I am honored to have been selected as one of the 1^st Class of Elite Physiques 2013 Fitness Competition Team. The class of 2012 has already accomplished so much, and with teamwork and mentorship from the Veterans, the 2013 team will be able to accomplish so much more in the future.

The selection process was based on personal accomplishments, attitude, work ethic and the drive to do more than just be a competitor. The desire to become a better athlete and better person is a start, but many must possess motivation to inspire people they come in contact with.

EP stands for class, sophistication, and professionalism. They set themselves apart by conducting themselves as the ‘Elite’ of the fitness competition world. Everyone on the list below has shown these exact qualities thus being chosen to Elite Physiques. Let’s continue making headlines, working together, and making history!

Please welcome the new teammates!!!

1^st Class of 2013

Amber Black – www.facebook.com/AmberBlack37?fref=ts

Bridget Therese – www.facebook.com/BTFitnessModel?fref=ts

Frank Hieden – www.facebook.com/frank.hieden?fref=ts

Priscilla Gonzalez – www.facebook.com/priscorpus?fref=ts

Kaleigh Huff – www.facebook.com/Kaleigh120?fref=ts

Laurie Wolfe – www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100000070360627&fref=ts

Tanya Colbert – www.facebook.com/tanyatrainer?fref=ts

Josh Burton – www.facebook.com/josh.burton.5283?fref=ts

It was an honor to be invited to attend women’s Go Red for Women event yesterday at Hotel Zaza.  The American Heart Association hosted its 10th annual Go Red for Women Luncheon on Wednesday, May 1, 2013 at Hotel ZaZa Houston. They will raise funds for cardiovascular disease and stroke research, and bring awareness of the number one killer of women. We all must acknowledge the power that the expression of support through challenge delivers – from autism to heart disease.

According to the American Heart Association, heart disease is a killer that strikes more women than men, and is more deadly than all forms of cancer combined. Since 1984, more women than men have died each year from heart disease and the gap between men and women’s survival continues to widen.

“Great strides in women’s heart health have been made in the last decade. In fact, more than 627,000 women’s lives have been saved, thanks to the collective energy, passion, time, money and heart of the millions of Americans who have supported this movement,” said Cheryl Byington, Go Red for Women Houston Campaign Chair.

The symptoms of heart disease can be different in women vs. men, and are often misunderstood. While one in 31 American women dies from breast cancer each year, one in three dies of heart disease.

This year’s luncheon featured Jewelry Designer and Entrepreneur Kendra Scott as keynote speaker. Scott discussed her global multimillion dollar brand and her company’s founding philosophies, “Family, Fashion & Philanthropy.”

Scott was also joined by Alaina Dixon to share her own personal heart disease story.  She is a Houston marathon runner and congenital heart disease survivor. Dixon was just 20 short yards from the finish line at the 2011 Chevron Houston Marathon when she collapsed and experienced sudden cardiac death. With CPR and the use of an onsite AED, Dixon was stabilized prior to receiving treatment at a local hospital.

The American Heart Association’s Go Red For Women movement has been impacting the health of women for 10 years. More than 627,000 women’s lives have been saved, but the fight is far from over.

Visit GoRedForWomen.org for more information or call 1-888-MY-HEART.

Click here for 10 Ways to Go Red!

I’m 9 weeks out from the Pro Figure Stage at The Fitness Universe Weekend in Miami June 28^th & 29^th .   And fitness training has stepped up a notch.  Managing the rate of the intensity in the grand conditioning plan of my figure this season is carefully regulated.

I picked up my sprints and endurance training this week.  I am in line with the focus for a tighter more symmetrical figure presentation on stage this event as suit fittings and adjustments begin this week.

My world consists in the balance of work, training, diet, rest, daily awareness pertaining to neuro-diversity, and the support network and real life care of my closest friends whom really empower the work horse in me to make this all happen.  It is in the collective orchestration of each of us and the aspects that bring it all together that propels me each day into the excitement that is unveiled as the show approaches.  The example of will and triumph after adversity is the implication for all. The experience still in motion and the language of the beauty in the journey is spoken.

I will be sharing weekly about my fitness preparations over the next two months coming into the PRO figure event in Miami, and how I navigate my life and fitness routine through the excitement and the challenges. It is in gratitude to all of you whom surround me that bring it all together…..