At
FigureRX we are heavily focused on the IFBB and the NPC and we are supportive of the physique objectives of athletes who compete within those federations. But we do know that there is another whole world out there, with athletes who choose to compete outside of the NPC. And when we see a star competitor who has all the qualities plus the "it" factor we want to shine our athlete spotlight regardless of federation!
Tara Thatcher will be competing at the NANBF USA SuperPro Figure contest in Chicago on October 27th. For more information on her show please pan down or go to our contest info page. Tara is a 5'8" gorgeous former marine from Minnesota who most recently won the figure tall class at the 2007 NANBF Natural Mr/Ms Minnesota Invitational. She has now set her sights on the national level, and in the process has garnered a lot of attention with a recent feature in Oxygen and even some wallpaper at Bodybuilding.com.
Photo credit: Razorfist Photography
In 2008 we hear that she will be moving to the NPC where she has the tools to make an immediate impact. Along with her genetics, Tara also has that all-important drive within to do what it takes to make it to the top. We're always working very hard to make sure everyone knows that figure and fitness are serious sports and the incredible athletes who compete train just as hard as bodybuilders albeit with slightly different physique goals.
We can't resist quoting a recent posting, because at some point every serious competitor runs into a situation like this:
"Ok, so I was trying to explain what "figure" is to someone who works at one of the gyms that I go to yesterday. I said that it is like fitness, with no routine, like bodybuilding, but more feminine. "Oh, so it's like a beauty pageant!", he says. NO! It is not in any way, shape or form, like a beauty pageant! If it was, would you see me spending countless hours in the gym, lifting heavy weights, busting my butt doing cardio?! I was so irritated and frustrated by that comment!
I am willing to put in hours, months, years of work! Any muscle that I have, is there thanks to good, old-fashioned hard work! I have been working out for about 3 years now, and I have many changes still to make! Figure is beautiful, muscle, poise, confidence, determination, commitment, will-power, proportion, symmetry, and months and years of building, dieting, and cardio! Competing in figure gives me a goal with my workouts! If I didn't have a goal, I would still work hard in the gym, but I wouldn't take it to the limit, like I do now!"
Tara we totally agree and could not have written that any better. We know that you are going to continue to get a lot of attention and that you will go far!!
Check out Tara's web site
here and especially her really good blog
here.
NANBF USA SuperPro Figure
October 27, 2007
Location: University Park, Illinois (near Chicago)
Promoter: Dave Yeates,
daveyeates@nanbf.org, 815-953-8532
For additional information on this show, please go
here.
For the full NANBF schedule please go
here.
and keep up the great work! - Dani