Natalie Waples Set to Defend Canadian National Figure Title

Natalie Waples

Natalie Waples of Ottawa is off to national competition this weekend to defend her title as Overall Canadian Figure Champion.

Espanola resident off to national bodybuilding championship this weekend

Posted By Rosalind Raby, Sun Media

Natalie Waples of Ottawa, who still calls Espanola home, is off to national competition this weekend to defend her title as Overall Canadian Figure Champion.

Before she left, she sat down with the Mid-North Monitor (MNM) to reflect on the last few months, busy ones by any stretch of the imagination. The interview follows.

MNM: You visited Espanola in the spring and spoke to students at EspanolaHighSchool and Espanola - Curves about fitness. How was the visit?

- I had a great time visiting Espanola - both the high school and the Curves facility. During the presentation at EHS, the students were very enthusiastic and the participation in our 'active work' stations was great. They students were cheering on their classmates and I think they were able to draw a lot of information from it. My sister Katrina, a certified personal trainer, also accompanied me and assisted with the presentation.

MNM: Can you explain your area of athletics and what it entails for our readers? And what titles you hold?

- I compete in Figure/Bodyfitness which was implemented by the IFBB in 2002 to give a chance for athletic/fit women to compete without the routine rounds of fitness, just the physique ones. Currently, there are three rounds of quarter turns, but in different attires. Unlike bodybuilding which categorizes athletes by weight, Figure athletes are divided into categories based on their height. In all rounds judges assess the overall athletic appearance of the physique, taking into account symmetrically developed figure, muscle tone and shape with a small amount of body fat, as well as the hair and facial beauty and individual style of presentation, including personal confidence, poise and grace. This sport discipline is widely open for all athletically-inspired women.

- My most recent titles include:

2008 Serious About Fitness Elite Model Search Winner

2008 Arnold Amateur Figure Championships Figure Class 'E' Winner

2007 IFBB North American Figure Championships Class 'C' 4th Place

2007 CBBF Canadian World Qualifier Overall Figure Champion

MNM: Your last big competition was the Arnold Amateur Figure Championships in the United States where you won the division title. What have you been doing since then?

- Since the Arnold I have been very busy promoting the Serious About Fitness Fit Camps, shooting layouts for fitness magazines such as Oxygen and Inside Fitness, and shooting commercials in Los Angeles for Natural Nutrition. I have also been preparing for my upcoming competitions.

MNM: You are featured in the August edition of Oxygen Magazine. What was it like on set for the photo layout, how long did it take, where did it take place, and how was it a unique experience?

- The Oxygen shoot was a lot of fun. The photos were shot by Paul Buceta at his studio in Mississauga, ON. The whole day lasted about 7 hours, and this included having hair & makeup done by Lori Fabrizio, and the actual shots for 22 different exercises. Pam Mazzuca is the Fitness Editor for Oxygen and orchestrated the whole session. This was my first time shooting for a major fitness magazine and I loved the experience - everyone was very professional and I was happy with the shots. The pictures taken that day have also been used in both the Oxygen Ab Special as well as snippets in the September issue.

MNM: You also went to Los Angeles recently. Can you tell us a bit about that experience?

- I flew to Los Angeles twice in a three week period to do both the prep work (overview of script, meetings with the ad agency, etc.) and the actual commercials for Natural Nutrition, and the launch of their http://www.inutrition.com/ portal. Our celebrity endorser, Mr. John O'Hurley (best known for his role as Mr. Peterman on 'Seinfeld', host of 'Family Feud', and 'Dancing with the Stars' Winner), was great to work with and was constantly cracking jokes. Dante Spencer, a well-known fitness model, also played a part in the filming for athletic endorsement. Overall it was a great experience, and the studio people we worked with were phenomenal.

MNM: You have some major competitions coming up very soon? What, where, when and what have you set for your goals?

- There two big shows coming up this month, the CBBF Canadian Figure Championships to be held on August 9th in Vancouver, BC, and the IFBB North American Figure Championships, which will take place in Cleveland, OH, over Labour Day weekend. These events are both 'pro-qualifying events', and the attainment of a pro-card is one of my goals in competing, so we will see what happens. The competition at both of these events is going to be stiff, but I can only bring my best package and hope that it is enough.

MNM: What other plans do you have in the future?

- In 2009 I will continue to compete in Figure and work with Natural Nutrition. I would also like to continue with fitness modeling. I recently shot the cover for Inside Fitness, which will be on newsstands September 10th (available in Chapters, Shopper's Drug Mart, Loblaws). Inside Fitness is great Canadian fitness magazine which is distributed in 10 countries world wide. After next year, that I am not certain - I have a wonderful job in Human Resources with the Department of National Defence, and I do not see myself leaving that to pursue fitness full-time, but keeping it as a hobby is definitely on my radar. We will see what the future brings.

Source:  The Sudbury Star