This crazy journey started last year around Christmas. I was home visiting my family in Michigan. For the most part I had been inactive from the world of social media and was really enjoying some much-needed family time. I had decided that I might as well log on to Facebook while I was waiting for Steven (my husband) to get some things around before leaving for a Christmas Party. The first thing that popped up at the top of my newsfeed was a post from one of the most influential and inspirational women I know, Naviere Walkewicz (IFPA Pro). Her post had talked about her goals for the new year and one of those goals she had set was to compete in her second figure competition in May. I had known that she had done a show before and was very curious about it then, so when I saw this I was so excited. I ran to my husband and started excitedly trying to explain what she was going to do. I remember thinking, “If I could just train with her while she prepares for her show then maybe I can finally reach my fitness goals that I had been struggling with for a long time.”
Upon returning home from our holiday visit with family I was so excited to talk to Naviere about her plans for the upcoming show. For those of you who do not know, Naviere is the owner of an amazing fitness studio in Bellevue, NE. This is the studio that I currently teach at. One day after a class by one of my other most favorite women in the world, Erin Roberts, we started talking about Naviere’s crazy plans. Erin started to tell me how Naviere had approached her and asked if she wanted to do the show too. I about jumped out of my skin with excitement and urged her to do it. Then I asked, “Hey, would you mind if I joined you two at the gym while you start lifting?” I told her my fitness goals and how I had been struggling with them for so long. I told her that my goal wasn’t really to compete but to just get into great shape while they trained. Like the amazing woman she is, she told me that I was more than welcome to join.
Lifting with them was like nothing I had ever done before. My lifting was child’s play in comparison to the lifts that they were doing. There was such intensity and passion in the workout. I was in heaven and in pain all at the same time. I was having a blast but also wishing it would be over! I continued to lift and train with them for about a week, while asking my husband, “How cool would it be if I did this bikini thing?” I must have asked him this same question in different formats a million times. He finally said, “Jessica, stop saying IF and start saying WHEN.” At that point I decided to commit all the way and not look back. I figured that the most appropriate way to make this real was to make it “Facebook Official.” I posted to all my friends and family, telling them what my goal was and the day that I planned on stepping on stage. My first show was set to be the Heartland Classic. There and then the most amazing journey I had ever been on started taking place.
Competing has been more than just something to train for or accomplishing a goal that I had set and following it through. It has become a lifestyle. I absolutely love what I do with all of my heart and I hope that it shows. When I am not at the gym or food prepping, I am online researching and learning what I can about the sport that I love. I feel so very blessed to be walking this path in life. I believe that God has always had a plan for me and I intend on following. My hope is to help others find what it is that they love and to go after it. There have been many times in this last year that I had to step way outside of my comfort zone. I believe that amazing things lie just beyond our comfort zone. We need to push ourselves and try new things. Most importantly, I think that it isn’t just about what you do or how far it takes you, but the people you help along the way and the impact that you can make in their lives.
Upon returning home from our holiday visit with family I was so excited to talk to Naviere about her plans for the upcoming show. For those of you who do not know, Naviere is the owner of an amazing fitness studio in Bellevue, NE. This is the studio that I currently teach at. One day after a class by one of my other most favorite women in the world, Erin Roberts, we started talking about Naviere’s crazy plans. Erin started to tell me how Naviere had approached her and asked if she wanted to do the show too. I about jumped out of my skin with excitement and urged her to do it. Then I asked, “Hey, would you mind if I joined you two at the gym while you start lifting?” I told her my fitness goals and how I had been struggling with them for so long. I told her that my goal wasn’t really to compete but to just get into great shape while they trained. Like the amazing woman she is, she told me that I was more than welcome to join.
Lifting with them was like nothing I had ever done before. My lifting was child’s play in comparison to the lifts that they were doing. There was such intensity and passion in the workout. I was in heaven and in pain all at the same time. I was having a blast but also wishing it would be over! I continued to lift and train with them for about a week, while asking my husband, “How cool would it be if I did this bikini thing?” I must have asked him this same question in different formats a million times. He finally said, “Jessica, stop saying IF and start saying WHEN.” At that point I decided to commit all the way and not look back. I figured that the most appropriate way to make this real was to make it “Facebook Official.” I posted to all my friends and family, telling them what my goal was and the day that I planned on stepping on stage. My first show was set to be the Heartland Classic. There and then the most amazing journey I had ever been on started taking place.
Competing has been more than just something to train for or accomplishing a goal that I had set and following it through. It has become a lifestyle. I absolutely love what I do with all of my heart and I hope that it shows. When I am not at the gym or food prepping, I am online researching and learning what I can about the sport that I love. I feel so very blessed to be walking this path in life. I believe that God has always had a plan for me and I intend on following. My hope is to help others find what it is that they love and to go after it. There have been many times in this last year that I had to step way outside of my comfort zone. I believe that amazing things lie just beyond our comfort zone. We need to push ourselves and try new things. Most importantly, I think that it isn’t just about what you do or how far it takes you, but the people you help along the way and the impact that you can make in their lives.