Age: 37
City you live in: Las Vegas
Relationship status: Married
Favorite body part on a woman: Glutes
Favorite body part on a man: Calves
I am a WBFF Pro Diva Bikini Model, VIP Lounge Representative at Aria Resort & Casino in Las Vegas, wife, and a proud mum to Dexter, a French bulldog. I was born and raised on the most easterly Caribbean Island, Barbados. I always had a love for the stage and started modeling and entering pageants around the age of 15. I am still the only contestant from Barbados to have won The Miss Caribbean Bikini title. I also held the Miss Hawaiian Tropic International Barbados title. I enjoyed representing Barbados at different pageants around the Region and internationally because it allowed me to travel and experience different cultures. At the age of 24, I felt the desire to explore what else the World had to offer me. I decided to pack up and make the big move thousands of miles away to the United States. I was never big into sports but I started going to the gym as a teenager. I was not as dedicated as I am now but always enjoyed a good sweat. I started to compete in fitness shows at the beginning of 2012, at age 33. I am committed to living a healthy balanced lifestyle year-round and not only for competition.
Training Plan
My training consists of weight lifting 4 days a week with interval cardio 2 days a week under 30 minutes a session which increases closer to a show but never an hour anymore! I do not do fasted cardio.
Nutritional & supplements
I like structure in my life so I prep my meals and take them to work with me year-round, not just for a bikini competition. I eat 6 balanced clean meals a day with a variety of complex carbs, lean protein, and healthy fats. I also treat myself every week (even if I am prepping for a show with the guidance of my coach) and because there is no depriving, no major restriction, there are NO CRAVINGS.
What are your thoughts on Status Fitness Magazine and photographer David Ford?
Status fitness offers great articles which include great tips and training techniques for both men and women, recognizing more than one fitness federation, eye-catching layouts, and the Status Fitness team is awesome. It says a lot that Status has good people working for them.
Shooting with David is a great experience. He is so calm and gives great direction which makes you feel very comfortable in front of his lens. I learned a lot from him!
Who is your fitness inspiration?
So many athletes inspire me for different reasons. My most recent inspiration is Fitness Icon, Monica Brant. During her camp, being able to meet, work out with, and have her guidance during a photo shoot was an amazing and memorable experience.
What things do you do in hopes of inspiring others?
I share my fitness journey honestly, the good and the bad, in hopes that others may realize that there is a healthier way to prep for stage and to be healthy year-round and also know that every day is not perfect.
Favorite Quotes
FIT is not a destination it is a way of LIFE.
Transformation story:
My first year of competition training involved weight training 3 days a week and doing 2 hours of cardio every day (yes every day). My diet, a few weeks out from a show was not too bad but getting closer to a show date, the calories per day would drop, the carbs & fats disappeared and the diet became extremely strict. There were no treats (cheats) at all for about a 12 week period. I remember nights laying in bed in tears because I would be so hungry. My hubby would cut up some celery with salsa and bring it to me just so I could have something to chew. Basically, I was in a caloric deficit and because I did 5 shows that year, I spent most of 2012 struggling with fatigue and hunger. I did not know any way else. I thought this was the only prepping method for a woman to compete. On social media this is what I saw women in the fitness industry posting, this is what was most shared with the public. Little did I know that I was doing damage to my health. No one shared the ugly side to this unhealthy way of prepping for the stage and honestly, I had no idea that the women’s physiques I admired, did not look like that year-round.
ON SOCIAL MEDIA THIS IS WHAT I SAW WOMEN IN THE FITNESS INDUSTRY POSTING, THIS IS WHAT WAS MOST SHARED WITH THE PUBLIC. LITTLE DID I KNOW THAT I WAS DOING DAMAGE TO MY HEALTH.
I thought I was a champion because I made it through the months of depriving myself and felt accomplished because I completed all of that cardio assigned to me. But truthfully, I was always exhausted, moody, and never took time for anything else in my life. Oh! How can I forget, after a show, I would eat a whole jar of Nutella within a couple of days. The cravings were undeniable. The rebounds were emotionally hard.
After my last show in December 2012, I had a break in my momentum. I had a very hard time getting back into the gym, I even cried when I got on a treadmill. I enjoyed being on stage and loved seeing my body transformed but mentally and emotionally I was drained. I really wanted to set a date for my next show but had a very hard time committing to one. I met Ana Tigre who is a WBFF Pro Fitness Diva, she competed for years. She shared her fitness journey with me. She went through metabolic damage from years of prepping for shows just how I did for that one year. She shared what most women would not talk about, her struggles, and how it took years for her to overcome the damage but now she has found a healthy balance. What perfect timing for me, I NEEDED to know about her story. I was also ready to receive her story. She gave me some information to research. I then found Kevin Myles who is now my coach and he helped me switch up everything in 2013.
Currently, my training consists of weight lifting 4 days a week with interval cardio 2 days a week under 30 minutes a session which increases closer to a show but never an hour anymore! I do not do fasted cardio, no-carb cycling, no water depletion, no water (diuretic) pills, and no voodoo as Kevin says. I still measure/weigh my food and eat 6 clean meals a day BUT now I eat balanced meals and can have a variety. I also treat myself every week and because there is no depriving, no major restriction, there are NO CRAVINGS. Sometimes deciding what I want to eat as a treat is hard because there is nothing that I crave. I have also learned patience for the results I am working towards. This method works great for me. I have a full-time job and really do not have the time to be in the gym for hours. I also would like to look and feel great all year and not just for a show. No rebounding is awesome. Sometimes it is still a mental struggle not seeing faster results but seeing the long-term results is such a bonus.
