FigureRX Contest Preview: 2008 NPC Ironman Fit Expo Figure
FigureRX Online Magazine Volume 3
February 2, 2008
Official Ironman Fit Expo Figure Championship Preview and Competitor List
To see our actual event coverage please go HERE!!

Welcome to FigureRX's preview coverage of the 2008 Ironman Fit Expo Figure Championships. While we would not typically cover a non-qualifier, this is a "prestige" contest which will result in a modeling spread in Ironman Magazine and an excellent boost on the winning athlete's way to the national competition scene. This show often goes 3-5 athletes deep (or more) per height class as far as national level quality physiques.

Last year's winner, Monica Mark, went on to place 5th in class A at Nationals and 6th at the USA's in Las Vegas. The 2007 show also featured several other NPC stars including Cindy Martinez, Michele Cogger, Alecia Rankovic and Danielle Edmonds, all of whom will be included in our 2008 figure media guide. The 2006 winner, multi-talented Halcyon Duarte, became an instant star and will be making a big splash as she adds a return to the stage to her extremely busy schedule this year.
2006 NPC Ironman Champion Halcyon Duarte 2007 Champion Monica Mark
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IFBB professionals Karen Mullarkey and Lynn Widdowson competed at the Ironman in 2007 as did other FigureRX favorites such as Tracey Martin, Patty Farrow, and Ann Pratt. Current IFBB professionals Alexis Ellis, Meriza DeGuzman, Amy Peters and Andrea Dumon competed here in 2006.

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-------Competing in 2008? Get the full state and local NPC contest schedule right here on FigureRX.
-------Updated almost daily, click HERE.
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And then of course there is the change of venue, from Pasadena to downtown Los Angeles a few blocks away from the FigureRX southern California office. That's going to allow the expo, and perhaps the show itself, to expand even more.

Registration for the NPC figure portion of this event is allowed up until the day of the show, adding some fun unpredictability, and we'll be sure to follow up with anyone we missed in the contest report. Here is the latest adjusted list of competitors:

--------Bell, Debbie
--------Brooks, Lynette
--------Edmonds, Danielle
--------Eldredge, Laurie NPC Figure Laurie Eldredge
--------Fox, Hanna NPC Figure Hanna Fox Hannah Fox
--------Kline, Jennifer
--------Lewis, Delinia
--------Lynn-Calhoun, Lisa NPC Figure Lisa Lynn-Calhoun
--------Madere, Dore NPC Figure Dore Madere
--------McGarry, Kimberly
--------Pangelinan, MaryAnn
--------Payten, Kathryn
--------Perez, Kristina NPC Figure Kristina Perez
--------Ramirez, Alma NPC Figure Alma Ramirez
--------Ramos, Venus
--------Sandozequi, Lilia
--------Tigre, Ana <== FigureRX spotlight!
--------Uscilowski, Loren
--------Wilmore, Soumaya
--------Witte, Lucinda

--------Updated: January 30th

FigureRX Ironman Spotlight Athlete Ana Tigre

At last year's NPC Junior National Figure Championships in Chicago, a beautiful brunette named Ana Tigre competed in her first national level show. She placed 10th in Figure Class C while clearly exhibiting the qualities of a future champion, so when we saw her on the competitor list for the 2008 Ironman we jumped at the chance to learn more about her. Ana is our first FigureRX spotlight competitor of 2008, in the only major show that occurs prior to the Arnold Sports Weekend.

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In addition to having an incredible physique including great shoulders and standout hamstrings, Ana carries herself extremely well on stage with a graceful, regal presence that probably has a lot to do with her 16 years as an equestrian. The only thing that kept her from the National competition scene prior to 2007 was her citizenship status, and after being sworn in as a United States citizen last year we think she is destined to have a great year. Not only will this fashion designer be launching her clothing line called Fizeek Brazil, but she will be competing at the 2008 Junior USA's, Junior Nationals and USA Championships (at a minimum).

To see Ana's spotlight interview please pan down or click here.

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NPC Figure Ana Tigre Photos
Personal trainer and contest prep specialist Danielle Edmonds won Class D last year, and this year she will be back to make a serious run at the overall title. Danielle has no noticeable weaknesses in her pro-quality physique, and she is especially known for some of the best quad, hamstring and glute combinations that you will ever see on stage. In 2007 she came one step away from her pro card when she placed 2nd in Class E at the USA's, and her remarkably consistent placements are a testament to her contest prep expertise.

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NPC Figure Danielle Edmonds Photos

The Lynette Brooks we know is a gorgeous fitness model from Arizona, and we think that's who will be competing in Los Angeles. Some of the best figure athletes come from the modeling world, just as some of the best come from bodybuilding. Lynette has the beauty, muscle and overall shape to be extremely successful, and her placing here as well as her success at the national level will largely depend on her ability to translate those assets into a well conditioned package on stage.

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NPC Figure Lynette Brooks Photos

Mary Ann Pangelinan is a future figure star who will be making her first trip to compete on the mainland after winning titles in Guam and Hawaii. She is another competitor who already has a pro-level physique and it's simply a matter of getting her face out there at the national level. A spread in Ironman would go a long way toward achieving that goal and she definitely has a shot. Lilia Sandozequi is a model and personal trainer with three children. She has spectacular legs and after winning first place in Class A and the overall title at the 2005 Tournament of Champions she competed at the national level. With the improvements that she has made since then we expect her next forays into national competition to be much more successful.

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NPC Figure MaryAnn Maryann Mary Ann Pangelinan Photos
NPC Figure Lilia Sandozequi Photos
Jennifer Kline is a trainer and group fitness instructor from Scottsdale, who comes in beautifully conditioned with great vascularity. The photos below are from the 2006 USA Championships, where she competed in Class B. We like Soumaya Wilmore's size and muscularity and if she can come in as hard and well conditioned as she did in 2005 and 2006 after taking a little bit of a step back at last year's Cal State, she will have an excellent chance to win her height class.

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NPC Figure Jennifer Kline Photos
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NPC Figure Soumaya Wilmore Photos
New Yorker Debbie Bell will be making the long trip to compete in Los Angeles. We love her resume, which includes some recent work at one of our old stomping grounds, Chelsea Piers. She competed as a professional level gymnast in high school and was the captain and choreographer of her cheerleading squad at New York University. Debbie is the founder of the Body Catalyst System of training, and after the Ironman she will also be, along with Laurie Eldredge, competing at the Arnold Amateur.

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NPC Figure Debbie Bell Photos

American Gladiator contestant, physician, and actress Venus Ramos is a fitness champion from another federation who is now focusing more heavily on NPC competitions this year. Venus is tremendously dedicated and we're curious to see what look she will bring, especially concerning her upper body size and fullness and her lower body conditioning. Kimberly McGarry competed in the All Forces and the Pacific USA Naturals in 2007, while Hollywood's Delinia Lewis is the 2007 Ms. Muscle Beach champion.

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NPC Figure Venus Ramos Kimberly McGarry Delinia Lewis

Kathryn Payton competed in the 2007 NPC Ronnie Coleman, where she earned a 4th place finish in class A and 3rd place in the masters 35+ figure division. Lucinda Witte from Rancho Cordova is a personal trainer with an incredibly inspiring physique, especially considering that she began working out only four years ago after the birth of her fifth child. Loren Uscilowski is a champion level triathlete who will be looking to transfer her look to the figure stage, while Dore Madere was formerly a track and field athlete, specializing in the discus.

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NPC Figure Lucinda Witte Loren Uscilowski Kathryn Payton Holly Humphreys Humphries NPC Figure Photos Lilia Sandozequi NPC Figure Photos
Brianne Shaw, one of our spotlight athletes for 2008, has decided to compete at a later date. She just moved from Omaha to Southern California and is heavily focused on her new career. Whenever she decides to get on stage she has the genetics, the drive, and background knowledge (learned at one of the best "teacher" stores, Max Muscle) to make a splash!! And we also want to give a special acknowledgement to Danitza Denn/Freigher, who has been placed on some of the competitor lists out there but who will be approximately three months pregnant at the time of the show. Congratulations Danitza, we love ya!

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www.FigureRX.com

2008 NPC Ironman Figure Championship - Spotlight Athlete
ANA TIGRE
February 2, 2008

FigureRX Online Magazine
Volume 3

For a downloadable pdf version of this article please go here.

At last year's NPC Junior National Figure Championships in Chicago, a beautiful brunette named Ana Tigre competed in her first national level show. She placed 10th in Figure Class C while clearly exhibiting the qualities of a future champion, so when we saw her on the competitor list for the 2008 Ironman we jumped at the chance to learn more about her. Ana is our first FigureRX spotlight competitor of 2008, in the only major show that occurs prior to the Arnold Sports Weekend.

In addition to having an incredible physique including great shoulders and standout hamstrings, Ana carries herself extremely well on stage with a graceful, regal presence that probably has a lot to do with her 16 years as an equestrian. The only thing that kept her from the National competition scene prior to 2007 was her citizenship status, and after being sworn in as a United States citizen last year we think she is destined to have a great year. Not only will this fashion designer be launching her clothing line called Fizeek Brazil, but she will be competing at the 2008 Junior USA's, Junior Nationals and USA Championships (at a minimum).

Please tell us a little bit about your background, such as when you moved from Brazil, your athletic background, when you began weight training, and how you became interested in competing in figure.

I moved to San Diego from Brazil in 1995. I moved to the U.S. to go to the Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising (FIDM) where I graduated with a degree in fashion design in 1997. From the time I was four years old until I moved to the U.S. I competed as an equestrian (almost 16 years). I competed as an equestrian all over Brazil and South America. I won many regional and national titles. I also attended tennis classes, ballet classes, and swimming classes.

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After I moved to San Diego my equestrian career ended because I was a broke college student. I had to find a new outlet for my focus and my love for training. Plus, the American diet started taking its toll on my naturally slim body. I joined a gym and found out about weight training. I was hooked. Unfortunately, I did not know much about the right ways to train. After graduating from FIDM and getting a job designing clothes in San Diego, I started studying to become a certified personal trainer and ended up working at a gym. A year later, I left my job designing clothes to manage that gym and train clients full time. I learned how training could change my body, but I missed the competitive aspect of sports. Then, one morning at the gym, I met Jon Lindsay (California NPC promoter) and he told me about figure competitions. I knew it was something that I wanted to try.

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What is your academic and professional background? What is your current occupation and how long have you been doing it?

I have a degree in fashion design from the Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising (FIDM) in Los Angeles. I managed a gym in San Diego for several years where I also was a personal trainer. I am currently working as a clothing designer for my company, Fizeek Brazil. We are designing and manufacturing workout clothes.

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Can you tell us a little bit about Fizeek Brazil, the launch, and if we will be able to see samples of the clothing line soon? What is your involvement with the project?

Fizeek Brazil is my baby. It is my dreams come true. It is the fusion of my love for fitness and fashion. We will be launching our website sometime in the next few weeks. You can preview samples at the Arnold Sports Weekend's fashion show (put on by Jen Hendershott), which will be held at the Expo on Sunday. Also, Monica Brant was recently on the cover of Austin Fit Magazine wearing Fizeek Brazil workout clothes. I am so excited to launch the site and show people my project that has been in the making for the last year.

Briefly, what improvements do you believe you have made since competing last year?

Well, my trainer and I decided that I needed more muscle pretty much everywhere. I am bringing a tighter physique with more rounded shoulders, a more detailed back and hamstrings, and tighter glutes. I feel good about the progress that I've made since Jr. Nationals last year. Hopefully, my gains will be noticeable and rewarded this year.

When do you usually train and how often during the week? Where do you work out and who do you work out with?

I do my cardio first thing in the morning for 60 minutes, 6 times a week, until I am 4 weeks from competition. Then, I add a 7th day of morning cardio and I add 30 minutes of post workout cardio. I lift weights 6 days a week in the afternoon. I train at 24 Hour Fitness in Austin. Usually, I work out with my husband or my sister. They do not compete, but they both live a very healthy, active lifestyle. My trainer is Jeremy Minihan. He is based in Oklahoma City and I travel to Oklahoma to train with him once a month.

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What is your training philosophy (heavy or light, cardio, lifting)? What's your opinion on how figure athletes train, relative to bodybuilders?

My training philosophy is heavy lifting with moderate repetitions. That has worked best for me. I do cardio first thing in the morning year round because it keeps me in shape for photo shoots. In the off season, I only do 45 minutes of cardio 5 times a week. I believe figure competitors will always train a bit differently from bodybuilders. I think figure competitors do not have to have as much muscle mass and that changes the type of training we have to do. I use a lot of plyometric exercises during my cardio sessions in order to deepen my lines without creating bulk.

Where do you find the best training and diet advice? Is there anyone in particular who you would like to thank, such as a sponsor, significant other, etc?

I get my training and diet advice from my trainer, Jeremy Minihan. I try not to get my head filled with too much information about diet and training because there is so much out there it is confusing. I would love to thank my number one fan, sponsor, supporter, my husband, Eric Churilla.

You have competed for over five years, primarily at the state level, and you are still very young. What made you decide to compete at Junior Nationals last year, and was the experience what you expected?

When I started competing I could not compete at the National level because I was not a U.S. citizen (I became a citizen in 2007). Until I became a citizen, I competed to stay in shape and for my love of training. When I got my notice that I was finally going to be sworn in as a U.S. citizen in 2007, I decided that it was time to step up my game and test the waters at the National level. I was ecstatic with a 10th place showing in my first National competition. The experience was amazing and I was awed by the gorgeous ladies with their superb bodies. It made me want to work ten times harder to come back better in 2008.

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We noticed that you were a moderator at Danitza's pro board, and now you have your own. Can you tell us a little about the forums and what people might expect if they join?

Danitza and I have been friends for a long time. We did a show together in 2003. After I moved to Texas in 2004, I was a little lost trying to find a fitness community in Austin. She told me about her board and I was in heaven. I found a fitness community on her board where I have made so many true friendships. I will be forever grateful to her. About 6 months ago, Danitza told me that she could not keep the board anymore. She has a little girl and she went back to school. She didn't have the time to take care of the board. She offered to transfer the board to me (you can say I inherited it from her). I could not let the board go. I loved all of my fitness friends too much. When you join, you can expect to meet lots of new people (ok, mostly ladies) with a love for fitness and the sport of figure/fitness. We don't claim to have the best board or the biggest board, but we have a tight community and we welcome everyone. We have members that are just starting to exercise and we have several IFBB pro competitors. A lot of our members (competitors in fitness and figure) are starting families, so we have an entire section dedicated to pregnancy, fitness, and motherhood. In general, there is not a lot of information out there for the pregnant athlete who is definitely not in the same category as the regular pregnant woman. We try to provide as much information as we can on this subject. We also have a post-contest blues section - a part of competing that we do not hear about much. All of our members give and receive as much support as they wish. It is not a forum for bashing or fighting. It is a forum for providing support, receiving support, sharing knowledge, and sharing experiences.

That's great, at FigureRX we are all about keeping it positive and supporting female athletes whenever we can and it's good to hear that there are other great forums out there doing the same. We also love to support female-and athlete-owned businesses and ventures so best of luck with the clothing launch. Thanks Ana!!

We welcome any comments that you may have about this article at FigureRX@verizon.net.

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www.FigureRX.com

The 2007 NPC Figure Nationals... [url=http://contests.ironmanmagazine.com/pop_photos.cfm?ContestRosterID=54314]LINK
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The 2007 NPC USA Championships... LINK

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Women's Bodybuilding, Fitness, & Figure...

Okay... forgive my ignorance, but I thought Ana was already a Pro!!! She definitely has ALL the makings to be on the pro stage. I'll be watching out for her this year. I'm sure she'll be creating a buzz!

Good luck to all of the ladies competing in the IronMan.

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Debra Lavette
ON/ABB Sponsored Athlete

Here is Monica Brant's cover, wearing Fizeek Brazil clothing!

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Team FigureRX

Ana Tigre is definitely ready to hit the stage at the Ironman!! She looks phenominal and I'm so excited to see her hit the stage again!!

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She believed she could, so she did.