Part 6 - Ready or not, here we go!

The Ontario Naturals is fast approaching and things do seem to be coming together. I'm in better shape than I've been in decades. My progress has surprised me more than anyone. I'm training with heart, never missing a workout. I feel strong, I feel young. My diet is in check, metabolism over the top. I'm actually having to up my calories to avoid losing too much weight.

A few friends are starting to voice concern about my weight loss. What they don't understand is how essential it is to be lean for the competition. I enjoy being lean, it feels great after years of being a little too chunky for my comfort. I have slabs of muscle on my physique, yet they won't cut me any slack. Two weeks before the competition, someone strikes a nerve. "You look unwell." This coming from someone who, in my opinion, is underweight. WTF!! It sends me over the edge. I turn to pizza and beer to console myself. Afterwards, rather than chancing another episode, rather than trying to explain myself, I go into hiding. Ah, memories of the old days. No wonder I stopped defending my sport. It's way too much work.

Getting my signature poses together.

Not everyone is reacting the same way, others are offering tremendous support. One day, while chatting with a group of lovely Asian friends (Nadine, Nhan, Nimmie, Patchara), they comment on how tiny I'd gotten, but not in a negative way. They themselves are petite and always have been. We exchange statistics on how much we weigh and how tall we are. We all have small bone structures. I ask them their opinion on why some people are not accepting of my size. We summarize that it's just because they aren't accustomed to seeing me this way. I need to endure it and get through the adjustment period. They need to adjust, not me.

I will no doubt be one of the oldest competitors in the event...and the lightest. I'm not worried. If the judges are doing their job, the best physique will come out on top. It's not about height or bone structure. It's about shape, muscle tone, poise and presentation. It's not about who does the heaviest bench press or who lost the most weight. It's all about who looks the best on the day of the competition against the others standing on the same stage. At show time, the judges don't concern themselves with who worked the hardest or who has the winningest coach. They only care about the physiques standing in front of them. My job is to focus on how to give them what they're looking for.
 
It's the day prior to my figure debut. The car is loaded, my tan has been applied, my bikini is packed, my shoes are packed. It's going to be an exciting weekend. What a strange feeling it was to arrive at the registration that evening. Friends I haven't seen in years, who remember me more as a promoter than an athlete, are asking what brings me to the event. "I'm competing". "WHAT? Are you serious?" The head judge announces me at the competitor briefing because I'd not been seen on the other side of the table for such a long time. I received a warm welcome. Realizing that this was my first figure competition, some of the more seasoned competitors introduced themselves to me and offered their assistance. I was in good hands!

Practicing in the hotel room
prior to the competition.

It's a small competition in terms of number of entries. The President of the OPA warns me that I may be the only entrant in the grandmaster division (over 45). He's telling me this because he knows that I came for the excitement of being on-stage with a line-up. I'm there to compete, not to stand on the stage alone. My heart sinks. Dammit! He advises me to enter the short class as well (up to 5'2") with the younger gals. I'm not pre-qualified but an exception is made because there are only two other competitors in that division so we'd all place in the top 3 regardless of the outcome. I'm thrilled and can't wipe the grin off my face for the rest of the evening.

As we're leaving the registration room, a tall, beautiful woman approaches me. "Hi, I'm Lynda Jager, I'll be in the grandmaster division with you".  OMG! Lynda Jager, the queen of figure grandmasters, is back to defend her title. With three provincial wins behind her, she's the one to beat. Win or lose, if there's anyone in Ontario who I would benefit from competing with, it's her. She's warm and friendly. This weekend just keeps getting better.

Back in the hotel room, Ed applies one last coat of Pro Tan on me, I paint my nails, eat my final pre-contest meal. I also had to practice my posing as I'd been practicing the wrong poses all along. Looking at pics on-line wasn't my best idea. Each federation has a different way of doing things. Plus, I needed to decide on three signature poses for my introduction on-stage.


Being unprepared with my posing would be only my first mistake..........