadors the physique world has ever seen not just because of fighting to improve her physique throughout the years, but the way she carries herself in a professional and humble matter. Most in her position would have quit, and truthfully we would not fault them. Not Wendy. She never quit even though we wouldn't have blamed her one bit if she did. The motto her and her husband Matt Allen use is "Success Requires Obsession". It's not just a motto for her, it's how she lives her life...and it paid off for her in the end. She is living proof that good things come to those that put in the work and never give up. Her hard work earned (not given) her the 2017 IFBB St. Louis Pro Figure Championship and a trip to the Olympia for the third time in four years.

To me and to all of FitGems Nation, Wendy has always been a champion. We'll go as far as saying to many she is "The People's Champion" in the figure division. Now, she finally has hardware to validate her right as a champion. Congrats Miss Fortino. In your own words, "The Harder the Fight, the Sweeter the Victory." And oh how sweet it is!

This photo speaks volumes. EARNED not given!
Photo credit: Jack Titone/Instagram

Feel free to follow Wendy at the following links:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/WendyFortinoUSA/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wendyfortino
Cyberbodyshop business with her husband/trainer Matt Allen: http://cyberbodyshop.com/